Chapter Two
"Rise and shine, Einstein."
Murdoch Jamison jerked awake as his roommate pounded on the bedroom door. He sat up in bed, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Murdoch?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm awake." Murdoch grimaced at the shakiness of his voice.
"Well, get a move on. We have to meet the BAU agents at the hotel."
Murdoch listened as Josiah moved down the hall. He sucked in a deep breath and ran a hand through his sweaty black hair, once again grateful that he had long ago learned not to scream during the nightmares.
The young man glanced at the clock and sighed. He would have to rush if he wanted a shower before heading to the hotel. Why do we have to meet them anyways? He wondered. Oh, yeah. He reminded himself. Because we're young, single, and have nothing better to do on a Saturday morning.
Murdoch rolled his eyes as he remembered Bobby's teasing words from the day before. Yawning, Murdoch untangled himself from the twisted sheets, randomly grabbed clothes, and stumbled to the bathroom.
Josiah Carter poured himself a cup of coffee and listened to his roommate drag himself to the bathroom. He shook his head and sighed, wishing he knew what secrets haunted his friend's sleep.
"Explain to me again why we have to stay in a hotel 49 minutes away from home." Spencer Reid asked as he slid one suitcase into the trunk of Derek Morgan's car.
The older man sighed. "Because Hotch thought it would be easier on us if we didn't have all that drive time. The man is determined that we're going to get rest."
Morgan lifted Reid's extra suitcase and grunted at the weight. "After the first week we can decide if we want to keep the hotel rooms or commute." Morgan shrugged. "Maybe we'll actually be able to do some sightseeing too. Think about it. We've been to every major city in this country, but haven't seen any of the sights. We've never been able to go somewhere and just enjoy ourselves."
Morgan followed the young man's forlorn gaze to the extra suitcase and he chuckled. "Don't worry, kid. If you run out of books to read I'll bring you home for another load. Or we'll find a store or library. I'm sure you can tell me exactly how many bookstores and libraries there are in D.C and where they're located. We'll make time to visit a few."
Morgan grinned as his friend visibly brightened at the prospect and opened his mouth. He held up a hand before his colleague could begin spouting off every bookstore in D.C.
"Besides, your twin will be there I'm sure he'll share his books with you."
Reid huffed in frustration as they climbed into the car. "Why do you keep calling him that? We look nothing alike. He…" Morgan raised a hand again stopping Reid from listing all of the physical differences between him and the young FBI agent. "I know, genius. I saw the picture too. But you got to admit that it is scary to think that there are two of you."
Reid crossed his arms across his chest his eyebrows pulled down in a pouting frown. "I see nothing scary about it."
"Good morning, sleepyhead. Here you go." Josiah held an energy drink out to Murdoch as he entered the kitchen. He shook his head as he watched him chug it desperately. "Sue txt. She wants us to pick up some apples for the picnic before heading to the hotel."
Murdoch nodded silently. He grabbed a protein bar out of the cabinet and slung a backpack over one shoulder. "I'm ready."
Derek Morgan leaned against the doorway of the adjoining hotel room watching Reid. "What do you want to do today, kid?" Before the other man could answer a knock sounded on Morgan's door. He shared a curious look with Reid before heading back into his room.
Derek peered through the peephole and grinned when he recognized the two rookie agents. He unlatched the chain and swung the door open.
"Agent Morgan?" The taller of the two asked.
"Yes."
"I'm Special Agent Josiah Carter and this is Special Agent Murdoch Jamison."
"Pleased to meet ya." Derek shook their hands and stepped back. "Come on in. Reid," he called as the two young men entered the room. "Put your book down and get in here."
Josiah grinned and glanced at Murdoch as the tall, thin agent came through the connecting bathroom.
"We came to make sure you have everything you need here and to invite you to a team picnic we're having. Jack thought it might be good for us all to meet before Monday and he wanted to talk to you about a training schedule. But he said to tell you that if you have other plans, that's fine, he'll just meet you Monday morning."
Morgan glanced questioningly at Reid then nodded. "We don't have plans. A picnic sounds great."
"Doch! Doch!"
The minute the four agents stepped from the car at the park a tiny blonde-haired little girl who didn't look big enough to be walking made a beeline for them. Her soft lisping voice drawing their attention.
"Well, hey there little lady." Morgan said.
The child completely ignored him as she ran past him and into Murdoch's waiting arms.
"This is Anna Grace." Murdoch said from where he was kneeling down hugging the toddler. "She's deaf. She's learning to read lips and sign." He gently eased the girl back.
"Anna Grace, this is our new friend Mr. Morgan."
Derek watched the strange mixture of speech and sign language. Murdoch stood with the child in his arms and she looked toward Morgan. His gaze collided with the biggest brown eyes he had ever seen.
"She must Hudson's daughter."
"Yeah," Murdoch grinned. "The eyes give it away every time."
Reid circled the car and came to stand beside him. "The photos of Agents Hudson and Manning nearly made every female on our team faint."
Josiah laughed. "Yeah. Between Jack's eyes and Bobby's dimples we get whatever info we want from ladies."
Anna Grace shifted her gaze from Morgan to Reid. Her blonde brows furrowed in concentration as she raised her hands and hooked one tiny pointer finger over another before turning her hands and repeating the action.
"That's the sign for 'friend'." Murdoch explained.
Morgan and Reid grinned and mimicked the gesture, bringing a wide smile to the toddler's face.
"So, what do you think?" Morgan sat next to Reid at the picnic table where the young man was surveying the activity around him.
"Hotch was right. They are unusual. I think they might be even more like a family than we are."
"Nah, they just seem that way because of all the little ones." Derek hesitated slightly. "What do you think of the kid?" He nodded toward where Murdoch Jamison sat holding two-year old Anna Grace.
Reid studied the young man. "He's hiding something." He spoke quietly. "Something is hurting him."
Morgan sighed and nodded. He had hoped that his perception was wrong. But Reid had seen it too.
Beneath the nearly impenetrable wall in the young agent's blue eyes was a sadness deeper than anything Morgan had seen before.