Title: Monsters
Summary: Monsters come both during the day and at night. The only difference is how they're handled.
Disclaimer: Since you don't see stuff like this on TV, suffice it to say that they aren't mine.
Spoilers: none.
A/N: Not beta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Thank you for the lovely reviews! I may actually try my hand at Morgan/Garcia...
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It was an open secret in the BAU that the horrors they saw during the day carried over into the night. And it came as no surprise to Derek Morgan that he woke from a nightmare, remembering none of the details except for what he felt. Those feelings he remembered all too vividly. So as he lied in his bed, the sheets still twisted around his legs, his chest only beginning to settle back into its normal rhythm, he stared at the ceiling. A small voice in the back of his mind chided him for his reaction, saying he wasn't a child afraid of the dark anymore. He handled the monsters during the day, he should be able to handle them at night as well.
But he was alone at night. Contrary to what most of the office thought (though his teammates knew him better), he spent most nights alone when he was home. He could handle the day monsters with the help of his team, but he was on his own at night. Another small voice reminded him that his team would understand, that they were always there for him no matter the time or trouble, but Morgan didn't even glance at his phone. It wasn't an option.
He glanced from the ceiling to the bedside clock, and the numbers screamed at him that he should go back to sleep. He still had more than three hours before he had to get up and get ready for another day. Linking his fingers behind his head, he continued to stare through the darkness, as if the ceiling wasn't even there. After realizing he wasn't going back to sleep, the feelings of the nightmare were still much too strong, he got out of bed and ready for a run.
He knew that his teammates, his friends, would know something was off, despite the practiced face he'd put forward. They'd ask, he'd respond that he was fine, they'd nod slightly and let him get away with the lie. Gideon would inevitably corner him, he'd inevitably tell his tale and the day would go on like any other. And he'd get a phone call the following night, letting him know that he wasn't as alone as he thought.
FIN