Fic: Confession of Logic (1/1 Criminal Minds)

[thefrogg]

Title: Confession of Logic
Series: Of Innocence and Empathy
Author: Frogg
Beta: hawk_dancing
Rating: FRT-13
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Damnit.
Word Count: 1,027

"Hotch?"

Hotch glanced up, pen in his hand pausing mid-sentence at the welcome interruption.

"Can, can I talk to you?"

"Of course." Carefully keeping his expression neutral, Hotch set the pen down and straightened in his chair. Curiosity turned to concern and suspicion as he watched Reid edge nervously inside and close the door behind him. "Is there a problem?"

"I--" Reid tried and failed to meet his eyes. "I don't know. I, I wanted to...apologize," he paused, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. "For my behavior, in Houston."

"It's not necessary," Hotch replied easily, instinctively relaxing. Something inside softened, warming at the unexpected apology. "Reid, you were - and are - still recovering from--"

"No, that's not..." Reid broke off and looked down at his hands, at the black lacquered box clutched loosely between them. "I need to give you this," he whispered, sliding the box onto the desk.

Hotch eyed the box warily, knowing what it contained. Reaching forward, he pulled the it closer, then slowly lifted the lid to expose two glass vials. Memories of Reid suffering in a far away cabin flashed through his mind.

"I, I'm sorry..." Reid started, arms wrapped around his thin chest. "T-Tobias gave it to me, and, and I saw...my mother, from before..." He swallowed hard, struggling for words.

Still staring at the vials, still remembering live video feed on a computer screen, Hotch let Reid talk, breaking tense silence with stumbling, incomplete explanations.

"I took it, I took them from...his pocket, I needed to, to know--he only gave it to me four times, and, and I went through de-detox..."

"You needed to know you'd beaten it," Hotch finished quietly.

Reid nodded, his lower lip caught between his teeth. "I...I almost took it again." The admission was accompanied by a choking sound, a suppressed sob of remembered pain and fear all too real in the here-and-now.

Hotch glanced up at him then, compassion and understanding softening his expression. "In Houston."

Reid nodded again, the motion shallow and quick.

Leaving the box and vials where they were, Hotch got slowly to his feet and rounded his desk, hating the way Reid seemed to shrink in on himself as he approached. Cupping Reid's jaw in one gentle hand, he forced the younger man to look at him. "You didn't take it, Reid," he said softly. "You beat him. You beat all three of them." He couldn't help but feel Reid flinch under his hand, see the flash of panic in Reid's eyes as he fought to break eye contact. "And you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Hotch..." Reid's voice cracked.

"It's okay," Hotch whispered, letting go only long enough to pull Reid into his body, enveloping him in a hug. Rocking back on his heels, he braced himself as Reid all but collapsed against him, breath coming in ragged gasps. "It's okay," he repeated.

"You, you knew," Reid croaked. "A-About the, the..."

"The dilaudid, yes," Hotch said, rubbing Reid's spine soothingly. "I saw it in Morgan's pocket." Reid stiffened slightly against him, and he didn't bother to elaborate.

"But...You didn't, didn't say..."

"I talked to Morgan in the hospital. As long as he knew what was going on with you, it wasn't something I needed to talk to you about."

Reid raised his head from Hotch's shoulder and stared. "You-you really--"

"Hey, you think I'd let you date him if I didn't trust him to take care of you?" Hotch kept his tone light, mockingly offended.

Blinking, Reid gave him a watery smile.

"That goes for him, too, you know." Hotch could keep his lips from twitching upwards in a small grin as Reid shut his eyes, then burrowed close again. He could feel Reid's heartbeat slow as he drew comfort and reassurance from Hotch's embrace. After a while though, he had to ask. "You okay?"

"Mmmm."

Hotch chuckled a little at the pleased, sleepy note in Reid's voice. "What was that?" he prompted as Reid mumbled something into his shoulder.

"I said thanks, Mom," Reid whispered.

"What did you think I was going to do, suspend you?" Hotch replied, rueful amusement thick in his voice.

"Um."

"Don't answer that. You did the right thing. You're welcome. And thank you for talking to me." Hotch pressed a soft kiss to Reid's hair, then urged him upright. "Go play with the other children."

"I'm telling Morgan you called him that."

Hotch smiled broadly, unconcerned. "By the way." Sobering, he waited until Reid looked back at him from the door. "If you need to see them again, the box will be over on the bookshelves."

Breath caught in his throat, Reid could only nod his thanks, and slipped out the door.

Turning to the window, Hotch watched as Morgan swept Reid up in a huge hug, pressing a quick kiss to his lips as JJ looked on in amusement. Flipping open his cellphone, he felt the weight of Reid's continued suffering slide off his shoulders.

"House of Omniscience, Garcia speaking. What knowledge are you in need of today?"

"Actually, I was in need of some knowledge to be erased, if that's in your purview," Hotch replied, unable to keep from smiling.

"You doubt the Goddess of All Things? Shame on you, sir." Garcia giggled. "What can I do for you, Hotch?"

"Reid just came to talk to me. I need this phonecall and the security footage of my office during that meeting erased." Outside, Morgan had finally set Reid back on his feet and let JJ hug him.

"Hotch?" Garcia's voice was subdued, concerned.

"He's fine, Penelope. I just need to make sure he stays that way."

"Yes, sir. One personal meeting and one phonecall erased. I'll tie up the other loose ends while I'm at it." The line went dead without further comment.

Hotch was slow to put his phone away, instead watching the small, impromptu celebration in the pit. Sometimes it didn't matter what they were celebrating; Reid's happiness was certainly reason enough.

But somewhere, deep inside, Hotch could only hope that someday, Reid would have the courage to talk about what had really happened.

~~~the end~~~

Previous:  Restore the World
Next:      This World in Arms

Comments

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

yay! Hotch!Mom

[thefrogg.livejournal.com]

Yep, it's the return of The Mom Chronicles.

Now if I can just get rid of the Gideon-taking-Reid-fishing plotbunny.::shudder::

[whispers-of-me.livejournal.com]

awww that would be cute, fishing on the lake giving his son THE talk. Yep I think that is a good bunny to feed....

[dragonladyk.livejournal.com]

Um. None of my business, really, but--

It's highly unlikely Hotch has a phone tap in his office (and even if he did without a warrant it wouldn't be admissable), and there would be no reason for a call to Penelope to be erased from his phone records since he calls Garcia all the time.

It's also highly unlikely Hotch has a security camera in his office (they'd be restricted to hallways/evidence lockup and MAYBE the bullpen, and that's stretching it).

But.

Like Mom!Hotch, especially the line "Do you think I'd let him date you" because that is an entirely Hotchly thing to say.

DragonLady

[thefrogg.livejournal.com]

You know, you're right. That also goes for Sword of Knowledge.

Fortunately, I've managed to figure out a way around it, but you'll just have to wait until the plotbunny cooperates.::grumble::

Thanks! Yeah, I liked that line. Also the degree of trust it shows.::hums::

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

oh dear god. fishing? at the moment I'm torn between laughter and horror.

[leiadiana.livejournal.com]

"g"
I absolutely love Hotch in this. Very sweet.

LeiaDianaMinerva

[raphael0877.livejournal.com]

"Go play with the other children."
My favorite line in the whole story. Sigh... I just love Hotch/Mom. We all need one.

[thefrogg.livejournal.com]

Huh. After last night's episode, I'm going to have to see whether or not I really need another explanation for surveillance cameras inside the BAU (and offices).

I'll have to go home and watch the ep again.

Don't you just LOVE television regs?

[dragonladyk.livejournal.com]

I don't scream "what?! As if!" at Criminal Minds very often, but last night's ep? Oh, yes. First of all, having security cameras in every office is a huge waste of energy/material. Secondly, it's a privacy violation since there's no money/evidence being handled -- i.e. justifiable reasons for security cams. Oy. *headdesk* I realize it was neccessary for the narrative, but please.

Oh, and by the way? When you're shooting through glass it takes two shots. One breaks the glass and usually randomly hits something you weren't aiming at. The second actually hits your target. Again with the "What?! As if!" *headdesk* The laws of physics? What are they?

Maybe Jayje is possessed by demons. She's just too lucky. *sporks Rossi*

DragonLady

[thefrogg.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I was doing a little of that last night, partly because of the whole "Ok, I gotta explain the whole cameras-in-Strauss' office' thing...but I guess I'm just more willing to suspend disbelief for the sake of the story.

My beef wasn't entirely because of the glass...I had to go back to S01.02 Compulsion, because I had thought that JJ's office was actually inside the BAU, like Hotch's and Rossi's, but she doesn't actually specify. She just says she's almost never there and to call her on her cell. More of a continuity thing, but, yeah.

Did Jayje get her hands on the Colt from Supernatural? Maybe that'd explain it...

(Also had a small beef with Garcia being out of the hospital that fast, but then, it was +4 days, at least.)

[thefrogg.livejournal.com]

Actually, now that I think about it, the cut-off point for OI&E is the end of Season 2. Which means that this episode doesn't happen and I can adhere to the no surveillance cameras thing in the BAU.

Which...would make me have to write the Garcia story I needed to write anyways to make it make sense.

Thanks for pointing it out.

[abbynormalitis.livejournal.com]

"Hey, you think I'd let you date him if I didn't trust him to take care of you?" Best Mom line, ever.

Seriously, i think my mom's used it once to twice.

Have I mentioned just how well you write the relationships? Because seriously, it's kinda like reading an episode. ;D