Psychopathy

Chapter 25- Morgan's Question

Isabel floated along in the darkness, contentedly numb. She felt everything slipping away from her, her pain, her memories, her sense of self. But at the moment, she couldn't bring herself to care.

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Akilah sat in the uncomfortable leather chair, running her palms along her slacks, the toe of her flats tapping nervously. This was the day. The day that could change everything. The day of her and Morgan's hearing. If it went well, they'd never have to hide again. They could be together, a true couple, at all times. They'd never have to hide behind closed doors- for certain things, of course, they still would. Like when they were getting frisky in Morgan's office. They didn't want anyone to be seeing them while they defiled his desk.

But for all the small moments- holding hands, kisses on the cheek, gentle caresses of the upper arm- they didn't have to hide. They didn't have to look around twice to make sure nobody apart from the other members of the team was watching. They didn't have to worry about being caught and forced apart. They could be free; just the two of them, as they should be, for the rest of their time together.

And if they didn't go well... well, okay, Akilah didn't really want to think about what would happen then.

Morgan put his hand over hers, intertwining his fingers with hers. Brought out of her nervous thinking, she looked over at him as he brought their hands up and kissed hers. She smiled softly and placed her head on his shoulders. If everything went well, this would be one of the best things to happen in months. The only other thing that could compete was JJ coming back to the team the week before.

It had been a rollercoaster ride, that month had been. Really, it had been a ride ever since the beginning of March, when they lost Prentiss. And now, in the last few days of May, things had yet to settle down.

The last livestream had ended on the ninth, and Akilah knew that something horrible had happened on that day. A few hours after they knew it had probably ended, Reid had yet to appear, so Akilah went looking for him. She had found him in an empty office, curled up and sobbing in the corner. She had asked him what had happened, but he hadn't spoken. Even after he had stopped crying, he had refused to talk about it.

Even now he refused to talk about it, and Akilah knew what that meant. It had been completely heart-wrenching, and at first, Akilah had assumed that Ciara had died. But no, she was still alive. That's the only thing Reid had said; that she was still alive. But Akilah couldn't think of what else could have happened. What could have happened that was so devastating that Reid was refusing to talk about it?

But she hadn't had time to think about it. Only a few days later had they joined up with Andi Swann and her unit and taken down one of the biggest human trafficking rings in the country. Seaver, whom Akilah had grown rather attached to, had decided to transfer to Andi Swann's unit and left the BAU. But not, of course, before offering to still meet up and spar with Akilah from time to time. After all, according to Seaver, she was still her Young Blood and she would always look up to Akilah.

The only good thing that had come out of the month of May so far was JJ coming back to them. After Seaver left and another hole was left in the BAU, Rossi contacted JJ personally and asked her to come back. Apparently, she had finished her work at the Pentagon as she had readily and eagerly come back to the BAU. And they had all accepted her back with the same enthusiasm, overjoyed to have one of their oldest friends back.

And today, Morgan and Akilah were having the hearing that could change their very lives.

"Derek Morgan and Akilah Ganem?" A finely-dressed woman- probably a secretary of some sort, Akilah thought to herself- was standing in a doorway, one hand holding the door open. She used her other hand to gesture toward the room. It was time. "They're ready for you now."