Authors Note :
This story takes place right after "Profiler, profiled" 2x12 - in which Derek's past with Carl Buford is discovered.
I have been re-watching Criminal Minds from the beginning, so watch out as some of the older episodes may spark new stories lol – enjoy!
Morgan pulled his car up to the front of his house, sighing as he saw his house, it wasn't home – that was back in Chicago with his family, but it felt good to be back after the chaos that had happened there.
Opening the door he got out slowly and stretched, his muscles popping with tiredness, that was when he noticed the car parked across the side of the street, he heard the door open and a person stepped in to the shadows, instinctively his hand went for his gun as he called out.
"Can I help you pal?" he called, shifting his gun and body, the tiredness forgotten as he went on full alert.
"I hope so sweet stuff" a soft feminine voice replied, walking out of the shadows and in to the moonlight, Morgan let out a breath and cursed.
"Dammit Garcia don't do that" he snapped, she was now in front of him, staring at the gun gripped tightly in his hand. He watched as the colour drained from her face as she realised what could have happened.
"I'm sorry I didn't think." she rambled, crossing her arms she rubbed the chill from them, her thin cotton dress and cropped black jacket were fine in the car, but now she was outside she realised the temperature had dropped.
"What are you doing here baby girl? Its after midnight – come on lets go in its cold out here." Slinging his bag on to one shoulder and putting his other arm around her he led her up the path to his door.
Once inside the weariness descended again and he flopped on to the sofa and lay his head back, Penelope hovered by the door and watched him, the sadness and exhaustion were clearly evident in his every move.
I shouldn't have come here tonight she thought to herself.
She had had an internal argument with her smarter self for over an hour before she decided to wait outside his house for him.
JJ had called her earlier in the day and gave her the conclusion of the case, along with telling her the notes and statements were to follow by fax and also the time they would land. Garcia had thought it was just another case, albeit one where Morgan had been wrongly arrested for their unsub.
As she read the reports and saw Buford's full and nauseatingly in-depth confession, one that had gone back many years and named so many boys names, one in particular had made Garcia want to scream in anger, it explained so much and yet left many answers she didn't want to know- for his own sake.
"Have I grown two heads princess" he asked, she hadn't realised she had been watching him as she had been thinking all that.
"No sorry I shouldn't have come here, I will speak to you tomorrow" she gabbled and went to turn the handle on the door when his voice stopped her.
"Penelope stop please, I am too tired to argue or fight so just come and sit with me okay? Please baby girl." He told her softly, smiling gently as she turned and did as he asked.
As she got closer to the couch he reached forward and wrapped his large, slightly roughened hand on hers and tugged her down next to him.
Garcia slipped her heels off and curled up on the couch with him, her head resting on his chest, their fingers linked together in his lap, he looked down at her and said simply.
"You read the reports huh?"
She nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek as she watched his eyes go dark and then shutter down on his feelings.
"It's part of my job Derek to catalogue the reports and the statements, I read them all" she finished on a whisper, letting him know she had also read his own account of what had happened between himself and Buford.
"If your going to ask why I haven't told you, its because I never wanted anyone to know." He stated.
"I would never ask you that sweetie I just wanted you to know that I am here if you need me okay?, I know this hasn't been easy dragging everything up, sometimes its easier to bury the past than to explain it isn't it?" Garcia spoke softly, her eyes never leaving his as she saw the realisation of her words hit home.
Morgan gathered her closer and buried his face in her hair, hating to think his baby girl had ever been used like he had, he felt the tears begin to slide down his cheeks as she sobbed against him – the two of them releasing decades worth of pain, anger and confusion on why it happened to them.
A long time later Derek sat up and looked at her, her eyes were puffy and her cheeks still damp from her tears, he smiled slightly and shook his head.
"No wonder we are soul mates baby girl, we both victims huh?" he told her then frowned and looked over at the window that held their reflection as she told him "No Derek, we're survivors."
The End