“Are you asleep?” She whispered as she snuggled closer against his side with her head resting on his chest. They had spent most of the evening and all of the night in her hospital bed, playing cards, or snuggled up talking and watching movies. Some of the nurses found them to be so cute while some questioned what a guy like Morgan saw in a girl like Garcia. Both Morgan and Garcia noticed the dirty looks from some of the nurses and while Garcia avoided their snooty gazing Morgan stared them down and asked them if they had a problem, causing them to scurry from the room. Morgan has pretty much moved into the room with her, and intended on staying the full four days that Garcia would be there. Even though she had no obvious ‘physical’ trauma the doctors had said they wanted to keep her for a few days for observation, at least that’s what they had told Garcia, but the others knew that it was actually a suicide watch, given her earlier erratic behavior after coming out of her catatonic state. Under normal circumstances Morgan would have been outraged and demanding her release, but given that the alternative would be a county jail cell he remained silent and prayed that the, reports that he was sure would exonerate Garcia, would arrive before her release from the hospital.
“Yeah,” Morgan replied in a normal tone that seemed to resonate in the darkness that engulfed the room. It was around 3 am and there was no moonlight shining through the window, and the room door was closed shutting out the activities going on in the busy hospital.
“I didn’t wake you did I?” She continued to speak in a very hushed tone as she absentmindedly traced patterns over his tee shirt clad chest.
“No Princess,” He spoke around a smile but his closed eyes remained shut. “And why are you whispering?”
“Because it’s dark in here.” She replied in more whisperings as if it was the most rational reasoning. Morgan’s body shook a bit as he chuckled at her words.
“What’s the matter baby, you can’t sleep?” He asked now speaking in a hushed tone for her. She shook her head against his chest.
“Nightmares.” Morgan opened his eyes and tightened his arm, which her body was resting on, around her waist. “I keep seeing Kevin, he’s alive but…half of his head is missing and he’s covered in so much blood…”
“Hush now,” Morgan silenced her. He could feel the rigidity in her body and her heart rate shoot up, and he didn’t want her getting overly excited and having another episode that might leave her catatonic again. “It was just a dream. You’re feeling guilty over something that wasn’t your fault. He hurt you baby, not the other way around, and you can’t keep blaming yourself. Lynch was a pathetic piece of shit…”
“Don’t say that.”
“It needs to be said because it’s the truth. Babygirl he raped you. That son-of-a-bitch hurt you in the worse way any man can hurt a woman, and I swear to God if I could have gotten my hands on him before…I would have killed him myself. What he did to you…it had absolutely nothing to do with love. You know that that’s not what it’s about, right?” He asked but she didn’t answer and he knew then that she had bought into Lynch’s bullshit. “Sweetness, rape is about control. He probably already felt vulnerable with his proposal plans and then felt weak and insignificant when you turned down his proposal. He just couldn’t take you rejecting him, and so he decided to prove how big a man was by bullying someone weaker than he was, that just happened to be you. But honestly if he had just left your place that night I still believe he would have just gone out and hurt someone else; raped and possibly even killed some unsuspecting person.” Garcia clamped her eyes and mind shut to that thought, at the possibility that someone could have fallen victim to Kevin all because she had rejected him. “He just always seems so normal to me, granted I never really got to know the guy. There had to be more going on underneath, something that set him off. I understand that getting dumped by a Goddess such as yourself would be devastating for any man,” He tried to lighten the mood and get a laugh out of her but she couldn’t appease him this time. “But for him to blow his brains out like that it just seems extreme under the circumstances.”
“It was you,” Garcia mumbled as fresh tears sprang to her eyes. Morgan’s brow burrowed at her words.
“What?”
“He thought that I was leaving him for you. He was always so jealous of you.” Morgan closed his eyes and silently cursed upon realizing that he had been the stressor that had set Kevin off, he had been the reason Kevin has punished Garcia; first by raping her and than placing the guilt over his death onto her. “The only times that we ever argued was when your name was mentioned. He always referred to you as the black James Bond.” Garcia couldn’t stop the smile that played at her lips and giggle that shook her body slightly.
“James Bond, I think I’m more of a Jason Bourne or Jack Bauer.” Morgan teased hoping to invoke more giggles.
“Totally,” Garcia agreed as she smiled and then sighed. “Kevin couldn’t understand the dynamics of our relationship, and I couldn’t explain it to him because…”
“There’s no explaining it, it is what it is and it will always be.” Morgan finished her statement. Perfectly articulating their relationship as she saw it.
“Yeah,” Her smiled widened a bit. “No matter how many times I told him that we were just friends, really close friends who sexually harassed each other, but never got sexual he just couldn’t get it.”
“That’s on him baby, that had nothing to do with you or our relationship. Please don’t give him this power over you.”
“He’s dead Morgan he can’t hold any power over me.”
“No? You had a nervous break down…”
“Which I think is completely normal given what happened to me, what I went through, what I saw.” Garcia defended feeling like Morgan was attacking her. He felt her tension and knew he was causing it and so he backed off and took another route.
“You’re right I’m sorry Penelope,” He used her first name which he rarely did and only did when he was being serious or sincere. “I’m sorry that you had to endure that, and I wish I could have been there…”
“No, please don’t start blaming yourself Derek, I can’t bear that on my conscience too.”
“Ok I’ll stop blaming myself if you stop blaming yourself. Baby even now Lynch has got you feeling guilty about the things that ‘he’ did. This is all on him and no one else. He was the weak one you’re the strong one. You have all the power, so don’t give him any, Ok?”
“Ok,” she said with a nod.
“Good now try and get some sleep,” Morgan commanded as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He heard her sigh and then felt her snuggle a bit closer to him, and after several minutes he heard her breathing even out and knew that she had fallen asleep and soon joined her.
Day three
The doctors had come in thirty minutes before and given Garcia her release forms to sign. Morgan had told her under no uncertain terms that she would be staying with him until further notice, and they had been gathering her thing and putting them in the overnight bag he had gotten for her two days prior when Morgan notice Hotchner standing near the door with a look that was hard to read. His eyes were then drawn to the folder that Hotchner held.
“Hey sweetness, you finish this up and I’ll be right back.” He said as he leaned into Garcia who stood at his side, and kissed her temple. She had been focused on folding her clothing that she hadn’t noticed Hotchner and simply gave Morgan a nod in reply as she continued her task. Morgan exited the room closing the door behind him, not wanting Garcia to overhear them. “Hotch,” He greeted his boss kindly even though his face held a look of distrust. “What’s up?”
“Morgan, I just got the ballistics report,” Hotchner began but then noticed Det. Jameson and Det. Reynolds getting off the elevators with a female officer, all heading towards Garcia’s room. “Morgan whatever happens you cannot interfere.”
“What are you…” At that moment Morgan noticed the officers as they opened Garcia’s room door and entered her room. “What’s going on Hotch?” He asked as he rushed to the room. Hotchner stepped right behind him and gripped his arm, to hold him back. As they got to the door they witnessed the female officer cuffing a very frightened Garcia while Jameson read her, her rights. “What the hell is going on?” Morgan demanded as he struggled against Hotchner who held a firm grip on him.
“Morgan if you interfere it will just make matters worse.” Hotchner tried to reason.
“Morgan?” Garcia cried out for him and in a burst of energy he broke free of Hotchner’s restraints and rushed to Garcia, bustling pass the three officers in the room. He placed his hands on either sides of her face and clutched her head, pressing her forehead to his. She stared at him with large scared eyes, and both were so in tuned and focused on each other that the others in the room with them were drowned out completely.
“It’s ok Babygirl, I’m gonna get you out. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, I promise.” He could feel Jameson and Reynolds both tugging at him trying to pull him away. Morgan pulled back only slightly, just enough to kiss Garcia’s forehead and then her cheek and finally her lips, where he lingered brushing his tongue inside her gaping mouth. He had felt an overwhelming need to taste her; as if it were the last memory he would ever have of her. After a few more seconds he released her mouth and once again stared into her eye, which still held fright but now also wonderment. Jameson and Reynolds with the help of Hotchner were finally able to free Garcia from Morgan grasp, allowing the female officer to escort her out. “We’re gonna get you out baby, I promise you. We’re right behind you.” Morgan continued speaking directly to her, his voice cracking under his emotions and he eyes wet and red with his tears, anger, and fear. Garcia kept her eyes on Morgan until she was taken completely from the room and out of eyeshot. “Alright get the hell off of me!” Morgan’s voice boomed.
“Not until you calm down,” Reynolds replied as he and Jameson continued their hold, while Hotchner stepped away as Morgan commanded.
“I am calm,” Morgan hissed out through clenched teeth though his rigid body and the veins bugling from his neck told of his agitation.
“He’s ok you can let him go now.” Hotchner stated and Jameson and Reynolds complied reluctantly. Once he was free Morgan quickly stalked from the room intent on following Garcia to the police station.
“Agent Morgan I would advise you to calm down before you go downtown.” Jameson said as he, Reynolds and Hotchner, who simply remained silent, followed Morgan onto the elevator. Morgan ignored them and as he stabbed at the elevator button. “I know how you must feel…” Morgan snapped around and stepped to the detective, and Hotchner step closer to Morgan to intervene if necessary.
“You don’t know how the fuck I feel, man,” Morgan spat out as he stared Jameson down with hard eyes.
“Look guy you’re acting like we’re getting some pleasure out of all this.” Jameson continued. And Morgan threw him a look that said, that that was exactly what he thought. “Yeah ok so it feels good when you know you caught the bad guy, you’re telling me you don’t feel the exact same way when you guys catch the bad guy.”
“Garcia isn’t the bad guy, and I would ‘advise’ you not to call her that again in my presence, if you like having teeth.” Morgan spoke coolly.
“Are you threatening me?” Jameson asked and Morgan continued to stare him down, as he shook his head ‘no’. Jameson swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and took a step back, which wasn’t far in the confined space. “Look it’s like you said, we gather the evidence and then leave it to the courts to decide. And all the evidence says that your girl is the b…” Jameson caught himself before he used the term ‘bad guy’ again, he really didn’t want to test how sincere Morgan’s threat was. “…best suspect we have.”
“No Lynch is the best suspect you have.” Morgan threw out.
“Ok fine then you explain to us exactly how gunshot residue from the gun that killed Mr. Lynch got onto Ms. Garcia’s left hand…she’s a leftie isn’t she?” Reynolds interjected just as the elevator stopped at the ground level. His words stunned Morgan who cast his eyes onto Hotchner who only gave a curt nod as a response. “Yeah that’s what I thought.” Reynolds and Jameson exited the elevator and head to their car, leaving Morgan and Hotchner to stand near the elevators.
“It’s bad isn’t it?” Morgan asked.
“Yes, it’s bad unless Garcia can give a good reason as to why…how GSR got on her hand and an even better reason as to why she didn’t mention it before. I need to get to the police station, take this, have Reid, Prentiss, and Rossi help you go over everything. Try to find something that might have been over looked or possibly contaminated.”
“Hotch, I am not going back to Quantico while Garcia is locked up in some jail cell.” Hotchner really hadn’t expected him to.
“Fine drop those reports at home base so the team can work it there and then meet me down at the precinct.” Morgan gave a nod and then started to rush off. “And Morgan,” Morgan stalled and stared back at his boss and friend. “You cannot react like you did back there it will not help Garcia’s case, in fact it could hurt it more. I’m beginning to think that Jameson has taken an interest in you, and your relationship with Garcia. I got word from Prentiss that he met with Strauss and she allowed him to question our co-workers, and he asked them about the nature of your relationship with Garcia. He might see you as an accomplice.”
“Ok fine, let him think it, hell I’ll confess to it if they’ll let her go.”
“They won’t the evidence against her is too strong, worse case scenario is they lock you up too and then we’d we two men down. So keep your head, I know it’s difficult for you to see Penelope go through this, but she needs you out here fighting for her.” With a deep sigh Morgan looked to the garage floor and nodded his understanding and then walked off. Hotchner watched him go and held trepidation about how Morgan would react to seeing Garcia locked in some jail cell.