Disclaimer: Not mine, no money. Just playing with the Criminal Minds cast.
"Baby girl, I need your help." Morgan's voice filtered staticky through the receiver.
"Morgan, are you okay?" Twisting in her chair, Penelope Garcia was serious. Morgan's voice had brooked no jokes.
"I need you to listen. I need a clear path to the closest, largest, unpopulated area you can find. I also need you to patch in our resident baby boy."
"Morgan, what are you doing? Closest unpopulated area is 10 minutes away, its an abandoned state hospital lot."
"I need directions, Garcia. Please just stay on the line with me."
Penelope heard the engine of a truck start and her heart stalled. The ringing signifying Reid's patch in was distant.
"Derek this better not be like the ambulance escapade!" Her voice trembled at the idea of him once again playing the martyr.
"No baby girl, I'm in a truck this time."
"Morgan? Garcia?"
"Reid! We need your brain!" Penelope angrily wiped at her chin, the tears tracking down her face smearing her foundation. Briefly, she wondered why she ever wore it, she almost always ended the day in tears.
"What's going on? Morgan you left us back at the rest stop, do you need us to follow you?"
"No, Reid stay there! I can't worry about you too." Morgan's voice was more warbled, but he was still understandable for now.
"Go left, then take the first right!" They listened to the screech of tires, Morgan pushing the rig to its limit as he jerked the wheel first left, then right.
"Go a mile, turn right again and it's the large building on your left!"
They listened in stunted silence as Morgan followed her directions before a door slammed shut and the engine cut out.
"Morgan?" The two worried voices called in unison, loud and clear through the phone, but louder and clearer still was the explosion that rocked the silence mere seconds later.
"Derek!" Penelope cried in earnest, though silent tears coursed quickly down her face. Reid inhaled sharply, glad he had walked away from Hotch and Rossi, where they couldn't hear his breath catch or see his eyes water in fear.
"I love you both." The words were simple, and exactly what they both needed to hear.
"Derek, you're okay! Do you need an ambulance? Can Reid get to you?" The questions came bubbling up out of her relief.
"I'm going to go get him, Penelope." An engine started, followed by gravel spray.
"I'm fine baby girl. A little sore. Loverboy is coming to get me, so Ill be okay.
"Derek Morgan, why do you always have to scare me like that?!"
"Just you Penelope, what about me? He got in the damned truck and took off to play hero!"
Derek Morgan smiled. Spencer and Penelope bickered as to who felt more fear, Spencer because Derek had left him, or Penelope because she wasn't physically there. He remained on his back as he heard the car pull up behind the backdrop of crackling wood and hissing metal. Spencer sighed when he reached his side, stepping carefully over broken glass.
"I've got him Garcia. We'll call you back once we get back to Hotch and Rossi."
A pause. Derek had ceased listening but noted he couldn't hear Penelope anymore.
"No, not even a scratch. Love you." The boy wonder quickly hung up the phone and Derek sighed when it snapped shut and looked into the concerned face of his boyfriend.
"Are you?" Reid fidgeted with his fingers; bottom lip pulled adorably between teeth.
"Sore, but alright." Sitting up, he smiled. Suddenly he found himself with a lap full of gangly limbs as Spencer shouted through angry tears, fists pounding on his chest with all his might. Derek wrapped his arms around the frustrated man, pressed the assailing hands into his chest, crushed between their bodies as he calmed him.
"I'm right here baby boy. I'm okay, and I'm right here." One hand cupped the back of his head, fingers softly stroking the hair on the nape of Spencer's neck.
"What… What if we hadn't been fast enough, Derek? What if you hadn't gotten out in time? What if we lost you?" Derek remained silent, he had no answers or assurances. A few minutes passed while Derek rocked him.
"Baby, look at me." Derek's voice rumbled through Spencer's chest, and slowly he lifted red-rimmed eyes to look at Derek.
"I'm here. No what if's, they didn't happen. You'll run that big brain of yours to death thinking about it. I'm here, in one piece."
Spencer sighed heavily, leaning fully into Derek, accepting the comfort being given to him.
"Come on, we should get back to the others." Spencer nodded and snuffled before standing. As Derek stood, Spencer launched at him again, pressing kiss after kiss anywhere he could reach. Chucking softly, Derek pushed him away and chastely kissed his lips.
"Come on. Let's go before our girl comes after us."
Once back on the road, Spencer stared out of the window silently.
"Will they know?"
Derek glanced at him from the driver's seat before refocusing.
"Do you want them to know?" His voice was measured, calm, like he was talking to a victim's family.
"It would be easier, and they're all family. I don't like keeping them from it, but it isn't just me. And we know the rules, we're double breaking them. We could be fired. Garcia could be in even more trouble. We have to talk to her first."
"We do. And Hotch may be a hard ass, but he wouldn't rat us out Spence."
"Okay." Derek noticed that Spencer didn't seem too sure, but that was a conversation for another time.
As they turned into the gravel lot, Hotch and Rossi watched them closely.
"Morgan, I thought I told you not to go gallivanting off like that. And Reid, you took the car leaving us stranded, what if you'd needed backup?"
Neither man said anything under Hotch's scrutiny, leaving Rossi to break the tension. Clipping Hotch in the shoulder, he groused. "Let's go Aaron. They're fine, we're fine, move on."
On the flight home, Spencer sat with Emily and JJ, casting furtive glances at Derek. The ladies noticed, of course.
"Spence." JJ started. "Is there something we need to know? Maybe someone you're interested in?"
"You can tell us anything, Spence. We love you just the same." Emily added and JJ nodded emphatically.
"It doesn't involve just me, and I won't say anything until we've talked about it first."
JJ smiled at his admission and placed her hand on his comfortingly.
"Tell us in your own time Spence. We won't push you. What're your plans for when we get home?"
Relief washed over Reid's face at both the contact and the change of subject.
"I plan to spend it at home, maybe I'll read some more Tolstoy."
Conversation was light and easy for the rest of the flight. Upon landing, both women hugged him tightly, and then both men made a B-line for Garcia, knowing she would be waiting for them.
"She's going to be so angry with you." Reid nudged Morgan heavily and he shrugged, though he grimaced. "I know."
Reid grinned as they knocked on her door, waiting until a sultry voice bid them entrance.
"Derek Morgan, if you EVER put me through that again, I WILL make sure they never find your body, NOT EVEN THIS TEAM!" Reid carefully closed the soundproof door behind them, grateful for the late hour.
"Baby girl," Derek's hands were up in mock surrender, back flush with the side wall of her lair. "Pretty boy would've done the same."
Reid stared as the fiery woman, currently with the hair and outfit to match, rounded on him.
"You better not, Genius, or the same goes for you." Eyes narrowed behind red rhinestone studded cat eyeglasses, Reid stuttered at her.
"H- Hey! I haven't taken a single risk that I haven't 100% every chance of resolving."
"Reid, you've been shot, kidnapped by Hankel, tortured, addicted to dilauded, Hotch has even hit you. You risk like I do, but you try to hide behind that big brain of yours."
"Reid, we love you."
Reid glanced back and forth between Derek and Penelope.
"And Derek, don't think this is over, not in the slightest." Penelope's voice travelled effortlessly in the small echo-ey space.
Content, they collapsed into each other. Everyone was together, no one was hurt, it was okay.
For now.
AN: Hi Guys! Been a long time! Everything is normal, this is a poly relationship. If you don't like, then Ciao! I know this was heavy in dialogue, but I wasn't sure how to write this one or where I wanted it to go but I liked the idea. Flames and Reviews please!