Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

A/N: This chapter is not too exciting or action packed, kinda mellow….I don't know why, but when writing from Hotch's perspective, I call Rossi 'Dave,' but from anyone else's he's just 'Rossi'. Also, thank you once again for all of the amazing reviews! Your support is mucho appreciated.

___________________________________________

As Reid slept, the cabin of the vehicle quieted, reduced to the steady hum of the vehicle, and Reid's slow, rhythmic breathing. This left Hotch with nothing but the road and his thoughts to center on as he drove, and, although inter-team profiling was prohibited, the ever present profiler in Hotch began to analyze Reid and his actions.

He knew why Reid was so angry, it was only natural. Reid was a very private person, especially after what happened with Henkel, and Gideon leaving. Any time his private life came up in a conversation, Reid immediately put up his defensive walls, shutting everyone out. And hearing that his superiors had been discussing an aspect of his life would lead to the natural assumption that other aspects of his life might have been scrutinized. Reflecting on the night the conversation with Dave had taken place; Hotch knew that Reid was right to feel uncomfortable, but for different reasons.

After Dave had first joined the team, he had naturally begun to visit Hotch at his empty home. They had drinks, and talked. As old friends, they naturally discussed their previous experiences with one another. Dave also brought up Haley, which led to an in-depth conversation about Hotch's divorce. For the most part, the conversations were all expected. However, when Dave had approached him, asking about Reid, Hotch had been taken aback. He shouldn't have been, Dave always been able to get into his head better than anyone else. Naturally, he had picked up on his feelings for Reid, and approached him on it. For Hotch, simply talking about his attraction to Reid was a step too far, but when Dave suggested that Hotch pursue a relationship with the resident genius, Hotch had simply said the first thing that came to his head: Reid's not gay. Of course, that had led to the bet, which on retrospect was more unprofessional than anything else. And it hadn't helped that Dave had brought it up in front of Reid.

After a couple of minutes of beating himself up for making the bet, Hotch refocused on what was bothering him most: Shawn. There was obviously something wrong with Reid's ex-boyfriend, and Reid wasn't telling him everything. Reid didn't display the usual symptoms of being a victim of domestic abuse; he hadn't started wearing long sleeves, no drastic changes in personality. Which was unsettling in itself, Hotch knew that Shawn's behavior at the office was a huge, neon-colored sign that screamed 'abusive.' How far that abuse went, Hotch couldn't figure out unless Reid opened up to him.

Reid stirred in his sleep, and Hotch took his eyes off the road momentarily to glance at him. Curled up in the seat, Reid looked unfathomably small, and Hotch wondered if he had lost weight in the last month. Maybe he was just imagining it, but it kept his mind going, fueled his worry.

The drive was short, just over an hour, and soon Hotch found himself at the hotel. Getting out, Hotch grabbed his and Reid's go-bags from the back before heading to Reid's door. Putting the bags on the ground, Hotch opened the door, and then reached inside, gently shaking Reid's shoulder. Reid moaned softly, shifting, and straightening his back.

"You okay?" Hotch asked, on impulse. Reid slid out of the seat, rubbing the back of his neck as he stood.

"Yeah, just slept funny," he muttered. They grabbed their bags and walked into the lobby, and as Hotch got the key to the hotel room, Reid used the visitor's bathroom. When they finally made it to their room, it was late, but not quite late enough, so Reid took out the files for the consult, and began going through them. Hotch left the room, going out for a quick walk around the hotel. When he returned, Reid had discarded the file (he'd probably gone through it at least four times in the ten minutes Hotch had been gone) and was lying on his stomach on the bed, his face buried in a pillow.

"Neck still hurt?" Hotch asked as he closed the door, sitting down in one of the uncomfortable chairs around a little round table.

"Yeah, remind me to never sleep in a car again," Reid muttered, pushing himself up onto his elbows, turning to Hotch. A wave of guilt rushed over Hotch when his body warmed to the way Reid was sitting, his back arched. Reid didn't seem to notice as he grabbed one of the files off of the bedside table, and opened it. "Have you read the file on the Baltimore case? I think there might be an extreme level of psychosis, the killings are ritualistic…" Hotch couldn't pay full attention on what Reid was saying as he drawled on about the possible delusions the killer could have for the next ten minutes, he was simply too caught up in his previous thoughts from the drive. He watched Reid as he talked, his face animated as he flicked through the pages, as if he might have missed something the first few times he'd read the reports. Once Reid finally finished, Hotch nodded, refocusing on the present.

"Make sure to mention that to the Baltimore P.D., but maybe a condensed version." Reid nodded, a serious look on his face as he put the file away. He was momentarily quiet, staring at the headboard, biting his lips together.

"Reid?" Hotch prompted when he didn't say anything. Reid snapped out of whatever reverie he had fallen in, raising his eyebrows at Hotch. He got off of the bed, putting his hands on his hip, and arching his back, leading to a series of audible clicks as his back popped.

"We should get something to eat, I'm hungry," Reid said, flopping back onto the bed.

"I'll order something," Hotch muttered, getting up and getting the phone book off of one of the bedside tables. As he flicked through the pages, Reid's cell went off. He answered it promptly, his voice professional.

"Doctor Reid." Reid answered curtly. There was a moment of silence, and Hotch watched as a frown settled on Reid's face before he spoke again. "Um, actually I'm out of town, so maybe when I get back, sometime next week." Hotch heard the phone click shut just as he found the section in the phone book he was looking for. He glanced up from the page, his eyebrows inching upwards.

"Who was that?"

"Landlord."

"What did he want?" Hotch wasn't a profiler for nothing, he knew Reid was lying.

"He was wondering if I could pay rent early."

"Reid, is it really worth our time for you to lie when we both know that's not the truth?"

Reid pretended to think it over, his face scrunching up in concentration. "It would probably work better if you went along with it," he pointed out after a minute, his head tilting to the side as he studied Hotch. Forcing himself to break the gaze, Hotch looked back at their food delivery options, which mainly consisted of pizza, not wanting to get too drawn into the way Reid's hair fell over his face as he tilted his head.

Instead of probing about the phone conversation further, Hotch merely picked up the receiver of the hotel telephone, and said, "Whenever you want to tell me the truth, I'm here to listen." Reid looked a little surprised by the statement, even though he shouldn't have been, not after Hotch had tried so hard to get Reid to talk earlier. Maybe it was the tone Hotch had purposefully used: calm and comforting, as opposed to his worried demeanor in the car. Reid was used to people worrying about him, but Hotch knew he wasn't used to anyone comforting him, not since Gideon had left. Hotch ordered a pizza, and then set the phone down. He noticed Reid fiddling with his hands, staring at them as his lips quirked to the side as he thought.

"He never hit me." Reid looked up at Hotch, face open, as if anticipating some form of reprimand. Hotch just sat down next to him, forcing himself not to put his hand on Reid's shoulder, or engage in any other form of physical comfort.

"We both know that abuse isn't restricted to physical assault."

Reid shifted uncomfortably, shaking his head, pursing his lips. "No…he didn't…" Reid's head jerked as the hotel phone rang. Hotch answered it, putting it down when he was done.

"I have to go get the pizza from the lobby." Reid nodded, looking back down at his lap and biting his lips together. Hotch hurried to the lobby and paid the pizza boy before returning to their room. Reid was sitting just as he had been, and looked up as Hotch set the pizza on the little table. Reid sat down in the chair across from Hotch, and immediately launched into a lecture about the history of the public's view of psychosis, which led them back to the topic of the Baltimore case. By the time they had finished compiling their thoughts, and what they would say to the Baltimore police, it was late enough that they decided to turn in for the night.

As Reid fell asleep, curled under the covers, Hotch's phone began to vibrate. Hotch got out of bed grudgingly, and left the hotel room, not wanting to wake Reid. As he stepped out into the hallway, wearing sweats and an FBI tee-shirt, he flipped the phone open.

"Hotchner."

"How's the road trip with Reid going?"

Hotch sighed, recognizing Dave's voice on the other line. He began walking down the hall, heading towards the lobby. "Well, after yelling at me for making that bet with you, he spent the rest of the drive sleeping." There was a chuckle on the other line, and Hotch couldn't help but feel irritated. Hotch walked into the lobby, and then out of the front door, stopping as he walked out into the night air.

"You know, this would be much easier if you would just tell him about your feelings for him."

"You know why I can't do that." When Hotch heard Dave snort, his lips tightened into a thin line as he tried to control his rising irritation.

"I think it would do you a great deal of good to break the rules, just this once."

"It wouldn't be good for Reid."

"What wouldn't be good for Reid? A stable relationship with someone who actually cares about him? I think he could benefit from being with someone who appreciates him. Someone who understands him."

Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Dave, he doesn't trust me enough to tell me about Shawn, he definitely doesn't trust me enough to start a relationship."

"Whatever you say, Romeo." The line went dead, and Hotch slowly walked back to the hotel, dragging his feet as he made it down the hallway to his and Reid's hotel room. As he opened the door, enough light came into the room to reveal Reid standing in front of the window. Closing the door, Hotch flicked the lights on, and Reid turned, an alarming amount of curiosity on his face.

"What are you doing up?" Hotch asked, frowning.

"I heard you get up," Reid said, his eyebrows arching upwards. He had the look of an expectant puppy, waiting for a treat. It was disconcerting.

"Sorry I woke you," Hotch answered shortly.

"You do know you were standing right outside the window while talking to Rossi?"

___________________________________________________

TBC…

A/N: Shorter chapter, but I think it gets the job done. Once again, reviews are the elixir of life.