Part 2
Adolescents are not monsters. They are just people trying to learn how to make it among the adults in the world, who are probably not so sure of it themselves.
- Virginia Satir
Chapter 10
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA
10/14/05
Morgan
Morgan sat stunned for a moment while his brain tried to catch up. It fits, he thought. It fits everything. "It fits what we know about him, Garcia. He would have made SSA because of his degrees, but it explains all the fuss over him joining the unit. That's why Hotch had him on probation; he wanted to see how he could do before fully accepting him."
"Oh my god, Morgan, we've taken him out drinking!"
Oh shit. No, wait. "No we haven't Garcia. We've taken him out but have you ever seen him order an actual drink?"
"No. No, he never does, does he? But he carries a gun, right?"
"An eighteen year old can carry a gun if their job requires it, like a cop or a soldier, they just can't own one. He's carrying a loaner from the armory." Damn it, it fit. "And that's why he didn't rent a car when he came up here, the car companies won't rent to anyone under twenty-one. That even explains why he's coming up here to hang out, Hartmann and Bennett are seventeen, he was eighteen two days ago, that right in the same age range." Eighteen. Just whoa.
There was silence a moment. "And no one here is. I bet he's been real lonely in DC. All the college professors are old and none of the kids will hang out with a FBI agent." Garcia said quietly. "The Tommy Killer turned in to a birthday gift for him."
"Yeah, well."
There was a little more silence. "Are you mad at him?"
Morgan sighed. "I don't know." He admitted. "I don't like it when people keep stuff like this from me. I need to know who I'm working with."
"True. But if you had known he was eighteen before you knew what he could do would you have worked with him?"
Now that was the crux of it, wasn't it? Would he have worked with some kid, even with Gideon's stamp of approval? "No." Morgan had to admit. "Not well anyway.
"So, you know, go talk to him about it. Just don't take it all personal."
"I won't babygirl, I won't." He rang off and then sat thinking for a moment. I need more information, he thought. So he got up and tracked down the librarian again. "Excuse me." He asked her. "I need a little more information about the house system here."
"Sure. I'll help if I can."
"What kind of privileges do social members have?"
"Oh, it depends on the house; usually attending all the social functions, dinners, lectures, events, that sort of thing. Also access to whatever resources the house holds, like at Page house we have the library and the roller coaster."
"Ok, what about…" Wait…no, he was not going to ask. Morgan soldiered on. "…if a social member came in from out of town, would they be able to get a place for the night?"
"Sure, probably."
Good. If he was Reid he'd crash here, it was already paid for and he'd be close to his friends. But he wouldn't hang around the dorm waiting for them; he'd get a room, drop his bag and go find them. "How can I track down a professor if they're on campus?"
"Which one?"
"Millicent Bennett and Thomas Hartmann?"
The librarian turned to her computer and typed in something. Another patron stepped to the desk and Morgan stood aside to let her help. Once the patron was done she turned, read, typed something else, and then a moment later looked up. "Dr. Bennett is in her lab. She said Dr. Hartmann is there with her."
Perfect. "And where is that?"
"Kerckhoff Laboratory building."
Morgan tried to follow her directions but ended up lost anyway. By the time he got to where he was going he spotted a familiar, long legged figure just up ahead of him.
Right. "Reid!"
Reid stopped and turned at the familiar voice. For a moment Morgan saw outright panic, fear in his friend's eyes. What the hell? But then the fear became anger. "Morgan, what are you doing here?"
"Galois House. "
"Shhh!" Reid led them around one corner and then another, to a private spot by some kind of maintenance shed. "You just don't let up, do you?"
"Never."
Reid sagged and closed his eyes. "Okay, you want to know what it is? It's a…"
"…dorm for minors, for kids too young to be in the regular houses." Okay, he had to smile as Reid gaped at him a bit. "What, you think I'm only good at kicking in doors?"
"Congratulations, you figured it out." He very deliberately checked his watch, "And in time to make the plane back to DC." He turned to go.
"Wait a minute! Reid…" This was not going how Morgan planned. He reached to stop his friend.
Reid sidestepped and looked back, just once. "Please, Morgan." He not only looked angry, he almost looked…like it hurt.
"Reid!"
"I'll see you in DC." He turned the corner and was gone.
What. The. Hell.
Reid doesn't do this, Morgan thought. He's an open book. He doesn't get pissy and he doesn't evade and he doesn't….no. No, he couldn't just leave it here and go back to DC. There was something else going on.
He started following Reid again. Thankfully he was far enough ahead not to notice, and it was a clear path, so he hadn't disappeared. He followed him down another building and then watched him go through a large archway that led to a courtyard parking lot and some loading docks, and stop. As Morgan watched a slow, brilliant smile lit his friend's face. It was quiet enough to hear voices bouncing off the walls. "I'm not expecting anyone peaches, I don't know who it is," said a male voice with a faint accent.
"Well whoever they are I don't want some stranger banging about in my lab," came a female voice.
"I'm hardly a stranger." Reid replied to them both, in a voice full of laughter.
"Spencer!" Both voices called out.
And then the owner of the male voice came into view, long legs eating up distance. He went right up to Reid, threw himself into his arms, and kissed him full on the mouth. Not the polite, European kind of hug and kiss either. That was the kind of combo you gave a lover who had been gone a long time, the kind that came when the pain of their being gone was suddenly lifted.
And Reid returned it right back.
Then the owner of the female voice came into view, and she repeated the gesture, throwing herself into Reid's arms, and kissing him full on the mouth like she had missed him just that hard. And Reid returned it.
With one arm slung around each of them Reid let them lead him further into the building, laughing.