Fic: Fonder In Absence, Chapter 1 (Criminal Minds, Reid / Morgan, Sean / Cain, Hotch)
Title: Fonder In Absence, Chapter 1
Pair: Spencer Reid / Derek Morgan,
Aaron Hotchner / Chad Christensen,
Sean Hotchner / Cain Christensen
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc
Feedback: Always Welcome.
Criminal Minds Main List
“Stop for a minute there.” Hotch placed the case file on his lap and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What is wrong?”
“What do you mean?” J.J. looked up from her papers. “I just said it: The fifth girl was found in a ditch-”
“No, why do you keep pausing after every sentence?”
“I don’t do that.”
“Both you and Morgan do that.” Hotch send a glare at the man in question. “Is it something I should be aware of?”
“No… I just…” J.J. started, but then looked down and blushed.
“She means we keep waiting for that noise, and then we realise it’s not gonna come.” Morgan explained. “It’s just a habit. We keep waiting for a voice to say something totally freaky and start by saying: Did you know that blaa blaa blaa…”
“We’ll get used to it.” J.J. assured. “Reid’s only gone for a week, maybe a bit longer.”
“But it’s hard. This morning when I was doing my report on the last case I actually had to google some stuff. I turned to ask something from him and then I remembered he wasn`t there.”
“I’m sorry that you actually need to do some work to get your reports ready.” Hotch deadpanned. “But we’re landing in half an hour and we still haven’t covered most of the information the locals sent us.” He was about to pick up his case file again when his phone started ringing. “And it doesn’t look like we will.”
“Shouldn’t you shut off your phone in an airplane?” J.J. wondered.
“Only on commercial flights.” Morgan stated and turned to face her as well as he could in his seat. “There’s never been any actually evidence, that cellphone could have any effect on airplane controls, and they’re actually allowed on military planes and-” He slapped his hand over his own mouth and closed his eyes for a minute. “Am I imagining things, or have I started to sound like Reid?”
“You’re not imagining it.” She smirked and pulled his hand down. “We need him back before your identity crisis goes too far.”
“Did you know the phrase “identity crisis” is usually used erroneously… I can’t control it.” Morgan’s expression was the picture of horror. “I open my mouth and that stuff just comes out…”
“Calm down. Put your head between your knees and breathe deep.”
Hotch stared at them with disbelief. He took a quick look at Rossi and Prentiss, who were sitting on the backseats. Rossi was making notes to his pad with a little smirk on his face, while Prentiss was doing her best trying not to laugh. Hotch decided to give up and flipped his cellphone open.
“Hotchner.”
“Hey, bro.”
“Sean? Why are you whispering?”
“Tell me you need a babysitter. Please.”
“It`s not my weekend, it`s Wednesday and Jack is with Hailey.”
“Well… Do you need help?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Moving furniture or something, or cleaning the garage. Anything, I’m desperate here.”
“We’re on our way to Walton County, I don’t need any help from you. But I might take you up on that garage cleaning when we come back.”
“After you refused to help me? Keep dreaming…”
“Sean, do you have something to say or can we end this conversation now? And why are you still whispering?”
“Cain’s in the shower, I don’t want him to hear me. Maybe I could tell him I’m sick-”
“What are you trying to get out of now? Gym again?”
“No, he already dragged me there, we just got back. It’s worse than that. He’s coming, I gotta go.”
Sean hung up and Hotch looked down at the cellphone. The call had gotten the attention of all the passengers, who were now observing him with obvious amusement.
“How’s Sean?” Rossi finally asked.
“He sounded like he did when Cain dragged him to the dentist. So everything’s normal.” Hotch pocketed his phone and picked up his forgotten case file. “Morgan, do you think you can focus now?”
“I’ll try…” Morgan groaned. His head was still buried between his knees.
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“Who was on the phone?” Cain walked into the bedroom, drying himself on a fluffy towel.
“No one.” Sean snapped his phone shut.
“You were talking to yourself?”
“No, I mean it was salesman.”
“What was he selling?”
“He was selling… encyclopaedias.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I already got one series, so…”
“So you didn’t call your brother to wheedle yourself out of this?”
“No, I…” Sean’s arsenal of explanation was nearly empty and he decided to give up. “Okay, I was trying to get out of it. Why do we both need to suffer?”
“Because I’ve known Darla for years, and it’s her first exhibit.”
“Then why can’t you go alone?”
“Why should I suffer alone, when the invitation was for two?” Cain shrugged and spread his towel on the nightstand. “Ugly paintings she calls art, cheap wine and cheese nibbles. We’ll go in, see some paintings, talk to her for few minutes and then leave.”
“Promise? We don’t need to stay there for hours?”
“I promise. Look, she’s a really awful painter, but a really nice woman. She wanted people she knows, so at least some of the guests are willing to lie and say they liked her work.” Cain pulled on pair of jeans, followed by a black dress shirt and a black leatherjacket.
“Okay…” Sean pulled his closet open and checked its content. “What do I say to her?”
“Say something nice about her works.”
“Like… I really love the lighting in that one.”
“Yeah.”
“Or… Your brushing looks really nice.”
“She doesn’t use brushes.”
“Then what?”
“She pours paint on herself and then wriggles on a canvas.”
“And that’s art? In a real art gallery?”
“Yeah.”
“Even I could do that!”
“Probably, but your dad doesn’t own an art gallery.”
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“Morgan, don’t ask me that again or I’ll have to suspend you and send you to a psych evaluation.”
“I just asked if I could kick the door in!”
“She wasn’t a suspect.”
“She slammed the door in my face!”
“After you tried to fondle her messenger bag.”
“Reid keeps gum in the outer pocket, I’m so used to just digging some out, it was an instinct.”
“Morgan… Has you had trouble sleeping lately? After Reid flew to Vegas."
“Not really.”
“Morgan.”
“Okay, I may have some troubles there, but I`ll sleep when I get tired enought .”
“If this becomes an issue-”
“I can do my job.”
“Morgan." Hotch frowned and used his strictest tone. "Go back to the motel and get some rest.”
“Fine…”
“And as long as we stay here, you’ll stay far away from the DA, and her door.”
“I was just trying to apologise, but she didn’t open her door-”
“Go to the motel or I’ll send one of the uniforms to escort you there.”
“I’m going.” Morgan shoved his hands down to his pockets like a petulant child, then pulled them back up. “You want a mint?”
“Where did you get those?”
“From her messenger bag. Right before she started screaming and locked herself into her office.”
Chapter 2