Disclaimer: I don't anything!

by different author

perfected by yours truly

the previous author deleted this story and I could not let it stay that way so here it is!

A constant knocking on his door woke him up from his peaceful sleep. Assuming it wasn't his door he tried to ignore it. Hearing the noise continue and connecting the sound to his door he grunted.

Pulling a pillow over his face as an insistent fist pounded against the front door of his apartment, Spencer Reid groaned as he cracked one eyelid to peer at the glowing numbers on his alarm clock.

7:23 a.m

On a Saturday.

His day off.

Glaring at his bedroom door as the persitant knocking continued, Reid frowned. Someone clearly had a death wish. Or else...he, she or it simply wasn't bothered enough by him to be afraid.

Which, if he was honest, was pretty much everybody that comprised his life.

Throwing the comforter toward the end of his bed as he sat up, Reid glared toward the door. If only he had super powers that would allow him to see through barriers. Then he would know whether opening the door was actually in his best interest or not.

"Reid," he heard a familiar voice shout, "I'm not leaving. Open up!"

"Crap." Reid muttered to himself as he reached for the t-shirt draped on the headboard, sliding it over his head. This was exactly how he wanted to begin his morning. A run-in with Aaron Hotchner on his first day off in weeks. Perfect.

He didn't need super powers to know this was not going to go well.

"Reid, c'mon," Aaron Hotchner's insistent voice demanded as his fist landed against the front door again. "You have thirty seconds and then I'm using my emergency key."

"Damn," Reid bit out hoarsely as he scrubbed a hand over his face, dragging his hand down his stubbled jaw. "I knew I should have confiscated everybody's keys," he mumbled to himself, forcing himself off the bed as he padded toward the living room on his bare feet.

Reaching the door just as he heard the metallic sound of a key scraping the lock, Reid jerked open the door, bringing him face to face with a man that, until recently, he would have sworn cared about him. Of course, that just lent to his new belief that he was a lousy judge of character.

"Do we have a case?" Reid asked irritably, forgoing the traditional social nicety of a greeting.

Meeting Dr. Spencer Reid's bloodshot eyes, Aaron Hotchner shook his head, "No."

"Then we have nothing to discuss," Reid retorted tersely as he began to shut the door.

Sliding his foot inside the threshold, Hotch caught the wood against his hand and forced it back open. "We need to talk, Spencer."

"We don't have a case. It's before eight in the morning on a weekend, Hotch. Believe me we don't have anything to discuss." Reid replied, his voice brisk as he glared at Aaron's intrusion.

"We both now that isn't true," Aaron countered, ignoring Reid hostility as he stepped inside Spencer's apartment and closed the door behind him.

"What I know is that you now have zero right to impinge on my personal time," Reid retorted, his cheeks flushing angrily. "As my unit Chief, you may be able to manage me at the office for the time being," he continued bitterly, "but, I can promise you my personal life is off limits. Now, leave," he stated adamantly, jabbing his finger toward the door.

"No," Hotch denied firmly, crossing his arms over his chest, the polo shirt he wore drawing tightly across his muscles.

Blinking at Hotch's open defiance, Reid's chn lifted. "What gives you the right to encroach on my personal space?"

"One word," Hotch replied succinctly, raising his index finger.

"Yes?" Reid said almost rudely, his eyebrow arching into a point.

"Dilaudid."

"So," Reid sneered, dropping his hands to his hips as he faced the man he'd thought he'd known...the man he'd thought of as a mentor..."you've added eavesdropping on a privated conversation to your glowing repetoire of skills, huh, Aaron?" he asked sarcastically.

"I didn't have to eavesdrop," Hotch denied softly, his eyes steadily meeting Reid's and refusing to back down. "You shouted at JJ loud enough for the entire police station to overhear," he explained evenly.

Lips tightening, Reid stiffened at the mans condemnation he heard in the other man's voice. "I wouldn't judge if I was you, Aaron," he warned. "At least I'm upfront with my anger. I'm not hiding the truth from anyone. Everyone on our team knows just where my resentment stems from."

"Spencer, if you'll just let me..."

"Don't," Reid barked holding up a hand. "I'm done listening to either of you spout the same line over and over. You couldn't tell us, blah, blah, blah. You know what, Hotch? I don't care anymore. The bottom line is that as Unit Cheif you expect your team to trust each other, and yet, you, our so-called team leader, led all of us to believe a lie. Why? Which one of us did you not think you could trust? Which one of us did you have so damn little faith in that you refuses to give us the truth we were owed?"

"It's not that simple," Aaron defended himself, his own spine stiffening at the accusations Reid tossed at him.

"No! It is that simple, Aaron! You and JJ sat back and watched me suffering. You watched us all suffer! And neither of you lifted a finger to help us... to help me!"

"I wanted to," Hotch bit out, taking a step forward, determinded to make the other man see his point of view. "Gosh, you don't know how much I wanted to. You think I didn't know what we were risking? You don't think I hate what we did? But it was necessary!"

"Was it worth losing me?" Reid asked on a shout, bitterness hardening with it. "Was it worth losing my respect, Aaron?" Reid sneered, momentarily satisfied when he watched Hotch's eyes dilate and nostrils flare slightly. "What? You're speechless?" Reid laughed hollowly when Hotch remained silent and motionless before him.

Ignoring the obvious condemnation he heard in the other man's voice, Hotch merely stared into Reid's flashing eyes. "Strauss called me this morning," Hotch said softly. "She said you'd requested a meeting with her. She said you wanted to discuss your options with the Bureau. Is that true?"

"Yes," Reid said flatly.

Why shouldn't he be discussing his options? He had nothing to lose anymore.

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