A/N: Hey guys, I started watching my season 10 disks finally and gUESS WHICH EPISODE PISSED ME OFF. EPISODE 2, "BURN," THAT'S WHAT. I'VE ONLY GOTTEN TO TWO EPISODES AND I'VE ALREADY HAD TO STOP SO I CAN BASICALLY RANT OUT MY ANGER OVER THIS STUPID EPISODE! I MEAN, WHO IN THE EVER-LASTING FUCK THOUGHT MORGAN WOULD ACT LIKE THAT? YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL ME HE'D BE THAT CRUEL TO HIS BABY GIRL?! FUCK THAT!

Summary: Morgan's perceptive on the whole Greg Baylor incident, plus a guest appearance by Reid being a good friend.

Warning: A lot of rushed writing because I needed to fix this terrible injustice to Morgan's character and also Garcia made me cry, she is just too precious. Also major spoilers for 10x2, "Burn."

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds but if I did I would never have done THIS.

Denial and Moving On

When Morgan first heard about what Garcia was planning to do, he was struck dumb with disbelief. Greg Baylor was a murderer – he'd tried to kill Reid and Penelope! That alone made Morgan quite content to see him burn in hell – but still, she was going to go and see him, talk to him face to face.

And suddenly there was fire in his belly. He wasn't thinking of Garcia or the person she'd shot and felt responsible for; he was thinking about Carl Buford, how after all those years of suppressing memories and feeling disgusting and fighting against monsters like him, he'd been forced to stare his abuser straight between the eyes and watch their lies and filth become open to the world. He knew he'd been in denial over his abuse, but once it was all done and the man had been arrested, Morgan had felt a peace he hadn't felt since the day his dad died and Buford had rubbed his shoulder in comfort at the funeral. But still, his dear Ma – with so much sorrow and guilt over not protecting her son – had asked him time and time again, "Don't you think you should go see him? Find closure?"

Morgan wasn't stupid. Watching the cuffs go on the man hadn't taken away his pain or his shame, but in that moment, he knew he never had to see Buford again and that had crushed him with relief – finally, he could move on.

So now, when Garcia said she had to go see the monster who had hurt her so much, Morgan didn't hear her tearful confusion, pleading for him to back her up; all he felt was the rage he'd held when he'd looked into his own past's darkness and the fear that had exploded in him when he'd found out his family had been threatened.

"No. I don't have your back. He is a murderer. He's scum. He tried to kill you. Wake up! Let me know when you're done washing his feet."

Why would she do this?

Reid was the one that knocked sense into him, as per usual. And it wasn't just his words, detailing how he got over killing his first person (and this was Garcia they were talking about, had he ever expected anything less?); but it was also walking into one of the backrooms to hear Reid's gentle voice checking in on his friend over the phone, although Morgan knew Reid – as loved as he was – was not the person Garcia needed right now.

Morgan still didn't check his phone, not with the flickering remains of cinders scorching his throat.

Garcia's phone chirped at her and she almost broke her hand lunging for it on the side-table. "Morgan!"

"Um, no."

Garcia, although crushed that Morgan still refused to return her calls, was relieved to hear a friendly voice. "Reid! Sweetheart, you ok?"

He chuckled. "Funny, I was just going to ask you the same thing."

"Oh! Yeah…"

A slightly awkward silence hung between them until Reid asked, "Are you ok?"

"Never better," she replied, a warble in her voice. "I just…"

"It's ok, Garcia; we're all behind you," he said quietly.

"Not everyone." And then the dams broke and she was crying a bit, unable to stand it. "Morgan, god… he doesn't get it, he just, but I need…"

"I get it, Garcia. You have to do what you think is right. And I apologize for Morgan. You know he's a bit thick-headed sometimes but he'll come around eventually."

Garcia sniffed and laughed a bit, knowing he was right. "T-thanks Reid, you're the greatest, a t-true genius."

"Always glad to help. And Garcia? It'll all work out. I promise."

Reid had been right, of course. Morgan, consumed by guilt and worry after finally listening to his friend's distraught missed messages, was determined to sit on the cement steps of her apartment, all night if he had to. He ran a hand over the cold steps gently, remembering with a shiver how years before it'd been stained with blood. He'd always been in her corner – hell, he'd almost punched out Rossi during that case – but he couldn't have been there for her now? When she was hurting and scared and confused and practically begging him for support? What the hell was wrong with him?

When he caught sight of her, shell-shocked and grieving, no doubt twisted up like a pretzel in her emotions (she was too pure for this line of work, he thought with a pang), he didn't do anything but open his arms to her. For a scary moment, he thought she'd refuse, but then she crashed into his chest and sobbed.

He helped her up to her apartment without a word, wrapping her up in a blanket on her couch, switching on the TV to a random sitcom for white-noise, and finally brewing some herbal tea in her cluttered kitchen to hopefully warm her up. She mumbled thanks when he gave her the steaming mug, cupping it to her chest as more tears tricked down, and he tenderly wiped them away.

"Baby Girl," he said quietly, sitting next to her and waiting until she turned his eyes to his. "I owe you an apology."

"No," she said, her voice cracking, "you were right, you were so right! I just made things worse going there. I couldn't save him and I just feel worse. I… I…" More tears spilled down her cheeks and he handed her a tissue to blow her nose with.

"Garcia, no. I was wrong. I should have supported you. I just couldn't believe…" He ducked his head a bit and rubbed her hand that wasn't gripping the mug in a white-knuckled grip. "Everyone has different ways of working past their problems; I shouldn't have been so harsh. I'm sorry."

"I am so mad at you right now," Garcia sniffed, "but… thank you. Thank you for being here now."

"I'm sorry it took this long. And you better believe," he said, a teasing note coming into his voice, "that I'm going to stick around until you kick me out on my butt."

She suddenly gave a watery giggle. "More like throw you out on your thick skull."

He rose an eyebrow in mock offence. "Thick skull? Excuse you!"

"Just something Reid said," she hiccupped, then sighed. Without a word, he extended his arm and she carefully stretched out, laying her head on his chest. A bit of the hot tea sloshed onto his t-shirt, but he didn't say anything; instead, he pulled the woolen blanket more firmly over her shoulders and turned up the TV a bit. He was determined to have her back again. It didn't matter how she dealt with this, because he'd be there for her, even if she had a different way of coping.

That was something he should have realized in the beginning.

A/N: I am so sorry you had to read that, but I'm literally just so distraught over that episode. I firmly believe Morgan would not have acted that way; sure, maybe he wouldn't have supported Garcia's decision, but his firm shut-downs? No way. Nah-ah. You cannot convince me he'd be that mean to Garcia, not her. So, I decided, to try and help myself get over this, that I'd explore some of Morgan's inner thoughts during this episode. And I wondered; maybe he was so against Garcia's decision because he couldn't wrap his mind around how different people cope (considering his conversation with Reid). More than anything tho, I thought an apology was in order, so here ya go!

I apologize if this is low quality; I wrote it up in an hour, scanned it for mistakes, and decided it was time to publish. I was actually working on a prompt I got (ooooo it's gonna be a good one guys!) but I had to apparently stop and rant briefly lol. Btw, thank you for all your kind reviews, which leads me into saying this: I suck at replying to reviews (I can't help but feel awkward doing it) but I do see them and I treasure them! If you PM me or message me on tumblr tho, I'm totally down to discuss CM. Anyways, until next time!