AN: Thanks to all that have reviewed. You're comments are appreciated as always. Also, a thanks to brittanydelko4ever for providing the prompt for this chapter. Had not intentions of going where that prompt took me, but I like the turn the story took with it. Thanks! Still willing to take other suggestions for prompts.

Prompt: a barfight

"You really should eat something," Morgan commented as he spread cream cheese over the second half of the toasted bagel. He had eaten the first half while watching Reid push food around on his plate.

"What do you think you are, my mother?" Reid snapped, not looking up as he stabbed the oblong piece of sausage that was on his plate.

"No, just a concerned friend," Morgan replied calmly, refusing to react to the words or the tone in which his friend had said them.

Instead of taking a bite of the sausage, Reid put the fork down on his plate. He reached for his coffee cup and took a long drink of the hot liquid. He glanced over at Morgan, who was now calmly eating his bagel. Reid fought the urge to tell the other profiler to leave. To go sit somewhere else because though part of him didn't want him sitting at the table, monitoring whether he ate or not, he also didn't want to be sitting alone in the restaurant, especially considering the looks he had been getting from Hotch. Having Morgan around was a better option than the unit chief considering the fact that he had just shot up with Dilaudid a little over an hour ago.

Across the table from him, Morgan tried to think of some neutral topic to bring up. Something to break the silence that existed between the two of them. He didn't like it, usually having no problem talking with the young genius even if his comments often caused Reid to go off on some obscure tangent or start spouting off statistics.

~He hasn't been doing that much lately, and I'm kind of missing it, ~ Morgan realized.

Reid picked up the fork, the sausage still impaled on it, and took a small bite of it. He then laid the rest of it back down on the plate.

Morgan held himself back from the comment that was on the tip of his tongue, knowing it wouldn't be well received by the younger man. Continual prodding wasn't going to get him to eat more.

Reid got to his feet then, his bag still over one shoulder. He had only taken about two steps when he reached out for the table and closed his eyes. Morgan was immediately on his own feet.

"Kid?" Morgan questioned, resting a hand on Reid's upper arm. It didn't seem like the younger man was going to faint, or his knees buckle, though Morgan planned on being ready if it should happen.

"Just felt dizzy there for a moment. I probably stood up too quickly," Reid replied, slowly opening his eyes.

To Morgan, he seemed to sway just a little. "Perhaps you should sit back down," Morgan suggested.

"No, I'm fine. The dizziness has passed though I still feel sick to my stomach," Reid replied, moving to take a step in the direction he had been headed.

Morgan nodded, and without a word started walking with Reid toward the bathroom. He knew if he asked, his friend would insist he was fine and didn't need him to come with him but at the same time probably wouldn't just openly tell him to go away. Morgan was correct in that second assumption, as Reid said nothing as he walked beside the younger man, keeping a close eye on him. The dark-skinned agent caught Hotch's gaze as they walked and could read the question in their supervisor's gaze. Morgan shook his head once, indicating to Hotch that he had the situation under control.

In the bathroom, Morgan leaned against one of the two sinks as Reid went into the first of the two empty stalls. No sooner had Reid entered the stall then the sounds of Reid's stomach forcefully trying to empty itself reached Morgan's ears. Knowing that the kid hadn't eaten much at dinner last night nor breakfast this morning, he figured most of what was being forcefully expelled was bile.

~According to Eric, the dizziness, nausea, and vomiting are all typical side effects of Dilaudid use, ~ Morgan thought, now even more convinced that Reid's recent issues were drug related. ~I need to get him to admit it to me.~ However, Morgan knew that now was not the time to do that. ~As soon as we get back home,~ Morgan told himself. ~That's when I'll do a little pushing.~

It was a while before Reid finally came out of the bathroom stall. Morgan could tell Reid still wasn't feeling too well, but he stayed silent. Not saying a word either, the younger agent walked to the other sink. Morgan watched as Reid washed his hands, then cupping them took a drink of it and rinsed out his mouth. After drying his hands on a paper towel, Reid headed for the door, Morgan right behind him.

Reid didn't bother heading back to the table and instead headed for the exit of the restaurant. Morgan made sure he made eye contact with Gideon before he followed. It looked as if his breakfast wasn't getting finished this morning either.

Morgan leaned his head back against the headrest of his own SUV. He was parked outside of Reid's apartment building trying to decide on what he should do. Reid had let him give him a ride home but he hadn't been too talkative. In fact, Reid hadn't said a word to him the entire drive despite having promised to talk before they left California. When Morgan had pulled the vehicle to the curb, Reid had quickly gotten out of the vehicle, snatched his go-bag from the back seat and headed for his apartment building. Morgan had been so surprised by the actions that he hadn't attempted to follow.

A half hour later, he was still sitting in the vehicle trying to decide what to do. He had promised himself that he was going to push a little, and try to get Reid to talk to him. As soon as he was alone with Reid though, he hadn't known what to say. Wasn't sure how he could approach the subject in a way that could get him to talk. Though Morgan had made several attempts to engage Reid in conversation, his friend had either given noncommittal answers or ignored him all together. Morgan had contemplated pulling the car over so he could better engage his companion in conversation but had hesitated. He had been afraid that exactly what had happened here would happen. That Reid would vacate the car and stalk off. At least here Morgan knew where he was. If he had pulled over somewhere else, Reid would probably be walking the streets right now.

It was then that Morgan saw Reid come out of the front door of his apartment building. Without even glancing in the direction that Morgan was parked, Reid came down the steps of the building and turned, heading down the sidewalk away from Morgan. ~Now what is the kid up to, ~ Morgan thought, getting out of his car and following his friend.

Morgan ended up tailing Reid to a bar. ~If he is using this is a very bad idea, ~Morgan thought as he stepped through the front door. Pausing after stepping into the building to scan the area, he quickly spotted Reid just sitting down on a stool at the bar. There was an empty stool on either side of him and Morgan decided it was time to quit following him and make his presence known. Walking toward the bar, Morgan took a seat on the stool to Reid's left.

"I still don't want to talk," Reid told him.

"Fine," Morgan replied, "then we'll sit in silence."

As the bartender came back with a glass of pale liquid with bubbles in it and began to put it in front of Reid, Morgan reached out and placed his hand on the bartender's wrist. The man immediately gazed at Morgan.

"What is it?"

"Just ginger ale, like the man ordered," the bartender replied.

Morgan removed his hand and nodded. The bartender placed the glass on the counter and pushed it toward Reid. He then glanced back to Morgan. "What can I get you?"

"A cola please," Morgan replied.

With a nod the bartender moved to get him his drink.

"I'm not stupid, you know," Reid commented, placing his glass back on the bar after taking a sip.

"Did I ever say you were?" Morgan asked, not sure what Reid was referring to.

"You had to ask what I ordered. You were worried it was alcoholic."

"Just looking out for a friend. I don't think you're stupid but I do think you're lost," Morgan replied. The bartender placed a glass in front of Morgan who murmured his thanks.

"I'm not lost enough to mix certain things with alcohol."

Morgan nodded. It wasn't a direct admission, and giving their surroundings that was probably a good thing. However, it was a step in that direction.

Before either of them had a chance to say anything else, a hand was placed on Reid's shoulder. Reid turned his head to look over his shoulder at the owner of the hand. A man about six foot tall, with broad shoulders, and dressed in biker attire was standing behind him. Two other similarly dressed men were standing behind the first guy.

"You're sitting in my barstool," the guy said.

Reid shrugged his shoulders and turned his head back forward again. "There are other stools. Go sit in one of them."

Shocked that it was Reid who had just said that, Morgan didn't react.

"I don't want to. I want you to move."

"Make me."

Angrily the guy grabbed Reid's arm and pulled him to his feet. Turning he shoved the federal agent forward one of his companions sticking out a foot to trip him, causing Reid to fall to the ground.

Getting over his shock at his friend's response to the guy, Morgan was getting to his feet.

Reid scrambled to his feet, and went after the guy who had shoved him to the ground. The guy who had tripped him grabbed him from behind, pulling Reid from the first guy and holding him as the first guy punched him in the gut.

Meanwhile, the third guy had interposed himself between Morgan and the three fighting. As the guy took a swing at him, Morgan grabbed his arm, twisting it behind the guy and pushing him toward the bar. The guy's head hit Reid's glass spilling the carbonated drink across the bar. Holding the guy against the bar with his one hand and the weight of his body, Morgan pulled out his badge with his other hand, flipped it open and put it in front of the guy's face.

"You may want to rethink this," Morgan told him.

"Hey guys, this dude is FBI," the guy Morgan had a hold of yelled out.

Morgan felt the guy he was holding stop fighting. He let him go, taking a step back and turning to check on the other two guys. One was still holding Reid's arms. The federal agent was trying to catch his breath and not putting up much of a struggle. The first guy had stopped in his assault and was now looking in Morgan's direction.

"My suggestion is that the three of you walk out of here before I arrest you for assaulting a federal officer," Morgan informed him.

The guy who had spoken first took a look at the badge Morgan was holding, and then back at Reid who was still being held by his pal. Sensing movement to his side, Morgan glanced quickly to the third guy who had swung at him, to see him making a retreat for the door.

"Let's go," the first guy said, to his buddy.

The man holding Reid let go of him. Morgan immediately moved to Reid's side, even as he kept an eye on the retreating bikers.

"What the hell was that?" Morgan asked him.

"It wasn't his stool," Reid replied.

Morgan shook his head as he put his arm around Reid. "Let's get you home."

The younger agent pulled away. "I'm fine," Reid told him, pulling away, his movements and tone of voice not revealing that he was feeling any pain.

~Probably because he's high on pain killers right now, ~ Morgan thought. "I have a feeling that attitude is going to change," Morgan told him.

Morgan put his credentials away, pulled out his wallet to get money to pay for their drinks. Tossing the money on the bar near his unspilled drink, he put his wallet away.

"Let's go, Kid," Morgan told him, grabbing a hold of Reid's arm just above the elbow. He was relieved when Reid didn't resist him, but started walking toward the entrance. He really hadn't wanted to drag the younger agent out of the bar, but had been prepared to do so if necessary.

~I'll take the kid back home, get some coffee in him and a few hours to come down off the high. If nothing else, maybe this incident will finally get through to him and show him that something has got to change, ~ Morgan thought as the two headed out of the bar.