This one is a little bit naughty so I've changed the rating to M… You've been warned! ;) It features someone mentioned briefly in the original 'Fallback' story.

Minimal Loss: 4x03

As she ran from the building she jumped out of her skin as the deafening explosion reverberated through the air. Everything hurt….. But everything felt numb. All she could hear were muffled noises. She wasn't sure if it was screams. If it was sirens. If it was someone talking to her.

She tried to breathe but thick dust and air caught in her throat. As she ran and the air began to clear, she turned back. They had to be right behind her. They had to be….. But there weren't. They were nowhere to be seen.

She got to the bottom of the steps and turned, "Reid…. Morgan!" She called out as she did, but all she saw was flames and people running, and more flames.

"Reid…. Morgan." She said again, but the words barely could be heard as hope began to disappear.

Morgan was too far behind her. He couldn't have made it out. And Reid…. She had no idea where he was or what Cyrus could have done with him.

She felt her chest constrict and she couldn't breathe as she stared at the burning building intently. Her gaze fell on a tall, thin figure running towards her and for a split second she hope came back, but it faded in an instant as the man's face appeared…. It wasn't Reid.

But suddenly her heart stuttered and her chest gave way as two familiar silhouettes came staggering out of the plumes of smoke, coughing and spluttering. She closed her eyes and exhaled heavily as if her chest had collapsed, placing her hands over her mouth in relief. Within a few seconds she was with them; her arms tight around the hunched over frame of Reid and her eyes staring at Morgan. Were they actually there…..?

~~CM~~

Morgan stood, leant over the basin, in front of a mirror in the men's bathroom back at Qauntico and rubbed his eyes; They were stinging still from a mixture of the smoke and tiredness. He couldn't even think about writing up the report for the shooting of Benjamin Cyrus tonight. His brain just was not functioning right. So he splashed cold water over his face, picked up his bag off the floor and flung it over his shoulder, heading for the door….. The report could wait until tomorrow.

As he approached the bull pen, with the one last thing on his mind that he had to do today, he frowned seeing that the lighting was dimmed and it was deathly quiet. Everyone had made a sharp exit…. And this wasn't supposed to have happened. He scolded himself…. he should have talked to her as soon as they got off the jet.

He pulled his cell out of his pocket and was about to turn and walk away when he spied the low light over her desk. He quietly made his through the doors towards her, where she was hunched over her desk, busily writing away.

"Hey." He muttered as he approached.

"Hey." She replied, glancing up at him quickly before returning to her report.

"How you feeling?" He asked, pulling his own seat across the small gap between their desks so he was sat next to her.

She looked back to him with her darkening, bruised face and smiled tiredly, "I'm fine. Although I don't think I'll be entering any beauty contests any time soon."

He let out a breathy chuckle, "That looks sore." He whispered, gently touching the side of her face and tracing his fingers along her skin.

"It's ok. It'll heal." She uttered with a small shrug, in an attempt to minimise the issue.

He paused for a moment, inhaling slowly in contemplation and then shook his head, "I'm sorry you went through that."

"Derek." She said, placing her hand atop his that was pressed against her jawline, "Don't do this. I told Reid and I'll tell you, I'd do it all again."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head just a little with a smirk, "Yeah, I know you would."

He let his hand fall away from her, but did not remove his gaze, "You look tired." He told her, a concern in his tone.

"I know…. I am." She conceded, "But I'd rather get this done now." She said pointing to the paper on her desk.

He leant over silently, and with his thumb and forefinger, grasped the pen out of her hand.

"Hey." She protested.

"Hey nothing." He said firmly, placing the pen in his top pocket and standing up. "You're going home. Come on."

"Who made you the boss all of a sudden?" She answered dryly.

"Me." He said as he grabbed her bag off the desk and began to walk away. She grimaced when the pain hit her as she began to smile.

"I guess you're taking me home then." She called to him as he nearly reached the double glass doors.

"Yes. You guess right." He said without looking back, "And don't even think about arguing with me."

She opened her mouth as a natural reaction to do just that, but she just exhaled in surrender instead and pursed her lips as she watched him. She really didn't want to argue with him. She couldn't think of anything she wanted more right now than to go home and just fall into her bed and sleep…

So she labouredly stood up, bones and joints aching, grabbed her jacket off the back of her seat and walked to join him. He smiled as she approached and he reached for the door, pushing it open and signalling for her to exit before him.

"You know what though." He said as he followed her towards the elevator, "There's some Halloween contests you may stand a chance in." He said, attempting to subdue his smirk.

She turned back to him with a raised brow, "Oh ha ha." She snarked.

Their dulcet laughter could still be heard as the elevator pinged, arriving at their floor.

"Good timing." Morgan nodded, as the doors slid open. But he stopped dead in his tracks….

"Emily?" The man the other side of the doors exclaimed, almost jogging out of the elevator towards her.

Morgan's smile faded seeing Gregory Boyd, a team leader for one of the FBI's Counter Terrorism Hostage Rescue Teams….. and boyfriend to Emily for the past couple of months. The slightly taller, dark blond haired Agent wrapped his arms around her without giving her chance to speak and tell her that he really shouldn't. But it soon became quite apparent when she winced from the pain.

"I'm so sorry." He said, pulling his arms from around her, then placing his hands gently on either side of her face as his eyes fully took in the state of her face. "Oh my god. What the hell did he do to you?"

She wrapped her fingers around each of his wrists and guided his arms downwards, an awkwardness flowing over her both from feeling Morgan's stare on them and being in the work place. It really was a no no.

"Greg I'm fine. It's just some bruises. But how did you know?"

"Garcia left a message on my cell but I only got it half an hour ago as I was on a job. I've been trying to call you since."

"Oh sorry." She offered, "My battery died."

"You should have called me. Let me know."

She shook her head, "I didn't want to worry you. It's no big deal."

"No big deal? Look I called Garcia. She told me what happened." Boyd said, glancing at Morgan with a glimmer of contempt.

The dark profiler frowned, a little confused, then returned to that feeling of awkwardness and frustration at watching the couple.

"Well then you know that I'm fine." Emily almost whispered towards the tall dark blond Agent, her eyes widening in a bid to tell him to leave it….

But it was to no avail.

Boyd shook his head and turned back to Morgan, "I can't believe you stood and listened to her being beat up man."

"What?" Morgan scoffed, he face scrunching up in disbelief.

Emily frowned at Boyd, "Greg, it wasn't like…."

"You of all people know, you don't just go storming in to a hostage situation Boyd." Morgan offered, trying to keep his cool, but speaking over the brunette, his everything entirely focused on the man in front of him.

"Look at the state of her." Boyd argued pointing towards Emily's face.

"It's nothing." Emily stressed, once again being cut off.

Morgan snarled silently and pointed at the other Agent, "Don't you dare accuse me of not doing everything I can to protect my team."

"May be you need to do more."

"Greg!" Emily almost shouted, this time grabbing his attention, "I was doing my job. I told them not to come in after me."

A wry smile formed at the one corned of Boyd's mouth, "I didn't think you were one for obeying orders Morgan."

"I trust my partner." The dark profiler responded without hesitation in a low, but sure tone.

Boyd shook his head with a roll of the eyes, before turning his attention back to the brunette.

"Greg." She began, "Morgan is the one who got me out ok?"

The Agent glanced sidewards towards Morgan with one eyebrow raised, "You're the one that shot Cyrus?"

Derek nodded.

"Well, at least you got something right."

Morgan opened his mouth to respond, but his partner was quicker, "That's enough. Let's go." She spat, her lips pursed and her glare boring into Boyd's eyes.

He turned, not acknowledging Morgan again and stepped towards the elevator. She paused and looked at Derek with sad, tired eyes, "I'm sorry." She whispered.

He just shook his head, waving her away, "It doesn't matter." He attempted a half smile, "I'll see you tomorrow. Get some sleep."

"Yeah I will. You too." She smiled both sorrily and sweetly, then joined Boyd just as the elevator was about to shut.

Morgan just stood staring at the door. How did you go from feeling just fine to floored in a matter of seconds. He just wanted to make sure she was ok. Get her home safe…. and in one foul swoop, Gregory Boyd took it away. But as a wave of sickness flowed though him at the thought of her with him that night, he realised he was still holding her bag.

He let out a laboured sigh, and made for the stairs, jogging down two steps at a time to the parking lot level in an attempt to catch up with the couple. Slightly out of breath, he pushed the doors open and caught sight of them heading across the lot.

He was about to call out her name when he watched Boyd take hold of Emily's slender hand and raise it to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to her skin….. And at that point he thought she could wait until tomorrow to get her bag back. He figured she wouldn't be needing it tonight.

~~CM~~

She lifted her heavy eyelids and squinted at the digital clock at the side of the bed. The green neon lights read 2:13 am. She turned to look at the man laying next to her, his chiselled features soft from his deep slumber, his hand laying heavily on her hip. She stared at him for a while, wondering if she should wake him. If he could help her. If he would understand. If he could make it better.

She wasn't sure, so instead, she grabbed for her cell and looked at the screen in hope, but it only disappointed. The blank screen frustrated her and she had no right to feel that way, but she knew there was only one way to get rid of this feeling.

It may be the middle of the night, but she knew he'd be awake; Sleep was a rare thing after cases like today's and Morgan, more than most, would be replaying it over and over in his mind trying to figure out if he could have done it better. If he could have stopped what happened to her. If he could have gotten her out quicker.

So she gently lifted his big hand off her hip and placed it on the mattress, then carefully prising the sheet off her body. She crept through the dark, cold apartment until she reached the sitting room where she pulled her old green and blue blanket out of the closet and wrapped it around herself as she nestled in to the sofa.

Lifting her knees to her chest, she let her hand rest against them as she stared at her cell that was illuminating her features.

'Are you awake?' She texted to her partner, laying her head back whilst awaiting his response.

Not even sixty seconds later, with a tiny beep and a flash of the screen, it came;

'Yes. Are you ok?"

'Fine. Is it ok to call you?'

She waited again for the dull beep of the text message to arrive, but instead the cell rang out and she quickly answered it…. The ringing sound seemingly much louder in the middle of the night.

"Hey." She answered.

"Hey. You don't have to ask me if you can call you know."

She smiled, "Yeah I do…. Particularly in the middle of the night."

There was a short silence as both Agents contemplated what she meant by her last statement. Both of them had made that call before, with the other talking quietly and awkwardly at the other end, the presence of another immediately apparent.

"So, what's up?" He asked, breaking the silence.

"Can't sleep."

"Me neither. You want me to come over?"

He listened intently as he could hear no sound from her, but he felt the heavy intensity.

"He's there isn't he?"

"Yeah." Her voice croaked as she forced the word out apologetically. "But he's asleep."

"Why don't you wake him?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you."

She heard a heavy sigh at the end of the line but nothing else. She couldn't blame him for feeling a little put upon. She had another man in her bed, but she was ringing him. She couldn't imagine she'd have been much different should the roles have been reversed.

"Derek?" She said softly.

"Yeah I'm here." He uttered.

"I'm sorry for what Greg said to you earlier. He was out of line."

"To be honest Emily, I'd of probably been the same if I saw what had happened to you."

"Really?"

"Yes really." Morgan chuckled at her apparent surprise, "But I still think the guy is an ass."

"Derek…" She half scolded, half laughed.

"So." He continued, his tone changing, "What do you want to talk about?" He asked gently.

There was a silence….. and he was happy to let it remain and just listen to her small breaths at the other end. He heard a ruffling sound and assumed she was shifting her body and he smiled imagining her picking at her nails or biting her bottom lip, but then he heard an intake of breath and a tiny voice….

"I thought you died." She eventually whispered with a quiver.

"What?" He asked, thinking he may have misheard.

"I thought you died. You and Reid. I thought you were dead when that place exploded."

He half smiled, "Well we are both very much alive and kicking and remember what you did saved a whole lotta lives…. and who knows what would have happened to Reid if Cyrus got his hands on him."

"I didn't want him to go through that… Not after Hankel."

"I know.' He conceded, "I get that. I just wish it hadn't been you who had to go through that."

"Well who else would you choose?"

"Me."

"Of course." She smiled, "My hero."

"Are you being sarcastic Agent Prentiss?"

He heard a slight chuckle.

"No I'm not Agent Morgan. I just don't want a dead hero on my hands."

"Well, I'm still here."

There was a small pause before she uttered in a low, more serious tone, "I wish you were here."

"Jeez Emily." He sighed.

"What?"

"Don't do this to me."

"Do what?"

"Do you have any idea how much I wish I was there with you right now?"

"Of course I do."

He sighed once again before responding, "So come here then."

"I can't just leave."

"Tell him we've got a case."

"I can't. He'll know tomorrow."

"Ok, whatever." He said with resignation.

"Derek I'm sorry. I didn't mean to….. I mean, I just wanted to…"

"Emily." He interrupted, "It's ok. I'm glad you called. I've been thinking about you all night."

"You have?"

"Of course. What else? Look, all I wanted to do tonight Emily was put my arms around you to know you're ok."

"I am ok."

"No you're not. You wouldn't be calling me at nearly two thirty a.m. if you were."

"Derek… I…"

"Just come round." He stated.

Silence…

~~CM~~

She tiptoed through the dark corridor and pushed the door open, a shaft of blue moonlight from the hallway window illuminating the bed and she could see the rise and fall of the sheet as he slept. She walked the few steps to the side of the bed that he slept and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Hey." She whispered.

He rolled over immediately, and greeted her with tired, but smiling eyes.

"Hey." He replied, his voice gruff.

"Sorry for waking you."

"You didn't. I wasn't asleep."

"Really?"

"No." He said, sitting himself up against his pillows, "I couldn't."

"Sorry, I…."

"Shhhh." He hushed, placing a finer to her lips and reaching with the other to turn on the bed side lamp.

As the light attacked their eyes they both squinted and took a few seconds to focus on one another.

But without saying a word he reached up to her and placed both his hands gently either side of her neck and stared into her dark eyes.

"I hate this." He whispered, running the back of one finger down the side of her face gently. "Come here."

He held his arms open and she shuffled along the bed towards him and let his big arms encircle her body.

"I'm so glad you came." He uttered beside her ear, his words muffled by her hair.

"Me too." She replied, but he heard a strain in her tone.

He pulled away, "Did I hurt you?"

"It's just a bit sore." She grimaced.

"You should have said. I wouldn't have…"

"Derek. It's fine." She attempted to reassure.

"How bad is it?"

She shook her head with a shrug.

He glanced down and eyed the oversized white shirt she wore and smiled.

"What?" She asked.

"In a hurry?" He said with a raised brow.

She looked down and saw the hem of the shirt was not in line as she had managed to button it up all kinds of wrong.

"I was getting dressed in a rush, and in the dark." She told him.

"Ok." He muttered, then fell mute and stared at her. "Can I see?"

There was a thickness in the air as she stared back, but he just about saw the tiny nod.

He lifted his arms in front and reached for the top button, grasping it, then pausing to stare at her again, waiting for her to protest…..But it didn't come.

He undid the buttons slowly, one by one until the fabric fell apart. Her eyes were almost smoky as as they were fixed on him and she gave a small smile as he slid his hands underneath the material and over her shoulders, pushing the shirt down her arms until it slipped off and fell on the floor at her feet. It left her upper body completely exposed as she hadn't bothered with a bra before she had hurriedly left her apartment… but he didn't even seem to notice that. All focus was on the patchy skin that covered her stomach, and her chest covered in red scratches and bruises getting darker and spreading where Cyrus' boots had pounded into her.

"I'm so glad he gave me a reason to shoot him." He uttered catching her eye. "He's lucky I didn't get my hands on him."

She smiled, "Derek Morgan, you are not the revenge type of guy."

He leant forward and kissed her lips gently, "You have no idea what I was thinking when I listened to you being beaten up…. And then seeing your face when I got you out. I don't know what I would have done."

"Yeah I do." She whispered, this time kissing his lips this time, "You'd of done the right thing."

"You mean like this?" He mumbled into her as he let his tongue trace along her bottom lip.

"Just like this." She uttered, deepening their kiss.

He jolted a little, unexpectedly feeling her fingers on his waist. They traced around his back and moved lower, grasping the sheet that was at the base of his spine and beginning to push it away.

"Hey." He murmured softly, pulling a couple of inches away from her and reaching around his back to grasp her wrists lightly, "That's not why I asked you to come here."

He watched her swallow and the glint in her eyes begin to fade, "I know." She whispered, "But I want…"

She stopped and looked downward.

"Why did you come here?" He asked, stroking her dark hair that fell to the side of her head.

She moved her stare back on to him, "I just want to see you're ok….."

"I am." He uttered.

She shook her head, "To feel you're ok."

He smiled and his eyes softened, "I understand….. But I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't." She stated with some certainty, pulling him back towards her.

She felt his smile as their lips met and his hands gently cupped her face. He placed feather light kisses upon her bruised cheeks, then her jaw line, moving his way down her neck. Lowering her backwards onto the bed, he hovered above her and smiled before averting his attention; His lips danced from her collar bone, down onto her chest and lightly over her breasts. He took his time and care as he came to the battered and broken skin that covered her ribs and stomach, at the same time, tugging gently at the elasticated top of her joggers. He pressed his full lips against, and let them linger upon the taut skin just above her panty line, then looked up as he felt her stare on him and saw the wanton look in her eyes and her chest heave in anticipation.

Making quick work of removing what was left of her clothing, he moved back up the bed and lay down beside her, balancing on his elbow so he could see her face.

"You alright?" He uttered, his voice raspy and tired.

She pressed her lips together in a gentle smile and nodded, then reaching for his hand that was rested on her tummy and entwined their fingers. She bought the back of his hand to her lips and pressed against his rough skin before laying his hand upon her neck and freeing it from her own.

He leant down and kissed her once on the lips and then placed his fingers loosely around her neck and rubbed down until he reached the base. He began lightly stroking her skin from the top of her chest and working his way downward. He watched her close her eyes and a small smile play upon her lips as goose bumps began to appear upon her skin at his touch.

But as his fingers traced lower, to the crease at the top of her thighs, he saw the smile fade from her and a more serious expression form. Her mouth opened slightly and she silently gasped as his fingers nestled in and began to stroke her.

He kept the pace gentle and slow, watching her intently as he did. She looked as though she was in another place, almost as if she were dreaming….. That was until he saw something change. Her eyes remained shut, but the tiniest of frowns appeared on her brow and her chest rose a little higher.

And then he suddenly froze….. A solitary tear running down her cheek.

He elevated himself a little higher so his face was above hers and gently swept the tear away with the back of one finger.

"Hey. Open your eyes." He whispered.

As her eyelids rose he saw more moisture glazed across her dark orbs.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

She shook her head, "I can't stop thinking about how close you came to…."

"Well I didn't." He interrupted.

But she remained silent and he saw her throat ripple as she swallowed and looked away from him.

"I'm right here." He whispered, running his fingers from her forehead, through her dark hair.

Her eyes darted back to his and they widened as she reached her arms up and around his neck pulling him back to her.

"Show me." She uttered, before kissing him.

But this time it was different; It was hard and wanton, fast and feverish and he felt her grab for his chest pulling him on top of her. He had to straddle her and balance on all fours so that he didn't crush her already battered body.

As he hovered above her, he felt her arms wrap around his waist and dig her nails in to his flesh and it drove him crazy. He knew she could wait no longer, and now he couldn't either, so he flipped over sitting himself upright on the bed next to her. She looked over to him quizzically, but he smiled, leaning over and reaching for her wrists, gently guiding her over so she sat astride him and he wrapped his arms around her letting his forearms rest under her ass, taking the weight.

She bore her eyes into his and placed her lips barely an inch from his, teasing him with her breath. She held the side of his face as she rose slightly, adjusting her angle. Her eyes closed and he felt her warm, slight breath, brush his lips as she lowered herself onto him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her naked flesh against his chest and he supported her weight with his arms.

As she rocked, the friction between them caused small instances of painful pleasure for her, but he swallowed her groans with his deep kisses. She rocked harder and faster, wanting to feel every last part of him and threw her head back inviting his lips to her chest. As he lavished her skin with rough, desperate kisses, he grasped her hair and tugged lightly. She gasped and closed her eyes tight…. He had no idea Cyrus had done just that to her, that her head was sore, but she didn't make Derek stop…. She wanted this. She wanted to make Cyrus go away and the only memory of this action to be Morgan.

"Harder." She breathed, and she felt his warm breath on her chest as he chuckled lightly.

She felt a slight increase in pressure on her scalp, but not really what you would call 'harder'. Derek Morgan was up for most things, but hurting her wasn't one of them, so instead, he released the grip on her hair and moved his hand between them both.

Her lips crashed into his as he teased her sensitive spot and her breath got caught in his as their pace quickened and their senses heightened. With the pressure building, she exhaled heavily and as their mouths fell apart, she wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders, burying her face in the crook of his neck. He tensed his arm that was underneath her and using every ounce of strength he had left in his body, he rode out their climax until they both had nothing left to give.

She remained with her arms tightly fixed around him, their sweaty bodies stuck together as their breathing began to calm. He turned his head slightly so his face was buried in her soft, dark hair, "You feel that?" He whispered, "I'm right here."

He just felt a small nod in response, and a pair of moist warm lips press against the sensitive skin at the side of his neck.

A short while later, they had finally prised themselves apart and she lay on her side atop the sheets, with his chest pressed up against her back, their bodies melting into one once again.

"So, where'd you tell him you were going?" He muttered, his voice deep and raspy and he let one arm fall over her waist.

"I didn't." She answered sleepily.

"You mean you just walked out?"

She nodded.

"What's he gonna think?"

"That I got called in to work." She said as a matter of fact.

"And when he finds out you weren't?"

He heard a small sigh as she shifted in his arms and twisted round so she was facing him.

"I don't want to talk about him." She uttered, nestling her head into his chest.

"Ok." He smiled, kissing her temple lightly, "Me neither."

And he continued to smile as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, contentment surrounding him for one night at least, knowing she was safe….. in his arms.

I hope that didn't disappoint… a lot of people asked for a tag to Minimal Loss.

I thought may be a more light hearted chapter next…. So if anyone would like a fun tag to an episode, let me know which one Thanks for reading!