Unknown- A Criminal Minds Fanfic

Chapter 28- Microscope

I got a soda from the vending machine around nine thirty and then powered through all of the case files I hadn't finished yesterday, and after the lunch I didn't eat, I had already made a significant dent in the files that had piled up today.

I was on my way back from the copy room, warm inky-smelling papers in my hands, when I passed the partially open door to Garcia's tech room.  And stopped when I overheard what she was talking about.

"Morgan, I am telling you, there is something going on between those two!" I heard her exclaim.

"Yeah?  What proof do you have, Baby Girl?" I heard Morgan answer.  She must have been calling him about information on the case and had it on speaker.

"This morning, I was walking past the bullpen, and McDowell had his bag and said he'd left it at her place!" I heard her say.  Even though I couldn't see her, I could imagine the look on her face that always accompanied her telling what she considered a juicy secret.

"Well did you ask them about it?" Morgan's voice replied.  I was surprised, he sounded significantly more skeptical than when he'd hinted there was something going on between us yesterday morning before they'd gotten on the plane.

"McDowell said something about how she had taken home some case files for Reid to pick up, but he left his bag.  You don't leave your bag at someone's apartment unless you're there for more than a few hours," she said, and though I could hear her trying to whisper conspiratorially, it was more like whisper-yelling.

"Hey, Baby Girl."

"What?" she questioned.

"You ever think that maybe they didn't tell you the truth cause they don't want you to know about it?  Technically workplace romances aren't allowed at the FBI," Morgan pointed out.

"Well yeah, but--"

"No buts, sweetness. Leave it alone," Morgan commanded.

I was surprised, I had expected him to tell her how he'd seen me at Reid's apartment, but kind of pleased that he hadn't.

"Morgan," she started, but I heard what could only be him sighing in exasperation before he repeated firmly, "No."

I walked away right as they hung up.  I didn't want to say this place was like a drama-filled high school hallway, but sometimes this place was like a drama-filled high school hallway.

Since I was too worried about what gossip Garcia would come up with next, I only got two more case files done before the end of the day, but then I decided I might as well stay and finish writing up the last two cases we had been on.  It's not like there was anything more than another long sleepless night of worry waiting for me at home, but around eight o'clock at night I finally left and went home.

I was climbing the stairs to my apartment when I finally decided to turn my phone back on.  After obsessively checking it for the first hour of work, I shut it off.  If my stalker called me again, I didn't really want to know, and besides, the more invested I was in writing up case files, the less time I had to let my train of thought derail into a sinking pit of worry.

My train of thought quickly derailed, however, when I saw that I had one voicemail message from the unknown number that had been haunting me for weeks.  I defeatedly dropped my hand at my side, barely clutching the phone enough to keep it from slipping from my fingers.  I fumbled for the keys and opened the door, flicking the lights on and wearily tossing the keys on the counter.  They chinked against the ceramic container where I normally kept them. 

I was just so tired of all this.

I was in the process of dropping my bag at my feet when I glanced up and then froze.