Hello everyone, just to let you know, I changed the chapter before this some. Just cause some stuff didn't make sense reading it again. :)
Anway, this is short but enjoy!
x
Morgan bit his lip to keep from saying something he was sure he'd regret.
It was obvious that Reid wasn't in his right mind right now thinking that Gecko would just leave them alone, that the danger was over. But for whatever reason he thought that, he could hardly be blamed; how could he be thinking clearly with everything happening...with everything that might have happened to him?
Morgan wasn't making the mistake of thinking of Reid as a reliable partner to work with right now, not the way he would have a year ago. No, he was the victim here. It would be pointless, if not to mention really stupid, to argue with him about Seth Gecko right now, even if hateful words and curses were dancing on his tongue still. It would surely upset Reid, push his focus to things that Morgan didn't want him to ever think about again if it could be helped, but especially not now when he didn't have the means to properly comfort or counsel his friend. It was probably lucky Reid was holding up this 'well' -in his imagination he had always been far worse – and he was afraid anything might push him to break down.
"We'll be out of here in no time," he said instead, trying to direct Reid's thoughts in a positive direction, away from fear, and violence, and imprisonment, and to safety, and home, and family. "The team will be here soon and then we'll go home. Man, you have no idea...JJ and Garcia will be ecstatic to see you."
He had hoped for a positive response to that but instead Reid seemed to tense behind him, his breath catching like he was in pain. Morgan still couldn't see Reid's face, couldn't begin to fathom what was happening to him...but it was worrying him more and more. Instead of moving to face him Reid began working on the handcuffs again, restless, hands shaking.
Morgan was just about to ask him to stop again when suddenly the was the clinking sound of metal snapping open and seconds later he was free.
He heard Reid's relieved sigh, almost as incredulous as his own, then shuffling as the young man got to his feet hastily. "There's a knife...in the nightstand," he muttered distractedly, making to walk past Morgan without looking at him. "I'll-"
He flinched, startled, when Morgan unthinkingly grabbed his arm to hold him back. Shiny hazel eyes flitted to his and for a split second there was a panic in them, so pained and raw that Morgan almost dropped his hand.
"I'm sorry, shit, I wasn't thinking..." He should have known not to do that but it was hard to remember protocol when he was so personally involved, so worried about his friend. "Just let me look at you, see if there's anything I can do to-"
There was no blood, no obvious bruising even now that he was taking a closer look, but Reid still managed to look like he was on death's door, thin and pale and with black shadows under his eyes. The rest of his body was covered by long pants and sleeves despite the warm weather. Morgan's eyes fell on the most obvious sign of a hidden wound, the bandages around Reid's arms - but before he could ask, Reid pulled his arms away hastily.
"I'm fine." Reid moved out of reach before Morgan could stop him, pulling at his sleeves like he was trying to hide his injuries. He had already let his gaze fall, breaking eye contact, still half turned toward the door but unmoving now. Morgan felt his chest tighten. He had been stupid to grab Reid like that, after all God knew what he had come to associate with that...but the way he was hiding his arms, downplaying his state...
There seemed something more wrong about it than just Reid's familiar way of diverting attention away from himself. It was almost like he didn't want Morgan to see what Gecko had done... that feeling of anxiety from before struck anther cord in Morgan, raising his unease.
"Reid, it's okay," he said carefully, "I know he hurt you I just need to see how bad-"
"I'm not hurt! Seth didn't-" Morgan started when Reid all but snapped those first words, only to suddenly grow pale and shut his mouth, looking sickened.
"I'm fine." he finally repeated, quiet but stubborn.
Morgan stood quietly for a too long moment, fighting to conceal his own reaction to this.
He wished badly to be wrong but...to him it sounded more and more like Reid wasn't just saying he hadn't been hurt to make Morgan worry less, but to defend Gecko somehow.
No.
He could feel his stomach turn at the thought. Oh no...
In retrospect, he should have considered this, should have known the likelihood of Gecko having messed up Reid mentally, not only terrorizing and traumatizing him, but-
He should have- but he just hadn't thought Gecko would bother being kind at all, or enough to invoke Stockholm syndrome, or that Reid wouldn't see through it...
But it had been so long, Reid had been alone with the man all this time...he'd only had him, his life had been in his hands. It was logical that that would have skewered his perception of Gecko at least to some degree. But-
"Reid-" Morgan shook his head, despite his previous reasoning, too horrified by this new thought. To think that Reid was emotionally tied to Seth Gecko to any degree, it finished him. Killed him. "He hurt you, Reid! He-"
He broke off, catching himself too late, only to see more pain flash over his friend's face before he averted his face. There was self-loathing and disgust in his expression, just as plainly visible as Reid's pain and misery.
Seeing that, Morgan struggled to steel himself, to pull back all of his anger, all of his own pain and anxiety. He couldn't do this now. Whatever Reid was feeling, he couldn't do anything to fix it now. He didn't have enough details or time to work with and he couldn't risk setting Reid off in case they had to run.
Instead he did the only thing that he could think of that might help.
"It's going to be alright," he promised quietly, softly. He stepped closer hesitantly, reaching out again, not sure if Reid would want, or could abide, his touch right now. "Reid, I know...you can't think clearly right now, it's all tangled up, and much too much at once...I know a lot of what you're feeling doesn't make sense now...it doesn't have to. You've been through a lot. We'll get all of that sorted out, in time...you'll have all the time you need."
He took the risk, reaching out and touching Reid's shoulder. The young man exhaled like he'd been holding his breath for painfully long, and shuddered. Tears rose in his eyes and his face twisted into a terrible grimace as he crumbled. Morgan moved without thinking, pulling the other into him and embracing him carefully, soothingly. He pressed his face into Reid's hair, closing his eyes briefly at the familiar smell, and held Reid as he shook.
"It's going to be alright now," he murmured, again and again, "You'll leave all this behind...I'm taking you home where you belong."
"And what would Seth have to say about that?"
Morgan looked up, startled, only to find himself looking into the barrel of a gun.
xxx
There you go, my gift to you, an actual cliff hanger^^ You're welcome.
So I was thinking about possibly doing a Christmas Special of sorts for this story. If you'd be interested in that let me know and I might try to make that happen in the next few days. Otherwise, happy holidays, people. Catch you next year :)
