Bullpen Buddies

Reid stared absentmindedly, or so it seemed, at the clouds that the jet seemed to float above effortlessly like a toy boat in the water. Of course, he knew it was anything but. If asked he could relate the plane's design and how the engines worked in unison to keep the vessel above the clouds at thirty-six thousand feet. He was an engineer after all. He felt, rather than saw, the movement in his peripheral vision as someone took occupancy of the seat opposite him. The light but nonetheless pleasant scent of jasmine wafted his way and told him it was Emily.

"I thought we'd better stick together," Emily said with a laugh. "Since we're the only two minions left in the bullpen."

Reid didn't turn to look at her. "Yeah, Garcia and JJ made up a nice office for Morgan, didn't they. I'm sure you'll have one someday too."

"I doubt it, Strauss and I don't see eye to eye and I hate politics, which unfortunately is what the unit chief position seems to be about." she replied. Reid didn't respond but continued looking out the window. "You're quiet," Emily said after a few minutes.

"I'm thinking," Reid replied.

She giggled quietly, "That's never shut you up before. You look angry. What's the matter? It isn't this thing with Morgan getting promoted to temporary team leader, is it?"

"No, I'm totally cool with that. He deserves it." He said nothing for a few moments and then, "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me," she said, deadly serious now.

He was silent for a time and then turned to the woman whose eyes held, what was it, curiosity, concern or perhaps it was compassion, something he had no reason to expect considering how badly he had treated her in his Dilaudid days.

Finally he bowed his head and looked at his hands. "I know I was hired by the Bureau for my brains," he paused again momentarily while Emily waited patiently, saying nothing. "But I want it to be about more than that. I want to be a good agent."

Emily's eyes grew large and her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Reid, you are a good agent, you're an excellent agent. Why would you think you're not?"

"I know I'm not physical like Morgan or even Hotch. I heard he took down Earl Bulford single handedly. I have to admit I miss the field. I want to be a total agent, a whole agent and that includes excelling in the field and all I am now is a gimpy brainiac. Hotch got injured the same day I did and look at him, he's running around taking down unsubs while I'm sitting in the precinct working on maps."

"You know nobody does that better than you. You know none of us can narrow down a geographical profile the way you can," Emily responded.

"I know that but," he paused again, "you don't understand. You're always in the field."

"Well, Hotch wasn't injured in the leg for one thing and perhaps he had more of a reason to recover faster than you," she suggested.

"Are you saying I'm not as determined as Hotch?"

"Not at all, what I'm saying is the man who shot you is not out there running around threatening your family. I'm sure that's a strong motivator."

Reid nodded. "I still feel like half an agent. I sometimes feel like I'll never get back in the field, that I'll never be able to contribute totally to the team, and if I do, will I be as good as I was before, if I was even any good in the first place. Let's face it; Garcia's never going to call me stud."

"Reid, you knocked a man to the ground and took the bullet that was meant for him. If that's not being a good field agent, I don't know what is. What does the doctor say about your leg anyway?"

"He says it's coming along. It's not as painful as it used to be. He said the muscle that was injured when the bullet went through my leg needed to heal. I'll need to strengthen the muscle before I can full weight bear on it."

"So you can move it then?"

"Oh yeah, I can move it." He demonstrated by bending the knee up and down and lifting his leg.

"I have an idea. After we get back to Quantico and finish our reports, let's go down to the gym. It'll be practically empty at this time of night and we can start strengthening that muscle. You'll be back in the field in no time."

"That's really nice Emily, but you don't have to do that."

"Yeah, I do, remember, we mere mortals still left in the bullpen have to stick together."