Consequences

Chapter 10

She texted and phoned him repeatedly, but he didn't respond. She dared not go to his apartment in the middle of the night without precipitating a battle with Will. When the sun finally came up on Monday morning, JJ called Hotch.

"I'm sure that's what he's got planned, Hotch. We've got to stop him. He can't do it! I don't think he could survive it." JJ was frantic.

Her unit chief was much calmer. "He can't do anything today, JJ. Katie's in trial, so she can't go to court with him. I'll be doing background work during the day. I'll call him in to meet with me. I want to keep him occupied anyway."

Reid had been put on administrative leave, not permitted near FBI case materials or computers. Hotch was concerned about where Reid's unoccupied mind might lead him.

"JJ, do you know what made him change his mind?"

Although she wouldn't have described them as close, JJ and Hotch had a supportive, somewhat unique relationship. They were the only team members trying to parent while dealing with such challenging work arrangements and subject matter. They had shared the secret of Emily's survival, risking their relationships with the rest of the team. JJ trusted Hotch. Even so, it was hard for her to tell him what was going on in her life. But, for the sake of Reid, she did.

He listened without interrupting her. When she was finished, he was understanding. "I'm sorry, JJ. You're going through a very difficult time on several fronts. I think you might be right about what Reid is thinking. If he changes his plea, the risk to everyone else goes away."

"And he carries it all on his shoulders." JJ's voice had gone to its deep, controlled timbre. Now that she had an ally, she felt a little calmer. "We just can't let this happen, Hotch. We can't let Strauss win. What point would it serve? She benefits from the publicity of a trial, and so do the congressmen. I can't imagine they ever thought he would just accept it."

He agreed. "You're right. Strauss only benefits if she can make an example of the team. And it's hard to do that if she doesn't have a trial in the news for a few weeks. But Reid probably figured that out as well."

"You'll call me when you've spoken with him?"

"I will. But you know I can't tell you what we talk about, unless he gives me permission."

She'd forgotten. "All right, I guess I'll have to accept that. Just please, Hotch, make him see that he has to fight. That it won't really help any of us if we lose him. Please make him see how important he is to us."

She couldn't see his grim smile through the phone. "I'll do my best, JJ."

Knowing they wouldn't be called out usually made the team feel more relaxed. But not this time. The tension was palpable. One of their own had been threatened, and was under attack. Each of them was on edge, as though prepared for battle. But this battle wouldn't take place for weeks, if it took place at all.

By mid-morning, Morgan needed to move. His anger was too pent up to allow him to sit at his desk. He decided to visit with Garcia. His Baby Girl always had a way of brightening his day.

He heard voices as he neared the room. Entering, he found JJ with Garcia. At least he thought it was JJ. But the person he was looking at wasn't the colleague who was usually so controlled. Instead, he saw that Garcia's arm was around her, and she was handing over a tissue. JJ crying?

"What's going on?" Morgan was on alert. As if things aren't bad enough, he thought, has something else happened?

Garcia explained for JJ, who was trying to collect herself. "And JJ thinks he's going to plead guilty. She thinks he's trying to protect us. He's not going to fight it." The gentle Garcia was having trouble with her own control.

"What? He can't do that! He can't give in! He can't let them win!" Morgan thought about what would happen to Reid if he pled out. "It would kill him to go away. Pretty Boy, you can't let that happen." He was speaking to his friend as though he were in the room.

Morgan's reaction put Garcia over the edge. She was crying now. "Derek, what can we do? We have to do something!"

He was quiet for a few moments. Uncharacteristically, he wasn't trying to hit anything.

"I'll do something." He'd said it almost under his breath. Looking up, he turned to Garcia. "I need to take some personal time this afternoon. Let Rossi know."

Bam! Bam! Bam!

So far today, Reid had avoided answering texts and phone calls from JJ and Hotch. He'd tried to call Katie, but found out that she would be unavailable for several days. It seemed his plan would be delayed.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

He was pretty sure that it wasn't JJ who'd come to see him-not even an angry JJ had that much power. And it was unlikely the media would be so obvious. Through the process of deduction, Reid arrived at the conclusion that Morgan was at the door. And he couldn't afford to have it replaced, so he chose to answer.

"Morgan." He stepped aside. By now he'd noticed the pattern of team members barreling right past him and into his home. He wasn't interested in being run over by Derek Morgan.

"Kid, how are you doing?" Morgan was looking him up and down.

"I'm doing. Why are you here, Morgan?"

"I heard you might be thinking about something. And, if you are, you're wrong. I'm here to change your mind."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Morgan stared at him. "You don't."

"Nope." Reid was mentally kicking himself. He could hear it in his voice. He so often turned into the inadequate little brother when he was around Morgan.

Morgan had used the ride over to Reid's place to come up with a strategy. He might be the brawn of the team, but he was also an excellent profiler. He'd come with a plan.

"Come with me."

"What? Where?"

"Just come with me."

"Morgan, I don't want to see anybody on the team. That much should be clear." He was sure Morgan knew he'd been avoiding contact all day. In fact, he was sure JJ had sent Morgan.

"You won't have to see anybody on the team, just come with me." Morgan was not so gently pushing Reid toward the door. Too tired to fight, Reid gave in, and followed his friend to the car.

"Morgan, I'm on administrative leave. I'm not allowed in the BAU." Reid was getting anxious as Morgan made the turn down the driveway in Quantico.

"Relax, Kid, we're not going to the BAU."

Part way down the road, Morgan veered in a direction unfamiliar to Reid. They parked in front of a building marked 'FBI Training Gym'.

Reid issued his verbal protests even as he followed Morgan inside the facility. "What, you think you can make me over? Make me into some physically intimidating goon to sit at the defense table?" They were inside by now.

"Shut up, Kid." Morgan pushed the heavy workout bag at Reid. It hit the young agent and knocked him off his feet. Reid was angry. He got up and shoved the bag back at Morgan.

"Don't tell me to shut up. This is stupid, Morgan."

Morgan shoved the bag back at him. This time Reid caught it and hit it back in the direction of his colleague. "Knock it off, will you?"

"No, I don't think I will." And Morgan pushed the bag again. Reid batted it away with his fist. Morgan pushed again, Reid batted again. The two went back and forth, picking up speed. Reid was completely riled.

"Stop it! Knock it off!"

Morgan, the profiler, couldn't help but notice that Reid hadn't chosen to simply step out of range of the bag. He kept shoving it at his friend, and Reid kept batting at it.

"That's it, Pretty Boy, hit it back. Hit it harder. Harder. Come on now, you can hit it harder."

Reid was literally punching it now. Something was pouring out of him. He couldn't have stopped himself if he'd wanted to. But he didn't want to.

Morgan started hugging the bag, to hold it still for Reid's blows. "There's an enemy out there, Reid." Three more blows. "And you have to fight it." Two more. "You can't let it win. You can't let them win."

Reid was panting, and punching. "I…can't….Morgan….there's too much….at stake."

"Kid, there's too much at stake for you not to."

"But so …..many people…could get hurt. JJ…"

"We're already hurt, Reid. When they go after one of our own, they go after all of us. You know that."

Reid was tiring. He was having trouble lifting his arms. "But…JJ…"

Morgan let go of the bag and moved Reid away from it. "JJ wants you to fight."

"But.."

"There's no 'but' about it, Kid. Do you know she was crying this morning? JJ! When have you ever seen her cry?"

Reid wasn't going to tell Morgan how expert he was becoming in dealing with a crying JJ. He knew it was out of character for her to let down in front of anyone but him. "Why?"

"Why was she crying? Because she's afraid you're going to change your plea." His friend studied him. "You wouldn't be thinking about that, would you, Pretty Boy?"

Reid shook his head. He and Morgan had such an unpredictable relationship. No one would have expected that each of them had shared some of their most difficult memories with the other. He could only be honest with his friend now.

"It would make everything easier, Morgan."

"For whom? It wouldn't be easier for anyone on the team. We would have lost someone we all care about. And we'd have a smear against the reputation of the whole team."

Reid hadn't thought about that last point at all.

Morgan continued. "And JJ? You think it would be easier on JJ if you were gone?"

Reid didn't feel like he could divulge JJ's situation, even to his good friend. "It's complicated, Morgan."

"I'm a profiler, Kid, I can see that it's complicated. But apparently I can also see better than you can that JJ would be devastated if you gave up the fight."

Reid sat, slumped. In a quiet voice, almost to himself, he said, "I don't know anymore. I don't know what to do."

Morgan was moved by the tone of his friend's voice. Reid sounded lost.

"Well I do. You fight. We fight. You're not alone in this, Kid. No one goes after my little brother without fighting me too."

Reid gave him a grateful smile at the 'little brother' comment. It reflected how he thought about their relationship as well.

"I don't know how much fight I have in me, Morgan."

Now his friend smiled. "That, I can help with. We'll be here every day, my man. This bag won't know what, or who, hit it by the time we're done. I know how to build up some fight. We'll do it together."

Reid was intrigued. He had felt better after battling the bag, stronger somehow. "Okay. All right, Morgan, you're on. I'll do it."

"You'll fight the charges?"

"I'll fight the bag. We'll see about the charges. I can't talk to Katie until Thursday anyway."

"Fair enough. Now let's go get some lunch. We need to put a little bulk on you or the bag's gonna win." He ruffled Reid's hair as he escorted him out.