Family

Betrayal is the only truth that sticks: - Arthur Miller

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

Flanders stood and watched the retreating back of the child and thought how it was already too late for her. Genetics can't be cheated. She was going to be a problem and would need a strong hand to keep her in line.

"I want to speak with Iolanda." Floyd didn't sound happy about what had just transpired.

"You know it will make no difference. Iolanda has made his decision and he won't be moved from it."

Floyd turned and started to walk back to the cave. He needed to check that they had treated Spencer and he needed to make sure Aaron was going to be alright.

-o-o-o-

The only thing Spencer could feel was pain. Emotionally and physically. His body was burning up with a fierce temperature but the pain in his throat didn't seem to be getting any worse. Either that or what Floyd had just done to him was over riding all else. It felt like his back was on fire. His arms – now untied and covered in creams and dressings had gone numb the agony around his pelvic area was increasing slowly. It felt like he was going to rip apart and spill him internal organs onto the dirt. The only good thing now was he was laying down. Now he could pass out and it wouldn't kill him.

"Babes." Floyd's voice next to him. Spencer sensed rather than saw him sit down on the floor next to him. A gentle hand brushed over his forehead. "You're not looking too good. I want to take this away from you Spence. I would trade places with you. You know I would don't you? You know that this isn't what I expected to happen. I didn't know you were sick." He shuffled closer and ran his fingers over Reid's jaw and the bruised from the collar. "Now here's the thing; I am clean, so who did you catch it off? You amaze me. Every time you do something like this I am surprised that you would dare go behind my back. When did it happen Spence, you can tell me. Was it a common whore you picked up off the streets, or some ratty junky rent boy from the park? You can tell me. I won't be cross."

Spencer just lay where he was looking at Flanders. Being unfaithful to this monster was just not on the agenda, so whatever he was talking about - and he had a nasty idea that he did – he could only have caught it off him.

He went through the symptoms in his head and came up with any number of nasty STD's Floyd could have given him. He turned to lay on his side and pulled his legs up tightly. He might be diseased. He might be scum and filth and a pervert, but he would never fall as low as Floyd – and he wouldn't be a kebab either – at least not this week.

"You don't want to talk to me. I can understand that, but I would like you to show some sort of gratitude for what I have done for you here. I have undoubtedly saved your pathetic life Spence. But then you know I couldn't bare the thought of losing you. It just isn't something I am willing to contemplate. Lay on your front and let me see the damage they have done to your back.

Spencer couldn't quite believe what Floyd was saying to him. He ran his sticky sickly tongue over his dried cracked lips and blinked at Floyd.

"Don't worry babes – you are probably in shock. I am going to leave you to think about what I have said and I will be back. I need to check up on Aaron. They gave him a nasty crack under the jaw there."

"Aaron?" That hurt, and the voice which came out didn't much sound like Reid but it was enough to draw Floyd's attention back to him.

"Yes babes, Aaron is here too, but he just couldn't keep his mouth shut and nearly got us both into trouble there. I am sure he will be OK – just you worry about getting yourself better. This was for the best you know. It had to happen." Rough calloused hands pulled Reid back onto his front. "Stay like that. You will heal quicker."

Reid felt Floyds finger running down the backs of his legs. Normally – in the right setting – that would be wonderful. Right now it didn't feel quite as good.

"Don't mind me Spence. Just checking for imperfections. They will shave you later. Not your head. They will leave that. Spence – I'm doing my best here. This is my family – they have the upper hand. They know me better than I know myself. I will be back."

"Floyd." Again the strange voice coming from Spencer.

"Babes?"

"Don't touch me."

-o-o-o-

Hotch was laying on his side watching what was going on. He didn't see what Floyd had done to Reid but he could see him now over on the other side of the cave talking to him and now he watched him get up and walk over towards where he was caged.

Floyd crouched down and looked at Aaron. "You doing alright? How's the chin?"

His chin hurt, but he wasn't about to tell Floyd. "You know these people." It wasn't a question.

"Well yes."

"You set Spencer up for this? You knew you were bringing me here. Why? What sick pleasure are you getting out of this?"

"I came to talk to you, to see if we can sort this out, but your attitude isn't one which is very conducive for deal making."

"What on earth are you talking about Floyd?"

"I stalled you for as long as I could. I didn't want you here, but you followed me and wouldn't go away. I tried to restrain you on the beach, but I didn't want to hurt you Aaron."

"You seduced me on the beach – you weren't trying to restrain me. Do you actually recall anything the way it really happened? Your mind is so far gone Floyd that your little imaginary world is falling apart. Get me out of here and let me take Spencer home."

"You are as ungrateful as he is." Indicating Spencer. "You are both still alive aren't you? You're not badly hurt – yet – stop moaning. I will get you something to eat. A vegetable." A smirk "and some water." Floyd stood up to leave.

"Wait. Floyd I need to ask you something."

He crouched back down. "Yes?" A tight smile.

"You haven't told me the reason. Why did you do this? There had to be a reason this has suddenly happened. Why Spencer?"

Floyd sighed and sat with his legs crossed. "Very well – I'll tell you what you need to know." He wiped a new trickle of blood off from under his nose. "I wanted to visit someone. You don't need to know more than that. Carrot and water?"

"Why Spencer?"

"Because that was the rule. They are big on their rules. I had to give over something precious. I had every intention of coming in and removing him from the situation before things got bad, but I had no idea he was sick. Therefore they can't use him for what I expected. I didn't know they were going to do that Aaron. I really wasn't expecting it. I would change places with him if I could, but it seems they need me. A nice feeling. Being needed."

"Floyd – I remember a while back – quite a long time ago now, when you first let us get to know you – Gideon tried to profile you. I think he only got one part of it correct. You are a compulsive liar. You are sick Floyd. When you feel like telling me the truth, come back with my water."

"Sure." Flanders looked around him and put his hand inside the cage Aaron was laying it. It wasn't high enough for him to even sit in. "I'm sorry – well not actually sorry – I don't think I am – but well I feel something, I just don't know what it is." He grabbed Hotch's hand. "I'll unlock the cage. Everything else is up to you. But I would leave it until they are tired of looking at you." He squeezed Aaron's hand and ran his fingers over the lock. "You are unlocked. Just push to open. But wait until the time is right." Hotch nodded.

"And Spencer?"

"I will sort the rest out. You just do you."

He pulled his hand away and walked again over in the direction of Spencer.

Aaron wished he could begin to understand this man. One minute lying and abusive, the next almost remorseful and caring. How Spencer had coped with this treatment for so long he wasn't sure. Then again he hadn't coped with it. He watched Floyd sit down next to Reid and thought how that person laying on the ground was just a very poor copy of that excited young man he had met when he first joined the BAU.

-o-o-o-

The plan had been set in motion. All he had to do now was to wait for Aaron to make his move. He was almost sorry, this wasn't how he had expected it to end. He looked down at Spencer who was laying on his side again with his torn back facing the wall. Floyd lay down on the floor behind him and brushed his fingertips lightly over Spencer's face.

"I don't want them to do this to you Spence. I don't want them to torture you and slowly kill you by removing that lovely soft skin. I don't want you to end up as one of their toys."

"Floyd."

"Hush – don't talk. Just know that if I was ever capable of loving someone then it would be you." He gently kissed the back of Spencer's neck and the finger tips brushing Spencer's face moved down to his mouth – brushing them gently. "It's for the best." Floyd quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching and when the time was right he clamped his hand firmly over Reid's nose and mouth. He felt him jerking and struggling against his hand, but he was now so weakened by dehydration that his fingers clawing at Floyd's hand had no effect.

Flanders could feel some strange knotting feeling in his stomach as he felt Spencer struggle, now holding tightly onto Floyd's wrist.

-o-o-o-

Spencer wasn't sure what was going on anymore. Floyd's words were confusing and he kept seeming to go back on what he had just said. Forgetting his lies and deceits almost as quickly as he said them. He felt the comfort of him laying behind him and the feel of his mouth on the back of this neck and now the hand stopping him from breathing. For a while he struggled. It was natural to struggle, but small point. He wanted to say sorry. For whatever it was he had done to make Floyd so cross he would do this to him. He wanted to ask for forgiveness, but the hand wouldn't move and so he just held on tightly to what he could and hope that the last thing he feels when this is finally over was Floyd's mouth on the back of his neck.

-o-o-o-

He stopped struggling. Floyd needed him to try to do something rather than just lay there and accept this. He bit on Reid's shoulder and when he got no response he took his free hand and with his sharp nails ran them down Spencer's back.

He started to struggle again. This was good. People had seen him and they were coming.

Floyd looked over at Aaron as he drew the attention away from over near Hotch. As the crowd approached as one he quickly release Reid and ran fingers over his neck to check for a pulse and a hand on his chest to make sure he was still breathing.

The plan was so far working well. Floyd stood and faced the crowd.

A small dark haired man stepped forward. "I wondered when you would start your games. They wont work on us." He looked behind him at a big muscular man. "Take Spencer and get him cleaned up. Make sure he stays alive. He is no good to us dead." Now he turned back to Flanders. "Floyd. Why do you insist on causing trouble wherever you go?"

He stood and looked at the man who was talking to him. "Iolanda. I wondered when you would show your face. Hiding behind the skirts of the women again?"

"Protecting them for the likes of you."

Floyd took a small bow and smiled at him. "And what are you going to do about that?"

A frown crossed Iolanda's face. "About what?"

Floyd looked over to where Hotch was walking quickly in the shadows out of the cave. "Him. Don't you think you should go get him back again before he goes and tells everyone what you are?"

Reid had been scooped up and taken away. The rest of the crowd turned and raced towards where tomorrow's dinner was running.

Floyd stood and watched for a small while. He needed to be sure that all attention was away from him as he stood back into the shadows and made his way towards where he had seen Rosa.

He was sure that above the shouts of the clansmen he could hear Hotch call out. Once again that feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on as he ran towards what he had gone to all this trouble for.

-o-o-o-

She was sleeping. The women she was with laying on blankets snuggled in the corners. It took seconds to deal with them quietly. They wouldn't have even known what had happened. He looked down at the sleeping face of his child and a swimming feeling passed through his head. Much like the same feeling when he had just had an unconscious Spencer. He knelt on the floor and looked at her long dark hair and pale skin. When her eyes shot open they were as dark as the pits of hell.

"What are you doing here? You are not allowed here."

"Come with me." He went to grab her hand.

"Go to hell!" Rosa pushed back away from the man she had been taught to dread – the bogeyman - the monster who will come and eat you as you sleep if you aren't good - the monster who hurts children.

"With me – now." Floyd was getting cross now.

"Or what? You gonna hit me? Go on I dare you – go on hit me!"

So he did.

He picked up the limp form and walked with her thrown over his shoulder. He didn't go back the way he came. He carried on into the labyrinth and disappeared into the darkness.

-o-o-o-

They grabbed hold of Hotch and dragged him into the middle of the cave to where a pit had been dug. He stood defiantly. Floyd had betrayed him. First Spencer and then him and he had no idea why.

"On your knees pig." He felt the angry phlegm hit the back of his neck. His leg was throbbing and bleeding again, but he wasn't going to just roll over and give in. He felt a kick to the back of his knee and in his weakened state he went down to his knees. "Obviously we cant trust you to stay in the cage so welcome to your new home."

A kick to the back of Aaron's head sent him forwards and down. It wasn't a terribly wide area and so as he fell he scraped off the walls and landed with a crash at the bottom. It was about twenty foot and as his head hit the floor and rebounded and hit again and his skull cracked the blood dripped – he lay and wondered how long it would take Rossi, Morgan and Prentiss to come looking for him. He could taste blood in his mouth from where he had bashed his mouth and cut his inner lip with his teeth and now the pit was being covered over with a grill of some kind and the little bit of light which had been filtering down into the hole in the ground was cut back to a dull greyness.

Aaron sat with his back against and wall and pulled his legs in tightly to him. Something he had seen Spencer do often and now he understood how he must've been feeling at those time. Completely defeated. Hotch knew he needed to sleep. He knew that he had to keep his strength up and he knew they didn't want him dead or they would have killed him a long time ago. All he could do now was to sit and wait and hope that Floyd was not what he seemed to be.

A/N: I just realised that my spacings havent been working recently so really sorry about that! Hopefully it will make more sense now! Thank you!! Pb