FAMILY

They just clicked. They were cut from the same cloth. Nerdy, socially awkward cloth. Garcia and Reid just clicked. So when Reid found himself alone at the P.D. on a case, somewhere far from home, and needing someone to talk to, he knew where to go.

"Gadget Queen of All Techy-Thingies, which switch do you want flipped?" Garcia chirped.

Reid cleared his throat. "Garcia?" His voice cracked. He winced.

He could hear Garcia's tone change over the phone. She immediately was thrust into Mama Bear mode, and her voice cooed quietly. "Reid? What's wrong?"

He cleared his throat again, this time trying to make himself sound a little bigger, a little stronger. He tried to make up a reason for calling her. "I just need... I need you to cross-reference that list we got earlier with deaths of husbands in the last five years."

"I already did that, Honey. Remember?"

Reid squeezed his eyes shut. "Right. Right."

"Reid?" she began again. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

He was quiet for a moment, then looked up at the ceiling as he willed himself not to cry. "Do you... do you remember that time I contracted Anthrax?"

"Of course I do, most frightening day of my life."

Reid nodded, though she couldn't see him, and smiled weakly, looking down. "I just wanted to say thank you, for what you did for me. For my mom."

Garcia was stunned into silence for a moment, and she didn't even realize she was crying until she felt the first tear slip down her cheek. She quickly reached up to wipe it, sniffling. "Oh, Reid, honey, that doesn't require thanks. I would do it for you all over again. Anything for my Junior G-Man, you know that, right?"

He smiled weakly again, sinking down into his desk chair, then glancing up as he saw the team begin to file in. "Yeah, I know."

"Don't forget that."

"I won't."

"Promise me."

"I won't." He looked up again, and saw Morgan heading his way. "Really quick, could you add to that a filter on foreclosed homes?"

"Certainly."

Morgan approached, and Reid spoke quickly into the phone. "Okay, thanks Garcia, I have to go." He hesitated, then spoke again. "Thank you," he added again, as an afterthought.

"Of course, Sweetheart."

He disconnected the call and glanced up at Morgan, clearing his throat and trying to regain his composure. Morgan raised an eyebrow. "All good, Pretty Boy?"

Reid became flustered, he fixed his tie as he spoke, then laced his fingers together. "Yeah, yeah, why wouldn't I be good?"

"You look a little weird."

Reid raised an eyebrow. "Thanks?"

"Anytime, kid." Morgan slapped Reid on the shoulder and then went on his way, glancing back towards Reid. He whipped out his phone and called Garcia.

"Oh Mighty Chocolate Thunder, I render unto you your lightning."

"Let me guess, Baby Girl, you're the lightning."

"All yours, Sugar."

He grinned, then glanced back at Reid. "You were just talking to Reid?"

She was quiet for a minute, and Morgan listened intently to the dead airwaves. "Yes?"

"Everything okay?"

"Should it not be?"

Morgan smiled softly. "That's not an answer, Baby Girl."

She chastised him over the phone, he could hear her grin. "Derek Morgan, you're being nosey."

He smiled again, then it faded. "If something's going on with Reid, and it's something important, I think I need to know about it."

"He's just fine. I think he's just having a hard day." Morgan heard this, then glanced back over at Reid, who was now hunched over the desk and scribbling notes down.

"You think that's it?"

"I'm sure that's it, Derek."

He glanced back at Reid once more, then smiled and looked down. "Alright, thanks, Baby Girl."

"Yours forever, Handsome."

They disconnected, and Morgan turned to look at Reid, who was, at that moment, staring up at Morgan with wide eyes. He blinked, saw Morgan looking at him, then quickly ducked down again, going back to his scribbling.

Morgan pulled up a chair next to Reid, and Reid glanced over awkwardly, tangling his fingers together. "C-can I help you?"

"Just checking on you, man. You need to talk?"

Reid didn't look at Morgan when he spoke, he just looked down at his papers. "No, no, I'm fine. Just fine, thank you."

Morgan considered this. "Listen, kid, I know you've been having a hard time. I just want to let you know I'm here for you, if you need anything."

Reid nodded into it, then glanced sideways at Morgan. "Thanks," he said in a voice so small he hardly recognized it as his own. "I just..." He looked away, biting a lip to keep it from quivering. "I miss my Mom," he said. Whispered.

Morgan's face fell. "Reid, we can give you the time off, if you need it."

Reid quickly shuffled the papers together on his desk, shaking his head vigorously. "No, no, we have work to do here. I need to stay here."

"Reid..." Morgan glanced up as Hotch walked by, and became silent. Once their boss was out of sight, he spoke again, this time his voice lower. "Reid, we all need to take personal time. You know that. This job... it does things to you. Sometimes...sometimes, a little family time is what you need."

Reid wanted to be quick to correct him. He didn't have a family, he had a mother who hardly recognized him.

Then, he looked up. He saw Morgan. He really saw him, the care in his eyes, the way his brow was slightly furrowed with concern. And then he thought about Garcia. Her kind, soft, loving voice.

He thought about JJ, the way she took him on like a little brother, the way she accepted him for his nerdy self, the way she put up with his antics.

Prentiss: he could just talk to her, about anything. She was always there to listen.

Hotch - his love masked by sternness, a barrier between Reid and trouble.

And Gideon - a father, one Reid never had.

Reid's face softened as he looked around the bullpen. He had a family, right here.

Right here in this room.

Morgan saw Reid's face change. "Reid?" A tear slipped down Reid's face. "Reid? We can get you the personal time."

Reid shook his head. "I'm okay. Really."

"What's going on?"

"Thank you."

"For what, buddy?" Reid swallowed, shaking his head and looking down. "Reid? Can I remind you of something?" Reid nodded, eyes closed. "You know you have a family here, right? We'll always be here for you."

Reid nodded, choking on a sob. "I know. I know. Thank you."

"You're welcome, bud."

Reid didn't forget about his mother, but it did ease some of the pain. And he was thankful, because for once in his life, he felt truly loved by a real family, one he could call his own.