I had originally saved this for two separate chapters, but I feel like you guys deserve both of them at once! I apologize for the delay; I went straight from vacation and back to college so I've been a little busy. Hopefully my chapters will start coming with more regularity.
This chapter has a lot in it, so I hope you guys like it! I've still got three more major characters to introduce (I'm sure you can guess who at least a few are) and so much more plot. I'm really excited about this story! So much so, that it has taken priority over my other Derek/Spencer series. No worries though, I'll get back to it. :)
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Chapter 2:
Spencer carefully wove his cart through the stacks of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Library, staring wistfully at the UNLV students around him. He wished, more than anything, that he could be studying and reading with them, not as the library aid, but as a bona fide student. Spencer had graduated high school at 13-years-old; now he was 19 and he felt like he had wasted the last six years of his life. Unfortunately he had had to put his education on hold while he took care of his mother.
He sighed and tried to focus on putting the books in the correct place, but he couldn't seem to concentrate. He'd seen another black tinted car, this time in the parking lot of the library, as he walked that morning to start his shift. Spencer tried to tell himself that he was just being paranoid but, given his mother's condition, this was not a very comforting thought. He wished JJ was with him; he had missed her smiling face the last few weeks, and he knew that she would have been able to calm his anxiety. He quickly calculated that it had been 16 days, 2 hours and 32 minutes since he had last seen her. A cough and a tap on his shoulder alerted him to his boss behind him.
"Hey Spencer, it's eight o'clock, time for you to get out of here," Brian Anderson said, pulling the book cart towards him. Spencer tried not to roll his eyes at him. When Spencer had originally started working at the library he had thought that Anderson was attractive; now that he had worked with him for a few months he had come to the conclusion that Anderson a bit of an arrogant asshole. Spencer sighed and tried to pull the cart back towards him.
"Come on, Anderson, let me have a few more hours. I really need the money," he pleaded, subtly pulling the cart towards himself. Anderson gave an exasperated sigh and yanked the cart back.
"Sorry, Reid, but your shift is over. Students have the next shift and they get first priority. You know, since they actually go here." Anderson added and walked the cart towards the front of the library.
Spencer sighed, mentally giving Anderson the middle finger, and grabbed his messenger bag from the back room before exiting the library. Even though he didn't look out of place riding his bike through the UNLV campus, he knew he was separated from all the other students, and this thought stayed with him all the way home. Hopefully, he thought, he was meant for something better.
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"What are we doing here, Derek?" Rossi asked again quietly. Derek hadn't answered the last two times he had asked, and this time was no different. The young billionaire sat stoically in the dark back seat of the SUV while Rossi lounged at the wheel. For the third time in two weeks, David Rossi had found himself parked in one of Morgan's on the same crappy suburban street, and those were just the times when Rossi offered to drive. From what Rossi was hearing from the drivers that worked for Morgan, the man had been out several times a week looking for this mystery boy.
Rossi sighed; he knew exactly what this was. Before Morgan's accident, the young man had craved companionship. Not just in the bedroom, but in his home as well. He'd pick up a one-night-stand and then the next morning the lucky girl or guy would wake up to new clothes, breakfast and an invitation to dinner. Their 'guest' would stay for a few days and one day a company car would take them home and would never again hear from Derek Morgan.
But Rossi knew that something was different this time. Morgan had never followed, almost to the point of stalking, a person before now. Before it had always been a person he found in a club or a strip joint. As far as Rossi could tell, Morgan had never even met this guy.
Rossi sighed and looked at his young boss and friend in the rear-view mirror.
"What is it about this kid, Morgan? What is it that's got you so messed up?" Rossi let the questions hang in the air, not expecting an answer, but Derek responded with a low growling voice.
"I don't know Rossi. I just need to know this guy." Rossi could hear a strain in his voice, and he turned to talk to his boss before Morgan suddenly yelled out.
"Rossi, look out!"
The sound of an engine revving and metal crunching cut off his words and they were blinded by headlights as a tan station wagon crashed into them. Rossi could smell smoke leaking out of the car and he turned quickly to check on his companion.
"Derek, are you okay?" Before Derek could respond, the SUV rocked as the station wagon reversed and crashed into them again.
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Spencer coasted up to his house, looking around in confusion. Had he taken a wrong turn? Did he somehow dip into an alternate universe? Because there was no way that his old crappy station wagon had somehow turned into a black town car. And was this strange looking Italian man supposed to be his mother? But sure enough, this was his house, and this was his neighborhood. As he jumped off of his bike and wheeled it up the driveway, the man opened the door of the car.
"Hello, Mr. Reid. Would you like to come with us? We have some things to discuss." Spencer licked his lips and glared around confused.
"What… What's going on? I, uh… I need to see m-my mother. I don't understand-"
"It's all right, Mr. Reid," Rossi interjected, holding his hands up to stop Spencer from freaking out. "Your mother is with us, and she is safe. I'm just asking politely that you come with me so we can discuss a proposition from you." Spencer was immediately reminded of some kind of mob movie, and he was reluctant to be 'knocked off' or whatever the phrase.
"Where's my car? You still haven't told me what this is about." Spencer pushed past him to put his bike on the front porch, feeling himself start to panic. Was this what all the dark vehicles were about? What did this have to do with his mother?
"There will be time for explanations, just please get in the car and we'll talk on the way there." Rossi gestured the open car door and Spencer just stood on the front porch, frustrated and confused. He knew he really had no other choice except to go with this strange man. Except maybe…
"Okay, I'll go with you. But if anything has happened to my mother, I'm calling the police." Spencer left the porch and got in, feeling very on edge in the dark car. The man slid into the leather seat beside him and signaled to a driver to start the car. Once they had pulled out of the driveway, Spencer spoke again. "Can you at least tell me our destination?"
The Italian man sighed—Spencer noted that he sound very resigned, either he was reluctant to tell him or reluctant at his task in general—and replied.
"We're going to Morgan Manor. I'm sure you've heard of it."
The ride up to the mansion was relatively quiet. Every time Spencer asked a question it would be quickly answered with, "I don't think I'm the person to tell you that." The only thing Spencer felt he had garnered from the ride was that he would meet his mother at the mansion and everything would be explained then.
The town car pulled through the iron gates, which opened automatically at their approach, and up the path to the front steps. The driver tried to put the car in park and rush over to open the door for Spencer, but the young genius got out to stand on the gravel before he had a chance to open his own. The driver did open the door for the Italian man, whom Spencer had learned was named David Rossi, and who walked up beside him to escort him up the steps and through the oaken doors.
Spencer had never seen such a large house before. The foyer was an immense three-story room with sweeping steps up the center and to either side of the second-floor balcony. A large crystal chandelier hung right above him, and, open-mouthed, Spencer stared up towards it as if it was going to crush him. Whispering voices brought him back to his mission.
"…you did try to talk him out of this though, didn't you?"
"Yes, of course I did, Dave, it's ludicrous, but Derek is set on doing it."
Spencer tried to listen in on the conversation between Rossi and the other man, who was tall and thin with a full, dark head of hair, but they noticed him watching and the new man approached him.
"Mr. Reid, good to meet you. I'm Aaron Hotchner. If you'll come with me, please…" The man took large strides to the right of the foyer and through another large set of double doors. The room Spencer entered next appeared to be a parlor room with a dining table as well as some armchairs around a fireplace. There was a fire blazing, which normally would have seemed strange to Spencer in the heat wave, but with the strong air conditioning it almost seemed comfortable. He was dismayed to see that his mother, not to mention the elusive Derek Morgan, was absent from the room.
"Please, I just want to see my mom," Spencer insisted crossing his arms. He was so frustrated and confused, and it was giving him a migraine.
"Have a seat, Mr. Reid, and your mother will be here shortly. She was still eating dinner when I left to meet you in the foyer." Now Spencer was even more lost; they had made her dinner? Hotchner cleared his throat as they sat in the armchairs by the fire and began to speak.
"Mr. Reid, earlier today your mother took her station wagon and rammed it into one of Derek Morgan's SUVs while he and David Rossi were inside. Actually…" Hotchner smiled grimly, "it appears she rammed them several times. She's quite tenacious." When Spencer did not laugh or respond, he continued. "When Morgan and Rossi exited the vehicle, she came at them with a knife. She seemed to be under the impression that we were there to take her away-"
Spencer interrupted. "Well, yes, of course she would. She's a paranoid schizophrenic who, like me, has noticed that there have been black tinted vehicles posted everywhere I go. Care to explain that?" Hotchner looked surprised but did not comment on the accusation.
"Nobody was hurt, in the accident or otherwise, although there was extensive damage to both vehicles. The police came at the behest of a neighbor who saw the crash and called them. Morgan told them that everything was fine and sent them away and called a tow truck for your station wagon." Reid was extremely confused now; he was getting all questions and no answers. Hotchner saw his confusion and suddenly a look crossed his face, as if he was reluctant to say the next part.
"Mr. Reid, Morgan is willing to drop charges against your mother if you agree to stay here with him for an indeterminate amount of time. If you decline, Mr. Morgan will file official charges for destruction of property and assault as well as attempted murder," the serious man said, not meeting Spencer's shocked gaze. "If you accept, all your financial responsibilities will be taken care of and your mother will be sent to Bennington's, a state-of-the-art psychiatric hospital in the city. You will be provided with food, clothing, a room of your own—anything your heart desires—under the condition that you don't leave until Mr. Morgan tells you otherwise."
Spencer sat in shock. It was clear which choice he had to pick; he couldn't afford lawyer fees and even if his mother pleaded insanity her best-case-scenario would be poor compared to Bennington's. He had seen Bennington's, and he knew it was an ideal place for his mother. They had visited it last year and she had enjoyed the atmosphere, but it cost a lot of money to voluntarily commit her.
But still, he would basically become a prisoner in the mansion. I would be giving up my freedom to do… what? What exactly did the billionaire want with him? Spencer tried not to let his mind wander to the worst case scenario. Why would Morgan even be interested in me? I've never even met the guy! His mind spun with thousands of questions, and he only looked up from his shaking hands when the door to the parlor opened and his mother walked in, flanked by Mr. Rossi.
"Spencer! What are you doing here? It is way too late for you to be out and about." She reached his chair and took the seat next to him, kissing his forehead and mussing his long hair. He could feel tears prick at his eyes and he tried to tell himself that he was doing the right thing.
"Hey, Mom, did you have a nice dinner?" Spencer licked his lips and squeezed his mother's hands, trying to focus all of his attention on her. He could feel Aaron Hotchner watching him as his mother told him about her fantastic dinner with none other than Derek Morgan. He smiled and nodded earnestly, until she suddenly stopped talking.
"Spencer, honey, what's wrong? Your mother knows when you are upset. Your eyebrows always get scrunched up and you won't look me in the eye." Diana Reid cupped Spencer's face and made him look her in the eye. "What is it, Spencer?" Spencer cleared his throat and placed his hands over his mother's.
"It's just… You remember that hospital we visited last year? Benington's? Mr. Morgan has kindly offered to give us the money for you to stay there." He hesitated long enough to kiss her forehead. "And I'm going to… to stay here and uh… work for him," he lied quickly, purposefully avoiding the gazes of the two other men in the room. Diana hugged him, wrapping her slender arms around his neck.
"That's wonderful, Spencer. It's a good opportunity for you. And I know you'll visit me when you can." Spencer rubbed his mother's back and glared at Hotchner and Rossi, hoping that she was right.
Well, there it was! I'm working on the next chapter as we speak, and hopefully it's up within the next week. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and/or favorited this story. It means a lot!
