Everybody Loves the Underdog

[Evergreen]

((so, i have been watching Criminal Minds like nobody's business, and might i just say that i LOVE LOVE LOVE reid. he's so cute. now, let me say that i've only gotten through season 2, so this is set in season 2 when gideon is around. i know he's not around anymore. also, i like to fancy a relationship between reid and JJ developing. they're not yet a couple in this fic, but they might become one. who knows?

OH! and by the way, the title comes from a brett dennen song that is fantastic. it's called Everybody Loves a Comeback (That's My Dog). you should check it out.))

Everybody Loves the Underdog

There was never a dull moment at the BAU, never a moment to rest, never a moment to spare. It was something each of the team members both loved and hated. While the constant threat of being called into work screwed with personal relations, it also served as a reminder that the BAU was always needed somewhere. It might have been a depressing realization at first, but it was also an empowering one. There would never be a day in which they become obsolete.

Spencer Reid generally enjoyed this feeling of being needed. He had always been an awkward kid, who despite his impressive knowledge had always been overlooked. It wasn’t until college anyone realized that the kid in their class who had a freaky kind of memory would be good to have around during studying, but even then he didn’t feel a sense of community. He was fully aware that as soon as the test was over, he would go back to having no plans until the next test rolled around. It wasn’t until he started working at the BAU that he felt a part of a team. While his coworkers certainly poked fun at his almost compulsive need to spout out facts, they accepted him as he was and loved him for it. They needed him for their dynamic to work. He felt at home here.

All those things added up to him being content in his job, but he did experience a troubling dilemma that made him feel inadequate. He consistently felt like the underdog. While his intelligence should have put him at a higher playing field, his history with drug addiction and failing to defend himself properly made him feel like a burden at times. He knew the team needed him, but he hated that they always needed to know where he was. He felt he had something to prove and thus he tried to act strong.

“Don’t let them see you down” and “keep your cool” were mottos he now tried to live by, but when he woke up one night in early December and felt a distinct pressure in his sinus cavities he knew he was in trouble.

His cell phone had awoken him from his sleep and he clumsily grabbed for his phone, answering with a husky voice. “Reid here.”

“Woah, Reid. You swallow a frog or something?” Morgan teased with a laugh, sounding very much so awake, probably because Morgan was spending his Friday night (and now morning) socializing with beautiful women.

“No. Just woke up,” Reid mumbled as an explanation, self consciously grabbing for a water bottle to try to normalize his voice.

“You were asleep? It’s not even midnight. You okay, kid?”

“Yes, Morgan. I’m fine,” he answered, keeping the frustration in his voice to a minimum. “What’s going on?”

“Stealing, murder, crime in general,” Morgan quipped.

“And what theft, murder or crime in general are we investigating?” Reid returned patiently.

“Some religious whack is crucifying people in Seattle. The plane leaves in an hour. Don’t be late, sunshine,” he teased as he hung up without waiting for a reply.

This was one of those times Reid hated the lack of structure in his job hours. He knew he could request the case off, but none of the other team members had been sick in a while and even when they were, they generally came in. He would not be the weakling.

With that in mind, he dressed tiredly, annoyed as his throat tickled incessantly, causing him to cough regularly as he ran a comb through his hair and analyzed his appearance. Thankfully, he just looked tired, which could easily be explained by the fact that he was asleep. Once he was sure he didn’t look too out of the ordinary, he grabbed his bag and headed to catch the flight.

It wasn’t until the drive over that he truly began realizing the severity of his symptoms. His throat was on fire, his face felt like it had been filled with concrete and his body ached. He knew this was more than a cold, but as he briskly approached the loading area, he hoped his denial would suppress his symptoms around the team and let him do his job.

“Morning, Reid,” a clearly sleepy Emily Prentiss murmured as he entered the plane. It made him feel a bit better about his lack of plans on the weekend, and he nodded his hello to both Prentiss and a stone-faced Aaron Hotchner whom Reid was sure felt guilty about leaving his family again.

Immediately Reid went to an armchair behind JJ, although he regretted that decision as soon as Morgan flopped into the seat across the aisle from him.

“So, Reid, you didn’t have any fun plans on a Friday night? But you’re so young!”

Knowing it was all in good humor, he smiled slightly. “I actually find sleeping to be quite nice. If only I hadn’t been interrupted.”

“Don’t be like that. If anything, I should be heart broken about being interrupted. I was talking to two beautiful women who just so happened to be best friends. They do everything together.” He lifted his eyebrows suggestively.

Reid smiled and let a small laugh escape, which he regretted as it sparked a strong itch in his throat. He felt a twinge of panic as he noticed Morgan was waiting for him to reply. “Too bad,” he sympathized shortly, trying to clear his throat discretely.

He probably would have gotten away with his throat clearing had Jason Gideon not entered a moment before. Gideon was incredibly perceptive when he wanted to be and incredibly oblivious sometimes, too, but this was an unfortunate time where he could sense something was off immediately.

“You sick, Reid?” Gideon demanded bluntly.

“No, sir,” he replied, grateful as his throat relaxed. Unfortunately it only seemed to relax because a more pressing symptom was taking over: the urge to sneeze. Reid turned to look out the window, able to feel Gideon studying him as he tried to nonchalantly rub at his nose. “So can someone brief me on the case?” he breathed out as his breath hitched almost imperceptibly.

Thankfully Hotch started rattling off the facts and Gideon turned to look at him, allowing Reid to silently stifle two sneezes against the back of his hand before tuning into the briefing.

The briefing only took a few minutes and Reid felt a wave of relief as Morgan wandered to sit next to Prentiss and talk to her and as Gideon went to talk to Hotch. He felt so relaxed that when the urge to sneeze came again, he wasn’t as worried about stifling the sneezes. For that reason, he only halfway stifled, three “hih’ngxt’shuh” sneezes escaping.

Checking to make sure he hadn’t gotten the attention of Hotch, Morgan, Prentiss or Gideon, he felt a pit form in his stomach when he noticed that JJ was not with them and recalled her being in the seat directly in front of him.

Sure enough, she turned around looking concerned. “Bless you, Spence,” she said simply, her gaze causing him to squirm a little.

“Thaihhhhh’ngkt,” he broke off with a sneeze he barely managed to contain. Feeling his cheeks redden, he didn’t finish thanking her.

“You ok?” she asked quietly, seeming to be sensitive to him not wanting anyone to know, especially not Gideon.

He nodded, not trusting himself to keep another sneeze contained. He damned his nose at that moment, knowing it would probably keep on itching until he freely sneezed, but that wasn’t going to happen.

“You don’t look okay and you never sneeze.” Her voice was concerned, and she stood up suddenly, moving to sit directly next to him.

“‘M fine,” he said in a rushed voice, rubbing at his nose angrily.

“If you say so,” she replied, still watching him as he swiveled away from her to muffle an irritated ”huh’esch’uh” into his sleeve.

Thankfully the urge was gone and he relaxed into the chair, glancing at her.

“Bless you,” she said again but didn’t press the issue.

“Thanks,” he replied, feeling truly grateful as she chose not to challenge him.

“Take the couch. I’ll wake you up when we get there,” she said after a few seconds of silence. She patted his knee before standing up and walking to the front of the plane to collaborate with the rest of the team. He felt even more gratitude to JJ as he heard her state in a voice louder than necessary, “Yeah, I told Reid to take a nap. He looks like a zombie. Heaven forbid he doesn’t get his eight hours.”

As the rest of the team laughed, he felt he had been given permission to indulge his ill feelings and he ventured to the couch, feeling feverish as he curled up on it. Yawning, he submitted to his body’s desire to rest and didn’t awake until they were approaching Seattle.

TBC

Edited June 13, 2011 by kristen

[Anonymouse]

I've been getting more and more into this show. Actually just finished watching the marathon that was on today.

Poor feverish little bunny rabbit. I absolutely love Reid. Hotch and Morgan are fairly attractive but Reid is my absolute favorite, he's so precious. I can't wait for more.

[SweaterWeather]

Awww! *whimper* Poor Reid, it's always him to get sick haha I should really start watching CM again, this fic is my motivation lol looking forward to the next part!

[SneezeyLove]

Aww, poor Reid! This is so cute! I love Spence too, he's always been my favorite! Keep this up! I can't wait to read more!

[Evergreen]

((thanks guys. i'm actually working on a hotch fic, too, so reid won't be the only sickling.))

PART TWO

Reid couldn’t help but give a little groan as he felt someone gently shaking his shoulder.

“Hey, Reid. We’re going to land in 15 minutes.”

The words took a minute to set in, but when they did he jerked into the sitting position looking quite alarmed. It was a movement so panicked all of the team noticed.

“You okay, man?” Morgan asked after a minute, voicing what no one else had the courage to ask. After the hostage incident, Reid’s behavioral and drug problems had been a hot topic and no one had really been able to bring it up. That same sentiment rang true for whatever had freaked out Reid.

“Fine,” he replied, his voice once again coming out rough. He made eye contact with JJ who was peering at him with a worried expression. “Just having a bad dream.”

He knew he shouldn’t have used that, but he knew it would work to dissuade Morgan from pressing him for more information. Sure enough, the whole team went back to whatever they were doing, pretending as if Reid was fine. The whole team, that is, except JJ.

“Reid, you don’t look well,” JJ said urgently, sinking down to sit beside him.

“I’m fihhhh’KTSCH. Kngxt’uh. Fide.” He sniffed hard, grateful that everyone else seemed to be engrossed in whatever they were doing.

“Bless you. It’s okay to be sick, you know,” she prompted, her hand touching his arm in concern.

“I’b nodt sick,” he muttered, raking his fingers through his hair as he pulled his arm away from JJ’s touch. “I deed to use the bathroob. Excuse be.”

He stood up and walked into the bathroom, well aware he needed to make it fast as to avoid being in there during descent. As soon as he was sure the door was securely fastened, he grabbed toilet paper and freely let himself sneeze, each more desperate and more painful. “Hih’ETSCH’uh. Hih’IXXH’Uh. Hih’SHUH. ETSCH’uhh.” He gave his nose a hard blow, unable to help feeling like a failure for having to succumb to such a common illness.

Exiting the bathroom, he uncomfortably avoided JJ’s gaze, sitting down and looking out the window. Unfortunately, his nose hadn’t fully cleared itself and without warning, his head bobbed forward in a violent sneeze. “Hih’UTSCH’uhhh.” He wrinkled his nose at distaste at the spit he’d managed to launch onto the surface of the window.

“Bless you,” Hotch offered politely.

“Gross, man. Didn’t your mom ever tell you to cover your mouth?” Morgan joked as he saw the spit, causing Reid’s cheeks to redden.

Prentiss gave him a cursory glance but said nothing as she returned to reading her book.

Gideon studied him for a prolonged amount of time, making Reid shift nervously as he waited for the older agent to direct his attention elsewhere.

JJ also said nothing, but her lips were pursed as she tried to avoid staring at Reid. She knew he was sick but also knew he would refuse to admit it. Frustrated with his stubbornness and her desire to take care of him, she stood and moved back over to the rest of the team.

Reid leaned his head back, trying to pretend the pounding headache he was experiencing was going to go away in the near future. He needed to get some Dayquil or something when the team wasn’t looking in order to be able to keep his symptoms at bay. Part of him wanted to confide in JJ, who he could tell was hurt by his refusal to be honest with her, but the other part of him wanted to seem strong, as if proving he belonged here. He didn’t see Hotch or Prentiss coming down with a cold, so he’d just have to seem fine while he was around the team and allow himself to be miserable in the privacy of his own room. He knew already it would be easier said than done.

His symptoms stayed in check as they landed and he chatted with Morgan about the statistics on Seattle’s weather as they made their way to the police station.

Once they arrived, Reid was in for a pleasant surprise as the police chief apologetically informed them that they were having computer trouble at the station and would need a few hours to get their systems (which contained their records) in check. The chief halfheartedly suggested they explore the city, knowing the mood in the room was that by doing nothing this killer could kill again. There was nothing to be done at the moment though, since none of the BAU team present could perform magic to fix the computers and so they would have to wait.

Morgan tried to talk the group into exploring Seattle (as if they hadn’t been there before), but he only managed to convince Prentiss to tag along. Gideon said mysteriously (as was his habit) that he had a friend in Seattle he would visit, which left Hotch, JJ and Reid to settle in at the hotel.

Reid luckily managed to seem relatively healthy, albeit tired, as they checked into their rooms.

After going their separate ways with Hotch’s recommendation to keep their phones near, Reid gratefully entered the haven that was his room. He immediately let out a few coughs, which were currently dry but held the feeling of becoming congested. Tiredly, he clambered into his bed without changing out of his clothes, falling back into a fitful sleep almost immediately.

When he heard knocking on the door, he awoke slowly, feeling infinitely more ill. Knowing he couldn’t merely ignore whoever was pounding on his door, he dragged himself out of bed, the room spinning ominously. He felt the hair on the nape of his neck sticking to it and he breathed heavily through his mouth as he trudged to the door.

One look out the peep hole and he could see JJ with a file in hand. He felt like groaning. She wanted to work on the case now of all times!?

He opened the door a crack, squinting out at her, the bright hallway making his headache worse.

“Oh my God,” she breathed and he knew he looked about as bad as he felt.

“What is it?” he asked hoarsely, knowing full and well what her remark was directed at.

“You’re really sick, aren’t you?” She hadn’t expected him to look this bad. She just figured he was coming down with a cold and she could come here under the pretense of working to pester him into admitting to her he wasn’t okay.

Reid said nothing in reply, his eyes squinting now with nasal irritation. With his right hand he braced the doorpost as he ducked behind the part of the door blocking him from JJ’s view. “Hih’NGSTTT’UH”. The stifle was poorly delivered and sprayed the door with all of his germs.

Before he could object, JJ had pried to door open enough to slide in. Even more shocking was when she placed her cold hand on his forehead, causing his whole body to nearly crumple as he shivered violently. He gave in involuntary groan, trying to shy away from her touch.

“Spence, you’re burning up.”

“Id’s gdothidg.”

She frowned at his denial but helped lead him back to his bed. “Spencer, it’s just me,” she said simply, pulling the covers over his shivering body. “Why won’t you be honest with me?”

The hurt on her face made his stomach squeeze with guilt and a little bit of nausea. “Sorry,” he mumbled feverishly, trying to keep his attention on her even though his eyes felt unfocused and his mind was racing. The danger of being a boy genius, he guessed: he had more thoughts than average to bounce around his mind.

“What hurts?”

The question was so simple and so kind that Spencer felt like crying. He hadn’t been babied much during his life. His mother had been sick, so he had taken care of her. She had read to him and did love him, but when he was sick, he did the reassuring for his distraught mother, who panicked when he even had a sniffle. Perhaps that had something to do with his denial, too. It was ingrained in him.

He was about to say he was fine when he coughed again, his chest feeling tight, causing him to clamber to sit up. JJ quickly helped support him. “Spencer,” she said sternly, calling his wandering mind back to her face as his vision blurred. “I’m serious. Answer me. What hurts?”

“Everythidg,” he said honestly, shivering again and closing his eyes as he leaned against the headboard of his bed. He felt JJ’s weight next to him, but he couldn’t focus on her, although he felt her take his hand.

He slowly lowered himself back into a lying position, his chest a little looser now. “Is id tibe to go to the police stadtiod?” he asked fretfully, his eyes opening blearily as he once again tried to sit up, this time from panic.

“Not yet. I’ll wake you up,” she promised, this time having no intention of keeping it as his eyes shut and he fell back asleep. It was only then that she allowed herself to push his hair from his face, running a hand down his cheek in a movement she tried to tell herself was just to check his temperature.

TBC

[Foxfire]

Aww, poor little Spencer! You write him so well! I like especially how you write the relation between JJ and Reid!

[matilda3948]

Ahhhh!!!! This is so, so, so good!!

And did I hear you say there was a Hotch story on the horizon? Oh my

[Anonymouse]

AHH I like where this is going! Poor thing seems so much sicker than in the first part. I love the part where he ducked behind the doorframe to sneeze.

[Evergreen]

((yayy. i'm so happy you guys like it. also, i realized i was spelling JJ's name wrong. haha. oops. forgive me. i will make sure to have it corrected from here on out.))

PART THREE

As soon as JJ was sure that Reid was asleep, she grabbed his phone from his bedside table and then slipped out of the room. There was no way she was going to keep the phone there to wake Reid up when Hotch no doubt called them all to start working on the case.

Given that by taking Reid’s phone she was only addressing half of the problem, she went to the room of the man who didn’t take lightly to people skipping a case.

As soon as she knocked, she felt a little nervous. Rarely did JJ invade Hotch’s personal space. He was the sort of man who took his job seriously and wasn’t the warmest of people to be around. Would he trust her analysis that Reid was in no condition to work?

She was taken aback when he opened the door with his coat off, his top two buttons undone and his tie nowhere to be found.

He looked uncomfortable once he saw her, quickly re-buttoning his shirt. “Sorry. I thought you were room service,” he confessed, casting a glance backwards to locate his coat, which he intended to put back on as soon as possible.

“Oh no! It’s fine. Sorry. I’ve just never seen you so… relaxed,” she confessed, only to regret that comment.

Hotch shifted nervously, clearing his throat. “Well, I am in my room,” he said slowly. “Is there something you need?”

“Sorry!” she apologized again, her mind elsewhere, probably still in Reid’s room. “Yes, there is. Reid can’t work this case.”

Hotch stared at her blankly, waiting for her to elaborate.

“He’s sick,” she offered simply, shifting her weight between her feet. She was usually not so nervous, but she was afraid Hotch was going to demand how she knew that fact. She couldn’t have anyone knowing how worried she was about Reid, especially not their boss. “I, uh… I stopped by his room to talk about the case and make sure he’d be okay given the nature of these killings,” JJ began, only telling half of the truth. She had wanted to know whether Reid would be able to handle the religious nature of these killings or if they would remind him of Georgia. “Anyway, when I went in, I could tell he’s really sick.”

Hotch paused a minute, clearly troubled by this confession. He hadn’t even thought about what feelings this case could drag up for Reid. He didn’t like to admit it, but he worried about their youngest team member. “I need to see him,” he said shortly, knowing that as their leader, he needed to check on Reid himself.

“Well, he’s asleep. Hotch, he’s got a really high fever. He wants to work the case. I just figured he shouldn’t. It’s not his fault,” JJ said, her voice tinged with desperation. She knew Reid had trusted her when he confided that he was sick. She felt like she had betrayed him by going and telling Hotch, especially since Hotch now insisted upon seeing him.

Hotch shot her an impatient look. “Agent Jareau, I know it’s not his fault if he’s ill. I just need to make sure he doesn’t need a doctor.” He seemed annoyed that she doubted his compassion, although he knew he rarely showed that side of himself. Truth be told, he felt a fatherly sort of bond towards Reid. He still beat himself up sometimes that he hadn’t been able to protect Reid. He needed to make sure that Reid would be fine, because he felt he had already let him down once.

JJ looked torn, but she led Hotch down the hall after he shrugged his jacket back on and secured his tie around his neck.

She opened Reid’s door slowly, able to hear him snoring softly as they both slid in.

Hotch quickly made his way over to Reid, surveying him with an analytical look. Gently, he placed the back of his hand against Reid’s face like he did when his own son was sick.

Reid shivered, his eyes slowly opening, but they looked a little more alert.

“Hey, Reid. How are you feeling?” Hotch asked softly, placing a hand on the younger man’s shoulder when Reid made a move to get up.

“I’b fide,” he claimed automatically, rubbing sleep from his eye. “I’b ready to work on the case.”

This was one of the rare occasions that Hotch smiled. Reid was clearly sick as a dog, but he was still ready to work. “They’re not ready for us yet,” he explained, concern etched on his face once his smile disappeared.

Reid nodded, his face adopting a faraway look as his nose twitched with an irritation he was so desperately trying to ward off.

Hotch grabbed the tissue box from the side of the bed, putting it within Reid’s reach who gave up after a moment of trying to avoid sneezing.

Reid plucked a tissue from the box, looking embarrassed as he sneezed. “Hih’ngxxt. Hih’ngshhh. Hih’NGSHOO. Excuse be,” he mumbled, refusing to blow his nose in the presence of his superior.

“Bless you, Spencer,” Hotch said, his voice softening with pity as he used Reid’s first name.

He nodded, his eyelids fluttering momentarily before he jerked forward with three unrestrained sneezes. “Hih’TSCHOO. Hih’ETSCH’uh. Heh’ETSCH.”

“Bless you,” JJ offered this time, lingering in the doorway, looking guilty now that she could clearly see Reid’s embarrassment at Hotch being here.

“I think you should sit this one out, Agent Reid,” Hotch offered after a minute.

“Budt I’b fide!” Reid cried out before turning away from Hotch as he fell into the grips of a coughing fit.

“It’s not a suggestion, Agent Reid. It’s an order. I’ll make sure somebody looks after you,” Hotch said kindly, although his promise to make sure that Reid was looked after made Reid feel even more insufficient.

Reid didn’t try to argue with his boss, though, lowering back down onto his bed.

“Agent Jareau, I want you to stay here with Reid for a few hours. I’ll send someone else later today. Thanks for letting me know about this,” he said softly so that Reid couldn’t hear.

JJ nodded, casting a concerned look at Reid who was coughing miserably into his pillow.

“Feel better, Agent Reid,” Hotch said as he glanced at Reid once more before he left the room.

Once Hotch had left, Reid rolled over so that his back was facing JJ.

“Spencer,” JJ said softly. “I’m sorry I called Hotch. I’m just worried about you.”

“You dod’t gneed to stay. I’b sure the teab gneeds you,” he said softly, sniffing only for his back to spasm as he stifled three sneezes silently only to exhale loudly in pain afterwards.

Spencer tensed as he felt JJ touch his back, distracted so that he couldn’t stifle the sneezes that ensued. “Hih’GNSHOO. GNSHH’uh. Hih’KSHOO. Ngg… Sorry,” he whispered as he slowly turned around to look at her, his throat rubbed raw.

“Bless you. No apology necessary. And given that the team can’t do anything yet, I’m fine hanging out here,” she said dismissively. “Now go to sleep, sick boy,” she teased.

Spencer smiled slightly, nodding after a minute as he realized just how tired he felt. His smile widened a little as he felt JJ stroking his hair.

“It’s what my mom used to do when I was sick,” she offered by way of explanation.

“Id feels good,” he mumbled before his eyes closed and he fell asleep feeling a true maternal presence for the first time in his life.

TBC

[silentdreamer789]

Very nice. I'm not normally a Reid fan, but you write it well

[Foxfire]

Really had to laugh because of Hotch's 'relaxed' state - just picturing it

Awww, JJ is so nice and caring for poor sneezy Spencer! I love your spellings by the way!

[ID2006]

MUST HAVE MORE ... I was definitely in need of a CM fic.... and this one...with Reid... soooooooo PERFECT

[Evergreen]

((again. thanks for the positive feedback. let me know if there's something you'd like to see me incorporate!))

PART FOUR

Spencer had been sleeping for a solid two hours when someone knocked lightly on his door.

Making sure Reid was still asleep, JJ stood up and opened the door, meeting Morgan’s curious gaze. She could tell he was here checking on Reid, but it was also clear he was trying not to appear worried.

“Hotch sent me,” he said simply, walking into the room and taking in Spencer’s appearance. “Man, the boy wonder really is sick, huh?” he mentioned to JJ, quietly, who nodded her confirmation.

Morgan pulled up a chair from the corner of the room and sat near Reid, looking at JJ who was lingering in the doorway. “Hotch told me to make you leave. He doesn’t want us to expose ourselves to Reid for longer than a few hours at a time,” Morgan told her.

She hesitated again, but in the end she resolved to go with the promise Morgan would get her if Reid got sicker.

Morgan was reading a book when he heard the covers rustle. “Morning, sunshine,” he said cheerfully as he met Reid’s bleary gaze.

Reid opened his mouth to say something back only to cough heavily.

“How are you feeling? You look like shit,” Morgan said honestly as he watched Reid’s gaze sweep the room, looking for the person who had left not long before. “She’s not here anymore. She’ll be back later.”

“I thidk I have a cold,” he admitted honestly.

“You don’t say?” Morgan asked with mock surprise.

At an itching in his nose, Reid reached for a tissue, turning away from Morgan as three wet sneezes escaped him: Hih’KSHUH. Hih’GNSHH’UH. HIH’KNSH’UH.”

“You sound like shit, too,” Morgan observed.

“Id’s gnod that bad,” Reid insisted, blowing his nose gently, too embarrassed to forcefully blow his nose.

“Is that even working? Blow your nose, man. I’m a fan of many kinds of talk, but stuffy talk is not one of them,” Morgan said simply, hiding his worry for Reid behind his jokes.

Reid obeyed, filling three tissues after delivering gurgling blows. “Have you guys started working on the case yet?” he was compelled to ask, feeling like he just had to find a way to convince Hotch to let him help.

“Nope. The police station called and said firstly, that the computers were down but would be back up in an hour, and, secondly, sick people are not allowed in the precinct.”

“They did not say that, Morgan,” Reid chided, only to smile.

“Would I lie to you?” Morgan asked with an innocent smile in return.

“Yes, Morgan. You would,” Reid replied simply, but he seemed more at ease with his situation. Morgan was good at making him feel like things weren’t his fault.

“Okay, they didn’t say that,” he confessed. “But I’m sure they would not appreciate you spreading your Plague.”

“If you’re referring to the Bubonic Plague, the last case of human-to-human transmission occurred in 1924,” Reid stated with a yawn.

“Okay, boy genius. I concede. Perhaps you don’t have the Plague. You are still diseased, however, or, in other words, plagued by an illness. It is your own personal plague.”

Reid laughed, followed by a few congested coughs. “Your logic is incorrect,” he said, but he was smiling.

“So what do you want to do?” Morgan asked.

“Nothidg,” Reid replied. “I’b sick.”

“Yeah, I got that already. And I’m bored.”

“Thed go do sobethidg. I’b gnod forcidg you to stay here,” Reid said, looking bemused.

Morgan hesitated. “Nah. I can’t. JJ would kill me.”

Reid felt his heart rate rise. Why would JJ kill Morgan if he left? He almost wanted to insist Morgan left if it meant JJ would come back. Morgan was a nice guy to be around and Reid liked him, but he wanted JJ to sooth him. He didn’t feel well at all, shivering visibly as chills set in.

“You cold, man?” Morgan asked. He might not want to hold Reid’s hand through this whole thing, but he didn’t want him to be cold.

“A little,” Reid admitted.

Morgan stood up and rummaged through the closet, pulling out another blanket. He unfolded it and threw the blanket over Reid. “You’re gonna have to tuck it in yourself. There’s no way I’m doing that,” he joked, although he really was worried about Reid.

“Huh’KSH’uhhh.” Reid sniffed miserably afterwards, shivering more as he pulled the covers tight over his body.

Morgan frowned. “What can I get you?” he asked finally, not very good at playing nurse. He needed Reid to tell him what he wanted.

“I want JJ,” he whispered, unsure if Morgan heard it or if he wanted him to. He didn’t hear Morgan reply anything and he sat in silence until he fell asleep.

TBC

[Foxfire]

“Is that even working? Blow your nose, man. I’m a fan of many kinds of talk, but stuffy talk is not one of them,”

“Nope. The police station called and said firstly, that the computers were down but would be back up in an hour, and, secondly, sick people are not allowed in the precinct.”

You write Morgan really well! I like him being quick-witted and funny but caring at the same time!

“If you’re referring to the Bubonic Plague, the last case of human-to-human transmission occurred in 1924,” Reid stated with a yawn.

Even sick, Boy Genius Reid couldn't stop sputter statistics!

Aww, poor Reid! Hopefully JJ will return and make him feel better!

[ID2006]

I love Reid wanting JJ to come back and comfort him.

[matilda3948]

I just adore this little circle of Criminal Minds love and fiction we've got going. Just fabulous really.

[Evergreen]

((i am back from vacation. hooray! this part is short and only has two sneezes, but it is crucial to the plot. hope you all enjoy it!))

PART FIVE

JJ was pacing her room when she heard someone knock on her door. Swinging open the door, she felt her breath catch. It was Morgan.

“Is Spencer okay?” she asked, trying to keep the hysteria down in her voice.

Morgan definitely noticed the panic on JJ’s face and realized just how invested she was in Reid’s sickness. “Yeah, yeah, JJ. I mean, he’s pretty sick, but he’s fine,” he reassured.

“Oh. Good. Do you want me to take over?” she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Morgan smirked at the desperation on her face, but he decided not to point out the fact that it was obvious she wanted to be back in the room with Reid. “Yeah. I was coming to get you. But we do need to go to the station soon,” Morgan said as he handed her the extra key he swiped from Reid’s room.

“Do I have to go with you guys?” she asked before she could help herself.

“I guess not. I mean, I guess we could let you know when we need you to deal with the media,” Morgan offered.

“I don’t want Reid to be alone. Will you let Hotch know?” she asked, too afraid to talk to Hotch herself in case he tried to talk her out of staying.

“Sure,” Morgan replied again. “Take care of my boy, JJ,” he warned, as if anyone could do as good of a job looking after someone than JJ. She was the mother hen of the group, always taking care of people.

JJ nodded, a smile forming on her lips as Morgan left, eager to make Reid feel better. He rarely asked for anyone’s help, and she knew it had to do with his nature, but he deserved someone to make him soup and stroke his hair and worry over him. He needed someone to let him be sick openly without making him feel weak or embarrassed, and she knew she could do that.

After gathering some Dayquil she carried with her and some stuff to keep her occupied in Reid’s room (including some comfier clothes in case she had to stay for a while), JJ made her way down the hall to Reid’s room, quietly letting herself in.

She frowned as she saw him shivering beneath a second layer of covers, something she was sure Morgan had given him, and she had to feel proud of Morgan for at least trying to make Spencer comfortable.

Torn between waking him up to give him medicine and letting him sleep, she wandered to the side of the bed and placed a hand on his forehead. The feeling of his feverish skin against her hand served as her answer as to what to do, and she sat next to him.

“Spencer?” she called softly, brushing his hair away from his face. “You need to wake up for me.”

He groaned softly, his body jerking with a few rattling coughs that worried her. “JJ?” he asked blearily, trying to find where she was.

“I’m right here, Spence,” she murmured in a soothing voice as her face came into his line of vision.

He coughed harshly again as he saw her before his face crumpled in anxiety. “JJ, I feel really sick,” he said with his voice rising in hysteria. He wasn’t good at being sick. His brain was constantly working out the different things he could be infected with. His mom had made him feel like any sickness would lead to death and with his fever, his delirious mind was creating the worst scenario. What if he died?

JJ frowned, shushing him as he let out a whimper. “It’s just the flu, Spencer,” she said matter-of-factly.

“It could be sobethidg else. How do you gdnow id’s the flu? There are dozeds of viruses thad cad’t be cured which yield the sabe sybbtobs,” he spouted out, coughing harder as he got worked up, his eyes welling.

Realizing she couldn’t talk him down from his panic attack, JJ peeled the covers back suddenly and slid next to him, folding him into her arms maternally. As she felt him choke back a sob, she held him tighter. “It’s okay, Spence,” she whispered, rubbing his back as he squirmed to get closer to her. “You’re going to be okay. This is just the fever talking.”

He nodded against her neck, which was wet from his tears, another sob betraying him. He was too sick to care and so as he felt her rubbing his back, he let go, crying shamelessly against her neck. His mother would have never stood for this. When he cried around her, she would become hysterical, thinking she had done something to break her son. She hadn’t been a bad mother. She had loved him. She was just sick, and Spencer had been forced to adjust. He had learned to self soothe, but now was a time he was glad he wasn’t alone as JJ held him.

JJ continued to hold Spencer until his trembling subsided and his breaths began to calm. It was then that she relaxed her grip and pulled away from him. Seeing his red eyes and tear stricken face, she used her hands to gently wipe off his face. She offered an encouraging smile, kissing his forehead after she had stood up.

“Where are you going?” he asked quickly, his eyes wild with panic.

“Just over here to get you some medicine. I’ll be right back. It will make you feel better, Spencer,” she said slowly, musing that this was probably the first time she had to spell things out for the boy genius.

He watched her, the blanket bunched in his hands as she poured him a little water from the sink. Normally he would have refused to drink tap water, but as she pressed the glass into his left hand and the pill into his right, he obeyed and took the medicine.

“There,” she murmured approvingly, setting the glass back on the nightstand as she crawled back into bed with him. “Lie down, Spencer,” she instructed, moving her arm so he could curl up against her body.

Spencer normally would have refused to do something that made him look so pitiful, but he was still afraid and if there was a possibility he had caught his death, he would want to die with JJ holding him, so he snuggled in next to her and placed his head over her heart. The steady beat soothed him further and he was almost asleep when he sneezed a wet “Hap’TSCHISH” against her. He didn’t even realize what he had done until she whispered a dismissive “bless you” and stroked his back. When his nose itched again and he once again sneezed wetly against her, her steady stroking of his back calmed his embarrassment and lulled him into sleep.

TBC

[Emily]

Is it okay if I became your fan? 8'D I love this! I'm going to have to start watching this show.

[Evergreen]

((i'd love a fan! haha))

PART SIX

JJ continued to stroke Reid’s back until she was sure he was asleep. Leaning her cheek against the top of his head, she drifted off to sleep, as well. It was the most relaxing sleep she had gotten in a while. Although she knew she really ought to be consulting with the team, the fact that her sole focus was Reid and that he seemed to be okay put her at ease. Plus the feeling of another body against her own was something she hadn’t had in a long time. It wasn’t that she didn’t date, just that she didn’t ever get far enough with somebody to be able to be this comfortable.

Reid didn’t stay asleep for long and when he awoke the recollection of how he had broken down to JJ came back, leaving him feeling embarrassed now that his fever had been subdued with medicine. He was thankful as soon as he realized she was asleep and he stayed with his head over her heart, listening to the steady beating. It was nice seeing JJ so relaxed. Most of the team either didn’t notice or didn’t worry about how hard JJ worked, but Reid could tell that these cases hit her hard. He couldn’t imagine being responsible for deciding which case they consulted on, knowing there were other cases in which people were dying that she was overlooking. Even worse was that JJ was so warm-hearted. He imagined it tortured her having to wonder whether she made the right choice.

He intended to continue to relax against JJ, but his nose had other plans and he barely had time to roll away from her when he lost control. “Hih’knxshh. KNXX. Nxxt’sch.” He pinched his nose hard after that outburst, jerking forward with three silent sneezes. There was a slight pause in the itching where he was able to clamber towards the bathroom, having to stop to silently stifle a sneeze in the threshold.

Reid shut the door quietly, hoping he hadn’t woken JJ. Grabbing a handful of toilet paper, he muffled sneezes into the quickly dissolving mass. “Hih’gnshoo. Hih’gnshhhh’uh. Tschh’shoo. Hih’CHISH.”

It was then that JJ opened the door, having woken up to the sound of his sneezes through the door.

“Spence?” she murmured questioningly, peering at him worriedly. His eyes were glazed and mouth sagging. “You okay?”

“Fihhhhh’TSCHUH. TSCHOO. Fide, JJ. Sorry for wakidg you ub,” he sputtered out before jerking forward with another two sneezes. “Huh’TSCHISH. TSCH’OO.”

Noticing the soggy toilet paper, JJ retreated to the nightstand to grab the tissues. She returned shortly, watching Spencer as he pinched his nose shut for another sneeze.

“Don’t do that, Spence,” she chastised, grabbing the used toilet paper from his hand without so much as a flinch and replacing it with a few tissues. She dropped the toilet paper in the trash and washed her hands, concerned as Spencer’s breath hitched desperately without yielding any result.

“Hih’ihhhh. A’hehhhhhh… Hihhhhhh’ihhhh. Ihhhh…”

“Try looking at the light,” she suggested, a trick her mother had taught her when she’d had a similar dilemma as a kid.

Spencer glanced up at the light, the increased irritation causing tears to trickle down his cheeks, but he snapped forward with a forceful trio. “Hih’KTSCHHH’UH. Hih’NGSHHHHH’OO. Hih’KTSCHOO.”]/i]

“Bless you,” JJ whispered sympathetically, taking a few steps to close the gap in between them. Hesitantly she wiped away some of the tears that had fallen as a result of the unrelenting sneezing fit. Thankfully he seemed to be done and was breathing heavily as he fingered his tissues self-consciously, sniffing hard to keep mucus from escaping his nose. “Spencer, don’t be embarrassed. You’re sick. Go ahead and blow your nose,” JJ instructed as he merely wiped his nose with the tissue.

He nodded, blowing his nose hard and feeling an immediate sense of relief as he emptied its contents into four tissues. He still felt sick as hell, but his nose was for the time being clear, although he was sure that wouldn’t last long.

“Better?” JJ asked with a smile, giving no indication she found him gross.

“Yeah. A lot,” he admitted, smiling shyly in response. “Um, JJ…”

“Yeah, Spence?” she replied, able to see where he was going with what he was saying.

“I’m sorry about, uh, earlier. It was pretty stupid of me,” he said softly, his voice wrought with shame.

“It wasn’t stupid. It was the fever. Please don’t feel bad,” she pleaded, not wanting him to feel guilty or ashamed of showing a little weakness.

“But still…” he murmured, his cheeks reddening.

JJ tugged at his hands to get him to stand up and she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “No buts, Spence. Friends take care of friends. Now let’s get back to bed. You need your sleep and I like taking care of you, so you better not argue with me.”

Spencer reluctantly smiled, following her as she held his hand and pulled him back to the bed, the male part of him wishing she was pulling him towards the bed for a reason other than sleeping. With a slight shake of his head, he rid that dream from his mind, crawling into bed and watching as JJ slid in next to him.

Confident from her position as being his caretaker, JJ shifted and tugged Reid back towards her so that his body was against hers and his head was against her neck. “This is nice,” she whispered, placing a kiss on his forehead.

“Yeah,” Reid replied, still struggling to believe that JJ was actually so close to him, that he was going to be sleeping on her shoulder. “Thanks, JJ.”

“Anything for my favorite doctor,” she said softly, tempted to tell him he was her favorite of all the team.

She didn’t have to voice that sentiment, though, as Reid sleepily mumbled, “You’re my favorite, too.”

TBC

[tma]

Awwww!! *melt* so sweet. I Loved when they had cute little interactions with JJ and Reid on the show. I think that they are such a sweet match.

Loving this!!

[sneezytwilight]

Awww its so cute!! poor Reid!♥♥♥

[matilda3948]

Aww, poor sneezy Reid. I just want to pet him

Awesome writing!!

[Foxfire]

Awww, too cute for me finding the right words to say how awesome this chapter was!

[Emily]

OH MY GOOD GOD. I WANNA STEAL HIM AWAY AND TUCK HIM IN MY BED AND STROKE HIM. HE'S SOOOO CUUUUUUTE -dies-

[Evergreen]

((the last part. and seriously, i hope you guys don't think i'm ridiculous for making my stories all emotional. JJ cries in this part. i felt a little silly making both reid and JJ cry in the same story, but whatevs. i like the ending all the same. this is the last part. i loved writing this!))

PART SEVEN

By the time JJ woke up, Reid was already awake, sitting against the headboard reading some ridiculously scientific book.

“Just looking at that book makes my head hurt. What time is it?” she asked, surprised as her voice came out sounding rougher than it usually did when she first woke up.

Reid set the book down, studying her in the innocent way of his as he tried to determine if she was okay. “It’s about six,” he answered simply, sounding almost completely better.

“What?” she demanded. “I didn’t know I was that tired…”

“You’re sick,” Reid blurted out, chewing on his lower lip nervously as if he were awaiting her to freak out on him for spreading his germs.

“Reid, I’m not sick,” JJ insisted, although she did feel a bit off as her nose itched dully.

“Yes. You are.” He said it so simply it frustrated her. Sometimes he could be annoying with his know-it-all behavior.

“No. I’m not.” She replied, emphasizing the same words as she rolled her eyes. “You’re just being paranoid.”

“Then why are you going to sneeze?” he asked simply.

“I’m not,” she replied quickly, although as she said that the pressure mounted and she quickly snapped forward with three girlish sneezes. “Hih’ktschieww. Tsch’huh. Tschiew!”

His eyes widened and he squirmed nervously. “I’m so sorry, JJ!” he cried out after a second. “I can’t believe I got you sick. I’ll make it up to you!”

JJ shook her head to try to tell him to stop apologizing, grabbing a tissue and covering a double. “Ihh’tsch’ih. Tschh’iew.”

Reid chewed hard on his lower lip as he tried to figure out what to do. He could recall one time in particular he infected his mother and she had insisted he call the paramedics all the while screaming that he had killed her. “JJ…” he began only to trail off. “I should take you to the doctor. You shouldn’t have taken care of me. I shouldn’t have let you take care of me.” It was then he noticed JJ’s eyes gleaming with tears. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asked in a panic.

She covered her mouth with a shaking hand willing the emotion to disappear but watching Reid panic gave her a snapshot into what it had been like for him to grow up. It broke her heart to know that he had been programmed to beat himself up over something so accidental. “Reid,” she whimpered out, shaking her head as she tried to come to terms with this realization.

“What, JJ? Tell me what’s wrong. I can’t believe I got you sick. I’m sorry, JJ, so sorry. I’ll do whatever you…” he stopped midsentence as he watched her begin to cry.

“Oh, Reid,” she gasped out, pulling him into a firm hug, although he quickly took the dominant role as she sniffled against his chest.

He reflected on the irony that two FBI members were experiencing a breakdown in the same hotel room momentarily only to stroke her hair awkwardly, waiting for her to tell him what was wrong.

“Reid. I’m the one who is sorry,” she cried.

“What? Why?” he asked, baffled.

“That you were treated the way you were. I know your mom loves you, but I also know that you are exceptional, Spencer. I hate knowing you feel bad about yourself. I hate knowing you think I’m going to be mad at you for giving me a cold,” she sputtered out.

Reid froze, feeling exposed. He hated pity. It made him feel damaged. “I’m not broken, JJ,” he whispered quietly, his voice hurt. Did she think of him as pitiful?

“No, Spencer!” she said, trying to fix this. “I didn’t mean that at all. I just meant… Spence, you deserve to know what it feels like to know someone loves you unconditionally.”

“My mother did,” he said quietly, automatically defending his mother.

“Spencer! I’m sorry. I didn’t want to offend you. I just care about you. I’m sorry,” she blubbered out as her voice thickened with tears of frustration at her own stupidity. She should have known Reid would be insulted. She knew he worried about being the weak member on the team. “You’re p-perfect, Spence. T-That’s w-what I m-m-meant,” she gasped out hysterically, coughing hard from how worked up she was.

He felt guilty all of a sudden as he felt JJ shudder against him. She was sick and hadn’t meant any harm. As she called him perfect, he felt his own eyes burn for a minute. Soon, though, he was too concerned about JJ to feel emotional. “Shhh,” he soothed, pulling her tightly against him. “I know you didn’t mean anything by what you said. I shouldn’t have given you a hard time. Please forgive me.”

“No, you need to f-forgive m-me. I r-respect you s-so much, S-Spence. I was stupihhhh’TSCHIEW. Ktsch’IEW. Tschiewww. S-Sorry,” she cried after she sneezed against his chest.

Spencer pulled her into his lap so he could fully hold her, rocking her awkwardly. He didn’t have much experience with consoling crying women. “Bless you, JJ. I forgive you. Thank you for how much you care about me,” he said quietly, surprised at how calm he sounded, although his heart was racing.

“I do c-care, Spence. I l-love you,” she said emphatically, pulling away so she could look into his eyes.

Her eyes were red and puffy, but he couldn’t help but see her as beautiful. He thumbed away a tear, kissing her cheek.

JJ kissed his forehead after he kissed her cheek, then she kissed his cheek. Tentatively she kissed the corner of his mouth so that she could pass it off as her attempting to kiss his cheek in case it wasn't received well. Reid turned his face, though, kissing her gently, hesitantly. This was new for the both of them.

Squirming closer to him, JJ deepened the kiss, feeling Spencer’s hands in her hair. She was so caught up in the kiss she didn’t notice the itchy feeling in her nose until she had to abruptly break away and tilt her head down, sneezing openly onto Spencer’s chest. “Ih’KTSCHIEW. Hih’ihtsch’IEW.”

“Bless you,” he whispered again, a happy smile affixed on his face from what had just happened.

JJ smiled shyly at him, sniffling. “Thanks, Spence,” she murmured, hugging him and placing her chin on his shoulder.

She felt his body tense momentarily and then heard him inhale sharply once, only to let loose three sneezes. “Hih’CHISH’uh. Hih’GNSHH’oo. GNSHH’UH.”

JJ laughed softly, reality finding its way in and reminding her that they were both sick. She pulled back and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “Want to rest, Spencer?” she asked quietly.

He nodded, letting her lead the way as she crawled off of him. He lowered himself down, feeling nervous and exhilarated as she backed her body against his. “Now you curl up against me,” she whispered. While it probably would have embarrassed him to have any other girl have to tell him to spoon with her, he smiled at JJ’s patience, doing as she said. He wrapped an arm around her waist, his body fitting perfectly with hers. “This is nice, Spence,” she whispered sleepily.

He nodded as he placed a nervous kiss against the back of her neck, not used to this whole thing. “JJ, you meant it when you said you loved me?” he asked softly, holding his breath as he waited for the answer.

“Yeah, Spence. Why?” JJ replied, moving her arm so it was over his on her waist, stroking his hand with her thumb.

“Um, because… I, um… I love you, too,” he whispered into her ear, feeling uncertain, as if she were going to reject him. This was all too good to be true.

JJ grinned as she heard him, giving his hand a squeeze. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this good,” she admitted.

“You’re sick,” he said with surprise, always thinking logically.

She giggled at his scientific way of analyzing her sentence. “But I’m so happy I’ve never felt better,” she replied patiently.

Spence smiled slightly, tightening his grip a little. “Oh… I’m happy, too.”

“You’re perfect, Spencer Reid,” JJ murmured tiredly after a moment of silence.

Reid kissed the back of her neck again, whispering tenderly into her ear, “As are you, Jennifer Jareau.” It was the last thing she heard before she fell asleep, feeling protected in Spencer Reid’s arms.

THE END