(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or it's characters)
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Thank you ahowell1993, iluvhotchme, lailyspenstar, fishtrek, Diana, AZCatmom, Ludub, Guest, Sherryola, Daisyangel, Sarry22, lilyflower101, and poohbear123. I promise that the next chapter Spencer will (hopefully) get rescued!
Please keep reviewing, it means a lot to me.
Enjoy!
Previously:
"It's only an inspection, JJ. We'll be fine."
JJ swallowed thickly and let the car roll slowly forward. Just an inspection... just an inspection.
After the inspection JJ and Hotch collapsed onto the couch, sighing in relief. They were one step closer. They'd shown them the boys' rooms and their routine. They saw nothing wrong and left the parents feeling a little calmer.
"I'm sorry this all happened," the one inspector had said, slipping his notepad into his back pocket.
"There's nothing dangerous or worrying about your home environment."
"We know," Hotch had muttered.
"I hope the adoption is confirmed soon," the inspector added.
"Can you... can you push it?" JJ asked and the inspectors shook their heads sadly.
"We can only offer recommendation, we can't speed up the process, it's beyond our power."
Now sat on the couch, JJ turned to Aaron and he held her steady.
"I-I wonder what he's doing," she mumbled.
Hotch sighed and kissed JJ's forehead gently, "This is Spencer Reid we're talking about, remember; he's a genius and he practically raised himself the first time around."
Spencer stared at his lap sadly, dull pain radiating from his hip. It had been four days since he'd last seen his family. He was let out of the quiet room where he had almost lost all sense of reality, only the pain from his fall connected him to humanity. He'd laid low, lining up when told, eating when asked, making no fuss when he was changed and put to bed, although he'd stay up for hours imagining what his family was doing.
He was fed up of his own passivity by the time the four-day mark slipped by. If he couldn't escape then he'd make their lives a living hell until they gave him back to his family. Not exactly a perfect plan, but Spencer was eager to rattle some chains, more specifically to rattle Miss Debbie's chains. He hadn't been entirely passive, he'd learned from most of the children where everything was kept, and he even managed to have a peek in the cleaning cupboard where all of his ingredients lay.
Now he just had to lay his trap.
The boys were home but the house was somber and quiet. Jack and Henry were on one couch watching the TV, their lips drooping downwards. JJ and Aaron sat beside one another on the second couch holding each other close as they whispered quietly. Hotch pulled JJ closer and let her nuzzle her face against his neck. The doorbell interrupted their embrace and JJ peeled away from Hotch's arms and went to the door. Jack and Henry didn't seem to react. JJ opened the door and her tired eyes fluttered wide open. "Sean," she mumbled and the visitor gave a forced smile and stepped forward to hug her.
"Rossi told me," he said, he held her tightly before pulling away and holding JJ's arms.
"Sean?" Hotch looked around the door frame in bewilderment.
"Hey bro, you should have called me, I would have been here straight away."
"Sorry," Aaron muttered but Sean hurried over and pulled him into a brief hug.
"I thought... with the new job and-" Hotch started but Sean gripped his shoulders tighter and shook his head firmly.
"Screw work," he remarked, patting Aaron's back.
When he released his brother Sean stood back and gave them both a pointed look.
"So how are we getting my nephew back?"
There were several things Spencer had learned number one, Miss Debbie woke up at 5.30 and showered. She would then change and go down to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee which she doused with three teaspoons of honey.
Number two, she would order the children to line up at 6, anyone not in the line would miss breakfast.
Number three, she'd go to her office and fill out paperwork until 11.30 by which time she would return for a second coffee. During said cup of coffee, she'd monitor the children and assure their chores were done.
Spencer planned on hitting her with his master pranks during these times. He recruited several kids but only one was prepared to help set up. Mike, the boy with dirty blonde hair who had never believed Spencer capable of sensible thought helped him in finding things they'd need, he even set up the cupboard trap with Spencer's directions. This all had to be done in the dead of night, Mike got cold feet after the first prank was set up and tried to make Spencer go back to bed. Spencer pretended to do so but after 10 minutes he got up again and limped downstairs and as quietly as a door mouse he started to set up his other booby traps. He started with the coffee. Debra always spooned out her coffee before she went to bed so she could wake up and just pour the milk and water into the mug. Spencer guessed it was just her hyper organisation. He crept up to the counter and scooped out some of the coffee granules. He then pulled out the baking powder from the top cupboard, balancing on his good leg that didn't ache aggressively he popped open the lid. He gave the stuff a whiff and cringed. Though it wouldn't kill her if she drank it, it wouldn't have a pleasant taste. He scooped out a spoonful into the coffee and mixed in the white powder until the coffee covered it. He grinned at the mixture and slipped down off the counter to the fridge. He found the full-fat milk that was Debra's, it even had a label proclaiming it to be so, therefore, no-one else would touch it. It was almost empty too, there was enough for one last cup. Spencer found the vinegar from another cupboard and carefully poured the whole bottle into the milk. He put the cap on and swirled it around before setting it back in its place.
Spencer sighed as he stood back, nodding proudly to himself and wiping his brow. He winced when he shifted his weight and his side prickled with pain. He lifted his large top he'd been sleeping in with the 'Loony Tunes' logo that was peeling off on the front. Beneath the aging top, Spencer saw a blossoming bruise across his hip bone that licked around his back; he touched it lightly, holding back a hiss of pain. Natalie was the only one to notice his injury but she couldn't do anything about it without alerting Demon Debra and Spencer forgave her for not wanting to face her wrath.
Spencer rubbed his hands together, dropping his top and plotting his next steps. Now he just had to set up the rest of the pranks. He wondered how on Earth he'd sneak into the demon's room.
"How long?" Hotch demanded to the phone. JJ watched him sigh and rub his forehead. "It's been four days how much long- I understand, ma'am but..." Hotch's head dipped low and he shuffled his feet a little. JJ and Sean exchanged a glance before turning back to Aaron. "Yes. Alright. Thank you." Hotch huffed and put the phone back on its stand. He turned and shuffled away from JJ and Sean's wandering eyes.
"Aaron?" JJ called, but Hotch ignored her and continued to trudge up the stairs. JJ looked back at Sean. "I'm just going to check on him, can you watch the boys?"
"Sure."
Sean waited until JJ was upstairs before he walked to the front room where the boy's had the TV on, though neither seemed to be watching it.
"Hey, kiddos, fancy a game on the PlayStation? I've been brushing up on my driving skills," he said, kneeling down beside Jack who stared blankly ahead. "What do you say, Jacko? I bet I could beat you on Mario Kart."
Jack shrugged and turned his head away from Sean. Sean scowled and looked over at Henry on the other end of the couch.
"What about you, Henry? Fancy beating your uncle at-"
"No," Henry muttered back, flicking the volume on the TV up.
"You sure? You can be Mario," Sean offered and Henry looked over at him briefly with dark eyes.
"I don't want to play without Spencer."
Debra got up at 5.30 as she always did, unbeknownst to her, a two-year-old on the floor above was also wide awake.
Spencer climbed out of his crib and staggered to his knees painfully, pressing his ear to the floor. He heard the shower start and grinned giddily. The shower didn't stop which made Spencer think that Debra hadn't realised that he swapped out her shampoo with a mixture. A mixture that acted as a hair remover. It had taken an hour to plant it in her shampoo bottle, especially when the whole time he was in her small 'apartment' on the first floor there was the rumbling snore of a dragon keeping him on his toes. The dragon had completely swamped the single bed and Spencer had feared that if one of her big ugly eyes rolled open he'd be burnt to a crisp by her fiery breath. He shivered on the nursery floor at the very thought despite it being complete fiction.
Spencer still had his ear pressed to the floor when the door opened. He squinted up at the light and saw Natalie in the doorway.
"How did you get out?" She mused, walking over to him and lifting him into her arms. Spencer huffed in annoyance as she carried him to the bathroom.
He'd just have to wait to see the results.
Spencer was eating a bowl of porridge when he heard Debra's voice booming down the corridor, ordering someone around. Natalie jumped in her seat and took Spencer's bowl away, which he'd almost finished anyway.
"Let's get you changed before she-"
"Patterson."
Natalie's eyes bulged impossibly wide and she glanced over her shoulder. "Ma'am," she mumbled.
"It's a bit early, isn't it," Debra commented. Spencer craned his neck and caught sight of the horrid woman. He had to suppress a giggle when he saw her hair. It was tied back in a bun but Spencer could see several bald spots all across her skull, revealing her flaky scalp. Natalie turned around completely and gasped at Debra's head. She swallowed thickly.
"Um... Ma'am," Natalie started, looking at Debra with a grimace, "you have Uh..."
"What?" Debra snapped as Natalie stared at the bald patches in the woman's hair. Natalie snapped out of her trance and looked into Debra's cold eyes. She couldn't care less what Miss Debbie looked like.
"Um... nothing," Natalie said quickly, turning away and hitching Spencer onto her hip. Debra scowled at her back and shrugged before going into the kitchen for her coffee.
Debra pulled her mug over to the kettle and started boiling it. She shook her head in annoyance as she heard Natalie talking to one of the other carers, probably Lyn. She took her milk from the refrigerator and unscrewed the cap if she'd been paying attention she would have smelled something acidic in the milk, or seen the slightly brown tinge to the practically curdled milk, but she continued as she would and poured the milk in. As soon as the milk hit the coffee, so did the other ingredients and it all started frothing. Debra cried out, dropping the milk on the floor as her hands moved quickly to the mug as it started overflowing with brown foam.
"What on earth," she gasped as she tried to control the froth. She could hear it fizzle and bubble and she frantically shoved the rabid mug into the sink and turned the faucet on. The water hit the mug at an angle and sprayed up at Debra who snarled angrily, flipping the mug over. The mug hissed and spat as the foam started to float down the drain. Debra flicked her hands out to try and disperse the water. She kept the faucet running in case the concoction in her mug bubbled up again and she stood for a long time just staring down at the sludgy brown foam that crawled down the drain.
Her eyes narrowed down at the milk suspiciously as the water continued to run. Debra slowly bent down and picked up the now empty bottle up. She pressed her lips together and stuck her nose above the hole. She inhaled deeply and stepped back, the milk almost slipping from her hands. She swore she could smell something potently acidic. Cautiously, she brought the milk to her mouth and jabbed her tongue in only to cringe at the acidic taste filling her mouth and one that was certainly not what milk was supposed to taste like. She smacked the bottle on the counter and shut off the faucet, her teeth were bared as she seethed.
"You will pay," she hissed as her mind ran through which child was capable of the prank.
"Line up!"
Spencer and Mike sprinted to the hall (Spencer was much slower as he tied to hide his winces), glancing at each other briefly before looking over to Miss Debbie. Mike frowned when he saw she was no different. Had the pranks worked? Then his eyes found the unattractive bald spots in her hair, making her hair even less pleasant than normal. He had to smother his laughter by keeping his eyes on the ground.
Some of the other children noticed the baldness and the fact that Miss Debbie appeared a bit soggy, her clothes were sticking to her and a rather vibrant violet bra could be seen through her wet shirt. There were a few quiet snickers and Debra's head flickered from side to side, shutting down the giggles before they could start.
Debra started her normal rant about chores and behaviour and Spencer had to wonder if his prank even worked. Sure, she was wet, but she wasn't as disheveled as he'd hoped. She let them go but Spencer noticed how she glared critically at each child, her eyes passed over Mike twice and Spencer swallowed nervously.
Only one prank to go, he thought, disappointment hanging on his mind. He wanted her to suffer as much as she had made the children suffer; this last booby trap was his last chance. It was supposed to set off at 11.35 and he prayed his timing was right.
Spencer held his book tightly. It was 11.32, she should be making her coffee by now.
Debra waited for the kettle to boil and poured it into her mug, opting to put milk in second this time. She caught a boy in the corner of her eye and she whipped around sharply. Mike squeaked in terror and scuttled away from the doorway. Debra shook her head and grabbed her honey. She glanced around for any other children, she was determined to have a good cup of coffee this time.
Spencer bit his lip as the countdown began.
10,
9,
8,
Debra popped open the lid of her large squeezy honey, completely oblivious to the small device sat at the bottom of the bottle.
7,
6,
Spencer squeezed his eyes shut waiting for the bang.
5,
4,
Debra scowled at the large bear which held her honey, it felt heavier for some reason.
3,
2,
She shrugged and tipped the bear upside down when something inside the container made a gurgling noise.
1.
Spencer put his hands over his ears when he heard the loud pop from the kitchen.
Spencer heard the scream and he covered his mouth to stop the laughter bubbling up inside him. All she had to do now is open the cupboard where the paper towels used to live but where Spencer had set up a fan and a bag of feathers that he'd pulled from his pillow, all of which would be triggered when the cupboard door opened, turning on the fan and...
"ARRRHHHHHH!"
Bingo, Spencer thought as Miss Debbie's howl erupted throughout the house. He continued to look down at his book innocently when footsteps thundered down the hall.
"Line up! NOW!"
All of the children, including Spencer, hurried into the hallway, their eyes squeezed shut as they pressed their backs to the wall. Spencer peeked over at Miss Debbie and felt a smile plaster his lips. The woman with her several bald spots stood before them, her normally pristine clothes were covered in oozy honey that dripped off the end of her pointed nose. There were also feathers, a lot of them, covering almost every orifice, although her red face could still be seen through them. They were stuck to her shirt, her skirt, there were even some gathered around the now sticky, golden hem of her socks. (Spencer had no doubt that some of those tickly feathers had worked their way into her large purple bra.) She was practically growling at the children as they hurried to their positions, her fists furled as if ready to let loose on the nearest nine-year-old.
"Who," she growled through gooey lips. "Did. This." Her eyes swept around the children and Spencer knew to look down.
"WHO!?" Debra bellowed, honey flying off her mouth, hitting some of the children who didn't move as it stuck to their cheeks.
Mike, the boy Spencer was working with shifted uncomfortably and his eyes flicked up to Debra briefly. He couldn't help the smile that curled over his lips. Like the hawk she was, Debra caught the action and in one swift movement, the boy was in her sticky grip.
"You think this is funny?" Debra snarled and the boy shook his head feverishly. Mike wailed when Debra grabbed hold of his cheeks, leaving streaks of honey and a few awol feathers behind.
"Guilty as sin," she hissed as she stared at his trembling face. She glared around at the other children. "Anyone else?!"
The kids stayed silent and Debra grunted before pulling Mike by his wrist. "Just you then."
"I didn't do it!" The boy cried but Miss Debbie was having none of it. She caught him by the ear and yanked him towards her. He screamed out in pain as his fingers clawed at Debra's vice grip.
"You'll stay in the quiet room for a week! You hear me!?" She spat and she started marching down the hall.
"No! No, please!" The boy wailed, he was trying to dig his feet into the linoleum but with no success. "I didn't do it, I promise!"
"A troublemaker and a liar!" Debbie sneered, sending a venomous look down to the little boy who sobbed desperately.
Spencer was breathing hard, his back pressed against the wall. He kept his eyes low. He really didn't want to go to the quiet room but he couldn't let Mike suffer. He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. Screw the rules, who cared about 'every man for himself'.
Spencer broke the line formation, limping forward and causing several kids to gasp before he'd even tried to speak, stepping out of line was already a criminal offense. Miss Debbie whipped around at the sound, her nails still clamped on Mike's ear. Spencer straightened up as best he could despite the pain flaring up his body. He raised his chin before he spoke.
"I did it," he announced and once again the room filled with gasps and bewildered looks. Debra stood up to her full height and released Mike's ear. The boy cried out in relief and scurried back into line.
"Of course you did," Debra hissed, stalking forwards, towering most of the children by a few feet.
"I did it all by myself," Spencer added and Debra's grin grew, feathers contorting with her features.
"How noble of you."
She glanced around at the other children. "Anyone else want to confess?" Silence followed. "No? Well, I guess you have to be punished," she said taking a menacing step toward Spencer who took an involuntary step back.
Before Spencer could run a pair of sticky hands grasped his waist and he was jerked from the very ground he stood on. He yelled as Debra turned on her heel and dragged him down the corridor, or to Hell, Spencer thought in terror. He was thrown under the busty woman's tacky arm as she ascended the stairs.
"No!" Spencer cried as her hands dug into his bruised side. He couldn't go back there, not again.
"You vile little bastard," Debra snarled as she got to the third floor and marched along the dusty corridor.
Spencer's eyes widened when he saw the door in all its locked glory, three to be precise, in other words: inescapable.
"Please!" Spencer wailed futilely. You did this to yourself, he thought bitterly.
Debra threw the door away before launching Spencer down to the floor, where he landed painfully on his already searing side. Spencer gasped and curled up on himself.
"You can rot here for all I care!" Demon Debra spat, feathers spun off her, the honey stayed put. Spencer crawled onto his knees and squinted at the beastly woman.
"You'll work off the damage you've caused until you go to school!"
Spencer grunted weakly. He wouldn't be here long enough for that.
"This is your new room," growled Debra, her words twisting with venom, seeking to wound her victim. The boy on the ground just looked up with pain filled eyes. Debra sniggered at the pathetic child and turned for the door, How was she to know that the boy was profiling her. She grabbed the door handle, leaving a gummy imprint.
"I tan tell you all about youwself," Spencer yelled and Debra froze at the door. She turned her head slowly her eyes narrowing on the child.
"What do you-"
Spencer cleared his throat and quickly interjected. "Youw fathew left you at a young age. You have abandonment ithues (issues) which is why you pwefew to be awone. You hated youw mothew because she was cweul," he explained. Debra's smirk fell. "Did she hit you?" He asked. "Or was it emotional? I fink you twy to mate us undewstand what you went thwough by implementing the same punishments youw mothew used on you."
"How dare you," Debra hissed, but Spencer wasn't finished.
"She locked you in a woom... lite dis." Spencer motioned around at the quiet room. "Now you see a new genewation of tids who nevew have to face dat. But you did," he added, his eyes were filled with sympathy. Debra was staring at him, words stuck in her throat. "You don't have to be lite hew."
"Shut up."
"You tan be bettew-" Spencer started but Debra strode forward and grabbed his chin, gripping it harshly.
"Don't you dare. You know nothing; you're just a baby," she spat. "This is life: No one loves you! It's time you accepted that: love doesn't exist!" She released Spencer's chin, shoving it away from her before she stood and stomped out of the room. She slammed the door and locked it quickly. She got to the third lock when the keys slipped through her fingers. She gasped at the white door, her mind forgetting about the keys. A tear fell from her eye as memories hit her.
After a long moment, she shook her head and wiped away her tears. "Stupid kid," she grumbled, bending down to pick up the keys. She finished locking the door and pushed her sticky hair from out of her eyes. She'd make him pay.
Okay, so this is the last full chapter of Spencer time in 'captivity', cue rescue... in the next chapter.
So I attempted the milk, vinegar, coffee, and baking soda and it does work! But it takes longer to react, I only used small amounts of the ingredients so I think what Spencer did is possible and it would froth, but right now, I'm staring at a slowly rising froth in my coffee mug, that's getting worryingly bigger and I only used like a teaspoon of each ingredient. So it's possible, but I wouldn't try it, the milk curdles and it all smells gross.
Please review, they are my everything ;)
Thanks for reading, see you next time (hopefully soon.)
