"The most hurtful thing is not what comes from our adversaries, it's what comes from our friends." - Gloria Steinem

Reid was sat on his couch. The room was dark and quiet. He was still in his pyjamas, having not found the energy to wash today. He didn't like the bathroom at the moment. He hated seeing his reflection in the mirror. It brought back too many memories of what had happened. The bruises on his face and body, the stitches pulling at his flesh. All reminders of how weak he had been.

The pain shot through his side as Morgan's foot ruthlessly met his ribs. He hid behind his hands, protecting his face from the relentless kicks. Tears ran down his cheeks as he chanced a glance up at his best friend. He towered over him, teeth bared, face set in a mask of fury directed solely at him. He instantly regretted the glance as one of Morgan's kicks went wayward and caught him directly in the eye.

Reid shook the thoughts away, prodding at his eye socket with his finger. It was still incredibly sore. The bruises had turned gradually darker as the week had progressed; he was grateful that they were now starting to turn yellow at the edges. If only the month was October. It would have made some great Halloween make up.

He picked up a book from the floor in front of him and opened it, trying to focus his attention on something. Anything. His eyes skimmed down one page, then another and another, until he realised he wasn't actually taking any of it in. This was his seventh attempt today and quickly this book landed on the other end of the couch joining the others he had opened and frustratedly discarded.

Once again, he was sat in the dim light, staring at nothing. This was how he'd spent most of his week. A deep depression had set in around day 3. He stopped watching TV, he stopped eating, unless Hotch turned up with food, which had happened less as the week went on. His apartment was a mess. Books were strewn everywhere; clothes lay where they had been dropped from changing. He knew he needed to get out. He knew he needed to go shopping, get some food in, maybe open his blinds for once and let some sunshine in. But all of it seemed too exhausting. The darkness was comforting, private. It didn't expect anything from him. He could just be himself and right now, being himself involved doing nothing. It was almost freeing.

A knock came at the door and he jumped slightly, snapping him out of his trance. A fluttering sensation landed in his chest. He looked at the clock, it was 8pm. This would be Hotch. And the place was a mess. He was a mess. Feeling suddenly very self-conscious he stood up quickly, wincing as his ribs complained. He moved towards the pile of books at the end of his couch, fully intending to tidy at least some of them away. Then a dizzy spell hit him and he found himself falling forwards slightly grasping onto the arm of the couch.

Another knock came. "Reid? Are you there?" Hotch's voice came from the other side of the door.

Reid didn't answer for a few moments as his vision swam. Black dots started flooding his vision. He really should have eaten something.

"Uhhh- I'll- I'll be there in a minute." He said shakily.

"Reid? You don't sound right. I'm coming in." The sound of a key in the door made Reid panic. He tried to straighten up but the room was still spinning. The door opened and Hotch was suddenly rushing across the living room. "Reid, sit down." He said quickly, putting a hand to his back and guiding him back to the couch. He felt Reid slump down heavily and unsteadily. "Are you alright?"

Reid tipped his head back and closed his eyes. "Yeah." He breathed out. "Just a dizzy spell."

Hotch frowned. "How long have you been having those?" He asked with concern.

"Just this one." He lied, putting his hand to his eyes.

"Have you been eating?" Hotch asked, looking across to the kitchen. The place looked exactly the same as when he was last there, aside from a few more books. He clearly hadn't used the kitchen for its intended purpose.

"Not today." Reid said. Or yesterday. "I'm not hungry."

Hotch gave him a stern look. "You might not feel hungry, Reid, but your body needs food. We can't have you passing out." He stood and went to the fridge. When he opened it he sighed, shaking his head. "Reid, you have no food in here."

Reid just shrugged nonchalantly. "Like I said, I'm not hungry."

"You're eating before I leave." Hotch said firmly as he walked back over to the couch. He looked around the room at the darkness, taking in how quiet it was. "Have you been sat like this all day?"

Reid's cheek flushed slightly. "No. I just turned off the TV."

"Right. And what did you watch?"

"A documentary." He answered quickly.

"On what?"

"On the Jurassic period."

"Oh, Jack's going through a dinosaur phase. Maybe we can watch it on catch up. What channel was it on?" Hotch asked, feigning ignorance.

Reid's mouth dropped open and he was lost for words. "I- uh- I don't remember."

Hotch looked at him pointedly. "Reid, this isn't healthy." He said kindly. "I know you are upset, but you need to be looking after yourself. Your injuries still need to heal and for that to happen you need food."

"I know." Reid said rolling his eyes. It wasn't the first time he had heard this.

"Might do you good to put some lights on once in a while too." Hotch said with a small smile. Reid gave a tense smile back then dropped his gaze to the floor. Hotch stared at him for a few moments. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." Reid answered automatically. Hotch stared at him knowingly and Reid shifted awkwardly. He sighed. "I'm a bit down." He said quietly and reluctantly, looking down at his hands.

"That's to be expected after everything." Hotch said reassuringly. "I'd be surprised if you weren't." Reid gave a tight smile and nodded. He didn't look up. He didn't have the energy. Hotch cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Look, Reid, we need to talk."

Reid furrowed his brows. "About what?" He asked softly.

"The team." Reid looked at him now.

"What about the team?" He was frowning deeply; concern was written across his face.

"They, uh... know what happened." Hotch said delicately.

Reid's eyes opened wide. "Wh-what? How?" He stammered nervously. His heart was hammering in his chest. This was bad. This was going to change everything. The team would break up. His family would be torn apart and everything he knew and loved would be gone.

"They were starting to put it together. Dave confronted me about it, so I had to tell him." Reid's jaw tensed and he looked at Hotch with fear in his eyes. "They want to see you."

"No." Reid said instantly.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Hotch, they can't see this." He gasped. "It'll change everything."

"Reid... they've already been to see Morgan."

Reid's mouth dropped open. "They have?" His eyes stung with tears a little. "How... uh... how was he?"

Hotch frowned deeply. "Upset." He didn't want to say any more. He didn't feel that Reid needed to know how much of a mess he was. How the team had gone in all guns blazing only to be stopped in their tracks when they saw the state Morgan was in. Instead of chastising him, they had wound up comforting him, trying to bring him back from the brink. They were no less angry or shocked, but destroying him completely wasn't something any of them wanted to do when it came down to it. "They are here to see you, Reid. Can I let them in?" Hotch said cautiously.

Reid visibly paled. "I... I don't want them here." He said raspingly. His breath had clearly caught in his throat.

"They just want to see you're okay. They are only here to support you."

"I can't do this." He shook his head desperately. Hotch put a hand to his shoulder. "Reid... you have nothing to hide. They already know. It will all be okay." He squeezed his shoulder as Reid stared him in the eyes. He knew why he was reluctant. He didn't want to be seen in such a vulnerable position. And despite his claims that he was 'fine', he knew how bad he looked and how that would reflect on Morgan. Reid seemed to have an uncanny ability to defend those who had done him wrong. He would hide his pain and always look for the best qualities in his abuser, as opposed to their worst.

Hotch had seen exactly the same behaviour after Tobias. He was reluctant to show his weakness, even trying to refuse a hospital visit despite a broken foot, a severe beating and a seizure. He was reluctant to place blame on Tobias, choosing to see Charles and Raphael almost as separate people entirely – even if he had drugged him and ultimately been responsible for his seizure and his addiction. Reid hated injustice. If someone had a history of abuse, bullying or mental illness, he was always quick to defend them. Especially if they had shown themselves to be capable of kindness. Hotch had always tried to see this as a positive quality in Reid that made him an excellent and empathetic profiler. But the downside was that Reid shouldered a lot of the blame himself. He would carry it in their stead, desperate not to see the world turn on people he deemed to have been 'doomed from the beginning'. He clearly saw Morgan in the same way. He knew he wasn't a 'bad person. And even if he wasn't ready to forgive, he didn't want the team to treat him any differently.

Hotch tried not to contemplate where this behaviour stemmed from. He had a feeling it was deep rooted somewhere in his childhood, which he suspected was filled with abuse of one form or another. But Reid had never confirmed that and he wasn't going to push him to reveal it. But the signs had always been there and they were hard to ignore, especially when looking at the shame in his face at this moment. He clearly didn't value himself enough to feel he deserved the support.

"You are important to this team, Reid. Despite what you may think, you don't need to carry this alone. I know you want to protect him and you don't want them judging him, but as a result you are punishing yourself and not getting the support you deserve."

Reid just shook his head. "I don't need support."

"Yes... yes you do." Hotch stood up and moved to the door. "I'm going to let them in."

"Wait!" Reid said quickly and desperately. Hotch turned and looked at him. Reid stood up quickly, wincing as he did. He could feel another dizzy spell threatening to take over but he blinked a couple of times, willing it away. He moved over to a lamp and switched it on, then tidied the books on the couch into a neat pile on the floor. He sucked in a breath as he bent down.

Hotch looked at him with a small sad smile, knowing exactly what he was doing. He moved over to the doorway of his bedroom where there were clothes lying on the floor. "Want me to throw these in the laundry basket?" He asked helpfully, feeling for Reid in his moment of embarrassment. For most of them it would be the first time seeing his apartment and Reid appeared more than aware of that fact. The kid's pride would never leave him. Hotch felt privileged that he was the one person Reid didn't feel the need to put on a show for. But he supposed once he'd seen him covered in blood, crying and in agony, Reid probably felt there wasn't much dignity left to save.

"Please... sorry." Reid said apologetically. Once again, Hotch was cleaning up his mess. It did not feel good. When Hotch emerged from the bedroom, he looked at his youngest colleague and headed to the door.

"You ready?"

Reid straightened out his t-shirt and combed his fingers through his hair then straightened himself up, trying to present himself the best way he could.

"No." He said sulkily. His stomach was churning. He felt an odd combination of terrified and excited. If he was honest, the last week had been incredibly lonely. He'd gone to call JJ a couple of times but always ended up putting the phone down before he even dialled her number. He hated himself for wanting the support. But he missed everyone. He needed his family around him, but his pride and fear simply wouldn't let him reach out. He didn't want the sympathetic looks, the anger, the protectiveness. It was all too many emotions. His own were overwhelming enough.

"It'll be okay." Hotch said with a reassuring smile and opened the door. He stepped outside for a few moments as Reid stood twiddling his fingers and biting his lip anxiously. He could hear voices murmuring outside. Hotch was obviously having a quiet word before they came in. The next moment he came back through the door and the team streamed in behind him. Reid pulled his gaze away as he heard small gasps.

"Reid?" Garcia spoke gently as she gingerly approached him. She put a hand to his bruised cheek and gently turned his face towards her. She took his face into her hands as she gazed at him, her eyes sparkling with tears. "Oh my. You poor thing." Reid's eyes met hers and the sadness and gentleness in her eyes made Reid's chest tighten and there was suddenly a lump in his throat. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a gentle hug, being careful of his sling. "I'm so sorry." She said whispering quietly. "He never should have done this to you. You don't deserve it." Tears were streaming down her face now. Reid rested his chin on her shoulder, accepting the hug, trying his best to keep his emotions under control.

Rossi exchanged a glance with Hotch. The kid looked a mess. His face was a mixture of colours from black and blue to purple and yellow. He wore a sling to support his previously dislocated shoulder and the t-shirt that hung off him revealed a pattern of healing cuts and bruises on his arms from where the table had clearly done some damage. But the worst thing was the look in his eyes. There was a sadness that made his heart ache. Reid always spent a lot of time in his head and Rossi often found himself wondering what he was thinking about, but it was clear right now that Reid's confidence was at rock bottom. And it wasn't surprising. The kid didn't give his trust easily and Morgan had been one of his closest, if not his closest friend. He looked out for him, and Reid would uncharacteristically let him. They were like brothers. What happened between them had obviously hurt him deeply.

JJ moved towards Reid now, forcing Garcia to let go.

"Oh, Spence. You should have told us." She said, grabbing him firmly into a hug. Reid didn't answer, just took a shuddering breath. "I can't believe he did this to you." Reid clearly tensed up and pulled away from the hug.

"I'm okay." He said quietly, giving her a reassuring look. "Honestly." Prentiss now approached.

"Don't think you're going to escape a hug from me." She said with a completely fake grin, trying to take the pressure off him. It worked somewhat and he returned a small smile.

She wrapped her arms around him. "We've missed you this week. I've had to do all my own paperwork. It sucked." Reid huffed in amusement, but all he really wanted to do was cry. He could feel his throat tightening and he swallowed, trying to keep his emotions down.

Rossi finally approached Reid, sensing he was close to breaking. He took his chin in his hand and looked him deep in his eyes. His expression was gentle and caring. He smiled in a fatherly manner, the way only an older man could achieve. "You okay, kiddo?" The look in his eyes begged for honesty. Reid finally broke as tears flooded his eyes and he nodded. "Come here, caro." Rossi pulled him in, hugging him tightly and stroked the back of his head. A sob wrenched out from Reid as his chin landed on the older man's shoulder. "It's okay." He said gently, continuing to stroke his head. "It's okay, Spencer. Let it out."

Garcia put her hands to her mouth stemming the sob that was sure to come when she heard her younger colleague cry like that. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. He was such a gentle person. Seeing him covered in bruises and injuries made her sick. But to know that they had been inflicted by Morgan, of all people, broke her heart. The vision of Morgan hitting him and continuing to kick him whilst he was on the floor, no doubt begging him to stop was too much to bear. She broke down too. This was all so wrong. Prentiss was now next to her, placing an arm around her shoulders. They all knew Garcia was an incredibly empathetic person, so it was no surprise this was affecting her so strongly.

Rossi pulled away from Reid when he felt him tense up slightly. "Come and sit down. You look like you're about ready to fall down." He squeezed his shoulder gently. Reid nodded and wiped his eyes.

"I'm sorry." He said, cheeks flushing at he looked at the wet patch on Rossi's shoulder. He rubbed at it as if it would just wipe away.

"It's a shirt, kiddo. I couldn't care less. Come on." He guided him down onto the couch, watching as he winced upon sitting. He tried to mask it, but the flinch of his eye lids and corners of his mouth gave it away. "Your ribs are still hurting." Rossi said tightly.

"Just a little." Reid said quickly, almost excusing it. "They said they'd be sore for a couple of weeks."

"Have you got pain killers?" JJ asked.

Reid huffed a humourless laugh. "Nothing opiate based, if that's what you're asking." He bit slightly.

JJ's mouth dropped open. "No, Spence. That's not what I meant." She said, quickly trying to recover ground. But if she was honest, the thought did cross her mind.

Reid bit his lip; a flash of guilt crossed his features. "Sorry." He said quietly.

"Hey, stop apologising." Garcia said softly, moving to sit on the other side of him. "You have nothing to apologise for. None of this is your fault."

He dropped his gaze to his lap. "It's not his fault either." He said quietly.

"What?" JJ asked in shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Jayje." Garcia said warningly, not wanting to upset Reid. She knew how JJ's emotions could get the better of her temper sometimes. And emotional anger was the last thing Reid needed to see right now. That's what created this mess in the first place.

"Reid, why do you say that?" Rossi asked, rubbing his shoulder.

"It was Buford. If it wasn't for him, this wouldn't have happened." JJ just rolled her eyes. Prentiss looked to Hotch and shook her head, clearly not agreeing with her young colleague. Hotch just frowned in response.

"Yeah, okay. Buford does own some blame in this." Rossi conceded. "But Morgan isn't innocent, Reid. He's really hurt you."

Reid took a shuddering breath in. The upset was clearly washing over him again.

"Only because he thought I'd betrayed him." He said shakily. "I would have been upset too."

"But would you have beaten him up?" Prentiss said as gently as she could but the anger in her voice leaked out.

Reid closed his eyes, feeling the pressure of all the gazes on him. "No, but fighting isn't really my thing. If you can't tell." Another humourless laugh escaped. Rossi's lips tightened and he exchanged a look with Garcia.

"Reid, you don't have to defend him." Garcia put a hand on his knee.

"Yes, yes, I do. After everything that man did to him, I don't want him to lose you guys too. I can be upset with him, but I really don't want you guys to hate him. He doesn't deserve it."

"But you deserve this, do you?" JJ asked firmly.

Reid looked at her for a few moments then sighed dropping his head into his hand.

"You're not actually blaming yourself, are you?" Garcia said, her mouth dropping open.

"No." Reid breathed out in frustration. "But he obviously thought it was something I was capable of. And why is that? There must be something I've done or said that would make him think research is more important to me than my friends. It's not like this hasn't happened before. I've had many people liken me to a robot over the years or make fun of me for not reading emotions or social cues correctly. It makes people think I'm not like everyone else. That I'm not... human. It makes me hard to relate to."

Hotch's eyes opened wide. Now he realised how personal the attack had gotten. Reid wasn't just plucking this out of thin air.

"Is that what he said to you? Is that why he threw your PhDs at you?" Hotch asked cautiously.

"He did what?" JJ snapped, looking at the wall where she knew his PhDs had been previously. She moved over, finding two broken frames on the sideboard and a ripped certificate. She gasped picking them up. "He did this?" She said dangerously. Rossi's eyes closed in devastation upon seeing the ripped one.

"It's only paper." Reid said, brushing it off.

"No, Reid. No, it's not. It's years of hard work, blood, sweat and tears. That's what they represent. They are part of who you are. They are not just paper."

Reid's lip quivered slightly. He'd been trying his best to tell himself that the certificates didn't matter. They weren't important. But that's because he knew deep down, out of everything, it had hurt him the most. More than any punch or kick would. Morgan launching them at him was like telling him everything that had been important to him over the years was stupid. It had no value. He'd worked for nothing. He didn't respect it and that meant he didn't respect him.

A tear ran down Reid's cheek. "It's okay to be hurt by this, kiddo." Rossi squeezed his shoulder again. "You don't have to hide from us."

Reid pulled his shoulder away, irritation flashing in his features. "I'm fine." He said defensively.

Rossi shared a glance with Hotch and he nodded for him to continue. He moved a little closer to Reid but kept his hands to himself. "Spencer. You realise that we care about you, don't you?" Reid's cheeks flushed.

"I don't expect you to." He wrapped his free arm around himself. He was clearly feeling incredibly vulnerable and embarrassed.

"Oh, trust me, we know that. But it doesn't change the fact that we do. We just want to make sure that you are okay... And looking at you, I would say you're not right now."

Reid's lip quivered again and his breath caught in his throat.

"I just..." He cut himself off.

"Just... what, Reid?" Rossi prodded gently. He just wanted to give him a hug. He sounded so young at that moment.

"I thought we were friends." His voice broke as he said the words. He felt completely childish and pathetic, but he couldn't help it. They all exchanged sad glances. "But he hates me. He's hated me all along."

"What makes you say that?" Rossi asked curiously.

"The- the things he said to me. He was so angry." He whispered. "He was so sure that I'd done it. Like I was incapable of feeling anything. I would never do that to him. But he seemed to think I would... Because I'm not normal." Then he finally broke down, putting his eyes into his hand and sobbing.

"Oh, Reid." Garcia said sadly, rubbing his back gently. Tears were streaming down her face again.

Rossi put his arm around his shoulders and pulled him in. Reid didn't fight him and just rested his head on his collar bone, allowing the older man to comfort him. "It's okay." Rossi said soothingly. "It's okay."

"It's not okay!" Reid sobbed into his shoulder. "I'm not normal!" He cried. "Everyone knows it. He knows it. You all know it. It's got me into so much trouble. It's the way it's always been... I just wish I could be normal like everyone else." He whispered. Rossi hugged him tightly.

Hotch frowned again and moved around the couch. "What do you mean, 'it's got you into so much trouble'?" Reid just shook his head and closed his eyes, hiding himself in Rossi's shoulder. "Reid?" Hotch pushed.

"It doesn't matter." He said quietly.

"It matters to us, kiddo." Rossi stroked his head.

"I- I just... this has happened so many times. People hate me because I'm different. I'm an embarrassment."

Hotch frowned angrily. "No, you're not." He said sternly. "Who told you you're an embarrassment?" He seriously hoped it wasn't Morgan, or he'd be back round there again with a hand around his throat. Reid's mouth snapped shut and he shook his head.

"It wasn't Derek, was it?" Garcia asked tenderly.

"No." Reid answered quickly. He pushed away from Rossi and sat back up, wiping at his eyes. Garcia breathed a sigh of relief. "It's just... it's been said many times. That's all."

Hotch frowned. That was all they were going to get. He had a feeling this was something that had been said to him on a regular basis. No doubt by someone close to him. But that's all it was, a feeling. But if his suspicions were correct, Reid was unlikely to ever accept that he was the only true victim in this situation.

"You are normal, Reid." Hotch said firmly. He scoffed in response. "Okay, you're a genius. I guess that's not typical. But that only makes you exceptionally gifted. It does not take away from who you are as a person."

"Hotch is right." Garcia continued, squeezing his knee. "You are kind, gentle, so, so sweet. You are thoughtful, caring and want to help everyone you can."

"Look at you now, kiddo. You're not even concerned for yourself, you're more concerned for Derek than you are for yourself. That's because you care about people. It's stuff like that that makes you human. If that's what he said to you, then he was wrong. And I can tell you one thing for certain..." Rossi took him by the chin again, making him look at him. "He knows how wrong he was. And... this isn't easy for me to say when I'm as angry as I am with him, but he cares about you deeply."

Reid's eyes started to tear up again. "He does?"

"So much." Garcia said squeezing him again.

"You think he hates you? Well, he's terrified that you hate him."

"He said that?" Reid sounded so lost and unsure.

"Over and over again. It's all he could think about." Rossi said, tipping his head to place a kiss on his forehead.

"Reid, he feels terrible about what he's done." Prentiss said strongly.

"So he should." JJ snapped.

"Yeah, JJ's right. He should. And he won't be getting off easy. But he didn't do this to you because he hates you."

He looked at her curiously. "Then, why?"

"We think PTSD." Rossi said gently. "That doesn't matter right now. What does matter is that none of this is your fault. Nothing you did caused it; do you understand me?" Reid frowned, his brows furrowing. "Wherever that head is going right now, bring it back and listen to me. This is not your fault... Right?" He looked Reid deep in the eyes.

"Right." Reid answered softly.

"Say it." Rossi said firmly.

"What?" Reid looked at him like he was crazy.

"Say it. This is not your fault."

Reid quirked a small smile, finding the whole thing very cheesy. Which was probably the point.

"This is not my fault." Reid repeated in a monotone voice.

"Once more for good measure." Rossi smiled slightly.

Reid scoffed now and smiled, feeling very stupid. "This is not my fault."

"See, that wasn't so hard was it." Rossi said patting his cheek, smiling brightly. Reid's cheeks flushed again and he huffed out a laugh. "We love you, kiddo." Rossi wrapped an arm around his shoulders again and pulled him in, giving him a big kiss on the cheek. "Don't you ever forget it."

"So, who's hungry?" Hotch said casually, giving Reid a pointed look.

"Oh, me!" Prentiss called out quickly.

"You're always hungry!" JJ said with a smile.

"I could eat." Rossi said.

"Me too." Garcia added.

"Guys, you really don't have to stay. I'm alright, I don't need babysitting." He said awkwardly.

"Who said anything about babysitting? You're cooking." Prentiss said jokingly. They all laughed.

"If you want to see tomorrow, then you don't want to taste Reid's cooking." JJ laughed. Reid's mouth dropped open and he gave her a scandalised look.

"I can cook!" He said feigning offence.

JJ moved over to the fridge and opened it. All it contained was some milk and butter. "Oh yes, this is the fridge of an accomplished chef." She grinned. Then moved to his cupboard where she knew he usually kept his go-to dried pasta and noodle meals. She found nothing. "Spence, you have no food in here! What have you been eating?"

Reid's wide-eyed gaze landed on Hotch and he stammered. "I- uh, was going to do some shopping in the morning. I ate the last thing earlier."

She scrutinised him for a few moments. He looked thinner. And he didn't look well. "I will take you in the morning."

"No, JJ-"

"No arguing. I'm taking you and that's it." She said folding her arms. Reid rolled his eyes at her.

"Fine." He said moodily.

"Right, where's the menus?" Rossi asked, standing up.


After a couple of hours, Reid was finally on his own. The team had just left. They'd spent the last two hours eating Indian food from Reid's favourite takeout, chatting and watching Doctor Who - much to Hotch and JJ's disappointment. By the end, they conceded that they actually quite enjoyed it. Even if they'd never watch it again.

Reid sat into the couch and rested his head back. His ribs were aching terribly. What he hadn't mentioned is that he'd run out of pain killers two days ago, but he hadn't felt like going out to replenish them. The last thing he wanted to do was walk around in public looking like he did. He looked pathetic.

He had to admit, he'd enjoyed seeing the team and it had made him feel better. But now they had gone the depression was creeping back in again. His mind drifted back to Morgan and his fists, hard shoes meeting flesh and bone, his firm fingers twisting in his collar and pulling him back up to his feet to shout in his face. No matter what the team said, he wasn't normal. If he was, this never would have happened. Morgan never would have been so sure that he was writing to his abuser.

"Why do you have to be so weird? Why can't you just be normal?!"

The words from his childhood washed over him like a great wave. He'd heard them so many times it was almost like a mantra in his head. And he'd tried. God, he'd tried so hard. But once again he'd failed. It was obvious to everyone, even if they pretended it wasn't. He closed his eyes and let the tears fall.