This was originally a oneshot, but a few people asked if there was going to be another chapter and an idea came to mind. This is a pretty lighthearted chapter, so take it for what it is. Hope you enjoy.
Emily sat next to Reid on the jet, JJ and Morgan opposite them and Hotch and Rossi stood across the aisle to their side.
"This unsub appears to be reliving his childhood. It's like he wants revenge on his mother and father for the past and he picks victims who represent them." JJ was saying.
"Yeah but takes his time replaying what he remembers as happy memories." Reid continued.
"So something must trigger the rage at some point in that memory. The way he kills them is full of rage. It's not just one or two stab wounds, there's twenty or thirty." Rossi pointed out.
"And slash marks." Reid added.
As the agents mulled over the case, Morgan glanced over to Emily who had managed to maintain a façade of normality so far, but he saw a little of her mask slip and her face paled. Not wanting to bring attention to it, he quickly returned his interest over to Hotch who continued;
"Ok, when we get to Jonesboro, Reid and Prentiss you go and speak to the families of the victims. See if we can get a link between them. He must be choosing them somehow."
Morgan couldn't help but look back to the brunette as he saw out of the corner of his eye her shoulders judder. She placed a hand to her mouth and swallowed hard, concentrating hard on an invisible spot on the table in front of her.
"Rossi and JJ go to the morgue. Have a good look at the injuries. Did he just kill them or was there an element of torture too? Morgan and I will go to speak to the local police and look at the geographical profile."
The agents all nodded as Hotch and Rossi walked away taking their seats at the front of the plane. Before anyone could say anything else, Emily shot up out of her seat and made her way down the plane to the bathroom.
"She looked like she was gonna throw up." JJ said, watching her friend's form disappear behind the curtain at the end of the aisle.
"I'll go check on her." Morgan mumbled getting up out of his seat.
He stood next to the bathroom door and winced as he heard the sounds of what he assumed was Emily's breakfast making a reappearance.
As she opened the door, she saw Morgan's slightly concerned face, with a scrunched up nose, staring back at her.
"What are you doing here?" She whispered.
"Just checking you're ok." He whispered back.
"I can't believe you just listened to me throw up. How attractive." She said sarcastically.
He silently chuckled, "I think I'm in for seeing far worse don't you?"
It was her turn to scrunch up her face, "Ew, I don't even want to think…." She finished the sentence waving her hand in front of her face as if trying to bat away the mental image.
She smiled back at him as he grinned at her, "You sure you're up for this Derek?"
"What? Vomit and crankiness? Why ever not?" He laughed.
"Hey I haven't been cranky."
"Really? Ok may be not yet you haven't…."
"Whatever."
Normally she would get cranky at him. Normally she'd tell him to stop fussing over her. Normally, the thought of someone listening to her throw up would freak her out. But this wasn't 'normally'. Derek Morgan wasn't 'normally'. Somehow she felt slightly calmer with him around….. With him on her side. Sure, they still had a lot to talk about, but she knew he was letting her know she was definitely not on her own in this…... Just as he always had.
She walked past him with a little smirk, feeling his hand just touch the small of her back as she did, and returned to her seat.
"You ok?" Reid asked.
"Were you just sick?" JJ whispered, leaning over so Hotch and Rossi couldn't hear.
Emily looked to her two friends and then glanced up as Morgan was stood above her holding out a glass of water.
"Thanks….." She said taking the glass, before turning back to JJ and Reid. "….. Yeah, I think it was the dodgy tuna I had yesterday."
"No it's not that…" Reid said, causing both Emily and Morgan to shoot a look at him. "….. I had that too and I'm fine. It's more likely to be the shell fish you had on the side. I didn't have that."
"Yes, the shell fish must have done it." Emily said, giving Morgan a subtle look of relief.
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Hotch was still studying the case papers as Morgan drove the SUV to the local station. Morgan saw the Unit Chief shake his head.
"What's up?" He asked.
"All the victims have young sons, all aged four or five years old. I was just wandering if there's a link or it's just a coincidence."
"May be something happened to the unsub at that age specifically." Morgan suggested.
"May be. We'll keep that in mind…. Oh and the second victim's wife is pregnant. I better let Reid and Prentiss know before they get there."
Morgan couldn't help but let his mind drift to Emily as Hotch was on the phone to her. He wandered what feelings within her were stirring at the latest bit of information. It seems there was going to be no way of forgetting what was going on with them right now. There was always a reminder.
The two men sat in silence for a short while after the phone call until Morgan had the courage to speak;
"Hotch, can I ask you something?"
"Sure go ahead."
"How do you do it? I mean all this and do such a good job with Jack?"
Hotch paused, the silence feeling awkward.
"Sorry man, I shouldn't have asked. It's none of my business." Morgan added at the lack of response.
"No. No it's fine….. It's not easy, but Hayley's sister is a great help and he's a good kid. Obviously a lot of that is down to Hayley." Hotch barely managing to finish saying her name properly.
"But with everything we see, when you knew you were having him, did it scare you? You know….. because of the kind of world you were bringing him into?"
"Honestly? Yes it did. It's probably one of the reasons I work so hard to try and make it a better place. I do it for Jack."
"How do you know what to do?"
"What do you mean?"
"How to be a good father?"
Hotch smiled, "What's this all about Morgan?"
"Nothing. I guess it's you mentioning all those kids…" Morgan lied, "…It's just you always seem so together…. To always know the right thing to do by Jack. Did you always know what to do? I mean….. did it come naturally?"
"The truth is I question myself all the time. You never stop as a parent, but when your time comes you'll realise that you will do anything to protect them and give them what they need. Whichever way you do that is the right way in the end."
"What if you get it wrong?"
"You do get it wrong sometimes but there isn't much that can't be fixed. You just have to realise you're not superman…. No matter how much you want to be."
Both men gave a little chuckle and sat in silence for the rest of the journey, both contemplating…... Both for very different reasons.
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"Hotch, all of the victims and their families use Rum Creek Park. There's a weekly fun day for families. They've all gone to them over the past month, but they haven't all gone to the same one." Reid was talking on the phone as Emily drove.
"Which suggests the unsub has been going to all of them to scope out his victims. When's the next one?"
"Today."
"Right ok. We don't have much time then. The park definitely fits with the geographical profile. I'm going to get the local PD to set up some observations there today. Rossi and JJ will be here in about half hour. We'll give the profile then."
"Ok Hotch, we're about ten minutes away."
He cut the call off and turned to Emily, "Hotch says we will be giving the profile in half hour."
"Good." She said as she swerved the car.
"Where we going?" Reid asked as she pulled the SUV into the drive through diner.
"I'm hungry Spence. I'll just grab something and eat it on the way back to the station. You want anything?"
"No thanks."
Pulling up alongside the booth, she wound her window down, "Can I get a burger with everything please."
Reid interrupted, "Without the pickle Emily. You forgot to ask them to take the pickle off."
She looked at him and then raised her eyebrows as if a light bulb had gone off in her brain and returned her attention back to the booth. "Actually, can I have extra pickle?"
As they drove to the next window Reid stared at her.
"What?" She said noticing his glare.
"You hate pickle."
"No I don't. " She said defensively.
"Yes you do. I clearly remember you telling me on July 19th five years ago at the Stonebridge café in Pittsburgh you hated pickles because they were slimy and you thought they tasted like rotten cucumbers. I asked you because you were picking them out of your food and now you always ask for no pickles when you order a burger."
"Oh….." she said slightly lost for words, albeit, she should not have been surprised, "….. Well, I like them now. That ok?" Her tone a little sharper than she intended.
"Ok ok." Reid said, his hands held out in surrender.
Emily checked herself and looked to him, "Sorry Spence. I get cranky when I'm hungry."
"No you don't. You actually forget to eat when we're working and then when we….."
"Ok Spence, stop now….." She interrupted rolling her eyes, "….Let me just get the food because I am really hungry and if I don't eat I feel like I'm going to pass out."
"I guess that makes sense since you threw up your breakfast." Reid said matter of factly.
"Yeah thanks for reminding me Spencer…. Now, you can drive whilst I eat this."
"Sure." Reid obliged, the conversation they had just had seemingly forgotten by him already.
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By ten pm the stake out at the park coupled with the profile had paid off and the unsub was in custody.
Back at the hotel that night, the team were stood in the lobby;
"We'll meet back here in the morning at eight sharp. Plane's leaving at nine." Hotch said before walking off towards the elevator followed by JJ and Reid.
Rossi followed Morgan's stare to Emily's tired face, "I don't know about you two, but I could do with a night cap to wind down. Fancy it?" Rossi asked starting to walk in to the bar.
"Yeah."
Morgan instinctively followed behind, but stopped and turned at the sound of Emily's voice;
"I'll join you guys in a minute, I'm just going to the bathroom." Emily said making her way in the opposite direction.
Rossi leant up against the bar and signalled for the barman, "Three whisky on the rocks please."
Morgan stared at the bar for a few seconds as he became conscious of what they were about to do, "Er, do you think Emily will want that?"
"What the whisky?" Rossi frowned questioningly, "She always has that as a nightcap."
"Yeah I know but I don't think she should…..." Morgan didn't finish the sentence, realising what he was about to confess, knowing that if he carried on he'd be getting himself into all sorts of trouble.
He was glad of the distraction as he saw Emily walking back towards them and she took her place in between the two men as the barman placed the three tumblers in front of them.
She stared at the brown liquid and fingered the side of the glass which was looking so inviting right now. Giving a disappointed sigh she pushed the glass towards the older profiler, "Rossi, do you want this? I don't fancy it." and she gave a quick glance up to Morgan who let a small knowing smile creep over his lips.
Rossi looked at Emily for a few seconds then moved his gaze to Morgan who glanced back at him but then quickly shifted his eye contact, pretending to survey the rest of the bar.
"So what do you want instead…. Vodka? Martini?" Rossi asked.
"I'll just have an orange juice."
"Orange juice? Seriously?"
She nodded her head unconvincingly.
"Some party this is going to be." He said sarcastically as all three agents laughed.
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The following afternoon, the team made their way in to the bullpen after the short plane journey home.
"Guys, we'll de-brief in ten minutes. Grab a drink and I'll see you in the briefing room." Hotch said walking off to his office, followed by Rossi.
"I'll go let Garcia know we're back." JJ said.
"I'll come with you JJ. I got her this from the airport." Reid said, pulling out something long, pink and fluffy.
"What is that?" Morgan scoffed, looking unimpressed.
"It's a pen." Reid defended.
"A pen? How the hell do you…..? Oh you know I don't even care. Go give it her kid." Morgan said waving him away.
He shook his head with a smile and looked down to Emily who was now sat at her desk, messing about in her bag.
"You ok?" he asked, perching himself at the edge of her desk.
She looked up and gave a weary smile, "Yeah. I'm just glad to be back. It's been exhausting hiding this from them."
"I know. Tell me about it."
"I think we got away with it though didn't we?"
"Yeah." He agreed, smiling, unable to take his eyes off her.
She definitely looked different. Tired may be, but somehow more beautiful. He wasn't sure if it was her that had changed or himself.
"So, when we going to talk about this properly?" He said, leaning in closer to her and lowering his tone.
She shrugged her shoulders, "I guess we should do it tonight?"
"Listen, I'm ready whenever you are, but if you're too tired, I can wait." He said, hoping she wouldn't take up his offer of waiting.
"No tonight is fine. Come to my place after work. I'll cook something."
He smiled, "Ok, but I'll get take out. Anything with pickle right?"
Winking at her, he got up and made his way to join the others.
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Garcia and JJ made their way to the briefing room with Reid a few paces behind.
"JJ, were Morgan and Emily ok while you were away?" Garcia asked.
"Well I think Emily was a bit sick, but Morgan was alright."
"Sick?" Garcia asked concerned.
"She ate something bad she thinks."
"Oh right."
"Why do you think there's something up with them?"
"Before you guys left yesterday I caught them talking alone in my office. It just seemed a little tense. I wandered if they'd had words or something."
JJ shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, they seemed fine to me."
The agents all took their seats and debriefed the case which didn't take too long. As Hotch finished up, Emily took a huge yawn causing them all to turn and look at her.
"Keeping you up are we?" Rossi smiled to her.
Before she could answer, Reid interjected, "You know Emily, I think you should go to the doctors."
She whipped her head from Rossi to the younger agent, "What?" She snapped.
"Well, you were sick yesterday and you were eating stuff you hate. Usually I'd say those were symptoms of pregnancy, but as you haven't got a boyfriend it can't be that, so I was thinking about what it could be, and there's a few things that spring to mind that I think you should get checked out. The first is...…"
As he waffled on, Emily didn't dare to take her eyes off him and look at the rest of the room. She could feel herself burning up with several eyes boring into her face.
Garcia and JJ looked at each other, their eyes widening in tandem as realisation crept through both of them. JJ looked at Emily and saw the exaggerated rise and fall of her chest and watched as she picked at her fingers which she could just see in her lap. Garcia looked at Morgan who was scratching his head awkwardly and constantly glancing from Emily to the ceiling and back again. Hotch also stared at Morgan, at first with a frown, but his face soon softened as he watched the agent look at Emily with a gaze that reminded of him of some distance memories of his own.
Rossi was the first to get up. As he walked behind Morgan he patted him on the shoulder, letting his solid hand rest there for just a couple of seconds, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
Garcia was next to jump up, grabbing Emily's hand and practically dragging the brunette away, closely followed behind by JJ.
Morgan slowly pushed his seat away and went to walk out himself….
"Morgan." Hotch said before Morgan could make it out of the room.
When Morgan turned the older agent was in front of him. He felt Hotch take his hand and shake it firmly. The Unit Chief didn't use any words, just gave Morgan a small, and what felt like an approving smile, squeezing the top of his arm with his free hand, before slipping past him and out of the room.
Morgan smiled to himself until he realised he wasn't the only one left in the room. Reid was still sat, staring at him with confusion spread across his face.
"What's up kid?"
"Why did Hotch just shake your hand?"
"No reason."
"Morgan, we don't usually shake hands after a debrief."
Morgan chuckled, "No… No we don't. C'mon Reid, we need to have a talk."
"What kind of a talk?"
"The birds and the bees kind."
"But we already had that one." Reid said, standing up and jogging a few paces to catch up with Morgan.