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carolinecraneTitle: Zeroes and Ones 2/?
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Pairing: Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid
Rating: NC17
Summary: AU. This diverges from canon directly after 4x01. When Derek's offered the job heading up the NYC field office, he takes it for the good of his career. He expects to leave the BAU and everyone he knew in Virginia behind, but some people are easier to let go of than others.
Derek’s last two weeks at the BAU were business as usual, mostly. There were cases and flights across the country, brainstorming sessions and frustration and short tempers, and in between all that he had to squeeze in all the details of a transfer. The FBI gave him time for the actual move, of course, and he had a per diem for the first couple weeks in New York, so he’d have time to find a place to stay once he got there. But he still had rental properties in Virginia to deal with, and he had to make temporary arrangements for Clooney.
So he didn’t have time to worry about the fact that Reid was mostly avoiding him, and if he noticed he told himself it was just because Reid didn’t like change. As soon as Derek was gone he’d get over it, and when someone new joined the team…well, Reid would probably be cold at first, but he trusted Rossi and Prentiss enough by now to let them help him work it out. At least Derek hoped he did, but he’d been pretty much keeping to himself lately, and that couldn’t be a good sign.
There was a going-away party on his last day – organized by Garcia, of course – and Derek wasn’t surprised that Reid more or less boycotted that too. He told himself it didn’t matter, that eventually Reid would come around and then maybe they could talk about keeping in touch. They were still colleagues, after all, and even if they didn’t stay friends their paths were bound to cross again sooner or later. Derek would rather things between them were at least civil, but it was hard to tell Reid any of that when he headed in the other direction as soon as he saw Derek coming.
“No frowning from the guest of honor,” Garcia said, sidling up next to Derek and bumping her shoulder against his bicep. “You’re supposed to be making us all feel bad by going on and on about how you can’t wait to get out of here.”
“You know that’s not true,” Derek answered, but he couldn’t quite muster a smile. The truth was that he’d had second thoughts from the moment he accepted the job; he had a life here, coworkers he clicked with and a job that challenged him at every turn. His new job would be even more challenging in some ways, but there would be no Garcia to look out for him, and no Reid to make him think outside his own personal boxes. Hell, he was even going miss working for Hotch, and if it was up to Hotch he wouldn’t even have gotten the job.
“Listen, baby girl, I need you to promise me something.”
“Sure, but if it involves phone sex, we’re going to have to keep it a secret. I don’t think Kevin will understand.”
Derek smiled, but it faded as soon as he looked up and saw Reid walking back into the bullpen. “I need you to look after Reid the way you’ve always looked out for me.”
“I look after all my babies, you know that,” Garcia said, frowning as she followed Derek’s gaze. He was watching Reid cross the room to stop in front of Derek’s desk, hesitating for a second before he pulled something out of his bag and set it down on the desk.
“I think Reid’s going to need more looking after than usual,” Derek said, still watching as Reid looked up and finally met his gaze. Just for a second, then he ducked his head and started for the door, and Derek wasn’t sure if he was supposed to follow, or if he should go look at whatever Reid left him. “Something’s up with him.”
“Sure thing,” Garcia answered, and Derek could hear the concern in her voice. “You can count on me.”
“Thanks, baby girl,” Derek said, turning back to her long enough to brush a kiss across her cheek. “I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”
Before she could answer he was walking away, making a beeline for his desk and the small, rectangular package sitting in the center of it. He could tell what it was before he opened it, but he picked it up carefully anyway, taking his time peeling back the plain brown paper Reid had wrapped it in. There was a Post-It stuck to the cover of the book, and Derek smiled at Reid’s handwriting.
My mother read this to me when I started college. She said all new journeys are scary, but if we compare them to Odysseus’ epic journey then we’ll see that there’s nothing to fear.
Derek had pictured thirteen-year-old Reid on his first day of college plenty of times, scared out of his mind and carrying more weight on his pre-teen shoulders than any kid should have to deal with. Derek knew a little bit about how that felt, but at least he’d never been a scrawny ten-year-old in a sea of high school kids. Reid knew better than anyone what it was like to face the unknown completely alone, and the fact that he’d done this even though he was still mad at Derek for leaving…well, it meant something.
The copy of The Odyssey looked worn, and Derek wondered idly if it was Reid’s own. He ran his fingers over the binding, wondering how many times Reid had opened this book himself. Considering his memory he didn’t have much need to read a book more than once, but he seemed to like having them, and Derek always figured that had something to do with how he was brought up.
He flipped the book open and turned to the title page, frowning when he realized there was an inscription. But it wasn’t addressed to him, and as he read it something tightened in his chest. He closed the book and carefully tucked it into his box of personal belongings, then he headed back to the party and started saying his goodbyes.
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Pairing: Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid
Rating: NC17
Summary: AU. This diverges from canon directly after 4x01. When Derek's offered the job heading up the NYC field office, he takes it for the good of his career. He expects to leave the BAU and everyone he knew in Virginia behind, but some people are easier to let go of than others.
Derek’s last two weeks at the BAU were business as usual, mostly. There were cases and flights across the country, brainstorming sessions and frustration and short tempers, and in between all that he had to squeeze in all the details of a transfer. The FBI gave him time for the actual move, of course, and he had a per diem for the first couple weeks in New York, so he’d have time to find a place to stay once he got there. But he still had rental properties in Virginia to deal with, and he had to make temporary arrangements for Clooney.
So he didn’t have time to worry about the fact that Reid was mostly avoiding him, and if he noticed he told himself it was just because Reid didn’t like change. As soon as Derek was gone he’d get over it, and when someone new joined the team…well, Reid would probably be cold at first, but he trusted Rossi and Prentiss enough by now to let them help him work it out. At least Derek hoped he did, but he’d been pretty much keeping to himself lately, and that couldn’t be a good sign.
There was a going-away party on his last day – organized by Garcia, of course – and Derek wasn’t surprised that Reid more or less boycotted that too. He told himself it didn’t matter, that eventually Reid would come around and then maybe they could talk about keeping in touch. They were still colleagues, after all, and even if they didn’t stay friends their paths were bound to cross again sooner or later. Derek would rather things between them were at least civil, but it was hard to tell Reid any of that when he headed in the other direction as soon as he saw Derek coming.
“No frowning from the guest of honor,” Garcia said, sidling up next to Derek and bumping her shoulder against his bicep. “You’re supposed to be making us all feel bad by going on and on about how you can’t wait to get out of here.”
“You know that’s not true,” Derek answered, but he couldn’t quite muster a smile. The truth was that he’d had second thoughts from the moment he accepted the job; he had a life here, coworkers he clicked with and a job that challenged him at every turn. His new job would be even more challenging in some ways, but there would be no Garcia to look out for him, and no Reid to make him think outside his own personal boxes. Hell, he was even going miss working for Hotch, and if it was up to Hotch he wouldn’t even have gotten the job.
“Listen, baby girl, I need you to promise me something.”
“Sure, but if it involves phone sex, we’re going to have to keep it a secret. I don’t think Kevin will understand.”
Derek smiled, but it faded as soon as he looked up and saw Reid walking back into the bullpen. “I need you to look after Reid the way you’ve always looked out for me.”
“I look after all my babies, you know that,” Garcia said, frowning as she followed Derek’s gaze. He was watching Reid cross the room to stop in front of Derek’s desk, hesitating for a second before he pulled something out of his bag and set it down on the desk.
“I think Reid’s going to need more looking after than usual,” Derek said, still watching as Reid looked up and finally met his gaze. Just for a second, then he ducked his head and started for the door, and Derek wasn’t sure if he was supposed to follow, or if he should go look at whatever Reid left him. “Something’s up with him.”
“Sure thing,” Garcia answered, and Derek could hear the concern in her voice. “You can count on me.”
“Thanks, baby girl,” Derek said, turning back to her long enough to brush a kiss across her cheek. “I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”
Before she could answer he was walking away, making a beeline for his desk and the small, rectangular package sitting in the center of it. He could tell what it was before he opened it, but he picked it up carefully anyway, taking his time peeling back the plain brown paper Reid had wrapped it in. There was a Post-It stuck to the cover of the book, and Derek smiled at Reid’s handwriting.
My mother read this to me when I started college. She said all new journeys are scary, but if we compare them to Odysseus’ epic journey then we’ll see that there’s nothing to fear.
Derek had pictured thirteen-year-old Reid on his first day of college plenty of times, scared out of his mind and carrying more weight on his pre-teen shoulders than any kid should have to deal with. Derek knew a little bit about how that felt, but at least he’d never been a scrawny ten-year-old in a sea of high school kids. Reid knew better than anyone what it was like to face the unknown completely alone, and the fact that he’d done this even though he was still mad at Derek for leaving…well, it meant something.
The copy of The Odyssey looked worn, and Derek wondered idly if it was Reid’s own. He ran his fingers over the binding, wondering how many times Reid had opened this book himself. Considering his memory he didn’t have much need to read a book more than once, but he seemed to like having them, and Derek always figured that had something to do with how he was brought up.
He flipped the book open and turned to the title page, frowning when he realized there was an inscription. But it wasn’t addressed to him, and as he read it something tightened in his chest. He closed the book and carefully tucked it into his box of personal belongings, then he headed back to the party and started saying his goodbyes.
