Disclaimer: I do not own criminal minds, if I did there would be a Christmas special every year ;)
This is only short, sorry it took so long, I was having a break. Alternative ending is coming soon.
Reid lay asleep in a chair on the jet. The bruised half of his face rested gently against the window. The team were gathered close around him, worried he'd leave them again, through their rational minds knew he wouldn't. Emily sat beside him, also asleep, her hand laid gently on his knee.
Hotch and Morgan sat opposite him. Garcia, JJ and Alex sat squashed up on the couch and Rossi had pulled up the large recliner that had usually inhabited the corner of the jet. Reid hadn't noticed how the team practically fought to sit by him on the jet. After an hour they'd finally stopped staring at Reid's sleeping form, but every few minutes their eyes would wander back to him.
Morgan gazed at Spencer, appreciating the brother he'd almost lost. Morgan didn't know whether he prefered the hair. Of course the colour and style suited Reid as it always seemed to in the past, but Morgan had a nagging desire to see the kid with his natural brown curls. His hair was swept slightly from his head, and Morgan could just make out the scar that was inscribed along Reid's skull. A pang of guilt gripped Morgan's gut, his eyes skirting around the deep, stitched up gash across Reid's cheek, and the painful bruises that resided around it.
Reid stirred and shifted his body uncomfortably, wincing in pain and curling up closer to Emily's soft touch. Emily opened her eyes slightly and shimmied towards Reid's warmth. Their heads were almost touching now and Rossi smirked at the adorable scene unfolding in front of him.
Garcia and JJ were also sleeping soundly, most likely for the first time in weeks.
Reid's unconscious mind drifted off to that afternoon; saying goodbye to his new team.
"So you're going?" Mara asked quietly, interlacing her fingers sadly.
Reid chewed the inside of his cheek.
"I..I..it's my home.. i"
"No I understand. I... im just gonna miss you." She wiped the tears that began welling up in her eyes. Reid stepped forward and gathered his friend into his arms, pulling her into him just as a sob racked her usually happy body.
His mind warped slightly as another recent memory resurfaced.
Harper extended his hand out to Agent Reid. He'd never been more wrong about a person in his life. The kid had exceeded every expectation he had and he was extremely disappointed to see the Agent leave their unit. James Cooper would of been an excellent Detective, But Micheal knew the circumstances and that the Kid had to go back home.
Reid slowly lifted his hand, but Harper pulled his arm instead and hugged the young man.
"You know where we will be, if you ever want to pop down and see us" said the lieutenant awkwardly.
"I will." Reid whispered hoarsely.
The memory dispersed once more and his head began swimming back to consciousness.
Emily's eyes cracked open, the team were all awake now, bar Reid who's head was resting on hers , his hair tickling her forehead.
She moved slightly and Reid groaned.
He pulled open his heavy eyelids and glanced around at his team, a safe feeling oozing over him. Penelope looked up at Emily and Spencer, who were pulling away from each other's warmth. She smiled at their cuteness.
"You better be re-dying your hair when we get home." Garcia insisted, eyeing his dirty blonde locks.
Reid sighed as he stretched his arms behind his head, his wrist yawning in pain. "Sure, Penelope, but I know that look in your eyes. You are not doing it!" The others laughed and Garcia pouted, sticking out her bottom lip.
"That's what you think." Garcia murmured slyly.
"Urgh, I can't wait to get back to my lair. You guys can carry on traveling for cases, but I will never leave my lair again." Garcia confirmed, crossing her arms with indignation.
"I'm afraid you won't be going their just yet." Hotch said, a tiny smile curling around his lips.
"Yea?" Morgan raised his eyebrows.
"Yea, we're going home. I've organised a week off. We have no cases. Reid, you should move back into your apartment during that time."
Reid sent a confused look at his boss.
"I still own it?" He licked his lips.
"Rossi paid your rent while you were gone." Morgan informed him.
Reid's mouth gaped open and he stared at Rossi in awe.
"You really didn't need to, Rossi. I can pay you back, as soon as I sort my finances out."
Rossi lifted his hand and waved it limply at Reid.
"I have too much money as it is." Rossi concluded, smiling smugly.
"Thank you." Reid's face lit up in gratitude.
The conversation crawled on, Reid had begun to watch his fingers which were twiddling amongst themselves. He was thinking about the funeral that he'd have to organise for his father. Guilt brewed up inside him.
Voices in his head began calling out to him, all saying the same thing:
Your fault
Your fault
Your fault
They morphed into the voices of his father and Callen. His fathers face flashed before his eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me? I would still be alive if you had. Do you understand that? Come on genius, I thought you knew everything!" His father growled in his head.
Emily watched how Reid's face distorted with shame and grief. She grasped his hand tightly, squeezing it reassuringly.
"I know what you're thinking, Reid. We will help you. With everything." She smiled, kissing his hand.
"One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood." ~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Thank you all for reading, that is it (officially). The alternative ending will be posted later, its only short, and I don't like it very much, but it was very close to becoming the actual ending, I'm glad it didn't ;)
Please Reid and Review