Chapter 49

Reid was packing his belongings into his carry-on bag when he heard the door open and Morgan walked in. He looked up and scowled.

"What are you doing, kid?" Derek asked in a lowered tone. He noticed in one glance that Reid had been crying from the redness around his eyes. Scarlett hadn't looked much better when she pounded on his door and handed him her key, with orders to check on Reid before she launched herself into Penelope's arms.

"I'm packing," he snapped.

"I can see that, but why? You going somewhere tonight?" he asked.

"I'm going home. As soon as I can get my ticket exchanged for the next flight back, I'm going home..." he repeated.

"Okay." Morgan closed his eyes a moment, thinking. "What's the rush?"

Reid tossed a look over his shoulder. "There is nothing for me here, Morgan... there never was, really, I just let myself get dragged along..."

"Reid, what happened? I know you and Scarlett have been arguing back and forth, but..."

"We broke up..." Spencer stated bluntly. A look of shock crossed Derek's features.

"What?"

"We broke up..." he repeated, feeling a stab in his chest. "She left... I'm just going home."

"She's over with Penelope, Reid..."

Morgan saw him nod. He'd figured she would go to there. He'd hoped... Spencer shook his head when he realized a small part of him had been afraid she went to Cooper's.

"What the hell happened? I know she's hot-headed and temperamental, but to be honest, kid, she doesn't leave. My sister will stay and fight..."

Spencer shrugged. "She's mad..."

Derek raised his eyebrows. "Then she'd be fighting. She's not mad, Reid. I just saw her. She's hurt and sad... that's when she runs." He watched as Spencer shifted, moving over to the couch and sat down, staring ahead.

"I fucked up," he said to Morgan, looking up quickly then away again. "Completely..."

"How so?" he asked. Derek watched him struggle for words for a moment.

"I told her that I'm not right for her," Reid met his friend's stunned gaze once more. "I told her Cooper is in love with her and she would be better off with him..." he pushed the last sentence out in a rush.

Morgan moved over and sat in the chair across from him, the look on his face clearly showing his disbelief. "Reid... you didn't..."

Spencer twitched a shoulder slightly and nodded. "Yeah, I did..."

"Why would you say something so stupid?"

He looked up quickly at Morgan. "Because it's the truth..."

Derek shook his head. "Jesus, Reid. Don't you think Scarlett should have a say in the matter? Or didn't you believe me when I told you that she'd made that decision a long time ago, when she first told Cooper that they were only friends? I can understand jealousy, I've felt it myself quite a few times, but usually you fight back to hold on, not throw her out..." he pointed out.

"I didn't throw her out," Spencer said roughly. "I didn't tell her to leave..."

"But how much can she think you love her, if you let her go... especially since you told her she'd be better off to go... Christ..." Morgan scrubbed his face in frustration. "You're right," he agreed. "You fucked up..."

Reid felt fear prick the back of his neck. "Do you think I can fix it?" he asked in a small voice.

Morgan caught his gaze. "You are sure you want to?" he asked.

"Of course, I do! I can't... I don't know why I said any of those things..." Reid gave his friend an agonized look. "I can't imagine not having her in my life, Morgan... What the hell did I do?"

Derek sat back against the couch, watching as Spencer began to pace.

"Kid, look. I wouldn't suggest you trying to talk to her tonight. I doubt she's ready to listen..."

Reid stopped momentarily. "Maybe I should leave..." he said nervously. "I don't want to go to your family's home tomorrow and cause Scarlett any grief..."

Morgan shook his head. "It's your call Reid," he told him. "But everyone is expecting you tomorrow. If you aren't there, Scarlett is going to be asked why, repeatedly... If you go, you can try to talk to her... preferably without throwing her into another man's arms..." he gave Reid a suspicious look. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was jealous," he answered as he shuddered out a breath. "You're right... I couldn't see why she'd want to be with me when someone else loved her. And rather than wait for her to hurt me by making that choice and leaving- I guess I thought I'd push her away..."

"Where did you think that would get you? If she said, sure, you're right... and went off – where would that leave you?" Morgan asked.

Spencer looked down at his shoes. "If she wanted to go, Morgan, I'd just have to accept that. I couldn't hold her..."

Derek rolled his eyes. "But where would that leave you, Reid? Why should your feelings not matter? Why wouldn't you fight to hold on?"

Morgan sighed when Reid only continued to stare at his feet. "Okay, kid, let me ask you this... have you ever talked to her about your abandonment issues?"

When Spencer picked his head up quickly and scowled at him, Derek shrugged. "I'm just asking..."

"I don't have..."

"Yes, Reid, you do. I told you back when you both hooked up that you both had demons... and I meant both of you – I wasn't only talking about hers. Have you talked to her about your drug addiction?"

Spencer closed his eyes. "A little..."

Morgan huffed out a breath. "What about what caused it... Have you ever talked to her about Hankel?"

That earned him an angry glare. "No... It's not something I talk about," he justified.

"And I can understand that, kid... but do you think she talks about Rowan? You accused her of hiding things from you, while the whole time you've done the same thing..."

"I... It's just..." he stammered, shocked by the truth he was beginning to see. "Shit..." he swore lightly and stood once again to pace the room.

Derek shook his head. "And I say it again, you two need to talk ..."

"But we don't end up talking, Morgan!" Spencer threw his hands into the air. "We end up arguing or..." he stopped short not finishing that line of thought and blushed.

"Maybe you have to control the 'or' a little bit and get to know each other better..." Derek teased. "A healthy relationship has a little of all three, the talking, the fighting and the playing..."

"This whole thing started with us talking..."

"And you thinking she'd be better off with Coop..."

He watched Spencer pace a few more times before he spoke again. "Look, kid... I know you can be insecure- it not news to me and I doubt it is to Scarlett. But you can't take that into your relationship to the point where you think every other guy may be better suited for her. She's not going to be happy with you second guessing her decisions like that," he joked.

Reid ducked his head a little. "When you put it that way, it sort of makes sense..."

Derek smiled and stood in front of his friend. "Do you know why I call you kid?" he asked him.

Spencer looked confused for a second and then shrugged. "Because I look like I'm fifteen?" he asked.

Morgan grinned. "No. You grew out of that a while ago," he teased. "I call you 'kid' because I think of you as my kid brother..." he told him. "I know you get all tense and uncomfortable whenever someone tries to tell you they care about you Reid," he laughed as Spencer shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched forward.

"Case in point," he nudged Reid's shoulder lightly. "But you are going to have to work on that to be able to have a real relationship, a healthy one, with Scarlett. Because she won't take you thinking 'no you don't' every time she tells you she loves you. And I'm pretty sure she's figured out how to read minds," he moved his hand from Spencer's shoulder to his chin, pulling his eyes up from the floor.

"You have to start realizing, kid, that a lot more people care about you and love you than you ever believed. And you have to accept that..." he slapped his cheek lightly and grinned. "You are stuck with us, Reid. We aren't going anywhere," he stopped and amended that statement slightly. "And even when someone does leave, they don't stop caring," he said and Spencer knew he was referring to Emily.

Reid scuffed his shoes along the carpet. "I think I get it," he said softly.

"Good. Then I don't feel like I wasted my breath talking to a wall- a narrow minded, shallow wall that refuses to express any emotion whatsoever as if he were an automaton..." Morgan grinned.

Spencer repeated the words in his head. "She called me an automaton?" he asked.

"I think she used 'golem' actually..." Derek laughed.

Reid rolled his eyes. "I can't manage to get a word in most times..." he mumbled.

"So tell her to shut up," Morgan shrugged. "It works for me..." he looked at his watch and sighed.

"And I think maybe we should try to get some sleep. It's after three in the morning and we have to be at mom's early..." Derek noticed the frown between Reid's brows. "You going to stay?" he asked gently.

Spencer met his friend's eyes and nodded. "I have to try to talk to her. I have to try to fix this..." he answered. "I just hope she'll listen..."

"She'll listen, kid," Morgan told him. "She loves you."

When Reid nodded slightly, Derek moved to stretch out over the couch. "Go..." he told him. "I'm taking the couch. Get some sleep..." He watched as the younger man turned and moved into the bedroom.

Morgan reached over and shut off the light. He heard Spencer's voice softly through the room as the darkness settled.

"Thanks, Derek..."

Morgan grinned, taking note of the use of his given name. "Anytime, kid... anytime..." he said.