Piece of Mind (Criminal Minds FF)

7. Talk

The Detective

"What you did out there was completely idiotic!" Morgan yells. "You took off your vest, put down your gun, and handed yourself to the UnSub."

My knee is jiggling under the table, and I sigh and look up at him.

"I was doing what you brought me here to do. Plus, I knew exactly what move to pull that he couldn't counter. I got him down pretty quickly and saved Jacob, which is what matter here," I state. "Why am I being interrogated here?"

"We are not interrogating you," Morgan says. "What we're worried about is the fact that you just held a gun to a mans head, one you said yourself was a friend of yours, and you are acting completely calm."

"She isn't calm," Reid says from the other side of the room. I purse my lips and turn to glare at him. "You're jiggling your knee. You're not calm; you're upset."

I roll my eyes.

"Are you profiling me or do you just remember that?" I inquire. "What am I saying? Of course, you remember it, you blundering idiot."

Reid looks at me straight in the face when I call him that, and he does something his team didn't expect him to do: he cracks a smile and laughs... And as much as I try to help it, I can't. My face breaks into a smile, and I start to giggle, too. I see the rest of the team looking at us with confusion.

"Never thought I'd hear you say that again," he says.

"Never thought you'd be stupid enough to come close enough for me to call you that again," I counter.

The smile immediately falls from his face, and I look down at the table.

"What happened between you two?" Rossi asks, looking between us. I look up at where he and Hotch are standing, and I shrug.

"You're his team; he can tell you," I say. "Though, when he decides, give me a call. I want to hear his side of the story in all honesty."

I stand up and dust my jeans off.

"Now, I'll be heading back to my house to clean up. Wearing an old bulletproof vest and holding a gun to a friend's head doesn't exactly make me feel squeaky clean."

I grab my bag from under the table behind Prentiss.

"Ill drive you back." I turn to see Hotch following me. "I need to talk to you about something."

I shrug.

"Better than walking, I guess," I say.

I look back at the room of agents.

"Nice meeting you all. Except you," I utter, glaring at Reid. "Kinda wish you hadn't showed up again. Bye."

I walked out of the room, leaving Spencer Reid behind again.

Hotch and I walk through the hallways of the police station, navigating our way to the front door.

"Was that really necessary?" Hotch beseeches as we step outside into the morning air. We had been up all night working over the case, making sure we had everything wrapped up.

"Absolutely, Boss-Man," I say, getting into the passenger seat. "You don't understand it yet, but if he ever tells you, you'll know."

I look out the window as the small town of El Paso changes into the quiet neighborhood.

"You said you wanted to talk?" I entreat after a few moments of silence.

"Yes," Hotch replies, but doesn't say much else. We keep driving, getting closer to my house. The palpable silence returns once again. I never really enjoyed silence.