Takes place around '100' when Reid was shot. 'Charlie' is the kid Reid played chess w/ at the park in the show, by the way.
A Good Man- Be his Hero
SSA Dr. Spencer Reid woke up to an unfamiliar guest staring down at him. At first he had almost forgotten what had happened, but as a pain started shooting through his leg it all came back to him. He had been shot in the leg and was in a hospital. So who was with him?
"Dr. Reid?" the feminine voice asked quietly. It somehow seemed familiar to Reid, though, and as the room started to focus in he realized why. He was about to speak up to the surprise visitor when she sat down a chess board on his bed and lowered something that looked like his wallet. "You didn't tell Charlie you were a cop."
"I'm not a cop," Spencer smiled, his voice hoarse. "I'm an FBI agent," he corrected.
"Oh, yes," the woman chuckled, "sorry." The way she fidgeted with the chess board while trying not to let Spencer see her stare at his badge made the agent worrisome, though. Frowning, he asked, "Why? Should I have?"
"Sorry, no-that's fine with me. It's just…Most the law enforcement employees I know flaunt their badges every chance they get. It's nice, I suppose, to see someone hiding it instead. Not that there's anything wrong with being an agent, don't get me wrong…" She trailed off at the end, sighing quietly to herself. "Don't tell him," she suddenly requested.
"Don't tell him what?" Spencer frowned. The profiler already knew her answer, though, but he also knew that she had come down to protect her son, and by the way she stammered through he sentences, it wasn't an easy task for her. The fact that she had come down for her son was a good enough reason for him to allow her to speak, though, so he nodded for her to continue.
"Don't tell him you got shot in the line of duty. He thinks of you as a hero, Spencer, and Charlie really needs one right now. His father was shot by a rogue cop, and ever since he's been terrified of law enforcement." The petite woman leaned in closer and placed a picture in the injured man's hand. "He looked just like his father," she whispered. "But…But since his death, he's been so quiet, so guarded and depressed. When he met you at the park, though, he came home with a smile on his face. I can't deal with not seeing that smile anymore…."
For a moment Spencer studied the picture and took in everything Charlie's mother told him. Of course he would never tell Charlie about his badge, because protecting the kid was so much more important than flaunting his credentials. Besides, he wouldn't let himself do to Charlie what Gideon had done to him….So he sucked in a deep breath and nodded solemnly.
"Alright," Spencer finally nodded. "I promise."