A/N: What? Two updates within two days. Why, that's madness, I say. Pure madness.
Same warnings as last chapter. Only some whumpage to follow this time around. Lolyncut you sly dog, you. Going and guessing like you did.
Emily tries to focus her attention on the burn of the mouthwash. She knows that she's about to begin a long day, and with only a few hours sleep, she knows it's only going to feel longer. She had talked with JJ for over an hour the night before when her friend had called asking if everything was okay with Reid. After hanging up the phone, she had to use all of her self-control not to go knock on his door and force him to see reason.
She knows when Reid gets something in his head, he holds onto it; letting it gnaw at him until he's proven wrong. That wouldn't be too much of a problem if he weren't so stubborn that he won't let her try and change his mind. She knows he listens to her, but it takes time for what she says to truly sink in—he has to think about it, analyze it from every perspective. And if she knows her team, she isn't the only one to have said anything to him.
She's putting away her toothbrush when she hears her phone vibrate on the nightstand. She reads the text and grabs her coat to meet the team in the lobby. When she sees Reid smile at her as soon as she steps out of the elevator, she feels a little relieved. His eyes are brighter, and he doesn't look as tired. Obviously, he managed to get some sleep, or he thought about what she had said. Either way, she feels the sense of apprehension that had made its way into her chest the night before ease up.
"Hey, Garcia text you?" She holds up her phone so JJ and Reid can read the heading on the open message: Consider this your Bat Signal, fellow Crime Fighters.
"Oh yeah. You got to love her." JJ laughs as she reads through the message letting her know that their friend had information for them. They turn and look as the second elevator opens, revealing the last three members of their team, Rossi with an amused look on his face as he puts his phone away.
The drive to the station is quiet, allowing everyone to fully wake up and prepare for the day. The amount of information that Garcia has compiled on all fourteen victims is both impressive and daunting. Reid immediately begins printing out the numerous pages, and sits down to sort through what information is relevant and which is not.
Five hours later, Morgan lets his body fall into one of the small chairs along the conference room's back wall. He rubs a hand over his tired face, before resting his head against the wall. "Any luck with Adams?" he asks looking at the other members of his team.
Hotch shakes his head, and begins to look through the recently finished coroner's report. Each victim had been called and informed of the potential danger concerning a repeat attack. At the mention of murder, two of the victims that Morgan and Reid had tried to interview the previous day had decided to cooperate. However, Adams, the one that had denied he was ever attacked was still refusing to cooperate, despite Hotch's reassurance that he would be kept safe.
JJ sets down her copy of the updated file and rubs at her tired eyes. "So, I know our guy is a sexual sadist. That's obvious, but is he an anger excitation rapist who recently progressed to killing and got lucky, or…I don't know. I mean, look at this report. The coroner says the body was completely disassembled. This cannot be his first time killing right?"
"No, it's not. But it has to be his first time using this MO. There hasn't been another murder similar to this reported." Reid continues to look at the photos of the bathroom. "Did they say what blocked the tub?"
Several sets of eyes look up at him. "What?" Morgan looks at Reid, obviously wanting him to explain more, and not just repeat the question.
"The drain was clogged, I was just wondering what clogged it." Reid answers honestly, not understanding the confused looks he's receiving.
Emily shrugs her shoulders, as she scans the file. "It doesn't say, but my guess is Donovan clogged the tub."
"It was a vertebrae." All six profilers turn towards the door to see Detective Wilkes standing in the frame, a fresh cup of coffee in his hand. "Apparently our guy disarticulated the spine, and one of the vertebrae blocked the drain."
"He disarticulated the spine?" Reid reaches for the coroner's report in front of JJ, eyes quickly scanning over the many pages.
"Uh, yeah." Detective Wilkes answers as he watches Reid finish the report before he manages to sit down. "Is that important?"
Reid reaches for his phone and immediately dials Garcia. "I don't know, maybe." He ignores the questioning stares as Garcia answers the phone. "Reid, have you called to confess your undying love for me?"
"Garcia I need you to check if there were any bodies discovered in Sabine Parrish, Louisiana within the last ten years that had disarticulated spines."
"Would it kill you to play along? Hold on…" Reid can hear her typing over the phone. He holds up a finger to stop JJ from asking what he's thinking when Garcia comes back on the line. "Oh, Reid, your wonders never cease. Two bodies were found in Bayou La Nana, completely disassembled. Spines included. Authorities say cause of death couldn't be determined because gators got to them first."
"And you said that Howard Adams attended McNeese University from 2005 to 2008?"
"Until he was forced out after loosing his scholarship for uncomely behavior, which I think is code for sexually harassing his fraternity brothers. That's when he relocated to New Mexico."
"Thanks, Penelope." As he hangs up his phone, he stands and quickly walks to the board, pulling off Adams' photo. "Howard Adams isn't a victim, he's our unsub."
"How do you know?" Hotch is already searching for the file on Adams.
Emily fights the urge to smile as she hears Reid switch into his 'eureka' voice. "Six years ago, two bodies were discovered beneath a bridge in a small town in Louisiana—each body had been picked clean by animals, but authorities say that they had been disassembled by another person. Their spines had been disarticulated."
Hotch begins to stand, file open in his hand. "And Adams went to school in Louisiana before he moved here."
"That would explain why he refuses to talk to us. He's scared we'll figure him out," Rossi states, clearly convinced.
Detective Wilkes just looks around as the members of the BAU all begin to stand. His attention falls to Reid. "You just happen to know about a pair of bodies discovered in Louisiana six years ago?"
At this, every stops moving, each waiting to hear Reid's answer. Reid just shrugs his shoulders. "My neighbor's son-in-law is a cop in Louisiana. He told her about it, and she told me."
It doesn't take long for them to have several police cruisers and SUVs ready to go to Adams' residence. Emily sees Reid climb into the passenger seat of the SUV in front of her, his vest already on. She manages to catch his eye, and gestures for him to follow her.
He climbs out of the vehicle, leaving the door open as he walks towards the SUV parked immediately behind his. "What's wrong?" he asks, ignoring the curious look he receives as Detective Wilkes walks by.
Emily just smiles as she adjusts the Kevlar vest. "Nothing. I just want to make sure you're okay. You seem better than yesterday." He returns her smile, "I just needed some sleep. I'm better."
"Good. Be careful." She almost leans in to kiss him before she remembers where they are.
"You, too." He says, lightly brushing her hand with his as he turns to get back in the car. He's disappointed to see Detective Wilkes sitting in the passenger seat. He climbs into the back seat, sitting behind Detective Wilkes as Morgan sits in the driver's seat.
Emily leans down to tuck in her shoelaces before she climbs in the front seat. She looks up once more hoping to see Reid, but he's already in the SUV. She quickly pulls the door shut as Hotch starts the engine.
As they fall in line behind a police car, she notices Rossi and JJ in the SUV behind them. Knowing that Morgan and Reid are probably right behind Rossi and JJ, she focuses her attention on the road as they quickly move through traffic. With the sirens and lights on, they easily make their way across town. As they approach Adams' home, they switch off the sirens, preparing to jump out of the vehicles and storm the house.
However, as soon as they turn onto the appropriate street, they catch sight of Adams' car speeding to get away. Hotch quickly switches the siren back on, and yells into the microphone on his sleeve for someone to guard the house.
Emily has just enough time to see a police cruiser pull into the driveway before Hotch turns the corner, pressing the gas as hard as he can in order to catch up with Adams. Instead of heading to the interstate, Adams makes his way towards the center of town. Emily can only assume adrenaline is giving him directions, because with each turn, he lowers his chances of escape.
Adams turns onto a one-way street with several large trucks parked along the side. Emily's busy yelling into the radio, when she sees something that catches her attention. She's not sure she saw it, but she immediately feels a chill at the thought.
She had turned to look out the window as they passed what she thought was an alley, but turned out to be a service road, when she thinks she sees a truck speeding towards the road they're on. She turns around in time to see the truck exit the service road and disappear behind Rossi and JJ's SUV. The sound that follows nearly causes her heart to stop.
She hears the screech of metal on metal as the truck slams into SUV. She hears the shattering of glass as the SUV is steered into the bed of one of the parked trucks, the large poles serving as the truck's cargo crushing through the windshield of the SUV.
Emily isn't aware of what she's saying, but she knows she screaming, desperately trying to get Hotch to stop. She isn't aware of Hotch taking the radio from her, or of him telling the cruisers to keep after Adams. All she knows is that he's still driving, constantly taking her away from crash. "Hotch what are you doing?"
"I have to let the cruisers get by. We can't lose Adams." She wants to yell at him, to tell him to forget about Adams, but she knows she can't. As soon as they clear the long line of parked trucks and meters, Hotch pulls the SUV onto the sidewalk, clearing the way for the police cruisers to continue chasing Adams.
Emily doesn't waste a second. As soon as the SUV stops, she opens the door and starts running towards the crash.
Reid is staring at the pipe coming through the seat in front of him. He can't explain why, but he knows that something isn't right about it. He sees blood and pieces of flesh smeared along its length, but he still can't wrap his mind around how it got there. He closes his eyes, trying to fight the whirring in his ears. When he opens them again, a high-pitched ringing threatens to pierce his right eardrum. He looks at the pole again, and lets his eyes follow it. His confusion intensifies when he notices that it's now connected to his vest, the end nestled firmly between the white letters 'B' and 'I'. He knows it shouldn't be there, that it shouldn't be coming out of the seat.
He tries to take a deep breath, but stops when he feels a heavy pressure on his chest. Realizing it's probably because of the pipe, he tries to lean back. He's a little disappointed when his back meets the seat, stopping him from moving any farther from the pole. Although the small amount he moved did ease the pressure, it causes a sharp pain.
He's starting to get angry at the whirring and ringing in his ears. He looks up and sees Morgan staring at him. He can tell he's trying to say something, but the ringing is too loud. Maybe if he gets out of the car, it'll stop.
He tries to move his right arm, but it doesn't seem to want to work. He sees Rossi standing outside the window. Why is there blood on the window? He uses his left hand and begins to undo the straps on the vest. He sees Morgan waving his hand at him, but ignores him. He'll be able to hear him when he's out of the car.
He reaches his arm across his chest, and tries to undo the strap on his right shoulder. As soon as his fingers touch the strap, an intense pain shoots through his arm. The whirring and ringing immediately disappear, and he's shocked to hear his own painful scream.
"Reid, damn it. I said don't move. Reid can you hear me?" Reid turns again to look at Morgan, and manages to nod. "Okay, man. You have to stay still." Reid nods again, and notices JJ outside Morgan's window.
As the confusion begins to clear, Reid is once again aware of the steel pole protruding from the back of the passenger seat. When Rossi and a deputy manage to open Reid's door, Reid manages to mutter, "Wilkes?"
"He's dead. Try not to move." Reid immediately starts shaking his head, as he grows more aware of the situation. He looks at the pole again, and fights the urge be sick. "I have to get out of here." Reid again starts to undo the strap on the right side of his vest, ignoring the pain in his arm and Rossi's demands that he remain still.
"Rossi, I don't think it went through the vest," he manages to say through ragged breaths. He's constantly fighting the feeling of panic that's threatening to overtake him. "Just let me get out."
"Reid, just wait. The medics will be here in a minute. Reid, STOP…" Rossi holds his breath when Reid pushes himself out of the SUV, the vest hanging on the end of pole. He wants to yell, but is too relieved to see that the pole had stopped short. Rossi turns when he hears JJ yelling at Morgan as he comes around the SUV, acting as though he doesn't hear her telling him to keep still.
"Reid, are you okay?" he asks as soon as he stops in front of them. For the first time, Rossi is able to see Morgan's injuries. He has several cuts on his face and his nose is bleeding, most likely from the airbag. Rossi can also see a small gash along his eyebrow, but otherwise, no other obvious injuries.
He turns his attention back to Reid. He's not sure exactly where or how bad it is, but he knows there's a large gash on the side of the kid's head because of the large amount of blood matting his hair and flowing down his neck. His shoulder looks dislocated, and his breathing isn't regular. Rossi gently places a hand on his good shoulder, "Reid, you need to sit down."
Reid looks past Rossi and notices Emily running towards them, Hotch not far behind. "What about Wilkes?" Reid asks again. Rossi furrows his brow, and looks at the deputy beside him. "We need to worry about you right now."
Reid tries to shake his head, but stops when the ringing returns. "No, I mean…not Wilkes, he's dead. What about the other one."
"What other one?" JJ asks, trying to avoid looking in the SUV's passenger seat.
"The other driver's unconscious, but Reid, please sit down." Rossi says, knowing that another deputy was tending to the man who had hit them. He tries to steer Reid towards the other SUV in an attempt to get him to sit down, but Reid tries to shrug him off.
When Reid moves, it causes his shirt to press against his chest. Morgan feels his breath catch when he sees the shirt begin to soak up blood. "Reid man, you're hurt."
"So are you. I'm fine." Reid argues as Emily and Hotch approach them, each taking in the scene around them.
Morgan takes another step towards Reid, "Reid, you need…"
"Morgan, I said I'm fine!" Reid yells, immediately regretting it as his head begins to pound. He looks at Emily, and sees the worry on her face. "I'm fine," he whispers.
Hearing the sound of the approaching ambulance, Rossi tries again to reason with Reid. "Listen, you're hurt. You're bleeding, you're disoriented. You need to go to the hospital. Both of you." He turns and looks at Morgan, daring him to argue, but Morgan is only looking at Reid as his shirt continues to change from light blue to dark red.
Both Reid and Morgan refuse to lie on a stretcher, but before they climb into the back of the ambulance, Reid stumbles and immediately throws up. The pain in his head, coupled with the severe vertigo ultimately trumps his refusal for a stretcher.
As Morgan climbs in to sit beside Reid, Rossi turns to look at the remaining members of his team. As Hotch talks with one of the deputies, Rossi looks pointedly at Emily. "Emily, maybe you should go to the hospital and keep us up to date."
Emily manages to look away from the retreating ambulance, and tries not to look as shocked as she feels.
Rossi looks her in the eyes, making sure he has her attention. "Emily, he's going to be okay." She can only let out a stuttered breath, as JJ rubs small circles on her back.
"How long have you known?" She asks, looking to see if Hotch could hear.
"Not long, but for a while." He smiles and hands her the car keys. "Make sure you call as soon as you know anything."
She simply nods as she takes the keys.
Once at the hospital, it's all confusion. First, the nurses didn't want to let her back, and then they sent her to where the man that had caused the accident was being treated. It took a lot longer than she would have liked, but she finally found herself sitting in a curtained area watching a doctor give Morgan stitches.
"Have you heard from Reid yet?" he asks, one eye peeping out from under a blue sheet.
"I've only just found you. They took him for x-rays, other than that, I don't know."
"The pipe didn't go far. The medics said he'll need some stitches, but it didn't look too bad. The pipe just pushed through the Kevlar, cutting him. Or at least that's what they told me."
The doctor finishes the stitches and asks Morgan to sit up. He checks his eyes one more time and tells him to sit tight, that a nurse will be back with his discharge sheets. The doctor isn't gone two minutes when Morgan's phone begins to ring.
Emily sees a small smile as he looks at the caller ID before he answers it. "Hey momma…whoa, whoa, whoa, Penelope, calm down. I'm fine, Reid's getting x-rays done, but they say he'll be fine." Emily sees the nurse frown at Morgan as she walks in, clipboard in hand. Morgan quickly ends the call, and signs the papers before asking about Reid. Handing Morgan an ice pack, the nurse tells them where to wait.
They find two small chairs next to the nurses' station. Emily sits, looking over to notice that Morgan seems a little stiff as he eases into the small chair. He stares blankly at the papers in his hand. "Damn." He looks up at her, exhaustion decorating his features. "I forgot all about Adams."
She places a hand on his arm, wary of any injuries. "Me, too. I'm just glad you're okay." He smiles for a moment, but frowns almost immediately. "Wilkes."
She nods, feeling both sad and guilty. She thought Reid had been in that seat. She remembers him being there, and had assumed he still was. When she was running towards the crash, she remembers seeing that no one was looking in the front passenger seat. She saw the pipe going into the windshield, and heard indistinct voices declaring, "He's dead."
She couldn't run fast enough. When she saw Rossi step aside and Reid stand next to him, she almost collapsed with relief. It wasn't until she had made it to the wrecked SUV that she saw Wilkes body, the steel pipe passing through him.
A full hour passes before anyone comes to tell them about Reid. Emily takes her phone and car keys out of her pocket just so she will have something to hold on to in order to keep her hands from shaking. She's relieved to see Reid sitting up when they walk into the room. He's wearing a gown, showing several bandages wrapped around his torso. As she walks around the bed, she notices that he's also wearing a pair of scrub pants, mix-matched socks showing underneath.
He doesn't smile, but looks silently between Morgan and Emily. A doctor comes in holding a bag full of Reid's ruined clothes, a scrub shirt, and x-rays. "You, Agent Reid, are a lucky man." He shows them the x-rays, explains about the dislocated shoulder, the fractured and bruised ribs, and the concussion. He hands Emily the scrub top, and leaves to go get a sling for Reid's arm.
Reid looks at the shirt in Emily's hands and immediately goes to untie the back of the gown, forgetting about Morgan being in the room. As soon as his arm is at shoulder height, his damaged ribs begin to protest.
"Whoa, man. I got you." Morgan says, as he unties the strings holding the gown in place. Reid turns his head, careful to keep his torso still, "Are you okay?"
Morgan smiles a weak smile and nods. "Yeah, I'm okay. Three stitches, and I'm good to go."
Reid turns back to Emily, raising his hand as she slides the shirt over his injured arm, helping ease it over his head, careful not to hit the bandage hiding the stitches. Morgan stands back and watches, wondering when Reid had gotten over his shyness.
Emily looks up after she pulls the shirt down over his bandaged torso. "Are you okay?" she asks.
Reid looks at the x-ray on the screen, and nods. "You heard the doctor," his tone borderline harsh.
Emily looks at Morgan, trying to see if there's anything that she had missed. "Reid, you know what I mean."
He doesn't have time to answer her, because the doctor walks in and begins explaining how to put the sling on and off. As the doctor goes to leave, he hands Emily Reid's prescription and several printouts describing how to take care of stitches, change bandages, and how to keep an eye on a concussion. She sets the stack of papers on the bed, and reaches into the bag, pulling out Reid's shoes.
Reid reaches and picks up the small piece of paper, reading what the doctor had prescribed him. He quickly crumples the paper and tosses it towards the trashcan. He misses and the paper falls to the floor.
Morgan goes over and slowly picks up the paper, mindful of his sore body. "Reid…" He starts to ask if he's sure, but Reid just shakes his head from side to side, stopping the question from being asked. Emily catches Morgan's eye, and both decide not to say anything.
As soon as Reid's shoes are on, all three begin to make their way to the parking lot. Emily calls Rossi, letting him know that everyone's okay. Once they reach the SUV, Reid immediately gets into the back seat on the driver's side.
Emily starts the car and begins to make her way out of the crowded parking deck. "Adams got away. He jumped out of his car, and took off on foot. They've blocked off about ten blocks. They'll find him."
"They better." Morgan responds, anger starting to show through. Emily looks in the rearview mirror, hoping Reid will meet her eyes. He lets his head lean against the headrest, concentrating on the passing scenery.
It isn't until they reach the hotel parking lot that Reid decides to speak up. "What are we doing here?" he asks.
"Dropping you off." Emily answers.
"You just said Adams got away." Emily nods, watching him through the rearview mirror.
Reid looks at her again, before turning to Morgan. "You're not dropping me off. I can help. Get me a map of where he disappeared and I can narrow down where he would hide."
"Reid, man you have a concussion. You're not working." Morgan, sensing Reid's rising anger, tries to keep his voice calm.
"If I have a concussion, you can't leave me alone, and we can't afford for anyone else to be gone. I can sit down and work, I'll be within eyesight, but I need to help you find him."
Emily turns around to face him, "Reid, you have a concussion. You don't need to be working."
"I'll be looking at a map. And you've done the exact same thing."
"What do you mean?"
"You got hit by a truck, and were back at the station a few hours later."
"Yeah, but I wasn't hurt that bad."
"Neither am I."
"Reid, you need to…"
"Emily, I am not staying here." She stares at him, not knowing what else to say. She looks to Morgan, hoping he'll have a solution. She can tell by the look on his face that he doesn't.
She shifts the SUV into gear and begins to drive to the police station, as an uncomfortable silence falls amongst them.
When Reid steps out of the SUV, he catches his reflection in the dark reflective surface of the vehicle. He immediately regrets not having a change of clothes with him, feeling exposed in the thin material of surgical blue scrubs.
As they walk into the building, several eyes turn to stare. The atmosphere is different from the last time they were here, a consequence of the death of Detective Wilkes. Morgan reaches the conference room first, and holds the door open for Emily and Reid to pass through.
Hotch looks at Morgan and Reid, a frown darkening his face. "What are you doing here?"
Reid grabs the map off the board, heedless of the tacks keeping it in place, and sits down at the table.
Morgan casts an angry stare at Reid before turning to Hotch, "He refused to stay at the hotel."
"Where did they last see him?" Reid asks, choosing to ignore the conversation already taking place. Hotch looks at Emily, who simply shakes her head letting Hotch know not to ask.
Realizing that arguing will only make the situation worse, Rossi walks over and points at an area on the map, "Somewhere in this area, they've got form here to here blocked off." He shows Reid the area currently being searched.
Reid awkwardly grabs one of the markers with his left hand and sets to outlining the area in red ink.
Reid keeps quiet, concentrating on the work in front of him and trying to ignore the sharp pains that seem to be attacking his entire body, the rest of the team preparing to go help with the search. He only looks up when Hotch tells JJ to stay and help him. He looks to Emily, and immediately looks away, not certain he's ready to face those emotions yet.
Twenty minutes pass by, JJ letting him work in silence when someone knocks on the door. He looks up and sees the same deputy that had helped Rossi get his door open, a black bar now covering the front of his badge. "Dr. Reid, I think this is yours." He holds up Reid's messenger bag, before sitting it on the table in front of him.
"Yeah," his voice catches when he notices a small amount of blood on the strap. He's not sure if it's his or Detective Wilkes. "Thank you."
The deputy nods, and returns to his work. Reid looks at the bag a few more moments before he realizes that JJ is staring at him. He clears his throat and continues to eliminate possible hiding places.
Reid sets the marker down, the ringing returning to his ears. He knows he needs to rest. The lines on the page keep moving, and more than once he forgot what he was doing. He knows it's the concussion, and he also knows he shouldn't be working.
He tries to reach for the bag, stopping when the stabbing in his ribs cause him to his in pain. When he manages to open his eyes again, JJ is there, bag in hand. "What do you need?"
He looks at the bag once more, before answering. "There should be some ibuprofen in the front pocket." To her credit, she doesn't ask why the doctor didn't give him something stronger, but then again she already knows.
She shakes two pills into his outstretched hand and moves to get him a cup of water. He gratefully takes the water, and washes the pills down with a tiny sip, the coldness of the water making his head hurt.
He looks at the map once more, before pushing it away from him. Reid doesn't want any questions; he doesn't want her to know how bad the concussion's affecting him. "My head hurts," is all he says in response to her questioning look.
"Do you want to lie down?"
"No," he answers. She looks like she's about to say something else when they notice everyone outside the conference room begin to quicken their pace. At the same time, JJ's phone begins to ring.
She answers, knowing Reid will want to hear it too, she puts the call on speaker. "Adams is dead."
"How?" JJ asks, although she feels as though she already knows why.
"Two uniforms found him. He was armed, and they opened fire. We're on our way back." JJ looks at Reid as she ends the call with Rossi. Both know why Adams is dead. The cops wanted someone to blame for Detective Wilkes death, and Adams was it.
The ride back to the station is quiet, everyone thinking about everything that had happened with the last few hours. When they get back to the station, Emily can't hold back the emotions any longer. She quietly sneaks away, opening the door to the closet stairwell.
She lets the wall support her as her knees slowly bend, and she slides down until she's rested against the cold concrete on the top stair. She leans her forehead against her knees as her hands grab her hair, giving her something to hold on to. She's a smart woman. She knows he's trying to deal with what happened. She's giving him his space. That's why she is here, in a random stairwell crying in anger at him for not letting her comfort him. For not comforting her. Anger is easier, but deep down she knows she's crying because she was scared. He had been in that seat. He could have still been in that seat. He could have died. All the times something bad had happened to a member of the team, she put on her mask and tried to hide the myriad of emotions that were pressing against her carefully placed walls. This time was different. She knows it's wrong, but this time, losing one of them would have meant so much more. It wouldn't have meant losing a team member, a part of her family. It would have meant losing him. And that means so much more.
She lets her hands fall from her hair, and rest on the top of her ankles. She inhales deeply, and focuses on the fact that he is still alive. Still incredibly stubborn, hardheaded, determined, and alive. She thinks back to the relief that flooded through her at seeing him stand next to Rossi. He was hurt, but he was there, looking at her. She remembers him arguing with Morgan, declaring he was fine in a sharp tone she wasn't used to. She remembers the softly whispered "I'm fine" intended only for her.
She smiles at the memory, but the smile is short lived, because she remembers his eyes when he said it. Those bright, hazel eyes that always managed to reveal more than was intended. He was hurting. She had seen it in his eyes. Relief. Guilt. Anger. Denial. Fear. Sadness. He was holding back. He couldn't let her in, because then the dam would break and he either didn't know how to deal with it, or didn't want to.
Running her fingers through her hair, she cautiously slips from the stairwell and into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror as cool water runs through her fingers, she decides to wait. Wait on his mind and his emotions to catch up with reality. Wait until he wants to talk about it. Wait until he can talk about it.
She leaves the bathroom, and begins to help the rest of the team pack up. She chances a look towards Reid. His eyes are down, completely focused on carefully arranging the files into the box in front of him, the muscle along his jaw flexing. She can still see the hidden emotions fighting with their unwilling host. She starts removing photos from a crowded board, and begins to wait.
She knows it's only a matter of time before the reality that he could have died sinks in. She just doesn't know how he will handle it when that sinking feeling hits. She knows he doesn't want to talk about it. He had made that perfectly clear. She just has to wait until the dam breaks. She prays to God that she'll know what to do when it does; that she'll be able to help him.
A/N: Review? Why, thank you. Don't mind if I do…(Hint, hint).