Request. "Morgan and Reid are married and want to adopt a baby"
Reid was elated because Garcia had copied the video on to his iPhone.
"It's really not that hard, Reid. You plug your phone into your computer and drag the file."
"I don't have a computer." Reid said simply. "But thank you, really."
He said it like she had set up a meet and greet with the entire original cast of Star Trek. Maybe the video did mean that much to him. Garcia had never been in the same situation so she couldn't understand.
They sat at the table in the kitchen area, and Garcia showed Reid how to open the video file. She tapped the thumbnail, and his face lit up when it started to play. Morgan had a copy stored in his emails, so Reid had seen it a few times already - 24 times - but it still brought him the same amount of joy.
The child, laying on his back and kicking his little legs, grinning at the camera, grabbing at the toy being waved in front of him. He made Spencer feel warm, and equal parts excited and terrified.
He felt someone grip his shoulder, and turned to see JJ standing behind him.
"Let's see if you're still smiling when he wakes you up at 3 a.m." She said.
"Derek will be there." Reid replied.
"Na-ah, Pretty Boy." Morgan chimed in. "You get him all to yourself before 7."
Reid looked a bit put out until Morgan reassured him with a kiss, a cappuccino with the usual 16 sugars and a "Seriously, Spencer. I'm kidding."
The team stood in the airport waiting for the new arrival. Garica, a bright orange ball of sunshine holding a balloon with "It's A Boy" written on the front and JJ holding a giant stuffed rabbit. Hotch carrying Jack with Beth by his side, and Rossi and Prentiss guarding the airport trolley that was filled with bags of clothes, toys and diapers.
Morgan felt Reid move past him quickly. Not towards the baggage claim, but to the doors of the airport. Morgan was aware of his friends standing silent and giving each other peculiar looks. He walked towards them, but didn't have to explain. There was no baby, and there wouldn't ever be.
Reid got a cab home from the airport, and went straight to his bedroom. He slammed the door closed, locking himself in, and his husband out. Reid was furious with Morgan. No, furious didn't even come close. He pulled his shoes off and threw them against the wall, then sat down on the side of the bed and stared at himself in the mirror above the dressing table.
Logically, he knew Morgan wasn't to blame, but he didn't care. He was mad at Morgan, his friends, and everyone else who had tricked him into believing that they could have this. He felt sick. Like part of himself had been ripped away. Sick like when Maeve died all those years ago. He never got to meet her, and he never got to meet David. A few photos, a file, some emails and a video. That's it. And that was all he would ever have.
Reid pulled out his phone and clicked at the screen until he found the delete function. He watched the tiny icon disappear.
Morgan couldn't find Reid. He had left him alone for the first 5 days, but after that Morgan decided they needed to talk about what had happened. He got into the bedroom with a butter knife, but Reid was gone. He called JJ, Garcia, Hotch - but no one had heard anything.
So Morgan went to the office. He knew Reid too well, and he wasn't hard to profile.
As Morgan had suspected, Reid was sitting in Garcia's office and staring at the video icon on her computer. He jumped when he heard a chair scraping along the floor, and hot breath against his neck. He didn't want to look up, he knew who it was. Reid heard Morgan sigh and two strong arms wrap around him, and he broke.
"I'm so sorry It's not your fault.."
Once he started he couldn't stop. Morgan pulled Reid on to his lap and held him close. He shook his head, holding his lover while his body shook and he gasped for breath.
"We can try again." Morgan said finally.
Reid didn't answer. He knew they never would. Over Morgan's shoulder he watched the computer screen. The images of Little David smiling and grabbing at the camera were all they could ever have.