Disclaimed!
This chapter is all about Reid and his 'illness' arc that wasn't really addressed as far as I can tell.
As always let me know what you think!
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Reid took a deep breath and tapped softly against the wooden front door. Knowing that it was late, the profiler sighed quietly hearing shuffling behind the door and seeing lights being switched on.
The lanky Nevadan, took a step back as the door quickly opened and revealed the startled blonde. "Spence are you okay?"
"I'm sorry to wake you up JJ." Reid stated quietly as his eyes were glued to floor.
Standing aside, JJ ushered her younger friend into the quiet house. "That's okay, what's going on? Are you alright?"
Reid shrugged as he glanced around the messy living room, cluttered with his godson's toy spread haphazardly across the floor. "Did I wake Henry and Will?"
"No, Will's not here and Henry can sleep through Armageddon." JJ smirked softly as she watched the young doctor rest against the arm of her couch, his body slumping dejectedly. "Spence, tell me what's going on with you?"
He met her eyes tiredly. "Nothing's going on with me."
"So why are you here at two in the morning?" JJ asked as she tilted her head curiously.
Reid picked up one of the green pillows off the couch and clutched it closely to his chest. "Do you ever wonder how things might have turned out?"
"What do you mean?" JJ raised an eye while she wrapped her arms around herself.
Reid watched the Pennsylvanian step forward slightly so she was only an arm length away from him. "If things were different, do you ever wonder what your life would be like."
"Sure, doesn't everyone at some point?" JJ answered inquisitively while placing a hand on the sitting agents shoulder. "Spence."
"I'm sorry I woke you up." The profiler sniffled slightly, holding the pillow loser to his body.
JJ smiled sadly at her friend's vulnerability. "I think I have some cocoa in the kitchen. Do you want some?"
Reid smiled slightly at JJ's motherly tone. "That sounds nice."
He placed the pillow back onto the couch and followed the blonde into the cluttered kitchen, both remained silent while JJ made cocoa, neither spoke until the Unit Chief took a seat opposite the struggling younger man. "Talk to me."
Reid's smile widened as JJ stared at him with a glint of amusement. "Can't we just sit in silence?"
"Sure, but that won't do you any good, will it?" JJ replied with a raised eye before she blew on the coca to cool the hot liquid before taking a sip. She watched Reid do the same and nodded as he made a satisfied hum.
Cupping the mug in his hands, Reid watched the chocolate beverage swirl before he began to speak. "How did you go from BAU liaison to Pentagon liaison to BAU Unit Chief, all the while raising Henry and dealing with Prentiss's death?"
"It wasn't easy. Leaving only to come back and I still miss Emily, but I can't just stop my life because it changes, for Henry's sake." JJ attempted to explain.
Frowning, the cardigan wearing profiler shook his head softly. "So everything is for Henry in your life?"
"No, I'm not that selfless. Otherwise I wouldn't have come back to the BAU." JJ smiled solemnly.
Reid met her blue eyes gratefully. "I'm glad your back."
"Thanks Spence." JJ chuckled lightly, sensing her young friend had something more on his mind than her CV.
The pair fell into a comfortable silence as they sipped the hot coca while sitting opposite each other t the kitchen bench. Placing his mug onto the counter, Reid leaned back on the stool and met JJ's waiting patiently gaze. "I'm not schizophrenic."
JJ's eyes widened at Reid's sudden announcement. "You thought you were schizophrenic?"
"After you left, I wasn't feeling well. Apparently it's psychosomatic." The profiler shrugged as he ran a hand through his growing hair.
JJ hesitantly placed her hand on top of his, urging him to continue. "How are you feeling now?"
"After Emily died, I tried to just push everything to the side to concentrate on being strong so no one had to be strong for me." He scoffed with a soft blush crossing his cheeks.
JJ smiled sympathetically. "We're your family, sweetie, you don't have to be strong for us."
"Hotch was strong after Hailey died. You were strong when you had to leave us. Everyone was putting brave faces on when Prentiss..."
The blonde cocked her head to the side and smirked. "That's because we're all stubborn."
Reid nodded and moved his hand from underneath his friends awkwardly to scrub his face, as he felt tiredness sweep over him. "I feel tired but I can't sleep. I'm anxious all the time and I'm... tired."
"It sounds like you need some actual rest, away from the trials and tribulations of FBI life." JJ stated understandingly.
Shrugging, Reid's voice croaked in exhaustion a he spoke. "But I can't sleep."
"You know my couch pulls out into a bed, why don't you stay here a little while?" JJ knew her suggestion sounded like an order the moment the young doctor stiffened.
He shook his head determinedly. "I have a home JJ, besides I don't want to intrude."
"You wouldn't, Henry and I like the company." JJ smiled warmly trying her best to keep eye contact as his brown eyes searched around her home for an unasked question.
As his gaze rested on the Pennsylvanian's serine expression, Reid sighed deeply. "You don't have to mother me, JJ."
JJ rolled her eyes at the young agent's persistence. "How about I big-sister you, then? Because I'm not taking a no for answer. You need to know you're not alone Reid. You need to understand that even though things change you have consistency in your life. You need some time away from work not thinking about all the evil in the world."
Reid coughed and took another sip of cocoa before responding. "I can't just take off, we're already shorthanded with Hotch gone and..."
"Reid, you're not listening to me. I don't want you to have a life that's all about work. I want you to be happy. So, you're going to sleep in my living room and babysit your godson tomorrow instead of coming into the office and you can make a two week plan off nothing. I don't want you thinking about work or reading technical books." JJ stood and placed her mug next to the sink. "Go and visit your mom, go and have some fun. Call up those friends of yours that you play chess with and go to a Star Wars thing."
Reid frowned slightly. "It's actually Star Trek conventions but..."
JJ chuckled interrupting his reluctance. "Just relax and have some fun, okay. You need to start living your life."
"Before I become like Gideon?" He asked with a raised eye.
JJ leaned against the sink counter and sighed. "Your words not mine."
"I don't have to sleep here." Reid reiterated as JJ slowly moved around her kitchen into the joining living room.
JJ pressed a motherly kiss to the back of Reid's head before edging her way to the staircase. "I'm going to get some clean sheets. Drink up your cocoa and straight to sleep, that's an order."
Shaking his head at JJ's determination, Reid lifted his mug in his hands and whispered in response. "Yes ma'am."
...
Up next Prentiss!
Thanks to everyone who has alerted and thanks for reviewing; mummacass, angry penguin and crazyobsession101!