𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒚 ↝ 𝒔. 𝒓𝒆𝒊𝒅

𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚-𝒐𝒏𝒆

While Reid was spending the day resting at home, Avery was being called in by Hotchner. She couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows, scared that it was something on a case she was working on.

She knocked on the door to his office, shaking her head at the team turning their attention to her. For profilers, she thought they'd do a better job. She sat down in front of him, smiling at a friend.

"As unit chief, I'm required to assess our team members after they've sustained an injury," he said to her. "I know you've been spending a lot of time with Reid and I just want to know how he's doing."

"You know, you could just call him." Avery chuckled.

"You're right."

Avery only shook her head. "He's good. He's healing. Both physically and mentally. He struggled with figuring out how it happened but we got through that."

"You two are good for each other."

"He's the only friend I've ever had," she chuckled. "He's a really good guy."

"You two aren't.."

"No," she shook her head, chuckling. "I care about him but we're not dating."

She only smiled at him and Hotch raised his eyebrows at her. "What is it?"

Avery only shook his head. "All the pain and misery and loneliness..it just made him kind."

Hotch nodded and smiled. "It's something we don't get the luxury of having when something changes us."

Avery stood up, pulling her coat on. "He's doing good. He's not struggling like I would be. He just misses work."

"Well, we miss him," Hotch said, giving her a quick hug. "Keeping him busy helps. Thank you."

She shook her head. "Why do people keep thanking me? I'm just helping. It's what any friend would do."

"Reid's always struggled with making friends and when he makes them, something falls through," Hotch said to her. "He always has some kind of heartbreak but you've only helped him. Even if he doesn't say it, thank you."

She opened her mouth to tell him that no one had to thank her but he only held up a hand and she nodded.

Once she was done there, she headed back to work to talk to her boss about the accident and everything that happened. After that, she picked up some things from her apartment, including the case files on her new article.

She returned back to Reid's, opening the door with the keys she'd stolen and copied just for this use, Reid's voice echoing through the apartment.

"Yeah, I'm looking at the geo-profile right now and I'm not seeing-"

"Spencer whatever-your-middle-name-is Reid!" Avery stomped into his room, pulling the phone from his hand. "No cases until you're healed!"

"Uh-oh, pretty boy's in trouble, talk to you later." Morgan said on the speaker phone before Avery hung up, setting her hands on her hips.

Reid only looked at her, face twisting as he tried to come up with some kind of excuse. "You're not allowed to be on a case. I told you rest, Spencer, rest-"

"I'm tired of resting, ironically, they're on a case and I can help."

"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should, Spence, please, you're supposed to take a break," she said, grasping his shoulders. "Rest. Binge something on Netflix. Read more books. Pick up a hobby. Get another PhD. Just something that doesn't involve work at the BAU."

He shook his head. "That's all I know how to do."

"You have three PhD's and three BA's and you're telling me that the BAU's work is all you know how to do?"

Reid started to crack a smile but stopped, shaking his head again. "It is."

"You're not listening to me," Avery groaned. "Fine, fine. Teach me something you know. Chess? You play chess. Teach me chess-"

Reid threw his head back in laughter, cutting her off. She set her hands back on her hips and furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Why are you laughing at me?"

"You don't give up, I'll give you that."

She stomped her foot and looked up at him. "Really? Spencer this isn't funny to me."

He sucked in a breath. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. This is hard for me. I like routine. When I'm out of routine, I'm-"

"Uncomfortable? I understand."

"No, you don't," he replied. "You submit stories when you have to. You don't always have to go into work. You don't have a routine. You play by your own rules."

"Excuse me?" she scoffed. "Just because I don't get up everyday at seven in the morning and go work for the FBI and work on cases that safe hundreds of people-"

"Don't do that, that is not what this is about."

"You're telling me that my job isn't as rigorous and demanding at yours because I write articles-"

"Avery."

"I do the same work that you did, just on a smaller scale-"

"Avery, stop," Reid said to her. "I'm not patronizing you. I'm telling you how I feel, I'm not-"

"Yes, you are," she replied. "You're telling me I'm incapable of understanding you because what I do isn't the same!"

"No, no," he said to her. "You understand me better than anyone, I just feel...overwhelmed-"

"I'm overwhelming you now?"

"Avery, will you shut up for one second?" Reid snapped as she shut her mouth. "This job. This job is my life. I spend literally every waking moment working on these cases. You know how cases absorb people. When the team's working on one, I need to be there."

"I know and I understand," she replied, calmly. "I just want you to recover. Fully recover. Take a break from your job. Spend time remembering who Spencer Reid is."

"I've only ever had my job."

"Well, see, now you have me," she chuckled, wrapping her arms around his waist and meeting his eyes. "An annoying bitch who'll keep you busy, all hours of the night."

He laughed and she smiled, standing on her toes and pressing her lips against his. His hands went to her face, one pressing against her cheek, the other pulling her closer by her hips.

She pulled back and smiled at him, pulling his phone from her back pocket. "Call Morgan back."

He smiled back and took the phone from her hands.