A Turning Point (Tag: Reid)

[Corey Spencer]

Corey settled into the large, first class seat of the plane and issued a low sigh.  He didn't mind flying so much or the crowds anymore.  Where he used to find only anxiety and nerves he now found sitting next to him a slender, redheaded source of comfort.  There had been minimal effort involved in getting through security and onto the plane, which was met with no small sense of relief on the big man's part.  The worst of the trip was over and it would be a matter of just a few hours before they would be landing in San Diego.

"Hey."  Corey said, glancing to Reid briefly before turning his attention back to the line of people still filing into the plane.  He made eye contact with a young man wearing a weathered shirt bearing the crest of the 82nd Airborne Infantry and gave a knowing nod.  There was a certain unspoken kinship shared among paratroopers.  It was almost as if they could sense one of their own.  "I want to thank you for coming with me to this."  He hesitated briefly before reaching out and lightly touching Reid's hand and offering a small smile.  He knew he didn't have to explain what this meant to him.  Even though it had nothing to do with the military or his service to put his uniform, which was hung neatly in a travel bag in a locker for the first class passengers, back on and to see his old Army buddies was a more difficult task than he let on.

[Reid Chase]

First class was never a thing Reid experienced. The air somehow smelled different. Her company was most definitely a welcomed difference she was willing to accept though. She was more than ready to dose herself with enough horse tranquilisers to sleep for a month but hearing Corey call out to her had her opening her eyes, immediately sighting the paratrooper Corey was nodding to. She suddenly felt a little out of place.

Should she give up her seat for him? Her body was halfway off the chair when she felt him touch her hand. She looked down at it and smiled. Looking up at him, the smile softened and she shrugged.

Reid probably wouldn't ever know exactly how much it meant to Corey that she had followed him on this trip. Which was probably why humour came so easy to her. "It was an easier decision than to let you go alone and have some badass lady somehow affiliated with the army hit on you." She chuckled, pressing her elbow against his lightly before settling again in her chair.

[Corey Spencer]

Corey watched curiously as Reid looked as though she was about to get up from her seat. He studied the redhead a moment before glancing over his shoulder to the soldier who was shuffling along down the narrow aisle before looking back to Reid and giving her a knowing smirk. "Don't worry." He said, waving a hand. "The one's worth giving your seat to don't want it."

A chuckle escaped at Reid's comment. A single brow quirked. Was this merely some sarcastic quip from Reid or a hint at something deeper? Corey didn't care much, to be honest. He trusted that Reid knew better of him. It wasn't as if he had a long list of sordid affairs to his credit or a line of suitors waiting for him and Reid to call off whatever it was they had built over the last few years. "Coming all this way just to be my guard dog?" He replied, settling back into the seat and looking forward as the train of passengers continued down the aisle. "I never took you for the protective, jealous type."

[Reid Chase]

As Reid settled into the seat, Corey's words caused her to smirk as well. She knew he was right, but it was still something she felt obligated to do.

Snorting indelicately at Corey's response, Reid watched as the remainder of the passengers moved to the back. "I'm not. But if I have to compete with anyone, I don't want it to be someone who could deliver my ass on a plate." She shrugged as nonchalant as she could muster.

"Okay, this seat is like a bed. Who knew first class was this nice?" Reid practically snuggled into her seat. "I could get used to this."

[Corey Spencer]

Corey issued a bit of a snort-like chuckle as Reid replied. His head shook. Reid certainly had her way with words. "Eloquent as always." He commented with a mockingly resigned sigh. "You're not going to have to worry about that anyway." He said. "I didn't work with a lot of women during those days." He admitted with a faint shrug of his shoulders. "It was mostly me and a bunch of good 'ole boys." An elbow reached across the arm rest and gave Reid a light nudge. "Anyway. You could give any potential suitors a fight, Army or not."

Another chuckle escaped even though Corey couldn't disagree. The situation had unfolded perfectly for them to land a pair of first class tickets. At the last minute he'd found out his friend whose wedding they were attending was going to pay for their flight leading Corey to splurge and take what he was going to spend and apply it to an upgrade. Apparently it was a first for the both of them. "I know, right? I usually get stuck between the kid with snot running down his nose and the lady who won't stop coughing."

[Reid Chase]

"You knew what you were getting." She shrugged, laughing lightly at his reassurance. "Eh, you're right. Who am I kidding, I could serve your ass on a plate if I put some effort." Reid raised an eyebrow in a challenging manner and was momentarily distracted by the flight attendant who was handing out wrapped towels. "Dude...we get hot towels." She poked Corey's arm.

Unwrapping the hot towel when she was given one, Reid pressed it on to her face and sighed. "I may be a thirty year old woman but getting benefits is like getting free candy. I need to personally thank Collins." She chuckled and wiped her face with the towel.

"Do you think we could get cookies? I watched a show where the character got those huge cookies and she even got to request it to be warmed up. Madness. I want one."

[Corey Spencer]

"Yeah. That's true." Corey replied with a nod. He didn't have much in terms of a smart ass answer for that. Everything that came with Reid was written on the label. She hid so little of her personality and was unashamed of this fact. Her forward nature remained one of the most endearing traits about her. "You're like a little kid at Disneyworld." Corey remarked before politely waving off the offered towel. "I don't think they serve anything other than drinks before the plane takes off." He said, though he then gave a faint shrug. "But I'm not sure. I've always been coach or, rarely, business."

Corey did partake in the pre-take off drink menu, ordering a whiskey and Coke for the early part of the flight before he exhaled sharply and settled into his seat. He barely paid attention to the instructions given by the flight attendants, though he was respectful enough to not speak during their speech. He remained silent until the plane taxi'd and was in the air. Once they'd reached cruising altitude and the attendant with the snack and drink cart passed by (only after he'd gotten a second whiskey and Coke), Corey glanced to Reid.

"So, I wanted to talk to you earlier but everything had been so busy getting ready for the trip." He said soberly. "I put my notice in at the fire department to take my old position back at Bellefonte."

[Reid Chase]

Reid laughed at the analogy and shrugged. "I am though. This is like Disneyland for adults." She gestured to the plane and laughed lightly. "Eh, bummer." She shrugged when told there wouldn't be any cookies. She would settle for the drink though, as she ordered a rum and Coke. She did promise herself she wouldn't have more than one drink on the plane. She also promised herself that she would raid the minibar at the hotel later. So that was neither here nor there.

She closed her eyes during takeoff, only opening them once the seatbelt light was off. Just in time for the cart too. She took a Coke and a few snacks before turning to Corey when he said he wanted to talk.

Turning her body towards Corey to show that she was listening, she ripped into her bag of chips. The news that Corey was going back to BA surprised Reid. "Yeah? How come?" She asked, curiousity clear in her eyes.

[Corey Spencer]

Corey took a short sip from the plastic cup that looked comically small in his large hand and sighed. There was a very clear reason he had felt the tug to return to the Academy and, in truth, he wished it didn't feel necessary. "With everything going on, it feels like I can do more good at the Academy." He said after taking a moment to gather his thoughts. He'd always been protective of the kids and staff at the Academy. Being away from the campus while the world around them seemed to be hurtling toward a tense explosion didn't feel right.

"I think..." Corey continued, pausing to take another sip from the cup. "I think Bellefonte needs me more." He finished simply.

[Reid Chase]

Reid grimaced at the reminder of the things that had recently happened. She didn't want to admit it, least of all to Corey that for once in her ten year career as a cop, she was ready to give up her badge and gun. She was essentially middle management and everyone knew middle management was just fancy term for paper pusher. Especially with the recent happenings in town, Reid felt increasingly useless as a higher up.

With Corey talking about moving back to BA, Reid's desire to get off the force was suddenly overwhelming. Not necessarily to move to BA. With Corey there, they probably had all the security they needed.

She reached a hand out and patted Corey's. "That's a pretty good move. They'd appreciate your return, I'm sure." She gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile before stuffing her mouth with chips. "Have you told Ezra about it?"

[Corey Spencer]

Corey wasn't returning to Bellefonte in a security or fighting role. He hadn't been tasked with anything like that since his first deployment with the Army back in 2002 when he was an infantryman with the 10th Mountain. No, Corey wasn't looking for a fight. He'd put that part of his life away long ago. He would walk back onto the Bellefonte campus as a healer and nothing more. Of course, that wasn't to say he didn't feel more comfortable about the safety and security of the staff and students with him there.

"Yeah." Corey couldn't keep the frown from his touching his features. He held Ezra in his regard and knew the disappointment and hurt that the younger paramedic had felt when Corey had broke the news. "He took it well enough. I think he understands why I'm doing it." Corey let out a low sigh. "He's disappointed, though. I know that much."

[Reid Chase]

Nodding, Reid understood exactly how Ezra was feeling.

"How could he not? That kid puts his heart on his sleeve. I've seen the way he looks at you." She chuckled, reminded of the times they've spent together at the joint barbecues. "I think he feels like he's losing his dad. Didn't you take him under your wing when he was still a student?" She asked.

[Corey Spencer]

Corey let out a low chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. He followed me to the fire department, I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to follow me back to the Academy." Even though it was said in jest, Corey was secretly hoping the younger paramedic did exactly that. Ezra was one of the few good guys left and Corey believed the Academy, and those protected by it, needed as many allies as they could get.

"The Academy runs four twelves instead of twenty four hour shifts." Corey said, now glancing to Reid. "The hours will be all over the place but with your schedule it'd free up more time." He sort of trailed off at the last bit as he didn't really know what it was he had been implying. A change from the grueling day long shifts he worked for the fire department was welcome and would certainly be conducive to spending more time with Reid, although he'd never admit that had been on his mind when making his decision to return to the Academy.

[Reid Chase]

Reid laughed at the thought. She wouldn't be surprised if Ezra did follow his mentor wherever he went. Reid believed both of them benefitted from their relationship. Reid didn't know much about Ezra but from what little she knew about him, she knew what she said before, about Ezra losing his dad with Corey's leave, wasn't that far from the truth.

When Corey mentioned more time, her gaze moved up to meet his. She wondered what that meant and briefly, she entertained the fact that Corey was telling her that more time with her was what he wanted. Lately, more time with Corey meant less time worrying. It was something she was sure she needed terribly.

After a long while, she smiled and slipped a chip into her mouth, looking away slightly out of embarrassment. "Sounds good." She said in a low voice. "So what's the plan after touching down...straight to the hotel?"

[Corey Spencer]

When he caught Reid's brilliant, emerald eyes focused on him Corey couldn't keep the appreciative smile from his face. It wasn't just her understanding words or that she had taken time away from work at the absolute worst time for a cop to go out of state but everything she'd been and would continue to be to be. Even though they'd been quiet in recent months Corey could always feel his inner demons lurking in the shadows of his mind and they only seemed to be driven away when in the presence of the fiery redhead.

So mesmerized by her gaze, chip and all, Corey actually had to clear his throat and glance away. "Uh, yeah. We'll catch a cab to the hotel. We're running through rehearsals tomorrow so we've got the rest of the day to ourselves." A thin smirk touched his lips. "Are you going to want to spend the entire day in the hotel with the A/C on or you think you're going to be able to handle not being in the mountains long enough to check out the area?" He chuckled a little. "I know a great little sushi bar right on the beach."