Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and its characters don't belong to me. I wish they did, but nobody so far cares about what I wish...

Notes: A one-shot that can be continued if people like the idea. :) Was inspired while watching season one. I haven't watched season two...we won't get it here just yet. Self-betaed, so please excuse any mistakes...this is also my first Criminal Minds fanfic. Hope everyone enjoys - this piece was just meant to be some fun, light reading.

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Of Birthdays and Morgan

It was a normal Friday morning at the office. SSA Derek Morgan entered the maze of tables, headed for his place, set down his cup of steaming Blue Hawaiian coffee, and sat himself down to enjoy it. He had half an hour before the workday officially started, and he intended to use it to enjoy every sip of his beautifully brewed beverage.

'God bless the man who first invented coffee,' he thought blissfully after the first sip of pure flavor hit his taste buds. If brewed correctly – like by the beautiful Nina down at the Coffee Bean opposite his apartment – coffee could be considered the modern day ambrosia.

It was right around then that Morgan's relaxed eyes came to rest on Reid's table. Spencer's place was immaculate this morning, his trademark satchel bag hanging on his seat. Morgan's curious eyes were instantly attracted to the shiny length of ribbon that was sticking out of the top. Almost instinctively, his long legs took him out of his seat and over to the curious package that he could now see inside.

'A present?' Morgan wondered in his head. 'For who?'

It didn't take a genius to deduce that it was a birthday present. If the brightly colored wrapping paper didn't have the words "Happy Birthday" running around it in white letters, the small label stuck on it sure did. There was, however, no name available – although Spencer had written "Happy 24th Birthday" on it.

"Why write her age but not her name?" Morgan wondered aloud to himself, allowing himself to assume – for now – that the present was for a girl.

"Whose name?"

Morgan jerked around in guilty surprise – only to relax as he realized it was only Elle.

"Why are you peeking into Spencer's bag?"

Elle, who could be quite a problem despite the fact that he'd used the word "only".

"Does Spencer know you're poking through his privacy, Morgan?" His fellow agent now had a small smirk on her pretty face.

Morgan straightened at that. Forcing himself to remain calm, he turned on his coworker, took her arm and marched her back to her desk. Leaning down so that he was eye to eye with her, he hissed, "Spencer won't know anything if you'd just keep your voice down, Greenaway!"

Unrepentant, Elle shot back, "Still doesn't explain why you were poking through his stuff, Morgan."

"Keep it down!" Didn't the woman see that Spencer was just approaching from the lift?

"Well?" Elle lowered her voice, but her eyes told Morgan that she wasn't going to drop the subject until she got an answer.

"Hey, guys!" Spencer gave them a big smile as he approached. "Morgan, Elle – what's going on?"

Years of practice helped Morgan school his features into an innocent expression as he greeted, "Reid, my man! Why so cheerful? Don't tell me – you got a lady waiting up for you tonight?"

Spencer flushed almost at once – but Morgan had hoped he would. The blush confirmed his idea – the present in his bag was for a lady friend…

"Of-of c-course not," Reid stammered nervously, with an equally nervous laugh. "I mean, look at me – do I look like someone who's got…someone waiting up for me tonight?"

He didn't, but Morgan had already learned that with Reid, looks could definitely be deceiving. After all, even Morgan hadn't seen Reid for the genius he was when he'd first seen the young man.

Reid shuffled his feet. "I'll uh…go do my paperwork. Does Hotch have a case for us?"

"Not yet," JJ answered, walking into the room. "But he does send donuts and cake up for everyone – something about today being Jack's birthday." Smiling, she came over to them, setting down the two large boxes she had been balancing down on Elle's table. Hotch himself joined them shortly, beaming that smile he always wore when he was thinking about his baby boy.

"Jack turns one today," he announced, to hearty congratulations all around. Gideon appeared from the lift, Haley behind him with Jack in her arms. Gideon was helping them with the stroller.

But even during the small party, Morgan couldn't get his mind off the wrapped gift in Spencer's bag. Not even the women's combined cooing over the little star could distract him sufficiently – even when Garcia started calling him a future heartbreaker and nicknaming him "hotness junior".

It was obvious that the gift wasn't for Jack – he wasn't 24 years old yet. Plus, from the way Spencer had responded with surprise to Hotch's announcement, it was clear the young genius hadn't known it was Jack's birthday.

Morgan's own birthday was long past, along with Hotch's, Gideon's and Elle's. JJ's birthday was near Christmas – a thing she hated, because it meant people gave her Christmas and birthday presents all in one. Garcia's birthday wasn't till next month, and though Spencer was often pro-active, he didn't think that far ahead. Haley – he didn't really think Spencer would be buying a gift for their boss' wife, however much they all might like her.

How about someone else – one of the other agents in their office? There were quite a few – male and female. Eric Roberts, Sarah Tillden, Bill Trainor, Samantha Smith…

"You know, you still haven't explained to me why you were poking around in Reid's things."

Morgan found Elle next to him, holding out a piece of cake on a tissue. He accepted it with a mumbled "thank you" and munched thoughtfully, before saying, "I'm curious about a birthday gift Reid has in his bag. It's not for any of us, and I'm certain it's for a girl."

Elle raised an eyebrow. "Jealous, Morgan? You can't be the only womanizer in this team, can you?"

Morgan looked up in annoyance, but cooled down at the teasing glint in his coworker's eyes. Elle was just being herself. Biting back a sarcastic comment, he focused on what was bothering him instead.

"You know, you could try asking Reid. I'm sure he'd tell you. Now, if that's all, I'm going for more cake." Elle straightened and headed back to where the crowd was still thronged around Haley and the baby.

"Thought you were watching your weight, Greenaway!" Morgan couldn't resist calling after her.

Ask Reid? Yeah, he could, but then that would take out all the fun, wouldn't it?

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To Morgan's surprise, he did manage to focus on his paperwork once the party was over. They caught a case too – a serial killer in Georgia who had already killed six women. Gideon cracked the case with an accurate profile, they caught the bastard, and their flight took them home the next morning at 2am. Elle and JJ both fell asleep on either side of Reid on the flight back, and Morgan wished he had his camera with him to record the look on Reid's face – the kid was terrified to even breathe, not wanting to wake either of the two women. Gideon and Hotch shared amused glances with him over the young man's "predicament" – typical Reid.

And when they got back to the office, Reid's bag's was no longer overstuffed – the present was gone.

And unless Morgan was crazy, he was sure that Reid hadn't gotten rid of it either in the office, or in Georgia…

Bah. His brain couldn't function at this hour of the morning. Disgusted with himself for not being able to figure this out, Morgan went home.

He woke up sometime between lunch and dinner, the answer suddenly clear in his mind.

If Reid hadn't given the present to anyone in the office or in Georgia – and Morgan had been watching him well enough to know that he hadn't – then he must have given the gift to someone on the plane…

He dropped by the office, knowing Reid would be there. The young man liked spending his time there, catching up on paperwork or picking Hotch and Gideon's brains about some subject or another. This time, he was learning from Hotch a valuable lesson in accuracy when shooting a target in the firing range. Morgan hung out, watching and waiting. He knew Hotch gave him a strange look or two, but ignored it – if his boss thought something was wrong, he would ask.

Finally, Reid thanked Hotch, a woebegone expression on his face. Though he had hit the target every time, his bullets had gone nowhere near the heart, where he'd been aiming.

"Keep at it," Hotch advised him, then removed his safety goggles and headed out. Morgan seized his chance.

"Hey, Reid."

Reid turned. "Yes?"

Pushing aside the slight guilt, Morgan confessed, "I saw the present in your bag yesterday. Was wondering who it was for the whole day."

Reid looked perplexed. "Really?"

"Thought it might have been for Garcia, but her birthday's next month – and she won't be 24." Morgan looked the young man in the eye. "I was watching you – it wasn't for any of us here, was it?"

Reid shook his head. "No…"

"And I doubt you knew we were going to Georgia, so you couldn't have planned to give it to anyone there…"

Reid began to smile. "You really gave this some thought, didn't you?"

At Morgan's nod, he continued, "Well, to assuage your curiosity…why not I let you meet with the young lady I gave the present to?"

Meet with – Morgan blinked, but wasn't about to start being afraid of meeting a "young lady". "Lead on."

Unsurprisingly, Reid led him on a drive to the airport, to where their private plane was kept. The young man explained. "The present was for an old friend of mine. Her birthday was actually belated by the time I gave her her present, but since it was also to celebrate her getting a new job, I didn't think she'd mind…"

"Spencer?"

Morgan stopped and stared in surprise at the young woman who was jogging excitedly towards them, dressed in comfortable slacks and a brand new navy blue sweater that nicely fitted her and showed off her slender form without being too tight or body-hugging. She greeted Reid with an enthusiastic hug, then turned to Morgan as the younger man introduced him.

"This is Derek Morgan. Morgan, this is Adrixa Peterson – though she insists on us calling her Dax."

"Yeah," agreed the young woman, smiling. "I'll never know what possessed my parents to name me Adrixa, but they wanted something unique… Heard you guys solved the case in Georgia yesterday?"

It was then that Morgan realized that he knew who she was – a very important person to the team, though none of them had truly noticed her before... Adrixa – Dax – was their pilot. Every time they caught a case, she was the one who prepped their plane and flew them wherever they needed to go in safety and with all due speed.

How was it that only Reid had noticed that behind the cockpit of their plane was an actual person, while the rest of them just got on and off the plane without noticing – as though the vehicle could fly itself?

Smiling at the young woman, Reid answered, "Oh, we solved it, Dax. Um, Morgan here just wanted to meet you -"

" – to wish you a happy belated birthday," Morgan finished smoothly. "I'm sorry I didn't get to wish you on the actual day…"

Dax's eyes got wide. "Oh, thanks Agent Morgan…"

And with her grateful smile, Morgan finally felt the satisfaction that he always felt when he closed a case.

Mystery solved.

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RK9.