Take Action or I will!
Part 12
By Kalnaman and Malinga
As/N: Thank you all for your great reviews.
They were disappointed when Hotch came alone into the living room. "Where is Spencer?" Gideon asked worriedly.
"He was tired, decided he'd rather rest for a while longer and asked me to say hi and apologize for him." Hotch explained.
They all let out a sigh and looked sadly at him.
"Though I think it was mostly embarrassment about facing you all today," Hotch added, "he seemed to believe you'd all think less of him now you know what's going on. I tried to convince him otherwise, but I don't think I was very successful."
They all nodded sadly. "Aw, my poor baby. He shouldn't be embarrassed." Garcia said.
"That's what I tried to tell him, with no luck it would seem." Hotch reported sadly, "but I'm sure he'll come around, eventually."
They all started to discuss how they were going to help Spencer.
Right then Morgan burst into the room, medication in hand and a somewhat more collected composure.
"Here's the medicine." Morgan announced, taking his seat on the couch again.
Spencer was lying on his stomach. He could hear the others in the living room. He wished everything was normal and he could go to them and chat and have fun as they used to.
Morgan put the medicine on the low table in front of the couch and looked around at the rest of the team and could tell something else had happened while he was away at the pharmacy. "What happened?"
"Spencer is too embarrassed to see us all," JJ said sadly.
"What?" Morgan was speechless; he just couldn't understand what JJ was telling him. "Since when is he embarrassed to see us, he sees us every day; we're like family for God's sakes."
"But now it's different. He's probably afraid that we are disappointed in him." Gideon said.
Morgan rolled his eyes and let out a long frustrated breath. "Ohh... please, that's ridiculous!"
"Then go tell him that," Gideon said. "Maybe you can convince him to come see you all."
Morgan huffed and shot to his feet, "Where's his room?" He asked Hotch.
"Upstairs and down the hall, the first door to the right." Hotch instructed.
Morgan nodded briskly, and took the stairs to Spencer's room two at a time, striding down the hall and stopping abruptly by the door to Spencer's room and banging on it hard.
"Hey, kid. Open up!"
"No! Stay out!"
Shaking his head, and without giving any further warning Morgan burst into the room.
"Get the hell out of my room!" Spencer yelled.
"Care to tell me what the hell you are doing? It's us Spencer. Not some strangers." He said, heedless of Spencer's complaints and just coming further into the room. "You're shutting us out, kid, and that's not only wrong, but selfish. We're your friends, family even, and we're worried about you and want to help you."
Spencer had buried his head under his pillow. "Please, Morgan. Not now... I-I just can't!" Spencer mumbled under the pillow.
Morgan's heart broke at the sight, all his anger vanished at that moment as he neared the bed and sat down next to him, placing a reassuring hand on his back. "Hey, kid. It's okay, we're here and we're not gonna leave ya. Ya hear?"
Spencer just didn't know what to say. He wanted to get out of bed and wrap his arms around Morgan and hope that he could take the pain away.
But he just couldn't move.
He was too scared to.
Morgan saw the hesitation and his heart just broke some more. "Hey, kid. Come on, look at me." He said while rubbing Spencer's back gently.
Spencer shook his head under the pillow. "I-I can't"
"Come on, kid. For me." Morgan prompted gently
Spencer kept shaking his head while crying.
"Don't make me beg, buddy, you know that's just not my thing." Morgan joked.
Spencer hurried to sit up and wrap his arms around Morgan's neck, holding on for dear life, but as soon as his backside came in contact with the mattress, he winced.
Morgan readily responded, quickly wrapping the young man in a fierce hug of his own and gently rocking him back and forth. "We're here for you, kid. No matter how much you try to push us away, we won't leave you, ya hear?" He tightened his hold on him and planted a kiss on the top of his 'little brother's' head.
Spencer sniffed. He was happy that it seemed that Morgan hadn't noticed the wince and that he was sitting uncomfortably.
Morgan pulled back slightly, looking into Spencer's expressive brown eyes. "Are you okay?"
Spencer shook his head while looking down. He couldn't look Morgan in the eyes. He squirmed. Hotch had really done a number on his butt.
"Hey, kid. Look at me. Look at me and tell me what you see." Morgan prompted, putting a hand under Spencer's chin and raising his head slightly.
Spencer kept looking a way. Still not daring to look Morgan in the eye.
"Come on! I'm not such a scary sight now, am I?" Morgan punched him gently on the shoulder. "Okay, okay you can just pretend I'm some hot girl - that should do the trick."
Spencer couldn't help but laugh at that, "If you were a hot girl you wouldn't be here, you'd have run away as fast as you could."
"Oh... I'm not so sure about that, I've seen the way some of the new young female agents have looked your way at the BAU. And I can tell you, I was pretty jealous at the time." Morgan grinned and nodded slightly in approval.
"You're lying..."
Morgan sat up straighter with a deep frown on his face, "I'm no liar, Dr. Reid." Morgan said with mock indignation.
"Really?"
"It sure is, Reid, my man." Morgan grinned sincerely and reached out to pat him vigorously, and then he turned dead serious again. "You should really pass on the secret, genius. It's really not nice not to share, you know."
"Especially such valuable information as that." He added as an afterthought.
"If I find out I'll tell you."
"Good, good." He nodded, "I'd appreciate it."
"How about you and I go downstairs now and join the rest in the living room." He said throwing an arm around his shoulders. "It would really ease some of their worries to see you in person and know that you're alright, you know. Saying hello through Hotch just doesn't cut it, you know. They'll start thinking you just don't wanna see them or something."
Spencer nodded and reluctantly followed him.
Morgan smiled triumphantly and led him out of the room and they went down the steps side by side.
No he couldn't face them yet, it was hard enough to face Morgan, but it would be too hard to face the others too. "No, I can't do this." Spencer then turned around and was about to walk back up the stairs.
Morgan squeezed his shoulder and patted him on the chest reassuringly, "it's gonna be okay, Spencer. You're amongst friends here." He smiled at him and ruffled his hair for good measure.
Spencer let out a sigh and turned back around.
Spencer reluctantly went inside the living room along with Morgan.
Everyone looked up, happy and relieved to see him join them.
Spencer avoided looking them in the eye. He looked shyly down at the floor.
Morgan squeezed his shoulder gently and walked him over to the couch, taking a seat with him by his side.
"What about a snack people?" Gideon asked and then looked over at Hotch to see if it were okay.
Hotch smiled and nodded. "That's a great idea, Jason."
"I'm not hungry," Spencer said.
Hotch turned a warning look on Spencer, "You haven't eaten anything since this morning; you will eat, Spencer." Hotch said in a stern voice that left no room for argument.
Spencer was shocked that he'd reprimanded him with the team present. He pouted.
Morgan smiled at him and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "he's like a momma bear, isn't he?"
"Worse, I think." He whispered back.
Morgan smiled and nodded his agreement. "That he is."
Spencer looked at Hotch, "But I'm really not hungry."
Hotch shot him a glare in warning. Morgan leaned in and whispered. "I wouldn't mess with momma bear while she's trying to protect one of her cubs, kid. Just do what he says."
Spencer pouted once again, "this sucks!"
"It could be worse." Morgan added with a shrug.
"Worse how?"
"He could be threatening to feed you himself." He said matter-of-factly, "now THAT would truly suck."
"Yes it would, but he wouldn't dare with you guys here."
"Ohhh... I wouldn't test him on that. I have a feeling he would." Morgan stared warily at Hotch from under lowered lashes.
Spencer wondered if he should test him.
Morgan glanced at Spencer and immediately noticed something funny about his expression. "Don't even think about it, kid." He warned, "It's not a good idea."
Spencer didn't listen though as he didn't believe him. "I'm not hungry and you can't make me eat!"
Hotch raised his eyebrows, "Oh... I can't, can I?"
Spencer crossed his arms in defiance. "No!"
Morgan winced and buried his face in his hands and sighed. "Oh... no, no, man. That wasn't a wise move."
"I won't let you!"
Morgan's turned to look at him, staring at him as if he'd suddenly gone completely insane.
Spencer stayed stubborn.
"Okay, if that's the way you want it." Hotch said, getting to his feet and striding to his side, grabbing him by the arm and marching him into the kitchen where Gideon was making the snacks.
"Let go of me!"
Hotch didn't pay him any mind, just kept on dragging him until they'd reached the kitchen and sat him down on a chair. "Need a hand, Jason?" He asked, while keeping hold of Spencer's shoulder to make sure he didn't bolt from the room.
TBC