It was over. Finally, he could relax and maybe let go of the frustration he had been fighting for so long. Handing the unsub over to the local police, he raised his head to find Derek Morgan looking at him with the odd mix of an impressed grin, and that eye brow raised in a warning: "If you ever pull that crap again, I will personally kick your butt all the way back to DC!" With his eyebrows to do the work, Derek rarely needed to raise his voice.
That look suddenly reminded Dr. Spencer Reid that their boss was still in the room. He slowly turned away from Morgan to find Agent Hotchner half-way across the police station shooting him a glare that would do any Catholic school nun proud. Reid froze. He knew there was nothing he could do now to stop what was coming, so he simply waited for Hotch to make the next move. To his surprise his boss turned on his heals and, without a second look back, marched out the front door.
Reid's jaw dropped. He had no idea what to do next. Behind him, he heard Morgan quietly chuckle. This wasn't an attempt to make fun of Reid, but a small effort at lightening the mood. Both men knew Reid was about to catch an excessive amount of hell, and Morgan didn't want to make it worse for the young agent he often thought of as a little brother. But as much as his natural inclination was to protect Reid, Morgan also knew he deserved every bit of what was coming. In the meantime he could at least usher the kid to the vehicle and offer him whatever sense of protection Reid could glean from that.
Sitting alone behind the wheel of the waiting SUV, Agent Hotchner admitted to himself he was tired and angry. As he waited for his team to return to the vehicle, Hotch tried to calm himself. He knew he was in no state to dole out constructive criticism or to decide on appropriate discipline. He had just watched one of his trusted agents knowingly lie to his superiors, put himself in a potentially dangerous situation with no backup, body armor or even a sidearm. On top of all this, over the last few days, there were several childish temper tantrums executed in public he'd had to diffuse. He knew his youngest agent was battling some serious demons, and he wanted to give him as much latitude as he needed, but Hotch was beginning to wonder if this was really the best course of action. Reid was pushing the boundaries too far now.
"We have a problem." Agent David Rossi settled himself in the front passenger's seat. "Reid's actions are becoming too reckless to ignore."
Pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing deeply, Hotch merely nodded his head. Rossi couldn't help but be glad he was no longer the lead on this team. Before he could say more, Agents Emily Prentice and Jennifer "JJ" Jareau opened the back door and quietly slid into the far back seat, leaving the middle seats available for the last two member of the team.
Reid continued to stand in the center of the police station, mouth agape, unable to decide what to do next. With a gentle pat on the young agent's shoulder, Morgan passed Reid with a confident, "come on, kid", and headed for the door.
Used to being guided by the older members of his team, Reid's feet naturally followed the direction, and he soon found himself outside the police station headed for the waiting SUV.
Reaching the vehicle, Morgan held the door waiting for Reid to board. Sheepishly, Reid bent his long frame, stepped into the tense quiet, and slipped into the seat directly behind Hotch. If he had to be in this enclosed space with his angry boss, this was certainly the safest spot.
The drive back to the hotel was hard for Reid. He tried to make himself as small as possible while staring out the side window at the passing buildings of the small Texas town. Hotch was going to kill him, and it was a bad sign that he hadn't done so already. J.J., Emily and Morgan did their best to chat nonchalantly about lighter things, while Hotch drove without talking, alternately fuming and breathing deeply. Rossi was the only person who seemed remotely relaxed.
At the hotel Hotch parked near the front door, "alright everyone, meet back here in 20 minutes". Morgan and Rossi opened their doors and climbed out. Reid tried to scramble out as quickly as possible, but just as his feet reached the door, Hotch, who hadn't moved, quietly said, "A minute, Reid?" It wasn't a request. Reid's mouth went dry, but he returned to his seat so the ladies in the back seat could exit. They both gave him looks of pity and J.J. patted his shoulder for support, but Reid barely noticed. When everyone was out of earshot, Hotch, still looking directly out the front window, quietly began, "You're in a lot of trouble."
Reid, looking at his hands in his lap, wanted to cry. He didn't know what had come over him, or why he'd been acting so petulantly the last few days. One thing was clear though; he had greatly disappointed his boss. He would give anything to take back the last couple of days and do them over. In answer to Hotch he could only nod his head, keeping his eyes down.
Hotch still didn't trust that he was calm enough to discuss this with the young man, so he forced his voice to stay quiet and low which always had the effect of making him sound far more formal than normal, "When we get back to the jet, you are to find a seat alone where we can talk. I expect you to have a good answer for what you were thinking when you chose to endanger your life." With this he stepped out of the SUV with every intention of walking away, but when he turned to close the door, he glanced at the repentant-looking man sitting alone in the back seat. He looked so young and fragile, his long hair falling around his bowed head. Reid looked up shyly when he realized Hotch was still standing there. Hotch saw his brown eyes softly pleading with him to accept his apology. Unfortunately, the kid had pushed it too far this time. Hotch gave an almost imperceptible nod, gently closed the door, and walked into the hotel.
