A/N: Okay, you guys ready to see how much of an asshole Masters really is? 'Cause you're finally going to find out! I actually would've had this chapter up yesterday, but the login page decided not to work... ah well, here it is now!
And is anyone else really sad about the fact that Paget Brewster is leaving Criminal Minds for good this time? At least this was her choice this time- and I can't wait to see her in some awesome comedy, but I'm still going to miss seeing her on Criminal Minds. :( Anyway, on with this chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters.
Chapter Seven: Still As Nasty As Ever
When Morgan walked back into the Chicago police precinct, his mind was far away from the case they had to solve. It was on Reid, and how much pain the young man was in. Morgan hated leaving him, but both of them knew that he had a job to do. The team was already one man down; they couldn't afford to lose another, especially when there were lives on the line. And besides, Reid was with Morgan's mother. He would be more than well looked after.
"How's Spence?" JJ asked when she caught sight of Morgan.
Morgan sighed heavily. "I think the pain's gone down a little bit," he said. "He managed to get to the front door of my mum's house without me holding him up. But it still hurts him pretty bad, though. At least, bad enough that he didn't try to argue with me about coming back to work or not. Anything new happened here?"
"We may have a witness, actually," Prentiss said. "A woman reckons she's seen the same car that's been spotted outside near our victims' houses parked near her house several times this week."
"Does she fit victimology?" said Morgan.
"Perfectly," said Rossi. "She's early twenties, in college, lives alone, and looks like our previous victims. Prentiss and I are about to go interview her now."
"Keep us posted," Hotch said, and the two agents left the precinct.
As the day wore on, and members of the team came and went, Morgan eventually found himself alone in the room with Masters. He tried to ignore the man as best he could, but he found he couldn't when Masters stood over him and cleared his throat. "Do you need something?" Morgan asked.
"Just wanted to talk to you," said Masters, pulling up a chair beside Morgan and sitting on it backwards. "Just wanted to see what you've been getting up to in your life."
"Not really the time to talk about that kind of thing, Masters," said Morgan shortly. "We have a case to be solved."
"Come on, Derek, what's a little conversation between two old school friends, huh?" said Masters. "And besides, that skinny nerd kid isn't even here, working, at all."
"That 'skinny nerd kid' has a name. It's Doctor Spencer Reid," said Morgan, barely managing to keep his anger out of his voice.
"Okay, okay, my bad," said Masters, clearly sounding anything but apologetic. "Geez, it's not like you have to defend him. Like I just said, he's not even here."
"Still, I'd really rather you not badmouth my colleague to me, Masters," said Morgan. "I thought you just wanted to hear about my life, not about Reid."
"And here I thought that you didn't want to tell me anything," said Masters.
"I don't, but if it will get you off of Reid's back, I will," Morgan countered.
"You're awfully protective of that boy, aren't you?" Masters observed.
Damn it, Morgan thought to himself. He had to be very careful with what he said about Reid around Masters. He didn't want to stuff up, and accidentally admit that he was in a relationship with the younger man. He didn't think he would be able to handle the verbal abuse from Masters, whether it was about Reid or about him. And he also wouldn't put it past the man to inform the FBI of the relationship. I need to hold my tongue around this man. I've got to be careful.
"We all are," Morgan said finally. "Everyone on the team. Reid's been through enough in his life as it is." He doesn't need you, coming in and bullying him like those kids did to him in high school.
"Hmm," said Masters, clearly still thinking that there was more to the story. "So, what exactly happened to you after high school, huh, Morgan? Not playing football anymore, I see."
"I blew out my knee while I was in college, Masters," Morgan said, his anger rising again. "I can't play anymore, which I'm pretty sure you know. I finished my law degree, joined the Chicago PD, worked in the bomb squad, and then joined the FBI. Now here I am."
"Come on, surely there's got to be more to the life and times of Derek Morgan than that," Masters laughed. "Any ladies in your life?"
"No, there is not," said Morgan, deadpan. "This job doesn't exactly allow for that, you know. We're travelling around far too much to have serious relationships."
Morgan felt immensely guilty lying about his love life, even it was to a low life like Masters. He was absolutely head over heels in love with Reid, and he wanted the world to know it, but he also knew what Masters would do if he knew. The verbal abuse Masters would hurl at him (about both him and Reid) would be too much for Morgan to bear, and he just knew he'd do something that he'd regret. I'm so, so sorry for lying about us, baby, even if it is to him, Morgan apologised silently. But if I tell him about us, I just know we'd lose our jobs. I have to pretend.
"Surely you've had a good woman here and there, who said they had to be serious. " said Masters, a rather sleazy grin on his face.
"I used to, a lot," Morgan admitted. "But I realised that wasn't the way I wanted to live my life. So I stopped."
"Why on earth would you stop? It's the perfect life, no nagging or romance, you just have your fun and throw them away." Masters sneered.
"Because there are such things as common decency, and there are more important things in life than cheap thrills at the expense of others. I would never treat anyone I was with with anything less than respect, even if it was just for one night. But you obviously don't understand that word." Morgan replied. Plus, being in a relationship with the love of your life would change anyone, he added to himself.
"What on earth could be more important?" said Masters in disbelief, choosing to ignore many of the insults Morgan was throwing his way.
"I don't enjoy meaningless sex," Morgan said brusquely. At least not anymore. In the past, he would admit to indulging in the pleasures of the flesh many times, but Reid had really opened his eyes to what he wanted from life. Masters looked at him, shocked and disbelieving, as if he didn't think it was possible not to enjoy sex, to matter who it was with, but he didn't continue that line of conversation. Instead, he picked up one that, in Morgan's opinion, was a lot more dangerous.
"I bet you that skinny kid doesn't get any," Masters laughed, a rasping and bitter sound that held no mirth, only spite and disrespect. "A nerd like that, the ladies wouldn't go anywhere near him, even with a ten foot pole. Hell, he's probably too scared to even talk to women."
Spencer gets exactly the same as me, because he's doing it with me. And the only reason he won't talk to women is because he's gay, Morgan thought to himself, despite not being able to tell the petty man any of this, it was still nice to be able to one-up Masters in his mind. "I'm pretty sure Reid gets plenty. And he could get any woman he wanted. He just can't with this job." And he doesn't want any women, at all. He wants me.
Masters looked even more surprised than he had before; as if he had expected Morgan to agree with him, even though he'd clearly defended Reid less than five minutes earlier. "Yeah, right," the man finally said, disbelief still colouring his tone. "No woman would go near a guy like that. He's way too smart and he looks like the lovechild of an emu and a meerkat. It's creepy. Complete and utter nerd."
"He's a field agent in the FBI, isn't he?" Morgan pointed out, clenching his fists under the table to try and fight off his rising anger. Please, dear god, let the others get back soon. I can't take much more of this… "He can't be a complete nerd if he achieved that. It requires more than just book smarts. But you wouldn't know that, would you? Because you'd never be accepted."
"That doesn't mean anything," said Masters, his jaw clenched in anger. "They'll let just about anyone into the FBI these days. They let you in, didn't they?"
"For your information, Masters, Reid was accepted into the BAU when he was only twenty-two, the youngest agent ever to make the unit," said Morgan. "I'd say that means everything, don't you?"
"Geez, Derek, you don't have to keep defending him!" said Masters, throwing up his hands. "Little bastards like him deserve treatment like this. A nerd trying to live in a tough guy's world. Hell, he's probably used to it, anyway. Probably copped a hell of a lot worse in school. Ha, I would've loved to have seen that. Would've joined in, too."
Morgan slammed a fist down loudly on the table, his face a mask of rage, at the same time as Hotch, Gordinski and JJ entered the room. "What's going on here?" Hotch asked.
"Nothing, sir," said Masters, no evidence in his voice or expression of what they had been talking about. "I think Agent Morgan might've accidentally hit something."
"Morgan?" Hotch looked at Morgan with a questioning stare, raising one eyebrow. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine, Hotch," said Morgan, desperately trying to hide his anger. He had toyed with the idea of telling Hotch what Masters had been saying, but there was a part of him that thought that wouldn't be a very good idea. He didn't want the case to be put on the backburner because of Masters. "I just need to call Reid."
"Don't be too long," said Hotch as Morgan left the room. Hotch watched his subordinate as he left the room, almost certain that Morgan was hiding something.
Morgan left the precinct and headed for his SUV, getting into the vehicle before pulling out his phone. He wanted some privacy before he called Reid. He didn't want to chance being overheard.
Reid answered on only the second ring. "Derek?" he said, his voice sounding eager but confused. "Is everything alright?"
"Everything's okay, baby," Morgan assured him, unable to help the smile that spread across his face upon hearing Reid's voice. "I just… I really needed to hear your voice right then."
There was a moment of silence, and Morgan knew that Reid had figured out what he meant. "I wish I was still at the precinct," he said. "I mean, nothing against your mother, because she's wonderful, I just-"
"You really want to help solve this case, I know," Morgan finished. "And you don't want me to have to put up with Masters alone."
"Has he been as bad as you thought he would be?" Reid asked.
"Oh, yeah," said Morgan, and then he stopped. He really didn't want to tell Reid what Masters had said about him. He didn't want Reid to have to hear that.
"Derek?" Reid said, when Morgan didn't speak for a while. "Derek, what has he done? What did he say?"
"Nothing, pretty boy," Morgan said quickly. "It's nothing that bad."
"Derek…" Reid said warningly. Morgan knew that Reid wasn't going to let up on this; he wasn't going to let Morgan keep this secret. He knew that Morgan was just trying to protect him, and Morgan knew that Reid wasn't going to let him do it.
"He was talking about you," Morgan finally replied. "He said… some pretty bad stuff about you, Spencer."
"What did he say about me?" Reid asked. Morgan, however, didn't answer. "Derek? What did he say about me?"
"I really don't want to tell you over the phone," said Morgan. "I'll tell you when I see you, okay? I promise."
"Okay," Reid agreed, realising that this was probably something he would want to hear in person. "When are you leaving work?"
"I don't know, baby," Morgan admitted. "I'll try and come get you from my Mama's as soon as I can, though. How's your knee?"
"Much better, actually," said Reid. "It's barely hurting anymore. And your mum is really looking after me."
"Yeah, she's like that," Morgan laughed. "She should've been a nurse or something. She would've been fantastic at it."
"She's really nice to me, too," said Reid, but he didn't sound surprised anymore. He sounded… pleased. Happy.
"It's because she loves you, baby boy," said Morgan. "I'm telling you, it's hard not to. She sees how happy you are with me, and how happy I am with you, and she instantly loves you. Plus, you're just an amazing guy."
"Thank you, Derek," Reid whispered. "You're pretty amazing yourself. At least, I certainly think so. As does everyone else who isn't Masters, so go back to work and ignore him, he's not worth it, okay?"
"Oh I know you do, pretty boy," said Morgan, not able to stop the grin from spreading across his face. Despite all the times Reid had told him words to that effect he still couldn't stop the sappy feelings that overtook him when he heard them. "I'll see you later. I'm sure Hotch wants me to go back inside. I love you, pretty boy. More than anything."
"I know you do, Derek," Reid replied. "And I love you, too. So much."
"Bye."
As Reid hung up the phone, Fran Morgan re-entered the living room. She had left the room as soon as she'd realised that it was Morgan calling, choosing to give the couple some privacy. As soon as she'd heard Reid hang up she'd returned to the room, carrying two slices of cake in.
"Thanks," Reid said, taking the slice she offered him. "Derek says he'll be back as soon as he can."
"I'm sure he will," said Fran, sitting down. "You sounded… worried, when you were talking to him. Not that I was listening to your conversation. I could just hear it in your voice."
Reid nodded, looking down at his cake as he thought of what to say. "Do you remember Derek going to high school with a guy named Patrick Masters?" he asked.
"Yes, I remember him," said Fran. "He was on the football team with Derek. Those two never got along. He was always trying to start fights with Derek. Get him into trouble."
"He works in the Chicago PD now," Reid said. Fran looked at him, her eyebrows raised and her eyes wide. "He's working on this case with us."
"That can't be a good thing," said Fran, worry etched on her face.
"No, it's not," Reid admitted. "Apparently he's said some stuff. About me."
"Ah. Did Derek tell you what he said?"
"No. He wanted to tell me in person," Reid explained. "Which is making me think it's not very good at all. He only ever obviously hides things from me when he's trying to protect me."
"Derek's very protective of the people he loves and cares about the most," Fran said. "He's only doing it because he loves you."
"I know," Reid replied. "But that doesn't mean I don't worry. I really don't want Derek to do something rash to get him in serious trouble, just because of me."
"Spencer, I'm sure Derek won't do anything too foolish," said Fran, but the tone of worry in her voice belied her fears.
"I know he doesn't want to do anything foolish," said Reid. "He won't want to do anything that could cause problems for the team or us. But I'm worried that he will. When it comes to me, I- he'll do anything to protect me."
Fran looked thoughtful, but suddenly a smile lit up her face. "Sounds like you need something to keep your mind off things!" she declared. "I'll be right back."
Reid watched Fran go, feeling rather confused as to what she meant. He ate his slice of cake for something to do, trying to figure out what idea Fran had had. It wasn't long until she returned to the room, a leather-bound album in her hand.
"Since you're Derek's boyfriend, I thought you might like to see these," said Fran, sitting down next to Reid and opening up the album. It was a photo album- of course.
"What are these?" Reid asked. He sat up and moved closer to Fran, peering at the photos curiously. "Baby photos," he realised.
"Of Derek," said Fran. "He was a very cute baby."
An eager smile crossed Reid's face. "Now this I've really gotta see," he said. "Derek doesn't have any baby photos at home. None that he'll let me see, anyway."
Fran laughed. "Oh, that's just like him," she said, her mouth moving to form a wicked grin. "He was always embarrassed by these. Ah, well. He's not here to stop me now." She flipped to one particular photo in the album, tapping it with a finger. "This one is one of my favourites. Probably because it's the first photo of Derek we took after he was born."
"He's so small," Reid whispered, staring at the photo of a newborn Derek, staring wide-eyed at the camera. "And beautiful. He was a gorgeous baby, Fran."
"Thank you," said Fran with a smile. "I think I have another copy somewhere. You can have it if you want."
"I'd like that," said Reid.
"Here, I'll show you some of my other favourites," said Fran, flipping through the album again. "Like this one. This was his first bath. He enjoyed it a lot more than I thought he would, especially considering Sarah shrieked the first time she had one. Good thing, too. Goodness knows I had to give him a bath often enough."
"He got dirty a lot, I'm assuming," said Reid.
"Oh, yeah," Fran laughed. "He always loved playing outside in the dirt and the mud. Every day without fail, he'd come inside absolutely filthy. He especially loved playing football with his father."
Fran turned the pages of the photo album again, stopping on a photo of a beaming six-year-old Derek, standing with a man whose arm was around the young boy. The two of them looked remarkably similar. "This is Derek's father," Reid realised. "They look so alike."
"They were," Fran sighed. "Not just in the way they looked. Their personalities were nearly exactly the same. Darren was extremely protective of his family- us- the same way that Derek is protective of the people he loves. He was tough on the outside, but he had a heart of gold. He was one of the kindest men I ever knew. And he loved his job, because it meant he could save lives."
"Just like Derek," said Reid. "I'm sorry you had to lose your husband. Especially the way you did."
"Thank you, Spencer," Fran said sadly. "I was always afraid of losing my husband because of how dangerous his job was. The same way I'm afraid of losing Derek because of his job. I bet he's always first in the door."
"You're right about that," Reid said. "He's always the one kicking the door down. And to be honest, it terrifies me too. I'm terrified that one day we'll go on a case, and he'll never come home."
"I know he feels just as scared for you," Fran informed Reid. "Every time you go out in the field, in a dangerous situation, when he calls me he tells me how worried he was that you would get hurt, or that you wouldn't come back again."
"I know he does," Reid said, a small smile on his face. "Which is why we made a silent promise, not that long after we became a couple. I let him protect me, as long as he lets me protect him."
Fran smiled, reaching out and squeezing Reid's hand. "I'm so glad Derek's found you, Spencer," she said sincerely. "I really am."
"I am too," said Reid.
It was only a few hours later when Morgan returned to get Reid. He looked haggard and worried, but his face lit up when he saw his lover. "Hey there, pretty boy," he said happily, entering his old living room and pressing a kiss to Reid's lips. "How are you? How's your knee doing?"
"Much better, Derek," Reid replied. "It doesn't even hurt now. So yes, I'm definitely going to be working tomorrow."
"Well, that's a relief," said Morgan. "It's a lot harder working without you there. Especially on this case."
"I would've preferred being at work today," said Reid. "Even though I rather enjoyed spending time with your mother."
"It was a pleasure to have you here, Spencer," Fran insisted. "It was fantastic talking to you. And here. Take this." She pressed what looked like a rectangular piece of cardboard into Reid's hand. Morgan craned his neck to try and look at it, but he couldn't make anything out.
"Thanks, Fran," said Reid.
"Anytime, Spencer," said Fran with a smile, as the two men left the house.
As soon as they'd gotten into the car, Morgan leaned over and kissed Reid again, longer this time. "I've been wanting to do that all day."
"I bet you have," said Reid. "It- it must've been hard for you, hearing Masters say whatever he did about me, and you too, I'm assuming."
"Yeah, it was," Morgan sighed. "I- it was really hard for me to restrain myself, Spencer. I nearly punched him."
"Well, I'm glad you didn't," said Reid. "Because then you would've lost your job. Now can you tell me what he said?"
"Spencer…"
"You promised, Derek," Reid reminded him. "You promised me that you would tell me as soon as you saw me. And you can't have thought that I'd forget. I'm sure you know that I have a eidetic memory."
"No, I remember," said Morgan. "I just don't want to have to tell you. No one should say things like that to you." Morgan sighed, steeling himself for what he had to say. Reid reached out and squeezed his hand, not only to reassure Morgan but also to comfort himself. "Well at first, he was just kind of on your back, not being overly mean, but definitely not being nice, either," Morgan began. "Then he said you would never get a woman, or anyone. I mean, I know you're gay, but he was implying that no one would ever want you. I tried to defend you, but… well, he said that you being as smart as you are is creepy. There were a few insults about your looks as well. He also said you didn't belong in the FBI, and when I tried to defend you again, he-" Morgan cut himself off, not wanting to finish his sentence.
"Derek," Reid said, but Morgan said nothing. "Derek," he repeated, more forcefully this time. "What did Masters say?"
"He said that people like you deserved to be treated how he was treating you," Morgan finally said. "He said you were probably used to it from school, so it didn't matter what he said. Then he- he said that he would've loved to watch you get picked on in school, and that he- he would've joined in."
When Morgan finished talking, Reid just looked at him, shock written all over his face. "He… he actually said that?"
"I'm sorry, pretty boy," Morgan whispered.
"No, don't apologise. It's not your fault," said Reid quickly. "I just wished people didn't say those kinds of things about me or about anyone. I'm so sick of it and it's not fair."
"And you don't deserve it," said Morgan. "Nobody does. But if there was anybody who didn't deserve it more than anybody else, it's you."
"I hate it," said Reid softly. "It shouldn't hurt so much, but it does."
"Pretty boy, it's okay if it hurts you," Morgan whispered soothingly. "It would hurt anyone. But I've got an idea. How about we go back to the hotel room, and I hold you for as long as it takes for you, and for me, to stop hurting?"
"Sounds like a plan," Reid agreed with a small smile.
A/N: Wow, Masters really is a bastard, isn't he? Anyone else really want Morgan to punch him? 'Cause I reckon that would be awesome! Reviews, anyone? Pretty please, with sugar on top? :P
Note from Diamond Cobra: "I really need to start writing my own stories..."
