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thefroggTitle: No Promises, No Demands
Author:thefrogg
Beta:fluffnutter
Rating: FRT-13
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Damnit.
Author:
thefrogg Beta:
fluffnutterRating: FRT-13
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Damnit.
The gunshots echoed in the hall. Eyes closed, backs turned, prayers spoken and pleas made and bargains offered, none of it could prevent the spray of blood, of thicker things.
Too late, the UnSub's bitter words came back, too little, too late. I'll show you powerless, I'll show you, I swear...
Reid bolted, footsteps fading in the distance.
"My God," Emily whispered, eyes wide and breath shallow.
Morgan glanced up at Hotch before following Reid. He knew, he knew--
As bad as this case was -- as bad as any case with children was -- Reid would be seeing this forever. And he couldn't outrun his own mind, his own memories.
"Reid!" Morgan paused at the end of the hall, looking each way before taking a chance and heading for the door to the parking lot.
The door burst open, banging against the brick wall. Sunlight streamed through patchwork clouds in a betrayal of the lives cut short.
"Reid?"
A ragged sob answered.
"Reid, look at me."
"I, I c-c-can't get, get it out," Reid stammered, the heels of his hands digging into his eyes.
Morgan knelt beside him, heat from the asphalt bleeding through his jeans. "I know." A dark hand cupped the back of Reid's skull, fingers tangling in wind-whipped hair. "C'mere."
Reid barely shifted, shoulders hunching even further in rejection of the comfort offered.
Shutting his eyes against Reid's pain and his own, Morgan sighed. "I know you can't forget, we all do. Do you think it's any easier for the rest of us? Hotch has a son. Gideon? Sees probably everyone on the team but Hotch as his kids."
"But you can all forget." Grief and accusation choked Reid, his words rough and broken.
"Yeah," Morgan answered, apologetic and regretful. "Time will help."
"No, it won't," Reid whispered.
"Reid?" Morgan tugged gently, coaxing Reid closer.
Reid hiccuped, uncurling just enough to turn and bury his face in Morgan's neck. "It never gets any easier."
Closing his arms around Reid's body, feeling the tension coiled in tight muscles, Morgan surrendered to his own tears. "No, it doesn't. It never does."
~~~the end~~~
Too late, the UnSub's bitter words came back, too little, too late. I'll show you powerless, I'll show you, I swear...
Reid bolted, footsteps fading in the distance.
"My God," Emily whispered, eyes wide and breath shallow.
Morgan glanced up at Hotch before following Reid. He knew, he knew--
As bad as this case was -- as bad as any case with children was -- Reid would be seeing this forever. And he couldn't outrun his own mind, his own memories.
"Reid!" Morgan paused at the end of the hall, looking each way before taking a chance and heading for the door to the parking lot.
The door burst open, banging against the brick wall. Sunlight streamed through patchwork clouds in a betrayal of the lives cut short.
"Reid?"
A ragged sob answered.
"Reid, look at me."
"I, I c-c-can't get, get it out," Reid stammered, the heels of his hands digging into his eyes.
Morgan knelt beside him, heat from the asphalt bleeding through his jeans. "I know." A dark hand cupped the back of Reid's skull, fingers tangling in wind-whipped hair. "C'mere."
Reid barely shifted, shoulders hunching even further in rejection of the comfort offered.
Shutting his eyes against Reid's pain and his own, Morgan sighed. "I know you can't forget, we all do. Do you think it's any easier for the rest of us? Hotch has a son. Gideon? Sees probably everyone on the team but Hotch as his kids."
"But you can all forget." Grief and accusation choked Reid, his words rough and broken.
"Yeah," Morgan answered, apologetic and regretful. "Time will help."
"No, it won't," Reid whispered.
"Reid?" Morgan tugged gently, coaxing Reid closer.
Reid hiccuped, uncurling just enough to turn and bury his face in Morgan's neck. "It never gets any easier."
Closing his arms around Reid's body, feeling the tension coiled in tight muscles, Morgan surrendered to his own tears. "No, it doesn't. It never does."
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no subject
Date: 2008-07-18 03:01 pm (UTC)Wow. I'm stunned. Very, very powerful... and I want to know what the situation leading up to this was! Very very well done.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-21 01:47 am (UTC)I'm not one for writing the lead-in situations.::laugh:: I love writing reaction shots and leaving the case-fic for people who can do them well, like
no subject
Date: 2008-07-21 02:46 am (UTC)I know the feeling. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-07-23 10:21 pm (UTC)I was going to say that this was lovely but this isn't a lovely scenario - quite the opposite...messy, painful...so I have to say that this was visceral and realistic. I wouldn't want to be anyone on their team, but I esp wouldn't want to be Reid and have to see those images forever.
Thanks for another great CM story. And yes, many of us don't need backstory to enjoy your work.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 06:03 pm (UTC)i love reading about reid falling apart and morgan being there to help pick the pieces up. angst is my guilty pleasure and you do a fantastic job feeding that love.