Hi everyone! This is the first story that I'm publishing here. I welcome constructive criticism but please be nice. If anyone is interested in being my beta please contact me. I hope you enjoy the story!

Also, it's with a heavy heart that I have to say I don't own Criminal Minds.

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"Happy birthday Momma!" are the first words out of my mouth when Momma Fran picks up the phone. Her next words shock me to the core.

"Sam, Derek's been a-arrested."

"What?! When?"

"About an hour ago. Is there anything you can do?"

"Give me some time. I need to call my boss but I'll call you back." I hang up the phone and immediately call Fowler, my boss, even though it's 10 o'clock at night.

"Hello?" I hear his gruff voice answer.

"Rick, it's Sam. I need some time off."

"What's going on?"

"My best friend jsut got arrested infront of his family. His mom wants me to check it out."

"Okay. Do you need us?"

"No. I can handle it myself but I don't know how long this'll last."

"Okay. Call me when you're coming back."

"Thank you," I tell him and hang up. I can't believe what's going on. Derek's been one of my best friends since we were kids. We grew up in the same neighborhood we were on the same apartment floor as his family, that's how we met. Our parents became friends because I got close with him and his sisters. Growing up was hard, especially when I lost my father in the same robbery as Derek's dad, but I managed because I had his family and my mom. Derek is the one that inspired me to join the FBI. I'm not a profiler like him but I am part of the Major Case Response Unit. We cover a lot of different cases and I've been on Rick Fowler's team for seven years after being transferred from Chicago to Indianapolis. Before that I was a cop for the Chicago PD before being picked up by the FBI.

Quickly I start packing a bag so I can drive the four hours it takes to get to Chicago. I call Momma Fran, "Hey, I'm leaving for Chicago now. I'll probably get in town around 2:30."

"Okay sweethart. I'll leave a key ontop of the doorframe for you to get in the apartment. You can sleep in Derek's old room. since the girls are staying in their old rooms tonight"

"Alright. I'll see you guys in the morning."

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I wake up by being pounced on by two bodies. "Sammy!"

Peaking my head out from under the covers I say, "Dezzie? Sar? What time is it?"

"Yeah, it's 10. Mom sent us to come wake you up," Sarah, the curly haired sister, tells me.

"Okay, Let's go," I say getting out of Derek's bed. We leave and head to the kitchen where I smell Momma Fran's cooking.

I kiss her cheek and say, "Morning Momma."

"Good morning Sammy," she says as she hugs me. Momma Fran practically raised me after my dad passed seeing as my mom buried herself in her work after he died.

We sit down and eat, When we're done Desirée brings up the reason I'm here. "Sammy, is there anything you can do?"

I look at them, "Well, when I'm changed I'm gonna go down to the police department and see if I can talk to Der. First I need to ask you guys some questions about what happened last night."

They nod and Momma Fran says, "Anything to help."

"Can you tell me everything that happened last night?" I ask.

"Well, we were celebrating mom's birthday like every year. We sang and then opened presents. She had just finished opening Derek's present and Desirée and I had gone to put it up when we heard a knock on the door," Sarah begins.

Momma picks up where she stops, "Derek went to the door and standing there are Detective Gordinski, his partner and two other cops." I frown at this. Gordinski hasn't liked Derek or me since we were kids. I doubt he would recognize me now though. She continues, "They asked if he was wearing his gun, which he wasn't, and then arresteed him."

"Did they read him his rights or tell him what he was being arrested for?" I question.

They think and shake their heads in denial. I slowly nod my head, "Has anything out of the ordinary happened while he was here?"

Desirée speaks up, "Well there was one thing. You remember Rodney? Derek and I had a run in with him yesterday but that's the only thing I can think of that happened."

"Did anything come from it?"

"No, it was all talk. You know how he is after what happened when you guys were younger." I did remember. Derek and I got in a fight with Rodney aand a couple other guys. Thamkfully Derek had been teaching me to fight so I was able to defend myself. Derek, being the big jock he was, won and Rodney needed some stitches. He never messed with Derek agsin but because of the fight Detective Gordinski arrested us both. I got away without a charge because I didn't really hurt them, I just put them on the ground with minor injuries. Derek got charged with aggrivated battery because Rodney needed some stitches. Thankfully that and the other charges he had accumulated were expunged.

"Okay. I can't think of anything else so I'm gonna go get ready and see if I can go talk to Der," I rise from the kitchen table and head to Derek's room. It still has his suitcase open by the closet. I look around and see his football trophies in a box but his posters are still pinned to the wall. I sigh and pull some clothes out of my bag and change. Going to the bathroom I put some mascara and eyeliner on to make my green eyes pop. I then put my curly brown hair up in a ponytail and go back to his room. I put on shoes and holster my gun on my belt. Grabbing my bag and the key to the apartment I leave the room to say goodbye to the girls. After that, I head out.

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I walk into the busy department and go to one of the desks. "Can you tell me where I can find Detective Gordinski?" I ask the detective sitting at the desk. He points to the back room. I walk towards it and as I do I hear, "He may not have had a knowledge of law enforcement but Derek Morgan definitely had a criminal record."

I walk in, "Hello detective."

"Ah, who are you exactly?" he asks. The rest of what I assume are Derek's team members turn and look at me.

"SSA Samantha Yarbrough. I would like to speak with Derek."

"Oh, I remember you, you're his friend. Why are you here?"

"His mom requested I come," I say. "Is there any chance I can speak to him."

He considers it for a minute, "After Agent Hotchner is through with him you can." He leaves to go do something and the blonde lady turns to me, "Hi, I'm Jennifer Jareau."

"Hi, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here," I state looking at them.

The dark haired woman nods, "Yeah. I'm Emily Prentiss. by the way and these two are-"

"Dr. Spencer Reid and Jason Gideon. I know," I say cutting her off. "Sorry, Derek talks about you guys a lot. I'm his best friend."

They look a bit bewildered, "How long have you known him?" Emily asks.

"Since I was six and we moved in down the hall from the Morgans."

Detective Gordinski comes back, "Follow me." I walk behind him and we arrive outside of the interigation room. A dark haired male leaves the room as I enter.

"I assume that was Agent Hotchner?" I ask Derek who has his head in his hand. The door shuts but I assume the Detective is now behind the one way mirror.

Derek's head shoots up, "Sammy?!"

"It's me Der," I tell him as I walk over to him.

He jumps up and pulls me into a hug, "It's great to see you but why are you here?"

"I was requested by your mom."

"What?"

"I called to wish her a happy birthday since I wasn't able to come celebrate this year and she told me you had been arrested. She asked if I could come and I did," I tell him. He releases me from the hug and we sit down. "So do you want to explain what's going on?"

He hamds me some pictures, "They're saying I killed three kids. You remember that John Doe I found when I was 15?"

"Yeah," I tell him spreading out the pictures on the table.

"Well they think I killed him and then years later killed another John Doe. They brought me in after finding the body of a kid, Damien, that I drove home from the youth center."

"Well I know you didn't but everyone else doesn't. You know your team is going to go through your whole life to try and prove that you didn't do it right?"

He shakes his head in frustration, "The thought's crossed my mind."

"I'll try to help them as best I can but I won't spill your secrets unless they find them."

He nods, "I know. It's just... they don't know a lot about my past."

"No one except me knows everything Der. They'll understand though, I'm sure of it. They all seem worried."

"You met them?"

"Everyone except Agent Hotchner and Penelope. Things will be okay, you'll see," I tell him as I stand up. "Now give me another hug."

He stands up again, "I'm glad you're here."

"Of course. I'll always be there for you when you need me," I tell him and then release him. "I'm gonna go find this bastard that thinks he can get away with setting you up for three murders."

"I know you will. I'll see you later," he tells me as he watches me leave.

I pause in the doorway and look at him, "See you later."

Walking out I turn down the hall and immediately see Agents Hotchner, Gideon, and Jareau.

I walk up to them and offer my hand to Agent Hotchner, "Hi, I'm SSA Yarbrough."

He looks unsure but shakes my hand, "SSA Hotchner. They told me why you were here. Can you help JJ with Morgan's life before the FBI? Gideon and I need to talk to him."

I nod and pull up a chair next to JJ as they walk down the hall I came from. "Hi, what can I help you with?"

"Let me get Garcia on the phone. She's going to want to meet you even if she can't see you," JJ says pulling out her phone.

"How's my boy? Tell me everything," I hear when she picks up.

"Hi Garcia. Morgan's fine but I have someone here you'll be interested in."

"Who is it?"

"Hi Penelope, I'm Agent Samantha Yarbrough. I'm best friends with Derek."

"What? Why hasn't he ever mentioned you?"

"He doesn't share a lot of personal information. You'll be finding that out quickly. I'm here to help you with his past because you're going to find stuff that may need an explaination."

JJ cuts in, "I'm gonna need you to start digging into his life Garcia."

"I feel terrible looking into his life like this," she says.

"Don't worry Garcia. He knows you're doing this to help him even if he doesn't want you to," I tell her.

"Right, ok. Graduated with honors from Northwestern Law. Did you know he was a star football player?"

JJ thinks about it, "Surprisingly, I don't know much about him at all"

Trying to reassure them I say, "He doesn't share personal information easily."

Garcia continues, "Quarterback... That's the guy who throws the ball right?"

"Yes," I say with a smile. I was so proud of what he did with his life.

"That's what he was. Full ride athletic scholarship. Sophomore year he severely injured his left knee and he never played again."

"Ok, Garcia, look further back," JJ requests.

"Ok."

"Before college."

"Right Where are we? Okay, um, wait He was mentioned in the Chicago Register... He found the body of a ch-child in a vacant lot in 1991."

JJ sighs, "That's our first victim Garcia." I remember that. I also remember helping Derek raise the money to pay for the boy's headstone. We both visit the headstone almost every time we're in town.

"He never told me about this," Garcia says.

JJ replies, "He never told any of us."

I shake my head, "I told you he doesn't share this stuff easily, it's hard for him."

"But we're his team. He should trust us," is Garcia's reply.

I purse my lips, "And he does. He also probably didn't know how to tell you guys."

"I guess..."

"Keep digging Garcia," JJ tells her.

My phone rings. It's Momma Fran, "Hey."

"Can you come back? Agent Reid wants to talk to you."

"Sure. I'll be there in a few minutes."

I turn back to JJ, "I've gotta go. It was nice to meet you guys and I'm sure I'll see you soon since this investigation isn't over. Call me if you have any questions, I'm sure Garcia can find my number."

She nods, "I guess I'll see you later and I'll call if it's necessary."