Reid was discharged a few days later, on the pretense that he stay on bed rest for the next two weeks. Though both Morgan and J.J. offered to let him stay with them, he opted to go back to his place. They'd already done enough for him.
He wasn't alone. Almost everyone called and stopped by to check on him at odd times during each day. All except Hotch. Though, he figured, the longer he avoided him, the longer he would still have a job. Besides, there were other problems he wasn't ready to confront him about yet.
Reid and Riley didn't talk much. Since she was in so much pain, she was on a sizeable dose of medication and anytime he did get her on the phone, she was too groggy to talk for long. He had no chance to ask her what the situation with Hotch was yet. Besides, he wouldn't want to discuss it over the phone, anyway.
She loved him. That was all that mattered to him now. They would be able to figure out everything. He might lose his job, but he could handle it. Having her was worth it.
As luck would have it, at the end of the two weeks, Riley was getting discharged from the hospital. She was granted six weeks off for sick leave, which would give them three weeks to spend together before he was back at the B.A.U. He'd be out of the field for an additional few weeks, working on the cases in Quantico with Garcia.
The afternoon of her release, Reid, feeling like his old self, decided to surprise her. He'd pick her up from the hospital and take her home. Her place was still a mess, but they would clean it up later and spend the evening together. Everything would be perfect. On the way to St. Anne's, he picked up a dozen roses for her. A cliché, perhaps, but he knew she'd like it.
The hospital wasn't busy at all that afternoon. He headed straight for Riley's room, finding the door opened. Before he could even walk in, he found a distressing scene taking place.
Riley was dressed in her usual outfit, a lavender blouse and knee-length skirt, packing her bag for her departure. She wasn't alone though. Reid heard a man talking. He moved to the side so as not to be noticed, just as Hotch came into sight.
"Well, thank God; I don't have to go back right away. I can't stand looking like this." She turned to face him. "Is it as bad as I think it is?"
"No," Hotch said, brushing her cheek with his thumb. "It'll heal. You're already getting back to your old self."
"Thanks," she replied, trying to pick another bag off the floor with her good hand. She didn't have the strength.
"Let me take that," he said. "You don't want to injure those ribs any further." She sat on the edge of the bed, folding a couple of her camisoles that lay in a pile. "Have you thought about what we talked about?"
"Yes," she said sternly. "And I'm not going back on it, Aaron. I have made my decision."
"I just want to make sure." He answered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Because I don't want you to give up something that makes you happy."
"And I appreciate that. Really, I do." She gripped his arm just as affectionately. "But this is the smart decision. It's the safe route… for both of us."
"You've never been one to take the safe route, though."
"I must be growing up. And sometimes when you grow up, you have to make sacrifices, even if it means giving up something you love."
"And what about Reid? You haven't told him yet, have you?"
She hesitated at first. "Uh… no. I was hoping… you might tell him for me?"
"Riley-"
"Well, I'm just afraid if I tell him… he'll convince me to change my mind. But if you tell him… by the time he does confront me, it'll be over and done with."
Hotch sighed, thinking it over for a moment. "Alright, I'll tell him. I called for him to come in tomorrow morning. I'll do it then." He leaned down and kissed her forehead lovingly. "I think we're just about ready to go."
But Reid didn't wait around for an answer. Without a word, he headed back down the hallway.
So that was it. Riley loved Reid, she had said it herself, but instead she chose Aaron Hotchner. Apparently, he was the safe route. Apparently, he wouldn't break her heart. How could she ever think he would love her as much as Reid would?
She didn't even have the guts to tell him to his face. She was making Hotch do it for her. After all he'd done for her, after everything she'd said to him. He must have been crazy to think Riley Parker could really love him.
He pushed open the hospital doors and quickly left, heading down the street. His anger rising, he tossed the roses into the street, petals mixing with the slush and sludge.
…
Reid arrived at the B.A.U. on time that morning. Everyone was pleased to see him. He put on a neutral face, not ready to let them know he had just had his heart broken. Again.
"New case yet?" He asked, leaning against his desk.
"No, J.J. is supposed to have one for us tomorrow. We'll let you know where we're going." Emily replied.
"Reid," Hotch called from his office door. "You can come in now."
He knew this had to be about his job. He didn't know if they could fire him while on sick leave, but that wasn't his concern right now. In fact, he hoped he was getting fired so he could tell Hotch exactly what he thought of him without consequence.
"Take a seat, Reid," Hotch said calmly.
Not a good sign. It was hard to hide his detest and hatred for this man, but he had to stay composed. For now.
"I'm sure you have some idea why I asked you here." Hotch said.
"I have some suspicions." He answered scathingly. "I'm fired, right?"
"No," Hotch answered.
"That's what I thought, now let me-… wait. Did you just say 'no'?"
"I did." He answered seriously.
Flabbergasted, Reid wasn't sure how to respond to that. He opened his mouth, but couldn't find the words to say.
"We were going to fire you," Hotch explained. "It was what we had to do, Reid. You have to understand, we can't just ignore what you told us."
"But… you are ignoring it."
"Not exactly. As of 8 a.m. this morning, Dr. Riley Parker is no longer a psychiatrist in her department, meaning she's no longer your psychiatrist. She requested a transfer and I had Garcia fast track it through the system."
"She's quitting the F.B.I.?" Reid was shocked.
"No, she's been transferred to another department. She's going to be assisting the police department, interviewing victims, witnesses, suspects, helping them in their cases."
"So… I'm not in trouble?"
"If the Board finds out, you both will probably be pulled in for questioning, but since you won't be involved with her anymore as a patient, it's less likely they'll find out. And I can't fire you if she's not your therapist anymore."
"So… I'm not fired?"
"No," he repeated. "And that's really it, Reid. We'll see you in three weeks, then?"
Nodding, Reid started to stand up. "That's… all you wanted to tell me?"
"Yes, Reid,"
"You're sure?"
"Yes, Reid, I am sure." Hotch seemed to be getting annoyed.
This was confusing. Hotch wouldn't just forget this, but he didn't know how to bring it up. He didn't want to reveal he'd heard their conversation. Standing slowly, he absentmindedly headed towards the door.
His eyes quickly glanced at the wall. Two degrees from Harvard University, one undergrad, one from law school. Impressive. He eyes quickly read over the degree underneath. Hotch's high school diploma.
"John Adams' High School?" Reid read aloud, stopping in his tracks. He looked back at Hotch, who was busying himself with his work again.
And suddenly, everything made sense.
"You're the brother." He announced.
"Excuse me?" Hotch asked, glancing up, knowing perfectly well what he meant.
"Riley told me a friend of her dad's had a brother who went to Harvard. It's you, isn't it?"
"Sean and Evan Parker were best friends. I've know Riley most of her life, but I didn't get to know her until I had to interview her for Harvard, when she was seventeen. I kept in touch with her in college and helped her get a job with the F.B.I. We've become very close over the years."
"I thought you guys were dating." Reid explained, sitting back down. "No wonder she got so angry."
"I care very deeply about Riley, Reid." He said. "So you can understand why I was so concerned about her. She's like a daughter to me."
"But I heard you guys talking yesterday. I… I came by to take her home and I overheard your conversation. She said she was taking the safe route, and it was the smart decision… and she couldn't tell me."
"The safe route being that neither of you would get in trouble. It was the smart decision because this way, you wouldn't lose your job and she wouldn't lose her license. And if she told you-"
"She was afraid I'd talk her out of it." He understood. "Which I would have."
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Reid finally got up to leave. "See you in three weeks," he answered.
