Changed for the better
Title: Changed for the better
Author: b_o_w_a
Rating: PG
Warnings/Spoilers: angst. merlin/criminal minds crossover.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin nor Criminal Minds.
Summary: “Guys, this is Merlin…” Reid’s voice cracks, “my boyfriend.” Merlin’s shaking fingers tightening around Reid’s squeezing them tightly.
Word Count:1198
A/N: Written for crimeland 's crossover challange.
They know everything is changing when Reid suddenly stops. His hands are in the middle of whatever gesture he was making with them and his mouth hangs open, his eyes wide.
They all notice it; it’s not very often that Reid stops in the middle of saying something.
In the entrance to the BAU stand two people, one male and one female. They look alike, pale skin, tall, hair so dark it could be black, and they all know that without a doubt that Reid knows them.
Reid moves, his long limbs scrambling to stand up, but once he’s finally standing he walks towards them slowly, his eyes still wide.
The man stiffens as Reid moves closer, and they all realize that the woman is supporting him.
“Merlin,” Reid glances between the two people, his eyes finally settling on the man. “Merlin,” he says again, “what are you doing here?”
The man, Merlin takes a step forward, and they know why the woman was helping him, he moves slowly, his face full of pain. Reid reaches out to steady him.
“I wanted to see you…” Merlin says, his voice barely above a whisper. “I… I don’t know…how much…”
Reid shakes his head, moving one hand to cup the back of the man’s neck. “No, no Merlin. It’s not…you’re not…” Reid shakes his head again. “Everything will be okay.”
The team doesn’t know who the man is - Reid hasn’t said anything about him - but they know from the way they look at each other that there’s something there, something deep and painful for the both of them.
“Please…I don’t know how long your next case will be...or when it will be…and I just...I just wanted to say goodbye…” The man smiles briefly, and for a second, he’s beautiful, his eyes hold a hint of laughter and his smile makes his face seem less gaunt, he looks less sick. “And I’ve never met your co-workers…I want to met the people you talk so much about.”
The man smiles again and Reid seems to melt at the action.
Reid nods. He turns, kissing the woman’s cheek softly before helping the man down the stairs to where they are.
They all stand, watching as the two struggle down the stairs and across the floor to where they are.
Merlin scowls as Reid tries to get him to sit; Reid laughs a little.
Reid turns to look at them, his face falling, and they can all see how hard this and how much this means to the both of them.
“Guys, this is Merlin…” Reid’s voice cracks, “my boyfriend.” Merlin’s shaking fingers tightening around Reid’s squeezing them tightly.
“I just wanted to say thank you, for taking care of Reid. He talks about all of you in the best of lights...” Merlin takes a breath, his whole body shaking. “As I’m sure you’ve realized, I’m not in the best of health…” He glances at Reid. “In fact, I’m dying.” Merlin looks back at them. “I wanted to meet you all, and say, that not only have you made Reid’s life better over the course of the last nine years, you’ve also made mine better. Reid told me so much, about all of you, that I feel as if I know you, that I feel as if we were already friends, and I know, that Reid hasn’t said anything about me, and I don’t mean to drop this on you like a bomb, but I just wanted to say, thank you, so much, for that.”
Reid’s not looking at them, and JJ’s got tears in her eyes, and Emily has to look away, because she can deal with everything but this.
JJ moves first, her arms outstretched, pulling Merlin into a hug. “Oh, Merlin,” Merlin’s thin and fragile and her motherly instincts are kicking into overdrive and she doesn’t know what to do to make everything better.
“I…I don’t know anything about you, but we are friends, okay, Merlin?”
Morgan moves next to the woman, standing silently off the side, tears running down in her face. “You’re Merlin’s sister?”
The woman looks shocked for a second, but then she laughs, wiping away her tears. “Yeah…yeah I am.” She glances back at the group, before looking back. “Merlin…he’s right. He doesn’t have much longer…You’ll take care of Reid won’t you?”
Morgan nods, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Yeah...yeah I’ll take care of Reid.”
The woman nods. “He’s like family…they’ve been dating for years…since they were both 20…and I just really, really need for Reid to be okay afterwards…”
Morgan nods again.
Merlin’s leaning against Reid now, Reid’s hand wrapped around Merlin’s slender waist, and he’s talking to Hotch now.
“Listen…let me give you my phone number, before you and Merlin leave…” Morgan stares at the woman, realizing he doesn’t know her name.
She smiles. “Morgana,”
Morgan laughs softly. “Morgana, let me give you my number…I want you to call, if anything happens to Merlin…Reid...he doesn’t like getting seeming week, he wouldn’t call one of us if something happens.”
Morgana nods her head; she looks away as Reid places a small kiss on Merlin’s cheek, tears forming behind her eyes.
Morgan feels helpless. They all feel helpless.
---
It’s been a week since they all met Merlin, and they’ve all been to visit him at least twice. JJ spends the most time there, trying to make up for the time she lost without knowing about it.
They’ve all met Arthur and Gwen and Lancelot and Will, and they’ve all seen the way that Reid falls asleep, his body pressed up against Merlin’s, their fingers tangled.
Merlin still lives at home, not sick enough to be placed in the hospital but too sick to leave very often.
They learn Merlin’s been diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy and that if he doesn’t get a heart transplant soon he’ll die.
Soon it’s like they’ve always known Merlin.
---
It’s 2 in the morning when Derek gets the text, his heart stopping when he sees who it’s from.
Don’t freak, Reid won’t be in today - Morgana
Derek rolls out of bed, his fingers pressing buttons; the phone seems to ring forever before Morgana picks up.
“What’s happening with Merlin?”
Morgana’s voice is light and breathless, her words hurried. “They’ve got a heart for him; Reid’s driving us to the hospital now.”
The tightness in Derek’s chest disappears, and he sighs as he leans back down, staring up at his white ceiling.
---
It’s been a month since Merlin had his transplant and he’s back in the BAU with Reid by his side.
He’s still week, but nothing like before. Reid and Merlin are attached at the hand but no one seems to care because Merlin’s got a smile on his face, and it’s beautiful, and every time Reid moves the light glints off the small band of gold around his finger, and everyone can’t help the smiles on their faces.
Morgana moves closer to Morgan, blushing as one of his hands settles onto her back.
Reid smiles as he watches Morgan and Morgana share a smile between the two of them.
They all know that the day Merlin and Morgana showed up changed things, but it’s only now that they realize things changed for the better.
Author: b_o_w_a
Rating: PG
Warnings/Spoilers: angst. merlin/criminal minds crossover.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin nor Criminal Minds.
Summary: “Guys, this is Merlin…” Reid’s voice cracks, “my boyfriend.” Merlin’s shaking fingers tightening around Reid’s squeezing them tightly.
Word Count:1198
A/N: Written for crimeland 's crossover challange.
They know everything is changing when Reid suddenly stops. His hands are in the middle of whatever gesture he was making with them and his mouth hangs open, his eyes wide.
They all notice it; it’s not very often that Reid stops in the middle of saying something.
In the entrance to the BAU stand two people, one male and one female. They look alike, pale skin, tall, hair so dark it could be black, and they all know that without a doubt that Reid knows them.
Reid moves, his long limbs scrambling to stand up, but once he’s finally standing he walks towards them slowly, his eyes still wide.
The man stiffens as Reid moves closer, and they all realize that the woman is supporting him.
“Merlin,” Reid glances between the two people, his eyes finally settling on the man. “Merlin,” he says again, “what are you doing here?”
The man, Merlin takes a step forward, and they know why the woman was helping him, he moves slowly, his face full of pain. Reid reaches out to steady him.
“I wanted to see you…” Merlin says, his voice barely above a whisper. “I… I don’t know…how much…”
Reid shakes his head, moving one hand to cup the back of the man’s neck. “No, no Merlin. It’s not…you’re not…” Reid shakes his head again. “Everything will be okay.”
The team doesn’t know who the man is - Reid hasn’t said anything about him - but they know from the way they look at each other that there’s something there, something deep and painful for the both of them.
“Please…I don’t know how long your next case will be...or when it will be…and I just...I just wanted to say goodbye…” The man smiles briefly, and for a second, he’s beautiful, his eyes hold a hint of laughter and his smile makes his face seem less gaunt, he looks less sick. “And I’ve never met your co-workers…I want to met the people you talk so much about.”
The man smiles again and Reid seems to melt at the action.
Reid nods. He turns, kissing the woman’s cheek softly before helping the man down the stairs to where they are.
They all stand, watching as the two struggle down the stairs and across the floor to where they are.
Merlin scowls as Reid tries to get him to sit; Reid laughs a little.
Reid turns to look at them, his face falling, and they can all see how hard this and how much this means to the both of them.
“Guys, this is Merlin…” Reid’s voice cracks, “my boyfriend.” Merlin’s shaking fingers tightening around Reid’s squeezing them tightly.
“I just wanted to say thank you, for taking care of Reid. He talks about all of you in the best of lights...” Merlin takes a breath, his whole body shaking. “As I’m sure you’ve realized, I’m not in the best of health…” He glances at Reid. “In fact, I’m dying.” Merlin looks back at them. “I wanted to meet you all, and say, that not only have you made Reid’s life better over the course of the last nine years, you’ve also made mine better. Reid told me so much, about all of you, that I feel as if I know you, that I feel as if we were already friends, and I know, that Reid hasn’t said anything about me, and I don’t mean to drop this on you like a bomb, but I just wanted to say, thank you, so much, for that.”
Reid’s not looking at them, and JJ’s got tears in her eyes, and Emily has to look away, because she can deal with everything but this.
JJ moves first, her arms outstretched, pulling Merlin into a hug. “Oh, Merlin,” Merlin’s thin and fragile and her motherly instincts are kicking into overdrive and she doesn’t know what to do to make everything better.
“I…I don’t know anything about you, but we are friends, okay, Merlin?”
Morgan moves next to the woman, standing silently off the side, tears running down in her face. “You’re Merlin’s sister?”
The woman looks shocked for a second, but then she laughs, wiping away her tears. “Yeah…yeah I am.” She glances back at the group, before looking back. “Merlin…he’s right. He doesn’t have much longer…You’ll take care of Reid won’t you?”
Morgan nods, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Yeah...yeah I’ll take care of Reid.”
The woman nods. “He’s like family…they’ve been dating for years…since they were both 20…and I just really, really need for Reid to be okay afterwards…”
Morgan nods again.
Merlin’s leaning against Reid now, Reid’s hand wrapped around Merlin’s slender waist, and he’s talking to Hotch now.
“Listen…let me give you my phone number, before you and Merlin leave…” Morgan stares at the woman, realizing he doesn’t know her name.
She smiles. “Morgana,”
Morgan laughs softly. “Morgana, let me give you my number…I want you to call, if anything happens to Merlin…Reid...he doesn’t like getting seeming week, he wouldn’t call one of us if something happens.”
Morgana nods her head; she looks away as Reid places a small kiss on Merlin’s cheek, tears forming behind her eyes.
Morgan feels helpless. They all feel helpless.
---
It’s been a week since they all met Merlin, and they’ve all been to visit him at least twice. JJ spends the most time there, trying to make up for the time she lost without knowing about it.
They’ve all met Arthur and Gwen and Lancelot and Will, and they’ve all seen the way that Reid falls asleep, his body pressed up against Merlin’s, their fingers tangled.
Merlin still lives at home, not sick enough to be placed in the hospital but too sick to leave very often.
They learn Merlin’s been diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy and that if he doesn’t get a heart transplant soon he’ll die.
Soon it’s like they’ve always known Merlin.
---
It’s 2 in the morning when Derek gets the text, his heart stopping when he sees who it’s from.
Don’t freak, Reid won’t be in today - Morgana
Derek rolls out of bed, his fingers pressing buttons; the phone seems to ring forever before Morgana picks up.
“What’s happening with Merlin?”
Morgana’s voice is light and breathless, her words hurried. “They’ve got a heart for him; Reid’s driving us to the hospital now.”
The tightness in Derek’s chest disappears, and he sighs as he leans back down, staring up at his white ceiling.
---
It’s been a month since Merlin had his transplant and he’s back in the BAU with Reid by his side.
He’s still week, but nothing like before. Reid and Merlin are attached at the hand but no one seems to care because Merlin’s got a smile on his face, and it’s beautiful, and every time Reid moves the light glints off the small band of gold around his finger, and everyone can’t help the smiles on their faces.
Morgana moves closer to Morgan, blushing as one of his hands settles onto her back.
Reid smiles as he watches Morgan and Morgana share a smile between the two of them.
They all know that the day Merlin and Morgana showed up changed things, but it’s only now that they realize things changed for the better.