A/N: Yup, it's update time! (grins) Dang, I'm early for once! (gawks) Hooray…?

First of all, though… THANK YOU, so, so much, for all your reviews, listing and love! I seriously can't believe how many friends this story's gotten. (BEAMS, and hugs) You're making me feel all warm and fuzzy! So thank you.

Awkay… (takes a deep breath) Before I change my mind, let's roll! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

Broken Wings

/ The first time Scott met Dr. Leonor he was only six-years-old and his father had taken him to a carnival. He was, of course, having the time of his life. Especially when his father let him ride a Merry-Go-Round all by himself, after a long list of warnings and instructions. Scott chose a white horse and sat down, a massive grin on his face. His eyes shone with excitement and joy while gentle wind caressed his face.

Only flying had ever felt better.

He enjoyed the ride for a while, waving at his father whenever he passed by the man watching over him like a hawk. Until after about three rounds he felt that someone else was looking at him as well. He frowned and looked into the crowd, finally spotting a man he'd never met before.

The man had the most evil eyes he'd ever seen. They stared at him unblinkedly, filling him with chills and dread. The observer's head was tilted with intense concentration.

Scott wanted to look away but couldn't. Another round brought them face to face once more. This time there was another man standing right next to the observer, whispering something to the taller one's ear. Those eyes flashed in a way that made Scott shiver before the ride tore the watcher from his sight once more.

Then, just as well as those menacing eyes had appeared, they were gone once more. When a new round brought Scott back to the correct spot the man had vanished without a trace. Back then Scott was too young to understand that not all monster were gone forever when they disappeared.

He shook his head and by the time the ride was finished he'd completely forgotten the sinister figure. Instead he focused on babbling excitedly about how amazing the new experience was. While he and his father walked away hand in hand they were blissfully unaware of the new shadows haunting their steps. /

For a moment it was chaos and noise. Derek snarling at the men that were about to take Spencer away. Penelope shouting while she dashed from seemingly nowhere, having insisted to tag along the strange agents and the threatening doctor when she smelled something fishy. The tension was so thick that it could've been cut by a knife. And then everything happened in slowed motion.

Following the guards and Dr. Leonor to a hidden space at the private airport's control center, with the rest of his BAU-family moving along closely, Spencer felt like he was inside a very bizarre, vivid nightmare. But he didn't wake up. And when they made it to a tiny room that had metallic walls Spencer realized that perhaps this was all very much real.

"Reid, what's going on?" David demanded, casting mistrusting looks at the guards.

Dr. Leonor stole a glance towards his wrist watch. "Well, I'm giving you two minutes, starting from now. Use them well."

Fear and disbelief shone in JJ's eyes. "Spence? What's all this?" Judging by the look on her face she knew already.

Spencer could barely breathe and he was fairly sure that talking would be impossible. But still he tried. There was so much he needed them to know and so very little time… "This… I just… I want to say thank you."

While the rest of them stared at him with shock and horror Penelope shook her head vigorously. "No! Just… No! You're not making me do this again!" The first tears broke free without her even seeming to notice. "You're not… You're not making me listen to you say goodbye again!" (1)

Guilt twisted around Spencer's stomach like a band of thorns. Oh, how he wished that there was something he could do. A magic trick. A miracle. But if he tried anything they'd all end up dead. And so…

Spencer found it excruciatingly hard to keep his emotions from boiling over. But as it was there was fairly little choice in his hands. He tried to smile and could only hope that it came out right. "It'll be okay", he promised. If only he would've been able to believe in his own words.

Derek snorted. "Okay? Reid, we're never going to see you again! These people…!"

Spencer could feel the guard beside him stiffen, a hand slipping towards a concealed weapon. "It'll be okay", he swore, trying to will the others to get the message. His voice was becoming hoarse and there was a massive lump in his throat. Still he kept hanging on, desperate to make the most out of these precious stolen moments. He swallowed hard and blinked away the moisture in his eyes. "I… I'm sorry, that I brought you guys into this. And I know that I have no right, but… Can I ask you something?"

"Anything", Penelope promised immediately. Tears were crawling down her cheeks and her whole frame was shaking. He would've given a lot if he'd been allowed to…

"Let me go. Don't come looking for me. Ever." It was a small surprise that his voice remained as firm as it did. Perhaps it was sheer despair that kept him together. "That world… Stay away from it, please. Don't come after me."

He never said it out loud. But he could see from their eyes that they understood. Aaron, David and Alex frowned, Penelope and JJ's eyes widened. Derek took a daring step further, a inferno lighting up in that gaze. "Reid…!"

"Alright, that's quite enough." Dr. Leonor stepped forth from the shadows with firm steps. The man cast a loudly speaking look towards him before focusing on the group. "One of my agents will escort you out. For the sake of your own safety and… Spencer's I'd advice you not to try anything stupid. This doesn't have to get any more unpleasant than this already is."

Despite the warning Penelope attempted to approach him. In an instant a tall, expressionless faced agent appeared to block her path. Her lips opened but before a syllable came out Aaron stopped her with a firm shake of a head. Remorse, rage, frustration, guilt and sadness all swam in the usually stoic unit chief's eyes when they locked briefly with his. Spencer understood. It didn't make the whole situation any easier.

He never meant to cause them this hurt, to bring them into his mess.

A barely audible, choked sound escaped Spencer. There, just before the others were dragged away, he took a huge risk and spoke out. "Goodbye. I'm sorry." And those small words would just have to be enough.

In that desperate moment Spencer put his amazing memory to good use. He looked at them, each member of his BAU-family. Imprinted every detail he could.

He could see how badly David would've wanted to snarl something very, very unpleasant. The older agent's left eyebrow was twitching dangerously. / "Reid, it's okay. It's okay." /

He admired how Alex managed to keep her chin up even with a gun practically pointed at her. / 'She will love you.' /

It pained him to see how Penelope kept trying to wipe away the tears that refused to stop rolling, using a clearly visible amount of willpower to keep herself from looking back towards him. / Penelope kissed two of her fingers before pressing them affectionally against his forehead. /

In some other situation it might've amused him how Aaron fought to keep himself from throwing a punch at the man escorting them. / "As far as I'm concerned, you passed your qualification." /

JJ wiped her eyes, managing to make a mess of her makeup. She peered over her shoulder and looked at him, for what they both feared might be the last time. There was a scream of apology loud and clear in her eyes. The need to tell her that it wasn't her or any of their fault was suffocating him. / She hugged him, so very tightly, when the Hankel nightmare was over. He wasn't sure which one of them needed it more, nor did he care. He allowed himself to sink into the embrace's very welcomed warmth, no matter how much it hurt his injured wings. /

The amount of rage in Derek's eyes was something absolutely terrifying. Both of the man's fists were balled firmly and the agent kept his gaze directed forth unnaturally sharply. Some moisture was visible in the mocha skinnned man's eyes. / "You're going to have to accept the fact that sometimes we can't save everyone." /

In exactly fifteen seconds the door closed, separating him from them for what might very well be the last time. Spencer felt like someone had plunged a knife right through him. Still he couldn't help feeling a touch of comfort as well.

His family was safe, now, and he could only hope from the bottom of his heart that it'd stay that way.

"Well, now that the sentimental part is over with…" Dr. Leonor took a step closer, making the hair in the back of his neck stand up. "It's time to go back home, Scott."

Spencer heard something that could've been a sigh. Saw the slightest bit of movement from the corner of his eye. And then a needle was plunged far from gently through his skin.

Spencer gasped with surprise and shuddered. At first he had no idea what was happening to him but then the fatigue began to sink in. Despite his best efforts oblivion claimed him in a matter of seconds. The last thing he saw before sinking under was the door separating him from his friends.

When what was left of the team finally made it back to the bureau the emotional turmoil blowing inside Derek was unbelievable. He wanted to smash something, to punch someone. Hell, he wouldn't have been against strangling someone. In the end he did haul his fist at a door, so hard that it shuddered and nearly shattered.

"Morgan…", Aaron cautioned.

That was all it took to trigger Derek's fried nerves. His eyes narrowed when he spun sharply to face the older man. "Don't… you… dare!" he snarled as loud as he possibly could. He took a threatening step closer, then another until they were nose to nose. "You're supposed to be the unit chief! He trusted you with his life! And you… You didn't make a move to stop them from taking him! You didn't let any of us do a thing! You just gave up!"

Aaron's eyes narrowed as well. "Do you honestly think that I wouldn't have done anything under my power if I would've been able to stop it? That it was somehow pleasant for me? The situation was out of my hands!"

Derek wasn't in the mood to listen to reason. "Do you have any idea what they did to him, the previous time? Did you really buy that fairytale crap of his that they merely observed and studied him? THEY TORE OFF HIS WINGS!"

JJ blanched. Penelope slapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh my god…!"

"THEY'RE GOING TO KILL HIM!" Derek roared on, not caring the slightest how many ears there were listening. Something warm meandered down his cheeks. "They'll kill him, and all you can say is that it's out of your hands?!"

"Hey, you two!" Alex took a step forward, squeezing herself between the two alpha males. "We're all emotional and furious. But we're not alone."

It took almost a full minute before the fog of rage inside Derek's head faded enough for him to actually register those words. He blinked twice, turning his gaze towards the direction everyone's stares were headed. The break room's door was slightly ajar.

They exchanged looks, Derek and Aaron pointedly avoiding each other's eyes, then began to approach soundlessly, their guns ready. The few seconds it took them to reach the door felt endless. What they found inside certainly wasn't what they expected.

There, in the most shadowy corner of the room, stood a blonde haired woman. There was only a hint of uncertainty in her hands when she raised them to be seen. "I'm not a intruder", a strangely familiar, slightly nervous voice explained. "Someone… helped me in."

"Step forward so we can see you." Aaron's command was hard as stone. "Then we'll ask you some questions."

The woman obeyed, slowly and carefully. After five steps light finally shone on her face. Someone gasped. Derek's own heart most likely leapt an extra beat. Such is a natural reaction when you see someone who took a bullet to the head standing before you. But the surreal sight remained.

Maeve Donovan was, without a doubt, right there, very much alive.

Maeve's eyes went through them all, finally stopping to a empty spot where the final member of their family should've been. Terror appeared rapidly. "I came too late, didn't I?" she breathed out.

Spencer didn't know how long, exactly, he was unconscious. When consciousness began to rush back in the first thing he felt was metallic chains around his wrists and ankles, so tight that they dug hungrily into his flesh. He was on his knees and there was a cold, hard floor underneath him. He must've been in that position for a remarkably long time because the muscles of his legs were sore and spasming, begging for a relief. So were his arms, which had been restrained above his head. So that's how he remained seated even when unconscious.

"Ah, so you're ready to join us, then?" Dr. Leonor's voice chilled him to the bone. "Do open your eyes. I honestly expected to never see them again."

Spencer obeyed, mostly because he wanted to see where he was and if there was a way to escape. His vision was still blurry while he glanced around as subtly as possible. His stomach knotted at what he found.

It was a entirely too familiar looking, completely white room. A sterile stench that made him feel sick to his stomach was everywhere. There were no windows or doors in his line of vision. He should've known that they wouldn't take any chances with him.

Dr. Leonor clicked his tongue with displeasure. "You managed to get away from us once, which was a unfortunate error from our part. One that I'm eager to correct. But first, of course, we're going to spend some quality time together." The scientist leaned closer. "Just out of curiosity… Is your… mother still alive as well?"

A surge of protectiveness washed over Spencer and he narrowed his eyes, fighting the urge to spit at the man before him. NO. There was no way he was going to let them get to his mom, even if he'd been careless enough to be found.

Dr. Leonor sighed, a bored expression appearing to his face. "I was afraid that you'd feel that way. Oh well… It's just the two of us, then." The man's smile had nothing human to it. Nor did those eyes. "I'm sure that you know what we're going to start with. While I trust you not to do anything stupid, considering that the safety of your… friends is in your hands, I prefer not taking any chances."

And oh, Spencer knew. His eyes widened while a sinking feeling rolled in, filling him with ice. If he hadn't been bound and brought to his knees he would've definitely slumped down. "No…! Don't…"

But of course he realized that there was no use in pleading. Not before, and not now. He heard a door opening behind him and managed to find a hint of gratitude from the fact that he didn't have to see the people who were going to do this to him. He kept staring into Dr. Leonor's eyes, trying to find something, anything, that would've given him hope. There was nothing.

And then came the first surge of pain when a sharp blade cut through the fine, sensitive structure nearby the root of his wings.

It was like he'd been set on fire and had his skin peeled off all at once. The sensation was so intense, overwhelming, that Spencer's head couldn't process anything else. He squeezed his eyes shut as tightly as he could, trying to will away the reality at hand, and screamed. Howled like the animal those people imagined he was.

The blade faltered there, just a little bit, which made the experience even more painful. For a fleeting second Spencer was almost sure that he heard someone whisper 'I'm sorry' but it was most likely just a trick of his chaotic mind. He kept screaming even though his voice had grown hoarse but by some miracle managed to keep himself perfectly still. Any movement only added the agony, he knew from unpleasant experience. There was no escape, no mercy.

They kept cutting, like he'd been a piece of meat in a butcher's hands. With his body slipping into a state of shock the pain shifted out of his focus, became static nagging in the back of his skull. He was able to register other things.

The smell and feel of his own blood, running down his back like a miniature river.

His own continued cries, already quiet and hoarse.

The trembling of his incredibly tense muscles.

And then, so suddenly that he couldn't keep himself from shuddering, the feel of one wing falling away.

The tears that rolled down Spencer's cheeks then had nothing to do with physical pain. He wanted to shout at the top of his lungs but all he managed was a tortured mew. He bowed his head, not wanting his captors to see this new, far more intimate ache.

He just lost a part of himself, right there. Something that made him who he was. Something he spent years re-growing. He lost his only hope of freedom.

That realization, swallowing him like a tidal wave and drowning him, was so all consuming that he couldn't even feel them working on the second wing. Or perhaps the shock finally got to him. In full truth he didn't really care either way.

All that existed for him was darkness.

TBC

1) This refers to 'Amplification', where Reid left a message to his mom with Garcia hearing it.

A/N: Ugh…! Poor, poor Reid – that was absolutely horrible! (winces) But what's this? Maeve's alive! Will she and the team manage to save him? Or will they end up into just as bad trouble?

PLEASE, do leave a note to let me know your thoughts! It'd be super exciting to hear from you.

Until next time! I REALLY hope that I'll c ya all then.

Take care!

NeeyahTwins: I'm super happy to hear that! (beams) 'Hope you'll enjoy what's to come next as much.

Colossal thank yous for the review!