WOW Here we are at chapter 30... time flies doesn't it.
This chapter is based off S4 E8. Since it was very Reid centric, I figured he probably ran himself a lil ragged during this trying to figure out the Prof's riddle, and he needs a break after for sure. But maybe not in the way you'd think...?

S4 E8

"This is going to be interesting"
"Uh, yeah."

Prentiss smirked at Reid before turning to follow the arguing duo. Reid smiled, letting himself relax slightly. Thank God they'd figured out this guy's plan. If they hadn't, he wouldn't be standing here, alive, watching his team members bicker and see the missing children reunite with their family members.

Reid rubbed his palms in his eyes, willing the stress to leave his body. He'd been wound so tight ever since Rothchild had approached him.

Reid trailed slightly behind Prentiss, walking back to the car. His mind started to wander, falling into the sea of 'what ifs'. If he hadn't figured out the pattern of 'phi', if he had been a little slower, if Rossi hadn't challenged the man, they'd all be dead right now. The four kids and the teacher, as well as his teammates. Gone.

Reid shuttered at the horrifying thought, blankly pulling himself into the vehicle. Morgan and Jordan were still arguing about something, and Prentiss was texting someone. He stared out the window, watching the house as the car began backing out of the drive.

He was sure this one might haunt him for a while. All the things that could have gone wrong… there had been so many variables, they were incredibly lucky that they didn't make a mistake.

He lifted his hand up to rub the stress out of the back of his neck, rolling his shoulders slightly. Reid really needed to just go home and take a hot bath, maybe that would calm the anxiety that still gripped his chest. Clenching his jaw, he swallowed the lump that had made its way into his throat. He was going to have an anxiety attack.

'Not now.' He thought to himself. The danger was over; he knew that logically. But anxiety has a mind of its own and it was telling him that his family was still in danger. Reid felt his breathing begin to speed up, along with his heart rate. His leg started to bounce and he closed his eyes, willing himself to relax.

He jumped when Prentiss's hand appeared on his and let out a soft whimper. Her eyes were soft, clearly already understanding of what was happening. He manically glanced around, beginning to descend into panic, but Prentiss just moved into the middle seat, so she was closer to her.

She was speaking, but not to him, which was good because her voice seemed to be echoing like they were in a tunnel. Her hands were rapidly undoing the Velcro of the Kevlar vest he was still wearing.

Reid glanced down, watching her hands quickly move. He forgot he'd been wearing that. After a few seconds, she ripped the rest of the vest off and pulled him close.

His arms immediately wrapped around her, burying his face into her neck. His breathing was choppy and ragged, and there didn't seem to be any way for him to slow it down. Prentiss began rubbing his back gently, whispering calming words into his ear.

Reid's breath caught in his throat a few times, and his body still shook from adrenalin, but it seemed that they caught it before he descended into a full-blown attack. He listened closely to her steady breathing, attempting to copy her. A few tears dripped down his cheeks and onto her shirt.

It took a while, but eventually he was able to slow his breath back to a relatively normal pace. When he seemed to be out of the woods, she relaxed her grip, slowly letting go of him. Reid blinked his eyes, clearing them as they pushed away from each other. He kept his eyes down, slightly ashamed that he'd just had a small episode in front of three of his coworkers, one of which he didn't know very well.

"S-sorry." He whispered. Prentiss placed a hand on his cheek, wiping away a few tears which had escaped.

"Don't apologize, it's not your fault." It wasn't a request; it was an order. Reid smirked a little, looking back up at Prentiss who gave him a tender smile.

He risked a glance towards the front seat. Morgan was glancing at him through the mirror periodically, worry in his eyes. Jordan was facing forward; she wasn't having a reaction to it at all.

He felt a bit of relief at this. He didn't need her to see him like this, it was embarrassing. Reid was thankful that she wasn't making a comment about it.

Prentiss rubbed his arms a few times before turning to face forward again. She didn't scoot over though, staying close to him. He appreciated the gesture; she kept her side pressed against his and she was holding his hand affectionately.

While he'd rejected human touch for most of his life, now he found himself craving it. Ever since Hotch began initiating small, affectionate gestured, he longed to be in contact with his family members, even if it just meant a brush against their shoulder in passing.

To a lot of people, touch was a no-go during an attack such as his. However, he relied on it, it helped keep him grounded, keep him from spiraling too far into his mind.

Reid squeezed her hand in thanks and leaned a little more into her, grateful that she was here with him.

When they reached the BAU, he was once again thankful that Jordan quickly got out of the vehicle and made her way inside. Prentiss and Morgan stayed behind though, silently sitting in the car.

"Talk, kid" Morgan stated, staring at him through the mirror. Reid glanced away. He hated this part. They'd talk about what triggered his attack in the hopes that it would prevent it from happening again, and the team would know when to be alert for triggers.

Reid took a deep breath, shuttering slightly.

"We don't have to do this now, but if you don't think it'll trigger you again, we might as well get it over with." Morgan continued gently. Reid nodded and Prentiss squeezed his hand, encouraging him.

"It was just the case." He started, unsure of how to describe his fears. "You guys could've died if I hadn't-" Reid's words caught in his throat, mind spiraling again.

Prentiss squeezed his hand and he stopped his thoughts. Reid turned his head back to look at her, shuddering again. He didn't want to talk about this now.

Her and Morgan clearly got the message because that's where the conversation ended. Morgan began to get out of the car and Emily smiled at him, nodding towards the door. Reid cleared his throat and nodded, turning to get out.

He stepped out of the car wobblily, but after a moment he got his legs back under him. Morgan approached him and, before he could react, pulled him into a tight hug. Reid reciprocated, squeezing the man tightly for a few seconds.

Morgan broke the hug shortly after, pausing to ruffle Reid's hair. He smiled, before turning to walk towards the elevator. Reid turned to close the car door before following him and Prentiss. They silently got on the elevator, riding up to the BAU.

Arriving back in the office, it was fairly empty. Everyone except their main team had gone home, for which Reid was grateful. He really didn't feel like he could socialize with random coworkers right now.

He made his way over to his desk, quickly plopping into the desk chair. He really did not want to ride the train home, but he wasn't about to ask someone for a ride. They were all exhausted. Reid rubbed his head, attempting to combat the headache that was slowly making itself known.

Reid opened his eyes, glancing around. Morgan and Prentiss were talking to Hotch in his office.

'Probably about me' Reid snorted a little at this. It was like children tattling on their sibling. Though, to be fair, he didn't have a great track record with sharing his troubles, and if they didn't tell Hotch, there was no way in hell he would.

His eyes continued to wander around their office. Rossi was sitting in his office, looking at something, probably another case. Reid rotated his chair, looking to the round table room. Garcia and Jordan were speaking, but their conversation seemingly ended as Jordan walked out.

He sighed to himself, motivating himself to move. Reid really wanted to get home, so he might as well start the trek. He gathered his things in his satchel and began standing up. Morgan and Prentiss came out of Hotch's office, making their way to their respective desks.

Reid began walking towards the doors, but he was stopped as he passed Prentiss's desk, her hand grabbing his arm. His brows shot up in confusion and surprise and she gave him a smile.

"Wanna come over?" she asked.

Reid was taken aback, he'd gone out with Prentiss, sure, but to his knowledge she'd never invited any of them over to her place. "What?"

She rolled her eyes dramatically, "Do you want to come to my place? I figured you, me, and Garcia can have a girl's wine night."

"Girl's wine night?" Reid repeated back, even more confused than before.

"Yeah, you can substitute for JJ since she's occupied by the child at the moment. Plus, you're an honorary member of the girl's club since you're not one of the annoying 'alpha males'." She raised her voice a bit, clearly making a friendly jab at Morgan who laughed.

"Um, thank you?" Reid said, laughing. "I d-don't know I think I'm just going to go home and-"

"Spennnnnnnnnnnccccccccccceeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" Emily begged, hanging off of his arm.

"Uh-"

"I'd just go with it if I were you pretty boy, I don't think you have a say anyways." Morgan laughed, quickly dodging a pen that Prentiss threw at him after his comment.

"Uh, yeah… yeah o-okay."

"EEEK!" Prentiss squealed. She quickly let go of Reid and pulled out her phone, typing rapidly. Garcia immediately squeaked as well, appearing outside of the round table room.

"Girls night!" The two of them yelled in unison. Reid's eyes widened, unsure of what he just agreed to, but he smiled awkwardly at their excitement.

They made their way to the garage, parting ways with Morgan and piling into Emily's car. He let Penelope have the front seat, hiding himself in the back.

Reid wasn't sure how he felt about the whole thing, he really just wanted to go home… but then again, it would probably be good for him to not be left alone. He didn't want to have another attack.

The ride was quick, and the girls excitedly chatted the whole way. Reid zoned out, only half listening to what they were discussing. It wasn't until the bright lights of the car turned on that he realized they had already arrived.

Reid quickly exited the vehicle, following the two girls who were still talking. He began to analyze the building which Prentiss had chosen to live in. It seemed very quiet and secluded, and it was pretty small. It was conveniently located close to Quantico and there were obvious security measures in place-

He shook his head, stopping himself. He wasn't here to profile Emily.

They made their way to the top floor and walked to the end of the hallway. Emily opened her apartment door and immediately a black cat appeared. Penelope squealed in excitement, immediately reaching to pick it up. Reid's brows shot up; he didn't know she had a cat. Walking into the apartment, it was exactly what he'd expected. Very simple, not too personalized or lived in since they were gone so frequently, but elegantly decorated.

"Spencer stop profiling my apartment and come drink some wineeeeeeee" Emily whined from the kitchen.

"Oh, y-yeah, uh sorry" Reid laughed, following the two girls further into the apartment.

"So, what are we feeling tonight?" Emily asked, a glint of humor in her eyes, "Rom com?"

"YES of course!" Penelope excitedly agreed, picking up her freshly poured glass.

"Spencer?" The two turned to face him. He was very lost, but he nodded anyways, smiling. He bit back a laugh as they started arguing over movie titles, most of which Reid had never heard of, much less seen.

He took the glass of red wine that Prentiss handed him and watched the two bicker.

Eventually he put it back down on the table, he wasn't one to drink much, but he appreciated the gesture. He wondered if JJ would argue with them about movies when she was here, or if she just watched the two like he was doing.

A smile danced on his face at the thought of this, the chaotic energy between Emily and Penelope was already a lot, he was certain JJ would roll her eyes and watch them argue.

After a while, they decided on a movie called "John Tucker Must Die Reid commented that it didn't sound very comedic or romantic, but the two girls just laughed, telling him he'd have to wait and see. The three of them changed into pajamas (Reid once again grateful that he always had his go-bag on him), before settling on Emily's couch.

Reid initially sat scrunched in the corner. He brought his legs up and wrapped his arms around them, curling into a small ball. He set his chin atop his knees, using them to hold up his head. Emily sat next to him and Penelope plopped down on the other side.

As the movie played, Emily managed to slowly force him to relax. A few minutes in, she snuck her arm around him. Reid didn't even notice as she began pulling him closer to her.

Without realizing how it had happened, Reid suddenly noticed that he was fully leaning his head against Emily's shoulder. Her hand affectionately played with his hair and massaged his scalp.

His eyes began to grow heavy and soon he couldn't help but begin dozing off. He would be jolted awake slightly whenever Emily's shoulders would shake from laughter but, after a while, he stopped reacting to it.

Reid felt his body shift sideways, being laid gently on Emily's lap. At this point he was too out of it to even react, exhausted from the weird day they'd just had.

The sound of the movie and the girl's voices began to fade, and Reid curled up in Emily's lap, getting into a more comfortable position. He felt a blanket being laid atop him which he immediately burrowed into.

As Reid dipped off to sleep, he realized how grateful he was that he'd been included in 'Girl's Night'. Emily and Penelope helped take his mind off his anxieties, and he would probably sleep much more soundly here with them, than he would've at his apartment.

He'd needed this more than he knew.

We love a cute Girl's Night feat. Reid. Does he even need to own an apartment at this point? He never goes over there, haha.
I hope you enjoyed this installment of fluff , I had a fun time writing it and rewatching this ep (It's definitely one of my favorites!)
Thank you for all the love and support, I hope y'all are doing well! 3