A/N: Hot damn! (winces) It's been way, way, WAY too long – this story's seriously been in a coma of sorts! I wonder if anyone even remembers this one anymore. (looks around, trying to spot potential readers)

I'm so, so sorry about the wait! What can I say? This story became the victim of the worst writer's block I've ever had. (cringes) We'll see if this is still worthy of being resurrected…

BUT, first… THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for all those amazing reviews you guys left for the first chapter! (GLOMPS) Without them this story would've NEVER continued. So thank you! (hugs again)

Awkay… (takes a deep breath) It's time to go, I guess. I REALLY hope this turns out worth the insanely long wait!

OC characters mentioned in this story (because I'm sure you don't remember them):

Joey (or Josephine): The biological daughter of Reid and Morgan Shawn Ramos helped raise. Around nine or ten years old.

Shawn Ramos: Spencer's late husband, who died a tragic death in the prequel of this story.

Jayson Sean (or Jay) and Abigail Morgana (or Abby): Three-year-old twins of Reid and Shawn. Understandably Morgan is helping with raising them, since Shawn didn't even get the chance to see them.

Kenneth and Emma Ramos: Shawn's parents, who were first mentioned in the previous chapter.

CHAPTER 2 – My Leap into the Dark

Derek had always loved the small yet extremely wellworking kitchen of Spencer and his house. But that morning it was the last place where he wanted to be. And it looked like everyone present was feeling the same way.

At first the children – the twins in particular – had been extremely curious as to who their unexpected visitors were. It was a pure miracle that Derek had been well functioning enough to be able to distract them with quite sloppily made waffles.

Now, with the twins in their play room and – judging by the crashing sounds and Joey's snarls – destroying the entire room, the adults finally had the opportunity to focus on much more serious matters.

Sitting at the same table with the parents of his boyfriend's late husband was just about the last thing Derek wanted to do. And it didn't look like Emma and Kenneth Ramos were any more pleased with the situation. Spencer, however, was a whole another story. The genius was shaking and looked about ready to throw up as he sat as far away from Shawn's parents as possible.

None of them was able to tell just how long the silence had lasted until Emma finally broke it, her voice barely loud enough to be heard. "I… I do realize, that… that we've made a lot of mistakes. Unforgivable mistakes."

"Shawn told me everything." Spencer's tone was clipped, unfamiliarly filled with almost boiling over anger. "About the basement. About Emerson. About Brookwood Ranch." The brunet swallowed thickly, his eyes focusing on a window. "You don't need to repeat it. And I really don't want to hear you trying to rationalize it."

There was a touch of moisture in Emma's eyes while she licked her lips. "He was our son. Ken… We did what we thought was for the best – we tried to help him. You… You don't understand…" Seeing the look in Spencer's eyes she trailed off. A single tear rolled before she went on. "We… We already lost our son, for good. You're a parent. I'm sure you understand how much that hurts. Please, don't make us lose our grandchildren as well."

There was a torn look in Spencer's eyes. He looked like a threatened wild animal searching for a way out. "Shawn… He had nightmares all the way until he fell into a coma and…" The genius trailed off, his eyes wandering for a moment. "He had nightmares you two created, and sometimes… Sometimes he stayed up several nights in a row, just to avoid them. How can I trust that you wouldn't cause my children – Shawn's children – similar?"

Emma wiped her eyes, appearing desperate. "We've changed, I swear. And… And you could be there to watch, when we're with them. We could…"

Kenneth unleashed a growl that cut her short, gritting his teeth so tightly it must've hurt. "Emma, why the hell are you trying to reason with these faggots? They're not letting us see the kids, period." The man's finger was pointed at Spencer. "That one already stole our son, forced him into this insanity – it's because of him Shawn died. So just drop it. There's no reasoning with their kind. We came here to save the children, remember? We'll take these freaks to court if we have to."

At first Derek was struck numb and speechless by sheer shock. But in a second or two rage came flooding in, with such force that made his entire body shake. His eyes narrowed while he bounced up from his seat, fully ready to smash the older man's face into pieces. "You come into our house, to insult us, to threaten us? To talk to Spencer like that?" His eyes narrowed even further as they locked to Kenneth's. "Get the hell out. Right now", he hissed in a treacherous voice that would've chilled anyone. "Because at the moment this isn't a safe place for you to be in."

"Lay a finger on me…", Kenneth fired back. "And I'll make sure you'll never see any of those kids again."

Derek opened his mouth – until there was a sound of something breaking. They all turned their heads to see Joey stood by the room's doorway. There was a look of shock and utter heartbreak in her eyes. At her feet lay the shards of the glass of milk she'd come to get.

Derek swallowed, feeling like someone had just thrust a knife right into his stomach. "Jo…"

But it was too late. In a blink the girl was already gone.

Kenneth's eyes were wide as the man stared at the spot where the child had just been. "Shit…", was all the man managed to produce.

It wasn't until then Spencer regained his ability to speak. The man's eyes were full of fire as they became directed at the couple. "I have to consider if I'll ever let you into my house again. But right now I want you to leave, because based on what I've seen and heard so far I'm not letting any of my children spend a second with you." The man's eyes were harder than ever before, filled with feral determination to protect his children. "I'm going to see if there's anything I can do for Joey. When I come back I want you to be gone." With the genius walked out of the room, not casting another look over his shoulder.

Derek had no idea how his mind managed to focus on something so unimportant, but for several seconds it was all he managed to think about. There was this habit between him and Spencer.

Whenever they parted, even if it was for just a couple of minutes, the one leaving brushed the shoulder of the one who was staying with their fingertips. It was some sort of a way for them to become reassured that the other was coming back.

This was the first time in their relationship Spencer forgot to do that.

Spencer found Joey with the twins, watching over as the smaller children focused intently on solving a puzzle that should've been far too challenging for them. In a couple of seconds Joey seemed to sense that she was being watched and lifted her gaze. The second their eyes met he felt his heart break at how much older hers looked than they should've.

He'd never wanted her to inherit his eyes.

Then the twins started bickering, and Joey's attention was directed back to them. Spencer, on the other hand, found himself unable to leave, to stop staring at his children. He didn't quite manage to blink away the stinging sensation in his eyes.

He might've stood there forever if his body hadn't had other plans. Without a warning his stomach turned upside down, and if he'd been even a little bit slower he would've never made it to the bathroom in time before he already threw up violently. At around the same time came the horrendous pain that seemed to crush the bones of his skull and face. He opened his mouth while squeezing his hands to both sides of his head and leaning his forehead to his knees, but couldn't produce a sound. Perhaps that was for the best. If he'd as much as whispered, he was fairly sure his brain would've been torn to shreds. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and leaned against the wall while the pain kept ramming his body without any mercy.

And just then, at the pretty much only moment when he wouldn't have wanted to hear it, Derek's voice spoke. "Spence?" Of course he'd known that his agony was infuriatingly visible, but it still made his stomach turn to distinguish all that worry in the other man's voice. Or perhaps the headache was responsible for the violent reaction of his body. A larga, warm hand was laid to his shoulder. "Just breathe through it, okay? Focus on breathing."

Spencer swallowed, feeling bile crawling up his ferally convulsing throat. And that's when his stomach stole all control. He barely made it to the toilet seat before his intestines seemed to twist around and he threw up.

He'd been through stomach flues. Hell, he'd been through morning sickness.

Those… Those were nothing compared to this.

It seemed to take decades before the sharpest tip of the storm was finally over. Spencer gasped, as far it was possible without making it feel like his throat had been set on fire. The pain was still there, pulsating somewhere in the back of his skull like a ticking bomb, but at least he was able to breathe again. It felt incredibly good.

It took a moment before he registered the hand rubbing large, soothing circles to his back. At first he shivered, a part of him still remembering all those endlessly long years when no one had touched him in a pleasant way. But soon he found himself able to relax. And it looked like his body appreciated the relief far more than he could've ever imagined.

Derek unleashed a tiny sound of surprise at the way he leaned against the man. "Wait…! What…?" The man's hand brushed down, touching the most sensitive part of him, and he couldn't keep himself from whimpering while his back arched. A brief, stunned chuckle slipped from Derek. "You just… You were so sick I thought you'd pass out on me. And you had a hug shock. You can't be serious…!"

But oh, Spencer was very, very serious. Frustration rushing through him he spun around on the floor and slammed himself against Derek so hard that they fell to the floor. In a flash the little control he'd had disappeared completely. His lips were everywhere on Derek, and it felt like his body had been set on fire.

He didn't care that he was being insane. He didn't give a damn about the fact that this mood swing was just another 'side effect' the doctor had warned him about. And he was beyond relieved that Derek didn't seem to care, either.

The heat was overwhelming as they searched through each other, both finding every single right spot on the other's body. Relying their all on the other the two men who once upon a time trusted no one allowed the other to see and take absolutely everything. Nothing could've been closer to perfection.

For once everything in the world made sense.

Later Spencer opened his eyes and blinked several times, for a while confused to see the tile floor and walls of their bathroom. It took all too long before his mind registered the fact that he was naked, and clearly in Derek's arms. Heat rose to his formerly sickly pale cheeks.

Derek's hand was far softer than he remembered it being as it played with his hair. "Are you okay?" the man half whispered, as though afraid of waking him up.

Spencer nodded, speechless for a while. In the end he cleared his throat before managing to produce speech. "Do you… think the kids heard?"

Derek chuckled. "You honestly didn't realize how loud you were? I'm surprised if the neighbors didn't hear." A small kiss was planted to his hair. "But then again… I don't mind. And it's not exactly the worst or most unnatural thing they could hear."

Spencer smiled, relaxing into the older man's arms. The floor below him was cold and his skin felt disgustingly sticky, but getting up didn't feel like a pleasant idea. It felt good, to just stay still for a little bit longer. He closed his eyes and focused on the distinct feel of Derek's heartbeat that seemed to go in perfect sync with his.

They may have remained there for ages until Derek suddenly spoke in a unnaturally quiet voice, shattering the frail magic of the newfound tranquility. "We… really have to get going now, baby." The man's voice was tight, full of reluctance. The hold around him grew tighter. "That first treatment session of yours… It starts in an hour."

Spencer sighed, forcing his eyes halfway open. For a moment the bathroom looked overlighted and hazy until his eyes grew used to it. "I know." It was time to get back to reality. Flashes filled his head, like a bad movie that refused to end.

When he first started feeling sick and getting those headaches a few months earlier he wondered if it was possible, after all, that he was pregnant once more. He was proven wrong when he passed out and fell the stairs of his house. It was a miracle he didn't break any bones.

He could still feel the nausea and something close to sheer terror that filled him when the doctor showed him the picture of what was going on inside his head, pointed at that stupid, treacherously harmless black spot.

The movie finally did end and Spencer's body jolted when he felt a hand wrap around his, squeezing tightly. He squeezed back without hesitating a second.

Even a single word wasn't needed.

Five minutes passed until Spencer finally found his voice. "I've gotta get up, now, if we don't want to be late." He wrinkled his nose. "And I've gotta get a shower. I stink."

Spencer gave a rather humiliating squeak of surprise when without a warning Derek got up and scooped him into his arms. "What… What are you doing?" he sputtered. "Put me down!"

"What?" Derek asked in mocked innocence. "You thought I'd let you sneak out without washing you up first?"

Derek had seen Spencer bleed from a gunshot wound, being tortured and dying of Anthrax. But somehow he'd never been as scared as he was that evening, lay on a bed with Spencer finally sleeping in his arms.

Of course he'd known that things wouldn't be the same again when that doctor gave the diagnosis, showed them that goddamn black spot in the middle of Spencer's brain. But somehow it hadn't felt real to him until today, with Spencer suffering from all possible side effects of radiation therapy with him being able to do nothing but hold the genius.

Until today he hadn't known to actually fear that after everything they'd been through this might steal Spencer from him. He'd never been as terrified in his life.

He was so tensed up that he jolted from startle, almost waking up Spencer, when his cell phone gave a signal that he'd received a text message. The message was from Penelope Garcia.

'Just thought I should let you know the kids are alright. I can't believe how fast the twins grow up! How's my baby genius doing?'

Feeling a lump in his throat Derek swallowed with severe difficulty, glancing towards Spencer. There was a small frown of discomfort on the brunet's face. Derek had to blink several times before he was able to text back.

'Fighting through. Just got him to sleep. 'Wish there was something I could do.'

It took remarkably long before Penelope's reply came.

'Just hang on tight, Chocolate Thunder. You know how he is – he's gonna be just fine, you'll see.'

Derek couldn't help smiling just a little bit at that. It was fortunate, perhaps, that he didn't notice the single tear that rolled down his cheek.

'I know. Thanks.'

'Anytime. I've gotta go now – the others have been calling and texting me all day, asking how Reid's doing. Make sure my baby gets all my loving.'

With the stream of messages ending Derek found himself feeling impossibly cold and alone. In the shadows of the room he pulled Spencer closer and buried his face into the other man's hair, inhaling the familiar scent. Soon he found himself becoming lost to the rhythm of the genius' breathing, as though he'd been afraid it might stop at any moment.

Derek didn't sleep at all that night.

TBC, OR NOT?

A/N: So… (gulps) That… didn't sound entirely good.

We're nearing the end of this entire story-package; there's only two or three chapters of this left. Then we'll know what happens to Reid, Morgan and their family.

Would you like to read the rest? (At least I could promise you faster updates in the future…) PLEASE, leave a note! I'd love to know if this lil' story still has friends out there. (gives puppy's eyes)

Until next time, folks – with whichever story that may be!

Take care!