Work Text:
Of Innocence and Empathy: Empathic Epiphany
by Frogg
Morgan skidded to a halt just short of Garcia's bunker, forcing himself into a semblance of calm. Running a hand over his scalp, he took the last few steps and knocked on the doorframe. "Garcia?"
"Morgan."
He could hear the disdain, the raised eyebrow of irritation. "I know you're angry at me." A lady-like snort answered. "Just hear me out, just once."
"Just once."
"Look up Charlie Dunham's birth announcement. Chicago Tribune, February seventeenth, 2004."
There was a flurry of typing, then Garcia's mumbling as she read the announcement.
Then a gasp, and Garcia turned wide, shocked eyes to stare at him. "Charlie...If Reid..."
"If I hadn't broken up with Reid, he would have been here helping you with the Detroit case. You know he would." Morgan clenched his teeth and looked away for a moment before continuing. "He wouldn't have saved Charlie from that truck. He wouldn't have saved *my godson* from being..."
Silence stretched between them for a long moment.
"You owe him."
Morgan nodded, swallowing hard. "I..."
Garcia eyed him suspiciously. "So, are you going to go get him back, or are you going to keep acting like an idiot and pretending you don't need him?"
"I'm tired of acting like an idiot," Morgan said softly, shaking his head. "It hurts too much."
"So what are you doing standing there?"
Morgan smiled; it had been too long since Garcia had graced him with her teasing and attitude. "I wanted you to know about Charlie from me...and I was hoping...I don't want to show up at the hospital empty-handed, and..." He stopped.
Garcia was holding out a familiar square package. A multi-disc jewel case.
Taking it gingerly, he turned it over in his hands. "What is this?" The labels were plain, hand-written in blue and purple ink.
"You remember Professor Hardiman? Reid was complaining--"
"--that he couldn't attend the new course he was teaching since he was working for the BAU, yeah, I remember," Morgan finished, dawning comprehension lighting his features.
Garcia turned back to her computers, tapping away at the keyboard in some unexplained task. "Well..." she started, dragging out the word. "I, Oracle of Quantico that I am, hunted down this Professor Hardiman and, using my most awesome skills of persuasion, got him to record his lectures and send them to me. Since, of course, Reid is one of his very favorite people in the world, as well he should be." She wrinkled her nose, grinning in absolute glee. "I've just been waiting...for an appropriate time."
"And Reid can't do much for a while. If there's a more appropriate time, I don't know what it is," Morgan finished. "Garcia, you're amazing."
Garcia sighed and sat back in her chair, a smug grin on her face. "I know."
"One more thing?"
"What's that?"
"Print me out a copy of that announcement?" Morgan pointed to the screen with his empty hand. "If Gideon--"
"Here you go." Garcia snatched a piece of paper from the printer and handed it to Morgan. "Do the others...?"
Morgan shook his head. "You can tell 'em, if you want." He saluted with the jewel case. "Thanks."
Then he was gone.
~~~the end~~~