--NO SLASH of any kind, ok? Just friends all around. alright?--

2

In the Arms of the Angel

Morgan walked quietly down the stairs, doing his best not to make them creak. He had his gun pointed in front of him, listening intently for any sound. He rounded the corner at the bottom, looking around wildly, just in case.

There was a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling a few feet away, and there was someone underneath it.

He was backed against the wall, face in his hands, which were resting against his knees, naked and trembling. Morgan walked toward him, putting his gun away.

"Hey," He said gently, kneeling in front of him and not wanting to scare him. He whimpered anyway and tensed, trying to huddle himself closer. Morgan heard chains rattle. He looked at the wall behind him and saw a chain coming out of the wall, but he didn't see where it ended. "Hey, it's alright. It's okay, I won't hurt ya." The younger man shook his head. Morgan touched the back of his head. He jerked away, whimpering and breathing rapidly, shaking his head some more; chains rattled.

"Hey," Morgan tried coaxing his face up. "It's alright, I'm here to help you." He cried out when Morgan touched him, lifting his face but turning it against the wall and into the shadows, wincing deeply.

There was an iron collar around his neck. The chain was attached to the back of it. His hands were shackled together and yet another chain led from them to the collar.

Morgan turned his face, fighting against the weak effort he was giving to get away.

"Shhh, hey, hey, easy, look at me. It's alright, shh…" He assured.

He stopped fighting and looked at him, opening his eyes, scared and shaking harder than he had been before.

Morgan's heart stopped. His stomach plummeted, freezing into a block of ice.

"No," He breathed. "No it can't be…" He looked at the boy, really looked. "Reid?"

He just stared back at him, no recognition anywhere in his frightened, haunted eyes.

He was thinner than when he had last seen him. Just a little. His hair was past his ears and curled at the ends. Other than that he looked the same. Exactly the same. Unless you counted his eyes. In his eyes he looked like he'd aged ten years. He'd been through the most awful Hell anyone could be put through, Morgan saw that. He saw how scared of him he was, how deathly afraid he was.

"HOTCH!" He yelled over his shoulder. Spencer yelped and hid his face again, shaking almost violently. Morgan winced at what he just did. "Hey, it's okay, it's okay, shh…" He urged his face up again. "I'm not yelling at you, it's okay," He got Spencer to look at him again. "Reid, you remember me, right?" He just looked at him, tears in his eyes. "C'mon, Spencer. Talk to me, kid." Spencer blinked and looked like he was thinking.

"M-Morgan?" His voice was so small and quiet Morgan wasn't sure he had said anything. He nodded.

"That's right, kid. It's me." There were footsteps on the stairs. Spencer whimpered and covered his face.

"It's alright, it's alright, no one's gonna hurt you." Morgan assured. Spencer shook his head.

"No, nonono, no, no, nonononono…" He whispered. Hotch and everyone else was stopped behind him. Morgan looked over his shoulder at them.

"I found him," He said. Hotch blanched. "I walked down here and, and there he is."

"Are you…is he really…Oh my god."

"I'll call an ambulance." Prentiss said, running back up the stairs.

"Did, did any of you guys find a set of keys anywhere?" Morgan asked. They shook their heads. J.J. had her hand over her mouth, tears leaking out of her eyes. Gideon looked like he'd been frozen where he stood.

Morgan's attention was on Spencer. "Any of you guys have a paper clip or something?" He asked. J.J. pulled her hair out of the clip she had it in without any sort of hesitation and handed him a bobby pin. Morgan nodded his thanks and started picking the lock on the shackles.

"Alright, kid, hold still." He said softly. Spencer gave a dry sob at his words, looking at these people who looked familiar but that he did not know, wondering when they were going to hurt him and when Master would join them. He whimpered every time Morgan touched his skin and jerked weakly away. But Morgan was much stronger than him. And that scared him, a lot.

His hands came free for the first time in forever. He never remembered being able to move his arms this much.

Morgan's hand reached for his neck and he jumped back, a tear sliding down his cheek. He shook his head.

"Please," His voice was very quiet and hoarse from lack of use. "Please…" The woman with yellow hair started crying audibly. She looked so familiar…

"Shh, hey, it's alright, Spencer," Morgan said. He knew Morgan. Morgan was his friend. But he could still hurt him. He could hurt him very badly. "I'm gonna get this off of you, okay?" Spencer tried fighting against him, but he was too tired. Too weak. Master had beaten him badly today. Worse than usual. He used the bat. He only used the bat when he was very angry with him. But he must have done something wrong. He was still trying to remember what he could have done to upset Master so much, but he couldn't think of anything.

Morgan twisted the pin in the lock, listening for the tumblers to click. It finally came undone and fell to the ground with a clang that made Spencer cry out and jump.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm gonna get you out of here, okay?" He moved to try and hoist him up. His hand clasped over his shoulder. Spencer screamed.

"NO!" He shrieked, trying desperately to get away from him, crying. Morgan let go of him, wide eyed. The rest of the team had jumped at his outburst.

Gideon looked at Spencer, then from person to person. J.J. had turned away, stifling her sobs with her hand. Rossi had his hand on her shoulder.

"Ambulance is on its way." Prentiss said, coming back down the stairs. Gideon stared at her for a beat, as if just realizing her existence.

"Prentiss, I need you to do something," He said quietly, taking her aside. "I need you to go to him, and I need you to try and get him to calm down."

"Me?" Prentiss said, stunned. "Sir, I-"

"You're a woman, Emily," He said. "A man has done this to him. He won't let any of us touch him. He might let you. It's the best chance we have of getting him out of here without drugging him."

"Sir, he doesn't know me, but J.J.-"

"Is not exactly calm right now. She'll frighten him. And I think he's terrified enough, don't you?" He said calmly. Prentice looked at Spencer, who's face was in his knees, hands wrapped around his legs, her heart giving a painful twist.

"Please, Emily, for his sake." Gideon said, pleading. There was another beat before she nodded.

She walked over to him, kneeling down in front of him, nodding the okay to Morgan when he started to protest.

"Hey, Spencer." She said softly, laying her hand on his. He jumped and looked up at her.

"Please, don't hurt me…" He begged, his voice a quiet rasp. Morgan stood and started back up the stairs.

"Shh, I won't hurt you," She assured. "Spencer, do you remember me?" He looked at her, his lips shaking. "It's Emily. I didn't know you for very long, but…I came in after Elle, remember?" He nodded slowly.

"Emily," He said. She could barely hear him. "Emily…"

"That's right," She smiled gently at him. Morgan came back down the stairs, blanket in hand. He handed it to Emily, who nodded as a silent thanks. "Are you cold?" She asked, trying to coax him to her. He nodded, looking longingly at the blanket. She wanted to wrap it around him, but sudden moves like that could scare him very badly. "Then come here," She said gently. "I promise you that I won't hurt you, or let anyone else hurt you, okay?" He looked at her and the people behind her.

He knew them, their names were right there but…it was like there was a fog in his mind, the words just out of reach.

"Hey," Emily said quietly, smiling warmly at him. "Don't worry about them, they won't hurt you either. If it makes you feel better, pretend they aren't even there." He looked at the blanket. He hadn't seen one in a very long time. He hadn't been permitted to be warm. But Emily,

Prentiss, Prentiss!

said it was alright.

He took a chance. Master would punish him greatly for this, but maybe it would be worth it. Just to be warm for a little while. And for some reason he wasn't sure of, when she hugged him, he started to cry.

Emily let him lean against her before she wrapped the blanket and her arms around him. He started sobbing softly and she stroked his hair, surprised when he didn't jump or try and get away. Gideon was right.

"Shh…It's okay, it's okay, you're safe now. Shh…"

But Spencer knew better. He wasn't safe. He would never be safe. Master would be home soon. And oh, the punishment he would receive for such disobedience.

But Emily was warm. And he felt safe with her hugging him. She didn't have those hands, like Morgan did. She didn't have that body or that voice. She wouldn't hurt him.

Master would, Master would beat him until he couldn't move. Maybe that's why he was crying.

--Aw, sad :( More soon!--