A/N: It's been a while- I know! Writer's block is so annoying. SO here's my question- Lila or JJ?


Limerence

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory"- Dr Seuss

Chapter Seven: Paranoid Android

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Morgan asked Reid again, for what felt was the fifth time.

He stood at the doorway, a hand firmly gripping the dark mahogany trim, and Reid got the impression it was going to take a lot to convince Morgan to leave.

He smiled, "I'm fine man. To be honest, I could kind of use some time to myself."

His older partner looked conflicted, standing with tensed shoulders, and looking back in to his apartment, for any tell-tale sign that he was needed.

But after being confined to a bed for the better of two weeks, with constant visitors making sure he was ok, and being poked and prodded- not to mention a long flight with all the girls tending to him, like an injured baby- Reid was ready for his overdue solitude.

It wasn't that Morgan's presence bothered him, but he still felt that after four years of working together, that he needed to act tougher in front of him. Reid didn't want to portray that same kid who couldn't pass his shooting qualification exam. Even if the pain was reaching excruciating levels again, now that the pain medication was wearing off.

Morgan pursed his lips and bent his head an inch down, "You know I'm just a phone call away, right?"

Reid smiled and rolled his eyes, in what he hoped was a lighthearted way, "Yes. Go home and rest- before JJ calls you back in with a case."

At that, Morgan's face fell for a moment, his eyes went wide, and then he half smirked, "I don't need more convincing than that. But I mean it Reid. If you need anything don't hesitate."

He nodded, knowing very well what Morgan was trying to convey. While it may have seemed like the rest of the team was giving him space, Reid knew that it was only because they were letting Morgan take the lead. He understood that his moves would be monitored, that his colleagues would profile him if anything seemed mildly out of character, and that he'd have to check in just to prove that he was fine.

"I promise to call you, even if its help figuring out a sudoku problem," he joked.

As Morgan took out his car keys from his jacket pocket, and started walking away, he scoffed, "Kid- if you need my help to figure out a numbers game, then there's something really wrong."

Reid smiled, and nodded in agreement, watching as Morgan begin to descend the stairs. Once he was out of sight, he dropped his forced smile, and inhaled deeply, only to feel the pain still lingering in his lung, from where the stab wound had been.

His fingers went to massage the spot in his chest, and when he closed the door to his apartment, his eyes traveled to the bag of medication Dr Brontë had given him right before he'd left the hospital.

He pulled out three orange prescription bottles from the bag, anti-inflammatory medication, antibiotics, and pain medication.

The day he'd woken up and had been ready to tell Dr Brontë he didn't need the morphine they were giving him, his addled brain had convinced him that if he told her, then she'd make a note on his medical file, which would in turn make its back to Quantico, and he couldn't have that.

Instead, he'd decided it was too late anyway, and he'd deal with the with fall out on his own, like last time.

His eyes traveled over to the grandfather clock across from his bookshelf to look at the time, it was just a quarter after nine- time for his medication.

He opened his fridge to get water, but was disappointed when he realized there was nothing inside. Reid had forgotten that he'd meant to go grocery shopping the night of Garcia's birthday.

With a sigh, he closed the door and opened the drawer that housed his old newspapers, dropping the prescription bottles in it, when he saw it.

A yellow, rubber tourniquet he'd forgotten about.

Months ago, he'd convinced himself that perhaps he'd need it for something, that he'd find some use for it. Though, logically, Reid knew there wouldn't be a reason for him to need it, at least, not for what it was intended for, but he'd still held on to it.

In the middle of his grainy thoughts, a lurch erupted from his stomach, signaling its desire to be filled with something.

He looked over at the thick yellow pages, where there was already a tab for his favorite Thai restaurant.

It would be easy to call and get it delivered, but there was something suffocating about his apartment, after being in the same room for two weeks.

Usually he would have rejected the idea, but Reid realized- in as much pain or discomfort as he was- he needed to get out of his apartment.

{:::::::::::::::::::::::::}

"Are you serious about cooking?" JJ asked Will, as she pushed their cart down the spices isle, of the grocery store.

Will nodded, walking ahead when his eyes spotted something.

He picked up a prepackaged box of Jambalaya rice, "It's the least I can do. It's was my fault we missed our reservation."

JJ shook her head, with a smile, "It's fine Will, we can just go back home and order Pizza. This is supposed to be your weekend off."

He didn't seem to be listening though, as his eyebrows crouched together, "This can't be the entire selection for new orleans style food, could it?"

"I think so. It's too exotic for DC's palette."

Like a lightbulb, his head popped up and his eyes went wide, "Don't tell me they don't have crawfish. They have to have it- I'm going to go check."

JJ chuckled, "I'll be in the next isle over."

But Will had already taken off in search of the seafood section.

With everything that had happened to Reid, and the events of the night of Garcia's birthday, it was nice to have Will visiting her. She'd forgotten just how comforting his being there was. He brought a calm presence that was much needed in her line of work.

JJ pushed her cart over to the next isle with a breath, and started looking at pastas, wondering if she might be able to convince Will to cook Italian instead. She hadn't had the heart to tell him, but she wasn't that fond of Creole dishes.

She was scanning the boxes of linguini and spaghetti, when her eyes traveled over to look at a back of a body, hunched over, and staring at the cans of soup. There was something about the grandpa looking cardigan and the long scraggly hazelnut hair that seemed fairly familiar, but when her eyes traveled down to see mismatched socks, she knew who it was.

"Spence?"

After she'd called his name, she realized it had been more of a shriek, than a curious inquiry.

His movements were sloth like, as he took his time, turning around to look at her with wide, tired eyes. In the fluorescent lights, his skin seemed paler and his cheekbones were more prominent than they'd seemed earlier that morning, on the jet ride back from LA. In a sum of words, Reid looked like he was on the verge of passing out.

When he didn't say anything, JJ spoke up, "What are you doing here?"

His long and angular fingers tipped the can of soup back and forth, as he offered her a small smile, "I was hungry."

She blinked, still shocked to see him there, "But…Morgan was supposed to take you home. You just got discharged this morning."

"He did."

JJ frowned, "Why are you out? You should be resting at home."

He straightened up and swallowed- JJ could tell he was doing his best to appear fine.

"I needed to stretch my legs. I was afraid they'd become atrophied after two weeks confined to a hospital bed," Reid joked, with a small laugh, though JJ knew better.

From the way that he froze, she could see that it hurt him to laugh, "Spence-"

"Sweetheart, they had the crawfish," Will interrupted her with a triumphant smile, holding up the blue-packaged seafood.

When he noticed it was Reid she was speaking to, his eyes lightened up a bit, "Dr. Reid? Is that you? It's been ages."

After being in LA for a few days, JJ had confided in Will what had happened to Reid, not only that, but she'd also told him about the rough patch he'd had back when they'd first met. And the fact that he didn't skip a beat at Reid's condition, made the guilt in her chest triple.

Reid offered him a wide smile- attempting to appear fine, and put out his hand to shake, "Detective LaMontagne, how are you?"

"Just Will, please," he said, firmly shaking his hand back. Will looked over at JJ expectantly before speaking up, "Agent Jareau and I- uh-"

JJ rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Reid knows we're dating- actually, the entire team knew apparently."

Will raised his eyebrows at the bombshell and turned back to Reid, "Well now, in that case- JJ and I were headed back to her place to eat. Would you like to join us?"

From his expression, JJ could tell that Reid was taken off guard and looked at her for direction, "Thank you, but I was going back home-"

"Were you planning on making that?" Will pointed at the can of tomato soup in Reid's hand.

His mouth dropped open and he struggled for a moment, "-I…like soup."

Will shook his head, and spoke his New Orleans accent suddenly very prominent, "It would be a travesty to let you eat that. Now really, I insist you join us."

Reid's eyes traveled to JJ, who was smiling, "Thank you Will, really, but I'm going to have to take a raincheck."

"Are you sure? We'd love the company-"

He nodded, and began to walk away, "It was great seeing you-both. And thanks again," he added.

It was odd, but they watched as Reid walked away, for a couple moments before Will turned back to look at JJ, "That poor boy, he looks like he's on the verge of death."

She couldn't argue, he did look sickly.

And when Reid subtly placed the can of soup down at the end of the isle, and shoved his hands inside his pockets, as he walked out of the grocery store, a knot grew in her throat.

{:::::::::::::::::::::::::}

Reid wasn't sure what part of seeing JJ with Will LaMontagne had curbed his appetite. It could have been the guilt of his night drunken with JJ, his jealousy of seeing them together, or a combination of both. Either way, what he was sure of was that, he knew later on, he'd regret leaving the can of tomato soup.

And as he climbed the stairs to his apartment, and felt his head light, Reid wondered if it was too late to order in Thai food.

But when he got to the top of the stairs, and saw a body of a girl sitting up against the wall next to his door, looking down at her cellphone, his hunger was forgotten again.

She raised her head, and Reid froze, wondering what Lila was doing there.

"Hi," she whispered, tentatively.

Reid blinked, rooted to his spot on the last step of the stairs, "Hi…"

Lila jumped up, and bit her lip, "I know how this looks. And I know you've already told me you don't want me here. But then you left the hospital, I didn't have a chance to thank you- for saving my life…again. And so…here I am."

After her ramble, she played with her fingers, nervously, clearly expecting to be rejected .

Reid frowned, and licked his lip, "So you flew out here to say…thank you?"

She nodded slowly, "I know its stupid-"

He wasn't sure how to feel about it, and if he was being honest with himself, he didn't really want her there, but he wasn't about to push her out again. Reid still felt bad about how he'd acted towards her while he'd been on Dilauded, and so he took a breath and shook his head.

He smiled, "No- no, its nice of you."

Lila let out a sigh of relief and moved away from the door to let him open it.

In the middle of unlocking his door, Reid looked up at her, "Do you like Thai?"

{:::::::::::::::::::::::::}

"Finally you're here! I thought you'd forgotten about me," Penelope complained, from the high table she was sitting at with Prentiss.

After LA, they'd all decided a night out was just what they needed. And of course Garcia had chosen the same bar as they one, they'd gone to on her birthday.

Morgan shook his head and put an arm around Penelope, once he sat down on the stool next to her, "It's been a crazy day, but I would never forget about my baby girl."

Prentiss smiled and sipped from her drink, before asking, "How's our boy genius?"

"Putting on a brave face, but it's as you'd expect. He's in pain and down."

Garcia frowned, "I feel so bad for Reid-"

Morgan frowned, eating a peanut from the bowl in front of him, "I know- just when my man had finally gotten some. I didn't even get a chance to ask him about it."

Both girls looked at each other and turned their attention to Morgan.

Prentiss asked, "What are you talking about?"

He gave them his signature smile, "Well I'm not one to gossip, but the kid got some the night of your birthday. That drink you gave him loosened him up."

However, their reactions of confusion wasn't what Morgan had expected. Again, they looked at each other in silence, before Garcia spoke up, "Honeybun, what are you saying exactly?"

Morgan was the one confused this time. Wasn't he being clear?

"Reid had a one night stand…"

Prentiss' eyebrows furrowed, and tilted her head, "But…JJ told us Reid spent the night at her place."


Next:

"Have you ever wondered what Reid would look like without a shirt?" Garcia said to her over the phone.

She blinked, "No...is this somehow part of the case we're working on?"

"It's part of the case I'm working on. Maybe if someone gets enough ADIOS's into him..."

JJ's mouth dropped open a bit, before she scrunched her eyes, "You know."