Miles To Go Before We Sleep, Part Six, Morgan/Reid, R/FRM
Title: Miles To Go Before We Sleep, Part Six
Authors: innerslytherin and severity_softly
Pairing: Morgan/Reid
Rating: R/FRM this part (up to NC-17/FRAO for the entire fic)
Summary: After Reid goes off the rails in Texas, Morgan decides Reid needs a friend to support him through whatever he's going through. Several cases and "awesomely" bad sci-fi flicks later, they both realize "friendship" isn't exactly what they want...but sorting through the baggage that stands in the way of a closer relationship is more difficult than either of them expected. Starting immediately after "Elephant's Memory" and running beyond the end of "Lo-fi", this is a multi-chaptered, non-WIP fic.
Word count: this part, ~7,300; overall, ~130K
Spoilers: Entire series - specifically Profiler, Profiled, The Big Game/Revelations, Elephant's Memory, In Heat, Tabula Rasa, and Lo-fi. (This chapter specifically references The Crossing and Tabula Rasa)
Warnings: Overall: UST, references to past sexual abuse, drug use/references to past drug use
Notes: Written in RP format. Not currently AU, but it will be after season four starts, as we've written our own ending to Lo-fi. :) A million thanks to mnemosyne_1 for being an awesome beta! These chapter are going to start coming faster now, as we plan to plow ahead to get this all posted before season four begins! :D

Previous Parts: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five


The Baltimore case had been unpleasant, but at least they'd concluded it without any fatalities, and managed to catch Keri Derzmond's stalker once and for all. Morgan was glad to be home, but he'd ended up heading back to his house without being able to talk to Reid. Hotch had wanted to consult Reid on something about the case, and Morgan had finally just waved to Reid on his way out.

So far, he thought, they'd managed to avoid raising too much suspicion, and he wanted to keep it that way for a while longer, if possible. He went through his usual homecoming routine of throwing the contents of his ready bag into the washer, taking the dog for a short run, and checking his answering machine. He had a call from Desiree, one from his mother, and one from a woman he'd met several weeks ago. He deleted the last call and decided to put off calling his family members. He hadn't asked Reid if he could talk to his family about them, though he assumed the answer would be yes. Then again, he also wasn't sure he was ready to take that step.

Reid had been disappointed when Morgan left the BAU, but he couldn't really blame him. Reid spent the hour that followed in Hotch's office, talking about the Maryland case. By the time Reid got to the VRE, it was past dinner time. He mentally kicked himself for being disappointed Morgan wasn't at the station, because he knew better than to assume that would become a regular thing. He got coffee at the station, and waited for the train.

He made it halfway to the Brooke station before giving in to his desires, and fished his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Morgan.

Morgan checked the caller ID and grinned. "Pretty boy," he said in greeting. "Hotch finally let you out? Where are you?" It occurred to him a moment too late that the rapid-fire questions probably betrayed his eagerness to see Reid, but a moment after that, he decided he didn't care.

Reid glanced around himself unnecessarily, smiling a little at the greeting. "The train, halfway between Quantico and Brooke. Where are you?"

"Home. Feel like coming over?" Morgan glanced at Clooney, who had his chin resting on one of Morgan's feet. "or you want company?"

Reid bit his lip, mentally calculating how long it would take him to walk the few miles to his house and then drive the twenty or so miles to Woodbridge. He shrugged. "Either way," he said, knowing he really ought to go to Morgan's and at least try to see if Clooney could be in the same room with him. He wasn't really looking forward to that, however.

"Tell you what. You're already on your way home, how about I meet you there?" Morgan suggested. He gave Clooney a pat on the head and decided, optimistically, to take an overnight bag with him.

Relieved, though he wasn't about to say as much, Reid nodded. "Sounds good."





Morgan broke the speed limit on his way to Stafford, wondering if Reid had had time to get home yet. He headed to the train station first and was pleased to see a lone figure walking back in the direction of Reid's apartment. Morgan guided the bike to the curb.

"Hey, good-looking, want a ride?" he called.

Reid was grinning before he even turned around, having heard the bike before Morgan spoke. "Flattery will get you everywhere," he answered, and stowed his bag, not failing to notice Morgan's bag. He pulled on his helmet and wrapped his arms around Morgan easily as he slid onto the bike.

"As long as it gets me in your bed," Morgan said, grinning and hoping Reid would know he was partly teasing. He covered Reid's hand with his own for a moment, then pulled out, heading for Reid's apartment.

Reid laughed and was about to tell Morgan he didn't need flattery for that, but the roar of the bike's engine swallowed his voice and he settled for enjoying the way this felt, the powerful machine beneath him and Morgan against his chest.

A few minutes later, they were at the apartment. Morgan followed Reid inside and just let him get the door closed before he pressed Reid's lanky form back against it and kissed him hungrily. "I've been wanting to do that for days," he whispered.

The sudden kiss was surprising, but good, and Reid hummed into it happily, liking the way it felt to have Morgan pinning him against the door. The notebooks in his bag were digging into his back, but he didn't care. "God, Morgan," he gasped, breathless, and pulled Morgan in for another kiss.

"Mmm," Morgan replied, more interested in kissing than talking just now. He'd had plenty of talking with Reid over the past several days. They'd even had some time alone, but it had been on work time, and they were both unwilling to cross those boundaries. When he needed to breathe, he pulled away a couple of inches, framing Reid's face with his hands. "I like getting you alone," he murmured.

It was funny how it was both difficult and incredibly easy to shut this off at work. The impulse to touch Morgan didn't go away, but it was overshadowed by their job. It was lucky for them, Reid thought, that they both understood that, how important what they did was to each of them. He smiled at Morgan. "I like this," he whispered. "I missed this." It occurred to him too late that maybe it was too soon to be missing this, but he didn't care.

Morgan nodded and finally moved back to let Reid away from the door. "Seems funny to say I missed you when we were together all week," he said, grinning crookedly.

Reid stepped away, dropping his keys onto the kitchen counter and stretching the muscle his bag had been pressed into. He dropped his bag to the floor and ran a hand down Morgan's arm to lace his fingers with Morgan's. "It's easier than I thought it would be."

"To separate things?" Morgan said, rubbing his thumb over Reid's and tugging him back into his arms. He liked wrapping his arms around Reid and holding him close. He liked the way Reid leaned into his embrace. "This job takes all our focus. I thought I'd be distracted, but..." He shrugged. "We're both dedicated to our work."

"Mm-hmm," Reid replied. "Let's go somewhere more comfortable," he added, suddenly not caring that it was past dinner time and he hadn't eaten.

Morgan kissed him briefly. "Couch or bed?"

Reid hummed thoughtfully, then started to tug Morgan back towards the bedroom.

Smiling, Morgan followed. He hadn't really had a preference, but he was glad they both seemed to feel more comfortable with the bedroom than they had the first night. He was also glad he'd packed a bag; once he got in bed with Reid, he knew he wasn't going to want to leave.

Once Morgan was comfortable on the bed, Reid settled next to him and rolled onto his side, drawing his fingertips down the side of Morgan's face and across his jaw. It was sort of amazing that he was allowed to do this. After a moment, he leaned in and kissed Morgan softly.

"Spencer Reid," Morgan whispered between kisses. He didn't know why he felt the need to speak. Maybe it was just to remind himself that this was important, this was someone he cared about and not just mindless pleasure. He lifted a hand to cup Reid's cheek as they kissed, liking the way he and Reid felt together.

Reid smiled a little against Morgan's lips, liking the sound of his name rolling off them so softly. He wasn't sure it was normal to just want to kiss Morgan and touch Morgan, and he briefly wondered if this was what all relationships were like, talking less and touching more. Perhaps that was a phase in any given relationship. He decided he could think about that later, and slid his hand across Morgan's chest, deepening the kiss.

Morgan hummed, pleased at the way their tongues slid together, how Reid seemed to be mapping his mouth. It was strange to be so excited about kissing, but he liked the way everything felt different and important because it was Reid. He shifted closer.

Reid returned Morgan's hum, enjoying the subtle vibration of Morgan's mouth against him at the sound, and slid his fingers under Morgan's shirt. They'd done this much before, but Reid closed his eyes and took in the feeling of Morgan's body against his, then trailed his lips over Morgan's jaw.

A short breath escaped Morgan's lips as Reid trailed kisses along his skin. His fingers slid into Reid's hair. "Oh, yes," he whispered, stroking his fingers through the soft strands.

Reid licked along Morgan's jaw, enjoying Morgan's hand in his hair. He couldn't help but wonder if this really felt as good to Morgan as it seemed, or if Morgan was just being nice, considering Morgan's experience, or Reid's lack thereof. Still, Reid moved his mouth over Morgan's Adam's apple, liking the way it felt against his lips.

Morgan shifted again, sliding his hand down to wrap his arm around Reid's waist. They needed to be closer; he wanted more contact. He wanted to make Reid ask for more, to show him how much Morgan wanted him. "Spencer," he breathed again, rolling so he was leaning against Reid. He ducked his head for a hungry kiss.

Reid wrapped an arm around Morgan's shoulder, gasping at both the kiss and the weight against his body. He returned the kiss, a thrill going through his body, and hooked a leg around Morgan's, moaning into the kiss. "Morgan," he whispered, and kissed Morgan again.

That moan shot straight to Morgan's groin, sending a pulse of desire through him. Why was it so damn sexy making Spencer Reid come undone like this? Sexy and addictive. He pressed against Reid, his mouth becoming more demanding.

Reid moaned again, his fingers curling against Morgan's shoulder as Morgan's kiss drove a need through Reid's body. Part of him hoped he wasn't going to wind up hard and excited without relief again, but another part of him was still a little worried about what getting that relief meant for both their relationship and for Reid's long-hel virginity. "God!" he gasped, and shifted to pull Morgan tighter against him.

Morgan echoed the sentiment in his head, nibbling along Reid's jaw until his lips found Reid's earlobe. Panting, he sucked the sensitive skin, bringing his free hand up to stroke Reid's face and hair. "So gorgeous," he breathed, raking his teeth lightly across Reid's skin. A voice in the back of his mind whispered that he might be getting carried away, but he ignored it.

Reid's breath went ragged and he arched against Morgan, whimpering a little. "Mmm, you are," he whispered, his body loosening more as desire built. The hand curled against Morgan's shoulder closed around the top of Morgan's shirt and tugged. He'd slept against a shirtless Morgan before, and he suddenly thought being able to touch more of Morgan seemed like an awfully good idea. "Want to touch you."

Morgan liked that idea. He lifted his head enough to look down at Reid, his gaze heated. "Take it off," he said, shifting his weight off one arm first, then the other, as Reid tugged his shirt off for him. God, he liked Reid undressing him. He leaned in for another kiss, even though he had barely caught his breath. Who would ever have suspected lanky, buttoned-up Dr. Reid of being this passionate?

I'm undressing Derek Morgan. There was that mind-erasing desire again, and Reid had to fight the desire to rub himself against Morgan's thigh. His hands slid over the planes of Morgan's chest and back. Morgan was perfect beauty. Reid squashed the impulse to blurt out 'what do you see in me?' and kissed Morgan hard, matching the hunger Morgan had just kissed him with.

This was incredible. Morgan met the kiss happily, moaning into Reid's mouth. His hips pressed against Reid, sending a pulse of desire through him, but it was followed almost instantly by the realization that he had to back off a little or this was going to go further than they were ready for. He forced himself to break the kiss and pull back again, watching Reid. "You're beautiful," he panted, his gaze warm.

Oh, the press of Morgan's hips, feeling Morgan's desire against him, sent simultaneous thrills of lust and fear through Reid, and he gasped, clutching Morgan as Morgan rolled away so that the momentum pulled him on top of Morgan. Reid smiled down at Morgan. "God, you're... mmm." He opened his mouth again, but stopped the words before they formed something even less coherent.

Morgan closed his eyes, feeling a strange, sick jolt in the pit of his stomach as Reid's weight settled on top him. It's all right, he told himself. You're choosing this. You want this. But it was Carl's voice he could hear, Come on, Derek, you know you want this. It's all right, no one else has to know... His fingers gripped Reid's shoulders, his body wanting Reid against him but his mind rebelling.

Reid was still smiling faintly as he leaned in, trailing kisses along Morgan's jaw, nibbling a little and liking the faint rasp of stubble against his teeth. He moaned softly and pressed down, fitting their bodies against one another with another little thrill at how that felt.

Morgan froze, his eyes flying open. This is Reid, he thought. Spencer. It's safe. It didn't help. His heart jumped into his throat, and his mouth went dry. "Off, get off," he muttered, pushing at Reid--gently at first, but Reid didn't seem to get it, so he pushed harder. "Get off!" he bit out, and shoved himself violently back to the edge of the bed as soon as Reid's weight was off him. He drew his knees up and stared at the wall, panting.

Reid frowned and was about to hum a questioning noise when Morgan shoved at him. A wash of cold flooded him, though it hadn't even hit him just yet what might be wrong. He pushed away, scooting back on his knees. His face was still flushed with desire, and his breath went even more tight for a completely different reason. His brows drew together in concern. "Morgan."

Spencer, Morgan reminded himself, but instead of speaking, he turned and put his feet on the floor, resting his elbows on his knees and dropping his face into his hands. He could suddenly hear Carl's voice, whispering that it was all right, that Derek was special, that everything was going to be okay. He shuddered. It's over with, he told himself fiercely. He's rotting in jail, he can't hurt you. It didn't help.

"Morgan," Reid repeated. He reached out a hand to touch Morgan, but then thought better of it. His mind was reeling, trying to catch up with this sudden change. "I-- I'm--" He swallowed the apology before it came out when he realized he had no idea what he was apologizing for. "Talk to me," he whispered.

Morgan shuddered again and made himself focus on the confusion in Reid's voice. He didn't want to hurt Reid. He didn't want to lose what they had just because he was still dealing with his childhood trauma. He sighed and shifted so he could reach one hand back to Reid. "What is there to talk about?" he muttered hoarsely. "You just found a broken place, I guess."

Reid took Morgan's hand as soon as it was offered and squeezed it, drawing in a deep breath. His eyes prickled a little when he realized what Morgan meant, and it occurred to him that he should have realized it sooner, but the haze of arousal had been clouding his mind. He swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."

Morgan cleared his throat. "Not your fault," he managed. He thought guiltily that he should have been expecting something like this sooner rather than later. Maybe if he'd been more careful, he could have avoided this. Just like always, you mess up the stuff that really matters, he thought, hoping Reid wouldn't kick him out. He gave himself a mental eye-roll; of course Reid wouldn't kick him out. But still, he was going to start resenting Morgan's issues, sooner or later.

"I know," Reid whispered, and swallowed again, shifting a little closer to Morgan without touching him any more than he already was. "I know, but I am."

Morgan shivered and lifted his head, his eyes stinging even though they were dry. For twenty years, he'd managed to keep all that locked up inside him, and he'd never thought anything was wrong. He'd thought he'd got past it all. And now here he was, forcing Reid to deal with this when Reid had enough issues of his own. "I'm sorry, Spencer," he muttered, glancing away.

Reid bit his lip, looking down at the bed. His heart was aching. Hurting Morgan was the last thing he wanted to do. "Maybe we shouldn't do this," he whispered.

Morgan went still, going cold. Reid was already giving up on him? His breathing sped up again. How would he be able to walk away from Reid now, knowing what he was losing? He closed his eyes. "Is that what you want?" he asked, his voice flat.

"No!" Reid said, and automatically moved closer, squeezing Morgan's hand again and gently touching his back. "I don't want to hurt you. I don't--" Reid shook his head, not sure what he was trying to say.

Morgan let out a short sigh and leaned back into Reid's touch. "Put your arms around me," he said, wondering how strong Reid was prepared to be for him. He kept his eyes closed, concentrating on breathing more evenly.

Reid frowned at Morgan for a moment, but then moved up behind him and wrapped his arms around Morgan, holding him tightly and splaying his fingers across Morgan's chest. He was quiet for a moment, closing his eyes and turning his cheek to rest it against the back of one broad shoulder. "If I could take this from you, I would."

Morgan sighed, wanting to take comfort from this. He felt jumpy and unsettled. "You're a good man, Spencer. I know that." He swallowed. "I--I hope you know this...isn't about you." He opened his eyes and stared at the Millennium Falcon. "I want to be with you."

"I know it's not about me," Reid whispered. "But it's about this, about--" Reid squeezed his eyes tighter and unconsciously squeezed Morgan tighter too. "I can't... remind you of the worst thing that ever happened to you and not question whether this is good for either of us."

"I'll get over it," Morgan said, his voice tight. He leaned into Reid's embrace, remembering how good, how safe he had felt before. "Look, you--Spencer, you're important to me, okay? What we have... this is the best thing that's happened to me. So don't try to tell me it's not good. Just...just don't give up on me."

Reid settled a little closer to Morgan, hoping he wasn't pushing him too soon, and slid his arms down around Morgan's waist. "I don't want to hurt you," he repeated, partly because it was true, but also because that was the difference between Reid and Carl. One of the many differences, in fact.

"I know you don't." Morgan sighed, then turned his head, leaning it against Reid's. "I know what a good man you are. Better than I deserve," he said, smiling faintly. "I'm gonna make this work, Spencer. I like being with you. I like how I feel when I'm with you." His breathing had gone more normal, at least, even if his heart still felt like it was going to push its way out through his skin. "I respect you." He covered one of Reid's hands with his own, trying not to grip too tightly. "And I want you," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "I want to get past this."

Reid nodded, covering the hand on top of his with his other hand. His stomach flipped a little when Morgan said he wanted him, but Reid wasn't sure right now whether it was a good flip or a bad one. "How do we do that?"

"I don't know," Morgan said after a moment. "Keep trying." He wondered if he could settle in next to Reid to sleep tonight. He wanted to. He sighed. "I think I need a glass of water." And get away from the bed for a minute.

Reid nodded again and let go of Morgan, waiting for Morgan to wander out of the room before he flopped back on the bed. He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes until he saw stars.

Morgan splashed water over his face and then drank an entire glass, pacing around the kitchen and telling himself he wasn't allowed to punch any walls in Reid's apartment. The guilt was being pushed under anger, which was a relief. Anger, he was used to. Anger wasn't as weak as guilt. He hated that Carl Buford was still reaching through the years to fuck around with his head.

Taking deep breaths, he filled the glass from the tap again. Anger wasn't going to fix this, though. Anger wasn't going to make the panic go away, and he didn't want to go back to Spencer's bed angry. He glanced at the door, fighting the temptation to just walk out. It would be easy... but Spencer would probably never forgive him.

Finally, he slumped against the counter, rubbing his hands over his face. "God, what do I do?" he whispered.

Reid waited for a while, feeling something like the proverbial lead weight settle in his stomach. He was starting to panic now, but he suppressed it, knowing panic wasn't going to help Morgan at all. Suddenly, it felt as though he'd assumed some great responsibility that he hadn't considered before now.

After a while, it seemed clear that Morgan wasn't coming back to bed. In fact, Reid wondered if maybe he'd left. Reid couldn't blame him, if that were the case, even if it would sting. Reid eventually got off the bed and wandered into the kitchen, feeling his chest loosen when he saw that Morgan was still there. "Hey," he breathed.

Morgan lifted his head, trying to smile. "Hey," he replied. He wondered if Reid knew how close he'd come to running away. He held out an arm in invitation, hoping he wouldn't freak out again.

Reid offered a small smile and walked over to Morgan, taking his hand. "I'm glad you're still here."

Morgan pulled Reid into his arms with a sigh. "I thought about leaving," he admitted. "But I couldn't do that to you."

"I knew you'd consider that," Reid whispered, wrapping his arms around Morgan. "I'd like to say I wouldn't have been angry, but I probably would have been."

"I wouldn't blame you for being angry," Morgan said. He tightened his arms and leaned his head lightly against Reid's. "I hate feeling like that. Scared. Guilty." He closed his eyes. Reid is so different from Carl, he told himself. Reid cares about making you feel right. He doesn't want to hurt you. Finally, finally, he could feel himself starting to relax.

Reid nodded against Morgan's shoulder, closing his eyes. "I know." And he really did. He'd lived with enough fear and guilt to stifle most people.

After a few minutes, Morgan sighed. "Let's go back to bed," he said quietly. "I'm not going to run away."

Reid pulled away just enough to meet Morgan's gaze. "Are you sure? If you want to leave, I'll understand."

"I'm not going to let that bastard steal this from me too," Morgan said, his voice low. After a moment he leaned in and kissed Reid. It started out demanding and a little angry, but as it went on and Morgan felt himself responding to the fact that this was Spencer in his arms, the kiss gentled.

In another situation, Reid might have found a kiss like that exciting, except that right now Reid knew where that fire was coming from. He closed his fingers into the back of Morgan's shirt, returning the kiss with more enthusiasm when he felt Morgan start to relax again. He pulled away a little and stroked his hand down Morgan's back. "Okay. Let's go to bed."



*****



"I'm still at the BAU," Morgan said into his cell phone, ignoring the way Penelope was giving him the eye. "Don't worry, pretty boy. I'll be here when you get back from Roanoke. I want to hear how things went."

There was something going on with Morgan. There was just something different in the way he had carried himself over the last couple of weeks. Gracia had noticed he seemed to be avoiding her gaze a lot lately, and wasn't nearly as flirty as he usually was with other people. It wasn't drastic, but it was enough to make her wonder. Garcia had let it go on long enough to decide if it was something she should involve herself in before deciding it clearly was.

She stared at Morgan for a long moment, knowing he knew she was watching him. It was almost a game. But she quickly got bored and swept past the desk, brushing his shoulder as she passed him. "Walk with me, talk with me," she requested, and kept right on walking.

Morgan furrowed his brows, but followed. "Whatever my goddess of knowledge commands," he said, grinning. Shit. He should have hung up before answering Garcia's summons. Then again, he had a feeling she knew him too well. For that matter, he hadn't invited her out in a couple of weeks. That in itself could have been a tip-off.

"Ohoho, flattery will get you everywhere," she said, turning to grin at him over her shoulder, then darting a glance at Morgan's phone. "Is it important?"

"It's Reid," Morgan said, which was answer enough in his opinion (of course, it was important), though likely she would see it differently.

Garcia slowed down so that she was walking next to Morgan rather than ahead of him. "Is it important?" she repeated. "I mean, is it okay if I interrupt you?"

Morgan was tempted to ask if her interruption was important, but he had a feeling that might not get the reaction he wanted. "Sugar, it's always okay if you interrupt me," he said.

Garcia gave Morgan a wicked grin. "Oh, that? Was the correct answer." She snatched the phone out of his hand. "Spencer, love, Her Greatness has to borrow Morgan from you for a moment. He'll call you back later. Mwa!" She snapped the phone shut as they rounded the steps to her den of wisdom.

"Hey!" Morgan frowned playfully and shook his head at her. "You know he's gonna be in court all afternoon. So what's so important that Her Greatness couldn't wait a few minutes for me to finish?"

Garcia just smiled at Morgan. "He loves me, just like you do," she dismissed, then shook her head. "Oh no, my pet, this is not a matter for prying ears."

Morgan shut the door behind them, then tilted his head and folded his arms, watching her. "Spill. You and Kevin are running off to Vegas to get married?"

Garcia blinked at him for a moment, her brows drawing together in confusion, then shook her head. "No. You only wish this was about me."

Shit, shit, shit. Morgan raised his eyebrows. "Oh, so this is about me, is that what you're saying? Am I in trouble, mama?"

Garcia eyed Morgan for a moment. "Maybe. I haven't decided yet." That, of course, depended on why Morgan was keeping things from her. She pressed her palm against his chest and started gently walking him back towards her chair. "Sit."

His eyebrows went up further, and he sat, watching her. Shit, Reid might kill him. Then again, Reid also knew how Garcia could be. Hmm...Flowers and chocolates usually bought forgiveness from women. He wondered what it would take for the genius Dr. Reid. Flowers for Garcia...and what for Reid?

Garcia waited for him to sit and then drew a second chair up, sitting on it backwards and giving him a discerning look. "Derek Morgan, you've been keeping things from me. I might not be a profiler, Sweet Pea, but I notice when a player stops playing, and I especially notice when they stop playing with their platonic female friends, even if that very P word when applied to us does break my heart so."

Derek tried on a grin. Maybe distraction would work. "Platonic? Sugar, you know I worship you. It's just that, you and me, we're so good together as we are. I'm not worthy of you." He leaned in, tapping her nose. "Anyway, that hunk of burning geek-love of yours might kill me."

Garcia pursed her lips and swatted at Morgan's hand, knocking her glasses in the process, but recovering them quickly without so much as acknowledging it. She pulled on a serious face, one that was marred with a tiny smile at Morgan's assessment of Kevin (he had no idea) for the briefest of moments, then pointed a finger at him. "No. No. This is not distract Garcia with flattery time."

"No? Is this...tell Garcia she's the woman by whom I measure all others time?" He kept grinning, but it was taking more effort. This is head for the hills time, Derek.

"No. You can tell me that after you've answered two questions to my satisfaction," Garcia said, still pointing at him. "One, who is she? And two, when do I get to meet her so I can decide whether she's worthy to touch my favorite studmuffin?" She paused. "Second favorite. But for the purposes of this conversation, Kevin doesn't count."

Morgan clutched at his chest. "Second favorite? I rate second to Kevin?" He leaned in to check her forehead for a fever. "You think Kevin's a studmuffin?"

Garcia actually felt her cheeks heat at the last question, but she managed to glare at Morgan anyway. "Morgan." After a moment, she took his hand from her head to hold it in both her hands between them. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

He sat back, but didn't try to pull his hand away from hers. "I know, baby girl." But this secret involves more than just me.

Garcia looked at him for a moment, her expression softening a bit. "What's going on with you?"

His eyebrows drew together and he squeezed her hand. "I'm not sure I can tell you, sweetness." He held up his free hand. "I'm keeping someone else's secrets, not just my own." Then he tilted his head. "And may I remind you that you didn't tell me about you and Studmuffin Kevin. I had to learn about that from JJ."

"Well, yeah, but Kevin and I work together. Sort of. Kind of. I just couldn't..." Garcia trailed off suddenly. Keeping someone else's secrets? That implied it was someone Garcia knew, otherwise it wouldn't be an issue just to tell her, even in a general sense. Garcia's lips parted, and she glanced back at Morgan, realization dawning. "Oh my God, who?"

Morgan sighed and mentally apologized to Reid. Refusing to tell her was just going to make this worse, and she would figure it out soon anyway. He wouldn't put it past her to start tracing the calls on his cell. He rubbed at the back of his neck and looked away. "You just hung up on him."

Garcia's brows drew together in instant confusion. For a moment, she just didn't get it. Then a moment later she laughed and smiled at him. "Come on. You know I have ways to find out these sorts of things." He didn't look like he was joking, though.

He raised his eyebrows and sat back, folding his arms across his chest and watching her. She was a smart woman; she'd figure it out.

Just something in the way Morgan sat back like that and didn't answer wiped the smile right off Garcia's face. He wasn't kidding. Her eyes went a little wide, her gaze searching his, and when she finally managed to speak again, her tone was more impressed than judgmental. "How did that happen?" she asked, her lips curving slightly.

"If I knew..." he said, shrugging. After a moment, he sighed. "You see all and know all, Penelope. You know what happened in Chicago. I've had reasons for not looking at men. Spencer just...got past my defenses."

Garcia's expression went sympathetic, and she reached over and squeezed Morgan's knee. She knew what they'd found out in Chicago, but she'd never said a word, and somehow she didn't think it was her place to pry, even if she did appreciate that Morgan could even say this in front of her. After a moment, a small smile graced her lips again. "And you tease me about geek love."

Morgan gave her a reluctant smile, shaking his head. "Self-defense, mama," he said. "He's gonna kill me for telling you, you know."

Garcia grinned, imagining little Spencer Reid trying to kill Derek Morgan, though she kept the mental image to herself, barely holding in a laugh. She smiled at him for a long moment, then shook her head, still having a hard time believing this wasn't a joke. "This is just like When Harry Met Sally, except gay and interracial and with lots of dead bodies." She paused, then scrunched her nose and considered that. "Okay, it's nothing like When Harry Met Sally." She grinned and rolled her chair close enough to pull Morgan against her and kiss his forehead. Morgan burst out laughing and wrapped an arm around her.

"You secret is safe with me, mon chere. I won't even let Reid know I know, if you want," she murmured.

"I'm not going to keep that a secret from him, goddess," he said. "I'm trying to do this right." He sighed. "Oh well, he did ask if he could write to his mother about me, so I suppose he can't be too mad." He gave her a speculative look. "Maybe I should start asking you for relationship advice."

"Right, because my last date before Kevin went so well," Garcia said, though she still really believed it had all happened for a reason. She'd never dated anyone who suited her as well as Kevin did. She rested her head against Morgan's shoulder. "Tell him if he kills you, he'll have to answer to me."

"I suppose that might keep me safe for a while," Morgan said, turning his head and kissing her hair. "Anyway, things seem to be going smoothly for you and Kevin. And I've already put the fear of God--and Derek Morgan--into him."

Garcia laughed. "You mean I can't credit his good behavior to him?"

Morgan shook his head. "Sugar, I hope you never ask me to commit a crime. I'm afraid I might give in. Reid likes me, but I'm not sure he'd be willing to bail me out of jail."

Garcia shifted away and grinned. "I'll have to remember that the next time I come up with some brilliant plan to take over the universe." She regarded him for a moment, and then patted his knee. "All right, sweetie, I'm very proud of you. You're dismissed."

He gave her a look. "You're proud of me." Why would she be proud of him?

She smiled at him. Men really didn't understand these things. "Yes. I am."

"Thanks. I think." He stood up, then leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "Now I've got to think of something to earn myself forgiveness when I break the news to Reid."

"Chocolates and flowers work for women." Garcia looked up and winked at Morgan as she moved to her own chair and rolled up behind her desk. "If it were Kevin, a subscription to Wired might work."

Morgan rolled his eyes. "I do understand the chocolates and flowers thing, but he is not a woman. I don't think that's gonna do it." He was beginning to feel overwhelmed again now that this wasn't a secret. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. "I really don't know what I'm doing here, baby girl. I just know I want to do it right."

Garcia grinned to herself, her back to Morgan as she started clacking away on her keyboard. "That, my gorgeous love puppet, is why I'm proud of you."



*****



Reid had spent most of the drive back to Quantico thinking about Matloff and the case that had taken four years to finally gain resolution, and how it was funny that things seemed to come full circle at odd points IN time. He hadn't forgotten how nervous he'd been when he'd started on that case so many years ago, even if he did hide it well. He also hadn't forgotten how impressed he'd been by Morgan. It was strange to be reminded of that now that he and Morgan were together. Now that the case was over and there was finally closure, Reid stared out the window as Hotch drove and let his mind wander

When they got back, he gave the team a wave (and Morgan a tiny smile) and headed out the door to the firing range. His certification was coming up, and he wasn't about to fail one again.

Morgan darted a glance at Reid as he came in, glad for the call Hotch had made last night. It had ostensibly been to update Morgan on the results of the case, since Hotch and Reid were staying one more night in Roanoke. But at the end, A little comment from Hotch had burned in Morgan's memory: "Reid stopped Darcy's father from shooting Matloff. I hadn't even known the man had a gun." It had sent a sizzle of pride through Morgan, and a matching desire to have his arms around Reid, to make sure he was okay.

He watched Reid head out the door, thought about it for a few seconds, and decided that since they'd worked the case together four years ago, no one would wonder too much about his following Reid. It was really just an excuse, and he knew it, but he didn't care.

"Hey, kid, wait up," he called, and headed out the door after Reid.

Reid glanced over his shoulder and slowed down, forcing himself not to look at Morgan too warmly, though it was hard. Morgan jumped a building four years ago, he suddenly remembered. "Hey? What's going on?" he asked as Morgan caught up to him.

"Where you headed? I wanna hear about what happened." I want to know you missed me. Morgan mentally scoffed at himself, but he couldn't help it; he'd been missing Reid even more since Garcia got their secret out of him.

"My certification's coming up." Reid knew it was probably silly to worry. He'd grown quite a bit better with a gun over the last few years, but he still be concerned. He glanced over his shoulder at Morgan and gave him a warmer smile now that they weren't within their team's sight range. "Matloff remembered the murders. Hotch didn't update you?"

Morgan shrugged. "I want to hear your version." He gave Reid a self-conscious smile. Maybe it was silly of him, but he didn't think Reid would mind. "And I could give you some pointers at the range, if you want." And not give you a whistle or give you a hard time about your marksmanship. Man, how could he stand to work with me?

Reid nodded at the offer, not really saying anything, because he hadn't forgotten how Morgan had been when he'd failed his certification three years ago. Still, it was an excuse to be close to Morgan now. "My version can't be that much different than Hotch's," Reid said.

Morgan sighed and looked around to make sure they were alone. "Look, I missed you and it's a good excuse to hang out with you," he admitted. "You think Mr. Corbett will be all right?" He still remembered the way Reid, still the 'new kid' back then, had volunteered to talk to the victim's father. Morgan had been convinced the annoying know-it-all was going to alienate the man.

Reid looked at Morgan, smiling a little. "I missed you too." He wondered how much Hotch had told Morgan about Mr. Corbett. "I think so. Time... it's funny what things like that can do to people. Makes time stand still. He seemed surprised that I looked different."

Morgan lifted a hand to mess playfully with Reid's hair. It was funny the way he used to touch Reid without any real thought behind it, and now he was self-conscious every time they touched at work. "Longer hair. Prettier," he said, grinning, but he sobered after a moment. "And more comfortable in your job. That shows, you know."

Reid frowned as Morgan mussed his hair and raked his fingers through it once Morgan withdrew his hand. "I didn't do too badly back then... for a 'kid.'"

"Reid, you've always been good at your job," Morgan said, hoping he hadn't offended him. "But you haven't always seemed comfortable." He shrugged. "You're more confident now."

Reid gave Morgan an appreciative look as they rounded the corner towards the range, then considered that for a moment. "I was terrified of Mr. Corbett when we met. Not of him, but you know... But I had to do it." That wasn't exactly true. No one told him to do it, but at the time he'd felt like he had to.

Morgan nodded. They'd all had to prove themselves. He remembered how much he'd felt he had to prove when he first joined the Bureau. Sometimes he felt like he was still proving himself. "He really took to you. You did good."

Reid nodded. "Yeah, I guess he did." As they walked into the range, pulling on protective clothing, Reid just kept thinking about the case. "You jumped a building," he said finally, giving Morgan a wry smile.

"You saw that?" Surprised, Morgan glanced over at him, then shrugged, smiling. "I thought I could save him. I always wondered what would've happened if I'd been a little faster." He shrugged again. He still wasn't entirely comfortable with talking about things like this, but at the same time, he liked talking to Reid like this.

Reid shook his head. "I heard about it. Didn't see it. I thought you were insane. Or possibly Indiana Jones," he teased.

Morgan laughed. "Possibly insane," he admitted. "Or stupid." He glanced away, taking in their surroundings. Reid had come here to shoot, and Morgan didn't want to interfere with his job performance, especially his qualifications. But he really just wanted to drag Reid into the nearest closet and kiss him until they were both breathless. Not exactly conducive to getting any work done.

Reid smiled. "Brave," he corrected. Braver than Reid had ever been, or probably ever would be.

"Stupid and brave usually look a lot alike," Morgan said, and draped an arm around Reid's shoulders, guiding him over to the booths. "Come on. Let's get in some shooting, or I'll be tempted to start acting inappropriately towards you."


Part 7