✓ | delphinus ( reid )

xv

"but i can't do this alone, sometimes i just need a light"

"can i have a moment alone with layla?" reid asked gideon as he started to walk him to the ambulance.

gideon nodded and walked off, still within reach if reid needed anything. reid turned back to layla and she placed her hands on his shoulders to support him.

"you know, i profile people for a living," he stated.

layla nodded, "yes i know. i happen to have that job too," she replied, not seeing where this was going.

"seeing through lies is something i'm especially good at," he elaborated.

layla nodded, "i would hope so. that's an important part of our job."

reid nodded in agreement, "so when i asked you what all you remembered, i knew the moment you started lying," he said.

layla's heart stopped, but not at all in a similar way to the pervious days.

"you may have been totally wasted, but you remember everything don't you." reid said, a small smirk forming on his lips.

layla nodded shyly, "yeah, i do. i'm sorry about that. i felt to bad about it and everything. i sent like i was pressuring you into things and drunk layla just couldn't tell. i would never actually make you lay with me, or kiss me or-"

reid cut layla off, "normally i'd interrupt you right now by kissing you, but since i'm covered in blood and smell like dead animals, i'll save that for later."

layla blushed and looked down at her feet.

"you're very enticing spencer reid," she said with a grin.

reid chuckled weakly. "go. i'll catch up with you. i need a second alone," he requested.

"you sure you'll be okay?" layla asked worriedly.

reid nodded, "ill be fine."

layla patted reid on the shoulder before walking to join gideon by a tree.

"seemed like quite a conversation," gideon commented, not even looking directly at layla.

"could you hear?" she asked.

gideon shook his head. "i profile for a living too. body language ramsi," he said making her sigh.

"jesus christ," she muttered to herself.

"i won't tell," gideon promised, making layla smile.

"thanks."

gideon nodded, "of course."

a few minutes later reid got up from his crouched spot on the ground and started limping towards layla and gideon. they rushed over and helped him walk to the ambulance. the whole team climbed into the back to ride to the hospital with him. the ride was silent, but not an awkward silence by any means. it was one of the most comfortable silences layla had ever experienced. once they unloaded reid and sent him into a room to be fixed up, the team sat down in the lobby to wait.

"think he'll really be okay hotch?" morgan asked.

hotch nodded. "reid's tough. he'll be okay. we just have to be there for him," he told the team.

layla sat next to jj, and both girls were absolutely exhausted. layla rested her head on jj's shoulder and jj laid her head on top of layla's. moments later, both girls were asleep.

"this has been tough on them," emily commented, gesturing to the two blondes.

morgan nodded in agreement.

"they're very close with spencer," hotch agreed.

gideon couldn't help but smile to himself.

"what?" morgan asked, looking at gideon.

"oh nothing," he replied.

morgan raised his eyebrows. "what are you hiding?" he asked.

gideon shook his head, "nothing you need to know."

morgan couldn't hide the growing smile on his face.

"okay, i see how it is," emily laughed.

"don't take it personally gideon. morgan just can't handle his ego being ripped by not being let in on a secret," she teased.

morgan feigned offense, "i guess now i know hotch is the only person here who really has my back."

"don't forget about me honey.," garcia said.

derek chuckled. "how could i babygirl," he replied, making her smile as well.

finally, after days, the team was all together again and happy.