Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and it's characters do no belong to me. I'm simply borrowing them.

AN: So, this was my other idea I got with the prompt for the Silver Screen Challenge at CCOAC. Reid was originally not to supposed to be in it quite as much but he wormed his way into the story. I still think Gideon's in their enough to qualify though.

Special thanks to peanutmeg for her help with this story. Not only did she beta it but she generated some ideas that made the story better and bits of the story are things she rewrote or added for me!

Prompt: Derek Morgan, Jason Gideon, Necessary Roughness

The doors of the elevator opened to reveal the sixth floor of the building. SSA Derek Morgan stepped out, an hour later than normal, and headed for his desk in the bullpen. The team had arrived back from McAllister around midnight last night after the half-hour flight home. It had been a quick case, despite being one the folks of the rural Virginia town would not soon forget.

Both Agents Reid and Greenaway had already arrived and were sitting at their desks. As Morgan sat down in his chair his gaze fell on the black brace that was on Reid's left wrist, and he immediately felt guilty. He hadn't meant to hurt they younger agent when he had tackled Reid and Cory in the woods last night. Morgan had simply acted on instinct, rushing the teenager who had been holding a gun on Reid when Reid had taken advantage of Cory pointing the gun in Morgan's direction. Morgan had taken all three of them to the ground, but he'd needed to get the upper-hand on Cory. Put in the same situation, he would do the exact same thing to keep Cory from having another chance at shooting Reid; he couldn't have known he would hurt Reid in the process, but any injury from a tackle would be far better than one from a gun.

~At least he's alive,~ Morgan thought.

"How's the wrist, Reid?" Morgan asked, turning his chair at an angle so that he could face the younger agent.

Reid hadn't admitted to having been hurt when Morgan had tackled him – his 'What happened?' and "No, I got that. Did you have to tackle us both?' did not answer Morgan's 'You alright?' – they had been evasive answers Morgan had missed. Reid hadn't spoken up at the house when they had been turning Cody over to the locals and explaining what had transpired either, nor had he said anything on the trip home. It had been Hotch who had noticed the then bruised and swollen wrist as they had gathered their belongings from the plane while disembarking. Given the attention Reid was getting from Gideon and Hotch, Morgan hadn't had a chance to talk to Reid before the unit chief had driven him to the ER last night, convinced that the young agent wouldn't go on his own. And yet, as angry as Morgan was with Reid about not speaking up about the injury, he was even angrier at himself. He should have followed up with Reid, especially given the younger agent's comments about trust. Morgan should have noticed that Reid's typical "I'm fine" wasn't spoken. But he had gotten caught up in the bureaucracy of apprehending a suspect, and hadn't checked on his partner.

"Grade II sprain," Reid answered, glancing down at his wrist. "The doctor suggested I wear the brace until I go back for a follow-up appointment next week." He raised his head, and found himself looking across the gap between their desks into the concerned look of his friend. "Hey, it beats recovering from a bullet wound, right?" Reid said, trying to lighten the moment.

"I'm sorry, Reid."

"Don't be. Things happened. You saved my life. I'm supposed to be thankful right?"

"You're welcome, Reid." Morgan cringed as he recalled those words.

"I shouldn't have implied that last night," Morgan said. "I wouldn't have if you had just told me you were hurt when I asked!" Morgan ran a hand back across his head before speaking again. "I wasn't trying to hurt you, Reid. I just saw the opening and took it."

"I know that."

"Good. But you should've said something right then and there, Reid." Morgan's voice had risen as he spoke, causing more than just Elle to be paying attention to the two agents. "What if the injury had been more serious?"

"Sorry. I just didn't think it was that serious at the time, but then the pain didn't go away."

"And if Hotch hadn't noticed the bruising and swelling last night, what were you going to do - go home and hope it felt better in the morning?"

Reid stayed silent for a moment and looked back down at his wrist. "Okay, I get it. I should've said something once the pain didn't go away. I still don't blame you, Morgan."

Before Morgan could reply Gideon spoke up.

"Morgan, Reid, I need to see you in my office."

Both agents got to their feet and headed to the senior agent's office. Gideon had already sat back down at his desk and was leaning back against the chair, hands casually folded in front of him.

"Close the door and have a seat," Gideon told them.

As they walked further ino the office, Morgan pushing the door shut, Morgan picked up the conversation from the bullpen.

"Kid, I still should have followed up better. After all you never did answer my question out there."

"If I had said I was fine last night, would that have made you feel better now?" Reid asked as he sat down in a chair across from Gideon.

"No, although that answer probably would have gotten my attention. You always have had a warped sense of fine," Morgan countered as he sat down in the second empty chair.

"Everyone on this team does," Gideon commented, still leaning back in his chair as his two agents continued their conversation as if he hadn't spoken.

"You need to promise me something, Kid. Promise me you won't try to hide any injuries in the future, no matter how minor you may think they are at the moment - and no waiting until the pain 'doesn't go away'."

"On one condition."

"What?"

"You do the same."

"We're not talking about me right now."

"Then I promise nothing," Reid told him, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms.

"Fine. I promise I won't hide any injuries from the team. You happy?"

"Yes, and I promise the same thing," Reid replied, looking over at Morgan.

"Great, now that we have that settled, do you think we can discuss what I called you both in here for?" Gideon asked.

Morgan and Reid both looked at the senior agent as if just realizing he was there. They both also noticed the paperwork on the desk in front of Gideon. Morgan and Reid both murmured replies of consent.

"So, I've had an interesting morning so far and that was before you entered my office," the senior agent said. "Hotch and I have both gotten phone calls from Strauss wanting to know exactly how an agent got injured."

"Tell her it was a case of necessary roughness," Reid replied easily.

Morgan frowned at his friend, Reid's easy dismissal of the incident only making him feel worse. Across from them, Gideon smiled at the remark.

"Somehow, I don't think that is going to be enough of an explanation for her," Gideon commented. ~Though her reaction to that comment would certainly be entertaining,~ he added silently. He could see Strauss's frown and fire-filled eyes if he wrote that answer down on his report. Gideon had a feeling the section chief would try to suspend him if he did.

"So, since the two of you are really the only two that know what went on out there, I need a detailed report on the events that led up Reid's injury," Gideon said with a nod in the genius' direction. He had already asked Reid how he was doing when the young agent had showed up this morning.

"Is she looking to blame this on someone?" Morgan asked.

"Honestly, I don't know," Gideon said. He was a bit perplexed himself why this incident was drawing the section chief's attention.

"Cory was the one that held a gun to my head," Reid interjected.

"Look, I know Morgan wouldn't do something to purposely injure another agent, but we have to play along with Strauss' game and give her a detailed report showing her that your actions were necessary."

Morgan sighed. Reliving the incident and discussing what could have been done differently was not what he wanted to be doing.

"Gideon, put in the same situation I can't say I'd do anything different."

"That's good, but humor me," Gideon requested. He paused while Morgan nodded in consent. "So, let's start with Cory arriving on the scene," he said, leaning forward in his chair and picking up a pen. He looked across the desk at his agents. "One of you, feel free to start talking."

AN2: This was a tag to the episode "Popular Kids". After Morgan tackles Reid, the way he's holding his hand while on the ground always gave me the impression that he might have hurt it in the fall - hence this story.