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“Do you think he’ll ever come back?” Spencer asks softly, desperately on the plane heading back to the BAU headquarters.
“Gideon?” He doesn’t know why he asks when he knows exactly who’s being talked about. Spencer nods and looks over at him with wide, hungry eyes that he tries not to get lost in. “I don’t know. Maybe he can’t-”, Derek replies, tired and a little uncomfortable with the question, with Reid in general these days.
“Can’t?!” Spencer’s head whips around to see if he woke anyone with his outburst but the rest of the team is thankfully still asleep. It’s been a hard case for all of them.
“Maybe he doesn’t have it in him anymore is all I’m saying…After a while we’ll all burn out, Reid. If we don’t we’ll turn into the monsters we hunt…” The last part is said so quietly Spencer thinks it’s more Derek’s answer than his. But he doesn’t deny how true it sounds.
“Maybe…” He sits back in his seat, seeking its leathery warmth. Across from him Derek closes his burning red eyes. He doesn’t miss the, “I miss him,” that Spencer murmurs, nor does he respond. He doesn’t have to. No one knows better than him how a mentor and friend can change a man, or how easy it is to long for what’s gone.