Part 3: August 20, 12: 15 a.m.

The minute Derek and JJ hit the floor in the BAU, they went to work. JJ ran to the archives and got every book on dissociatative personality they had while Morgan routed through Reid's desk looking for anything, a slip of paper, a doodle sheet, a photograph- anything at all that could give them a hint as to what they were dealing with.

Reid's desk was spick and span; tidy to the last unseen dust mote at the back edge of the desk. Derek braced his hands on the edge while both his conscious and his subconscious was screaming at him, vociferously accusing him of this whole ordeal but he actively tuned it out.

"Morgan!"

Stifling the urge to jump Derek looked up at a slightly frazzled JJ bearing a pile of book which she set down on Reid's table and handed him the 'The Dissociative Mind in Psychoanalysis: Understanding and Working With Trauma' by Elizabeth Howell. "Let's get to work."

Gritting his teeth, Morgan took the book from her and sat in Reid's chair, praying that he'd find something to let him know what he was dealing with.

Stifling the urge to spin the pages, Morgan took his time to seek the relevant pieces of information he needed. The book spoke about various types of trauma that could lead to a break in the psychosis; accident, torture, rape, addiction…child abuse.

Morgan's teeth ground so hard it was a miracle he wasn't swallowing enamel coated dust. Reid had been though all these; child abuse, accidents, torture and addiction but none of them had broken him, so what the hell could it have been? Could it be though, like stones heaping up on each other, had coalesced into the boulder that had broken his back?

The scary reality was that it was a possibility; one that Derek really didn't want to consider. He worked through the books and went on to, "Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders" and then, "Rebuilding Shattered Lives: Treating Complex PTSD and Dissociate Disorders."

By the time Morgan was done with three more books, his head was spinning with terms and conditions and untested hypothesis and all kind of crap that didn't give him a goddamn foot to stand on. With one look to JJ whose had was permanently pressed on her forehead he saw that she was not better. The last time he'd had seen JJ like this when Tobias had kidnapped Reid and he had snapped at her, after she had begged him to tell her truth-which was more like adding more blame on her already guilt laden shoulders.

"Coffee." He said while going to the break room; it wasn't a question. In the break room he put on the coffee pot and just as he was taking out two mugs, he spotted the sugar shaker was refilled almost every day because of Reid and his unhealthy addiction to sugary coffee.

Taking up the container Morgan said, "I swear pretty boy, when you come back I won't ever rag you about sugar anymore…"

The discrete clearing of his throat behind him made Morgan aware of JJ's presence as she came to stand beside him. "This standing point makes you look at everything differently now, huh?"

A noncommittal grunt was his answer as he poured out his coffee and went back to his chair; just in time to see his phone ring.

"Morgan."

"How is he?" Aaron asked evenly and even though his voice was steady it had an undertone of worry. "Do you know what is going on?"

"He's in the middle of a-" Morgan tried to remember the convulsed term in the books he'd read but dismissed it, "It's an alter ego Hotch, this ego, Alex Myshkin says that he and Spencer were childhood friends. You know how Reid loved to live in his head as kid… I'm thinking this Alex is something Spencer made up to be his friend when he was going through all that shit with his dad and mom and probably all the way to high school when they tortured him."

"Theories are worth little Morgan if you don't have any proof, you know that, get some and you'll have something to work off." Hotchner said curtly.

"Speaking of proof how are thi-" "We're hit the ground running," Aaron replied, "We're handling things here, focus on getting Reid back."

"Yes sir." Derek said before dropping the cell and massaging his forehead, took a sip of his coffee and went back to the books. Three hours later, a hasty late lunch that tasted like rubber in his mouth, two more cups of coffee, a pile of books on his desk, Derek knew he was getting nowhere; so he changed tactics.

"Myshkin… Myshkin… Myshkin…" Derek mumbled to himself while rubbing his temples. Why did that name sound so familiar? Had Reid mentioned it sometime? Probably, but when or why? "Myshkin…"

"Morgan," JJ said tiredly while flipping through another psychology book, "There's something called Google, have you ever heard of it?"

Derek refrained from slapping himself in the face, why hadn't he thought of that? Clicking his console awake he went to Google and typed in 'Myshkin', in a second Myshkin came up in disambiguation to 'The Idiot' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and then it all became clear,

"…Hiding from you all for years. I'm his best friend. His mother introduced us as children." Those were the words Alex/Spencer had said.

Swiftly his mind connected the dots. Alex had said that Diana Reid, professor of Literature who had a love for the Russian author Dostoyevsky, had read the young Spencer the book as a child. In truth, a roundabout truth, she had introduced them as children.

Spencer then went on to learn the Russian language at a young age to read the book in its native language seeing as the English version had lost a lot most of its significance.

"Prince Myshkin has been in Switzerland for the last four years, at a sanatorium for treatment of Epilepsy. At age twenty-six, having recovered his health and in possession of a legal document suggesting entitlement to a significant inheritance, he returns to Russia. In St. Petersburg his purity and guilelessness lead to many false conclusions that he's an… idiot." Derek read slowly.

By that time JJ had stationed herself over his shoulder and read, "…In fact he possesses an incisive intellect, deep emotional intelligence and a wisdom that surpasses all the characters in the novel…"

"God knows pretty boy had a lot of that." Derek sighed leaning back. "But why did he flip though?"

"Morgan…. Look at this…" JJ said pointing to a section that lead, "He was rejected by Aglaya and Nastasya and recedes to a catatonic state…. When Spence left the bar… do you think he was rejected by a girl or something?"

Derek tensed, "No, and come on, Reid is stronger than that."

"Then it has to be something from the case we had," JJ sighed, "We know that Spence sometimes identifies with the victims like he did with-"

"JJ." Derek cut her off indiscriminately; he did not need to hear about Hankel right then. "…We're getting nowhere…so how about we get someone who can clue us in?"

The media correspondent looked confused, "Who, his Mom?"

"No, JJ." Morgan said while getting up and grabbing his jacket, "I mean Reid's best friend, Myshkin,"

This time when Morgan knocked on Reid's apartment door he was fully prepared for a lot of things but when Reid opened the door topless with rivulets of sweat sliding down his toned body Morgan almost swallowed his tongue.

"Agent Morgan," Spencer/Alex smiled, "You're back, may I ask why?"

Thank god, his mirrored shades were on because he was free to run his hidden orbs down Spencer's body- a body that Derek had never even imagined pretty boy even had. The Spencer he knew was frail and didn't have an ounce of perceivable body muscle. This Spencer had a flat stomach, with defined outline of abs, a cut pelvis dip and distinct pecs with dusky nipples. Where had pretty boy been hiding this?

"I was-," Derek stopped to clear his throat as his voice had gone a bit too husky for his liking, "I was wondering if you could come to the office and help us figure out why Reid would just take off like that."

In reality, Derek was hoping that a trip to the BAU would jerk some of Spencer's memories hard enough to jolt Reid back into full consciousness. "I mean JJ and I work with Reid for far too long and it's obvious that we're missing something…you know they say, the closer you are-"

"The less you see." Alex/Spencer finished with a lopsided grin, "Come in, I just finished some pushups."

Pushups- mother of god. Closing the door behind him, it took a lot to stop Derek's eyes from following the silvery bead that was slipping down Spencer's supple spine. "Let me grab a quick shower and I'm all yours..."

Morgan's mind immediately added, 'I swear pretty boy, when you're back you will be,'

"….so help yourself to anything in the fridge and I'll be right out," Alex/Spencer said and Derek looked up just in time to see the other man shoot him a coy look over his shoulder, the expression in his hazel eyes bordering in seductive as he moved into his bedroom.

"Oh fuck my life," Derek sighed while running a hand over his head before going to the fridge and taking out a bottle of water.

Moving to the window, Morgan cracked the bottle open, lifted and leaned his forearms on the sill while sipping the water. How the hell was he going to play this if Reid didn't return? Could he live with this secret that possible he was the reason for his best friend's break from reality?"

"'My troublous dreams this night doth make me sad." A soft voice said from behind him. Derek turned to see Reid with his hair freshly washed and curling at the ends. His head was tilted and a tiny smile was on his face.

"Um what?" Morgan asked, "

"Gloucester, King Lear." Spencer/Alex supplied in pure Reid fashion. "You looked a bit sad a while ago. Are you worried about Spencer?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't." Morgan replied, while really looking at what the other was wearing. Slim fitted dark blue jeans, a light green collared shirt open at the two front buttons to show a sliver of his chest and a pair of sterling white sneakers. Where the hell had Reid been keeping these things? "Ready to go?"

"Yes….just-" Alex/Spencer spun on his heel and went back to his room. When he came out he was holding a dark fedora in his hand. Then he reached into a nearby table, pulled out a drawer and fished out a pair of Ray Bans and then slipped them on. "All set."

Morgan swore to himself the moment Reid came back to Reid he was going to order him to drop the geek act and wear some of those clothes. They left the apartment and outside hopped into Morgan's truck. Out of the corner of his eyes, Derek was looking in Reid mirrored any of the gestures from the night he had rejected him.

Instead of leaning back into the seat and relaxing, Alex/Spencer only secured his belt, rolled down the window and stuck his hand outside for moment. The slim piano fingers twisted in the air for a moment before he pulled his hand in. Morgan had never seen Reid do anything like that before but even though he wanted to ask, he didn't.

"Did Spencer ever tell you he like the band Bastille?" Alex/Spencer said while staring out the window, "Especially the song, Pompeii."

The only thing Morgan knew about that word was a city that burned after a volcano had erupted over it. "Really, never heard it,"

"I can tell you the lyrics if you want," Alex/Spencer offered, "But I can't sing to save my life.

"Can't hurt," Derek shrugged.

"I was left to my own devices, many days fell away with nothing to show, and the walls kept tumbling down, in the city that we love, grey clouds roll over the hills, bringing darkness from above." Alex/Spencer said plainly.

Morgan took a moment to ponder the lyrics and said, "That's really...disheartening."

"But that's not his favourite one," Alex/Spencer added with smirk, "Have you ever heard; "Every carpet, every floor, everywhere I look, I fall, climbing up the walls, I'm climbing up the walls…what goes behind these doors, I'll keep mine and you'll keep yours, we all have our secrets…we all have our secrets."

Morgan felt an ominous tremor run under his skin; those words were not easy to swallow while he pulled up into the federal building garage, "No, can't say I ever have,"

"Take a look at How to Get Away With Murder sometime," Alex/Spencer quipped.

Closing the door with a little more strength than needed Morgan frowned, "You've got to me shitting me, Reid watches that?"

"No," Alex/Spencer smirked while following him inside, "But the radio announcer was particular detailed on the where to find that track that day,"

Before they entered the ground floor, Alex/Spencer pressed his fingertips to the sliver doorway and let them slide over the printed seal of the FBI building in the way that Morgan knew pretty boy did when he wanted to memorise the tactic feel of something, and then he pushed the door in.

They took the elevator, went to the sixth floor, and steeped out into the bullpen. JJ was just rounding a corner while holding a pile of files and shot them a smile, "Alex, hi, didn't; think I'd see you so quickly,"

"Well Agent Morgan politely requested my help to find Spencer and I couldn't dare to refuse him,"

JJ looked a bit curious, "Really, why?"

"Spencer is in-"

"A lot of trouble with Hotch if we don't find him soon," Derek railroaded, "Come on man, let me show you Reid's desk and see if you can find something we can't."

With one hand on Alex/Spencer's shoulder, Morgan led them both over to Reid's desk and said, "Have at it man,"

Alex/Spencer reached out a hand and fondled the chair's arm then slipped his fingers over to the headrest and stoked it, "Soft…that's good; I bet it gave Spencer some comfort from his headaches,"

Slipping into the seat, Alex took off his hat and glassed and then pulled out the drawers, starting from the top and worked down one by one and rifled through them. The small boxes held files after files, some present and some past; there were even some cold cases, almost twenty years old, inside that, Morgan had had no idea Reid was looking into.

After working through most of them Alex/Spencer stopped for a moment as his brow crinkled. Then it was like a light went off in his head and Derek felt his heart leap into this throat at the hope that Spencer was back only to see Alex/Spencer drag out the last drawer and upend in on the table.

Morgan startled, "What gives?"

Alex/Spencer was rooting through the drawer with a one minded determination and then pressed something inside the drawer and lifted the false bottom out. "Aha, here it it- Spencer's journal,"

Derek literally took a step back when that announcement was made and he added another thing to his mental tally of things he didn't know about Reid. When had Reid taken to having a journal?

Alex/Spencer spun through the pages, his expression in total opposite of Reid's calm got expressive with everything inside. His eyebrows would lift at a certain passage or his mouth would grimace at another; sometimes though his eyes lit up and danced with mischief.

"Oh Spencer, you naughty boy." Alex/Spencer clicked his tongue.

Curious what Spencer's alter-ego was seeing Morgan tilted his head, "Care to clue me in here?"

In answer, Alex/Spencer just handed the book to him. Morgan, though wary of reading Reid's personal thoughts bit the bullet and took it.

'I had a dream and though dreams oft lie, this one was so visceral I woke up hoping he was by my side. Alas, I only felt cold sheets beside me and realised it was just a dream. He- my hero- was gone-physically but in my head, dancing behind my eyes he was still there. His warm arm circling my waist, his hot lips at the name of my neck and sharp teeth nibbling at the point he knew shot lust through my veins. Then he slid his hand, dark and scarred from many heroic battles, down my chest, igniting a fire with its path. Down…down… and even further…to that secret place his fingers knew so well. His dark eyes are swimming with want and my fingers, needing to reaffirm his presence, starts to trace over his head, skim down his nose and press on his lips. Lips that are calling me- begging me- to press mine to them. My index slips between his lips and he wraps his hot tongue around it; suckling in the very way he does to my hard flesh. His eyes are burning now and his thick fingers breaches me with one thrust and says, "Pretty B-"

Morgan dropped the book like it was a hot iron burning the skin off his hands. Alex/Spencer's eyes were lit with amusement as he spun the chair in a movement so much like Reid would have done, "Secrets...see, I told you"

"Told you what, Morgan?" JJ said as she came to look at them.

Hastily, Morgan scooped the book up, "Nothing JJ….just some stuff general about Reid."

Levelling a warning look to Alex to keep his mouth shut, Morgan turned to her, "It's a bust JJ, Reid left no clues to where he was going."

JJ's face contorted into pain for a moment before she sighed and turned away, "I guess we'll keep looking, maybe get Garcia to trace his cards and such,"

At the name Garcia Alex/Spencer's face lit up. "Garcia, as in Penelope Garcia, the Queen of Knowledge, herself?"

"Uh huh," Morgan replied, causally closing his hand around the book. "what about her?"

"Nothing," Alex/Spencer shrugged while getting up and taking up his hat and glasses, "Just that Spence told me how close you two are and that she mother hen's him sometime."

"Why would he tell you how close we are?" Morgan asked,

Alex/Spencer levelled him an even but exasperated look, "Come on Agent, you know why; don't you think all that harmless flirting would dig into the soul of someone who loved you and give them doubts?"

Gritting his teeth, Derek sighed and after dropping the book into a drawer in his desk, said, "Come on, I'll take you back at Reids."

They had barely reached the elevator and was waiting for it to come when Agent Anderson walked by and stopped. His mouth dropped a little, "Agent Reid?"

Shit! Morgan cursed and Alex/Spencer, who without the hat and shades looked at him, shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels, just like Reid would have done. "Sorry, I'm not him, I'm Alex."

Anderson's blue eyes got wide and he looked at Morgan and then Reid. "Is this some office prank thing I don't know about? Are we switching names or something?"

Reid frowned, "No, I'm really not him, Spencer is my friend."

Now Anderson was gawking, "Morgan, what the hell is w-"

"Drop it Anderson," Derek snapped, "It's none of your business."

The second the elevator arrived, Derek pushed Alex/Spencer inside and felt a bit gleeful when the door shut in Anderson's face.

"That was a little excessive, don' t you think?" Alex/Spencer mentioned casually while they descended, "Anderson might a peon but he didn't deserve that,"

The tone of the other man's voice had shifted, deeper and more settled like Reid, and Morgan shot a look to him in hope that Reid had returned. The man's pure hazel eyes flickered for a moment before they got the green hint again. Alex had returned.

"Deserve it or not, Anderson knows to not but into other peoples' business." Morgan said as they hit the parking lot, "Come on, let's get you home."

"Okay, sure." Alex/Spencer replied noncommittally while drumming his fingers on the arm rest, "so now that you have black on white proof of how Reid feels about you, what are you going to do?"

For the longest three seconds of his life, Derek Morgan had no answer until, "...I'll cross that bridge when I come to it,"

TBC: Sorry for the long wait; comment and criticisms are welcomed.