Spencer Reid sat quietly at his mother's bedside, grateful that she seemed peaceful now that she had fallen asleep, even if that sleep was aided by medicine. Though he had seen them plenty of times before, seeing his mother overly agitated or having one of her episodes was never easy. It always made him feel guilty that he couldn't do something more for her.

Reid placed the hand he was holding gently on the bed and let go. Leaning over he placed a kiss on her cheek before standing up. Feeling a bit reluctant, he quietly left the room. Not only was Morgan out in the waiting room but Ethan was expecting him to join him for dinner. Cancelling the dinner engagement would have been one thing, but Reid had a feeling that he would never be able to convince Morgan to go back to the hotel without him. Knowing Morgan was sitting out in the waiting room would only make him feel guilty especially when his mother was resting peacefully and his presence was making much difference.

~If I hadn't come here in the first place she might never have gotten agitated to the point of needing to be sedated, ~ Reid thought guiltily as he approached the nurses' station. After a brief conversation with the nurse on duty, the young genius made his way out to the reception area.

It didn't take long for Reid to spot Morgan who was getting to his feet. Even as he headed in that direction, the dark-skinned agent started walking toward him. They met in the middle of the room.

"How is she?" Morgan asked, searching his friend's face for the answer as much as he was waiting for the reply.

"The medicine worked and she's resting comfortably. They'll let me know how she is when she wakes up."

"I'm sorry, Kid. Perhaps I should have just waited out here to begin with."

Reid shook his head. "No. It's not your fault. I know what she's like. I should have just introduced you as a friend and not mentioned work. Her paranoid delusions often revolve around the government so . . ." Reid let the thought trail off not wanting to go into further details.

Despite having met Morgan once, when Reid had brought Diana Reid to Washington for her protection during the Fisher Kind case, it didn't surprise him that she hadn't remembered Morgan. There were times when Reid wondered if she knew who he was.

"I'm in no hurry, Kid. If you want to stay longer . . ."

Reid shook his head again. "No. Ethan's expecting us for dinner. Besides, she's asleep now and I probably shouldn't have come in the first place."

"Don't say that, I'm sure she appreciated you stopping by. Besides, you needed to see her if nothing else."

Reid refrained from voicing the protest that was on the tip of his tongue. He knew Morgan would see it for the defensive measure that it was. Reid often felt like that he couldn't win when it came to his mother. No matter what he did, he somehow always felt guilty.

"We should go or we're going to be late meeting Ethan for dinner," Reid said, as he began walking toward the front doors of the facility.

Morgan followed without comment, resting a hand briefly on Reid's shoulder as they walked. Reid felt a momentary rush of support at the brief gesture and found himself wishing that Morgan had not removed his hand. Even more than that though, the young genius found himself wishing the older man would give him a hug. Somehow he knew that he would feel safe with those strong arms around him. That things would be better if Morgan just held him. That the darker things in his life could temporarily be kept at bay.

~It's never going to happen, ~ Reid told himself as he exited the building. ~Not even in a platonic way, as Morgan just wasn't the hugging type. He didn't even hug you in the graveyard after the ordeal with Tobias.~

Then again, Reid wasn't exactly the hugging type himself but he would gladly make an exception for Morgan if ever given the chance. Especially as he had found out how comforting a hug could be after going through a tough ordeal thanks to JJ and the others.

~Never going to happen, ~ Reid told himself a second time, stealing a glance at Morgan as they made their way toward the rental car.

With Reid leading once again, he and Morgan made their way into the Hard Rock Café where Ethan and Reid had agreed to meet for dinner. Stepping through the doors of the restaurant, the young genius spotted Ethan not far from the entrance. The musician was scanning the restaurant himself, apparently looking for Reid. Stepping up to him, Reid tapped Ethan on the shoulder.

"Looking for me?" Reid asked when Ethan looked in his direction.

"Spencer, my man," Ethan said, genuinely glad to see his old high school and college friend. Without hesitation he enveloped Reid in a quick hug. Taking a step back, he looked the young genius up and down. "You're looking better than the last time I saw you."

"I'm doing better," Reid replied easily, recalling how messed up he had been when he had last seen Ethan down in New Orleans. "Ethan this is my co-worker, Derek Morgan," he added, gesturing to the other agent. "Morgan decided to come enjoy the pleasure of Vegas this weekend so I invited him to join us for dinner tonight," Reid added, not about to admit that Morgan had tagged along to keep an eye on him. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Ethan replied, extending his hand to Morgan. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Reid mentions you quite often."

"Likewise," Morgan replied, shaking the offered hand.

"Actually, I've got someone I'd like to introduce to you as well," Ethan said, taking a step back. A brunette is a form fitting navy blue dress stepped up to his side. Though not what you could call skinny, her well-toned body didn't appear to have any excess fat on it. "This is my girlfriend, Evangeline Scarsdale."

Reid and Morgan both exchanged greetings with the young woman - Evangeline asking them to call her Eve as she shook their hands. After the introductions were through, the group stepped up to the hostess stand. After a brief wait, the group was shown to a table in the middle of the restaurant.

There was little talk at first, all four of them trying to choose what they wanted. After giving their waiter their order, small talk began as the group got to know one another. Though he tried to stay engaged in the conversation at first, Reid found it difficult. He was soon withdrawing from the talk being exchanged, content to let the three more outgoing people at the table carry the conversation. Though Ethan and Eve didn't seem to notice, Morgan did. As the happy couple related the tale of how they met, Reid could feel the older agent's eyes on him but refrained from even glancing in that direction not wanting to meet his gaze.

The group had finished dinner and was figuring out the bill when Reid's phone vibrated. Glancing down he saw the hospital's number on the screen.

"Go ahead," Morgan said, able to tell who was calling just from watching Reid's expression. "I've got this covered," he added, nodding toward the table.

"Thanks," Reid said getting to his feet.

Flipping the phone open, he started the conversation as he made his way toward the entrance. Once he stepped out into the warm Vegas night, he had an easier time hearing the nurse on the other end of the line. He was ending the conversation with the nurse at Bennington when the others joined him, Morgan leading the other two.

"Everything okay?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah. She was calm when she woke up though it seems like she doesn't even recall I stopped by to visit."

"I'm sorry, Kid."

Reid shrugged, trying to put it off as not important. "It's probably for the best," he replied, not really believing those words.

"You'll have time to go see her before the reunion tomorrow," Ethan suggested. Having interacted with Diana Reid as the two were growing up, Ethan understood the situation with just the little information he had gotten from Morgan and the brief exchange he had just witnessed. "I could tag along if you would like."

"Thanks for the offer, but it'll be fine," Reid told him, knowing that Ethan didn't care for being at the sanitarium. "I'm not even sure I'm going to go back."

"Well if you change your mind just let me know," Ethan offered. Reid nodded his head once in acknowledgment. "What about the reunion tomorrow? Do you want me to pick you up or are we going to just meet there?"

"I'll meet you there," Reid replied quickly. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck at the reunion until Ethan decided he wanted to leave. If things got too awkward, Reid wanted to be able to leave without inconveniencing his friend.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow night then but realize if you don't show I'm going to come looking for you." Ethan took a step closer and pulled Reid into a hug. "It was good to see you agin."

"You too, man." Reid felt a wave of guilt wash over him due to the fact that he hadn't been more conversational during dinner. ~I'll just have to make up for it tomorrow evening, ~ Reid thought.

"If you change your mind about the ride . . ."

"I'll give you a call," Reid finished for him, already knowing that he wasn't going to change his mind.

Reid turned to Eve. "It was nice to meet you," he told her as Ethan bid farewell to Morgan.

"You too! Ethan talks so much about you that it will be nice to have a face to put with the name from now on," Eve told him as she took a step forward. She embraced Reid, the young genius instinctively stiffening up as he awkwardly returned the gesture.

With a final good-bye as they started heading in separate directions, as Ethan and Eve were staying with the musicians parents over the weekend, the group parted. Morgan and Reid started in the direction of their hotel, having walked to the restaurant. The walk was silent and before long they were walking into the hotel lobby. Tired of the silence, Morgan spoke.

"Reid, what is going on with you?"

"Nothing," Reid replied as the two walked across the crowded lobby toward the elevators.

"Reid."

The young genius sighed. Reid knew that tone. That was the tone Morgan used when he wasn't going to let a subject drop until he was satisfied with the answer. Until he got the truth.

"I just can't seem to do anything right. I go to visit my mother and only manage to be the trigger for one of her episodes. Then I wasn't good company at dinner."

"I don't think they noticed. Those two are still so infatuated with each other that not much is going to phase them."

"I noticed." Reid stabbed the up button as they reached the elevator. "And I'm sure you noticed."

"I'm a profiler. It's my job to notice things," Morgan joked. When all Reid did was cross his arms in front of him, Morgan realized trying to lighten the moment wasn't going to work. "You need to relax."

"That's easy for you to say. You're not the one that is going to have to face his old high school classmates tomorrow and even if you were at least you had friends."

The door to the elevator opened and the two profilers waited for several people to exit before stepping inside. The doors shut before anyone joined them.

"Ethan will be there," Morgan said as he slid his hotel keycard through the card reader before hitting the buttons for both of their floors. "Maybe you should just go with him and Eve instead of meeting them there."

Reid shook his head as he leaned back against the hand rail. "Then I'd have to stay until Ethan is ready to leave. If I feel like making an early escape, I want to be able to without ruining anyone else's evening." There was a brief silence between them as the elevator started moving upwards. "Did you want the car tomorrow evening? If so I'll rent a . . . "

Reid trailed of as Morgan held up his hand. "I told you before, Kid, I don't have any set plans. If you want the car, then take it. Or I can drive you there and pick you up when it's over. You can either call me when you're ready to leave or I'll pick you up when it's over at eleven."

"I'm sure you would prefer . . . "

"Reid, the main reason I came out here is to provide moral support. Hell, I'd be right there at that reunion with you if you would let me."

"I don't need you to hold my hand, Morgan."

"This isn't about anyone holding anybody's hand! There is nothing wrong with accepting a little help from time to time. You don't always have to do everything alone despite what you may think."

"I know that."

"Do you really, Kid?" Morgan asked, making direct eye contact with his younger teammate. "I know you had to learn to look out for yourself at a young age. That you had to look out for your mother at times. You were forced to grow up quicker than most people and it's hard learning to trust others when . . . "

"I do trust you, Morgan."

"Then why do you constantly fight me when I try to help you."

Reid looked down at his feet as the elevator started slowing down. Morgan glanced at the floor indicator to see that the circle with his floor number was now lit up. The doors opened and Morgan stepped into the doorframe. Turning, he glanced back at Reid.

"We'll talk about this in the morning, Kid. Think about my offer but remember, I came out here to make sure I was available if my best friend should need me. Nothing you ask me to do is an inconvenience. You understand me?"

Reid nodded in reply, though he didn't raise his head to meet Morgan's gaze.

Morgan finally stepped out of the way, allowing the door to close behind him. As the elevator started moving again, Reid finally looked up from the floor.

~I can't do anything right, ~ he thought, pushing off the rail and walking toward the front of the elevator in anticipation of the next stop.

~This was a bad idea. I should have never come out here, ~ Reid told himself as the elevator doors opened and he stepped out. ~There are very few good memories here and the idea that this trip could change that is ludicrous.~

As Reid walked down the hallway toward his room, he wished he had stayed back in D.C.

In his own room, Morgan lay on the bed in the dark, staring up at the ceiling. He could only hope that he did the right thing by backing off when he did. That giving Reid some space right now was the right thing to do and didn't give the kid the impression that he didn't care, which couldn't be further from the truth.

~He's out here because of me. If anything happens - if he gets hurt physically or emotionally - then it's my fault. Maybe I should have just left well enough alone and not pushed for him to come. Things definitely haven't gone well so far.~

Morgan thought about the day. He had surprised Reid on the plane with his presence - a presence that Reid had seemed to reluctantly accept. Then his presence had upset Diana Reid, which only caused Reid to worry. That worry had led him to be preoccupied during dinner which had led the kid to feel as if he hadn't been good company. Morgan was starting to think that perhaps staying home and out of all of this would have been the best course of action. The dark-skinned agent balled hand into a fist and let it drop down on the mattress beside him.

~It seems like I've only made things worse. I wanted to help him through this and instead all I seem to be doing is making things harder on him. Well, I'll try to take a step back tomorrow. I won't push anything. If he says he wants the car, I'll just agree to it. Reid's right, he can take care of himself and he has my phone number if he needs to call.~

Morgan closed his eyes, trying to put the situation out of his head for now. There wasn't anything he could do right now anyway. At least not anything that wouldn't ruin his friendship with the young agent even more.

What Morgan wanted to do was to go to Reid's room and tell him exactly how he felt. To wrap his arms around the younger man and never let go. To be able to protect the young genius without any of the restraints that currently existed.

~And if Reid doesn't feel the same way, then I lose him forever.~

Morgan felt trapped. No matter what he did, all he could see was the possibility that Reid would get hurt and that was exactly what he was trying to avoid.

A knock on the door broke through Morgan's thoughts. ~Who would be knocking on my hotel door at this time of night? ~ he asked, swinging his feet over the side of the bed. He flipped on the lamp beside the bed, and clad only in a pair of grey sweat pants, headed for the door.

Morgan glanced quickly through the peephole and then quickly slid the security bolt back and opened the door.

"Reid! Is something wrong?" Morgan asked, instinctively looking his friend over for any visible signs of injury, relieved when he didn't see anything.

"No, well sort of," Reid replied, as Morgan's eyes met his own. Reid looked down briefly only to quickly meet the older man's look once more. "It's just that I was in my room thinking, and I felt bad about the things I said. I know you're only trying to help me and I haven't exactly been appreciative."

"There is no need to apologize, Kid. It's been a rough day for you. I get it."

As if he didn't hear Morgan's words, Reid continued.

"It's just that you surprised me on the plane and I'm already worried about what is going to happen tomorrow. I've never been one for social gatherings and high school wasn't exactly a picnic but Ethan wanted me to go and you think I should face things. Then there was that episode with my mother. I'm sorry you had to see her like that. I don't like seeing her like that and I was lousy company during dinner. I felt like everything just kept piling up."

The image of pulling Reid into his arms and kissing him was foremost in Morgan's mind. He held himself in check though. Now definitely wasn't the time for that, after everything else Reid had been through today. However, the dark-skinned agent did reach out and gently took a hold of Reid's arm to pull him into the room. Pushing the door shut, Morgan then wrapped his arms around the younger man holding him in a tight embrace.

"You've got nothing to apologize for, Kid," Morgan told him softly, not letting go despite the stiffness he felt in the younger man's body.

Before long he felt Reid put his arms around him and give him a tentative hug. Feeling the tension in Reid's body, Morgan wanted nothing more than to hold onto the younger man forever. To be able to show Reid that physical contact wasn't necessarily a bad thing. To banish every memory the kid had of the times he had been hurt.

That wasn't to be though, and when Reid finally started to pull away, Morgan reluctantly let him go. As they put some distance between them, Morgan saw tears glistening in Reid's eyes.

"I'm sorry," Reid said, looking up toward the ceiling in an attempt to keep those tears from falling.

"Quit apologizing," Morgan told him gently. "Come on, let's sit down," he suggested, motioning toward the main part of the room.

The two quietly made their way toward the room's lone window, taking chairs on either side of the small circular table. Morgan sat patiently across the table from his teammate, waiting for Reid to speak first. The younger man had come seeking him out, and Morgan wasn't going to pressure him into doing anything.