Hello, everybody; ModernDayBard here! This chapter is a follow-up to my last one, 'Tears,' so think of this as 'part 2' to its 'part 1'.
Disclaimer: I own neither these characters nor these songs, I just decided to put them together!
The worst part was, there wasn't much he could do—she had a point, after all. But then, a thought occurred: he couldn't help those particular families, but he could help Garcia. And maybe even…
"Get your coat on, Baby Girl, we've got a long day ahead of us."
Garcia dashed around her apartment, gathering her scattered winter gear, but sparing time to cast a mock-glare at her unexpected visitor. "Well, maybe if I had a warning you'd made plans for today I'd have been ready. Or maybe if you tell me what they are, I know what to grab! I don't do well with vague hints and teasing grins."
Said grin did not diminish. "I told you: just a coat, gloves, and a hat. That's all you'll need."
Morgan managed, after just a few more minutes of coaxing and teasing, to get the technical analyst out her door and out onto the city streets. They had a day off, and he knew just what to do.
Understanding began to dawn, at least a little, for Garcia as they arrived at the food pantry that morning, but Morgan didn't respond to the silent question the bubbly blonde sent him, other than to lead her inside and explain to the volunteer coordinator that he'd brought a friend to help.
The pair were taken to the loading doors, where incoming donations were brought, and the sorting system explained. It was still in clear view of the front, where they were given out, meaning Garcia was able to see, first-hand, all the people they were helping to help that morning.
Morgan hadn't stopped there. That afternoon, he brought her to an after-school program he volunteered at (when time and case schedule allowed). As he jumped into a game with a group of boys that evidently knew him well, Garcia found herself surrounded by a group of girls curious about her unusual style.
The technical analyst explained her own, encouraged theirs, and at one point the conversation turned to cats. Then one of them asked what she did for a living, and after she answered that, the computer and STEM questions started, which she was always glad to answer. The few hours went by much too quickly.
In the end, the kids had to go—and so did they. Morgan had one more stop planned: serving dinner at a local shelter.
Some muttered thanks, some couldn't look up, others managed a smile that actually helped set her more at ease, but somehow knowing that each of them was a little better fed, that she'd helped to make some small difference, helped fight back the despair she'd crashed into days ago.
It was a short, but cold walk back to her apartment, and a watery smile she turned on him at the door. For once, the talkative analyst could only say two words, but they were the only ones she needed: "Thank you."
Morgan grinned. "Any time, Baby Girl."
So, yeah. Inspiration for this one is 'Give This Christmas Away'. (Not shown because copyright and site rule issues.)
Anyway, I ended up doing a two-parter for two characters more than giving each their own, and ironically, they were the POV characters for each other's stories. Originally, this was just going to be Morgan's story, but after I came up with the idea for the last one…Well, hopefully you all like the end result! And don't forget to tune in tomorrow for Endurance's next chapter.
As always, if you liked it, or saw something you think I can fix/improve on for next time, don't hesitate to leave a review and let me know!
Song: Give This Christmas Away
Recommended Version: Matthew West and Amy Grant
