Chapter Two
Spencer cleaned up the mess and got ready for work. Work would keep him busy. It's like he's a different person at work. Even if he spends his time looking at gruesome photos of death and murder, Spencer spends most of his time solving the agencies top cases…rescuing people from the situations he has himself been in. He can barely stomach the photos the team looks through every morning. He can't help but wonder if his team would be looking at his photo on their board this morning.
"OK, Spence. Stop thinking that way!" he tells himself. "Dan is just aggravated because we haven't been able to have much time alone." He tells himself this whenever Dan gets aggravated, which is a lot. It helps him believe that Dan will be loving again. It helped him get through the beatings and the verbal abuse Dan throws at him. However, it doesn't seem to get him through the emotional stress he's goes through. As Spencer cleaned up the apartment, not wanting Dan to come and find he hasn't done so. He believed him when he said there'd be round two if it was still a mess.
He also got himself prepared. He took a long shower and got dressed. The team would be arriving to the office soon. They always started early when they had to travel. He took a look at himself in the mirror making sure there was no visible marks, because he was not composed enough to be able to think of a new lie. He was great to see that there wasn't. With that, he took his poncho and locked up.
The gang was there in the briefing room. Hotch was at the coffee machine and JJ was flipping through the photos. "Garcia is on the net now looking up any info she can get. Good morning, Reid," she said kind fast in the middle of her sentence.
"Morning…sorry…I'm a little late."
"It's OK. We're all off on a slow start today."
"Coffee?" asked Hotch. Spencer just nodded afraid to speak.
The photos flew at him as JJ handed him them. "Our unsub seems to be tracking down young males who live on the streets of Boston." As she talked, JJ posted up photo by photo of young male victims all seem to be under the age of twenty. "They seem to have no family and they seem to belong to an underground prostitution ring…." JJ clears her throat. "They also seem to be gay, since their client calls where from males."
For some reason, the team looked at Spencer when she said gay. They didn't say anything. They just looked and turned around, as if Spencer was the pink elephant in the room and no one brought it up. Morgan just looked at him longer and shook his head and turned away. This hurt Spencer deeply. He never thought Derek Morgan of all people were prejudiced.
He tried to shake it off. "You said they had no families, but what about tracking any of them down?"
"Most of them probably disowned them; even if we did find out who they were, they most likely wouldn't help."
It was going to be a long trip he can tell. This is the kind of case he didn't need right now. The group packed it up as their plane got their stuff together. Spencer was wondering if he should call Dan. No, he's most likely sleeping. Quickly thinking against the idea, he puts his cell phone away.
Morgan knocks on Garcia's door. She was just getting her area situated. "I've came to say we're getting ready to leave."
"You better call me then."
"I'm sure I'll have to," he says sadly.
"What is it baby?"
"Nothing…just tired…."
"No, I've seen you tired. You're agitated about something. Come on! You have a few moments…spill it!" She pats on the chair near her and Morgan accepts it and sits down.
"How is it you know me so well?" He smiles.
"It's what I do. You haven't talked to him yet have you?" she asks sternly.
He knew better then to lie to her, she reads him so well. "I haven't talked to him."
"Derek! You're my friend…my colleague…my wet dream... but can I put this lightly? You are an ass!"
"Penny!"
"He's your friend, isn't he? He looks up to you and you're treating him like he has a disease! I'm really disappointed in you."
Morgan nods. "I'm not mad at him. I'm mad at Dan! That fucker…!"
"Why because he has the man you want? If I felt that way, I'd be strangling Spencer now!" She smiles.
Morgan and Garcia's relationship or friendship has been that way since day one. She flirts with him even knowing full well that he's gay. Morgan hides it well by keeping his night life separate from his day job and friends, even after Spencer came out. Knowing he goes to night clubs and brings home a different guy each week, she often wonders why he's so cold to Spencer. It was then she figured it out. Morgan, her dear friend, was in love with Spencer Reid and probably always has been.
"That's not why. If Spencer was totally happy and in love, I would be happy for him; but, he's not. I know that Dan is abusing him."
"Whoa…what?"
Morgan just nods. "I'm mad at Dan and I'm pissed at Spencer for not telling me."
"If he didn't tell you, how do you know?"
"I've worked with him for years. We shared everything together. A friend knows when the other is hurt and, let's face it, Spencer is not clumsy. I hardly doubt he fell down a flight of stairs last week when he was complaining of his side hurting and what about that black eye he had a few months ago?"
Garcia couldn't help it. She started to cry. "I can't stand knowing our baby is being hurt!"
"Me either."
"And we're just sitting here. You have to do something!"
"What can I do if he doesn't want to tell me?"
"For god sakes Morgan, he's in trouble! Get off your high horse and help him! Think of him as a victim and not your friend! And…if you don't, I will…."
It was very rare that Garcia ever yelled at him. He knew he had to rescue him. Morgan leaves and returns back to the plane. The group was ready to go to Boston. He got on the plane and sat next to Spencer who was reading. "Good book?" he asks not really knowing what to say.
Spencer nods. "Mmmhmm…." which meant he was deep into reading. He didn't want to take his eyes off the page because that was how he lost himself in the real world--a world full of violence and hate. He read whatever he could get his hands on.
Morgan let Spencer read knowing he's useless to talk to when he has a book in his hands. He kind of just watches him read…watches…. It was hypnotizing to watch as he lips moved along with the words. It was like a rhythm and he was keeping up with the beat…wishing he was that book Spencer was holding so closely.
Spencer was so in tune with the words he had no idea Morgan was watching him. Morgan smiles sadly at Spencer thinking to himself. "I'll get him for hurting you, Spencer. I promise…I'll save you!"
