Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds and I'm not making any profit off this story.

This is my entry for the 'Dog Days of Summer Challenge' on Chit Chat on Author's Corner. The pet I received was a hamster and my character is Derek Morgan.

I wasn't expecting to get a hamster so this was quite a challenge for me as I've never owned one.

However I think it's believable and I hope you enjoy.

My heart is beating like a jackhammer as the big human stares at me through the wiry bars of the cage.

My life up until this point has consisted of loud noises, blinding lights, uncomfortable vibrations in a confined space and a sprinkling of just enough food to keep me alive.

I didn't think my life could get any worse until a few hours ago, when the world beneath me feet was jolted away from me, leaving me sprawled at the bottom of the plastic floored cage. Which was then thrust into the big human's hands and I went on the bumpiest ride of my life.

That was the worst hour and a half of my, so far, short existence.

A little while later I found my cage being placed down onto a counter in a dark room. I could just make out the silhouettes of the big human, and a slightly smaller human, making their way clumsily across the room.

The big human knocked into a table behind him as he pulled off the smaller human's shirt. I could hear him laugh, and then moan as he pulled the smaller human closer to him. They continued across the room and down the hall until they were out of my sight, and I could no longer hear them.

I took a moment to calm myself down and then looked around my new surroundings. I couldn't make out much since it was dark but I could tell that I was in a big room, and that I was very high up.

When I had finally calmed down, I allowed myself to curl up and let the unusual quiet lull me to sleep.

Now I wake up with a start to see the big human staring into my cage at me. My heart starts pumping and my instinct tells me to hide but I have no place to do so.

I edge myself back as far as I can, until I'm pressed up against the back of the cage.

The big man shakes his head "What the hell am I gonna do with a hamster?" his voice rumbles and I can feel myself start to shake. The way my heart is beating I feel like I'm going to drop dead and right now I think I'd welcome it.

The big human straightens and then turns, he walks away and I allow myself to calm down, though I'm still on guard.

I watch as he walks down the hall and out of my sight. I hope he stays away but a moment later he is back and he's holding something up to his ear. I can hear him muttering as he makes his way back over to my cage. He sits down on a tall chair that is in front of my cage and he drums his fingers on the top of the counter my cage is sitting on.

I stare at him unblinkingly; my eyes quickly glance to his fingers and then back to him. My body begins to shake again; I can't help it as it is my instinct.

His voice sends a jolt of fear through me since I wasn't expecting it.

"Garcia," he says, and my brain goes into overdrive wondering exactly what a 'Garcia' is "what do you know about hamsters?"

There is silence for a moment and then the big human chuckles, it sends a shiver through me "Yes you heard me correctly Baby Girl, I have a little bit of a hamster problem."

The big human stands up rather suddenly and my heart practically skips a beat.

"Could you?" I hear him ask as he walks away from me "Awesome, I'll see you soon, bye."

The big human turns to look at me and says "I better go get dressed" before he disappears down the hall again.

I'm left alone.

I stare through the bars of the cage wistfully wishing that I could be on the other side. Being trapped in this small cage has always made me feel vulnerable but at least before I sat on a shelf with other companions.

At least then I wasn't alone.

This new place doesn't seem too bad, not like where I was before with its seizure inducing lights and deafening noises but I have no idea what this big human plans to do with me.

I know all I can do is wait and see what happens, as I already know it is impossible to chew through the bars of my cage and escape. I've already tried that and it was a very painful experience which I do not wish to repeat.

Sometime later I find out exactly what a 'Garcia' is, and I'm not sure what to make of it…or rather her.

A knock on the door brought the big human back into the room as he hurried to open it. I watched tensely as another female human, though I can tell she's not the same one from the night before, steps into the room.

The big human embraces her, before helping her take her coat off and placing it behind yet another door.

The female human looks around the room and her eyes stop on me; my heart begins to beat frantically again as she makes a beeline towards my cage.

"Oh Morgan" she practically squeals "it's so cute!"

The big human, who I guess is called Morgan, comes up behind her "Yeah I guess" he states.

The female human gets up close to the cage and gazes in at me, my tremor returns.

"Where'd you get him?" she asks and her voice seems way too loud to my ears.

"At a carnival last night," the big human explains "I won him after playing the ball toss."

"They gave you a hamster?" the female human asks, sounding surprised "What ever happened to crappy teddy bears and huge stuffed animals?"

"I don't know," the big human says shaking his head "All I know is that when Cindy saw him, she begged me to win him for her, so I did. However when I woke up this morning Cindy was gone and it was still here."

The female human doesn't look pleased by his answer.

"Well it's done now," the big human says "now I've just got to figure out what to do with it."

"For starters," the female human begins "You need to give him a proper name, instead of calling him it."

The big human stares at me stupidly for a moment, I can tell he has no interest in naming me "Well he's fuzzy…how about Fuzzbutt?"

"Morgan!" the female human scolds and I'm now sure that's the name of the big human "He needs a nice name, rather than one you pulled out of your…posterior." She stares and me thoughtfully and somehow at this moment I just know that she's not there to hurt me.

"I like Sherbet" she states.

"Sherbet?" Morgan human asks "as in the frozen dessert?"

"Yep," the female human says "his orange coloring reminds me of orange sherbet."

Morgan human laughs "Garcia you really are something else, but if you like the name than Sherbet it is."

I stare out at the female human, Morgan human called her Garcia and I wonder if that's the name she goes by.

Morgan human runs a hand over his bald head "So?" she asks Garcia human "What now?"

Garcia human places her hand on her hips "Really Morgan…you'd be lost without me" she shakes her head.

Morgan human just smiles.

Garcia human looks back at me "Well we need to buy him a proper cage, as well as some food…god he looks practically emaciated, some toys and it would probably be best to buy a book on the care of hamsters, or we could look that up online."

Morgan human gives her a strange look "I'm not sure if I'm cut out to look after another life, I thought maybe you could take him?"

Garcia shakes her head "He's just a hamster, I'm sure you will be perfectly capable of handling him. Besides Kevin has really bad allergies, he'd kill me if I brought home a hamster."

I see Morgan human tense at the mention of this 'Kevin' and wonder if I should be worried.

"Well we should probably get to a pet shop and pick up everything he will need," Garcia human says "Sherbet is probably starving."

Morgan human places his hands in his pockets, his eyes shift to me before he states "Maybe we should take him to a shelter instead, they could probably find him a more suitable home."

"Morgan you can't!" I jump as Garcia human's voice comes out loud and angry. She turns to face Morgan human, leaving her back to me and I feel as though she is trying to shield me "What if he doesn't go to a new family? What if they put him down instead?"

Morgan human looks like he doesn't know what to say, and I'm not positive what being 'put down' means but based on Garcia human's reaction I have a feeling that it's something bad.

Garcia human looks very sad as she says "Please just keep him here Morgan, I'd take him if it wasn't for Kevin and I'm already quite attached."

Morgan human sighs but then he walks closer to Garcia human and slinks an arm around her, pulling her close "Alright, he can stay but only if you promise to come by and take care of him when I'm on a case."

Garcia human hugs him back "I can do that."

Morgan human kisses Garcia human on the forehead and then states "Let's go get this hamster some supplies."

A/N: This is only the first chapter. I think there will be three in total.

Please Review :)