The doorbell rang and Rossi found Morgan and JJ stood on his doorstep.
"Benvenuti!" Rossi held his arms open to welcome them into his home.
JJ hugged him and handed him a bottle of red wine and Morgan shook his hand. He had a selection of beers at the ready.
"Good to see you, Jennifer." Rossi smiled. "How are you doing?"
"I'm good! Enjoying spending time with Henry and Will."
"Glad to hear it." He smiled, releasing her from the hug.
He led them onto the garden patio where they found Hotch, Garcia and Prentiss having a drink. They stood to greet them.
Once they had all settled, Rossi sat down.
"Has anyone heard from the kid?"
"I asked if he wanted a lift but he said no. He did say he was coming though." JJ said.
"So, what's on the menu tonight, Dave?" Prentiss asked, not even attempting to hide her excitement.
They all laughed. Rossi raised his eyebrows to suggest something special was on its way.
"Are you putting on your chef's hat tonight?" Garcia asked, clapping her hands together with glee.
"As much as I love to dazzle you with my culinary skills, this is a night for relaxation and team bonding. So, no. My chef's hat will remain on the hook for tonight."
They all groaned with disappointment. "Do not despair!" He continued. "I do have a treat in store for you all."
They all looked at each other in anticipation.
"Now I know you're not going to sing." Garcia said with a grin.
"I love you all, but not that much." Rossi quipped back.
Laughter rang out across the garden as the team joked with each other. The mood was high.
They heard the sound of the doorbell.
Rossi took himself to the front door and opened it. He found a well dressed Reid stood on the other side of it complete with an expensive looking bottle of whiskey.
Rossi was a bit taken aback.
"Hey." Reid said slightly awkwardly. Rossi's reaction had him on the back foot. "Everything okay?"
Rossi smiled, shaking his head, feeling very stupid for not hiding his expressions better.
"Yeah, all is good, kiddo. You look great." He opened his arms to pull him into a hug.
"Thanks." Reid said shyly, his cheeks reddening a little. As always of late, Rossi's hug lingered just that bit longer than necessary.
Reid pulled back and passed Rossi the bottle of whiskey. He looked at it, whistling a little.
"You certainly know the good stuff." He said with a smile. "Come through, everyone is on the patio."
Rossi led Reid outside. He was suddenly slammed by a firm hug from Garcia. She had obviously had a few drinks already.
"Boy wonder!" She squeezed him tightly. Reid looked at Hotch, his eyes wide in amusement.
"Someone started early." He said in a high pitched voice as he felt Garcia squeezing the air out of him.
"Baby girl, let him breathe." Morgan said with a laugh.
She stepped back and looked at him through slightly fuzzy eyes.
"Wow, you look amazing!" She said, taking in his suit and the healthier look on his face.
She grabbed his face and kissed each cheek. "So pretty." She kissed him again. "So, so pretty."
Reid's cheeks flushed and he laughed, closing his eyes in embarrassment.
"Garcia, put him down." Hotch said with a smile, feeling awkward for him. He had to agree though, Reid looked great. It was so good to see.
Rossi took Reid by the shoulders and directed him over to the seat next to Hotch and away from Garcia
"Let's put you here for your own safety."
Hotch extended his hand out to Reid and he shook it.
"Good to see you." He said casually.
"Baby girl, you realise that if you keep carrying on like that I'm gonna get jealous."
"I have more than enough love to go around." She winked at him.
"No doubt about that." Prentiss quipped.
Suddenly Garcia was on her knee with her arms wrapped around her neck.
"I love you all soooo much." She kissed Prentiss on her forehead making her laugh.
"Seriously, how much has she had?" Morgan asked, laughing, looking to Rossi to place the blame.
He held up his hands in a display of 'not guilty'. He turned and went into the kitchen, then returned with a tray of champagne glasses. He placed the tray on the table in the centre and handed the glasses out to each of them.
"Well, now we are all here, I would like to propose a toast." He held up his glass, prompting the others to do the same. "To family."
They all repeated the words, taking a sip of their drinks. Reid paused for a brief moment, taking in those around him and smiled to himself.
"So, what's the big surprise, Rossi?" JJ asked in anticipation.
Reid furrowed his brows, having clearly missed something.
Rossi gave a small smile.
"You know my favourite restaurant, Carluccio's?"
They all mmm'ed and ahh'ed at the memory of the food from that restaurant.
"Well, I called in a favour and their chef has agreed to cook for us personally tonight."
"Wow." Prentiss gasped, if her mouth had been watering at the thought of Rossi's food then it was positively gushing now.
"Oh my god, that's amazing." JJ said, dreamily.
"Dave, you really didn't have to do this." Hotch said, concerned about the cost.
Rossi waved him off.
"I thought we all deserved it." The rest of the sentence went unsaid 'after everything we've been through recently'.
Hotch smiled.
"Well that's very kind of you."
Garcia had made her way back round to Reid again now and was sat right next to him enthusiastically gushing about the vegetarian gnocchi she'd ordered the last time she went to Carluccio's. He was listening intently and smiling from time to time as she got a little too carried away with herself. She was clearly over the moon to have the team all back together.
Morgan moved over to her side to take some of the heat off Reid, putting his arm around her to get her to sit back a little. She didn't seem to mind, she was perfectly happy to be sat between two of her favourite people.
JJ and Prentiss were deep in conversation laughing from time to time as JJ relayed stories from her week off so far with a high energy Henry.
Hotch stood and moved to Rossi's side, surveying the team and the relaxed atmosphere.
"Thanks for this, Dave. I think this is exactly what we all needed."
Rossi smiled back at him. His gaze eventually landing on Reid. He dipped his voice a little.
"He's looking better."
Hotch nodded, a relieved smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, he is."
Rossi slapped him on the shoulder and moved to refill the glasses around the table.
Reid's hand covered his glass to reject the top up.
"Oooh, come on Reid. Live a little!" Garcia whined at him, clearly wanting him to drink some more.
"Oh, leave him be Mama." Morgan laughed.
She pulled Reid's hand away from his glass and nodded to Rossi.
"Quick! Fill it up!"
Reid rolled his eyes at Rossi. He stood holding the bottle ready to pour, awaiting Reid's approval. An apologetic smile on his face.
"Okay.. one more. But that's it." He said firmly, looking at Garcia.
"You're a cheap date anyway, boy wonder, so it won't take much. I'll have you dancing on the table by the end of the night." She squeezed his cheek.
"Now that I would pay to see!" Prentiss called across to them.
"Do you have any idea how much this table cost?" Rossi responded, horrified.
"Don't worry, your table is safe." Reid said seriously.
"We'd all club together to buy you a new one if it meant we got to see that." Prentiss laughed, raising her glass.
"I'll drink to that." Morgan responded, leaning over to clink glasses with her.
Reid rolled his eyes, a smirk on his face. He picked up his glass, taking a small sip.
Hotch came and sat down next to him again and nudged him discreetly.
"If you need me to pour that away, just give me the nod." He said quietly, aware of how little Reid drinks.
Reid smiled at him gratefully but held on to his glass.
"Thanks, I'm good."
After dinner they were all sat contentedly on the sofas in the garden. There was a log fire burning in the centre, casting a warm glow on all of their faces.
"I don't think I've ever eaten so much in my life." Prentiss groaned, rubbing her stomach.
"Urgh, I know what you mean. I don't think I felt this big when I was pregnant." JJ moaned, her head tilted back into the sofa.
"Seriously, Rossi. That meal was incredible." Morgan complimented.
Reid and Hotch nodded in agreement.
"Everyone happy?" Rossi asked cheerfully.
A chorus of 'yes', 'absolutely' and 'god, yes' could be heard.
"I must say," Reid's words slurred a little, "that is the best meal I think I've ever had."
Garcia looked at him through dopey eyes and pointed.
"Doctor Reid, I do believe you may be drunk." She laughed, slurring even more.
Reid just smiled and rested his head back on the sofa in a stupor.
"How about a game of charades?!" Garcia shouted out loudly.
Everyone groaned.
"Awww come on!" She whined, trying to drag Morgan up onto his feet.
"Baby girl, at least let the food go down first." He groaned, pulling her down instead so she was sat on his knee.
Rossi was busy sorting after dinner drinks. He handed glasses of scotch out to the men and brandy for the ladies.
"Here's to a great evening and compliments to the chef." Hotch lifted his glass in a toast. They were all pretty buzzed by now.
They all clinked glasses again and went to drink. As soon as the glass reached Reid's mouth his hand froze up and the glass smashed to the floor.
They all jumped and looked at him in surprise.
"Reid?" Hotch asked quickly.
Reid was suddenly up and on his feet, running to the bathroom. He slammed the door behind him.
Prentiss was quickly to her feet and went to the bathroom door, listening in.
She came back outside to the group.
"He's being sick."
"Oh no." Garcia said sadly.
Rossi was picking up the shards of glass from the floor when he was suddenly hit with a memory.
"Shit." He exclaimed. "I didn't think." He looked to the others. "Whiskey." He said in explanation.
"I didn't either." Morgan said, kicking himself.
They had all been too caught up in the good time they were having to even consider it.
Prentiss knocked on the door.
"Reid? You okay?" She looked at the team when she received no response. It was quiet in the bathroom now.
Morgan then approached and knocked on the door.
"Reid? Can you let me in?"
He stood for a few moments listening. He then heard the door unlock and pushed it open, slipping into the bathroom and closing it behind him.
Prentiss moved back to the group. They were all quiet now.
"Let me help you." JJ said to Rossi, going to the kitchen to grab a brush to sweep up the smaller shards of glass.
"Maybe we should call it a night." Hotch said quietly.
"Oh." Garcia looked disappointed.
Morgan then emerged from the bathroom and came to sit down.
"He's okay. Just a little embarrassed." He said quietly. "Give him a minute and he will be out. No one make a big deal out of it."
They all nodded.
"Anyone want a top up?" Morgan asked, trying to keep the evening on track, clearly wanting to take the attention off Reid.
"Yes please." Garcia said enthusiastically. Her cheeks were flushed pink now.
Morgan laughed and poured her another brandy.
Rossi and JJ returned from the kitchen to find the spirit lifting again.
"Everything okay?" Rossi asked curiously.
"Yeah, man. All good." Morgan slapped him on the back in a reassuring manner.
Shrugging her shoulders, JJ went to sit back down and picked up her drink.
Unsure that this was the right thing to do, Hotch cautiously returned to his scotch, keeping an eye on the bathroom door.
"So... charades?" Garcia practically begged.
They all groaned again.
"Fine!" Prentiss said reluctantly. They all looked at her like she was crazy. "What? She's not going to stop 'til we say yes!" She laughed.
"See? This is why I love you Emily Prentiss. You're so perceptive." Garcia said with a grin.
Soon the laughter was back and Garcia was organising them into teams.
"What about men versus women?"
"That's not fair, there's more men than women!" JJ called out.
"We have to give them a shot at winning." Garcia smiled, winking at the ladies.
"Sounds like a fair deal to me. I don't lose." Prentiss said challengingly.
"Oh, that sounds like game on." Morgan said, looking to Hotch and Rossi who both laughed.
"Ladies first." Rossi said, gesturing to the space in front of them.
"Well I think Penelope should go first, seeing as she's so keen." JJ smiled, taking a sip of her drink.
"Okay, okay!" Garcia stood, thinking for a short while before starting to act out her selection of a book with six words.
The team all laughed as she began acting it out word by word.
JJ and Prentiss were guessing and managed to assemble the word "One".
Garcia moved onto the second word and started flapping her arms around.
"Flap!" Prentiss shouted.
"Bird!" JJ guessed.
Garcia shook her head in frustration, holding her arms out wider to mimic gliding.
"Glide!"
"Fly!"
Garcia snapped her fingers at JJ to tell her she was on the right track, rolling her fingers around to get her to pick a similar word.
In the background, Reid emerged from the bathroom, a sheepish look on his face. Grateful for the fact that all attention was on Garcia at that moment.
He snuck around her. If any of them noticed him, they did a great job of hiding it.
He sat down quietly between Morgan and Rossi. Morgan slinked an arm around his shoulders giving him a quick supportive squeeze before releasing him.
Reid was then looking to Rossi, whose eyes were firmly watching Garcia in confusion and amusement.
"I'm sorry about your glass." He said quietly. "I'll get you a new one."
Rossi shot him a look.
"I couldn't care less about the glass... You, that's a different matter."
"It was just the smell of the scotch." Reid looked down. "I didn't even think about it 'til it hit me." He said, his embarrassment was clear.
"Neither did I." Rossi said, putting his hand on his young colleague's knee. "You okay now?"
"Yeah, I'm good." He nodded.
"You wanna call it a night?" Morgan asked quietly.
Reid just shook his head.
"Want a drink?" Rossi asked, more out of politeness than anything, not expecting him to say yes.
"Please." Reid nodded, Morgan looked surprised. "Just, not scotch." He said with a humourless laugh.
"Brandy?" Rossi asked, reaching for another glass.
"Thanks." He smiled.
"One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest!" Prentiss shouted.
"Yes!" Garcia screamed, laughing.
"Hotch, you're up." Morgan said, teasingly.
He rolled his eyes and reluctantly stood up.
A few hours later they were all sat back relaxing in the sofas. Garcia was practically passed out, with her head resting on JJ's shoulder.
They talked quietly just enjoying the peace of the evening. They were all pretty drunk by now.
"You know, I've never been to Italy." Rossi said thoughtfully.
"I hear it's beautiful." Said Morgan, his words slurring somewhat.
"M'Mom h's 'ways wanted to go." Reid was severely slurring but still sipping brandy. He was going to have a rotten hangover in the morning.
"You should take her." Prentiss said.
Reid hummed, pulling a face.
"Think not."
"I have always wanted to visit Rome. Haley and I were going to do it for our tenth anniversary." They all looked at him sadly.
"Y'know where I've 'ways wanted t- go?" Garcia mumbled with her eyes closed.
They all looked at her.
"Where, Garcia?" Rossi asked with a smile.
She just mumbled some non-sensical half words and snuggled further into JJ's shoulder.
They all laughed.
"I think it might be time for bed." JJ said smiling. "I'll get Will to pick me up and he can give her a ride."
"Noooo." She whined. "No bed."
Rossi laughed.
"Well if anyone is stuck for a ride you're more than welcome to take a room here. I have enough of them." He shrugged. "I can make us some breakfast in the morning and drop you off after."
"You really are the host with the most, aren't you?" Prentiss grinned. "I'm up for that."
"Rossi's pancakes are amazing." Reid slurred, prodding a finger into the man's chest.
Rossi looked to Hotch, sharing a memory of cooking them for Reid all of those months ago.
"So does that mean you're staying for breakfast, Reid?" JJ teased.
"Don't think I can move." Reid said, closing his eyes and snuggling down into the sofa a little more.
They laughed.
"Someone's going to have a sore head tomorrow." Rossi said with a grimace.
"He's not the only one." Hotch said, looking to Garcia.
"Oh no, she's gone through training for this. She'll be up before any of us." Prentiss said knowingly.
Garcia's ability to drink large quantities of alcohol and not experience anything more than a slight headache was impressive.
"Okay, so are we actually doing a sleepover here?" Morgan said with a disbelieving grin. He looked around the group.
They all shrugged.
"I guess I'd better call Will." JJ said with a grin.
"I'd better call Jessica." Hotch added.
"I guess I should call my cat." Prentiss said dryly.
They all burst out laughing.
Come 3 a.m. Garcia and Reid were fast asleep. Garcia was spread out on a sofa and Reid was tucked up into the corner of another with his head resting on the arm rest.
JJ was trying her best to stay awake but a yawn finally broke her.
"I'm going to have to turn in." She said, stretching. "I'll be joining those two if I'm not careful."
"Hey, they look pretty happy." Morgan shrugged.
"Yeah, I think I'm with JJ on this one." Hotch said, stifling a yawn himself.
"Okay, let's call it a night. The fire's pretty much out anyway." Rossi said, looking to the faintly glowing embers.
A gentle moan suddenly came from Reid. They all turned to look at him as he shifted slightly, his brows furrowing.
They all sat staring in silence, waiting to see if he would make another movement, all hoping he wouldn't. Unfortunately, his hand tightened on his pants and he whimpered and gasped.
"Urgh." Morgan put his head in his hand. He didn't mean it offensively towards Reid, he had just been hopeful that his dreams had been subsiding.
"J-son, pl-se." Reid whispered, his voice was severely slurred and it was hard to make out the words. He was shaking his head.
JJ looked to him sadly.
"Should we wake him up?"
"I'll do it." Morgan said, moving in carefully. They watched him as he gingerly approached the younger agent. He put his hand on top of Reid's and squeezed gently.
"Reid?" He said, shaking his shoulder. "Reid, wake up."
"- off me." He mumbled, pushing his face into the arm rest and pushing out against Morgan.
"Come on, kid. Wake up." He shook him again.
"Stop it." Reid cried out, gasping as he did so.
"Morgan, wake him up." Hotch said firmly.
"I'm trying, man." He said, slightly irritated. "Reid!" He shook harder and Reid 's eyes opened suddenly. They were heavy and bloodshot, likely from the alcohol. He stared at Morgan, not really seeing him.
"Reid? You there?" Morgan waved his hand in front of his eyes.
"Morgan." Reid mumbled, closing his eyes.
"Come on, kid. Let's get you to bed."
He pulled him up to sitting. Reid swayed, his body seemed almost boneless. He really had drank too much.
"Jesus." Morgan sighed as Reid's head lolled forward and he groaned.
"I don't think I've ever even seen him tipsy before, never mind like that." Prentiss observed.
"Yeah, he's gonna feel it tomorrow." Morgan said with a wince.
"Need a hand?" Hotch asked, moving in to help.
"I think so." Morgan grabbed one of Reid's arms and wrapped it around his neck. "You get the other side." He instructed to Hotch.
He mirrored the movement and they pulled Reid to his feet, supporting his weight as his useless feet tried to find purchase with the ground.
"Wha- you doin'?" He mumbled.
"Getting you to bed, Reid." Hotch said firmly.
"Bed. No." He moaned and tried pulling back.
"Come on, Reid." Hotch reassured. They pretty much carried him inside and up the stairs.
They took him into the first spare bedroom they found and moved him towards the bed. As soon as Reid felt the bed underneath him he started fighting against them and trying to escape.
"No, no! Get off, get off!" They grabbed at him anyway they could knowing that his body wasn't even capable of carrying him at that moment. His fighting was weak and sloppy, despite how frantic he clearly was.
"Reid, it's Hotch and Morgan. You're safe." Morgan called out.
He turned to Hotch. "I shouldn't have let him drink so much." His voice was full of regret.
"He's a grown man, Derek. He seemed fine."
"Hotch, he's never 'fine'. He's just getting better at hiding it." Morgan said flatly.
They had managed to get Reid to remain sat on the end of the bed now. His head had rolled forward and his breathing was laboured. Mostly due to intoxication.
JJ was now stood at the door. "Is he okay?" She asked, causing the two men to turn.
"JJ?" Reid called out in a drunken stupor.
"Yeah, Reid. It's me." She said with a smile. Morgan nodded to her to approach.
"JJ - don't know what they're doing." His head still hung forward but he shook it from side to side. "Get them off, please." He tried shaking the hands free from his back and shoulders but they didn't move. "Please. " He begged again, this time looking at her through unfocused, watery eyes.
She moved in and knelt in front of him.
"Okay, Reid. They are just trying to help. You need to get some sleep." She put her hands on his shoulders.
He stared at her, she could almost see his world spinning as he did. She felt queasy for him. His body swayed in motion with the spinning in his head.
All of a sudden his hands were round her back and he pulled her into a tight hug.
"Help me, Jennifer."
She hugged him back tightly and he began to cry.
Morgan and Hotch now backed off.
"You okay, JJ?" Morgan asked, concern lacing his voice.
"Yeah." She answered, her voice full of emotion. Reid was gripping her as if she was the last safe place on earth.
He was sobbing now.
Morgan and Hotch exchanged a worried glance. This is not how they saw the evening ending.
"I hate myself." He cried out between sobs.
"Shushhh, don't say that." JJ comforted, rubbing his back.
"I do." Reid continued to sob. "I'm disgusting." He slurred. "Dirty and disgusting."
Morgan frowned.
"That's the alcohol talking." Hotch said reassuringly.
"In vino veritas, Hotch." Morgan said shaking his head.
JJ felt tears sliding down her face now. "No, Reid. No you are not. Stop saying that."
She released herself from the hug and took Reid's hands. "Reid, can you stand up for me?"
He nodded, sniffing as he did. She pulled him up unsteadily and he swayed right into her. She struggled to support his weight as his clumsy feet tried to find their place on the floor. Finally he steadied himself enough to not be knocking her over.
"Come on." She said gently, guiding him round the side of the bed and up towards the pillows. She made him sit down on the side of the bed and pushed him sideways until his head met the pillow. He didn't fight her at all.
Morgan and Hotch watched, making sure that JJ was okay. Reid clearly needed a calming female influence tonight. The two men had just been causing him stress.
Within seconds of his head hitting the pillow, Reid was asleep. JJ removed his shoes and lifted his lithe legs onto the bed, throwing a blanket over him.
She wiped any stray tears from her face then turned to the two men letting out an exasperated sigh.
"Good job, JJ." Morgan said quietly, patting her on the shoulder.
"I'm never letting him drink like that again." She said seriously.
"Huh, you and me both." Morgan shot back.
"Come on, let's get some rest." Hotch took one last look at Reid then made his way to one of the bedrooms.
"A round of aspirins for the table." Rossi said with a smile. Pushing glasses and tablets to the team.
As predicted, Garcia was one of the first to rise, but this time her headache had gotten the better of her. She was sat at the table with a hand strewn across her forehead.
The others all had minor headaches, aside from Reid, who hadn't been seen yet.
"How's the head, Penelope?" Prentiss asked, slightly louder than necessary with a grin on her face.
"Don't make me hurt you." She responded darkly.
Morgan grinned.
"Not as young as we once were, hey baby girl?"
She shot him a look that said, 'don't you dare'. He laughed, putting his hands up in innocence.
A groan suddenly came from the door. Reid was stood, his suit pants and shirt completely crumpled, his hair in disarray and his skin flushed and clammy. He rested against the door frame.
"Oh wow." Rossi said, his eyes widening in amusement.
"I didn't think we'd see you for a few hours yet." Hotch said, surprised.
"I couldn't sleep. Felt like I was on a boat." A wave of nausea ran up through his body and he paled.
Seeing this, Rossi moved over and guided him towards the table, sitting him down between JJ and Hotch.
"What on earth did I drink last night?" Reid said, putting his head in his hands.
"Brandy." JJ said with a grimace.
Reid looked at her, shocked.
"I don't even like brandy." He replied with furrowed brows.
"Could have fooled us last night, kid." Morgan said with a smile.
"Oh man, I'm so sorry. I remember dinner, then my memory starts to go fuzzy." He tilted his head as if it was going to help to stir up some memories. "Was I sick?" He said with a grimace.
They all exchanged glances aside from Garcia.
"A little bit." Prentiss said, holding up her thumb and index finger to gesture a small amount.
"Urgh, how embarrassing.' He looked to Rossi. "I'm really sorry. I'm never drinking again."
"Ah, that age old promise." Rossi smiled. "Get those down you." He passed the aspirin and a glass of water his way.
"Thanks." He took them gratefully. "How are you guys this morning?"
"We're okay. Feeling it a little bit, but Garcia is in sympathy with you I think." JJ put her arm around her friend's shoulders.
Reid leaned forward, looking through his messy hair to see Garcia in much a similar state as himself.
She reached out her hand to him in solidarity.
"The brandy got me too." She said in a broken voice.
"Oh no." Reid grabbed her hand in a show of support.
The table laughed at them.
"You guys got your go-bags?" Rossi asked. They all nodded. "Feel free to have showers and then I'll make us some breakfast."
Prentiss clapped her hands together in delight.
"Can't wait for these famous pancakes. They've been on my mind since about 5 a.m."
Hotch, JJ and Prentiss stood and left the room to get ready. Morgan finished up his coffee and then stood to go.
"Um, Morgan." Reid said quietly, gesturing him over. Garcia was oblivious, but as usual Rossi's ears had tuned in to listen.
Morgan approached and Reid leaned towards him.
"Did I do anything stupid last night? Like... well, was I 'okay'?"
Morgan hesitated a moment, thinking back to the ordeal of getting him to bed and the numerous rounds of screaming that had taken place, waking up some members of the household throughout the night.
"Yeah, kid. You were absolutely fine. All good." He patted him on the shoulder. They had all agreed that if he didn't remember it, it was best not to trouble him with it.
Reid smiled a little in relief.
"Thank god. I felt like I'd made a fool out of myself." He breathed out quietly.
"Why?" Morgan said quietly.
"Just a feeling. Like something bad happened." Reid appeared deep in thought.
"Well it was all good, kid... I'm gonna go get my shower now. I'll see you down here in a bit."
Reid gave a sigh of relief and gratefully took the coffee Rossi was suddenly passing his way. His oldest colleague put a hand to his shoulder, unable to resist after overhearing the conversation. He knew it was a little patronising, but he felt so sorry for the kid at times.
"That's so good." Reid smiled after taking a sip.
"Well there's more where that came from." Rossi said with a smile.
Reid had been back at work for two weeks now and on the face of it, things seemed to be going smoothly.
As Rossi had hoped, the team bonding session had completely broken the ice and the atmosphere amongst them all was much more relaxed. Almost like it had been before.
They were seeing a lot more of the old Reid. Compared to pre-Jason, he was quieter, more insular and generally less likely to initiate a conversation. But he was readily engaging in group discussions, providing interesting insights for their cases and generally doing his job to the same quality he ever had done.
If it wasn't for the occasional flashback or panic attack, the team would think things were normal.
Hotch heard a knock at his door and looked up to find Reid standing in the doorway, his usual tight lipped smile on his face conveying apologies for disturbing him.
"Reid, come in." He gestured to the chair opposite.
This was his weekly check in. He was more than aware of how much Reid hated these. Mostly because he had made no bones about telling him during the first one. Reid felt it was 'invasive', 'mistrusting' and a 'supererogatory exercise of bureaucratic red tape'.
Hotch had smiled a little at that one. If anything described half the things the Bureau did, then that was it.
He, however, on this occasion did not agree. He was glad to have these check ins. He was more than aware of how easy it was for him to overlook issues within the team due to the hectic nature of his job. After Tobias Hankel and the lack of support he was able to provide to his subordinate, he was glad to have Bureau mandated time to ensure that Reid was okay.
Reid moved begrudgingly towards the chair and sat down. His hands fidgeted under the table.
"So..." Hotch started, as something of an opener to allow Reid to start the session as he wished. It didn't work.
"So..." Reid parroted back to him, looking around the room as if he'd rather be anywhere else other than in that seat.
"How are you doing?" Hotch asked directly.
"I'm fine." He said with a small smile.
"Reid." Hotch said warningly. They had discussed the use of this particular phrase and Hotch's insistence that for these sessions his usual 'I'm fine' response wasn't going to cut it. The kid could be dragging his severed leg behind him and still be 'fine'.
"Uh, sorry. I'm doing... okay." He said carefully, knowing that was no more informative.
Hotch let it slide.
"How have you been finding work this week?"
"Good." Reid genuinely smiled now. He was enjoying his work. It made him feel like himself again.
"That's good." Hotch smiled back. "You're doing good work, Reid. Some of your insights have been incredibly helpful."
"Thank you, Sir."
"How are the flashbacks and-"
Reid's phone rang.
"Sorry!" He shot his boss a guilty look.
His brows furrowed as he looked at the screen.
"Sorry, I have to take this."
Hotch nodded. "I'll wait."
Reid moved to the corner of the room and put his hand over his ear to counter any external disturbances.
"Hello? Dr. Reid."
Hotch tried not to eavesdrop and turned his attention to the paperwork on his desk.
"Oh hi... Yes, I'm okay to talk."
Reid seemed to be listening intently to the person on the other end of the phone.
"Oh, she is?"
Hotch determined this call was regarding Diana. He hoped for Reid's sake that everything was okay.
"How long has she been like this for?" Hotch internally winced a little. That was not hopeful.
"Okay. What do you need me to do?" His voice sounded flustered, a little irritated. "I'm not sure I can do that, Doctor."
He listened again, nodding impatiently.
"Can you not just adjust her medication?" He listened again then his eyes lifted to the ceiling and he huffed out a breath. "Right." He was clearly not happy.
"Okay. I'll see what I can do... Yes... I will see what I can do." He reemphasised quite forcefully.
"Okay, bye."
He stood for a moment just staring at the phone. Then he ran a stressed hand through his hair and turned to Hotch.
"That was Bennington." He moved back to the desk and sat down. "My Mom is having a bad episode. She thinks my letters aren't real and I'm in some sort of danger." He rolled his eyes like it was common place.
"If you need time to go and see her, it's all yours." Hotch said reassuringly.
Reid just hummed in response.
Sensing his reluctance, Hotch rested his forearms on the desk and leaned towards his colleague.
'But you're not sure you want to." He said simply.
Reid huffed out another breath.
"I've just been here so many times before. It's exhausting. And honestly, I'm not sure I have it in me at the moment to even deal with this." His eyes drifted guiltily to the desk in front of him.
Hotch looked thoughtful for a few moments.
"Would some moral support help?"
Reid quirked an eyebrow at him.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I'm just thinking, I'm sure Morgan could find a way of entertaining himself in Vegas for an evening." He said with a small, knowing smile.
Reid automatically shook his head, but there was something in him that quite liked the idea. Moral support would certainly be helpful. And if he was being honest with himself, having Morgan around was becoming something of a comfort blanket to him. It wasn't a healthy trauma response, but it was the only safe one he had.
"I couldn't ask that of him." Reid said, self-consciously.
"You wouldn't be asking, I would." Hotch responded firmly.
"I'm sure he's sick of babysitting me by now." Reid shook his head.
"Reid. Tell me a time when Morgan has ever turned down a trip to Vegas."
He smiled a feelingless smile.
"Okay, but if he doesn't want to, it's okay. Don't force him."
Hotch just smiled.
Does Reid not know Morgan at all?
Morgan rolled his eyes.
"Las Vegas is actually Spanish for 'the meadows'. Rafael Rivera named it back in 1829. The Antonio Armijo trading party stopped for water there on the Old Spanish Trail. The area contained many artesian wells-"
"Okay, kid. You're kinda taking the fun out of this being Vegas."
"Actually, Las Vegas has not always been 'fun'. It wasn't until 1931 after a gambling ban established in 1906 was lifted in Nevada that the construction of casinos began. Even then they were frequented largely by criminals-"
"Reid! Man, take a breath. You've been putting off getting out of this car for ten minutes now."
Reid opened his mouth to speak again, then snapped it shut, looking down to his hands.
"Sorry." He said sheepishly. "I guess I'm just nervous."
Morgan put his hand to his shoulder. Reid once again looked like he hadn't been sleeping well. It was sad to see after how much his appearance had improved over past week and a half.
"Come on. Let's go see your Mom."
"You don't have to come in, you know. She can be... difficult" Reid spoke, his expression showed a hint of embarrassment.
"Reid, I've met your Mom before."
"Yeah, but not during an episode. It can be disturbing." He warned.
"We deal with serial killers on a daily basis and you think your Mom is gonna disturb me?... That's cute, kid." He grinned. "Come on." He opened the door to the car and Reid followed suit.
As they entered they were greeted by Doctor Norman, Diana's long-term doctor.
"Dr. Reid. Good to see you." He didn't extend his hand, he knew better than to ask for a handshake.
Reid waved.
"Dr. Norman. This is my colleague, Derek Morgan."
"Good to meet you." Derek smiled and shook hands.
"I'm sorry to call you out here, Dr. Reid."
"What has been going on?"
"Your mother has been experiencing intense paranoia for the last two weeks. Particularly in relation to you. She is convinced that the letters you have been sending to her are not real and that you are in some sort of trouble. Oddly it only relates to letters she has received from you over the last three months. I know there was a period where the letters stopped." Reid shifted awkwardly. "Since your communications restarted she has been convinced that they are 'not real'."
Reid's brows furrowed.
'Have you tried showing her the old letters and comparing the handwriting? She is quite the graphologist."
"Yes, it was one of the first things we did. It had no effect. She just kept saying 'it's fake, it's not real'."
"And her meds?"
"We have upped her meds as we normally would during an episode and it's helping to keep her calm but it does not seem to be helping the delusion. Hence why we asked you here. I'm hoping seeing you in the flesh will provide some reassurance."
Reid nodded in understanding.
"Okay, I'll see what I can do."
The doctor gestured for them to follow him. Diana was sat in her usual chair, book in hand, reading. This was not what Morgan was expecting when the words 'delusional' and 'episode' were mentioned. He felt stupid for making such a stereotypical assumption but he did think that it would be a little more dramatic. He was pleased for Reid that it wasn't.
Morgan stood at the entrance to the room and allowed Reid to enter and speak under the illusion of privacy with his Mom. He could also feel the presence of a nurse who was obviously keeping an eye out from afar.
Reid approached gingerly. Morgan could see the nervousness in his face as he stood at her side. No son should have to feel like that around their Mother. It made him sad.
"Mom?" He said quietly.
Diana's head perked up and she looked at him. Little recognition was there.
"It's me... Spencer." He waved, going to sit down opposite her.
She regarded him for a few moments longer, seemingly trying to decide if she trusted the person in front of her. Then suddenly her eyes opened wide and she gasped.
"Spencer!"
"Hi Mom." He said gently.
"Oh, Spencer! You look awful. I told them...I knew!"
Reid gave a tight lipped smile and shot a look to Morgan.
"Gee, thanks Mom."
Diana's gaze suddenly shot over her shoulder and met with Derek.
"Who's that?" She said defensively. "He's not a government official? Spencer, what have I told you about the government?!" She asked aggressively, eyeing him suspiciously.
"No, Mom. He's my friend, Derek Morgan."
Derek moved into the room to shake her hand.
"Pleasure to see you again, ma'am." He smiled.
She ignored his gesture and turned back to Reid.
"You've mentioned him in your letters." Reid looked a little embarrassed as he smiled at Morgan. Diana's gaze shot back to Derek. "My son sees you as an older brother, a protector. You understand the importance of that role, don't you?"
"Mom!" Reid chided, shaking his head at Morgan as if to say 'you don't have to answer that.'
Morgan appeared quite comfortable with it.
"I see him as my little brother. He's my best friend ma'am. I'll always have his back." Reid's gaze dropped as the words warmed his heart a little.
"And you will always protect him?" She regarded him with a serious expression. "Because he's had friends before and they have hurt him. They've hurt him and I don't want to hear that you're another one who has hurt him and broken my son's heart."
Reid dropped his head into his hands, just wishing at this point the ground would swallow him up.
"Oh, Mom." He cringed.
"What, Spencer? Can't a mother make sure that her only child is being well taken care of?"
"Ma'am, I would protect Spencer with my life. You have my word on that."
She stared him deep in his eyes, as if searching for something. Then she nodded.
"I believe you. He speaks very highly of you in his letters. My son is lucky to have you."
"I'll keep reminding him of that." Morgan grinned but his joke didn't land with Diana. Her attention had now suddenly shot back to Reid.
"You're not well." She said, lifting a hand to his chin to examine his face, the other came to cup her own chin thoughtfully. "A mother knows."
"Mom, I am fine." He said reassuringly. "I'm more concerned about you right now, what's all this they have been telling me about my letters? You think they're fake?"
"Yes?" She answered as if it was obvious.
"But I'm here and I can tell you, I did write those letters, Mom."
"I never said you didn't. They don't listen, Spencer. They never listen!" She was getting agitated now.
"Okay, Mom, it's okay." He reached out his hand to her to calm her. "I don't think I understand." His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.
"Everything you are writing to me is fake, Spencer. You think I don't know when my baby is telling me the truth? Those letters have no feeling, no truth. You don't study literature for as long as I have and not spot when someone isn't being genuine in their writing."
Reid's lips tightened a little. He was starting to understand the problem.
"Mom, there is nothing in those letters that isn't true." He tried weakly.
"Don't lie to me, Spencer!" She snapped angrily. "You were writing me beautiful, passionate letters. Then you stopped. Then when they started coming through again they were different. There was no soul, no life. You are lying to me and I knew something bad had happened to my baby. A Mother knows." She said again with extra emphasis.
Reid closed his eyes for a few moments, unable to handle where this conversation was heading.
Diana examined him hard, almost staring right into his soul. When he opened his eyes, she saw a pain in him that she had never seen before and she gasped.
"It was that Jason, wasn't it." It wasn't a question. "He hurt you. I can see it in your eyes. He hurt you badly."
"Mom, please don't." Reid said quietly.
"You wrote to me and you told me all about him. How close you were, how he was being a good friend to you and how much you liked him. Then the letters stopped. You've not mentioned him since. What did he do to my baby?"
Reid's heart was dangerously fluttering in his chest and feelings of light-headedness were starting to take over.
Diana spotted him suddenly go pale.
"He hurt you in the worst possible way, didn't he?" She turned to Morgan. "Why didn't you protect him? My baby's eyes are dead." She said viciously.
Taken aback, Morgan didn't know what to say, his focus was too much on Reid at that moment to come back with any form of response.
He moved to put his hand on Reid's shivering shoulder.
"Don't you touch him!" Diana spat. "You are a liar. You said you would protect him and look at him!" She turned his face to Morgan by the chin, her grip was now too firm and Reid pulled his hand up to loosen it a little. "All his life ' friends' have hurt him. Even as a little boy he never had any. They would only be cruel to him! You will do the same, you will hurt him and I'll be left picking up the pieces."
At this Reid laughed, wrenching his chin free from her grasp.
" You'll be picking up the pieces?" His chest was rising and falling very quickly now, he was not too far from a panic attack. "Tell me, Mom. Since I was ten years old, since Dad left. When have you ever picked up the pieces?"
"Come on, Reid." Morgan squeezed his shoulder trying to get him to move away from a subject he was worried he might regret.
Diana responded in kind to her son's anger, furrowing her brow and baring her teeth. She began wringing her hands.
"Most of the time you didn't even know there were pieces of me being broken in the first place. And if you did, ten minutes later you wouldn't remember because you were always having an episode, or the meds were knocking you out. I couldn't even tell you what was happening because there was a house that needed running; food that needed cooking; money that needed earning; social workers that needed to be impressed just so they wouldn't take me away from you. And none of it was coming from you! Don't you dare tell Derek, who has been there for me unconditionally, that he will hurt me, just because you couldn't help doing it yourself!"
The slap rang out hard across the room.
Morgan stood in shock, completely frozen. Diana's hands went straight to her mouth.
"Oh gosh, Spencer, I am so sorry."
Reid whose face had been knocked sideways by the force of it simply turned back and looked at her. Tears were glistening in his eyes.
"For this time or all the others too?"
She shook her head in denial.
"No! No, Spencer. Don't you lie to me. I have never, I would never!"
Reid dropped his gaze and she stood, moving forward to grab the front of his shirt. Reid just closed his eyes, not looking at her.
"Don't you lie, Spencer!" Her grip tightened attempting to pull him up by it. Reid awkwardly half stood with her.
A nurse was moving in now to separate her from him.
Morgan was still stood unable to move. Despite his initial confidence that Diana Reid would not disturb him, he was finding himself deeply disturbed and didn't know how to handle it. It wasn't the worst behaviour he had seen, by a long way. But it was the fact that this was his best friend's Mom. His Mom. Mom's are meant to be protectors, to keep their children under a wing of love and care. Despite her arguments to the contrary, it was clear that Reid had been alone for many years. But however he felt, stepping in between Mother and Son was not something he felt remotely comfortable doing.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" He reluctantly did. "I keep you safe, I have always kept you safe! Trust no one, Spencer. That was our motto! You have to trust no one, people will hurt you and look at you now! You're hurting! You have to listen to your Mother!" She said, shaking him as she spoke.
"Diana! Let go now." A female nurse grabbed her wrists to get her to loosen her grip on her son's shirt.
She released her hands, shoving Reid back into his chair as she did, and allowed herself to be guided back. The second she did, Reid stood and moved around her, keeping his gaze low and straightening his shirt.
Hearing raised voices, Dr. Norman was now also in the room.
"Is everything okay?" Noticing the redness on his cheek, he put his hand to Reid's upper arm. "She hit you?" He sighed, as if he had seen this all before.
Reid sniffed and nodded, clearly tired of the whole thing.
Dr. Norman now started moving towards Diana.
Morgan was completely overwhelmed by all of the activity in the room. It was chaotic. Diana was fighting against two nurses now, refusing to sit back down in her chair. She was wailing and shouting over and over to Reid who by now wasn't even engaging with her.
He moved and stood next to Reid to show his support but couldn't take his eyes off Diana.
Dr. Norman was moving in with a sedative. Diana had now started hitting herself in the face in apparent frustration and guilt.
"Diana, I'm going to give you a sedative. You need to calm down." He injected it into her arm, despite her protests and soon she was in an almost comatose state in the chair.
Once she was calmed, Dr. Norman once again moved towards Reid, who was stood staring out of the window with his back to his mother.
"She may be having an episode but she's not delusional." Reid said simply, both Morgan and Dr. Norman looked at him. "She was right. Something bad did happen and I was making things up in those letters to make out that things were normal." His voice was flat and emotionless.
Dr. Norman tightened his lips and nodded. "A Mother knows." He said, thoughtfully.
Reid looked at him, his gaze hardening.
"She knows nothing."
He turned and left the room without so much as a glance back at his Mom.
Morgan automatically followed him, as soon as they were alone in the corridor he grabbed Reid's arm.
"Reid, slow down." He huffed and stopped, turning to Morgan. "Does that happen a lot?"
"What? The paranoia? She's a paranoid schizophrenic."
"Reid, you know what I mean."
"She's not violent, Morgan." He avoided eye contact. "She just gets frustrated when she feels she's not being listened to and doesn't know how else to express herself."
Morgan looked at him sadly.
"But still Reid, that was violence towards you."
"It was my fault. I shouldn't have pushed her like that." He shook his head. "She has never been violent towards anyone here. Paranoid Schizophrenia is not a violent condition."
"How many times has it happened?"
Reid waved off his concern.
"A few. It's nothing. She doesn't know what she's doing."
He turned and started down the hall but Morgan stopped him again with a firm hand to his forearm.
"Did she do that when you were a kid?"
Reid sighed.
"On occasion." He said dismissively.
In reality, Diana's episodes throughout his teens could become particularly scary. It was one of the main reasons why she was committed as soon as he turned 18. She never meant to hurt him and in reality she rarely did hurt him much. It would be the odd slap here and there, a frustrated shove or a slightly too tight grip around the wrist or collar. But during his teen years she became obsessed with knives and was convinced every knife in the house had been planted there to kill her. This naturally led to Reid hiding the knives to keep them out of her reach, but this only served to exacerbate the problem. When they were found it further cemented the delusion that they were being hidden for nefarious reasons. He'd spent many a night during his teen years trying to talk a frantic, knife waving Diana down from a frenzy or just hiding himself in a bathroom or bedroom until the episode passed.
She had managed to nick him three times with a knife during that period. Only one required stitches. He never had the heart to tell her she had done it when the episode was over. It was yet another of Reid's carefully shielded life secrets.
Morgan was looking at him with a strange mix of sympathy, sadness and curiosity. Reid felt like his whole life was suddenly laid bare to be profiled and picked to pieces. He wished he'd never brought him. He'd maintained that his Mom was not a violent character, as she wasn't. She just got frustrated like anyone else but unlike other people she didn't have a healthy outlet for her anger. That didn't make her 'violent' or 'abusive'. Although, he knew enough as a child that if social services ever learned of it, he would be taken away from her and that would be the end if it.
Morgan moved his hand to Reid's shoulder.
Suddenly so much about the kid made sense. His ability to feel guilt at the slightest perceived transgression, his need to be perfect at all times, his inability to let anyone in or to trust anyone. It had been bred into him a long time ago and was a well rehearsed routine from being a young child. Everything he presented to the world was a fake image. For teachers, social workers, neighbours, no doubt everyone around him. Because if there was any chink in that perfect image, then his whole world could come crashing down around him. His Mom was clearly his world. The only safety net he'd had in life. And Morgan was just learning that wasn't a very safe net at all.
Morgan suddenly realised with gut punching clarity why Reid had been so attached to him since Jason. This was probably the first time he had ever allowed himself to open up to someone who had been physically and mentally able to support him and provide kindness and comfort. He clearly craved it and no wonder he was lapping it up, especially after all the bullying he had suffered in his life. He'd never had that by the sounds of it, particularly after his useless father had left; Despite Reid's ability over the years to make the team believe that his Mother had been a very supportive influence in his life. It was easy to believe, because Reid so readily believed it. It was only after seeing one of her episodes it became clear how much of that was a fiction of his mind.
Reid was looking at him guardedly. More than aware that Morgan was making connections and his 'dirty laundry' was on display.
"I should never have brought you here." Reid shook his head and looked back to the room where his Mother was, his face flooded with regret. "Excuse me."
He headed back to the room and Morgan watched from afar as he sat down opposite his Mom again. He was speaking softly to her and took her hand. She appeared to be mumbling something and he tipped his head forward in order to hear it. The next second he reached his arms around her and gave her a tight hug. She didn't reciprocate, likely because of the sedative in her system. The sight was a sad one, especially knowing what Reid had been through recently. The one sided hug just summed up his support system. Whatever he needed, he had to create it, it was not openly on offer. Diana was not in a position to do that, at least not consistently or predictably. Even after all Reid had been through, he still put his Mom first and couldn't leave knowing that she was upset.
Dr. Norman suddenly appeared beside Morgan.
"Is everything okay?" He asked.
"Um, yeah. I think so." Morgan said, not entirely convinced.
"I know it's hard to understand." Dr. Norman smiled a little, sensing Morgan's misgivings. "Schizophrenia is a complicated thing. She is very lucky to have him."
Morgan scoffed, unable to help his protectiveness kicking in despite the severity of her mental illness.
"Yeah, she is." He said sardonically.
"He's a good kid. He cares deeply for her. And she loves him very much."
"Is that when she's not hitting him?"
Dr. Norman swallowed, feeling Morgan's anger.
"It's not something that happens a lot. Her condition isn't a violent one." He said reassuringly.
"How many times is too many, huh? Once? Twice? Ten times? Twenty?"
"I know this is difficult to understand-"
"Oh I understand it just fine, Doctor. Her beloved son has been through hell recently. And when I say hell, I mean it. You wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy. And what I understand is that you call him, with no regard for his mental health and pressure him into coming here when he really isn't well himself. And after all of the horrific things that have been done to him, you, with your 'the patient comes first' attitude allow him to be hit by the one person he really needs the comfort from. And when it happens, no one bats an eye. But that's fine because once she's sedated she's okay, right? To hell with how he feels. Which tells me it's happened more than just once or twice."
Dr. Norman was completely silenced. He stood for a few moments taking in everything Morgan had just said.
"I had no idea he was struggling." Dr. Norman said regretfully. "Had I known I never would have asked him to come."
"Well why would you know? Do you ever think to ask?"
Dr. Norman just shook his head.
"Honestly, no. Diana speaks so highly of him, he always sounds like he's doing really well."
"Yeah, well, if today's told us anything, it's that she barely knows her son. He protects her from everything." Morgan bit back.
"Everything okay?" Reid was now walking over to the pair, a look of curiosity on his face.
"Yeah, all good kid. You ready to go?"
He looked back to his Mom and turned to Dr. Norman.
"We're okay now. She's a lot more settled. Hopefully you won't be having the problem with the letters now. I've told her I'm not going to write for a while until I can be truthful. But I will still send her one from time to time as I know she likes them." He said with a small smile, looking back over at her again. He then turned to Dr. Norman, his eyes guilty and upset. "I'm sorry for upsetting her. If she remembers please tell her I didn't mean what I said. I have told her, but I'm not sure with the sedative that she will remember what I said just now."
"Dr. Reid, you have nothing to apologise for." Dr. Norman said firmly. "Your Mother has no right to hit you, under any circumstances and we should have put a stop to it. So I'm sorry." He nodded.
Reid's eyes widened slightly, taken aback.
"It's not your fault and it's not hers. I pushed her."
"No, Dr. Reid. There's no excuse and I will be working with her to find a better way for her to deal with her frustrations when they reach that point, instead of just letting it happen and then sedating her. I'm sorry for allowing it to happen for this long."
Morgan nodded, proud that his words has hit home.
Reid blinked a little, tears sparkled in his eyes.
"You think it will help?"
"I can only try." He smiled, putting a hand to his shoulder. "Either way, it won't be allowed to happen again and it certainly won't be swept under the rug in future. It's an issue that should have been addressed a long time ago."
Reid glanced at Morgan sheepishly, he obviously now knew that it was a bigger issue that he had initially let on. He extended his hand out to the Doctor for a rare hand shake.
"Thank you, Doctor." There was a genuine gratefulness in his words.
Dr. Norman was taken aback and wholeheartedly returned the gesture.
"Take care of yourself, Dr. Reid." He nodded to Morgan giving him a knowing look. "Mr. Morgan."
Morgan nodded back, conveying a meaningful 'thank you'.
"Come on, kid. Let's get something to eat." He put his arm around his neck and playfully messed up his hair. Reid smiled and shoved him away.