akaccino's A/N: We made it! : D Thanks for sticking with us everyone!
dieselwriter's A/N: Yay! We've reached the end of our first CM fic! Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!
Epilogue
Children show scars like medals. Lovers use them as secrets to reveal. A scar is what happens when the word is made flesh.
-Leonard Cohen
Exhaustion was an understatement as the team departed Bluefield, Indiana, at three in the morning. Travelling across the opaque sky, the jet cabin was quiet, except for the sound of cards being shuffled.
"Reid," Morgan mumbled. Reid and Clarke sat on one side of a table with Morgan on the other. They had played poker for a few minutes after the jet had taken off, but just as soon as they had reached the altitude they'd stay for the remainder of the flight, Morgan's eyes were as heavy as lead. "Why are you still awake?"
Someone on the plane began to snore, and Morgan did not have to turn around to know that it was Rossi. Hotchner too had his head resting on his fist, his eyes closed.
"I drank two cups of coffee before take off," Reid said, now playing solitaire. "I was trying not to fall asleep at the station."
Morgan huffed and watched Reid's game for a moment before glancing at Clarke. He gave a lazy chuckle and Clarke's eyes flew open, her eyes bloodshot and disoriented.
"What?" she asked, a little dazed.
He just grinned and closed his eyes.
"Go back to sleep," he said and she frowned, rubbing her eyes.
"I wasn't sleeping," she mumbled. "I was reading."
Clarke's Bible was opened in her hands, although no one, including Reid, could read with their eyes shut.
"You were," Reid disagreed from beside her, shuffling the cards once again after he had won. "You were snoring."
"That's definitely Rossi who's snoring," she said and closed her Bible, along with her eyes. She crossed her arms as she leaned back in their shared seat before continuing, "I'll get you for saying that."
Reid's eyebrows rose a bit and glanced at Morgan who shook his head doubtingly. He went back to shuffling cards.
Megan would read a couple passages in her Bible after they had solved a case. When Reid had asked her about it the first time he noticed, she explained that in order to do the best of her ability in this job, she had to keep her faith strong. Reid understood to a certain degree; Garcia did the same thing in the sense that she filled her office with toys. Both were ways to see past the gruesome career they had chosen and remind them that goodness and happiness were all around them.
"Reid," Morgan asked. "Got any plans for this weekend?"
With his eyebrows furrowed, Reid did not look up from his game as he answered.
"I have some casework to get finished."
"Riveting," Morgan said dryly, his expression blank.
Reid looked up and gave a tight smile, raising his eyebrows.
"Come on, man," Morgan exasperated as Reid gave a short laugh, getting back to his game. He knew his friend would not like the idea of working on the weekend. "Why don't we hang out tomorrow night? I'll give you the afternoon to do your thing and then you can come out and get a drink. Play some pool. Clarke could come," he added and grinned.
Clarke was surely asleep, because she did not respond. If she had been awake, she would have scoffed at the idea of going anywhere with Morgan outside of the job.
"Why don't you ask Hotch?" Reid suggested and Morgan gave him an 'are you serious' face. "What?"
Morgan just shook his head, took his headphones out from his pocket, and connected it to his mp3 player.
"You need to explore the world outside your job, kid. We have fun out here."
"I'm sure it's quite thrilling," Reid said sarcastically and his eyes tightened, concentrating on his game. Morgan stared at him from the corner of his eye, shaking his head again.
"You really think that a night out would be completely terrible?" he asked. "Remember that time we went out and you met that bartender? You guys completely hit it off, with my help. Now you tell me that wasn't fun."
"You are a persistent thing, aren't you?" he asked, again not meeting his eyes.
"Come on!" he said, feeling he was close to persuading him. "You could meet someone else again. Maybe get yourself a little action, huh?" he said with a grin, nodding his head as Reid pursed his lips in amusement at Morgan's ever-failing attempt to get him a date. "My man Reid, bein' smooth, getting a girl, getting some-"
Morgan cut off when Megan's head fell heavily onto Spencer's shoulder.
Reid's eyes widened dramatically and froze. The cards he had been shuffling fell steadily out of his unmoving hands. His mouth opened and closed several times, staring at her sleeping face and then looked up at Morgan for help.
Morgan's eyebrows rose and then he laughed, putting his headphones on.
"Nevermind, then," he said as Reid's pleading expression turned almost frightened as his friend turned his back on the situation.
For a long while, he remained paralyzed, not sure what to do. Then, very slowly, he placed the cards he had in his hands down onto the table, opened the plane's window cover, and crossed his arms. Torn between consternation and another undetectable emotion, his flushed face turned toward the window and watched as the city lights passed below, thinking with a childlike innocence, that it looked quite pretty.
Arriving at the BAU at five in the morning, the team nearly fell out of the elevator in fatigue. They shuffled sleepily to their desks to collect and pack their items to go home for a much-needed morning off.
Hotch yawned widely as he climbed the stairs to his office and Reid laughed.
"What's so funny?" Clarke asked, as she placed a stack of folders into her bag.
Reid shook his head slightly.
"I haven't seen everyone this tired since-"
"Garcia," Morgan interrupted in concern, all tiredness washed away by his tone. "What's wrong?"
Everyone looked up at the technical analyst's fearful expression as she met Hotch at the top of the stairs.
She looked right into his face, her eyes almost tearing up. Then, she whispered words that sent shivers down everyone's spines except Clarke's. Words that were so terrifying for the team to hear, but somehow expected to come sooner or later.
Hotch looked down at the file Garcia held in her outstretched hand.
He looked back up into her frightened eyes as she said the words.
"He's back."
akaccino's A/N: That plane scene with Clarke and Reid...I've wanted to have that small part between them at the end for the longest time and dieselwriter was doubtful, nearly not letting me put it in. :'( But then she did! : D Hope it wasn't too cheeseball...but even if it is, I don't care. : )
dieselwriter's A/N: Cliffhanger? I think so. Our next fic will certainly be able to provide answers to all your burning questions!
Also, we'd like to acknowledge those who are loyal to our stories and give us somewhat consistent feedback! A huge thanks to the following people!
Alice Prince: AU = Alternate universe. ; ) Thanks!
Rachiixox: Thanks for our reviews! We're glad you like our story! ( :
Gollum4077: Answering your question, no. This is not our last FF-Thank you!
Vampiremuggle: Thank you for your reviews! They always make us smile! (-:
ChiefBandit: Thanks so much! : D
Stay tuned!
