Don't worry, this is a one shot!

The last case involved a child being raped bothered both Morgan and Reid deeply. Neither of them were aware of the secret the other one was keeping.

Morgan watched Reid look out the window, a troubled expression brewing on his face. He knew why this case upset him personally but why was it affecting Reid so much?

"Hey kid, you okay?"

Reid looked at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I'm not buying that."

Reid fell silent. He shook his head, a lump in his throat.

"I...I can't..."

"Come on," Morgan persisted. "Talk to me, man. You already carry too much stuff by yourself. Let me in."

Reid shook his head.

"Some...some stuff is too personal to share, Morgan."

"Boy, do I know about that." Morgan sighed and studied the kid's hardened, but sad face. Reid had grown up a lot during the past 4 years in the BAU. He had seen more deaths than most men in their twenties do. Morgan had always hated it that the kid was so young and joined the FBI right out of college. He never experienced any other line of work. Never seemed to want to but still...it was an unwritten and unsaid pact between the rest of the BAU team to protect Reid as much as possible. The kid had seen enough horrors, he didn't need to see anymore than he had to.

Morgan shook his head. He hated seeing the young man look so upset, so depressed.

"This case really was hard for you, wasn't it?"

Reid sighed, bit his lip, and turned to face Morgan again.

"I just can't believe people could do that to a child." The anger in his voice surprised Morgan.

"I know, but there are some truly sick people out in this world."

"It's beyond sick, it's evil."

This was the first time Reid had used the word evil to describe something. It threw Morgan off guard.

"Reid...this case...it was personal for you, wasn't it?"

Silence.

"Come on, man! Talk to me, please! I want to help."

Reid swallowed, tears were in his eyes.

"It...it was a long time ago," he whispered. "B...but thanks to my memory I can remember it like it was yesterday."

Morgan braced himself, and told himself not to say anything.

"I was...10...when it happened."

Morgan closed his eyes, fearing what he was going to happen next.

"It was...my teacher...he took pity on me...having no friends...or I thought it was pity...but really it was an excuse. An excuse to get close to me."

Morgan felt sick.

"He...took me home, when my mom was gone. He said I shouldn't be alone so he came inside...he took me in my bedroom and raped me on my bed."

Morgan's eyes closed.

"Reid..."

"Every chance he got he would...find time to spend alone with me. He would even force me into the bathroom...and make me...pl...pleasure him."

"Please tell me that sonofabitch got arrested."

Reid shook his head.

"I...I was too scared to tell anyone. He said if I did he'd tell people about my mom, how sick she really was. They'd take her away and put my in foster homes. I...couldn't tell anyone."

Morgan sighed, his whole body was shaking.

"I...never told anyone cause no one would really understand what I went through."

"You're wrong there, kid." His voice was sad, and older than his years. Reid looked up and was stunned to see tears running down Morgan's cheeks.

"I understand more than you know."

Reid was silent with shock.

"What...when..."

"I was 13 when Carl Buford first molested me. He waited a while before actually raping me."

Reid's eyes opened wide. Morgan had difficulty speaking.

"Morgan..."

"He was like a father to me, the only one I really knew so I didn't know how to act...I felt...like it was my job..."

"To please him," Reid finished. "To make them happy cause they did so much for you."

Morgan nodded, tears were in his eyes.

"And to protect your family."

Reid swallowed.

"Morgan, I'm so sorry..."

"Not as sorry as I am." Morgan's whole body was shaking. He hated this secret of Reid's. Made him feel worse for what the kid went through. "You've been through so much, kid. You didn't need that on top of it."

Reid closed his eyes.

"And neither did you."

"Did you ever tell your mother?"

Reid shook his head.

"What's the point? Would have made things worse. The cops would have taken me away from her...I knew that for sure...if they saw how unstable she really was..."Reid's throat closed. "No, I couldn't do that to her."

"And I couldn't let the good things that the Y did for my family vanish because I told on Carl."

"Wasn't Carl the man you arrested a few years ago for molesting a boy? At the time where you were arrested?"

Morgan slowly nodded. Reid closed his eyes. He had noticed how shut off Morgan was afterwards. Damn it, he should have realized..."

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Morgan looked surprised.

"For what?"

"For not reading the signs, for not realizing it sooner."

"Don't be." Morgan squeezed the kid's hand with brotherly affection. "As selfish as it is I'm just glad I'm not alone...that someone else understands."

A slow smile appeared on Reid's face, bringing a whole new appreciation and clearer sense about his best friend and what he was really like.

"Yeah, me too, Morgan...Me too."