So another chapter has been written:) I hope you guys like it,sorry for the delay in updating but I have 3 midterms tomorrow and a HUGE forensics meet Tuesday that I have been working on so it took longer then I had hoped to write. After Tuesday my week will be more open so writing won't be as difficult to squeeze in and therefore updates will be more common! Please reviews because I need your thoughts!

Happy Reading:)

Brooke swore as she stumbled trying to get dressed for school. Her goal was to get out of the house before Spencer saw her and wanted to talk. They had been avoiding each other since game night and so far it had worked but it was only a matter of time before he would make her sit down and talk.

Brooke finished dressing in the dark and decided to just do her hair at school. If she got there early enough,no one would see her anyways.

She cracked open her door and walked quietly down the halls. She skipped over the third and sixth step that creaked and slipped out the front door,thankful that Spencer didn't wake.

"You so owe me for this," Christina mumbled as Brooke got into the car.

"I'll buy you coffee and breakfast,let's just go."

"Why are we going so early? Or,why are YOU wanting to go so early?"

"I don't want to talk to my brother," Brooke said shortly.

"Why?"

"He thinks I'm all different and such since I made varsity cheer,I'm so over it."

"You are different," Christina said looking over at Brooke, "But different for the better."

Brooke smiled, "Thank you."

"Anytime,Flyer."

"Good-morning to you too,kid," Morgan said as Reid dropped his bag down and slammed his phone down on his desk.

"Morning," Reid grumbled.

"Aww what's wrong with my little boy genius," Garcia asked as she walked by and pinched Reid's cheek.

"Long night," Reid said simply.

"Who had a long night?Reid,did you have a girl over?" JJ asked,jumping into the conversation.

"No. Don't you guys have work to do or something?" Reid asked as he opened up a file and started writing.

"Of course we do but your life is so much more interesting," JJ said laughing.

Reid was about to respond when Hotch stepped out of his office, "Guys,we have a case."

Brooke waited in the bathroom until it was cleared out and then made her lunch come back up. She hated this but knew it needed to be done. It was the only way for her to attain perfection.

"Perfection," Brooke scoffed, "You'll never be perfect."

Brooke unlocked the stall and went to the sink and rinsed out her mouth and looked at the mirror before speaking to herself, "You're never going to be good enough,Brooklyn Reid. Get it through your thick skull,you're not good enough."

"Talking to yourself is the first sign you're going crazy you know," Leighton said as she pushed open the bathroom door.

Brooke jumped, "I wa-wasn't I was just..."

"Relax,I didn't hear what you were saying," Leighton said as she reapplied her mascara.

"Leighton?" Brooke asked hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Is it always this hard?"

"What?"

"Being a cheerleader?"

Leighton turned and faced the young girl and could see the physical toll it was taking on her, "Sometimes,but it gets easier. You just need to learn how to cope."

"How do you do it?"

"Yoga. Lizzie has boxing,Christina drinks,Haley runs. It just depends on what you like to do. But, I can promise you the way you're dealing with it isn't the way to do it," Leighton said as she observed Brooke's shrinking frame.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Brooke said,feeling uncomfortable with Leighton's look.

"I love Christina,I really do but trust me,she doesn't have the best coping methods. She's had a rough life and taught herself how to be strong. She picked you because you remind her of her younger self. Just...just don't get to caught up in what she tells you,okay?"

Brooke shuffled her feet and nodded and then started to leave when Leighton grabbed her arm to stop her, "I'm not kidding,Brooke. You're self-destructing. I can see it happening. It's slow but it's starting. Stop before it gets to bad."

Brooke pulled her arm out of Leighton's grasp and hurried out the door.

Abby watched Brooke as she came out of the bathroom. She wanted to call out to her but figured Brooke would just ignore her. She wanted to apologize,she didn't know why exactly but something had happened between her and Brooke and she wanted to fix it.

Abby wasn't blind to the changes in her friend. It scared her to think that Brooke was slipping back into her old habits. It was scary the first time but this time,she wasn't sure if Brooke would be strong enough to come back from it.

It was all Christina's fault. She had overheard Christina telling Brooke how to lose weight. If anything happened to her friend,it was all on Christina.

"Brooke!" Abby called out,surprising herself.

Brooke stopped and turned,looking for the person who hollered out her name and finally her eyes settled on Abby. She debated walking away but something made her not move.

Abby hurried to catch up to Brooke, "Hey."

Brooke looked at her and Abby saw the dullness in her eyes, "Hey."

"So,what's up?"

"Not much,yourself?"

Abby felt herself squirm a little under Brooke's gaze, "Uh,same."

"That's good. I gotta go," Brooke said as she started walking away.

"Wait,Brooke. Please."

"What,Abby?"

"I-I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I don't know why you're mad at me but-"

"You don't know why?Maybe because you bailed on me. You wanted to meet so I went to meet you and you never showed."

"What? You said it was fine," Abby said,confusion evident on her face.

"Don't even,Abby," Brooke was about to say more when her phone went off in her pocket, "I need to take this."

Abby decided not to push it,she would try with Brooke again later.

"Hello?" Brooke asked as she answered her phone.

"Hey,it's me," Spencer said on the other side of the phone.

"I figured,what's up?"

"There's a case so I'm going to be gone for a few days."

Brooke rolled her eyes,of course there was a case. There was always a case, "Okay. I can stay with Christina or Leighton if I need too.I'm sure it won't be a problem."

Spencer laughed,she couldn't be serious right now, "Sorry but that's not happening."

"So what am I supposed to do then?"

"Morgan is staying back on this case. "

"Why?" Suddenly,Brooke wasn't liking this so much.

"He was already committed to leading a training Tuesday through Friday and so he needs to stay back."

"I thought you and Rossi had a speaking thing."

"We rescheduled. Anyways,Morgan will pick you up after practice."

"What about Garcia?" Brooke was getting desperate.

"She's coming with,this person is in an internet whiz. Why are you so against staying with Morgan?"

"I'm not. I need to go to class."

"Brooke,wait. I'm sorry. I wanted to talk to you tonight but this case came up and-"

"It's fine,Spence. Don't worry about it. We can talk when you get back," Brooke said,trying to placate her brother.

"Alright,I love you."

"Yeah,see you soon," Brooke said as she hung up and headed into class.

Brooke smiled as her team tossed her in the air and caught her. They were almost through the routine and were nailing it. Brooke came down and finished with the double back flip. Everything was perfect when suddenly,it wasn't.

Brooke opened her eyes to find Christina looking down at her, "Brooke,oh my gosh are you okay?"

She sat up slowly, "Wh-what happened?"

"You were on your second back flip but it was like you just passed out in the middle of it," Leighton filled Brooke in.

"How do you feel?" Christina asked.

"Fine,a little dizzy but fine."

Christina helped Brooke up as their advisor came into the gym with the athletic trainer.

He checked Brooke out and deemed her good to go as long as she took it easy.

"Alright,let's call practice for tonight," Christina said, "Brooke,I'm going to have to tell your brother about this."

"Oh,he's actually on a case right now. I'll tell him later when I talk to him tonight."

"Sorry,kid. Protocol. Who are you staying with?"

"Derek Morgan."

"Alright,let's go talk to him."

Morgan was surprised when Brooke came out with a tall lanky girl.

"Hey,kiddo. Ready to go?"

"Um,Christina wants to talk to you," Brooke said as she hopped into the front seat and shut the door.

"Derek Morgan,is it? I'm Christina,Brooke's captain. There was a minor incident at practice and she fainted. She got checked out and everything is fine but she needs to take it easy."

"She fainted?"

"In the middle of a back flip. She landed on the mat so it softened the blow. She should be fine but I'm under obligation to report it to her guardian at the time of the incident."

"Alright,thanks. I'll pass it on to her brother," Morgan said as he shook Christina's hand and got into the car,ready to take Brooke back to his place.

"So,wanna tell me more about this fainting spell you had earlier?" Morgan asked.

"We had been working hard all day,I just pushed it too much I guess."

"Yeah,I'm sure that what it was."

Brooke didn't answer,instead watched as they drove through the city.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on with you?"

"Nothing is,why?"

"Something is."

"Can we just not tonight,Morgan? I'm tired,I just want to get to your place,do my homework and go to bed."

"Fine,I'll let it go tonight but remember you get me until they come back," Morgan said smiling.

"Great."

"Aww did you miss me,baby girl?" Morgan asked as he answered his phone.

"I did but I was actually calling to check on my little sweetness. Reid told us you called him earlier and explained what happened and you told him she was fine but I also know you would hold back details to spare him."

Morgan laughed, "Nah,it's just how I told him. She fainted during a back flip,her captain had to inform me,Brooke had no comment on it and now she is in the living room studying."

"Studying huh? You boring her to death or something?"

"She doesn't want much to do with me for some reason."

"And you're not sure why?"

"Should I?"

"Derek Morgan you are an idiot sometimes,you know that right?"

"I do now."

Garcia laughed, "She doesn't want to be around you because you'll call her out on stuff."

"Huh?"

"You are so stupid my chocolate god. You make her nervous!"

"So how do I fix that?"

"You stop being so scary,I gotta go my dearest boss needs my assistance. I'll talk to you soon my forbidden lover!"

Morgan stared at the phone. He wasn't sure if Garcia was being serious or not but had a feeling she was. He needed to know if what she said was true so he headed into the living room to talk to Brooke.

"Pencil down,we need to talk."

"I have a huge test tomorrow," Brooke said setting down her pen.

"You can give me five minutes."

"Fine."

"Do I make you nervous?"

Brooke hesitated a few moments and Morgan got her answer without her saying anything, "Not nervous."

"Then what?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been acting...off around me for awhile now and I want to know what's up."

"I've already told you,nothing."

"Come on Brooke,talk to me,kiddo."

"About what,Morgan?"

"Anything. I miss the old Brooklyn Reid."

"Will everyone quit saying stuff like that?

"Maybe if you keep hearing it you'll realize that you have changed."

"I don't have time for this. I'm going to go to my room and study."

"Brooke,wait."

"What?"

"I'm always here for you,you know that."

"I know," Brooke said as she headed up the stairs with Morgan watching her go.