AN: Thanks to Rayne McKenna for providing me with the prompt for this chapter. Hope you all enjoy the progression this story is taking.

Prompt: "We don't see things as they are. We see them as we are."

SSA Morgan stifled a yawn as he stepped off the elevator onto the sixth floor of the building housing the BAU. He hadn't slept well last night, his thoughts on the 'fight' he had with Reid the night before. Morgan didn't want to think of it as a fight, as that word implied something big had happened. Something that would take a lot of time to get past. That would be hard to fix. ~Misunderstanding is much less imposing,~ Morgan thought. ~But what happened last night was much more than that. It isn't something that can just be swept under the rug. Ignored as if it never happened. No matter how hard it is, Reid and I are going to have to deal with it.~

As Morgan headed for his desk in the bullpen, he saw that Emily was already at her desk but that the desk across from her was empty. The fact that Reid wasn't here yet meant that Morgan still had some time to decide how to handle things.

"Morning, Prentiss," Morgan said, as he sat down at his desk.

"Morning," Agent Prentiss said, looking up from her computer. She reached out and picked up her coffee cup that she had picked up at a café on the way in. "Rough night?" she asked, taking in her co-worker's appearance.

"Had a tough time sleeping," Morgan replied, switching on his computer.

"What color hair did the girl have this time?" Prentiss asked teasingly.

"The only one sharing my bed with me last night was Clooney," Morgan told her, an easy smile on his face. "Just got a lot on my mind."

"Want to talk about it?" Prentiss asked, growing serious.

Morgan looked over at her. Prentiss had been on the receiving end of Reid's mood swings. She had come to him following Reid's outburst down in Houston. Though they had talked about the situation at length, Morgan hadn't confided his suspicions to his teammate. Suspicions that he felt even more convinced that they were dead on after last night. Still, talking about it would only make it more real. He wasn't ready to confide yet. What happened last night needed to stay between him and Reid for now, and not just for confidentiality. Morgan couldn't deny that part of the reason he didn't want to mention it to someone else was that he was ashamed of how he had reacted.

"Not right now," Morgan told her. "Thanks for asking though."

Prentiss nodded. "If you change your mind, you know where I am."

Morgan nodded as the two of them turned their attention to work. Morgan was scanning his work email when Reid came into the bullpen.

"Morning Morgan, Prentiss," the genius said, as he walked between their desks to his own. He lifted the strap of his bag over his shoulder as Prentiss returned his greeting.

Morgan didn't say anything as he looked at his friend. He looked much better than he had the night before, though there were still dark circles under Reid's eyes. The fact that Reid seemed to be ignoring what had happened last night had Morgan concerned. Somehow he would have felt more comfortable if Reid had been giving him the silent treatment this morning.

"Morning," Morgan offered, still looking at his friend with a perplexed look.

As Reid settled at his desk, Morgan turned back to his computer. The middle of the bullpen was not the place to try to talk to Reid about last night. He was back to reading his email when Prentiss' next comment caught his attention.

"What happened to your wrist, Reid?"

Morgan head snapped back into the direction of his friend. Immediately he noticed the ace bandage encircling Reid's wrist. A pang of guilt went through him as well as a flash of Reid's face last night when he had grabbed the younger agent's wrist.

Reid glanced at the ace-bandage following Prentiss' question. "I slipped on the steps last night and when I went to catch myself I must have sprained my wrist," he lied.

Prentiss nodded, more than willing to accept the story. Morgan recognized it for the lie that it was and silently wondered why Reid was protecting him. Morgan continued to watch his friend even as Prentiss went back to her work. As if he felt eyes on him, Reid glanced briefly up in Morgan's direction. Even in that brief glance, Morgan saw a mixture of emotions - fear, guilt, anger, confusion and pleading.

Though Morgan turned back to his email, he didn't really see what was on the screen in front of him. Instead, using his peripheral vision, he kept an eye on Reid. As the younger agent hadn't come in with coffee, Morgan knew it wouldn't be long before Reid went to the break area to get a cup. When he did, Morgan planned on following.

He didn't have to wait long, as Reid soon got to his feet and headed for the coffee maker. Morgan waited a minute or so, before he got up himself. Reid was pouring coffee into a mug sitting on the counter, when Morgan walked up behind him.

"Reid, I'm sorry," Morgan said softly, not wanting to take the chance of anyone overhearing.

Reid jumped, slightly, the movement causing some of the dark liquid to spill onto the counter-top. "You said that last night," Reid said, as he placed the coffee pot back on the base.

"I meant about the wrist and you didn't have to lie to protect me."

"I didn't. I lied to avoid the questions the truth would have brought up," Reid replied, as he continued to fix his coffee. "Besides, it was my fault. I provoked it."

"I'm just as much at fault as you were," Morgan said, not about to shy away from taking his share of responsibility of what had happened the night before.

Reid didn't say anything as he wiped up the spilled coffee with a paper towel.

"Reid, we need to talk about what happened last night."

"No we don't. Let's just forget it ever happened," Reid said, an almost pleading tone to his voice.

"I know you won't be to actually do that, and I don't want to," Morgan told him, watching him closely for his reaction.

Reid didn't say anything. Instead, he silently picked up his coffee cup and headed back to his desk with it. Watching his friend retreat, Morgan sighed and ran his hand back over the top of his head. He wasn't sure he had gotten anywhere with Reid. Wasn't sure if he hadn't just made things worse.

Not knowing what else he could do right then, Morgan decided to get himself a cup of coffee. He jumped slightly when he heard Garcia's voice beside him.

"Why so glum, Sugar Plum?" the blonde tech asked, leaning against the counter beside him.

"It's nothing. Just a rough start to the day," Morgan told her, turning around to lean against the counter, coffee cup in hand. As he took a sip of the dark liquid his gaze went to the bullpen once again.

"Well, here's some advice for turning the day around. 'We don't see things as they are. We see them as we are.'"

Morgan looked at her quizzically.

"It's the saying on my phrase a day calendar, I have at home," Garcia replied to his silent question.

"And just what is it suppose to mean?" he asked.

"Just that who we are and how we're feeling shapes the way that we see things. If you're having a bad day because something in the morning didn't go right, the fact that nothing seems to go right the rest of the day, isn't necessarily what's going on. You're just focusing on the bad things because of your attitude. Look for the good things and the day will brighten up."

"I sure hope you're right, Baby Girl," Morgan said, as he looked over at her, feeling slightly better just being in her presence.

"Try it and if you're having trouble looking for positive things yourself you know where to find me. I'm sure I can manage to put a smile on your face."

"You always do, Sweetheart," Morgan said, smiling down at her.

"That's more like it," Garcia replied, taping his cheek slightly before turning and with a light step headed toward her office.

As he headed back toward his desk though, the light mood that the tech's presence had momentarily brought, disappeared quickly. ~Reid is determined to ignore what happened last night and what's going on with him, and I need to find a way to make him face it without destroying our friendship,~ he thought. ~The problem is, I have no idea how to do that.~