Hey everyone it's been a hot minute! I hope y'all are doing well! I had a few papers due this past week for uni, so the last thing I wanted to do in my free time was write more... but luckily that's over and my motivation for this fic was quickly reignited!
Last Part of this series, I really hope you enjoy some happy!Reid and happy!BAUTeam as well as some more fluff :)

PT 6 ~ Coda

The blizzard had finally blown over and the team was going to leave town today. Reid was packing his bag with a smile on his face.

He could not wait to get back to the warmer environment of DC.

He also felt much better than he had in a long time, having finally opened up to the team. Part of himself was still mad that he'd not been strong enough to deal with it on his own, and he still felt all the pain and guilt and depression that had been plaguing him for the past few months.

But their power over him was dulled to an ache after he'd talked to his team, or rather his family.

He pulled on the heavy navy sweater that Rossi had lent him, relaxing into its warmth. It dangled off him as if he was a coat rack, but the man had insisted he wear it and, at this point, he wasn't going to turn down any offers.

Reid strolled out of the room once he'd finished packing. They were supposed to leave for the docks in a few minutes, that way they could fly on the tiny boat back to Anchorage and then catch their jet to DC.

Walking downstairs, Reid spotted Hotch standing by the door. He was the only one downstairs. Either Reid was very late, or he'd beat everyone down. Judging by how Hotch was glancing at his watch though, he guessed he was late.

Clenching his jaw, he rushed over, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Sorry, did everyone else already leave? I didn't realize how long I was taking-"

"No, Reid. It's okay, we're gunna catch the second flight."

Reid mentally facepalmed, realizing that the seven of them weren't able to fit on the plane together anyways. There were only five passenger seats, so they would've had to split up anyways.

Luckily, the flight to the bigger city only took about twenty minutes, so they wouldn't be too far behind everyone else.

He nodded at the man, who then turned around to head outside. Reid followed, hot on Hotch's heels, wanting to get into the car as quickly as possible. Quickly, he threw his bag in the back and climbed in the passenger seat next to Hotch.

Hotch turned on the engine, allowing the heat to flow through the vents. Reid sighed in relief. His mind wandered once more to the idea of being out of the cold, and a small smile made its way on his face.

He'd not realized that he'd closed his eyes until Hotch's hand landed on his shoulder. Reid's eyes flew open and he flinched in surprise, but not enough to scare the man off.

"You okay?" Hotch asked with a sly smile on his face, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah, just…" Reid bit his lip, smiling a bit more, "ready to go home" he stated simply.

Hotch nodded, moving to put on his seatbelt. Reid did the same, watching as they backed away from the lodge.

What a crazy long few days it had been. It felt like they'd been there for like two weeks!

(Haha get it, because I posted part one to series this two weeks ago… haha… no? okay… it's fine)

He stared out the window as they drove, taking in the beauty of Alaska. He would miss it, it was amazingly beautiful here, if not a little chilly for his taste. However, he could not wait to get home to his own bed and crash for a couple days.

They approached the docks, the drive only took a couple minutes since the town was so small, and Hotch threw the car in park.

The plane clearly had not returned yet, so they decided to stay in the heated car.

"So, Reid. How are you feeling?" Hotch started, looking pointedly at Reid. The man already had a glint of happiness in his eyes, knowing that the younger agent was doing much better than he had been before this case.

Reid smiled awkwardly, "Much better. I'm… I'm not back to normal…" he admitted somewhat hesitantly, "but… I'm better." He looked up at Hotch.

Hotch patted Reid's knee affectionately, "I know. It'll take time, but you'll get there." Hotch leaned in slightly, "and we'll help you get there."

Reid nodded, biting his lip. It was still hard for him to accept it, but he knew that his team wanted to help him, and that they did genuinely want him around. He still didn't fully understand it all, but he was grateful regardless.

He didn't know how he'd been so lucky to get these teammates.

Yet there they were, insisting that they were there for him. Insisting that they loved him and wanted to help.

So, he should accept their help, right?

Hotch saw the bit of self-loathing creep its way back into Reid's eyes and he frowned. He knew it would take time to convince the kid that they did love him and that he should like himself, but the extent of the damage was still to be determined.

He knew it was worse than it had ever been with how self-destructive Reid had been, as well as how emotional it had got him. But Hotch was starting to think that he'd only scratched the surface, and that the kid still hadn't fully opened up.

Hotch watched Reid, seeing his eyes begin to brighten up again as he pulled himself out of his own mind. That was progress at least, and they'd work together to help save the youngest member of their family.

They had to.

The plane landed at the docks and the two agents made their way to the small floatplane. The flight was quick and easy. Luckily, they didn't hit too much rough air and soon they were joining the rest of the team in their normal BAU jet.

JJ, Emily, and Rossi were sitting at the table, playing cards and Morgan and Garcia were sitting on the couch talking. They all looked up, smiling and welcoming the two as they entered the jet, and the pilot immediately began preparing for takeoff.

Reid threw his stuff down on the chair closest to the coffee machine, immediately making himself a cup. He hadn't had any this morning and the caffeine headache was already setting in.

He was so focused on his coffee that he didn't notice any of his team member's glances and whispers, as they quietly discussed a plan.

"That's a lotta sugar, kid." Rossi commented, walking up next to Reid at the coffee counter.

Reid continued pouring sugar in his cup while simultaneously stirring, but he glanced up at the man with an awkward smile.

"Have any plans for tonight?"

Reid's brows furrowed together, and he stopped pouring the sugar in confusion. "Huh?"

Rossi chuckled, "Plans, kid?"

"Oh… uh, no I g-guess not. I mean we're getting in at like nine. I was just gunna go home and crash for a few… days…" Reid trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"Well, why don't you come over to my place instead. I'm gunna invite the whole team, but I wanna make sure you're going to be there before I ask everyone else."
Reid's brows shot up in surprise. Did Rossi really care if he was there that much? A flash of guilt passed through his body as he realized the amount of times, he'd turned down Rossi's invites in the past few months. To be fair, it was so he could wallow in his own depression instead, but still, the guilt was there.

"Uh y-yeah I guess I can come if you really want me there-"

"Perfect, kid, we'll swing by your place beforehand so that you can grab some clean clothes-"

"Clean clothes? But-"

"Sleepover at my mansion tonight, everyone!" Rossi announced to the team, turning around to leave Reid with his coffee.

There were some whoops of happiness and excitement, and the whole team seemed unsurprised by the declaration.

Reid looked over the group suspiciously, realizing that it was a set up, but a smirk found its way on his face and he simply returned to his coffee.

The flight was long, but relatively easy, all things considered. Reid reread a few books, played some cards, and finished up his paperwork on the case.

When his coffee wore off and the sun set outside their windows Reid took a nap on the couch. By the time Reid awoke, they'd landed in DC.

Stepping out of the plane, Reid rubbed the fatigue out of his eyes. He smiled as he realized that it was much warmer out, and he didn't immediately begin getting hypothermia when he stepped foot outside.

He lazily made his way towards one of the vehicles, suppressing a yawn as he climbed in. Hotch was in the driver's seat and Morgan was next to him. JJ was in the back with him and the other three had taken the other vehicle.

Reid was beginning to think that maybe he'd back out of this whole 'sleepover at Rossi's' idea, as he just wanted to sleep now, but then again, Rossi would probably be making pasta…

He shook his head at himself. He'd made the commitment, so he would go over to the man's place. It wouldn't be so bad. Reid would be surrounded by his family and maybe, just maybe, he'd be free of nightmares tonight.

As much as he hated to admit it, he was incredibly tough-starved, but somehow, whenever he was around his team, they'd fend off the nightmares and he'd sleep better. Curling up on Hotch's chest the last few days had been the best sleep he'd received in months, and he's missed the affectionate gestures that he'd been flinching away from.

They each made a pit stop at their own homes, running in to grab some fresh clothing.

Reid's apartment was last, since he lived closest to Rossi. He insisted that he go upstairs on his own, but all three of the others wanted to accompany him. Reid's heart began beating rapidly as he remembered the state of his apartment.

It was completely disorganized, his clothing everywhere and dishes all over the kitchen. Despite the messiness, he was out of food and essentially only had coffee, and his bedroom was even more of a mess. His books had been sprawled everywhere as well and he couldn't even think about his bathroom…

"Really, guys, I'm just grabbing clothing. There is no reason to come in with me."
The three exchanged looks and seemed to have a silent conversation. They nodded and JJ turned to Reid.

"Okay, just me then."
Reid rolled his eyes, "come on, JJ-"

"Spence, this is not negotiable. One of us is going up with you." JJ pulled out her mom voice and Reid hung his head.

He wasn't getting out of this.

"Ugh… okay, fine. But this is unnecessary." Reid said, slightly bitter as he stepped out of the car. He was feigning anger, but really, he felt panic. This was not good. He did not want JJ seeing his apartment.

The two made their way upstairs. Reid wanted to race her up and beat her before she got to the top of the stairs so he could slip into his apartment before her. However, his still healing knee protested that idea, and she ended up waiting for him at the landing.

Reid nervously bit his lip, pulling the key out of his go-bag and inserting it into the lock. He turned it, unlocking the door, but hesitated to open it.

"JJ, please just stay out here." He pleaded, but it was no use.

JJ looked at him very seriously, "Spence, it's okay." She stated simply. Then, she pushed the door open.

Reid cringed at the sight of his place; it was in even more disarray than he remembered it. He was sure JJ was horrified, but he chose to race to his bedroom as quickly as possible so they could get out of here.

He quickly emptied his go-bag into the laundry pile in his closet and grabbed a few clean, warm clothing items. He also shoved his heavy blanket in his bag, knowing that he'd probably want as many blankets as possible to sleep with tonight.

When he stepped out of his room, he found JJ staring in horror at the bathroom.

Shit.

"JJ-"

"Spencer… oh my god." She whispered, clearly at a loss for words.

He'd kind of cleaned it up since the night he'd smashed his hand, but there was still glass all over the place. He'd managed to sweep the glass under the sink, where he wouldn't step on it, but it was still visible and very bloody. Plus, the remnants of the broken mirror which hadn't fallen still remained, also stained with his blood.

"Yeah… uhhh… I'm ready to go…?"

JJ launched herself at Reid, hugging him as tightly as she could. Reid reeled in shock for a few seconds before wrapping his own arms around her.

"I'm so sorry that I didn't come over, Spencer. Hotch told me that it was after the Dante case and I knew you weren't handling it well, but I didn't think… I didn't… I'm so sorry, Spence. It wasn't your fault, you didn't deserve this, you didn't deserve any sort of punishment." She looked up at him, placing her hand on his cheek, "You didn't need to punish yourself this way. You didn't deserve that."

Reid swallowed a lump in his throat. Guilt from the incident was creeping back into his mind, but now he mostly felt shame that JJ was seeing what he'd done. He dipped his head, allowing his long hair to cover his face.

"I'm sorry."

"No, Spencer," she brushed the hair away from his face, "it's okay. You're going to be okay. We're going to help you be okay again."

Reid nodded into her hand, pulling her back into a hug. They stood for a few minutes like that, silent, arm in arm, embracing one another. JJ thankful that Reid was still there, alive, and Reid grateful that she cared so much.

That she wanted to help.

That they all wanted to help.

When they eventually made their way back downstairs, Hotch and Morgan were patiently waiting in the car, and no comment was made about how long they'd been upstairs. Instead, they simply pulled out of the parking lot and began heading towards Rossi's.

They arrived at Rossi's a few minutes later. They swiftly parked the car and made their way inside where Rossi, Garcia, and Prentiss were waiting for them.

Rossi was already almost done cooking, and Prentiss and Garcia were already three glasses of wine deep.

They joined in with the group's laughter, talking about lighter things outside of their job. They were able to have a normal conversation, a happy conversation as a group. As if they didn't hunt down monsters for a living and witness real nightmares every day.

And it was pleasant.

The team ate Rossi's pasta together and enjoyed one another's company. Prentiss, JJ, and Garcia were very drunk and ended up singing karaoke on Rossi's tv and even Hotch laughed along at their antics. Morgan insisted he and Garcia do a round together, which included him giving her a piggy-back ride halfway through.

There was lots of dancing and laughing and joy.

Overall, it was a good night, and Reid was very happy he'd joined them.

As the night wound down, the three girls very quickly passed out on the floor, along with Derek who was being spooned very aggressively by Garcia. Rossi threw some pillows and blankets on the ground for them, which were only partially being used.

Reid smiled as he gazed at them, and he felt content. He sat on the couch, sipping on his lemonade and felt genuinely relaxed and happy. Hotch and Rossi soon joined him, Hotch sitting directly next to him and Rossi taking a seat in the reclining chair next to them.

The two men spoke softly to one another about nothing in particular, but Reid found himself beginning to fight off yawns. His eyes were beginning to feel heavy and he wasn't really paying attention to the conversation anymore.

Before he processed what was happening, Hotch grabbed him, pulling him onto his chest and laying down along the couch.

Reid was too tired to really even process a reaction. If he'd been more awake, maybe he would've fought it more, but instead he simply leaned against his protector, closing his eyes. He felt a familiar weight cover his body as Rossi draped his heavy blanket over their bodies and he sighed in contentment.

Hotch and Rossi continued whispering, but soon their whispers were nothing more than background noise as Reid began dropping off to sleep.

Right before he lost complete consciousness, he felt a small peck on his head, as if someone had kissed his forehead softly. He'd only remembered that happening one other time in his life; when he'd been very young, and his mother would kiss him goodnight.

"Love you." Reid stated softly as his automatic response.

There was a brief pause of silence before a voice responded, "I love you too, Spencer."

Reid smiled, snuggling closer to the warm body he was leaning against, and he drifted off to sleep, happy.

Well, that was the last part to the Alaska ep and wow this has been such a fun continuous story to write!
I'd like to thank Tomlinsoul for the idea to link season 5 together because this would not have come together so nicely without your suggestion!
I'd also just like to thank everyone who's read this story and/or wrote a comment!
You guys are amazing, and you make my days so much better. I am so glad that I started writing this series of oneshots, and I am glad that these oneshots have evolved into a much bigger story arc following Reid through CM.
Whenever I have written fanfic before, I have always quit after a few chapters because I am unhappy with my writing or I lose interest/ motivation, and I just cannot believe how happy I am with this series and how much fun it's been so far!
There's still so much more to write, and I can't wait to keep going! Have a wonderful day, and thank you for reading!