Hi. I've been undergoing radio silence for so long it's amazing I dared to get back in the game. Moving on rather swiftly, I really really don't like this chapter. However, since it was like pulling teeth and blood from a stone at the same time I give up on this chapter. Love it? Hate it?Es no mi problema. Not anymore anyway.

So. Read. Review and tell me what you tink. Is it crap? Tell me. (I would say don't, but right now, I just need human contact.)

As always review replies are on the bottom.

So. Read on...


Of Failures, Fake-outs and Fits

There was nothing there. Just an empty space. Spencer didn't holster his weapon though, the unsub could be still in there. Hiding. He walked through the door, careful to keep his gun ready and aimed at the centre of the space. Mariyah covered him from one step behind. He could feel nothing beyond the room and within twenty seconds of entering it, his thoughts were confirmed. The room wasn't a room though. It went on and around a corner.

"Shall we?" Spencer asked Mariyah. She just nodded, her face tense.

They moved into the room, the deadly silence encasing them like a shroud. And that, Spencer decided, was far too morbid a line of thought for this situation. They tunnel curved almost back on itself and Spencer followed it, keeping close to the wall. Mariyah followed him, the only sound that of their breathing and the gentle crunch of their footsteps on the gritty floor. The floor was occasionally broken by heavy boulders some as big as Spencer. He noted that they would make for good cover.

Ahead, they saw a faint light, just a faint hint and Spencer ducked behind a handy boulder, hating himself for tempting fate. Mariyah flattened herself against the wall, her gun at the ready. He could see her chest moving in a hypnotic rhythm for a few seconds before he realised what he was doing and hastily redirected his gaze to the still unidentified light source. He listened carefully but he couldn't hear anything other than the breathing of the guy on the mic and Mariyah's almost silent breaths. They waited for two maybe three minutes before progressing down the tunnel, every nerve in Spencer's body jumping and ready to draw him down into defensive crouch.

Suddenly Spencer realised just how dangerous this was. Even if there was only one unsub, all it took was two shots and then there would be two dead BAU agents on the floor and there would be no chance of saving the boy. Every sign pointed to the fact that the unsub was highly unstable and a direct confrontation was not to be attempted particularly by junior members without backup and only two guns and maybe thirty bullets between them. That was not an attractive prospect. This went against every single lesson Spencer had ever been taught, hell, every lesson that each and every FBI agent was taught. And now Spencer was going charging in like a reckless fool. Spencer idly quoted inside his head, "There is always some madness in love." By Friedrich Nietzsche. Well then, he had hit the proverbial motherload.

They moved silently together, as the light stayed steady. Mariyah pulled back the slide on her gun and the click sounded deafening in the silent stillness. As they crept closer to the light, Spencer noticed it didn't move. Didn't flicker, move or even have a shadow in it somewhere. It was unnerving. Then when they were only about six feet from the sharp ninety degree corner, which turned left so sharply it was like it had been mined Spencer took a deep breath and waved Mariyah around to his side. They would take what was beyond together, he decided. Since he was the most senior agent physically present he automatically called the shots and Mariyah wasn't objecting. He mentally crossed his fingers and stepped quickly around the corner, "Freeze, FBI!" already on his lips.

Once again it was incredibly anticlimactic. There was no one there and the mysterious 'light' turned out to be just a patch of sunlight from a hole in the ceiling. Spencer felt like slamming his head against the wall. It was like someone else was pulling the strings, letting them get so close then robbing the prize out of their hands.

Beyond the light was a rockfall, and Spencer could see even from the distance he was standing from it, that it was impassable. So much for their big lead. He check his watch. They had just wasted about two hours on a pointless escapade when they could have finding the missing boy. Spencer was sorely tempted to swear but restrained it. It wouldn't help them now.

Together the two of them walked back through the tunnel. And Spencer could hear Morgan practically sniggering in his ear. Evidently Mariyah could hear it too because she reached up and switched off the hearing part of the comm. system. She did not look very impressed.

"Mariyah, I'm sorry." Spencer apologised.

"Why?"

"I dragged you down here-"

"Nah. I'm not angry about that. You didn't drag me down here, it was Agent Hotchner who did. Besides. I agreed. And every lead-"

"Must be fully investigated." The second rule every FBI and equivalent division learnt. The first – The bad guy is never the first guy.

"I just," Mariyah continued, "wanted to find him. I felt like we were so close. Like we were going to crack the case." She waved a hand back at the tunnel and they passed through the door.

"And we found nothing." Spencer finished her thought. They hooked themselves back into harnesses and Mariyah disappeared up the tunnel. Spencer wandered up to the rig and took the rope between his hands. It was old, something they had missed the first time around. The hook in the wall was rusted and old as well. Spencer shook his head as Mariyah's voice appeared though his headphone.

"I'll pull until you get up into the shaft. Do you think you can manage from there?"

Spencer nodded before realising she couldn't see him and said, "I think so. Are you going to be able to pull me up?"

Mariyah merely sighed through the mic. "I'm tougher than I look."

Spencer hung to the rope, and felt his feet lift from the floor and his shoulder slam into the bottom of the shaft, "OW!" he cried into the microphone. His shoulder hurt and Spencer was sure he would have a bruise in the morning.

"Sorry. Try directing yourself." Mariyah gave another grunt as she pulled again. "You're no light weight, you know."

"I'm six feet tall."

"Point taken."

Once his feet were inside the shaft, he started using his hands and feet to push off of tiny ledges and to get into little cracks and actually didn't do half bad, if he said so himself. Considering he rarely did a lot physical activity, and the last time he had done this much had been probably in high school. Before he ditched physical education in favour for advanced chemistry.

Finally, his head popped over the edge of the shaft and there was Mariyah holding onto the rope for grim death. Together they got Spencer out of the shaft and they made their way back to the hole.

Once out, Spencer looked over for Elle and Morgan. They were conspicuously absent and only Hotch and Gideon were in the room along with the fire department. Spencer felt completely stupid but decided against saying anything. No doubt Morgan would spend forever ribbing him about this.

Gideon didn't say anything to them and Hotch merely ordered them back to the hotel to wash and change with the strictest orders to return to the police station under pain of being desk bound for the duration of the case. Not a pleasant thought at the best of times and now certainly wasn't the best of times.

Mariyah didn't say a word as they walked down the stairs. Neither of the two spoke as they opened the gate. It was only when the two of them started the long road that they started talking again. At the same time.

"So Spencer..."

"So Mariyah..."

They looked at each other and Spencer started to snicker. Then Mariyah got the giggles and then Spencer started to chuckles and it went down from there. They were filthy, covered in dust and exhausted and for some reason it was just so funny. So Spencer was staggering around like a drunk and Mariyah was giggling and clutching her ribs. Spencer reached out and brushed away a dead leaf on Mariyah's cheek. She coloured in her cheeks and Spencer decided he could spend all day looking at that expression. They carried on down the drive, choosing to forget the fact there was a demon with a boy to rescue and said boy might be killed and they just chose to have fun.

Mariyah had a pretty little cobweb tilted at just so an angle in her red hair and for the moment Spencer was just happy to laugh and laugh and admire his rather beautiful fellow genius and damn the consequences.


Nightanglex18 – Well, this is what you must know! Sorry to disappoint about the door but wait. If you can predict where the evil lair is, I will give you cookies. (I guarantee you won't).

Vanillastar – Well it's nice to love you love it and there you are. One chapter. Vintage 2008.

Tearbos – About the drabble thing – I've not got half the time I used to. I might go into later but for now it's on hold for the foreseeable future.

Foxyladyhubbards – Well, it's lovely to know there is someone who bears my pain and here you go.

Twisted Truth – Lots of darkness is just around the corner if I can get my act together. So nice to know by the way that you like it. And here you are.