Chapter 9: Heroes

Morning broke and as the sun rose a black SUV slowly pulled up to the house of Cindy Bridges. She did not sleep again that night and upon hearing the breaks before her house she stepped towards the window looking out at who was pulling up. She had wondered why the agent hurriedly left with no word hours ago and hoped so good news. The agent opened the door in a hurry and ran around to his passenger side pulling out a child who was wrapped in a blanket. Cindy gasped. Had her son really come home this morning?

She immediately called her husbands name and ran downstairs letting small gasps of joys pass through her lips.

"You're alive!" She grabbed the pile from Agent Morgan and hugged him.

"Now he's going to need medical attention, but he kept asking for you. So I had to." The tears of joys continued as the father of the missing boy joined in the reuniting hug of their family. Prentiss came to the door seeing Morgan looking quite smug and look back towards the car.

"Morgan?" Walking past the happy family she stalked towards him. "What the hell happened last night? Why wasn't-How did-Does Hotch-" Her sporadic thoughts were then promptly interrupted.

"No, Hotch didn't know, but he would love to hear the answers as to how we go from absolutely no leads in a case to you finding and rescuing him two hours ago." They both turned to see Hotch and JJ walking towards them.

"Sir, I" Prentiss began before being excused by Hotch and sent back into the house with the family and JJ.

"Morgan: answers."

He wasn't sure how to explain to Hotch the series of events that had just happened in the past couple hours. How he was in the position he got himself into. He wasn't even sure if it mattered much. This wasn't his life, and right now he had to focus on a new case, even if that meant mysteriously closing this one when hours ago there were no leads. How could he tell his supervisor that he knew how this case would end, and sped them along a bit faster.

"Hotch, it was a hunch I had."

"A hunch? A hunch that brought you right to the unsub's house, without back up?"

"I did not think anyone would-"

"You were being reckless."

"I-I had a dream Hotch."

He saw Reid staring from the passenger side's seat, his eyes widened. They really had not thought about how they would explain what happened in the past couple hours.

"Are we taking me away yet? I can't keep looking at their reunion. Such a bad mother..."

"Soon, Clare. Morgan just has to take care of this, and then we go."

She sprawled across the backseat in pain. The other agents and the family had no idea their unsub was in the back of the SUV and still not taken into custody yet.

"Bad Mother..."

"She is not."

"Is too... I was such a good-"

"You were breast feeding a five year old!"

She whimpered and fell further into the seat.

"At least I'm not dead." Reid stared at the deranged woman, but had no retort. Instead he focused on the interesting explanation Morgan had for Hotch.

"A dream? Explain." Hotch stared intently at Morgan.

"I was running down this path. I stopped at this old house with a large backyard and opened the door to the back bedroom and there was a child, and I knew I had to save him."

"How does that-"

"I woke up and couldn't shake the feeling Hotch. I had to follow where my dream told me." He lied. "I had to see if these instincts were correct."

"Agents, we just-we have to thank you." Cindy interrupted. "Our son is safe, we owe you everything." They entered the house.

"Who was there Morgan? Is the unsub in custody?"

"Yes."

"With the Las Vegas PD?"

Morgan heard Reid laugh, he knew this was the hardest part. He quickly looked towards the SUV. Hotch picked up on it.

"You're kidding me." He looked back at the SUV again. "Morgan, you have got to be kidding him. After all of your years in the field. After everything you have been through. Please tell me they are cuffed."

"She's not that much of a threat Hotch. She's just a bit messed up and needs help."

"She's going to the police station, now. Do you know how risky it was to have the victim and unsub in the same car, and the unsub present and unsupervised in the back of your car Morgan! What are you thinking?"

"Hotch, I just-"

"After we get her to the station and you fill out -in detail- how you detained her, we are talking. Your reckless behavior cannot be overlooked regardless of the outcome, Morgan."

They both walked towards the car and as Hotch opened the drivers side and noticed Morgan would be taking the passenger side she quickly moved himself to the back of the SUV.

"Why are you coming back here!" Clare quickly raised her head to match Reid's glance to her. She looked to the front of the car.

"Who're you!" She screamed at Hotch. Before Morgan could turn and explain Hotch took control.

"I am Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, Unit Chief. I'm taking you to the authorities. I assume Agent Morgan has read you your rights."

"He's mostly been arguing with the dead guy back here. They have an important case to work."

Hotch averted his glance to Morgan who immediately avoided eye contact.

"What is your name Miss?"

"Clare Bates. Am I going to see my son? He was taken from me!"

"That boy was not your son Ms. Bates. You kidnapped him, as well as another child-"

"I know that, Dr. Reid told me that much."

"Dr. Reid? Was he your Doctor? What kind of Doctor was he?"

"I don't know why don't you ask him. He's right next to me." Slightly poking the translucent Dr. Reid. Morgan gave a slight chuckle and turned to Hotch mouthing "crazy."

Reid looked at Clare. He couldn't believe how easily she gave after seeing him. He also could not believe she could see him.

"It's a shame he died Agent Morgan."

"Who died, Clare?" Hotch eyed Morgan for a moment.

"Dr. Reid."

"That was a long time ago Clare-"

"No, it was like yesterday apparently in our time Morgan." Reid interrupted.

"Yeah, like he said, in your time it was yesterday-"

"Morgan what is she-"

"Hotch. She thinks she can see my dead friend."

"I can!"

"I'll say!" Reid agrees. Then he stops himself. "Right, Hotch doesn't know. Nor can he see or hear me. We should just stay quite Clare."

"Ok, Dr. Reid. I'll stop."

A couple minutes later they found themselves at themselves at the police station ready to question Clare Bates and to find out about Derek Morgan's heroic tale of rescue.

Hotch personally took Clare inside and underwent through the process hearing from her first hand what she did to those two boys.

"So I guess it's the young, and the crazy who can see me." Reid mused aloud to Morgan. He stood in front of him. Morgan was in a chair with his head in his hands.

"I was an idiot about this Reid." He looked at him.

"So you didn't call for backup and you took the unsub along for the ride in returning the victim. Hotch'll get over it." He crossed his arms before Morgan. Tapping his foot lightly he looked back at Hotch talking with Clare. "While he's in there look up my file."

Lifting his head from his hands he looked at Reid in almost disbelief. Then it occurred to Derek, he wasn't the one with the time limit left to live.

"So is there like a clock around you telling us how much time we have?"

"Well, if we did that would make things much, much easier, but for all I know I have 5 minutes left before I go and meet my maker Morgan!"

Almost like clockwork as Morgan stood to find answers regarding Reid, Hotch exited the interview room with Clare Bates in tow, and handcuffed. She was being put away. Her eyes viewed both of the boys as she was escorted past. She struggled and stopped momentarily, alarming several officers nearby. She seemed almost defeated and sad. Morgan could feel the team's eyes all on him as she said 5 words to him.

"You won't save him, Derek."