Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

A/N: This is part of my From Bad Day to Better Day universe, so please read From Bad Day to Better Days first. Since my last chapter was on It Takes A Village, you would want to read the chapter on It Takes A Village first.

Episode: Proof

Characters: Hotch and Reid

Reid: "I had to deal with some stuff with my mom."

Reid: "Listen, I have a lot going on."

Reid: "I came over to your house for 10 weeks in a row crying over losing a friend, and not once did you have the decency to tell me the truth."

Reid: "What if I had started taking Dilaudid again? Would you have let me?"

Reid: "Yeah, I thought about it."

Hotch: "Reid, if you want someone to be mad at, be mad at me."

Reid: "I can't. I didn't come over to your house crying for 10 weeks."

Hotch: "He's angry and frustrated."

Reid's POV

I wasn't lying at all because I did have a lot going on lately and Hotch knew that. Hotch told me that Emily was alive and not dead when I almost relapsed because of a really intense migraine and ended up being in the hospital for a day and was forced to stay with Hotch for a few days until her funeral. I completed my PhD in Psychology. I had to make a couple of trips to Vegas to visit my parents while focusing on my health. Going to the firing range a couple times a week, even though I collapsed there because of having appendicitis and ended up getting my appendix removed and being hospitalized for a week and I really worried my mother who wouldn't stop calling me. Emily ended up returning from the dead while I was in the hospital so I was forced a delay reunion until after I was released. Attending the senate committee hearing almost two weeks after I was released from the hospital even though I avoided getting suspended because I didn't help my teammates. I told JJ I thought about taking Dilaudid again, I was glad I never relapsed because I have too much to lose. During those few days Hotch decided to tell me the truth because he know about my high security clearance because of consulting for the NSA and the NSA recruiting me to be part of the task force that was created to help bring Doyle down when he escaped again after nearly killing Emily so he knew he had to tell me because I would have found out from the NSA that Emily is alive. Hotch told me to act like he never even told me that Emily is alive so I did go to JJ's for about 10 weeks crying over her abandoning me and JJ never even knew that Hotch had permission from the FBI director to tell me that Emily is alive. When saying those hurtful things to JJ I didn't even raise my voice because my scar from getting my appendix removed is still healing, and I just got the stitches removed over a week ago so I am still a bit sore.

Hotch's POV

I think Reid deserves an Oscar because what he said to me and JJ over the deception of Emily's faked death was brilliant. I told him to act like I never even told him that Emily was alive. He never even told me what he was going to say to JJ, Emily, and me since he was dealing with getting his appendix removed and had to focus on recovering quickly because of the hearing and being allowed to travel with us even though it has been three weeks since his appendix was removed. Yeah, he did have deal with his mom. He had to take a sabbitical to deal with her and take care of things for himself, and he had to deal with his mother this past weekend because she came to Washington DC with Reid's father when Spencer ended up in the hospital to get his appendix removed during my last few days in Pakistan. I am glad that I told Reid the truth a few days before Emily's funeral because he almost relapsed because of that intense migraine that landed him in the hospital for a day, and I am thankful that he is forced to have a distress beacon because of him consulting for the NSA. I have a feeling that everything he has said is out of pure emotion because of dealing with abandonment again which I don't blame him for. I am definitely going to talk to Reid.

Reid and Hotch

"Reid, may I speak to you for a moment?"

"Sure Hotch."

"How are you feeling because a few days ago it was your first day back at work since getting your appendix removed."

"I am feeling pretty good. When I blew up at JJ, I chose not to raise my voice because my scar from the surgery is still healing and I didn't want it to open back up. I hope what I said to you didn't hurt you even though I knew the truth all along."

"I don't blame you for not raising your voice. Every thing you have said since walking into the BAU for full time but limited active duty was brilliant. I know that if you never consulted for the NSA and I didn't even tell you the truth right away I have a feeling that you would still have said what you said."

"What I have brought up is true, because Emily abandoned me to run and hide even though we had to fake her death. So I said those words because of being abandoned again."

"What you said to me never even hurt me, you were acting out of pure emotion and letting it all out. I think you deserve an Oscar. You still coming to the pasta party? I heard what Emily said to you."

Reid laughed at the joke Hotch made.

"When she brought up the ulcer I wanted to tell her that I had to deal with getting my appendix removed. I told her I might not be able to make it but I will see if I can make it which is true because I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow because of getting my appendix removed and my doctor ordered me to schedule an appointment for the day after I return after my first case back even though I had the stitches removed over a week ago. I think he wants to make sure the incision site didn't stress even though you didn't allow me to participate in the arrest because you told me I am grounded at the station and doing light field work like I did after I got shot in the leg and ended up on crutches for a few months. Plus tomorrow my doctor might sign the paper work clearing me for full field duty and I will tell him you allowed me to go out to scenes and follow leads but not on raids. Plus I promised my sponsor that I would show up at a NA meeting tomorrow because he heard about me getting my appendix removed."

"Its OK if you have to show up late, I will let the others know that you might be late because you have a doctor appointment. You better bring those papers signed saying that you are cleared for full field duty even though you were allowed to travel for this case. I am proud of you for staying clean, that is one of the reasons why I decided to allow you to consult for the NSA to keep you from relapsing and the distress beacon from the NSA is an added bonus because you used it as a way to ask for help during intense migraines that made you think you had to go to the hospital to be sedated for you to get some proper sleep. Plus that sabbitical helped you get proper rest and put on a few pounds even though you lost some over the past few weeks because of getting your appendix removed and my former sister -in-law helped you gain some weight while you were staying at my place on forced bed rest after being released from the hospital."

"Yeah, you were the big reason why I never even relapsed because you allowed me to consult for the NSA and decided to tell me the truth about Emily which I am thankful for."

Spencer did arrive at the pasta party late, and JJ asked Reid how his doctor appointment went, and he handed the papers his doctor signed to Hotch with a grin on his face and Hotch smiled back and told him welcome back.