Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Specia thanks to mablereid for her encouragement.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"A coward has no scar."
Author unknown
The plane wended its way eastward into the darkness, leaving the setting sun behind. No sound could be heard other than the steady roar of the engines that kept them floating through the clouds. Rossi was lying on the bench seat, snoring every now and then to break the silence. Morgan had his headphones on but the slow and steady rising of his chest told the observer that he slept as did JJ who would have a baby to tend to when she got home so she grabbed what little sleep she could whenever possible. Prentiss turned the pages of the latest novel she was reading, the only light shining other than that over Aaron Hotchner's head as he tackled the endless paperwork and surveiled his team. Reid was looking out the window into the blackening night.
Hotch rose from his seat, grabbed his coffee and walked down the aisle to sit opposite his youngest team member. "So, how's the leg?"
"It's coming along…slowly. I can't wait for the day I can get rid of those," he inclined his head to indicate the crutches that rested against the seat across the aisle. "What about you?" he asked Hotch. "How are," he made a motion with his hand over his torso area.
"Healed," Hotch replied in his ever stoic manner.
"Yeah," Reid laughed disdainfully, "okay."
"Well, there are scars," Hotch replied.
"Oh yeah," Reid said as he looked at his reflection in the window into the darkness. "There are always scars."
"Look, I'm sorry about the way I handled your not being cleared to fly. I should have taken you aside and handled it privately."
"It's okay Hotch. I shouldn't have misrepresented the situation." Hotch raised his eyebrows. "Okay, I shouldn't have lied. I just wanted to work. It must say something about my pitiful life that I want to come to work on crutches and face sadistic serial killers and the horrible things they do when I could stay at home and take sick time. I mean…you'd never do something like that."
"Reid, I think instead of a pitiful life, it reveals your dedication to your job. When I did what I did, I was wrong. Luckily, in the situation we found ourselves in, I didn't put any of the team's lives in danger but I could have. I couldn't make that mistake again, not now."
"What do you mean by not now?"
"Some of my decisions are being questioned." Hotch replied looking down at his hands.
"You mean like that one to go into that house in Louisville unarmed and block the sniper. Morgan told me all about it."
"I had to save that boy," Hotch replied.
The look Reid gave him said more than his words ever could. "I know," Hotch said, "and so did you."
"Hotch, I understand, I really do, what you're going through. I know what it's like to be at the mercy of an unsub while he tortures you. I know what it's like to be afraid for your family. I was petrified for my mother when Garner was out there; so much so that I had her brought here on a plane, all the while knowing that it would terrify her more than anything. So I understand how you feel having to put your family in protective custody. Haley must be scared and angry. Jack must be confused just like my mother was scared, angry and confused, but I did what I had to do to protect her."
He paused and looked out the window before speaking again. "Like I said Hotch, there are always scars. Some, like my leg and your torso are visible and some," he fingered the medallion in his pocket, "aren't."
"Wisdom is scar tissue in disguise."
Author unknown