Here's the next chapter for you guys! I've been working my butt off all night and well, it's kinda late and I'm tired so it may not be too good. Hazard of not proof-reading, I guess. Whatever, read on!
Guardian couldn't help but feel tingles of nervous excitement race up his back, as he sat up straight in the back of one of the team's SUVs. The rain pelted the windows, causing the streetlights to streak in rainbow colours along the glass, casting a glow in the night. Morgan's hands clutched the steering wheel of the car stiffly, almost going pale from the strength of his grip. Emily sat in the passenger seat, her face set like when she was hiding her emotions, but sitting far more taut than usual. Either way, the rolling scent of their nervousness gave themselves away to Guardian; they felt just the same as he did.
He turned his head to peer out the window, his eyes following the second SUV behind them, carrying Hotch, Rossi, and JJ. Even farther behind them was a SWAT car, which was how Matthews was being transported. It was a fact that Strauss wouldn't let the team take Matthews anywhere without a SWAT team for back-up; which Guardian guessed was fine with his team as well. They didn't want this man to slip through their fingers again.
Guardian was jerked from his thoughts as the car turned off the bumpy road and pulled into the worn-down parking lot outside the abandoned factory. It was dark and broken down, with a lost and ghostly air to it. Guardian shook those thoughts away and hopped out of the car when the door was opened for him by Emily. He flinched as the uneven pavement dug into the pads of his feet, slick with the rain still pouring down on their heads.
He stood still as Morgan fastened his FBI vest on him, giving him a small pat on the head when he was finished. Guardian glanced up at him with his soulful eyes and Morgan felt himself give a shiver. Tearing his gaze from the dog, he set to work putting on his own vest and making sure his gun was attached firmly to his side in its holster. Two SWAT members marched over with Matthews hand-cuffed between them, another group of agents taking up the rear.
"Let's go." said Matthews cheerfully. "But only agent Hotchner's team when we get into the building, please." The SWAT agents hesitated but Hotch waved them off with one hand and grabbed Matthews firmly, steering him into the building, the rest of the team following at his heels.
The door creaked open ominously and they walked into a wide open space, with giant pillars holding up the crumbling roof and the cement floor strewn with a mixture of garbage and debris. Shifting shadows danced across the graffiti-coated walls, the constant sound of rain pattering on the roof and dripping through the cracks in the broken windows. Matthews led the team deeper into the old factory, the only light coming from the flashlights on the top of the team's guns. Occasionally they heard the crunch of glass under their feet and Morgan would always glance down to make sure Guardian hadn't stepped on it as well and hurt himself. And each time, the dog would look up and give the agent a long look that seemed to have a deeper meaning then Morgan would ever catch onto.
"This should be good." Matthews said, finally coming to a stop and breaking the eerie silence, sounding undaunted by the darkness and creepy atmosphere.
"What's this about?" demanded Morgan, scanning the darkness with his light. There didn't seem to be any real change in the surrounding. "Why did you bring us here?"
"Patience, agent Morgan." smiled Matthews, "This won't take long; just humour me, and Doctor Reid will be returned to you with no harm to his wellbeing at all." Morgan clenched his jaw, but refused to say anything to that.
"May I?" asked Matthews, raising his arm that was clutched strongly by Hotch, "I promise to be on my best behaviour."
"One wrong move," murmured Hotch, releasing his arm, "And you will be down on the floor before you can do anything." In point to Hotch's statement, the rest of the team trained their guns on Matthews.
"Duly noted." snorted Matthews, lightly yanking his arm from Hotch's grasp. "Now," he said, clapping his hands together, "I assume you managed to find it at my apartment, and dropped it off somewhere near here?"
"What?" asked JJ, casting a confused look at Emily, who frowned at the man coldly. "What are you talking about?"
"Actually, agent Jareau, I wasn't talking to you." Matthews stated, smiling sweetly. "I was speaking to Guardian." Before the team could respond to that, Matthews looked down at the dog standing next to Morgan.
"Well?" asked Matthews, slipping easily into All-tongue. Guardian lifted his head proudly and trotted coolly past him into the gloom, leaving the team to stare bewildered after him. After a pause of heavy silence, a faint glow came from the darkness and Guardian walked briskly back into the team's view, carrying a glowing canister between his teeth. Stopping next to Matthews, he carefully deposited it into the man's hands.
"Thank you." Matthews said in All-tongue. Guardian gave a snort. You don't have to speak in All-tongue, I understand English fine.
"Just putting on a show, Doctor Reid." grinned Matthews, pointedly glancing at the frozen forms of the team.
Morgan suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Matthews with one hand by the front of his shirt, his other hand dangling down and clutching his gun in a death grip. "What are you doing, you son of a bitch?" he snarled, his eyes hard in rage. "Why are we..?"
Morgan was cut off when Guardian gave his familiar warning growl, usually aimed to tell the team of an enemy; only this time, it was directed at his owner. His fur bristling, and his warm brown eyes now cold, the dog gave a threatening step forward, trying to put himself between Matthews and the furious FBI agent. Morgan was so shocked he let go of Matthews and took a step back.
"Guardian?" he said, confusion written over his face, "Guardian, down boy!" The dog only stepped in between the agent and the very smug looking Matthews.
You better start explaining this to them, right now, before they do something stupid and I'll do something I'll regret, growled Guardian, not taking his eyes off his team. It hurt, seeing their shocked and betrayed looking faces, their emotions rolling with an unease that their trusted dog was turning on them, with a deranged unsub at his side to boot.
Matthews rolled his eyes at the dog and held up his hands in an innocent manner, giving an understanding look to the team. "Now, don't do anything you'll regret. I'm going to explain everything." He paused, then stated matter-of-factly, "I kidnapped Doctor Reid, but I never harmed him." Guardian gave a low growl, and Matthews shrugged. "Ok, so the transformation may have been a tiny it painful, but there were no long-term effects, were there?"
"Transformation?" questioned Rossi, each syllable rolling off his tongue.
"Yes, agent Rossi," nodded Matthews, "Transformation. I took Doctor Reid, and using my formula, I changed your team mate into a dog. A dog which somehow managed to worm himself back onto the team." Matthews shook his head with a chuckle. "Wonders never seem to crease in this world."
"You're delusional," stated Emily, "There's no way that's possible."
"Ahhh, but is it really so far-fetched?" interrupted Matthews gleefully, looking positively eager to discuss his insanity. "Is it really so crazy to think, that perhaps, that dog currently standing between us is Doctor Spencer Reid?"
"Yes." specified Hotch, inching a step forward, which was not lost on Guardian. A low snarl made the man retreat back a step, frowning.
"But think," exclaimed Matthews, waving the glowing container at the team, "Think of all the oddities of this dog! Responding to your every command, having an uncanny way of knowing things; why, I'm willing to bet it has crossed all your minds, at least once, that this dog was very un-doglike."
"Enough of this," snapped Hotch, "Either call off the dog or I will be forced to-"
"No, Hotch, wait." said Morgan, a far off look in his eye. "I think Matthews is telling the truth." The rest of the team had looks that clearly thought that Morgan was off his rocker, but things were starting to slide into place for Morgan. The familiar brown eyes, the distastefulness for dog-food and his collar, the amazing intelligence and the way the dog seemed to know everything. Other small things that had never been relevant before suddenly were showed in a new light; the many times he had walked into rooms to find the dog leaning over a book, the way the dog had instantly trusted him when Morgan had first found him, and there was the whole weird Henry incident…
"Reid?" asked Morgan, his gun arm lowering and his eyes focused on the dog. The Border collie's ears shot up and he glanced up at Morgan with what could be called hope shining in his eyes. Crouching down, Morgan reached out a hand. "Pretty boy?"
To the whole team's surprise, the dog's defensive manner dropped and he gently touched his head to Morgan's hand, never breaking eye contact.
"I see someone has caught on," observed Matthews, dropping out of his defensive stance. "About time."
"Is it really Reid?" murmured JJ. Guardian looked up at her and gave a short bark, which made her giggle even though tears were brimming in her eyes.
"Now, Doctor Reid here wants to change back into a human, and this is how." Said Matthews, waggling the container in his hand. "This is the cure."
"How do you know it'll work?" asked Emily, looking suspicious and also a bit overwhelmed.
"Easy," said Matthews, "Doctor Reid was not my first experiment." There was a beat of silence, in which even Guardian stared at Matthews, before Morgan burst out, "What?"
"Yes," said Matthews distractedly, examining the glowing liquid. "There was a man down in Tampa, a complete, if you'll pardon my language, asshole. I changed him into a very impressive Golden Retriever. After he had cooled his hot head, I contacted him and he made the decision to turn back into a human. He now lives quite happily with his wife and two kids."
"The second," Matthews stated, giving the liquid a quick shake and nodding at how it responded, "Was a young boy. Father was mean drunk, and his mother was a dead-beat junkie living on the streets. He I turned into a lovely tomcat, which he quite enjoyed. He still is a cat, by the way, living with a couple I met who are very kind. They couldn't have children see, and they thought that a human/cat would work just as well. I still visit them sometimes; he is incredibly gratefully to me, for saving him, although I hope that one day he may be brave enough to be a boy again."
"You see," said Matthews, finally looking straight at the team, "I don't hurt people; I help them."
"Yeah, and what about Reid?" snapped Morgan, "How were you helping him?"
"I gave him everything he ever wanted," murmured Matthews, smiling as Guardian looked up at him. "Think, Doctor Reid, what have I given you? I've given you all the confidence and comfort you have craved all your life. I gave you the strength to protect your team mates, all the control you possibly needed to do anything you wanted without the normal consequences. Think carefully, Doctor Reid; do you truly want to go back to your human life?"
Guardian was silent, peering unwaveringly at the man, and he did think. He thought long and hard about Matthews's question, feeling a pang in his chest when he thought of giving up all the perks of his dog-life, to go back to being human. No longer would he be strong, nor would he have the power to protect his team; he would go back to just being Spencer Reid.
"Reid?" Morgan said, and Guardian could hear a note of disbelief in his friend's voice. "Reid..?"
Looking Matthews dead in the eye, Guardian said, I want to change back. My team needs me.
Matthews gave a sigh. "How touching, giving up so much for your team. I envy the ties of family forged within this group."
"So...?" started Morgan.
"Doctor Reid will be changing back. I will suggest that you all please leave us a moment in peace." Grunted Matthews, twisting the cap off of the container. Unlike the previous rainbow liquid, the cure was a shimmering black fluid, glinting like the night sky with billions of dewdrops of stars swirling about. Guardian couldn't help but think that it looked like a piece of the night sky had fallen to earth and been put into liquid form.
"Not happening." said Hotch, still not lowering his gun, although the rest of the team had.
"I implore of you, this is not going to be pretty." Warned Matthews. "The first transformation was agonizing, and lasted almost a full day. The cure will be much quicker, with only a minute or so to be done, but it will not be any less painful. You do not need to be here while that period is happening."
Hotch was still before he spoke. "JJ, Emily; go back with Rossi to the front. SWAT will be getting antsy by now."
"What about you and Morgan?" asked Rossi, securing his gun back on his belt.
"We'll stay here." He confirmed, even as Matthews gave an annoyed sigh. They all listened as the footsteps of their other team mates slowly moved away, before only a ringing silence was left between the three men and one dog.
"I do believe, at the very least, that you can just step out of our sight." Matthews prodded abruptly, "For the sake of Doctor Reid."
"For the sake..?" questioned Morgan, his eyes flashing dangerously.
"Well, it's not as if clothes are going to just magically appear, isn't it?" snickered Matthews. There was a silence before Guardian gave a small howl of protest, glaring at the man. Morgan and Hotch knew that if dogs could blush, Guardian would be bright red.
"Fine," conceded Morgan, knowing how embarrassed Reid would be, "We'll just stand over there."
The two men disappeared around the corner, out of sight, and Matthews turned to Guardian, looking down at the dog with a raised eyebrow.
They took that rather well, commented Guardian, staring off into the direction his team had taken.
"What can I say, Doctor Reid; desperation." Matthews declared cockily. With a small groan, he lowered himself down to the dog's level, staring him straight in the eye. He held up the container with flourish and smirked.
"Just drink this. It should take effect almost immediately." Matthews then paused, giving his almost trade-mark grin. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Doctor Reid." He offered his hand to Guardian and after a moment, the dog lifted his paw and placed it in the man's palm, giving it a small shake.
"Drink up." said Matthews, tipping the container over Guardian's waiting mouth.
Morgan's head jerked up as he heard a strangled howl come from right around the corner, and he clenched his fists to prevent himself from running into the room to see what was happening. He had no idea why, but for some reason he believed the man, and hoped with all his heart that in a few minutes he would have his friend back.
The howls continued for about twenty seconds before they started to change, gradually becoming less animal and more and more human. The screams tapered off, and turned to small whimpers, giving way to exhausted pants.
"Reid?" called Morgan cautiously, not knowing what to expect.
"Morgan?" a weak voice responded, a voice Morgan thought he would never hear again.
Pushing himself off the wall he was leaning on, Morgan turned the corner and zeroed in on the crumpled form of his friend laying where Guardian had last been standing. Rushing to his side, with Hotch right beside him, he crouched down next to the curled form of Reid, still panting in pain.
"Reid, you ok?" asked Morgan. Reid lifted his head and his warm chocolate eyes slid open. His hair was slightly longer then Morgan remembered, with a small streak of black that hadn't been there before, and his lean form had slightly more defined muscles.
"Yeah, I'm good." Mumbled Reid, and then he smiled, his teeth bared in a dog-like manner. Without a word, Hotch had pulled off his jacket under his vest and handed it to Reid, who slid it on with a small blush.
"Thanks." He rasped. His voice was odd; tilting, rising, and very, very gruff from lack of use. For the first time in almost a year, Reid had his voice back.
Morgan helped Reid to his feet, which wobbled from lack of use and almost made the young man collapse if Hotch hadn't been there to grab his arm. As soon as Reid had gained his feet, swaying slightly, and wrapping the jacket tightly around his form, Morgan grabbed the man in a hug. Surprised, Reid drew back for a moment then leaned into the embrace, feeling Morgan take a shuddering breath.
"Let's get out of here." Said Morgan, pulling away and frowning at how his friend shivered. Hotch reached over and gave the man a squeeze on the shoulder, his eyes expressing everything he was feeling and Reid grinned tiredly at him.
With the help of the two men, Reid was able to stumble back through the warehouse, dodging glass bits and listening contentedly to the pounding of the rain overhead. It was only when they reached the half-way point back to through the building that Morgan suddenly swore loudly and glanced behind them, pulling his gun.
"Matthews!" he shouted, "I completely forgot about him!" Hotch instantly pulled his gun as well, swearing softly and moving to run back the way they had come. A hand on his shoulder stopped him though.
"It doesn't matter." Said Reid, staring intently into Hotch's eyes, "He's gone and you won't find any trace of him either."
"But Reid, man, we can't just…" sputtered Morgan. Reid shook his head.
"Believe me, he's long gone by now."
Dejectedly, Morgan put his gun away and more slowly than before, the three men walked back through the gloom. Reid could hear the howling of the wind and felt it bite his exposed flesh, making him huddle under the jacket and walk a step behind Morgan, using him to shield himself. They were almost to the entrance when Hotch gave a small sigh.
"Strauss is going to have a field-day over this." He rumbled, rubbing his head tiredly. Reid flinched and rasped out, "Sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry about anything." Stated Hotch, "Let me deal with her."
"We could still go look for Matthews, get SWAT on him. He couldn't have gone far." Morgan said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Believe me," whispered Reid, stepping out the door of the building and into the night, "You don't underestimate that man." He closed his eyes in a sigh, a smile gracing his face as he heard JJ give a scream at the sight of them, and heard the rush of feet as the rest of the team came to see him.
"Truly, Matthews wasn't all that bad; he just showed me how well off I really am in a very strange, very odd way."
Only one more chapter guys, and if I can accomplish my goal, it should be updated to you by tomorrow! Thanks so much to all those who reviewed. I hope you find all your dreams come true! Haha anyways, please review, and give me your thoughts. I'd really, really like that, and just a reminder that I love you all very much. Till tomorrow then.