Chapter Two

"I Have Always Loved You"

Though the rest of the team was rushing to get to the hospital to be there for Reid, it wasn't until midnight that all of them arrived. JJ waited until all of them arrived before she fully explained what had happened because she knew should wouldn't have the strength to tell the story more than once.

"I just can't believe I hadn't noticed how bad things were," she finished with tears in her eyes.

"Reid wouldn't have wanted us to have known if he was struggling. No one noticed because he worked so hard to hide it from all of us," Morgan said trying to comfort JJ.

"You need to try and get some rest," Hotch added in, "You've had a stressful night. We'll wake you up if anything happens."

JJ nodded in agreement. She knew she had to be strong for Reid, and she couldn't be strong if she didn't get sleep. The moment she closed her eyes, she drifted quickly off to sleep.

When she woke the next morning, she realized the last night hadn't been just a nightmare like she was hoping. Hotch sat down next to her with two cups of coffee in hand when he saw that she was awake.

He handed one to JJ and said, "It's about 6:00 in the morning. The doctors haven't told us anything. No news is better than bad news. He was strong enough to make it through the night, and none of the doctors expected that."
"Miss Jareau?" the doctor said when he suddenly appeared in the waiting room, "Dr. Reid is awake, and he's going to be just fine as long as he cleans himself up. You can all go see him now."

The team followed JJ down to Reid's room, and just before they got to the door Morgan said, "You go on in and talk to him alone, JJ. I'm sure you two have a lot to discuss after last night."

Relief flooded her heart as she walked on down to Reid's room alone. She was relieved that she hadn't lost Reid forever, and she was relieved that Morgan offered her alone time with Reid before the rest of the team went to see him. She had so much to say to him that couldn't be said in front of the rest of the team.

"Spence," she whispered as she entered the room and saw him sitting up in the bed.

Before he had a chance to respond, she had already thrown her arms around him and started sobbing into his shoulder. She knew she had to be strong, but relief had completely overwhelmed her.

"Jennifer, what happened?" said Reid clearly confused, "Why am I in the hospital?"

After work last night, I came by your apartment to check in on you since you usually don't call in sick. When you didn't answer the door, I let myself in because I needed to see for myself that you were ok. That's when I found you unconscious. I called 911, and when we got to the hospital, the doctors said you may not make it through the night. Why did you do it, Spence?" she said as her voice cracked multiple times.

His face fell as he began to remember. He struggled finding the words to explain himself to JJ.

Reid quickly summed everything up by asking, "Did you read the letter I left you?"

"I did," she said with tears running down her cheeks again.

"Then you already know," he said morosely, "I just couldn't be strong enough to give up the drug. I hate Hankel for doing this to me. After trying for the fourth time to give it up and failing, I just decided it would be easier to permanently give up on everything. I just couldn't be strong enough. I didn't deserve to be saved."

"Spencer Reid," she said taking his face in her hands, "You listen to me. You deserve to be saved. You will always deserve to be saved. From now on, I'll be strong for you. You aren't going to do this alone anymore. I'm here for you, always."

"Jennifer, you don't have to do this for me," he said holding one of her hands that was still holding his face.

"I don't have to, but I want to," she retorted.

Tears began forming in Reid's eyes, and he asked, "Why?"

"Because I love you," she said.

"I love you, too," he barely whispered shocked that she actually just professed her love for him.

"Why did it take a sui- suicide letter to tell me?" she asked.

He gulped and said, "I was scared. I never thought you'd feel the same way."

"Spence, I know it shouldn't have taken this situation for me to realize it, but I have always loved you," she said as she leaned in to gently kiss him on the lips.

It took Reid a moment to realize that she was really kissing him, but he quickly started kissing her back.

The rest of the team chuckled outside the room at what had just happened.

"It's about time," Morgan laughed.

"They are really just too precious," Garcia said rest her head on Morgan's should.

"Alright," Hotch said smiling, "Give them their space. We have a lot to figure out later."