Hello everyone! Yes, I'm alive; I've just been busy since I last updated...
There was some mental walls and writer's block when it came to this chapter; I got stuck figuring out what I wanted to write. I had the general idea, but I didn't think I could put it down without sounding sappy. Then my favorite cousin, who is a year older than me, came home and was hospitalized for depression a few weeks ago, so I've been a little put out by that. And then I had midterms... Joy. Four nights of staying up until 4 AM and getting only 3-4 hours of sleep last week. THISB (Thank God It's Spring Break).
I know you have probably heard this a dozen times, but one more will have to do it: I cried at the end of 'Lauren.' I was BAWLING! It was wonderful, it was sad, it was... OMG, it was a PERFECT send-off for Prentiss/Paget. JJ's short return was wonderful, and the fact that MGG directed was only fitting, and the icing on the cake; he deserved to direct that episode, and he deserves an Emmy for that directing job! (And an Oscar for when his first full-legnth movie comes out). But Doyle got away (NO!) ...Here's to hoping the evil monster comes back for another round so the BAU (And Emily) can put a bullet between his eyes!
Again, I don't own Criminal Minds! And there's one more chapter after this!
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The pen is mightier than the sword. ~Benjamin Franklin
A small party of seven made its way toward the elevator a few days later.
To anyone passing by, they would have seemed to be a group of the most unlikely cast of characters to be put together in the same group. Leading the way was a tall, stern man in a business suit, his face set in a scowl, yet the sparkle in his eyes betrayed the joy he felt. Following him was an older Italian –American dressed more casually, but still with an air of business about him. Two women, a blonde in jeans and a tee shirt and a redhead in a brightly colored outfit with matching accents in her hair were a few paces back; the redhead was pushing a hospital-issue wheelchair with a tall, slender young man sitting in it. Part of his face was bruised, his hair was slightly unkempt and underneath the business shirt he wore were countless bandages and gauze to help heal the reminders of a case gone bad. Behind them, bringing up the rear of the small party, were a raven-haired woman and a bald, muscular African-American, who quickly answered his phone.
"Yeah, this is Agent Morgan," he said, glancing around to make sure there were no nurses within the vicinity; they were known for enforcing the "No Cell Phone" policy with an iron fist here. "Are you sure?" he asked, earning a look from his companion. "And he… Wait, so he tried before with his hook because of a rookie mistake?" There was a pause. "But then he smashed his head into the wall of his holding cell…" Morgan winced, gritting his teeth slightly. "And you already told the nephew? Do you want us to come down and….Are you sure?" By now the rest of the party was looking at Morgan with some confusion.
At this point, another wheelchair-bound figure had joined the group, having been wheeled from his room by a nurse, who glared at Morgan and his cell phone with a sour expression.
"Alright, thank you for everything, and….Yeah, he's doing well; he was just released, and we'll be heading to the airstrip in a couple minutes….No, but thank you; we're glad we could be of assistance." He hung up, tucking his phone into his belt before turning to the rest of the team. "That was Officer Jones."
"What happened," Hotch asked.
Morgan shrugged. "They couldn't get to you or Rossi, so they called me. James Riley bashed his head into the wall of his holding cell. When medics arrived, it was also discovered the he'd slit his wrist with his hook, which was still on his left hand."
"So, he's dead?" Johnny asked from his wheelchair, Reid also looked up at Morgan from the confines of his own wheelchair, eyebrow raised.
Morgan nodded in confirmation. "Orlando P.D said that we should just head on home; they'll take care of the paperwork so Johnny doesn't have to worry about it; Johnny can do whatever he feels would be his uncle's last wish, and he won't have to pay a dime. They know he has enough to deal with, as do we."
"Are you ready to go, Angelfish?" Garcia asked Reid, ruffling his head as the others made their way to the elevator
"Yeah," Reid admitted, attempting to duck away from Garcia's hand, despite the grin that made its way onto his face at the gesture. "Can I just- have a moment with Johnny?"
Garcia nodded leaving them alone for a moment while she went back to the front desk to grab the large paper bag full of stuffed animals that Rossi had left for her when they'd packed Reid's room up.
Johnny smiled at Reid as he turned to face the younger man. "I like her," Johnny said. "She really seems to care about you and the rest of your team."
Reid smiled. "She's Garcia," he replied. "She's our best friend, Mother Hen, confidant, Tech Goddess of the Information Superhighway…" he paused, trying to find another way to describe Garcia.
"She has an infectious personality," Johnny added with a smile.
Reid nodded. "I'm sorry about your uncle," he whispered.
Johnny shook his head. "You don't have to be sorry," he replied somberly. "To be honest, he was already gone before you even met him. I lost him the day he lost my aunt and Danny. It's good to know that he can finally be at peace."
"What will you do now?" Reid asked, already concerned for the younger man before him.
"I'll probably have him cremated, and throw his ashes into the sea," Johnny admitted. "Then, I'll probably start my book."
Reid gaped in amazement. "Already? Wow, that… that's amazing."
Johnny shrugged. "I've had the idea for a while now. I just want to ask you one thing." Reid nodded, gesturing at him to continue. "I was wondering if it would be possible for me to use your name in my book."
Reid nodded. "I'd be honored," he replied, voice full of gratitude.
::::
The jet was airborne, making its way toward Washington DC and home.
Hotch and Rossi dozed in the back of the plane, while Prentiss and JJ dozed at the larger table in the middle of the jet. Morgan was reclining across from the couch; his iPod's earbuds were in his ear and music was playing, but his hand wasn't tapping to the beat, but rather limply resting on his lap. The one still-awake member of the team was resting in his favorite part of the jet, already preparing to join his friends in Dreamland.
Reid smiled at his sleeping teammates as he too stretched out on the couch, trying not to disturb his stab wounds. Unconsciously, his hand drifted to the long, thin box lying next to him, where the sword he'd used to defeat Captain Hook sat. Orlando PD had released it from evidence since there was no longer a need for a trial against James Riley. However, the same could not be said for the rest of his crew. Even though they had never actually killed the victims, they could still be charged as accessories to torture and murder.
But Reid wasn't too worried about that; the men had all pled guilty to the charges, and would go to jail for a long time. Instead, Reid mused about how eager he was to read Johnny's book when it came out as he closed his eyes.
….
The praise that comes from love does not make us vain, but more humble. ~James M. Barrie
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A/N: On a happier note, my birthday was Monday of this past week; good-bye teenage years, hello 20! :D
Thanks to my wonderful and lovely reviewers: lolyncut, zannabanana, 68luvcarter, Reidemption, Noel Ardnek, darlene10104, The-Vampire-Act, Tinkerbell220, SSAFunbar, Integer, Laurella, GoddessSumizofVenus, and SayidRocks! Thank you for sticking with me! :D
Integer: So true; bless his sweet little genius heart! I hope you liked this chapter! ;)
And for those of you who are interested, I have another story up; an AU fic starring Morgan and Reid as kids in the WPP. It's called "Guardian Angels are Protecting Me," and will be getting my attention as soon as I post the last chapter for this fic. So if you liked this, go check it out; I should have another chapter up for it soon! :)
One more chapter after this; it's actually nearly done, so I might just post it this week... I'm really gonna miss this story! :'(
*~N_CBAU~*