(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters)

Just a warning, this chapter gets very dark very quickly. There will be child abuse in the early scenes so if that's not for you I suggest you skip to the end (I'll give a run down in the closing A/N what has happened.

So, I just watched the promo for the finale of Criminal Minds. I'm seeing a lot of hate about 'poor reid' but if I'm being honest I'm so happy! Call me a sadist but I just love when Reid's in trouble. (Hence why I write so much FanFiction on it.) although, I live in the UK, and the first episode of season 15 just came out... it's gonna take some catching up.

Anyway, on with the story.

William was able to take Spencer home with a smile still on his face. He didn't speak in the car and neither did his son, they just watched the police car escorting them home.

William didn't help Spencer out of the car but he didn't need to, the kid had already unbuckled and was following gingerly after him.

William waved the officers goodnight and took Spencer's hand in his. Spencer stared at his father's white knuckles as they grew more stark and the pressure around his hand built up.

Spencer looked up, his smile faltering. "I have the maps, daddy. I can still show you, just like you asked."

William kept his eyes on the police car, smiling toothily and pushing two words through his gritted teeth, "shut it."

Spencer felt his heart drop a little and he flexed his slowly reddening fingers.

Spencer tugged his hand as the police started to turn from the house, William still smiling their way. Spencer whined when William squeezed tighter.

"Ow, d-daddy, you're hurting me," he whimpered. William dropped the hand that had been waving off the officers and he turned his head down toward his son.

Spencer's throat twitched with a gulp at the almost deranged look about William.

"Oh, I'll hurt you," he hissed and before Spencer could register the threat he was being tugged inside the house by William's painful grasp.

"Ow, please."

William released the boy and slammed the door shut.

"I didn't want to do this," William said as he slowly locked the door. Spencer took a nervous step back, his hands embracing each other as he watched his father pull the key back out. He then fiddled with the bunch and unveiled the key with the three sharp prongs, carved that way from forceful turns in locks. Spencer felt himself start to shake at the sight of it and he glanced toward the open basement door.

"Dad-"

"You involved the FBI."

Spencer heard the coldness in the man's voice and he trembled convulsively. He slowly removed his backpack, nudging it under the bureau behind while his dad had his back to him. He didn't want Gary getting hurt again.

"I'm sorry," Spencer whispered and he was answered with a low, dark laugh.

"Sorry!?"

William turned suddenly and lunged for Spencer. The boy tried to turn but William grabbed his forearm and dragged the sharp key down the boy's unblemished face.

Spencer yelped loudly at the burning pain sprouting across his face and reached up to clutch his cheek.

"You can't..." he wailed, pressing his fingers to the sensitive skin, wondering if it had cut. "The police will see, daddy. I-if they come back."

William snarled at that and dove the key forward, catching it between the boy's too-slow closing eyelid. The house became a wolf's den for a brief moment, growls and howls of pain filling the space.

Spencer moved his hand up his face to his eyes where his vision was suddenly blurred and an intense burning had started. It was like a fire within his eye.

William drew the key back into his palm and pressed it to the skin there.

Spencer was crying, his hand now bloody from the open wounds on his face. It hurt to cry, his injured eye retaliating against the red hot tears with unbearable throbs of heat.

"Three days," William said in an unfalteringly calm voice. Spencer sobbed loudly but there wasn't much more he could do than hold his face, which to him felt like it was falling apart.

William readjusted his grip and started pulling the boy to the basement door. He stood in front of it for a moment while Spencer dragged his feet.

"Five..." he muttered and he thought he felt his son's pulse flutter under his fingers.

"Please... no."

"Five days. No more reporters, no police. When you get out you'll be installing locks on your door," William said and Spencer sniffled and dug his fingers into his bleeding cheek.

The boy looked up with bloody tear tracks, his good eye the only one able to gaze up at William while the other puffed shut.

"I'm sorry, daddy."

"Sorry's not good enough. You know that."

With that William kicked the door wider and started down the stairs. Spencer tried to hold back as William yanked him and he ended up losing his footing and bashing his knees on the concrete slab steps. He wailed and tugged but William was like a man possessed as he walked through his wife's old things and toward the metal door.

He raised the slightly bloody key and jammed it into the lock which had scratches littering it from past abuses. Spencer stared with his one frightened eye as the door swung out to reveal the cramped cupboard. The handcuffs were still there; still wrapped around the rail. William hadn't bothered cleaning it since the last time and Spencer could smell his past bodily devastations inside. The vomit that had dried was still in the corner as well as other things Spencer was ashamed to think of.

William let Spencer go and he pointed inside.

"In."

Spencer stared at the tiny space and without looking at William he shook his head.

William took no notice as he walked inside and grabbed hold of the filthy bucket. It hadn't been cleaned for years and Spencer was sure it had come with the house.

William took it over to another part of the basement, where there was a tap installed in the wall. Spencer grimaced at the sight of the mould and rust formulating around the brim of the tap. William filled the bucket to the top but he wasn't careful with it upon walking back, splashing the precious liquid with each step and dropping it non-chalantly in the vomit corner. He glanced at the cuffs and then with a sigh he lifted the bucket and attached the handle to the rail.

William turned back to his son and seeing him not having moved he grabbed his hair under four tense fingers and thrust him into the room.

Spencer screamed desperately, trying to fight his father's strong arms to get out but William kicked him to get him down and Spencer fell back on the water bucket.

"You ungrateful bastard," snarled William as he grabbed the handcuffs and shoved Spencer's hands in them. Spencer slapped him hard but William managed to cuff him, pinching his skin in the process. Spencer screamed loudly. The cuffs were much too tight this time. The chain had some give but not enough to allow him to lie down or sit.

"No! No, no!" Spencer yelled as William walked from the room, touching a small scratch on his chin.

He looked at his son as Spencer's chest rose and fell heavily.

"What were you going to tell David Rossi?" he asked in a sickly smooth voice. Spencer blinked at the wall and swallowed.

"I li-like him... just w-wanted to meet-"

"I know you're lying. Your mother taught you that."

"No! She wa-wasn't a liar! Mr. Rossi believed me!"

William's hand clenched the door. "Well, You'll never see 'Mr. Rossi' again... and you won't see Ashley either."

William stepped back and slammed the door, plunging Spencer into nothing but darkness.

"I don't know..." Morgan picked up the image of Ashley and kissed his teeth. "There's something else to this."

Emily rolled off the bed and joined Morgan at his side. She snatched up a document that had stuck to Morgan's sweaty forearm. She made a face but straightened it out and stared at it. "Unemployed. Says she was working for a cafe a month ago."

Morgan huffed, taking the paper from her. "Garcia said that she'd only been contracted for a year. She travels remember."

"Yea, very- um... exotic."

"Yea, like either of us would know," Morgan said with a smirk. Emily elbowed him.

"Now now Mr. Bitter, you still have plenty of time to travel the world," she retorted.

"Me and exotic animals don't mix, man. This girl can keep her lifestyle."

"Aw, is big old Morgan scared of little snakes? Or is it spiders?"

Morgan dropped the papers he was studying and glared Emily's way and she snorted.

"And how about I put a rat in your pillowcase?"

"I'd be so scared if I thought you were capable of handling a rat."

"Alright, Prentiss. Watch your back."

Dave sat on the edge of his shared bed with Aaron and brushed his hands over themselves as he thought.

He was trying to carefully pick apart William Reid. He pried each layer of the man's thick facade, like scrubbing away at a painting to see what was beneath. He knew Reid was a painted face all right.

The guy's mannerisms had been monitored, carefully thought out. Dave could see the nerves trembling beneath.

The guy was clearly a nervous wreck. He tried to disguise it under the guise of losing his son but Dave could see a deeper ingrained anxiety.

He remembered the way the guy's hands tightened on Spencer's shoulders. Control. A successful attempt to dominate-

"Dave?"

Rossi looked up and glanced over to the other side of the bed. Aaron half smiled. His go-bag was packed on the pillows.

"Where are you going?"

Aaron's smile turned sympathetic. "I know you have a feeling about this but we've been here long enough. Strauss won't authorise this and we'll be going into personal time."

"We've been here half a day," Dave said and he stood up slowly but didn't reach for his own bag.

"Aaron-"

"I don't want to put Jessica out."

Dave looked into his partner's eyes and Aaron sighed and pushed his go-bag back onto the bed.

"What?"

"I need you to trust me on this."

Aaron looked like he was stuck in a trap. He pressed his fingers to his brow for a moment before looking up.

"We looked into the sister. She travels. She's been online recently. Reid may not have been acting himself. I just can't help thinking if it was jack and how I'd react. I'd probably shout and then hug him and never let him go..." Aaron trailed off, his eyes falling to the ground thoughtfully. If it was jack he'd be a mess. "You know I trust you. But this is... it's just a hunch," he said

"And my hunches are rarely wrong. Please, stay with me on this one. I promised to help this kid."

Aaron looked down, closing his eyes briefly.

"If you don't bring me something more conclusive by the end of the day then I have to go, okay?"

Dave nodded, reaching forward and taking Aaron's hand. "Thank you."

For those who didn't want to read basically Spencer is now in the basement for 5 days as punishment.

Thanks for reading. I can't wait to share more. I had this chapter written so I couldn't help myself in uploading. I'm going to work on more updates soon.

As a warning, although Spencer is now 'alone' there will still be scenes that might upset people, so be wary of the next chapters.

Thanks again. See ya soon.