Morgan knocked on the pale colored door before him. He could hear movement so he knew the kid was home…he knocked harder. The door suddenly flew open and an irate Reid stood before him.

Morgan forced his way into the apartment despite the protests coming from the younger profiler.

"I didn't say you could come in," Reid pointed out.

"Tough," Morgan responded.

Reid glared and shut the door. He walked into his bedroom, hoping that if he simply ignored the intruding man he would leave. Sadly for him, once Morgan had an idea in his mind he wasn't going to let go so easily.

"How have you been sleeping kid?" Morgan asked, following Reid.

"I told you already; I'm fine," Reid insisted.

"Then why are you taking caffeine pills?" Morgan inquired, holding up the bottle of pills he'd found on Reid's dresser. The same pills he now knew to be what Reid had taken at the office.

"What the hell Morgan!" Reid exclaimed, reaching for the pills. "You can't just barge in and start snooping!"

"I can when you're hurting yourself!" Morgan retorted, his anger starting to seep through.

"They're just caffeine pills Derek," Reid snorted.

"Why do you need them?" Morgan asked.

Reid bit his lip suddenly realizing he just dug himself into a hole. If he admitted that he was having nightmares then Morgan would tell Gideon who would spank him for lying. Reid wasn't sure of Gideon's take on caffeine pills but was pretty sure it wouldn't be good.

His thoughts were interrupted.

"Pack a bag," Morgan ordered none too gently.

"Why?" Reid asked curiously.

Morgan sighed, "I have an extra bedroom; you're staying with me."

"No I'm not," Reid argued.

"You don't have much choice kid," Morgan replied, keeping his tone even. "Pack a bag…NOW."

Reid licked his lips and put his chin up showing his defiance. Morgan kept a calm exterior but inside he was shaking. He had no idea what to do…okay, so yes, he did have one idea.

"Don't put me in a position we're not gonna like," Morgan all but pleaded. "You won't like my answer."

Reid thought about what Morgan was saying but in that moment he didn't believe Morgan would follow through with his implied threat. He crossed his arms and glared at the older man.

Morgan sighed to himself, 'he really doesn't make things easy.' When Morgan realized that Reid was truly going to force his hand he gave a sad sigh.

"I didn't want it to come to this kid," He said softly.

Morgan quickly tucked Reid under one arm and brought his other hand down to meet the positioned backside.

"OW!" Reid couldn't help but yelp. He struggled to get loose from Morgan's grip but couldn't. After a few swats he couldn't help but plead, "Please stop! I'll do what you want."

SWAT "You're going to pack a bag?" SWAT

"Yes," Reid answered quickly.

Morgan laid two more swats before helping Reid stand up. As much as he wanted to embrace the younger man he didn't. Instead Morgan gripped his chin firmly in his hand and forced Reid to look at him.

"We are not done talking about this," He informed the startled younger agent. "Pack a bag that'll last you at least a week."

He released the chin in his hand and Reid scurried to do as he was told. He had no idea what Morgan meant by they weren't done talking but he wasn't going to push his luck.

He quickly packed a large duffle bag and followed Morgan to his car. He was going to take his own but the older man had quickly vetoed the idea. His backside still tingling Reid wasn't about to protest.

--------------------------------------------------------

Morgan led the way into his apartment building and stopped at the first door. He knocked a few times and then took a step back.

"What are you doing out this late," An older woman asked with a frown.

"Had to go pick up a friend Miss Fran," Morgan answered with a grin and a nod towards Reid.

"He hasn't slept," Miss Fran declared looking Reid up and down.

"No ma'am he hasn't," Morgan agreed. "Do you have any milk? I didn't get to the store yet."

Miss Fran dashed back into her apartment and came back with a half gallon of milk. "You know I always keep a spare. You pound if you need any help."

"Yes, ma'am, I will," Morgan promised, giving the woman a kiss on the cheek.

He led the way up a flight of stairs to his apartment and showed Reid his guest bedroom.

"Unpack your stuff, change, and come into the kitchen," Morgan ordered before leaving Reid alone.

Again Reid quickly did as he was ordered. He entered the kitchen to find Morgan standing over the stove and stirring something in a pot.

"Sit down," Morgan ordered without turning around. He poured the contents of the pot into two mugs and pushed one to Reid. "It's just warmed milk with a pinch of sugar and some cinnamon. It helps you to relax so you can sleep."

Reid sipped the drink but nothing more. He refused to look at Morgan or even in Morgan's direction. He heard the older man sigh and felt him come around the island to come to stand beside him.

"Look at me," Morgan ordered sternly, shocking Reid with the tone he'd used. "We all have nightmares; Gideon, Hotch, me, JJ. It comes with the territory of our job. There's nothing wrong with you and there's nothing wrong with asking for help."

"You had nightmares?" Reid asked, slightly disbelieving.

"I had such bad nightmares that when my mom came to visit she almost refused to leave." Morgan admitted. "Miss Fran is a widow and she lost her two sons years ago. When she found out how worried my mom was she promised to look out for me. We came up with a code. If I knocked on the floor three times it meant I had a bad nightmare and needed her. If I knocked four times she should call Hotch because something was wrong and if I knocked twice then it meant I had a dream but was okay."

Reid looked at his friend in awe. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Morgan was too strong; too tough…nothing could scare him.

As if reading his mind Morgan smiled, "Every one of us has fear."

The two men grew quiet as they sat in their own thoughts. Morgan finished his warmed milk and washed out his mug. He stared at Reid waiting but nothing was forthcoming.

"It's late," he stated, "time for bed."

"I'm not tired," Reid protested.

"Bed," Morgan stated, using a tone that clearly stated he wasn't in the mood for an argument.

Reid wasn't easily swayed. "I'm not going to bed so you can forget about it."

"I was really hoping to finish our talk in the morning kid," Morgan sighed.

He grabbed Reid by the arm and dragged him to his room. Reid put up a fight having forgotten the swats he'd received earlier. He was fully intent on making sure he didn't have to go to bed.

In no short order Reid found himself face down over…

"No Morgan!" Reid yelped as the first swat landed on his unprotected backside. He hadn't expected Morgan to be so dead on with his first swat.

SWAT "You are not" SWAT "going to take" SWAT "anymore" SWAT "caffeine pills." SWATSWAT "If you have" SWAT "anymore" SWAT "nightmares," SWAT "you are going to," SWAT "tell me," SWAT "immediately." SWAT "You are going to" SWAT "lie down" SWAT "and try" SWAT "to sleep;" SWAT "I know" SWAT "you are" SWAT "scared" SWAT "but not" SWAT "sleeping" SWAT "is not" SWAT "the answer." SWAT "Do" "you" "understand?" SWAT

"Y-yesss," Reid cried, "Please, no more!"

Morgan hated himself even more when he instinctively dropped one knee and brought his other farther up to better access the tender under curve.

Reid cried out with every swat and by the end was crying, limp over Morgan's lap.

As Reid lay crying over his lap Morgan began to rub circles on his back. When Reid's cries turned to sniffles Morgan turned him right side up.

"No more kid," Morgan ordered gently pulling Reid into a rough hug.

"I'm sorry," Reid cried. "I c-couldn't sleep a-and then I-I was so t-tired a-and…"

Morgan held Reid in his arms until Reid had calmed down.

"Please don't make me go to sleep," Reid pleaded.

"You need sleep Reid," Morgan stated. "Lay down; I'll be right back."

Reid reluctantly did as he was told. Morgan came back almost five minutes later having changed and brought his own blanket and pillow into the room.

Reid watched him in wonderment as Morgan laid the pillow down on the other side of the bed and then laid down himself.

"Morgan?" Reid inquired.

"Go to sleep Reid," Morgan ordered as he faced the younger man and closed his eyes.

"What about the lights?" Reid asked, still not sure what was going on.

Morgan sighed and raised his head to look at the younger man.

"The lights will stay on; they don't bother me. I'm gonna stay here with you for tonight and tomorrow. After that we'll go with what you need. I don't mind because that's what brother's do. Now, go to sleep unless you'd like to have another talk about not listening to me."

Reid gave Morgan a smile before snuggling down under his blankets and fell asleep. Morgan stayed up for a little while longer wondering when the young man he often teased by calling 'boy genius' or 'boy wonder' had come to mean so much to him. He gave a soft shrug of his shoulders and fell asleep.

EPILOGUE:

Reid stayed with Morgan even after Gideon came home from his lecture circuit. The first few days were rough as the younger man did have multiple nightmares. Each time Morgan simply talked with Reid until Reid was calm and then throw an arm around the younger man's shoulder's until both were asleep once again.

Morgan explained everything to Gideon including the punishment he handed out. Then he had to talk fast and assure the older agent that he comforted Reid. Morgan then insisted that Reid stay with him.

"I need to know he's ok," Morgan stated.

Gideon understood. Reid moved back into his own apartment two weeks later though he now had clothes at Morgan's place as well as Gideon's. Watching Morgan watch him at work Reid couldn't help but muse to himself, 'someone else to watch over me'.

It wasn't until a little later when he talked back to Morgan and got swatted for his efforts that he came to an important realization. 'I'm never gonna sit'!

Only time would tell if he was right…

THE END

A/N: I've learned over the course of my 23 years that, unless I'm in insomnia mode, peppermint tea or warm milk with a dash of sugar and a hint of cinnimon (which you add after you pour the warmed milk into a glass) helps to relax the body enough to fall asleep. Give it a try sometime!