Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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"Where's Reid?" Morgan asked when the food for lunch arrived from the deli and was being passed out.

"He asked for some personal time this afternoon," Hotch told them.

"Personal time, what kind of personal time?" Morgan wondered as he lifted his pastrami on rye to his mouth.

"He wouldn't say," Hotch said after swallowing a spoonful of his mushroom soup, but I wouldn't tell you even if he had. That's why it's called personal time," Hotch quoted his youngest profiler.

"Well something is definitely wrong with him," Garcia mixed dressing into her chicken Caesar salad. "He was really angry this morning when I tried to get it out of him. He was yelling at me that I think everything happens for a reason but sometimes there is no reason."

"Guys, I don't like the sound of that," Emily said. "I wonder if Linda's gotten sick and maybe, like with the anthrax, he can't say anything."

"Did he say anything to you Jaje?" Garcia asked.

"No, he just asked if there was anything pressing and I told him no." JJ put a forkful of her Cobb salad into her mouth.

"Okay, the guy's obviously got a problem and it's bothering him but Reid's a big boy. He can figure it out for himself and if he wants our help he'll ask for it." Rossi weighed in on the discussion.

The group just stared at him. Garcia was the first to speak. "With all due respect Agent Rossi, you don't know what happened the last time Reid had a big emotional problem."

"Yes Garcia, I think I do. I'm a profiler, remember. I read over the case file from Georgia. I think I know what happened but, for the life of me, I can't find a single written report to support my theory." The other five at the table exchanged conspiratorial glances. "But I will tell you what I know. Reid recently contracted anthrax. He could have died. The only thing that was giving the patients any comfort was the morphine. But Reid refused it. If ever a man had a good reason for taking morphine, this would have been it. He was probably dying anyway, so why not? But he didn't. He held on. He refused to give in. That tells me he won't give in now if that's what you're all afraid of."

"You didn't see how angry he was," Garcia interjected.

"No, I didn't," Rossi agreed between bites of his BLT on rye. "But I know it takes a lot to get Reid mad. He's not the kind to punch on a wall like Morgan. When he gets mad, he blows. He lets off the steam and then he looks after the problem. Give him time. He'll come around."

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Linda's door opened and Reid walked in. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at work."

"I asked for a few hours of personal time. I went to a meeting. I just had to come and see how you were doing before I went back," he told her.

"I'm okay," she went into his arms. "Shirley came by with condolences from the girls. I'm afraid I wasn't very hospitable. I'll have to apologize. The general came by to cheer me up. His wife had four miscarriages so he understands."

"I'm sure Shirley and the girls will understand. I'm not so sure about my team though," he said as he sat in the chair beside her bed.

"What do you mean? What did they say when you told them?" She took his hands in hers.

"That's just it, I didn't tell them. All I did was act like an angry bear. I was rude to everybody, swearing in the bullpen. It was like the days when I was on dilaudid, only then I didn't care," he admitted with his head down.

Linda put her fingers under his chin and lifted his head so her eyes looked into his brown pools. "You have to tell them. Then they'll understand your behavior. You're obviously in the anger phase of grieving. They'll help you. It's not a secret. It helped a lot to talk to the general. I know talking to your team will help you. You can't just carry this around all by yourself."

"I'm not by myself, I have you," he replied.

"Yeah, well I'm in much the same shape you are so I can't be very objective."

"Okay," he agreed at last. "I'll tell them when I go back. I don't know how I'll do it without breaking down." He changed the subject. "Have you been able to get any rest?"

"I napped a little. You look awful mister," she took in the dark circles under his eyes. "I want you to go straight home from work and sleep."

"No, I'll come back here and be with you," he insisted.

"No you won't, and if you try, I'll instruct them not to let you in. You need sleep. Call me on the disposable cell later," Linda directed like a drill sergeant.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Those brown eyes almost made her give in but she held her ground, "Positive."

"Okay, I love you," he said as he held her close.

"I love you too," she let go of him and he headed for the door with a small wave and he was gone.

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Reid entered the BAU, dropped his messenger bag on his chair and headed straight for Hotch's office. Morgan and Prentiss exchanged concerned glances. Reid knocked twice on Hotch's door which was open, "Hi Reid, what can I do for you?" the unit chief said.

"Uh Hotch, do you think I could talk to everybody in the conference room for a few minutes?"

"Sure Reid, are you okay?"

"I've had better days but I'll be alright," Reid said as the pair walked along the walkway to the conference room.

"Morgan, Prentiss, get JJ and Garcia, conference room now." The pair nodded and sprang from their desks in search of their teammates. Hotch knocked on Rossi's door and stuck his head in, "Dave, conference room."

It took a few minutes before the seven members of the team were assembled around the table. "Okay Reid, you've got the floor," Hotch said.

"Uh, thanks Hotch," Reid cleared his throat. "First I'd like to apologize for my behavior this morning especially to you Garcia, you didn't deserve that. I'm just trying, well, both Linda and I are trying to deal with something that, hmmm," he cleared his throat again, "happened last night."

He looked around at six faces glued to him. "Last night," he looked down at the table, "we found out that Linda was pregnant while she was uh…having a miscarriage." There was a collective gasp in the room. "She was bleeding and she was afraid it was hemorrhaging from what she was exposed to but it ended up it wasn't. It was a miscarriage. Linda didn't even realize she was pregnant. I was there and saw the whole thing. It was pretty awful. Dr. Dallas, the ob/gyn came back later and told us the embryo was a girl." Reid seemed to choke on his words.

"Oh sweet boy, I'm so sorry," Garcia got up from her seat and came to put her arms around him. "Is Linda okay?"

"Physically, yeah, we're relieved it wasn't from her exposure but what a way to find out. Of course, she's upset. She tells me I'm in the anger phase of grief and that's why I was so rude to you. She's probably right. I just feel mad at the whole world."

"It's okay, you wail away at me as much as you want. I can take it. We all can." She turned to the others who nodded.

"Aw geez man, I'm sorry," Morgan came over and put his arm around Reid's shoulder. JJ and Emily followed.

"It's strange you know, we didn't even know the baby was there until Linda was losing her and yet once she was gone, I felt a loss like I've never felt before."

JJ crouched down in front of her friend. "She was your child, even if it was only for a moment. I know there will never be anything more important in my life than my child. I can only imagine what you must be feeling."

"Reid, I want you to take the rest of the day off," Hotch said. "You shouldn't be here anyway."

"No, that's okay Hotch, I can work. Linda just wanted me to tell you guys so you wouldn't think I was cracking up."

"So now we know, go home, get some rest if you can. You look like you need it," Rossi said. He squeezed Reid's shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Reid nodded as the other profilers filed out of the room, each giving him a hug or pat on the back. Garcia was the last to leave. Reid called out to her. "So Garcia, in your everything happens for a reason philosophy, what was the reason for this?"