Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters.

Short missing scene from 6x05 "Safe Haven" because I was excited when I saw Rossi and Reid standing at the top of a ditch again, but then very sad when they were suddenly at the bottom...


Rossi and Reid stood at the top of the ditch. Rossi was looking down at the vehicle crashed at the bottom, while Reid was simply staring at the long decline that led to it. Rossi began to make the descent, but turned around and looked up at Reid when he noticed the younger man hadn't moved to follow him.

"Are you coming, Reid?"

"It's a ditch," Reid responded as if it explained everything, gesturing to the downward slope.

"Don't tell me you're going to complain about climbing again," Rossi groused, though he was slightly amused. "You made it down and out of the last one just fine."

"Barely," Reid responded. "With no thanks to you. You left me to climb back out by myself with a bad knee. And this ditch is much larger."

"Reid, I think it's been long enough that your knee should be able to handle climbing down here."

"It's not the climbing down I'm worried about," Reid stated. "It's climbing back up."

"You'll be fine," Rossi encouraged.

Reid shook his head. "You just enjoy watching me suffer."

Rossi smirked, but ignored Reid's comment. "Would you stop whining, and get down here already? We do have a case to solve."

"Only if you promise not to leave me alone at the bottom again."

"Fine, I won't leave you," Rossi promised, holding up his hand in mock scout's honor.

Reid was still hesitant. "And no pretending you can't hear me," he added.

Rossi had to chuckle at this. "Alright."

Rossi continued the rest of the way down, and Reid began to follow at a slower and more careful pace.

"See, that wasn't so hard," Rossi chided as Reid finally reached the bottom.

"Easy for you to say. You weren't the one shot in the knee."

30 minutes later...

"Have you seen Agent Rossi?" Reid asked the detective they were working with.

"I think he went up to your vehicle a few minutes ago," the detective answered, pointing up the slope behind him.

"Of course he did," Reid responded, earning him a questioning look from the detective.

Reid took a deep breath and slowly made his way back up the ditch, silently cursing Rossi in his mind, not that he needed help, but because Rossi had knowingly left him at the bottom of a ditch again. When Reid finally reached the top, he found Rossi leaning smugly against the side of their SUV.

"Not funny, Rossi."

Rossi was smiling. "I thought it was."

"See how you feel one day when I leave you at the bottom of a ditch," Reid grumbled, though Rossi could tell he was suppressing a grin.

"Fine by me," Rossi returned lightly. "I'm not the one that was shot in the knee, remember?"