Got this idea from reading a reviewer's story. Hope you enjoy.

Standard disclaimer applies.

"Eh, you guys go on ahead. I'll stay here, catch another flight."

"Everything okay, Morgan?"

"Yeah, it's just…"

"Come to think of it, I'll stay too," Rossi said.

"There something you're not telling us, guys?" JJ asked finally.

"Well…" Morgan began. "Remember when Reid fell asleep on the plane here? Happened again a couple days ago…"

---

"Well, here it is."

"It's locked. He did say he was going to visit his mother…"

"You really bought that, Rossi?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Okay. I've known Reid a while, and I know he loves his mom, but the kid's a bigger workaholic than even Hotch. I know what this is about."

"That case?"

"Yeah."

"Well, we've got no rooms. I can cover for that, but we can't check in for another three hours. Suggestions?"

Morgan smiled at the senior agent. "Give me a minute."

----

Twenty minutes later, Morgan arrived back in front of Reid's hotel room door, a smile wider than the Grand Canyon on his face.

"Okay, and just what did you have to give up to get that?" Rossi asked, a small smile crossing his face as he casually pointed at the black keycard in Morgan's hand.

"Give up? Nothing…"

"Really."

"Hey, I just walked downstairs, explained to the desk clerk ever so nicely that I was meeting my brother in town for a surprise on his birthday, and could I get let into his room. Not my fault she gave me a key."

"Well, that and that smile of yours is better than a gold card when it comes to women."

Morgan chuckled a little. "I didn't say that."

The two agents let themselves in. Morgan flopped down in one of the room's overstuffed armchairs. "Now what?"

"Well, if he's really looking into this case, he'll probably go down and collect information on it. So, we wait."

"Terrific. I shoulda hit another ATM—least then I could go play the slots some more. Emily made me lose out this morning…"

"I don't think I've ever seen her drunk. Crabby thing."

"Rossi, you haven't seen her when it's ladies night in D.C. and there's karaoke."

"She sings?"

"Pretty well, too. Of course, she's also falling over as she does it."

The older man flipped on the television, searching the channels for something interesting to watch. "Amazing," he mused. "Someone should really profile the people involved in daytime programming."

"Why?" Morgan had raided the minibar, and there was an order of room service coming shortly—a little 'gift' from the desk clerk that he'd conveniently forgotten to mention.

"I mean, look at this crap. Voyeurism, exploitation, narcissism, convoluted psychoanalysis—and that's just the talk shows."

"Why I stick to ESPN on my days off."

"Hey, I usually do Food Network for background noise, unless it's duck season."

"Whoa, hey, stop there!" Morgan cried as Rossi lifted his finger to press the remote again. The sounds of heavy dramatic music and the images of beautiful people flashed over the screen.

"A soap opera?"

"Hey, this one's my mom's favorite," Morgan replied. "Yeah, it's cheesy, but it's better than the voyeuristic crap. At least I can have fun looking at the…"

Rossi's eyes went up a degree, almost daring Morgan to finish that sentence.

"Just…it's all right," Morgan finally said.

----

Forty minutes later, and Rossi was hooked. Sure, every beautiful woman had some kind of ulterior motive or relationship issue, and every handsome man had some sort of devious plot or white-knight complex, but Morgan was right—it was mildly entertaining.

"What are you guys doing in here?" a voice asked.

"What does it look like?"

"Breaking into my hotel room and watching 'Days of our Lives?'

"The Young and the Restless, actually."

"You two are supposed to be on a plane to D.C."

Morgan and Rossi looked at their young colleague, box in hand. Without missing a beat, Morgan replied, "You're supposed to be hanging out with your mom." And now that that's out of the way, we can get down to business, he thought. Hopefully it'll put the kid's demons to rest…