Resurfacing (Criminal Minds, Reid)

[2SHY222]

Lol Morgan made me laugh so hard. And Spencer still insisting he's fine...*melted* this was worth the wait. Luv it!

[Melody]

YES Morgan and Hotch!!! God I love this so much! Your spellings are just perfect... and my favourite part in this is when he is explaining to Hotch at the very end... just WOW! You have better insights to his charachter and add better dialogue between the charachters than any of the screen writers could ever do!! This is just so beautiful! How do you do this! I need more!!

[Amberlight24]

2Shy22: thank you that means a lot! And I always thought Reid and Morgan conversing together as funny and cute and just adorable!

Melody: I’m so happy! Actually, I was worried about the spellings…so to hear that you liked them made me so happy! Your sweet comments are so helpful, I love how you give me feedback with examples and certain parts you liked…you always give me so much and it means the world!

Sophie: Your constant encouragement always makes me happy and I look forward to all that you say! I’m so glad you still like following this J

****

Spencer felt worse leaving the hospital.

It wasn’t supposed to work like this…

They were going to meet the rest of the team at the jet. With that in mind Spencer left behind his vulnerability back in that exam room.

But his body hadn’t gotten that memo.

And apparently, the weather as well.

The sky had collided with all that had become part of it- the wind constantly changing directions and pulling unhealthy colors into itself.

The antibiotics were in Hotch’s go-bag but Reid refused to take them on the drive to the airport; instead saying that he’d take them on the jet so he wouldn’t get drowsy beforehand.

Or so the young agent had said.

“So whad’s the next- snf!! case about?”

Reid was sitting up in the car on the way- the opposite of the previous drive. It was almost impressive, but both of the agents in the car took one look in the rearview mirror.

The kid’s pale face had flushed with color- a warmth the sky outside failed to hold itself.

Morgan decided to answer first.

“You’ll see it kid at wheels up.”

(More like he’d see it hours after they drugged him up on his meds on the plane.)

“Hih-ngssh!”

(Or maybe never.)

“Gesundheit kid.”

All he got was grumbling from the backseat.

So that was how they got on the plane with the team, with a stubborn as hell genius taking a seat at the front of the plane with the others, case file in hand.

Hotch and Morgan exchanged looks, on the same line of thought as to Reid’s action:

Wrong destination.

****

It turned out they had to delay take off due to the weather…so everyone was making the most of it stuck in the jet, diving into their files.

Right before starting:

“Reid, the couch is all yours!”

Morgan.

“Dodt need it.”

Five minutes in:

Hih-ngxt’shiew!

“Bless you!”

Everyone.

Thirty seconds later:

“Here’s some tissues Spence!”

JJ.

Six minutes in:

“I’ve got cough drops in bag somewhere…”

Rossi.

Five seconds later:

“Kid! Blow your nose, k? we can’t understand you, well even more than usual!”

Morgan followed by sympathetic laughter.

Seven minutes in:

“You know Reid, I think we’re done with your assignment for now- why don’t you lie down for awhile?”

Someone’s voice, from somewhere in the discussion….

Hours or maybe seconds later:

“Flushed…get him something…are you ok?....I’ve got Nyquil…you should take off your sweater-“

“JUST STOP!!!”

The words tore out of his throat, raw and almost guttural.

Reid had stood up and swayed, but everything was in motion around him and he needed it all to cease…

“I-I’m dot a child!! Do you guys HEAR me???”

His voice broke and stunned silence followed.

He pulled his hands to his face and groaned, wanting to just strip off the last hour and try again…maybe this time he’d be stronger than the shooting pain in his cracked rib and his nose would stop running…ANYTHING!

“Hih-HIH’ESHH’shiew!”

And then his own chaos was drowning him.

But he still heard it:

“Bless you Spen-"

Someone’s hand was on his arm, but the words were what stung him.

“DON”T! GAWD!!, just DON’T!!!”

And somehow he was leaving them, pushing away towards the restroom on the jet but not quite making it that far.

His mother’s bedroom door shut before him flashed across his vision.

In the end he never made it far enough.

****

Angsty Reid, but not for long!!! Thoughts?

[stars123]

wow ah this is so good (as usual)!!!

[2SHY222]

Amazing as always....my favorite part was the conversation or lack thereof....and the team trying to help Spence. Gawww o love this fic so much

[Melody]

Oh my god this is amazing! I love the way you write Morgan and Reid... and the whole team trying to help him just awww.... I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!!

Edited July 20, 2015 by Melody

[Amberlight24]

****

Metalicstarrs: I’m so glad you enjoy it!!!

2Shy22:Thank you so much for reading!!! Thank you for all encouragement through this story!

Melody: I’m glad you enjoyed all the team caring in this…spencer is just so adorable! Thank you for all your kind words (as always)!

Sorry for the wait, here’s some more of the adorable Spencer Reid!

“DON”T! GAWD, just DON’T!!!”

And somehow he was leaving them, pushing away towards the restroom on the jet, but not quite making it that far.

His mother’s bedroom door shut before him flashed across his vision.

He never made it far enough.

****

“Kid? Hey…Kid?”

Morgan realized he was literally talking to a pair of converses.

Their owner’s face was swallowed into the valley of his knees brought up to his chest, as if his body had caved in triggered by the avalanche of unhindered emotions the young agent had released just a thirty seconds ago.

Spencer Reid was buried; in the center aisle of the BAU jet.

But still he was too exposed.

Morgan’s voice was at his knees, and someone’s fingertips landed along the cliffs of his shoulders before trailing up and down the length of his spine over and over…

It felt almost good.

Spencer wanted to fall into that rhythm completely.

“Hih-tshh!”

Instead he jerked forward into reality.

“Bless you kid…come on, can you stand up for me?”

The young man’s curled up form stiffened, and the tousled honey strands of his hair moved as he shook his head, not

wanting to look up and see all that he had contaminated.

He was infected. He had put it out on display. Now they all knew that, just like his mother had.

The carpet outside his mother’s door was hot against his cheek, and the five year old crawled to the black and white tiles, letting its coolness swallow him…

“He’s burning up…”

Spencer jerked back at the words so close to him. So much so, he raised his head and saw his friend in front of him.

“Y-you don’t, snff! …don’t wanna t-touch me…”

With that stuttered sentence, his head sought the darkness of dropping to his knees, but someone’s hand quickly caught under his jaw- stopping it all.

“Reid listen ok? I know something that will make you feel better.”

There was a small orange vial knocking the top of his knee cap, and the young agent stared at it for a moment before a shaky pale hand reached forward.

“Here I’ll get it.”

Strong hands twisted the container so the lid popped off.

“Hold out your hand kid.”

Three capsules were released into Spencer’s shaky palm. Suddenly he felt his knees being guided down to cross legged and a water bottle was offered over his lap.

That was when Reid finally could see everything in front of him- Hotch and Morgan- he didn’t want to know what was going on behind his back, though he felt the soft presence of JJ behind him. Somehow he knew it was her.

His nose prickled and he had no time to fight it.

“H’shiew!!! H-Hi-ISHiew!!

He jolted over his lap with the sudden sneezes, not realizing the hand that caught his, keeping the pills balanced in his palm.

Coughs became the encore performance, and Spencer realized he felt so hot…so…sick.

“I’m sorry…” Spencer rasped, his arm absently sliding around his hurt rib.

Hotch’s voice answered.

“It’s ok, they didn’t spill.”

“No! I’m- ‘shiew! …sorry I-I yelled…”

Morgan’s fingers knocked under Spencer’s chin, causing wide honey eyes to meet his.

“You’re forgiven kid.”

His pale hand shook as he dropped the capsules into his mouth, and somehow the mouth of a water bottle tipped against his parted lips, fever pink.

He swallowed once but his consciousness washed down with it.

****

I’m sorry it’s so short I but I just want to get you guys SOMETHING!

I’ll update more by tomorrow, I’m almost positive on that! Please feedback is so welcomed!

[Melody]

Yess an update Your amazing fic has made me SO obessed with this show I've literally watched three seasons in two weeks... theres never enough reid just omg!

Edited July 22, 2015 by Melody

[stars123]

[darkness-is-the-light]

This story just continues to get more and more wonderful. As well as that, you always know how to balance sadness and adorablness in your stories.

[2SHY222]

Wow! Spence is sooo adorable. I absolutely love how you've captured his relationship with Morgan

[Amberlight24]

****

Melody: I totally get it!!!! This show is amazing and never seems to get old! Spencer remain far too adorable to be legal! Anyways, thank you so much for your encouragement AS ALWAYS!

Metallicstarrs: !!!!!

Sophie: Your words made me smile so big!!! Thank you, I just am so glad you enjoy it still! I always just am in awe of how sweet you are!

2Shy22: Isn’t he adorable??? Haha LOVE HIM! anyways, thank you so much and I just love Morgan and Reid’s dynamic on the show!

Thank you to everyone reading this!

****

I just had to give you guys more!!!!

Morgan’s fingers knocked under Spencer’s chin, causing wide honey eyes to meet his.

“You’re forgiven kid.”

His pale hand shook as he dropped the capsules into his mouth, and somehow the mouth of a water bottle tipped

against his parted lips, fever pink.

He swallowed once but his consciousness washed down with it.

****

“Ok, basically we just have to wait until the meds kick in, hopefully that will break his fever.”

Hotch and Morgan had pulled Reid up from his ten minute sit-in along the main pathway on the jet.

Reid had forgotten what he was protesting anyway.

Somehow he was vertical. His chin knocked into Hotch’s shoulder as he continued to straddle the line between the hot desert inside himself and the vulnerable reality in front of him every time he opened his eyes. He felt his arm anchoring around his boss’s neck and his other arm caused him to sway into Morgan.

And then there was the jet’s couch. Spencer collapsed along it, ready for relief.

All he could feel was heat…

More like fire.

Charring his broken rib from the inside out…

Embers shot across his vision in burnt orange; then the darkness came.

****

The rest of the team watched the sight of their friend before them, not even thinking of applying their learned skills of treating situations professionally.

The younger agent had wrapped himself around their hearts and the last few days that had felt him rip away from them…somehow thinking well…

It was all about Spencer’s thinking.

Hotch moved up to the front of the jet to join Rossi as Morgan pulled out his headphones and stationed himself closer to the unconscious young agent.

He missed the way Spencer Reid usually made no sense.

He’d give anything to hear his friend talk “encyclopedia”.

****

“Hih’shiew!”

JJ couldn’t help it after Spencer’s third sneeze.

She rose up from her seat on the plane and moved towards the curled up frame of her friend.

Spence was shivering.

“His fever hasn’t broken yet.”

Morgan’s voice met her and she looked over at him surprised, because he looked like he had been in another world with headphones on and sitting some seats ahead and fiddling with his iphone.

“So no blanket?”

JJ stood examining the shaking figure, hating how she couldn’t satisfy the maternal urges tugging at her.

“Aggravatingly no.”

It was hell for all of them.

But then she heard a whimper.

Followed by a sneeze.

And then slurred words:

“Please! Just!….just please…”

And in minutes the young agent’s head was in her lap. His face was flushed and his eyes underneath closed lids moved frantically…she couldn’t stand what all those body signals must mean in the other world Spencer was in.

She had to get him out.

“Spence?”

Surprising the soft word in his ear shot through him and the young agent’s frame jerked into the present reality…or so she hoped….

“Too…..hot…”

His eyes fluttered shut as the whole of his energy was expelled into those two words. The young woman found her hands unbuttoning the dark blue cardigan, sliding it off the sharp cliffs of his shoulders and freeing his arms of the

extra layer of fabric.

The young agent welcomed the release, his own pale fingers grasping the neck of his buttoned work shirt and before she could help, tearing the sweat soaked collar from the skin along his neck and the top of his chest.

JJ grabbed her friends wrists to prevent further damage to his clothes and he adapted instantly, instead shooting forward and coughing. A whimper sounded through torn vocal cords, lost in another realm that just sounded like a deeper level of hell.

“Hey girl…”

JJ jerked and looked up to see Emily, a smile instantly on her face in almost a form of relief to have something distract from what her sick friend sadly couldn’t.

“How’s he doing?”

“Well things get worse before better right? I mean…”

Something stopped inside her throat and her eyes stung for a moment. She looked down at her friend’s face in her lap and pulled her fingers gently through the honey colored locks and combing sweat away…

Emily sat down on the other side of Reid’s curled up form and reached over to hand JJ her laptop.

“He never finished seeing Twilight.”

JJ couldn’t help the smile triggered across her face, and looked down again at the young man.

“Do you think Spence could actually hear it?”

Emily’s fingers worked through the laces of Spencer’s converse shoes before gently sliding them off to reveal a polka dotted sock and the other candy cane stripes.

“I don’t think his brain ever shuts down fully, I mean isn’t it against the laws of his genius nature?”

As if on cue, Spencer’s wrist twitched and he mumbled through swollen lips…

“Let me in…just please…”

He had been a broken record that made no sense, except JJ just couldn’t stand that she couldn’t answer whatever it

was he was pleading.

“Alright let’s watch.”

Five minutes in.

“Hih’ETCH!!!”

Emily yelped as JJ’s lap jolted in surprise.

Morgan turned around and peered over his seat at the two women, snatching his headphones off.

“Was that real? I heard that through my music!”

“Bless you Spence.”

JJ couldn’t help laughing along with Emily.

But the young agent wasn’t done, curling further into himself and letting out:

“Hih’shiew! ISSHiew! Hih’ISSH!”

The releases were so much softer and familiar… JJ reached down and drew honey strands away from his face, her heart softening once again as Spencer sniffled in his sleep and had brought up a pale wrist to his nose.

“Hey, hey Spence….here.”

She drew the tissue over his lower face the way she had done so many times with Henry. It was surprising how the young genius and her son shared similar traits…

His eyes fluttered open for a moments and he mumbled some sort of apology, some of the flush leaving his face, and his shaking had slowed down quite considerably.

Morgan brought her attention back to the present.

“WHAT are you guys DOING to him???”

They couldn’t deny what Derek had seen, and JJ opened her mouth but Morgan wasn’t done.

“Seriously guys?? Twilight?”

A ghost of a smile appeared on his face and he shook his head.

“That’s just wrong girls, he’s defenseless… wait…”

He reappeared with his headphones in his hand.

“Do you think I can finally make him listen to heavy metal?”

It took Hotch and Rossi together to save the young agent- the young agent with a fever that had finally… BROKE.

****

I’m a little out of ideas…but let me know what you thought please!!! J

[stars123]

I love the JJ care-taking

[2SHY222]

Omg yay him kinda watching twilight. I dont.care for the movie personally but I love how you incorporated the joke. Lol poor spence

[Amberlight24]

2Shy22: Just wanted you to know I TOTALLY agree about Twilight, but the reference to the actual show was just too cute and I had to expand!!!

Metalicstarrs: I agree! JJ is so maternal

Running out of ideas on this though...requests are welcomed or else after maybe one or two more posts I think I'll wrap this story up

[Melody]

Oh my god this is going to kill me it's too perfect lol I Iove how they like mother him and make him watch twilight... Just that reference is too cute!! This scene needs to happen in the show like come on

[Amberlight24]

Didn’t think I’d have too many more ideas, but seems I got a few when it comes to this special FBI agent!

*****

Spencer’s fever breaking was relief to the whole team.

The young agent had opened his eyes to the environment of a moving jet and for a brief, brief second he felt relief too.

He hadn’t woken up with his forehead pressed into his mother’s closed door…

And then the pounding came.

It was Morgan who noticed it first; his friend’s hands darted to his face and he groaned before realizing his pain had made use of his vocal cords.

“Your fever broke, you with us Kid?”

Everything in him was pounding. If this was him fever-free he wanted back into his delirium…

Spencer drew in his breath with a hiss and sniffed loudly, slightly embarrassed at the wet sound of it all.

“Yeah…you know that sparkling vampire movie had some horribly scripted lines…”

Morgan smiled as JJ choked on a laugh and turned her attention to the chess game she was playing with Rossi.

“Yeah, welcome back Pretty Boy…”

“Uh- I didn’t- I didn’t technically go anywhere…hih! Hih! Hih’ETCH!”

The pulsing in his head shot fire across his eyes, but his body jerked with his sneeze and his broken rib vibrated accordingly and suddenly that hurt more.

“Reid it’s your rib isn’t it? And is that a migraine?”

Wide honey eyes looked up at his boss and Spencer almost shook his head.

But that required moving. And moving meant pain. And pain around his team meant pity. And pity was more pain…

So he shook his head. Then his pained gasp betrayed him.

All that thought for nothing… this usually didn’t happen to him.

“How long have we been airborne?”

His voice was weak and he hardly cared.

“Half hour ‘til home.”

Spencer was about to lower himself down again, but Morgan forced more meds on him and he took them compliantly, still feeling as if he was somehow surrendering.

The young genius eased himself down on the couch again, wincing at his ribs.

“Tell JJ she is three moves away from checkmate…”

Drawing his cardigan under his head again he let the pain crash over him in pulsing waves and prayed for the shore of sleep.

****

Had to do something! More to come and more sneezing! PLEASE let me know what you think!!!

[stars123]

yay! can't wait for more

[Melody]

I love how he told JJ she's 3 moves from checkmate thats just soo spot on! And everyones concern is soo adorable! Love this Waiting for more!

Edited July 31, 2015 by Melody

[Amberlight24]

Surprisingly I got some more inspiration!

****

The jet was landing and the seatbelt sign turned on.

“Pretty Boy, time to come back to us-”

Morgan turned in his seat and the rest of his words hung in the pressurized air.

The kid wasn’t on the couch anymore.

It took a moment of random panic for Morgan before he spotted the young agent seated upright, bent over the file for their next case in one of the seats in the back of the plane.

Morgan’s attention moved to the rest of the team in the front, who were also noticing their young friend’s sudden change of place and posture.

“Sooooo…uh, who’s gonna tell him?”

“Not it!”

Those two words spilled out of the entire team’s mouths, even Hotch’s.

Well, almost the whole team.

Morgan looked around at the group, all with a finger on their noses accompanied by intent faces.

“Seriously guys?! Are we really going to handle this that way?!”

“If it gets us out of fighting with Spence…”

JJ bit her lip but the left corner of her mouth pulled upward.

Morgan looked back at the young agent who was oblivious to them, shoving some more pills down with one hand before returning his arm to cradle around his sore ribcage…His fever had broken but his normally pale skin was flushed though in a somewhat diminished shade…

And he still looked like shit.

“Can’t we at least make the one who gave him the case file tell him he’s not working the next case?!”

Silence.

“None of us knows how he got the case file, do we?”

They always managed to underestimate that kid…

“huh’ngsh! Hi’nxgt!”

Reid’s sneezes wet and desperate but he ended them with a groan that fell behind the folder in his hands, hoping no one would have noticed his display- that a whole team of profilers wouldn’t figure out that he was still not magically recovered…

“At least before the other side of his rib cage breaks?”

Rossi prompted and Morgan sighed and gave in.

“Alright fine! But I get to choose the proper timing to tell the guy ok?”

“You got it- sorry you pulled the short end of the stick Agent Morgan.”

“I see you smiling Hotch, you know that right?”

****

Those pills were magic.

Just about enough to give up on science…

Energy coursed through Reid’s veins while the ache in his side was all fuzzy…

An inner blizzard of perfect numbness.

So Spencer raged ahead and fell into the case file in his hand- his thoughts slamming against the font skimming across his vision. Even his sneezes were gasps that jolted into silence and only a tinge of pain…

He was beyond genius now, beyond anything that had ever held him back-

“Reid, grab your bag!”

He processed Morgan’s voice just about before the words hit his ears; the young agent jerked into the center aisle and swung his bag over his shoulder and hit his ribs.

The blizzard inside his side tinged with only a slight lightning bolt of pain.

Maybe he was invincible!

But invincible people would have not swayed on their feet walking through the center aisle of the plane. And someone invincible wouldn’t have been steadied slightly from behind as they dismounted down the steps…but still-

He’d pull it off…

Or not.

It happened just after he had pushed himself two steps forward from Hotch and Morgan. He had told them he was fine and then proved himself wrong….spectacularly.

And suddenly the small of the young agent’s back met asphalt and skidded up his spine; it was Hotch and Morgan grabbing under his arms that saved his head from colliding. All just 25 feet from the bureau’s SUV on the runway.

And in an un-Reid like moment everything froze instead of sped up- there friend didn’t scramble up or cry out in pain.

His body turned to dead weight as Hotch and Morgan crouched down to support his upper back that thankfully hadn’t hit the ground. The young genius’s white shirt had risen up as he had skidded on the pavement…there was probably blood but something tore them away from accessing the damages.

Spencer was laughing.

The reaction practically halted everyone involved. JJ hand froze over her mouth and the rest watched as the young man moved his body over his drawn up knees, giggling.

“Did he hit his head?”

From Spencer’s position the bareness of his back was like road rash, red and black puckering up his spine

before his shirt pulled up under his arms.

“Uh- no....” Hotch finally answered slowly

The young man gasped for air and his voice broke through his manic laughter.

“S-so sorry! hIh-ISHiew! ‘shiew! It’s just-”

He brought his hands over his face as if processing his laughing and smothering it in his palms. He sneezed once more and coughed out his lungs before rubbing harshly across his face and reaching out for someone to help him up.

And on cue an almost empty vial of pills rolled out of his pocket.

That’s when it all started to make more sense to everyone else involved.

****

I know it’s been awhile, but I love feedback!

[darkness-is-the-light]

This is honestly an amazing story, you have done a wonderful job. That twist at the end...

[Amberlight24]

Sophie thank you so much! I'll be adding more soon...you may be the only one still reading this!!!

[stars123]

no AH I'm still reading haha sorry I forgot to respond the other night! my bad! it's still great though

[Melody]

Oh my gosh this part was soo wonderful! I was laughing so hard at the part where he fell over because it was just so adorable and that is something that definitely should happen ? also I agree with you Sophie that plot twist at the end can't wait for the next part!

[Amberlight24]

****

Thank you Sophie for your continued encouragement!

Metallicstarrs: Oh I’m so glad you are still reading! Thanks so much.

Melody: I adore your comments, and it’s always an honor to hear your words. You are amazing as always J

****

Here we go again! This part is so long, I'm just am too tired to proofread this....so sorry for any typos!

The medicine bottle ceased rolling after hitting Morgan’s shoe.

Oh. SHIT.

In that one instant Morgan’s heart fell lower than the asphalt Spencer had sunk to just moments ago.

His vision faltered in his shock but the letters along the vial were far too still.

They weren’t Reid’s antibiotics.

And it was his fault.

****

“Those antibiotics are- SNF!! gifts from God!”

The young genius stumbled forward before they ducked into the car, letting out an “un-spencer-like” amused sort of laugh.

It took no more than minute for Derek to explain to Hotch from over Spencer’s head: their youngest agent had unintentionally been medicating himself with another medicine bottle that belongs to Morgan. Pain Meds.

“Do we tell him?”

Hotch read Morgan’s lips and responded with a slight shake of his head just as Spencer’s nose bumped into his bosses neck followed by his chin sliding into Hotch’s shoulder.

“Mmmm…”

Suddenly Hotch had all of the young geniuses’ weight against him; everything was so close he could hear the crackling in the young man’s lungs, and the slight spot of dampness where Spencer’s nose had knocked into his neck. Surprisingly it didn’t disgust him- the image of Jack took over the pink flushed face of his agent for a split moment. The slight vocal tones from the genius vibrated up to his ears.

“You- you saved my life Hotch. Y- you could’ve not looked for me... you-you could’ve let me drown.”

Sufficive to say no one on the team hadn’t already been focused on the scene before them, worried about Reid’s fall and admittedly his state of mind. However, the young man’s interjection exposed the most of what they had seen so far with their sick friend.

Hotch opened his mouth to respond, but the weight against him turned rigid as Reid gasped.

“Hih! Hih-ISHHiewww!!

Morgan grabbed the young man’s waist from behind the pair just as Hotch grabbed his arm. Reid’s eyes fluttered, still focused on his questions.

“Hotch-”

“Don’t worry buddy, bless you…let’s just get you in here- next to JJ here ok?”

Not even trying, Reid’s trusting nod and firmly worded word: “ok” triggered Henry in JJ”s eyes and Jack’s in Hotch’s.

After Morgan took the end seat of the middle section of the SUV Spencer gasped again.

“Hih’tchiew! ‘shiew!- Ow!”

His ribs jerked against the foggy screen of numbness the medicine had folded over his vision and curled around his every muscle…and then there was a prickling along his back…

“Hey Spence, lay down ok?”

She patted her lap, and was shocked by her friend’s easy consent, curling onto his unaffected side so that he was tiredly gazing at the slightly geometric patterns on her shirt and letting his head drop down on her legs. Morgan, far too quiet and feeling far too guilty gently took his friends legs over his lap so Reid would be stretched out.

The young agent was so deeply relaxed, the medication he was on seemed to just pull him further away from the adorably awkward Spencer she knew that talked more than he seemed to contain- which was saying a lot!

But there was something utterly adorable him in that moment too.

His face was so open, and she watched as pale fingers reached up to gingerly touch each button on her blouse. It was a simple action- like a child’s almost- as if calming himself by her presence in his space. This wasn’t the same Spencer at all and she wondered deep down if she was allowed to be happy at the change…

The wide honey eyes curtained down fringed with surprisingly long lashes, and she couldn’t help feeling somewhat fixated. The hand he had risen with his fingertips tracing the grooves along one of her blouse buttons jerked to a stop before dropping downward. Fever pink lips parted slightly with each soft scissoring of his jaw as he gasped inward-

“Hi’NGTCH!”

His forehead jerked with the expulsion, a slight dampness spraying into her waistband of her skirt.

“Goodness, bless-”

The next gasp stopped her words.

“Hh’GNKXT’ch!”

“Spence-”

“Hi! Hih! HIH!”
The silence after each hitching breath of their young friend surprised them all but none more than Spencer.

Finally Rossi broke the tension from the driver’s seat by Hotch.

“Salud Kid Genius!”

“Bless ya Kid.”

“Gesundheit!”

“Bless!”

The energy in the car lightened immensely as they all laughed at the lighter side of the situation.

But Spencer wasn’t present in that realm of reality.

He gasped a few times again, resulting in wide eyes and the wavering along his nose with each breath. His sneezes had been desperate and unhindered with the medicated veil across his vision.

But he could sense it from the tremors of his cracked ribs- it was beginning to fray…

“Lost it huh?”
JJ’s soft voice brought him back, and he blinked lethargically, forgetting everything that had happened- all that they were seeing that stripped him down: the noise he was making, the close contact, and the dampness now blatantly obvious along JJ’s skirt’s waistband.

He forgot why somehow he felt he should feel embarrassed….

“Lost what?” he frowned, already absorbing into his fingers moving along her buttons again.

JJ smiled at her friend’s sudden self-centralized demeanor. She watched as honey irises moved from the buttons to her face, and remaining there taking in her face.

“I dream about him sometimes.”

His features turned to angles with more lucidity than before. In fact, the young agent just seemed quite bothered in a way, more spencer-like but more honest and open.

JJ took the back of her hand and drew the honey strands from his face and past his temple and running around to cuff around his ear gently pulling along to release at the base of his neck.

“Who do you dream about Spence?”

“Henry.”

JJ frowned, then remembered him calling Henry’s name out in his sleep the night before.

“Why is that do you think?”

Spencer’s gaze dropped as all his energy poured into searching himself.

But the magic medicine in him was not holding him so much…

He was beginning to remember that words weren’t enough, and in a rush he blurted out an image instead.

“Her door stays closed!”

His mother’s door was back with the carpet and the black tiles of the kitchen under his curled up five-year-old form. The young boy had been with him too, the one with slightly blonder hair and shorter frame.

This boy was special, this boy had a different Mommy too, but she couldn’t find, out…

“Just know he’s not infected ok!”

JJ’s heart broke at the display before her and she decided she didn’t need to understand just yet.

Something in Spencer turned rigid and his ribs throbbed once and he realized that the medicated curtain over himself that had melted into a veil was now just fraying rapidly.

He saw the threads flying in his vision and they turned into vibrations that brought back the pounding of his head and the pressure of his ribs and then worst sting of all of it:

The rawness of him exposed.

“Need more pills…”

His words slurred out around the guttural pain he tightened in his throat from vocalizing.

God knows how much he had already vocalized…

Morgan looked at his boss in the passenger’s seat through the rearview mirror. He took a breath and let it out.

“Kid, you took your antibiotics hours ago.”

Reid heaved himself up, gritting his teeth from the pain of his movements, his vision swaying with the sudden position change.

“I took some just before we got off the plane- I got them from your bag, pass them over.”

The young genius’s face was buried in his palms, trying to physically push all feeling out of his face and holding out his hand.

“Reid…you got the wrong pills.”

Before the genius could probe further Morgan let out a heavy sigh that did nothing for releasing this guilt. With Reid’s attention on him, Morgan leaned forward so only JJ and his friend could hear.

“They were a form of pain pills Reid…I’m so sorry, I didn’t think-”

Everything froze. Even his pain.

So another form of affliction came.

Tobias was at his face and this time Spencer wasn’t even dreaming. His apartment’s bathroom floor was in his face, and his hands were shaking to the rhythms of his withdrawals three years ago…and then the nothing that came from not being allowed to work for three months straight filled up everything…

It was all coming back.

“Reid-“

Morgan’s hand touched his knee and Spencer jerked.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!!!”

His words were guttural and he began to cough, his throat tearing.

And then somehow he was in JJ’s lap again, his back spamming from his harsh movements moments ago and his face hidden in her lap. She felt him tighten and release with the pain he was feeling, much stronger than any physical pain. He was grieving the loss of his past resilience. He dealt with it hitting him over and over until exhaustion claimed him.

Morgan’s face was in his hands and JJ slid her hand across the seat to cover his, her other hand combing the honey hair away from her friend’s flushed face.

She didn’t tell anyone about the salty dampness along her fabric clad thigh. It was a telltale stamp from emotion soaked eyelashes.

Even Spencer didn’t know he had cried.

****

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