A/N: Hello! Some m/m sex in this one, so be warned. Pleeeeeze review!

*****

Reid and Morgan returned to their makeshift office at the Sheriff's Department and Morgan got on the phone to Garcia.

"Undisputed Ruler of the Information Highway, at your service. What's going on, sugar-lips?" Garcia twisted a strand of blonde hair around her favorite pen and smiled, waiting for Morgan's rich voice to come across the line. She heard an amused snort.

"Hey, baby girl. I've got a name, an address and a phone number for you--I need any and all information on this person's current whereabouts--workplace, car make, everything."

"Name, address and phone number? Gosh, I think I'll take a little nap now--this is too easy."

"Well, they can't all be impossible challenges, can they?"

"I love it when you go easy on me. Makes the hard stuff that much better."

Morgan grinned and gave her the information. After only a few seconds, Garcia began reading a series of facts to him. Maria Lopez was a Houston resident with a job, a house, two kids and a car, and Garcia provided the specifics on all of them. Morgan thanked her and immediately called Hotch.

"Hotch here."

"Hey, it's Morgan. Listen, Marquetta Pierce's last known residence was at the home of a woman named Maria Lopez--she needs to be interviewed and should probably be given police protection, since she was instrumental in helping Marquetta get away from Eldon Brown. Garcia's got all the info."

"Right. I'll take care of that. I want you and Reid to head to Houston. You can do the interview, and I need Reid to go over Brown's profile with me. We're close, but haven't been able to pinpoint his location yet. I need his eyes to figure out what I've missed."

"Will do. Later." Morgan hung up and turned to Reid. "Get us on a plane to Houston, kid."

Reid didn't allow his face to reflect the dismay he felt at the thought of leaving New Orleans. There was something special about the town and he couldn't help but fear that the tender bud of his new relationship with Morgan would be severely damaged if they left so quickly. But, there was nothing he could do about it.

"I'll make the arrangements." Reid went to the airline site and made reservations for late that evening, giving them enough time to wrap things up with Dee, grab a meal, pack and check out of their room, and then return the rental car. He sighed as he clicked the "Make Reservation" button, then looked at Morgan. "All set."

"Good. Let's update Dee and get moving."

"Ok."

They went over the plan with Dee and told her goodbye. Then they left the station and stopped for a late lunch at a small diner.

Morgan talked about the case and Reid nodded absently, barely saying a word. Morgan stopped in mid-sentence and stared at his partner.

"Reid? You ok?"

Reid looked up. "Yeah. Why?"

"You're awfully quiet. You worried about something?"

"N-no, not really."

Morgan frowned.

"Not really? Come on, tell me what you're thinking."

"Nothing. Look, never mind, I'm just tired."

"No, what did you mean?"

Reid gave Morgan a hopeless look, then began pushing his food around on his plate with a fork.

"I--I guess I'm just afraid that what's happened between us will... That it's because we're here in this city, and once we go home it'll..." Reid bit his lip and looked up at Morgan again.

Morgan put down his sandwich and chewed thoughtfully. He tried not to smile at Reid's unneeded concern, and swallowed before leaning forward and looking into the worried brown eyes. "You think once we leave New Orleans, I won't want to be with you anymore?"

Reid nodded slowly and dropped his gaze. Morgan reached out and tilted up his chin.

"And here I thought you were a genius." Morgan's voice was soft and he could no longer stifle a smile. "Didn't I tell you we were starting a journey together?" Reid gave him a small smile in return.

"I know. It's just... I have a hard time with relationships. I'm afraid this--what we've started--it'll all go away when we're back in our old lives, and--"

Morgan wanted to pull him into his arms and hug him for all he was worth.

"Spencer--all I know is that I can't wait for all the first times we have ahead of us. The first time you stay over at my place. The first time I stay over at yours. The first time we make dinner together, do laundry together--I can't wait. Do you understand? New Orleans is a magical city, and I'll never forget what happened here, but it's just the beginning. Ok?"

Reid's face relaxed as his expression turned to one of relief. "Ok, Derek. I'm sorry. I just--"

"I know. You've been through a lot--we both have. But, I think things are going to be a lot better now. A whole lot better."

They smiled at each other and returned to their meal and discussing the case.

*****

The pair returned to their room at the bed and breakfast, immediately grabbed their bags and began to pack. Reid was carefully separating his clean clothes from dirty ones when he felt Morgan slip his arms around his waist from behind. Strong hands slowly moved across his stomach and up to his chest, where his fingertips brushed Reid's nipples. The hands moved lower and lower until Morgan was giving the front of Reid's trousers a thorough investigation. He felt Reid getting hard and he made a sound of approval.

"Mmm...baby boy."

"Morgan? I thought we were packing up to leave." Indulgently, Reid reached back to caress Morgan's face, which was now buried in his neck.

"Seems a shame to run off without giving this tiny bed one more work-out..."

A broad grin stole across Reid's face. "Well, it does. It certainly does." He turned and wrapped his arms around Morgan and they kissed, warm slick lips sliding across one another, eager tongues dipping into each other's mouths. They hastily undressed and Morgan gently prepared his lover for sex.

"Turn over, baby."

"Oh, uh--really?" Reid gave Morgan a puzzled look.

"Yeah, there's more than one way to, uh, you know--"

"Of course, I know that. I just--I haven't exactly gotten tired of doing it the other way, you know?"

Morgan snickered. "I haven't either, but I know you, you're a creature of habit. Don't want you to get set in your ways just yet."

Reid nodded. "Good point."

Morgan kissed him again then murmured in his ear, "It's ok. Trust me. I don't think you'll be disappointed."

"Well--ok, Derek." Reid flipped over on his stomach and Morgan nuzzled him between his shoulder blades, then pulled the long strands of brown hair away from his neck and proceeded to bite him teasingly.

"Ow! Hey, what the heck--"

"Like that?" Morgan noticed the shiver that ran through Reid's body in spite of his protest.

"Um... Yeah, now that you mention it. Do it again!"

Morgan gave a low laugh and complied, then ran his hand down Reid's back and over his bare bottom. He gave each firm cheek a squeeze and whispered, "Put that little butt up in the air for me." Reid scrambled into the desired position and felt Morgan shift his weight as he knelt behind him. Morgan put on a condom, applied some lubricant, and entered him quickly.

"Oh--" Reid gasped. He thought he knew what to expect, but being taken from a different angle felt incredibly good. Morgan began thrusting into him with deep, hard strokes and Reid found himself crying out with satisfaction. Morgan grasped his hipbones in a powerful hold, and groaned and muttered an obscenity now and again as he settled into a pleasurable rhythm. For Reid, the intensity was so overwhelming, he could think of nothing but the delicious electrical impulses created as Morgan's member caressed his prostate again and again. He eagerly pushed his hips up and back to make each thrust as deep and powerful as possible.

Morgan was lost. Any thought of being gentle with his lover had completely left his brain. For him, there was only the pleasure of his lover, his warmth, and his body's fluid responses to his own movements that propelled him to go faster, deeper, harder. He barely noticed when Reid cried out in orgasm, and he didn't miss a beat as he rocked into him, working toward his own release. When it came, he gave an animalistic grunt followed by a loud, triumphant groan. Exhausted, he pulled out and rolled onto his back. Reid collapsed next to him, face-down. For the next several minutes, they didn't say a word and all they could hear was their own rapid breathing.

Finally, Reid gingerly turned over onto his back.

"You know, I think you dislocated something in my spine."

Morgan managed a weak chuckle. "I didn't do myself any favors either, kid. Damn, what are you doing to me?"

They looked at each other with sheepish expressions, then both burst out laughing. Morgan reached for him and they wrapped their arms around each other, snuggling together as if they didn't have a plane to catch. They might have fallen asleep if Morgan's cell phone hadn't gone off. He sighed and scrambled to find his discarded pants, which had been dropped on Reid's side of the bed. He leaned over the edge, squashing the slighter agent in the process.

"Hey! Damn it, Morgan, that's my spleen you're shredding--" Reid was amazed at how many ways there were to get hurt in bed. At least, in bed with Derek Morgan. He gave Morgan a shove back to his own side of the bed as he came back up, pants in hand.

"Sorry, sorry." He retrieved his phone and clicked it to "talk." It was the Sheriff's Department number. "Agent Morgan here."

"Derek? This is Dee. We've got a-- situation."

"What's wrong?"

"I need you and Agent Reid to meet me out at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 asap. There's been a murder--and the body was left on Marie Laveau's grave. And, it was done ritualistically."

"Don't let anybody touch anything. We'll be right there." He snapped the phone shut and looked at Reid.

"Get your clothes on and cancel the plane. We've got a murder to investigate."

Reid frowned, but swung long legs to the floor and began gathering his clothes. He raised an eyebrow mischievously at Morgan and said, "Do you think Sheriff Dee will notice that I can barely walk?"

"I'm sure she already noticed that you wince when you sit down. What must she think of the FBI?"

Reid grinned and pulled up the internet on his phone to cancel their plane reservations. When they were both dressed, they headed out and drove to the cemetery.