Betrayed?

Regrets For Leaving or Relief For Staying?

Back at London Interpol, Reid's having a hard time getting Emily's partner, Clyde, to trust him. She recruited him after helping him fake his death and it took some convincing to her boss that Reid was very useful.

Reid's new job was nothing serious yet. He just keeps Emily's office flowing while she's away. He checks cases and runs them through her computer before passing it on, so she didn't have a stack of papers to work out when she got back. Prentiss went back to the BAU to visit and help for the week, but secretly she went back just to see how everyone's coping with Reid's 'death'.

When she got back, she went straight to her office and opened the door.

Reid sat on the floor, reading through tons of case files and books, stacked up or scattered across the floor. He wore his original blouse, pants, socks, and shoes. He had his loose hair combed back and he wore glasses. When he looked up, he blushed and stuttered.

"E-Emily!" He jumped up and quickly started picking up his mess. "S-Sorry about the...the mess. I-Um...I didn't expect you to come back until tomorrow."

"It's alright." Emily smiled and set down her bag.

Reid set down the last of his books on the shelf and hesitated, stuffing his hand in his pocket, and with his other hand took off his glasses. He blinked with his lips pressed tight together.

"So um..." He cleared his throat. "How is everyone?"

Emily's sincere face sadly smiled up at him. She didn't know what to say without making Reid feel guilty. She's been down that road before. She was always feeling guilty when she faked her death and let her team suffer like that. She didn't want the man she's called her little brother to feel the same way. She felt protective over Reid. Like a true sister. A true friend. But she didn't want to treat him like a baby.

"Well..." She began with a sigh, "Garcia made the mistake by asking where you were during the first conference meeting without you."

Reid smiled sadly at the thought of Garcia and looked down at his hands playing with his glasses.

"JJ took a few days off to care for Henry...he's been acting sick since the funeral."

Reid's heart crushed in his chest slightly. His godson must be crying himself to sleep at night, the poor child. Reid felt completely awful for leaving him behind.

"JJ herself had a tiny episode during one of our cases. Blake never mentioned it but she misses you like she misses her son, Ethan. Rossi doesn't speak a word unless asked a question. Hotch doesn't mention you at all. But I've caught him glancing over at your portrait in the hallway."

That's right. Just like Emily before him, the team hung up a picture of Reid in the hallway where all the fallen agent's pictures were hung. Reid's picture was of him when Gideon was around. He was smaller, skinnier. His hair was short and slicked back and he wore those huge glasses. And instead of a neck tie he wore a bow. Classic nerd. Emily sees each of the team members pass by it on their way to work. Garcia is the only one that smiles when she sees those dorky glasses smiling back up at her.

Reid stood quietly, and Emily breathed in and let out a large sigh as she set down her sunglasses.

"And Morgan..."

She observed how Reid's knuckles turned white when he clutched his glasses tightly. He doesn't look up at her still, but she noticed how his jawline clenched tightly, signaling that he gritted his teeth behind those pursed lips.

"He just came back to work yesterday. He's had the time off longer than any of the others."

"So he wants everyone to pity him because he thinks it all about him." Reid snaps in his quiet, whiskey voice. "He'll be like 'oh my best friend's dead everyone should feel sorry for me and I should be off of work for two months solid'!"