Reid watched his dark skinned friend carefully. They were sitting on the plane heading back towards Quantico. The last case had been particularly grueling, especially for Morgan. Young boys were forced to watch as their fathers were murdered execution style. Morgan noticed Reid watching him, a worried look on the younger man's face.
"I'm not going to break you know" Morgan teased as he pulled his headphones off and moved to the seat across from his best friend.
"I… I… I didn't s…say anything" Reid stuttered. He knew that Morgan was like a big teddy bear, but the fact that he was still the brawn of the team didn't escape Reid.
"I was ten" Morgan said softly. He hadn't wanted them to know, but Reid was his best friend and the other man was worried about him. He had never had anyone care about him that much before. Everyone saw him as the strong, emotionless man. No one knew the real him besides his family and the team.
"My dad was taking me to see the Bears game. We loved spending time watching sports since we were the only two men in the family. We were coming home and we had stopped at the grocery store a block away. My mom needed bread and bacon. We were going to make BLTs for dinner. My dad mocked her ever since she had called because those were the most important ingredients. We walked into the store and got the items." Morgan had to pause to collect his thoughts. Reid waited patiently.
"This guy in a black hoodie and jeans was following us. Dad somehow always kept himself between the guy and me. We got up to the cash register to check out and that was when all hell broke loose." Morgan paused and closed his eyes, willing the pictures and memories to go away.
"He pulled out a gun and started waving it at the cashier, demanding all of the money. My dad pushed me back a little ways before he started forward. He tried to get the gun away from the man, but a shot sounded. Everyone watched as my dad fell. The guy dropped the gun and ran." Morgan paused as he tried to keep his emotions under control.
"As soon as the guy was out of the store I ran to my dad's side. I knew he was dying and I wanted to be there for him. All he managed to say was "I love you" before his eyes closed and his breathing stopped. He had taught me CPR, so I started that until the ambulance came ten minutes later. Apparently the cashier had triggered a silent alarm. Ten minutes was fast in Chicago." Reid smiled at the humor Morgan tried to incorporate into his story.
"So instead of ending the day with a game of catch and a promise of another game, I watched my as my father was murdered in front of me. The guy ended up confessing to the police because the he didn't want the guilt of killing a cop on his mind." Reid watched Morgan carefully. He was worried about his friend, but knew that Morgan would be ok.
"I was nine. My parents had just gotten into a large argument. It wasn't uncommon for them, but this time it was different. This time they ended up furious at each other. My mom didn't think there was anything wrong and my dad wanted her to get help. After the fight my dad packed up all of his clothes. He started walking out the door, my mom begging for him to stay saying she would get help. My dad ignored her. Instead he turned to me. I thought he would tell me to go pack that he was taking me with him. Instead he looked at me with sadness in his eyes. He didn't say a word to me before he left. I haven't seen or heard from him since." Morgan watched Reid. The younger man tried to play it off, but Morgan could see the hurt and hatred Reid harbored for his father. He couldn't imagine his father leaving them on his own choice.
"Hey Reid, look at me" Morgan said. Reid looked up. "Your dad is stupid. You're an amazing person Reid. Look at what you do. You could have had any job you wanted, but you chose to work for the FBI, why?" Reid looked down.
"Gideon had caught my attention during one of his guest lectures. I had always wanted to help others and I thought the BAU would be a good opportunity for that" he replied. Morgan nodded.
"Like I said before, your dad is dumb. He left and didn't get the chance to see the amazing man you have turned into. He didn't get to see you turn into a husband to Austin and a father to Savannah" Morgan explained. Reid nodded. "My dad didn't get to see it happen to me, but it wasn't his choice to leave me. Your dad, he doesn't deserve you" he finished. Reid mulled over what his friend had said.
"Thank you" was all the response he could come up with. Morgan smiled and leaned back in his chair, putting his headphones back on. Reid watched him for a moment until he realized that his best friend had fallen asleep. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the familiar number.
"Hey baby" Austin's sleepy voice said. Reid smiled.
"Hey, how are you?" he asked. "How's Vanna?" he continued. He was determined to be a better father to his daughter than his father was to him.