Cruel - Criminal minds enemies to lovers

The decline (2)

"Hey floor goblin-" Morgan's voice cleared Athena's fog as she led on the station floor hours later waiting for the team to bring her the information she needed, looking up at him through one eye until she was sure she wouldn't projectile vomit across the room, "-I got you some water and bread."

"What am I, a little orphan boy?" She joked, sitting up as he took the spot on the floor next to her, immediately taking the bread, "you're lucky I'm a whore for carbs."

"I didn't know what people normally brought to people dealing with brain damage, didn't seem like a soup situation" he tried to joke before letting out a sigh as he turned to her, "why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you would look at me like that" she glanced across at him before rolling her eyes with a shrug, "and I'm honestly fine."

"You need to start letting me take care of you, you don't have to do everything alone all the time."

"I'm a very independent lady who is good at avoiding talking about her problems" she joked, sipping the water he handed over.

"Oh I know" his genuine laugh warmed her empty stomach "you once literally threw yourself out of a moving car to avoid talking about your problems."

"Ah, good times."

"I'm serious though Athena" he gently took her hand, "please, just for my sanity, let me help you with this- at least let me know what you're not letting me help you with, okay?"

Athena watched him for a moment, his big brown eyes begging through his lashes, a terrified anger turned woeful desperation turned to begging.

She didn't want to make him feel like this.

She never wanted to make him feel like this.

But she didn't know how to do what he was asking, she didn't know how to let someone help.

"Sure" she lied through a soft smile, gently rubbing his hand, "I'll try."

"Athena-" Hotch interrupted as he rushed through the station with blueprints in hand, "-we've found where he's keeping them. Garcia found the company which led us to an old youth centre building and Reid found plans online from a few months ago to convert the basement."

"This is almost the same layout as the old one" she let Morgan help her stand, having to physically stop herself pushing him off and doing it herself before one sinister change on the blueprint caught her breath, quickly grabbing her phone and sending the carefully crafted text she never wanted to type.

"Get ready to surround the place."

"I really don't think this is a good idea" Hotch shook his head, having heard her plan twice now but still not liking it.

"Well I've sent the blimming text now so it's too late" she rolled her eyes before turning to the officers, "Okay, I need to borrow a beat up looking car- I also need a wig... did I stutter? Get me a fucking wig!"

"How can she still be terrifying covered in her own vomit?" Rossi whispered to Morgan as she called out of the door before turning back to Hotch with an eyeroll.

"It better be a lace front- if it's shitty, I will kill one of you! I'm not really going to, god, you think so low of me."

"You can't threaten to kill a station of officers."

"Correction, I said I would kill one of them" she smiled, wiggling her shoulders as he rolled his eyes with a small laugh, leaving the room with Rossi.

"I don't need to tell you how much I don't like this idea do I?" Morgan placed a hand on her shoulder, looking down at her as she met his gaze.

"It's the only way to get him out of there so he can't hurt the kids before the raid, you know that."