Hi everyone! Welcome to chapter 6. So, I have a little something to announce. I published another ReidXMorgan story and it's called His Wolf, it's sort of like a werewolf thing. Anyways, if you're interested I suggest you check it out! Pretty please? Just the first chapter? Okay, I'll stop bothering you guys. Onto the chapter!

Summary-His life had been ripped from his heart right then and there. The second he saw the love of his life fall to the floor, his whole world shattered. But let's start at the beginning, shall we? Where the first hopes of love started blossoming, becoming real instead of dreams. Back to that case where it all began, where it all ended. Right before their eyes.

Relationships- Reid/Morgan, JJ/Will, Garcia/Kevin, pretty much all the canon relationships (except for R/M).

Rated: M, just to be safe

WARNING: THERE IS DETAILS ABOUT SELF HARM, MINOR DETAILS ABOUT RAPE, TORTURE, ABUSE, ADULT LANGUAGE, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN!

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds!

Chapter 6: Day Out

"All the trees are losing their leaves, and not one of them is worried."

~Donald Miller

Like Hotch promised, both him and Rossi stopped by with both an SUV and the car that Reid and Morgan are going to have for the time spent there. And, to Morgan's satisfaction, the car is a nice deep blue mustang that looks about ready to throw anyone off the road. If you're that type of driver, which, Morgan sort of is.

The four all stood outside, talking about the case. There was no one else outside, though Reid could spot a few neighbors looking out the window at them with dissatisfied glares. Seriously, what was up with this neighborhood?

"We haven't found much," Hotch says, sensing Morgan's first question. "We've got Garcia searching everything, but so far nothing has come up. Not even showing up on cameras."

"What about the electricians, plumbers, people of the sort?" Reid asks shyly as his eye contact falters with Hotch when the older looks at Reid. Morgan frowns at this and Rossi slightly raises an eyebrow. Hotch doesn't show any change in facial expression, not even a flash of concern through his eyes. Maybe he didn't think anything was wrong? It drove Morgan crazy not being able to read Hotch as well as he could the rest of the team. Though, they did have a promise not to profile anyone on the team.

"That's come up empty as well," Rossi answers for Hotch, who seemed to have inspected Reid a second too long. "So far it's nothing that big of a deal, though Garcia's still looking."

"This guy is good," Morgan mutters with a sigh. He then looks over at Reid who's arms are lightly crossed over his chest, eyebrows furrowed with a frown pulling at his lips. Obviously troubled, and frustrated by the tenseness of his shoulders. Morgan smirks and drapes his arm over Reid's shoulder, causing the younger to jump at the touch and instantly look over at Morgan with a questioning look. "I guess we'll just have to pull him out of hiding, huh?"

"Well, you two do that," Rossi says with amusement flashing through his eyes at the sight of them. Morgan was enjoying this too much, though none of them complained. They liked teasing Reid, except for Hotch who has no sense of humor. Usually Hotch is the one to step in when Reid is being teased. "We'll head back to the station, call if you find anything."

"Will do," Morgan says as the two retreat back to the SUV. Reid and Morgan wave as Hotch drives away, Rossi smiling at them through the tinted glass. Morgan then turns around, letting his arm fall off of Reid's shoulders.

"What?" Reid asks, noticing the smirk on Morgan's face.

"Nothin' pretty boy," Morgan says as he ruffles Reid's hair. This earns a complain from the younger as he tries to fix his hair, not that it takes very long. He doesn't style his hair. "Come on, let's had to a cafe and get you that coffee you've been asking about all morning."

Morgan gets in the drivers side while Reid gets in the passengers side. Morgan starts the engine, his eyes sparkling with delight as he obviously found something interesting about the car. Reid honestly didn't see what was so interesting about a mustang, or any car for that matter. Yes, how they are built and how they work is interesting to him, but he's looking at it from a scientific mathematical view. Not the way Morgan looks at cars, not the style.

The drive is fairly quiet and Morgan has to pull up a map on his phone to find a cafe with good coffee ratings. Reid only stared out the window, lost in his own mind. Until Morgan pulls into the parking space and places his hand on Reid's thigh, causing him to jump at the touch and instantly look over at Morgan.

"Sorry," Morgan says sheepishly as he kills the engine. "Hey, if you want to talk, I'm here. Okay? I promise I won't judge you in any way."

"There's nothing to talk about," Reid replies stiffly as he looks down at his lap. "I'm just...I've been dealing with a lot lately, okay? I can handle it on my own. I don't need someone else's help."

"I wasn't implying that you did," Morgan says casually as he pats Reid's leg. "Now, let's go get some coffee to put you in a better mood."

Reid only glares as the two get out of the car, Morgan locking the doors. Twice. Once to lock them and second to double check that they are locked. After that the two enter the cafe, hand in hand. Reid feels uncomfortable with the touch, as his arm tingles, but he can't let go. It's for the job, he can't let go.

They are seated at a nice two person table, Reid sitting across from Morgan though they made sure to hold hands above the table as they glance over the menu.

Nothing really exciting happens at the cafe. They get their coffee, Morgan ordering a plate of bacon and eggs while Reid went with a simple small dish of fruit with half 'n half, saying that he didn't like eating large portions of food. Morgan dropped that conversation instantly, knowing how self cautious Reid could be about himself and how much he eats.

"What are we going to do today?" Morgan asks as they sit there, talking about what they should spend the rest of the day doing. "Shopping is definitely at the top of the list."

"I didn't know Derek Morgan had a secret hobby," Reid teased earning a light slap on the back of his hand from Morgan who chuckled at Reid's comment.

"Watch it pretty boy," Morgan says with a smile, squeezing Reid's hand. "I might just spend the whole day shopping to annoy you."

"You wouldn't," Reid mutters as he rolls his eyes at Morgan's chuckle. "Anyways. Should we go out to eat for dinner tonight? Instead of staying at the house?"

"Sure," Morgan nods with a shrug. "Couldn't hurt."

The two both stand up from the table, Morgan leaving the tip and the check. The dinging of a bell catch their attention and they both glance over to see a man walk into the cafe, his sharp brown eyes scanning the room until his gaze landed on both Reid's and Morgan's held hands, a scowl pulling at his already angry face.

"Could that be our guy?" Reid whispers as he looks back to Morgan who had also noticed the man. "I mean, look at the way he's glaring at us. If that doesn't scream suspect, I don't know what does."

"Could be," Morgan replies with a shrug. "Got a mental picture of him?"

"Morgan, I have a-" Reid starts to argue but he's swiftly cut off by Morgan's lips brushing against his. And, like before, his face seems to burst into flames from the intense blush, his lips tingling from the touch. But it doesn't last long enough, and Morgan pulls away from Reid a few seconds later, a smirk on his face. "Derek?"

"We need to get his attention," Morgan replies sheepishly as he wraps an arm around Reid's waist, pulling him closer. "You okay with this?"

"Y-yeah," Reid stutters as he gives Morgan an uneasy smile. He reaches up and drapes his arms over Morgan's shoulders, though his own shoulders don't agree from how much they hurt, making him think that he has a pulled muscle in both shoulders, probably from trying to struggle when James had cuffed him to the bed frame. "Sure, go for it."

Morgan only smiles as he presses his lips against Reid's once more, though this time he makes it last. He even went so far as to lightly nip at Reid's bottom lip, and Reid has to suppress a moan as he leans into Morgan, eyes closed. His whole world seems to have frozen and Morgan's lips were just so soft! And everything seemed to click into place. He didn't even care that he was dating another person anymore, not that it was actually dating so to say. More like Reid is a plaything for James and he covers it up by saying boyfriend.

"Easy there tiger," Morgan chuckles as the two pull apart a minute later, pressing their foreheads together. Reid glances away with embarrassment, cheeks still burning though they are both smiling. "It's almost as if you were enjoying the kiss."

"Well, I have to, don't I?" Reid asks as the two completely pull apart, though they are still holding hands. "For the whole acting thing, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember." Morgan chuckles as the two head out of the cafe. Reid glances over at the man who had been watching the whole interaction and his eyes were on fire with rage. He hadn't even asked for a table and a woman beside him was pestering him about it. "Let's get to the store, okay pretty boy? You should call Garcia and inform her about the suspect."

The two get in the car and Morgan pulls out of the parking space. The two catch a glimpse of the man leaving the cafe shortly after, storming over to where his own vehicle is parked.

"This is the goddess of all tech, speak if you dare," Garcia says on the other line after two rings when Reid called.

"Garcia, this is Reid," he says and glances over at Morgan who stopped at a red light. He puts her on speaker so Morgan can talk and hear her as well. "You're on speaker with Morgan."

"How are my two babies doing?" Garcia asks, her voice perky with glee at hearing them be okay. "You two getting along over there?"

"Yes baby girl, we're getting along just fine," Morgan chuckles as he pats Reid's leg. "Isn't that right, Spencer?"

Reid only rolls his eyes and scoffs, looking at the side mirror to see the large four door truck behind them. The windows were tinted, but Reid could still see their suspect, who had gotten a little too close for comfort when he stopped. "Garcia, we think we have our first suspect."

"Name?" Garcia asks and they can hear her chair rolling across the floor.

"We don't have one, just a face and a license number." Reid answers as he glances at Morgan who nods. "We were eating at the cafe and he walks in, glaring at us. Morgan, uh...got his attention."

"How?" Garcia asks playfully.

"That's not important," Reid mutterers, face burning once more. "Look, just look up this plate for us okay?"

"Sourpuss," Garcia teases and Reid internally groans. "What's the number?"

They can hear Garcia's fingers quickly flying over the keyboard as she types in the number that Morgan had given her, and then the clicking of a mouse. "Sorry my doves, nothing's came up. Could it be a fake?"

"Maybe," Morgan hummed in thought as he tapped his finger against the steering wheel. He had pulled up a map on his phone for the nearest Wall-Mart to shop for groceries. "Or it could be someone else's truck, the person could have died."

"Seriously?" Garcia asks and they could practically hear her raise an eyebrow. "Alright, I'll hit you back when I've got something. You might want to call Hotch and talk to a sketch artist, if you got a look at his face."

"That's what I was planning to do next." Reid replies, nodding subconsciously. "I don't think we have enough time right now, we're almost at the store. Maybe when we get home? Talk to you later Garcia."

"You to gumdrop." Garcia replies with a small giggle. "Chocolate thunder, watch out for him. You too, gumdrop, watch out for each other. Garcia out!"

They hear the click as she ends the call with her pen. Like always. Reid only rolls his eyes and ends his line of the call, slipping his phone back into his pocket just as Morgan is pulling into the parking lot of the Wall-Mart.

It doesn't take long for Morgan to find a semi-close parking spot so they don't have to walk too far to the store and back. And, of course, the person from the cafe parks a few slots away and watches with narrowed eyes as the two get out of the car and walk towards the store, holding hands with smiles on their faces.

"Seriously Derek," Reid says as he tries to get used to using Morgan's first name instead of his last. "Do you ever just quit with the teasing?"

"If I did that then what would my purpose be Spencer?" Derek replies smoothly with a laugh, wrapping his arm around Reid's waist. "Besides, I like seeing you blush."

Reid couldn't figure out if Derek actually meant that, or if it was just for the act. He decided to try and not think about it too well, and instead went over the grocery list in his mind. Everything. They would have to get everything, just about. Great. Well, at least they don't have to use their own money for this, and they would have to keep the portions of what they got small since they don't want to waste any food.

"I say we start with the junk food first," Morgan says as they grab a cart. "Get it out of the way."

"Seriously?" Reid asks, raising an eyebrow as he rolls his eyes at Morgan for the umpteenth time that day. Normally he would have reached out and smacked Morgan's arm playfully, but he didn't. He didn't want to get hit back, didn't want to annoy Morgan. "You're impossible. Start with the boxed goods first, so like...pasta and whatnot."

"You're no fun," Morgan chuckles as he leans over and gives a quick kiss to Reid's cheek. A few people look over with curiosity, and the guy that was following them glared. They then walked into the store and headed to the first item on their list, which was pasta noodles, Morgan kept insisting that they have pasta for dinner one night. Reid didn't argue, he was okay with it. Not that he would argue if he wasn't, James had taught him not to argue with anything.

"What's on your mind?" Morgan asks as he wraps an arm around Reid's shoulder, pulling him closer for a few seconds before letting go. They don't want to run into anyone with the cart.

"I'm just..thinking." Reid replies quietly as he lightly wraps his arms around his own waist, forcing back a wince as the cuts rub against the fabric. "It's nothing really."

The rest of the shopping trip is spent with the two teasing each other, quick pecks on the cheek, forehead, or lips, hand holding, and everything else that could happen in a shopping trip. When they check out and head back outside to where the car is parked, the man is still trailing behind them carrying his own groceries, trying not to look obvious.

Reid dialed Hotch's number when they got in the car.

"Hotchner," Hotch says professionally. Reid puts him on speaker.

"Hey Hotch, it's Reid and Morgan," Reid says as Morgan pulls out into traffic, the pickup a few cars behind them. "We just got done shopping, we're heading back to the house now."

"Garcia told me that you're being watched?" Hotch asks, voice emotionless. "When do you think you can talk to a sketch artist?"

"Now, if there's one nearby." Reid answers as he glances in the rear view mirror. "I'll just let Morgan put the groceries away when we get to the house."

"Hey!" Morgan exclaimed as he reaches over and playfully smacks the back of Reid's head. Reid slightly flinches but Morgan doesn't comment, now isn't the right time. Maybe tonight, after dinner.

"No, you can talk to a sketch artist tomorrow." Hotch said, as if he had suddenly got an idea. "All the couples were sexually active, and they would usually preform the sexual acts after going to an outing. Like after a bar, club, dinner, you name it."

"Wait...you don't mean we have to...?" Morgan trails off, but they know the rest of his question without him having to say it. "Hotch, you can't be serious?"

"It doesn't have to be tonight, if you aren't comfortable," Hotch replies quickly. "But just know that you will have to pretend sooner or later. I'm just letting you prepare yourselves."

"Thanks..." Reid mumbles quietly, looking down at his lap as he still held his phone up. His cheeks were burning again and he could sense that Morgan was as uncomfortable as him. "An-anything else?"

"No."

"Alright, we'll call you tomorrow...I guess." Reid says and soon after they both end the call, Reid slipping his phone into his pocket. His heart was racing, how were they supposed to pretend to have sex? It felt weird just thinking about it. He doubts that he would be comfortable actually pretending to do it. Especially since the only experience he had ever had was with James, which wasn't very good. For Reid at least.

And then there's the fact that Reid still has the slowly healing bruises from James. What would Morgan say about them? About the cuts on his arms if he saw any of it? Some small part of him wanted Morgan to see, wanted Morgan to find out what James had been doing this whole time. But he couldn't, could he? James would get mad if anyone found out, especially if that anyone had been Morgan. Would be Morgan. No to mention what Morgan would think, he didn't even want to try and figure out what Morgan would think. It scared him too much.

What the hell am I going to do? Reid thinks to himself with an inward groan as he leans back against the seat. This whole thing is a disaster.

"I'm not telling you it's going to be easy-I'm telling you it's going to be worth it."

~Art Williams


Don't forget to review/favorite/follow! Have a nice day/night! Thanks for reading!