AN: This is not my typical story. I'm not a big fan of inter-team pairings for criminal minds nor slashing characters that aren't established that way on the show but this story has been bouncing around in my head since I saw the episode "JJ". I finally decided to give in and write it. Hope it came out okay.

Derek Morgan sat alone in his office. He wasn't even trying to pretend he was working. The blinds were closed. He didn't need to pretend. Didn't need to be strong, and yet there was someone that he wanted to be strong for. He didn't know how to do that though. That person had no idea how he really felt about them. As hard as JJ's leaving was for him, as Morgan knew he was going to miss the blonde media liaison, the truth of the matter was, it was going to hurt someone else even more and knowing that, just made JJ's departure that much harder.

"They can't just take you away."

Reid had said those words twice. Both times they had felt like knives ripping through his heart. He had stood there, looking at the younger man. Reid had looked so lost and so alone. He hadn't remembered the kid looking that way since Gideon had left them.

~If only I could shelter him from this, ~ Morgan thought, leaning back in his chair and running his hands back over his head.

He had wanted to console Reid but he hadn't known how. Even JJ had looked to be at a loss on how to console their friend. Reid hadn't looked at her, when she had touched his arm but had seemed to withdraw more from them.

There was a knock at his office door. Morgan let out a sigh. He wanted to be alone. The knock repeated itself.

"It's open," Morgan called out brusquely. As the door started to open, he continued in the same brusque tone. "Can't this wait until . . ."

Morgan let his words trail off as he realized who it was that had come knocking on his door.

"I-I- I'm sorry," Reid stammered stopping in mid-step. "I'll just . . . I'll see you tomorrow," he managed to get out, starting to pull the door closed again.

"No, wait, Kid. It's okay," Morgan said quickly getting to his feet. "I didn't think you were still here."

"I couldn't face being alone in my apartment right now," Reid replied, his hand still on the door knob. Though he had ceased his retreat, he didn't make any effort to come further into the office.

Morgan walked around his desk, and gently grabbing the younger profiler's arm, pulled him the rest of the way into the office. Reid tensed at the touch but entered without resistance. Morgan pushed the office door shut and then guided Reid toward the chair in front of his desk. Mechanically, the younger agent sat down, pulling the messenger bag that was looped over his shoulder into his lap.

"It's kind of hard to believe it's happening, isn't it?" Morgan questioned softly, perching on the corner of his desk facing Reid.

Reid nodded, his Adam's apple moving up and down as he swallowed hard a couple of times. Morgan knew the younger agent was struggling with his emotions and didn't press. He fought his own desires of what he wanted to do to console his friend. To console himself really. This wasn't the time though. Morgan had accepted long ago that there may never be a time to reveal his true feelings.

"It's not fair," Reid managed to get out, the three words just as soft and broken as the six he had said in the bull pen.

"They can't just take you away."

"No, it's not, Kid. None of us are happy about this."

"When Gideon left . . ." Reid began. Another hard swallow.

Morgan didn't move or say anything. If the kid was going to get this out, it needed to come out at his own pace.

"Gideon's leaving was hard to understand and accept but in the end I did because it was his choice. JJ doesn't want to leave. Don't they understand they're tearing apart a family?" Reid said, finally looking up at Morgan.

Reid's look was pleading. Morgan felt as if the younger man was asking him to make this right. ~I can't, Kid, ~ Morgan said silently. ~I can't make this right, because nothing about it is right.~

The pain Morgan saw in the brown eyes in front of him hurt more than any injury he had ever endured.

"I don't think they care, Kid. All they care about is what they're going to gain. The role that JJ can fill for them," Morgan told him, knowing that as hard as those words were to either speak or hear, it was what needed to be said. Neither of them were looking for false words. Morgan knew the only solace was going to come from knowing that the others were still there.

"It seems to be the story of my life," Reid said quietly, his voice trembling as he looked down at the floor. Morgan saw him reach up to wipe at his cheeks. He hadn't seen tear drops but Reid's action told him that they had been there. Reid looked back up at him. "Who's next?"

Morgan understood there was more to that question than just work issues. He knew what Reid's life was like. How many people he had lost in some fashion. His father had walked out. His mother taken away from him by her disease. Gideon had left out of the blue. Now JJ was suddenly being ripped from his life.

As they sat there, looking at each other, sharing silently the pain they both were feeling inside, Morgan saw a single tear well up and slip from Reid's right eye. As it moved slowly down the pale skin of his cheek, Reid didn't reach up to wipe it away. Morgan moved from his position taking a step closer, his intention was to wipe it away himself.

~It won't be me, ~ Morgan said silently, knowing that even if Reid never knew how he felt about him, was never able to return those feelings, that he could never leave him. It was the real reason he hadn't taken the promotion that would have taken him to New York City. He knew he couldn't do that to Reid. Couldn't have dealt with seeing the look that he was facing now and know that he was the cause of it.

Without realizing what he was doing, Morgan reached Reid's side and instead of wiping away the tear, he bent over. Slowly his face moved closer to the younger agents. He felt the wetness of the tear on his lips. Tasted its saltiness as he kissed the lone tear away.

Realizing what he had done, Morgan closed his eyes, knowing he might have just ruined one of the closest friendships he had ever had in his life. He straightened up, his eyes still closed, listening to the silence in the room around him. Though the younger man didn't say a word, Morgan felt the younger man's eyes on him. Morgan felt for sure that if he opened his eyes he knew what he would see in those brown eyes now. It wouldn't be the pain that was there before. Instead, he felt sure those brown eyes would hold a feeling of betrayal and disgust.

~What have I done?~ Morgan thought.

Wanting to get it over with, Morgan opened his eyes. Reid was indeed looking up at him, his eyes wide and full of emotion. Surprise. Warmth. Uncertainty. Hope. To Morgan's relief though, there wasn't a trace of disgust in sight.

Encouraged, and knowing that an answer would not be found in words at this point in time, Morgan knelt down in front of Reid. Reaching out, he slowly and gently placed his hands on the younger man's face, relishing the feel of the soft, warm skin beneath his touch. There was no resistance to the touch. No tensing up of the younger man's body. Morgan leaned forward, his lips seeking Reid's. Morgan felt Reid's body shift forward, moving to meet the oncoming kiss. Within moments he felt Reid's lips on his, just as soft as he always imagined they would feel.

The sound of the door opening was lost to the two. It was the voice that caused both men to move away from the other.

"Morgan, I wanted to ask . . ." JJ began to say, her voice trailing off as she realized what she had walked into. "I"m so sorry," she stammered, before backing out of the office, the door shutting softly behind her.

Reid whispered words so softly that even Morgan couldn't catch them. He did catch a glimpse of his red face as he hid his face in his hands.

"Don't go anywhere," Morgan instructed, getting to his feet. "I'm going to go talk to her," he added, resting his hand briefly on Reid's shoulder as he walked toward the door.

Stepping out of the hallway, he saw the purple blouse of JJ's retreating figure.

"JJ, wait," Morgan called out, hurrying after her.

The blonde turned, a soft blush still on her face.

"I'm sorry. I should have knocked."

"What you saw in there . . ."

"Was none of my business," she said with a smile, and Morgan could tell right away that she was fine with the idea of him and Reid. Happy for them even.

Morgan nodded, knowing the secret was safe for now. It was up to him and Reid to tell whom they wanted to tell and when.

"You wanted to ask me something?"

"It doesn't matter," JJ told him, still smiling. "I just wanted to ask you to keep an eye on Spencer for me. To make sure he was going to be okay. It doesn't look like I need to worry about that."

Morgan smiled back at her. No, that was one thing she didn't need to ask of him. He would do it willingly. "Don't worry. I'll watch over him for you," Morgan told her anyway. "For both of us."

The two shared a brief embrace, before JJ turned and headed back toward the elevator she had returned to the floor on. Not wanting to see her leave, Morgan turned and headed back toward his office and the person who was hopefully still waiting there for him.