AN: Set sometime after Spencer goes to the cabin to check on Gideon. Just saw the last couple of episodes with Gideon and got this idea. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine, I'm just borrowing them for entertainment sake.

The piercing sound of his alarm cut through Derek Morgan's sleep. Slowly, he let go of the dream world he had been in, and opened his eyes. Clooney lay across his legs, restricting his movement. The federal agent reached out and turned off the alarm and then lay in the bed looking toward the room's lone window. The pale morning light of the rising sun peaked in through the edges of the blind.

Derek knew he had to get up and start getting ready for work but he just couldn't make his body throw back the sheet and get out of bed. Like most mornings, he laid in the safety of his own bed, taking a few moments to reflect on the day that was about to begin. Some days this was the only peaceful moments he was allowed.

Reaching out, he grabbed his cell phone from the night stand. He deftly switched the phone from vibrate to normal mode, noting as he did so that he had a voice mail.

~Don't tell me I missed a call from JJ and the team is already working on a case,~ Derek thought, as he checked the call list. A number he didn't recognize came up on the screen. Confused, he called his voice mail.

"You have one unheard message," the female voice told him as the call connected. It was soon replaced with a familiar voice. A voice Derek had not been expecting to hear for a while.

"Derek, I'm sure this call comes as a surprise to you. I wanted to leave a message as I didn't want any interruptions or questions about what I am about to tell you. I'm assuming by now that Spencer has found the letter I left for him at the cabin. I know that my sudden departure has probably come as a shock to all of you, but it was something I needed to do. Just as there is something that I need to ask of you and as I've come to know you fairly well over the years we've worked together, I know you'll do what I'm about to ask."

Agent Morgan sat up in bed, the movement disturbing Clooney, who got to his feet and hopped of the bed. The dog went over to a corner, laid down, resting his head on his paws, as he glanced up at his master. Morgan was oblivious to the dog, as his mind got over the shock of hearing Gideon's voice.

~He just up and leaves, without so much as a word and now he expects me to do something for him. The nerve,~ Morgan thought, the pain and hurt he felt at the older agent's recent sudden departure flaring up once again.

"I have no doubt that you, along with the rest of the team, have noticed Spencer's unusual behavior since that case down in Georgia. Probably have your suspicions as to the cause and you'd be right. We're aware of it to and though we've chosen to keep it quiet, we've confronted Spencer about it. I had convinced him to get help and Spencer has been making progress. I fear that my departure is going to cause a setback in that progress. Fear that he may give up altogether. I need you to make sure that, that doesn't happen. Confront him Morgan. Take my place. Don't let him try to fight this battle alone because we both know he can't win that way. I care about what happens to Spencer, as much as if he was my own son. I know that betraying the trust he had in me by telling you this will damage his memory of me, but I'd rather have him mad at me than to lose him to this. I'm entrusting him to you and I know things are going to be okay even with me gone."

"End of message."

Morgan absent mindlessly saved the message as his mind tried to process what he had just heard.

~I knew something was going on with him. Suspected what it was drugs but was afraid to find out the truth,~ Morgan thought, easily able to read in between the lines of Gideon's message. ~He must have been referring to Hotch when he said we've. Gideon didn't want to say his name in case this message was heard by anyone other than me. If Hotch knew for sure that Reid has a drug problem and didn't report it, not only would Reid's career be in jeopardy, but Hotch's too.~

~Confront him. I'm not sure I know how to do that and not drive Reid further away, but I won't let you down, Gideon. I won't let Reid down,~ Morgan told himself, as he put the cell phone back down on the night stand and finally climbed from the bed.

Morgan kept an eye on Reid the entire time they were at the office. Reid hadn't been the same since Gideon's departure. ~Hell, he hasn't been the same since Georgia, but Gideon leaving has affected him in another way.~

Morgan saw no opportunity to talk to Reid in private while at work. Even if he had, he wasn't sure this was the place to do it. The rest of the team began to leave, the day in the office giving them all a chance to catch up with paperwork.

JJ was the first, giving them all a cheerful good-bye as they left. Morgan would have been right behind her, if it wasn't that he was hoping to leave with Reid. The young genius seemed intent on whatever it was he was working on, and Morgan decided not to disturb him. He opened another file and tried working on it. He hadn't gotten anywhere when Prentiss got up to leave. He said good-bye to her, noticing that Reid didn't even look up at her departure.

Penelope came out of her office not long after. Morgan had a short conversation with the tech, who had plans to get a drink with JJ later. As she was leaving, she stopped beside Reid, waiting till she got the young geniuses attention.

"Don't work to hard, sweetie," Penelope told him, kissing two of her fingers and then pressing them against Reid's forehead.

"Goodnight, Garcia," Reid said, the faintest trace of a smile on his face.

Hotch was the next to go, informing Morgan and Reid that his office was open if they had anymore paperwork to turn in as he left. Ten minutes after Hotch left, Morgan spoke up.

"Hey Reid, you about ready to call it a day, Kid?"

"What?" Reid asked, looking up a look of confusion on his face.

"The others have already left. How about we leave and get something to eat?"

"I'm not really hungry," Reid replied. "Why don't you go. I might be awhile. I want to finish this."

Reid returned to the paperwork in front of him. Morgan knew his plan on leaving with Reid wasn't going to work. ~Time for plan B,~ he thought, gathering the papers on his desk and putting them in the file. He got to his feet, resting his hand briefly on Reid's shoulder as he left the now deserted office.

Morgan went out to his car. Getting in, he moved it to a position where he could see the door and waited for Reid to leave. He didn't have long to wait, as ten minutes later Reid walked out of the building. Slipping out of his vehicle, Morgan followed. He wasn't sure what he was going to do from this point on, but he figured he would play it by ear.

He followed Reid to the subway. The younger agent bypassed the train that would take him to the station closest to his apartment. Morgan followed him onto one that was headed into the city. The older agent followed as Reid stopped by a library, in which he seemed to be walking aimlessly through the aisle of books. When he left, Reid headed to a café and ordered something to eat. Morgan managed to find a place from which he could watch Reid but be partially hidden from Reid's view. He ordered a burger and ate quickly, starving but knowing that when Reid decided to leave, he would have to follow.

Morgan was just finishing the last bite of the burger when Reid paid his waitress and got up to leave. Tossing down enough money to cover his meal and a decent tip, Morgan got to his feet, and followed his friend. He was starting to wonder if Reid had any destination in mind, when he finally walked into a recreation center. Morgan approached the doors, ready to follow him in, and paused when he saw Reid just standing in the lobby, staring at a board. Before he was spotted, Morgan backed away, trying to find a spot where Reid wouldn't see him but that he could see Reid.

He found a place near an ornamental tree. Darkness had fallen on the city and he could easily see the young agent in the building. Others entered the building and still Reid just stood there. Morgan was debating on approaching him when Reid finally walked toward the front door. Morgan stepped back into the shadows hoping he wouldn't be spotted. He let Reid get a short distance on him and then followed.

He had thought that Reid would head home, but though he entered the subway again, that wasn't his destination. Morgan followed Reid to the WWII memorial. Reid walked to the center of the memorial, sitting on the ground near the fountain in the center. Morgan tried to creep as close as he could without giving himself away.

"I know you've been following me, Morgan," Reid called out, his voice making Morgan jump.

Knowing he was discovered, Morgan walked toward his friend.

"I noticed you at the library," Reid told him, as Morgan sat down next to him. Reid's eyes were on the fountain before them.

"And here I thought I was doing a decent job at tailing you," Morgan said.

"Question is, why were you following me?"

"We need to talk."

"We work in the same office, Morgan."

"This isn't something I wanted to discuss at the office," Morgan told him. He took a deep breath. There was no easy way to broach this subject. "Reid have you been using?"

"Yes."

The single word was just a whisper but Morgan heard so many things in it. Pain. Fear. Relief.

"You could have come to me. I would have helped you."

"I tried. You don't know how many times I tried but I couldn't ever seem to get the nerve up to admit it to you or to anyone. I didn't even want to admit to myself that I had a problem for the longest time. I knew if I voiced it, it would make it more real. And then Gideon . . ." he trailed off. He was silent for a moment. "But Gideon isn't here anymore. I don't think I'm strong enough to do this on my own."

"You don't have to do this on your own," Morgan told him, reaching out and resting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Reid's reaction to the touch took Morgan completely by surprise. The younger man dropped his head and began to cry. As the sobs shook his body, Morgan did the only thing he could think to do, he moved his hand from the shoulder nearest him and reached around Reid's back to rest his hand on the other shoulder. Gently, he pulled his friend toward him, not saying a word. Reid let his head rest on Morgan's shoulder.

There would be time to talk later. Right now, just knowing the Morgan was going to be there for Reid was enough.