A/N: I'll admit- I may have watched this episode more than once. This scene stuck in my head every time; I couldn't figure out why Garcia sounded like she hadn't just spoken to Reid about two minutes ago. Then, this came to me, and I felt a little silly.

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies.

"Well, you got me and Garcia."

"Hey, Reid."

Garcia mentally congratulated herself- it wasn't her usual perky greeting, but she'd managed to keep most of the tremors out of her voice. Not all, of course. Not with Reid… there. In that house. Infected with anthrax, of all things. But it only shook a little, and the tears clogging her throat hadn't choked her up completely. Morgan wouldn't give it a second thought; their friend was about to become very, very sick, so naturally his baby girl would be a little upset.

Naturally.

Because who would guess that it was anything else? That she'd only just hung up with her favorite Junior G-Man minutes before? That he'd called her, his own voice shaking ever-so-slightly with fear and stress, asking a favor of the Oracle of Quantico that had the technical analyst looking for a corner she could hide in and cry? That she'd had to sit there quietly and listen to him tearfully say goodbye to his mother- just 'in case'?

Who would guess that?

Hopefully, not Morgan. She wanted like hell to just blurt it out, let it go, make her chocolate sculpted god of thunder talk some sense into their boy before that big ol' brain of his went to darker, uglier places while she screamed and cried and railed at the world for being so unfair. What she wanted, however, didn't matter. What mattered was Reid, and anything she could do for him while he was where he was. If that meant swallowing her own pain, keeping secrets from Derek, putting on a false face and pretending things were as normal as they could be in this situation then she'd do it and do it right.

Sorry, handsome, but the last thing our sweet little genius would want is me blabbing his very personal business to you. Let's face it- you'd get angry. And he'd get all embarrassed; cute as it is when he turns so pink and stutters that painfully adorable stammer of his, I don't think he'd appreciate it all that much. This is between him and him mom- I just happened to get in the middle.

Reid was coughing into his phone, now, obviously trying to muffle it as best he could while rushing through a quick profile of the lab nearly breathless. Garcia winced and poised her fingers over the keyboard, ready and raring to go.

Hang on, baby. Mama's here and she's gonna' do whatever it takes. Just hang on…

A/N: Still not my best work, but better than the previous drabble. Emily, next. Don't have many more ideas, so suggestions are welcome... Assuming anyone's reading. ;)

Thanks to those that reviewed- much appreciated!