A/N: okay so I saw Zugzwang and it was a great episode. I'm not sure everyone remembers everything that has happened in 8 seasons so let's recap. Reid has been kidnapped, tortured, drugged, addicted to dilaudid, got anthrax, had to investigate his own father for murder, shot in the knee, now he has been shot in the arm –and knowing the writers he will probably relapse now- plus watched his first girlfriend on the show the woman he loves die in front of him after having to tell her he doesn't love her. I can't help but think this is just cruel to do to a character. Don't get me wrong I love the reidcentric episodes and the drama of it all, but couldn't they have just let the woman live. Throw this poor guy a bone that's all I'm saying. Now he will have to deal with her death.

Anyways this is one of the stories that I had in my oneshot collection. People wanted me to continue this so I am. I have three chapters already written plus I have three chapters to my other story Blue Moon written as well. And for those of you who were wondering Judging A Book By It's Cover is finished. I ended it on a happy fluffy moment which for me is rare.

Termination

It started out as just a normal day for Doctor Spencer Reid. The subway was on time, he got to work without any problems along the way. He even didn't have to wait long for his coffee at his regular spot. Reid was sure that today was going to be a good day. Last night had been a rough one for him. They had just gotten back from a case, the Owen case as he calls it. Hotch had gave him a lecture on the jet on the way back home. He knew his actions would be called into question so it wasn't really a surprise when Hotch sat down across from him. What stood out the most to him was when Hotch told him that 'he's the smartest person in the room, but he's not the only one in the room.' To Reid that meant more to him then he could ever say out loud. He was always alone especially growing up and for Hotch to tell him that he isn't alone anymore words couldn't describe how he felt. Last night he had taken Hotch's advice and went to see the rest of that 'movie' and it had helped him get through the hard night. He felt a lot better this morning than he had in a week or more.

At ten o'clock he headed up to the conference room with everyone else to go over a new case. Reid had just put his coffee down on the table when Erin Strauss walked through the door.

"Agent Reid I need to speak with you now."

Everyone in the conference room looked to Reid. Strauss' voice clearly held anger to it. They all assumed it had to do with what happened with the case last night. Reid gave a small smile to let them know it would be okay before he headed down the hall after an angry Strauss. Reid walked in her office and closed the door behind him when he was told to. He went to sit down in one of the chairs opposite of Strauss.

"Ma'am if this is about what happened on the last case."

"This has nothing to do with a case. Where were you last night?"

"Home"

"You were home all night last night Agent?"

"Ma'am what is this about?"

"Were you at the community center last night on 1878 First Street?"

"I was from six till 9:03pm. What is this about? Did something happen?"

"It was brought to my attention that you were at a narcotic anonymous meeting last night."

Reid didn't know what to say. He knew he couldn't lie but at the same time it was his personal business and it didn't have anything to do with his work life.

"I was but what business is it of yours where I am after work."

"When your business involves drugs it becomes my business."

"It didn't involve drugs I was at a meeting a private meeting where people in law enforcement can go. There's no drugs involved we just talk that's it. I could understand if I was caught with a DUI that it would be your business, but a simple meeting isn't."

"You don't see how a meeting where drug addicts go is my business. You go there because you were doing drugs at some point now explain."

"I've been clean for ten months now. I go when the cases are hard and I just need to get away for a little while. I can go there and listen to other people and feel that I belong without judgement. I don't see where the issue is in that."

"The issue is that ten months ago you were doing drugs. The issue is you are a drug addict and I will not tolerate one in my department. Gather your things you have fifteen minutes to leave this building. Turn your badge and gun in to Agent Hotchner and see to it that he walks you out. Now get out of my site."

Strauss put an envelope in front of him and Reid knew it was his letter of termination. She had made the decision to fire him the second she heard about the meeting last night. Reid grabbed the envelope and left the room he didn't go back into the conference room just yet though he needed a minute. Reid looked down at the envelope he couldn't believe this was happening. He opened it and took out his termination letter where it stated that he was to lose two weeks of pay, his health insurance, and all of his holiday pay that he had accumulated over the last four years. A total loss of ten grand and change. All from doing the right thing and going to a meeting so he wouldn't give into the cravings. This job was everything to him it was why he quit in the first place and now here he was with a termination letter in his hands for going to something as simple as a meeting. He didn't understand there were other members of the FBI that attended the meeting even the director was there he didn't understand how he could be fired for this. He could understand if it was ten months ago when he was using but now? Reid didn't want to go into that conference room and tell his family that he was fired over this, but he had to he didn't have much longer before his fifteen minutes were up and he was sure that Strauss would call security if he wasn't gone.

Reid walked into the conference room and saw that they had continued going over their new case.

"Spence here's a file I'm sure you'll catch up." JJ said with a smile that Reid didn't return.

"Ya um… I won't be going."

Reid said with his head down. He took off his badge that was attached to his shirt followed by his gun then his official badge. He placed them down in front of Hotch who had a questioning look on his face.

"Reid?"

"Strauss has terminated me. She said you have to walk me out."

"What!" Morgan couldn't help but yell.

"Why did she fire you?" Emily asked shocked with the rest of them.

Reid looked down though he had never said anything to them about his drug problem they all knew that he had a problem after Tobias. Reid just never said it out loud but now he had to.

"I was at a meeting last night an NA meeting. Apparently someone saw me, because whoever it was told Strauss and she called me a drug addict and then fired me."

"You're not a drug addict." Morgan immediately said.

"Technically I am, but I haven't used in ten months."

"Is that your termination letter?" Hotch asked

"Ya"

"Can I see it?"

Reid didn't reply he just handed him the letter. Hotch after all had once been a prosecutor he might see something that he could do about the situation. Hotch read the letter and couldn't believe what it said. It flat out called Reid a drug addict not only that Reid would be losing close to ten grand.

"Reid do you realise that they are taking away close to ten grand from you?"

"Ya I know. Honestly I could understand if I was using, but it's been ten months. I got clean, I go to meetings to stay that way this was even for people in law enforcement. There are people from local police to the top director of the FBI. I thought I was doing the right thing and now I'm being fired over it."

"You did the right thing Spence." JJ said trying to give some comfort to one of her best friends.

"She can't fire you based off of past or present drug use. The only thing she could do would be to order you to go to rehab, prove you've been clean for ninety days before you would be allowed back. You've been clean for ten months she has no grounds to fire you based off of this. She also has no right to take ten grand from you either." Hotch said clearly angry at this outcome. Just last night he had advised Reid to finish the meeting he was at before the case started. Now because of that he was being fired by someone who saw him. Everything about this situation was wrong they needed Reid on their team. Hotch got up and headed for the door he wasn't just going to let this happen.

"Where are you going?" Reid asked

"To talk to Strauss. She has no grounds for termination. You stay here."

Hotch left the room and went down the hall to speak with Strauss. He didn't even knock on the door he just went in, not caring what she was doing.

"Do you mind I'm busy."

"Actually I do mind. You go behind my back and fire one of my team members without consulting me on it."

"They are my agents just like you are. Who I choose to fire is my business and not yours."

"That agent is one of the brightest minds in the world. Every agency has been fighting over him since he got into the academy and you are just going to let him go. Before Reid was placed on this team our success rate at catching UnSubs was seventy-five percent. Since he has been on this team we not only have gone up to ninety percent success rate, but we have solved cases faster saving more victims in result of that. We use Reid for everything and you are just going to terminate him for having a past drug problem. As I recall you yourself have been to a few AA meetings yourself over the years. How can you sit there and penalise him for something you struggle with?"

"My personal business is none of your business nor do you have any right to speak about it. The fact is that kid has a drug problem whether it is in the past or not he is too much of a risk to keep around. Now I suggest you escort him out of this building before you follow him out that door."

"You have no grounds for termination he can and will fight this."

"He has already been replaced. Your new team member will meet you at the airport in half an hour. I suggest you get your team ready to be there by then. You are dismissed."

"This isn't over."

Hotch left after that and headed back into the conference room. Everyone was talking about how this wasn't right nor fair to do to Reid. After everything he had been through on this team, now he was being fired over doing the right thing and getting clean. He wasn't going to just let this go they had a case to work on, but when he got back he was going to see to it that this was corrected. Hotch walked into the room and everyone's attention turned to him.

"I'm sorry Reid I couldn't get her to change her mind. There is apparently already a new member to the team waiting for us at the airport."

"This is bullshit. How can she just do this to him?" Morgan was furious with this situation and it was getting worse each second that ticked by.

"If there is already another agent waiting for us then she didn't just think this up. Erin must have been thinking about this for a while now." Rossi said

"She told me she found out last night." Reid said

"Maybe she has been looking for a reason to get rid of one of us?" Prentise supplied to the conversation.

"Never the less she has no grounds for termination. Right now we have a serial killer to catch. So Reid I want you to go home and enjoy a couple days off. When this case is over you and I will meet and figure this out. I'm not just going to let this go and I can't imagine that the director has been informed of this. He fought to long and hard to get you into the FBI to just let you go. For right now though let's all head out and focus on this case." Hotch said

They all gathered their things, Reid getting his belongings from his desk and placing them in his messenger bag. They loaded into the elevator and left the building together as a team one last time. Reid had taken the subway to work this morning so he would have to take it back. They all took one last look at each other before saying their goodbyes. Each made sure to hug Reid except for Hotch who gave a hand shake. They also made sure to tell him that they would see him again soon and they would figure this out. They walked off to where the SUV's were leaving just Hotch and Reid standing outside by the front door.

"Spencer I want you to know that you can always call me if you need to talk. I don't want what happened in the last week or so to cause a negative effect on you."

"I know and I promise I won't start using. It's been ten months and I'm not about to backtrack. I'll be fine go find your UnSub I'll see you when you get back."

"Alright be safe."

Reid just gave a nod and watched as Hotch walked away to join the rest of the team in the SUVs. Reid turned to head towards the subway station nearby he couldn't help but think that he would never be on the team again.