Chapter Eight

Sunday Morning

"Mom make her stop!"

Fran shook her head at her daughters fighting in the kitchen. She and her husband both worked full time so they had made it a habit to spend every Sunday morning together with the family for breakfast. It was a tradition she kept up over the years even after their father passed away, and the girls still showed every weekend even though Derek had long since moved away though he tended to call most Sundays as of lately. "Girls behave yourselves."

"Desi's the one acting like a four year old." Sarah complained as her sister tossed a biscuit at her which she threw right back.

"That better not be your Grandmothers award winning biscuit that you two are tossing around my kitchen, because surely her granddaughters wouldn't treat her hard work with such disrespect." She gave a false stern glare as she watched Desiree slide the bread onto the side of the table as she avoided her gaze.

"Of course not momma." Sarah smiled as she started piling eggs onto plates. "Any educated woman would avoid such childish actions."

"It's a good thing we didn't waist all that money on your education then." Desiree joked as she dodged the blow that her sister attempted to give her, lifting her plate and going to sit.

"Someones being extra harsh this morning. That hurt Desi." Sarah pouted, though she had to hold back a laugh as she thumped a hand over her heart.

"You two are horrible." Fran showed her disapproval as she grabbed the pitcher of orange juice from the fridge.

"Not as bad as your son." Sarah tossed in as she joined them at the table.

"Leave your brother alone."

"Yeah Sarah, quit being so jealous." Desiree teased as she poured herself some coffee.

"Of? I am not jealous of Derek." Sarah huffed. "Tell her to quit talking ma."

"Well," Fran shrugged as she began salting her eggs.

"Woah, wait a minute! What did that well mean?" Sarah dropped her fork as she turned to her mother. "I am not jealous of Derek."

"You so are, you have your whole life planned out perfectly and Derek stuck a big dent in that when he got married before you. He's following your schedule better than you are." Desiree pointed out the obvious.

"He is not, my life is going just fine. He and Spencer had a beautiful wedding and I'm happy for him, if anyones got bitter feelings it's you."

"Their wedding was lovely." Fran tried to stop their bickering, she didn't know what was up with them this morning but they were being beyond snippy.

"Me?" Desiree pointed to herself. "Why me?"

"You're the one who had a crush on Spencer." Sarah was satisfied with the blank look that washed over Desirees face.

"I said he was cute, once like six years ago! Admitting that someone looks good does not automatically mean you like them!"

"Sure." Sarah agreed with sarcasm as she went back to her breakfast.

"Always a bridesmaid never a bride." Desiree sing songed in retaliation.

"Hey I made a damn good bridesmaid thank you very much." Sarah looked Desiree straight in the eye for about a second before they both burst out laughing.

"At least Spencer and Derek let you two pick out your own dresses." Fran was glad to see that whatever bitchiness had been there before had disappeared, she wasn't sure how much more of it she would have allowed before she would have to treat them as the children they were portraying. "Remember what Jessica had you wear for her wedding?"

"Oh God how I wish I could forget. That explosion is still in the back of my closet." Sarah shook her head at the memory.

"At least you got the pink with green tulle, I had that puke green as a main color with a hot pink bow accenting the back." Desiree complained, she didn't know who in there right mind would call such a nasty color olive.

"I've got pictures around here somewhere." Fran smiled at the groans that came from her daughters. "Why Jessica had her mother dress in blue though is anyones guess."

"I think her mother threatened bodily harm." Desiree laughed as she pulled a piece of toast from the center plate. "If I could've I would've."

"And how was it fair that Derek got a simple tux when we looked liked chewed up blow pops?" Sarah argued.

"Ask Jessica." Fran offered sympathetically.

"Well I was actually surprised that Derek did any kind of ceremony, I figured he'd be the type to go through court." It had been no surprise to find out they were getting married but being asked to be part of the wedding had stunned her and when that happened as per usual her and Sarah started teasing him.

"If you'd have seen Derek when I went to visit a few months back you'd have died of shock. I hardly recognized the man I was observing." Fran was proud of how much her baby had grown.

"Why, did he turn into that much of a cave man since he left?" Desiree joked as she poured three glasses of juice.

"The opposite actually, Spencer's been a good change for him."

"Well at least it wasn't the other way around. Can you image what Spencer'd be like if he picked up some of Dereks old habits?" Sarah couldn't even imagine the genius as such, though she had noticed his more laid back personality and he did have a tad more slang in his vocabulary.

"Lets just hope those aren't genetic." Desiree let slip before she realized that she had indeed just opened the door to one of her mothers favorite topics.

"Speaking genetics."

"You just had to stick your foot in it Desi." Sarah grumbled as her mother shushed her.

"When do you two plan on giving me some grandbabies?" She had three children that had successful careers yet she had yet to be given a grandchild.

"Ask Derek that!" Desiree and Sarah said at near exactly the same time.

"He's the married one." Sarah was quick to add.

"And he's the one that said he wanted a yard full on Christmas." Desiree continued pleading her case.

"Yes but you'd think my oldest would have already granted such a little request, and you" Fran turned her attention to Desiree who had started laughing at the heat Sarah had been given. " have been in a serious relationship for two years now. I would like to have some grandchildren while I'm still young enough to play with them."

"Yeah Desiree," Sarah found herself unusually grateful at the moment that she was single. "when are you and Tyler going to have some kids?"

"I'm... We're..." Desiree found herself flustered and the gazes that were nearly boring through her weren't helping. "We've decided to..." She was cut off by a ringing.

"Saved by the phone!" Sarah laughed at the relief Desiree showed.

"I don't think so," Fran burst their bubbles. "I'm going to answer that and then the three of us are going to continue this conversation." She then rose from her seat to go get said phone off the side table by the couch.

"I hope that's Derek." Desiree breathed as she pushed her plate away. "That will keep her busy fo awhile."

"Lets go find out." Sarah did the same with her plate as they entered the living room just in time to see their mother answer the phone.

"Who is it?" Desiree asked as she came closer to her mother who held out a finger to silence her.

"One moment please." Fran asked her caller as she turned to her daughters with worry. "It's Agent Hotchner." The only reason he would be calling would be an emergency and the thought of one of her boys being hurt had her heart clenching.

"Put it on Speaker." Sarah demanded, these were the kind of calls they used to fear receiving when her father was a cop. That had left a hole in their hearts when one did indeed give them the news they tried so deeply to avoid, the kind that they started worrying about again when Derek went into law enforcement.

"Alright Agent Hotchner," Fran set the phone in the middle of the table as she announced with a bit of difficulty that she was once again listening.

"Mrs. Morgan I'm afraid this call is to inform you that Derek..."

"I keep on telling him to quit that job!" Desiree shook her head covering her fear with anger. "What did he get himself into this time?"

"Desiree, shhh" Fran warned.

" Mrs. Morgan...I've called to inform you that... Yesterday morning your son passed away."

The gasp Desiree let out was near ear piercing as she dropped onto the couch.

"How? How! Who the hell killed my baby brother!" Sarah demanded answers as she tried to stay strong. Her mother had lost all color and was in disbelief if not shock and Desiree already had a face full of tears.

"Spencer wouldn't allow a full autopsy to be performed but it was ruled natural causes, he died peacefully in his sleep."

"Natural causes! There is nothing natural about my brother dieing you bastard!" Sarah nearly screamed as her lip started quivering and her eyes started to burn. How could he possibly consider her brothers death in any way shape or form a peaceful event?

"The medical examiner believes he had a heart defect, it's likely to have been there since birth."

"He had a bad heart? You're trying to tell me that over three decades of doctors visits and no one noticed a bad heart! I dont believe it!" She was screaming now and she honestly didn't care.

"Derek was a good friend and I am genuinely sorry for your loss."

"I bet you are!" Desiree wiped a hand across a wet cheek as she lifted the phone and tossed it with as much force as she could muster. She didn't want to listen to anything else he had to say and she didn't want to hear some fake sympathy from miles away.

"My baby" Fran whispered near brokenly.

"Momma" Sarah sat next to her mother as she tried absorbing everything. Moments ago they had been laughing and teasing each other completely unaware and now here they were learning that Derek had been long gone since before the jokes about him started.

"Mommy" Desiree pleaded near childishly as she put an arm around her mother. She didn't receive an answer but the tears that started flowing from her mothers once dry eyes kept hers a constant.

"It can't be true, Derek can't be..." Sarah let out a choking sob as she quit with the act and let her tears fall, there was no need to hide her pain when the other two were clearly too absorbed with their own to notice let alone care. "He can't be."

"Just shut up! Saying different wont make it anyless true!" Desiree shouted as she buried her face in her mothers shoulder.

Hearing her girls fight over their brother, their brothers death was tearing her heart to shreds. This pain had been one she hoped to leave in the past, yet it seemed to be greater than what she remembered and there was nothing she could do but put an arm over each of her daughters and pull them closer as she experienced it anew.

"Mom he's not really.. he can't really be... "Sarah begged as she put both arms around her mother extending them to hold Desiree as well.

She had no answers as she held her girls with no choice but to listen to the sobs and sniffles that were mixing with her own. "GOD WHY? WHY MY BABY!"

E/N: I'm depressed now and I feel like a bad person. Tissue anyone?