A Morgan Thanksgiving
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.
'The still small voice,' William Cowper.
Spencer Reid wondered if he had made a mistake, his stomach was tied up in a million knots. He didn't have to do this; he could have been home in his nice cosy apartment watching a DVD or reading some new scientific journal. Instead he was sitting in a drive way in a rental car filled with terror
"Well pretty boy, I know it was a long drive from the airport, but I can't believe your ass has taken root to the carseat."
"What, what?" Reid looked up at his friend Derek Morgan, who was getting out of the car.
"We're here," Morgan said.
Reid looked up at the Morgan family home. He saw Derek's mother looking out the window and smiling. He couldn't believe he had actually accepted Morgan's invitation to spend thanksgiving with him and his family in Chigago.
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Two days earlier he had inadvertantly mentioned in front of the whole team that he was alone at Thanksgiving. Everyone else had plans with friends or family. Garcia was going to spend the holiday with Kevin's family. Hotch and Rossi decided to get together and eat out. JJ was with Will and Prentiss was going to her parents. He inwardly groaned at the looks of pity that passed among the group. He wanted to tell them he had been having Thanksgiving alone for many years. His mother was no fan of the holiday and he always flew to Vegas to spend Christmas with her instead. There was an instant tidal wave of invitations from everyone. He hastened to decline them all, assuring them he was perfectly fine alone for a few days. Morgan however refused to let the matter drop. He was like a man on a mission. He practically insisted Spencer fly to Chigago with him. He told him his mother would be more than happy to have him and that with his mom and two sisters there, he felt the need for a little more testosterone at the table. Before Reid even realized what he was doing, he accepted.
Morgan's face had broke into a wide grin. "Great! I'll get you a flight. It'll be a good time, wait til you try my mom's pumpkin pie."
Reid forced a weak smile on his face. "I can hardly wait," he said.
Now here he was.
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Morgan grabbed both their bags out of the trunk and waited patiently for Reid to catch up to him. He hobbled rather slowly on his new cane; he had just stopped using his crutches and the cold Chigago wind was so strong it threatened to knock him off his feet. He made his way into the foyer of the Morgan home. It was wonderfully warm and was filled with delicious cooking smells, something he never experienced when he was growing up.
Morgan's mother Fran greeted her son first with a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Morgan's two sisters stood off to the side and smiled at the pair of them. She turned her attention to Spencer, she went to him and gave him a light gentle hug as if she was afraid he might break.
"So happy you could join us Dr. Reid," She said with a warm smile.
"Please, call me Spencer, and thank you for having me Mrs. Morgan. I hope it's not too much trouble."
She waved him off, "Please, what's one more and you must call me Fran. Desiree, Sarah, show some manners and say hello to our guest."
The two young women said hello, Spencer offered them a shy wave. He couldn't help remembering meeting Morgan's family under less happy circumstances a few years back. Everybody was quite friendly now, still he wondered if coming back home was difficult for Morgan.
"Mama, are you going to tell me where to put the bags or just let me stand here all day?" griped Morgan.
His mother ignored him. She was studying Spencer. Derek had told her about Reid's leg injury. She had expected the cane and the physical limitations, what she didn't expect to see was the pain and weariness in his eyes. This wasn't the same young man who had stood in her livingroom eating birthday cake, spouting inane statistics over two years ago. This was a changed soul. 'Someone's gotta put a smile on this boy's face and at least twenty pounds'. She eyed his thin frame. 'Time to start feeding this one,' she thought.
"Mama? Earth to Mama."
"Oh Derek, just put the bags down, Dr. Reid... I mean Spencer, you look exhausted; why don't you go lie down for awhile and I'll fix you both up with a snack a bit later."
Reid had to admit that sounded pretty good. He was more tired than usual; he put it down having to haul himself around on crutches all these months and pretending to the team that he wasn't in any pain. Fran Morgan gently took his arm and led him down the hall.
"You'll be sleeping in Sarah's old room. She lives just a few miles from here now, Desiree still lives with me when she's not at school. Derek honey, you know where your old room is "
Morgan shook his head smiling. It seemed like his mother had already taken Reid under her wing; he was about to say so when he saw the funny smirks on the faces of his sisters. Sarah gave Desiree a little jab with her elbow which made her giggle. Derek frowned at the two of them.
"What's up with you two?" He asked.
Sarah grinned at her brother, "Oh nothing, it's just that I caught Desiree enjoying the view."
"Sarah!" exclaimed her sister.
"It's true," Sarah replied.
"What in hell's name are you two talking about?"
"It's just that I don't remember Dr. Reid being so cute." Desiree informed her brother
"Excuse me?" said Derek.
"Well, the last time we saw him he was like this skinny nerd guy with horrible glasses, well, now he's kinda hot."
Derek stared at his sisters dumbstruck. "Reid. Hot. Are you ok?"
"Oh c'mon Derek, it's true, why he's even got a bit of a booty now," Sarah told him.
"Just a little bit, a tiny one," Desiree amended.
"Well you know more than a handful is wasted,'' giggled Sarah.
Morgan couldn't believe he was standing in his mother's living room listening to his sisters talk about Reid's ass.
"I can't believe you two."
"Believe what?" said Fran as she entered the room.
"Nothing Mama. Anyone for coffee?" asked Sarah.
"Sure, I'll help you," said her sister, wanting to be away from her mother's radar.
Fran Morgan took her son's hand and led him to the sofa. "Let's talk Mr. FBI."
Morgan rolled his eyes, "Please, I hope this isn't one of those 'where are my grandbabies' is it?"
"No, I'm leaving that for when your Aunt Lettie and Uncle Owen are here, I might need backup."
Morgan groaned, "Oh no, tell me you're kidding, You invited them for Thanksgiving, they're crazy!"
"They're family Derek, they have no place else to go."
"I better warn Reid"
His mother's eyes clouded over. "Oh that boy, how he's changed."
Morgan had a horrible fleeting thought his mother was about to start talking about Reid's ass. "Really, I don't see any change in him except maybe he has four times as much hair."
"I don't mean on the outside Derek, on the inside. I can see it in his eyes."
Derek frowned, he wondered what change his family saw that he didn't. The kid still looked the same to him. His eyes strayed over to the kitchen. He saw Desiree peering down the hall towards Reid's room. He gave a big sigh.
'This is going to be an interesting Thanksgiving this year,' he thought.
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Fin.
End of part 1
Shall I continue? Please read and review.