Unfortunately, we return to the angst now. I am glad you enjoyed the little side trip into online gaming. About two more chapters to go, my gentle readers. Please stay with me till the end.
Chapter 8- Come watch Jeopardy with me
With a groan of exasperation the young profiler rolled over to lay spread eagle untop his tangled covers. Unfortunately he had crawled into bed still worrying about Hotch and as a result he had not yet fallen asleep. As he stared at the ceiling he thought about sending a text. But it was minutes to eleven and he didn't think the senior agent would be too thrilled by such a gesture especially if he was already asleep. Reid tried to talk himself into a more peaceful frame of mind but still a little niggle of unease had remained.
Giving up he rolled out of bed and grabbing his robe he stuffed his feet into a pair of ratty sneakers. He would just do a drive by and see if the man's lights were on. The young doctor felt that if their eyes could just connect for one moment, he would know if Hotch was alright. With this plan made he stumbled tiredly into his classic VW bug (read rescued from a used car dealer) and motored down the road. Now that he was actually outside Hotch's apartment, he began to have reservations. This was beyond stupid! Hotch was probably sleeping peacefully and he was out here shuffling along in his bath robe like some sort of senile senior citizen.
Curiously he heard the house phone echo in the dark apartment and he hurried forward to press his nose to the downstairs window hoping to see some movement. He strained his eyes to penetrate the gloom and suddenly jumped back as all the lights in the living room flared to life. Heart pumping and arms wind milling wildly the young man shrieked before spectacularly loosing his footing and toppling into a clump of dying rosebushes.
With a heartfelt moan, he shielded his eyes from the glare with one hand as a familiar shape loomed over him, pointing an even more familiar Glock between his eyes.
'Reid?' the dark shadow asked incredulously.
He waved timidly as Hotch pointed his gun to one side away from his colleague's head. The would be rescuer gulped uncomfortably as the older man's face went through the motions of fear, surprise, amazement before finally settling on anger. With one hand Hotch reached out and grabbed him by his neck before dragging him none too gently through the open window.
In a fit of temper, he shook the young boy until he cried out in pain. Bits of leaves and red rose petals showered down in a circle around them.
'Are you crazy?!' was his first question, 'I could have shot you! Don't EVER sneak up on me again!'
With a bone rattling thump he lifted him unto the kitchen counter and immediately Reid grabbed his injured leg with a yelp.
'What's wrong?' the agent now asked in concern when he saw how white the other had become, 'your leg's acting up again?'
The young doctor didn't answer but instead bit his lip and turned his head away as a tear of humiliation rolled down his cheek. Hotch wouldn't yell at Morgan if he was here, but then again Derek would never have found himself in a position like this in the first place. Why did his noble attentions always have to end in such an unprecedented disaster?!
'Here let me have a look' the man asked solicitously, 'Take your pants off'
Hotch immediately went back to being surly as Reid clutched his pajama top close to his neck. You would think he had just asked the boy to run naked through the Bureau.
'Reid, you don't have anything that I don't. Stop being so childish and let me pack some ice on that leg'
The lead agent hurried to get the first aid case stopping for some ice on his way back.
'What's wrong with you, Reid? These are perfectly respectable underwear, lot's of people have Snoopy on their shorts' Hotch teased their youngest as he strapped an ice pack to the troubling muscle.
'Don't look you pervert!' Spencer replied in horror, giving the taller man a useless push to get away from him.
It was then that Hotch caught one of Reid's fine boned hands in his and the man's face darkened as he absorbed the blood and scratches. He went back to being fifteen shades of mad, all over again.
The senior agent kept up a steady angry lecture as he washed and dressed the cuts. In all of this Reid had tried to apologise but stopped as the man hissed over his attempts. Of course the genius profiler was pleased that they had an active neighbourhood watch going but why did they have to call tonight! If only that attentive neighbour hadn't telephoned to warn Hotch that someone was lurking in the bushes, he could have safely been on his way back home by now. He screwed up his face as the sting of the antiseptic cream lanced through his body.
After he had finished, Hotch stood back and looked at him. It was the small aggravated shake of his head that was the final straw. Reid angrily whipped out his phone to call a cab. He didn't have to take this! He had made a mistake and apologized. When Hotch realized what Reid was doing he stepped back as if he had been physically struck.
'You just got here' he commented in confusion, 'and you're leaving?'
As the young doctor waited for someone at the cab company to pick up he answered, 'I came here because I was worried about you and all you can do is yell. I said I was sorry'
They stared hostilely at each other for a long moment and Reid jumped when the cab operator said hello. Hotch didn't know who this strong, fearless man was infront of him. Was he so caught up in his own affairs that he missed how much their resident genius had matured? He saw the determination in his brown eyes as Reid silently demanded the respect and courtesy that was his due.
'Please don't go' the older man mumbled, his shoulder's slumped in defeat. He was ashamed to admit that it was true. He would never have dared to carry on to Morgan and Rossi in such a fashion, but they weren't the ones that were here right now. It was Reid who was here. It was Reid who had recognised how upset he had been this morning. It was Reid who dragged him to sit in the sunlight until he had mastered his conflicted emotions. It was Reid who hobbled over here on a bad leg to check on him and it was Reid here now squeezing his shoulder forgivingly. Hotch had messed up this time.
He sighed silently in relief as the young profiler snapped his phone shut. Now that he had Reid's full and expectant attention his mind blanked. Maybe he should formally apologise for his rudeness. Should he offer him something to eat? Perhaps he could be coaxed to stay the night with his boorish superior, if he ordered a pizza.
'What do you think of Jeopardy?' the young man wanted to know.
Hotch shrugged his shoulders.
'Only that it's the greatest game show ever created' the older man deadpanned.
Reid was pleased that his little idea had worked. Hotch was so busy propping up his leg and fussing about him that he appeared to have forgotten the unfortunate incident of his arrival. They had turned down the volume so as to not wake Jack, who thankfully had slept through the ruckus. Now they were both munching on crackers and sipping sodas while they racked up thousands of dollars. Hotch was giving Reid a run for his money though as now only five thousand dollars separated them. If the older man hadn't missed that last double jeopardy round, Reid thought he might have been in serious danger.
He glanced across at his older friend who was scratching his answer to the latest question on a notepad while simultaneously devouring some potato chips. As far as Hotch went this was as relaxed as a man who had been tortured by fate, would ever be. He looked almost normal, in his bare feet and his FBI sweats as he scowled at the television screen. You wouldn't know that he had been stabbed and left for dead not too long ago.
Reid judged that after the next episode, the man would be receptive enough to perhaps answer a question or two about his present frame of mind. Hotch would never answer a question about his well being truthfully. He would say he was fine even he had been shot. One needed to take an indirect approach, to pry this particular type of information out of the stoic agent. Reid felt a twinge of unease as these thoughts floated easily in his mind. Of course the team desperately tried to stay out of each other's heads, but as Hotch had succinctly put it one day in a particularly heated team meeting, 'they couldn't stop being who they were just because they wished it'
Just then the older man's phone beeped and he pressed the button to access the text message. Reid was astounded by the way Hotch's face creased into a warm, broad smile. The lead agent walked excitedly to his front door and opened it without even looking through the peephole and Emily threw her arms around him like if she was a fast growing vine.
'Oh my giddy aunt' the young man muttered to himself as he slouched down in his chair trying to make himself invisible.
There were many times in the young doctor's life that he had wished that the ground would just open up and swallow him. Never before had the need been so urgent as it appeared that he would be needing that cab after all.
Anote:Why is Reid calling a cab? Because his leg is hurting him too badly to drive at the moment.
