"Reid, I would have stopped kicking sooner, but I wasn't sure you caught onto my plan… I hope I didn't hurt you." Hotch's stomach was in knots over the kicks he had sunk into Reid's torso. Much to his surprise, Reid merely smirked.

"Hotch, I was a child prodigy in a Las Vegas high school…you kick like a nine year old girl." He smiled at his boss. The fact that Hotch was so obviously torn over what he had done warmed Reid's heart.

Just as Hotch was about to wander away and give Reid some space, the first responder checking Reid over spoke. "I think you have at least three broken ribs, but I'm reasonably sure there's no internal bleeding. I'd still prefer you come in for observations overnight."

Hotch stared at Reid, stunned. The young man looked like he would snap in a strong wind, and yet he sat quite calmly with broken ribs. When Reid grew uncomfortable under Hotch's gaze, he turned to the man beside him. "I know what to look out for with regards to internal bleeding. I'll be fine, thank you." With that he rose from where he sat on the ambulance tailgate and walked away.

Hotch followed, uncertain if he was about to step over one of Reid's boundaries. "You're not going home when they want you in the hospital." He commented quietly. "I know you have an aversion to hospitals, but if you won't go to a hospital I need you to at least stay with someone tonight." He turned concerned eyes to meet Reid's stunned gaze. "I'd worry."

Reid's smile was stunningly bright. "No one has ever done something like that for me before Hotch, thank you."

Before he could stop it, his brow had raised and the words slipped out of his mouth. "What? No one has ever beaten you up and then tried to take it back?" the sarcastic quip was out of his mouth before he could stop it, and he knew Reid never picked up on sarcasm.

The younger agent merely shook his head. "Definitely not that. But I was referring to your insistence that I have company in case something happens." Before Hotch could comment he continued. "JJ would have, I'm sure…had she known every time I was beaten and had to stay by myself at home. She's a worrier, I didn't want her stressing over things she couldn't control."

Hotch shook his head in stunned silence before letting out a sigh. "Alright, would you stay at my place? I promise not to hover…too much." Guilt was nawing at his stomach that he had been the one to do this to Reid. Sure, there hadn't been another choice, but he felt he should have waited to see if another choice presented.

Reid was shaking his head before Hotch even finished his sentence. Hotch knew he wasn't much for people, especially new people, but he had thought that kid had gotten used to him. Morgan appeared beside Reid, watching the younger man closely.

"Come on Pretty Boy, you're staying with me until you're healed up." He didn't give the younger man a chance to protest as he led him toward his car, he offered Hotch a tight nod. Hotch noticed the protectiveness and hovering. He'd never seen Morgan like this before.

Hotch glanced at the screen of his phone, surprised that Derek was calling him so late. "You broke three of his ribs!" Morgan growled angrily through the phone before Hotch could say hello. "You're lucky you didn't puncture one of his lungs, he'd never heal from that."

"What do you mean he'd never heal from that? Why wouldn't he heal?" Hotch asked cautiously; he could tell Morgan was beyond angry with him. He was more protective of Reid than he was with even Garcia.

"His lungs aren't in the greatest shape. Ever since he had the plague…he's never quite been back to full health as far as his lungs are concerned." Morgan spoke quietly, as if he was hiding from the memory itself. "He was consulting with the CDC a while back; someone was releasing different strains of the virus onto the public. Reid helped them figure out who it was and went to help them find data. He was the first into the lab…and he locked the door behind him as soon as he realised the air was contaminated."

Hotch held his breath, not sure how he felt about this. It was obvious Morgan cared deeply for the younger man, and so Hotch found himself just as protective, if only to protect Morgan from heartache. "What happened?"

Morgan sighed. "They called me in; he thinks more clearly when there's someone around to bounce his thoughts off of. I watched him work through that entire lab, looking for the cure. He wouldn't let anyone else in, not even in suits. He said he was already exposed, why chance their lives as well?" he took a deep breath. "I was watching him die Hotch."

Given that Morgan's anger seemed to have calmed, Hotch decided it was time to push a little. "So when are you going to tell him how you feel? When are you going to ask him out?" he could easily tell how Morgan felt, but he wasn't sure yet about Reid. Morgan would have to make that call for himself.

Morgan cursed under his breath. "That obvious huh? And the kid is still completely oblivious." He chuckled. "I was going to take him to this new book store this weekend…but now…he should rest."

Hotch shook his head. "Morgan, he won't care if you're in a fancy restaurant, surrounded by books or in some dirty alleyway. Just tell him how you feel and ask him out."