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

Hello! I feel like I've been gone forever! Last week was crazy for me... I was trying to work and finish my final assignment and it was my 21st birthday so I was trying to make the most out of that.

But yea, I finished uni, I'm now legal to drink in the USA, although it's been legal since I was 18 here. I hope you all are doing great.

The last chapter was a bit anti-climatic so let's see if we can bring back some excitement... actually, this might be more depressing than exciting but oh well.

Thanks for sticking with me.

Enjoy this long awaited chapter.

"Well, what did you tell him?"

"Morgan, please-"

"Come on, man. It was the one thing! The one thing not to say and you went and said it!"

"He asked! I wasn't going to lie to him. Not after everything he's been through."

"And now you've told him he has to relive that trauma every time he's awake. Christ, man, I just wanted to give the kid a break."

Morgan slammed his fist into the open door, flinging it open.

"Derek-"

"I need a minute," Derek said, shaking his fist out and glaring down at it.

Morgan turned away from Aaron. The door he had slammed nearly off its hinges was still open and he stormed through it.

Aaron watched him with a look of defeat. He turned slowly to the rest of the team who were all sat in different states of disarray.

"He's asleep again," Aaron muttered quietly. He glanced at the door which had finally shut and he wondered where he should follow Derek outside. He could use some fresh air too. Then his mind went back to Spencer who had been sedated just a few minutes before after the news proved too much.

Aaron had never hated himself more than in the moment his baby brother looked up at him with wide terrified eyes and couldn't draw in another breath.

"He's lucky to have that leg," Rossi muttered, his dewy gaze rising to Aaron for a moment before he sighed and sat up. "Did they say how it happened?"

"They seem to think some of his injuries indicate a 'trafficking accident," Aaron said and he watched as his team exchanged looks with one another.

"Like a car crash?" JJ asked with a frown.

Aaron rubbed his face and shook his head. "No, they're quite sure he was hit with a car-" JJ gasped and started to shake her head. "-they didn't exactly say that but I understood it to be that."

"Christ," Rossi muttered. "They only told me it was an open fracture and that was after I insisted on knowing."

Aaron nodded slowly. He glanced around again to see if Morgan had come back and seeing he hadn't he sat down, facing his team.

"They told me that too. And that it's infected. He must have been hit a few days ago for it to be so bad. He has at least two surgeries before it's in any state to start healing properly."

Emily sat back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling, her face pale and sickly.

"His ankle is also broken on that same leg and the other leg is just badly bruised. Several of his ribs on one side are broken, the same side as his leg so it's safe to say he was hit on his left side. Everything else is superficial."

Rossi snorted at that. "He looked awful."

Penelope, who had been listening quickly, turned her head into her hands to stifle her quiet crying. JJ quickly put her arm around the shuddering woman, her own eyes wet.

"When can we see him?"

Aaron glanced up at Emily who looked ready to stand up but Aaron shook his head. "They're reluctant about visitors right now."

"Great..." Emily leaned back in her seat and folded her arms. She continued to eye Aaron as he looked down at his hands. "Have you spoken to Sean?"

"I told him that Spencer was found. I haven't called him yet."

"And Jack?"

Aaron frowned. "I haven't told him anything."

"That's probably for the best right now," Rossi muttered, shooting Emily a look before she could open her mouth again.

"The divers haven't found anything," JJ said, her voice a low mumble that Aaron nearly missed. "Pen has been checking. They haven't found him yet."

"They wont," Rossi said. "That man has a way of worming out of situations."

Aaron nodded along to Rossi, remembering his father's behaviour when Aaron was a boy.

"You don't think he'll... you know, go after Spence again?" JJ rubbed her hand soothingly over Penelope's back when she trembled again.

Rossi looked at Aaron who was swallowing hard and fast, as if stifling his need to throw up.

"We won't let him," Emily said, looking around at each of them with a determined frown.

Aaron wasn't so sure. Ed had failed twice to kill their youngest family member. He wasn't going to stop unless he or Myles were dead. And Aaron knew full well that Ed had plans for him and Sean too.

Morgan still hadn't returned over an hour later and Aaron started talking about getting the team back to the station to work on the new case evidence. He was also contemplating going out to find Derek but his plans were halted when he saw Spencer's main doctor in the family room doorway.

"Agent?"

Aaron stood up, walking to the door, hoping to be able to see Spencer again. The team looked his way, also eager to see Spencer rather than head back to the station.

The doctor looked grim and he glanced back at the team before leaning closer to Aaron. "I think it's best if we step into the hall."

"Why?" Aaron looked at his eager team who all looked back anxiously.

"This is extremely sensitive, agent. On behalf of my patient, I'd rather we step into the hall to discuss."

He eyed Aaron seriously, grimacing with his hands fidgeting on the clipboard. Another very bad sign, Aaron thought.

"Alright," he said and he turned toward his team, holding up five fingers before following the doctor into the hallway, turning quickly away from the looks of disappointment marring his teammates faces.

"So," Aaron said as the door swung behind them, shutting out his small family from the 'sensitive' information the doctor was preparing to divulge. He couldn't hide his worry as he asked, "is everything okay? Did he wake up again?"

"No but... I didn't discuss Spencer's entire list of... injuries with you."

"Oh? He's going to be okay though? You didn't miss something like a bleed or-"

"No. Its something a colleague of mine insisted on conducting when Spencer was brought in. She's been working closely with me on Spencer's case."

Aaron looked around slowly, wondering if this other doctor was somewhere nearby. "Is it the water?" he asked, knowing that they'd been worried about Spencer's breathing after ingesting so much water.

The doctor sighed and he moved away from some people passing by the corridor.

"We conducted a rape kit," he said bluntly and Aaron's body slackened for a moment.

"What? Why?" he said, but he wasn't really listening anymore. He'd heard everything he'd needed to.

"There was bruising and... other indications of assault. When examined it became clear to Doctor Matthews that Spencer had indeed been raped."

Aaron's hands started to shake.

"And the results from the kit have confirmed that assumption. We had it on rush due to the priority of this case."

Aaron felt a rising sickness within him and he learnt into the wall beside him, holding on to it so he didn't topple over.

"I'm sorry, this isn't news anyone wants to hear but I thought you ought to know. The internal injuries were healing so we believe the assault happened at the earlier stages of your brothers kidnapping."

"Aaron?"

The doctor turned and revealed Derek Morgan to both himself and Aaron, standing in the middle of the hall. Derek had tears in his eyes which he wasn't trying to brush away.

"Excuse me-"

"Spencer's my friend," Derek muttered, moving past the doctor and putting his hand on Aaron's shoulder, pushing him back upright. "Is it true?"

Derek looked up at the doctor, his eyes painfully sad.

"Agent Hotchner?"

"Just tell him," Aaron muttered, his gaze falling to the floor as he swallowed hard to keep down the bile. His own father... Aaron nearly heaved.

"Spencer was raped," the doctor said. "Physically he's okay but we haven't had a chance to speak to him about it yet."

"And you won't," Derek said after taking a deep breath. He glanced at Hotch who was still staring downward, breathing noisily through his nose. "I'll talk to him," he said. "Let me do it, Hotch."

"What about protecting him from this. You wanted to give him a break," Aaron said and Derek shook his head.

"The kid can't catch a break. If he's awake he's probably thinking about this. Let me talk him through it," Morgan said, his voice much calmer but altogether sadder than before, as if defeated by the new information.

Aaron nodded, fearing that speech would trigger more sickness. He stood aside and the doctor motioned for Derek to follow him.

Spencer woke up alone, something he was thankful for. He looked up at the ceiling, breathing slowly, listening to the rattle deep in his lungs, the result of water inhalation. He sucked in a long breath through his nose, the oxygen tube feeding relief to his painful chest.

Spencer slowly turned his head to the side where two bags hung from a hook, one clear, the other a vibrant red, his blood type printed on the front.

The door creaked open after a few minutes of Spencer staring at the draining bags.

Spencer lifted his head, his neck straining to see who had stepped inside. His heart eased its pounding when he saw Derek Morgan walk inside, shutting the door gently behind him. Spencer squinted, staring at the red blotches ingrained in Morgan's dark knuckles. Spencer dropped his head back. Morgan had been hitting things again.

"Reid?"

Morgan walked slowly around to the side of the bed without the hanging IV and blood bag, which he glanced at with a grimace.

Spencer turned his head and could see Morgan much clearer now he was close, and he could see the beginnings of bruising marbling his hand. Spencer blinked slowly at the offending hand and Morgan looked down and covered the sore hand with his other.

"Wall?" Spencer mumbled, looking up at Morgan with a lopsided smile.

Morgan looked down at his hands again and smirked. "Door actually," he said and Spencer snorted softly. "How you feeing, kid?"

Spencer sighed and looked away from Morgan and back up the ceiling. "Like... Crap," he said and his eyes found Morgan's again when he laughed.

"Not surprised."

"Derek?" Spencer turned his head a little again, wincing when a stitch on his cheek pulled against his pillow.

Derek sat down on the ugly hospital chair which he pulled closer. "Yea?" Morgan prepared himself for the conversation he'd planned on having with Spencer when he'd stepped into the room.

Spencer glanced down at his leg again, struggling to do so. He looked back up at Morgan, his eyes suddenly wet. "Is my leg still there?"

Morgan's eyes widened and he looked down at Spencer's legs which were shrouded by light blue sheets. He stared at Spencer who was watching him anxiously, still blinking slowly. He's out of it, Morgan thought and he wondered whether to bring up the other subject with Spencer.

"Yes," Morgan said and he smiled when Spencer blew out a relieved breath. "Messed up but it's still there, kid."

"Thanks."

"Reid? What happened... I mean, they think you were in some kind of traffic collision."

Spencer breathed deeply for a few moments, relieved that he was still, mostly, intact. He glanced at Morgan and licked his lips. He remembered running and the car... the car.

"Reid?"

Spencer jumped and found Morgan watching him worriedly. "Yes," he said, breathing the words out. "I-I got out and he chased me-" Spencer paused and snorted. "With his car."

"Christ."

Morgan started to shake his head as Spencer went on. "He-he caught up and hit me with it... th-the car I mean."

"Man, I'm sorry, Spencer. I'm sorry about it all. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you in the beginning. If I had maybe... maybe you'd be okay now."

"It's okay, Morgan," Spencer said quickly, his eyes downcast.

"No it's not. This is my fault. Aaron's fault too."

"No-"

"Yes! We should have listened and... and I should have believed you! Jesus, kid, if only I'd believed you!"

"Derek I-I'm okay."

Spencer attempted to smile but Morgan was shaking his head, his teeth gritting together and tears starting to fall down his cheeks.

"You're not okay," Derek said and he looked up at Spencer seriously, his eyes wet and his face contorting sadly as his own experiences came to mind. "I'm sorry Spencer. I'm sorry it happened to you. And you're not okay and you won't be for a long time. I wasn't-"

"Derek I-"

"I couldn't tell anyone. I felt dirty and used."

"-Please-"

"Talk to me, kid. Tell me what happened. Tell me what he did. I know you don't want to but you can't keep it in. I tried and it nearly killed me. I can't watch the same happen to you."

Spencer turned his head over so he didn't have to look at Morgan anymore. Despite this Derek could see the tears Spencer was trying fruitfully to hide.

"Please talk to me, Spencer."

"What is there to talk about?" Spencer whispered, keeping his body facing away. "It happened. That's it."

"When did it happen?"

Spencer glared at the wall opposite him. "When he came to my house. The first night." Spencer swallowed thickly, his next words nearly choking him as he spoke them. "I-I tried..." Spencer took a deep shaky breath. "I tried to stop him, Derek... I-I-I really tried."

Spencer closed his eyes when he felt Derek's hand on his shoulder. "I know," Derek said. "I'm so proud of you."

"Why? I-I let him. I-I-I gave up."

"No. No you didn't. You're here now, Reid. You're alive and to me that's not giving up."

Spencer turned slowly until he was facing Derek again.

"You can tell me the rest," Derek said quietly. "You don't have to," he added. "But I think you need to talk about it."

And so Spencer did. For the next six painful minutes he recounted his assault to Derek, keeping aside graphic details but divulging the anxious feelings that had been bubbling away inside him.

When he was done and his eyes, cheeks and neck were wet with tears, the strong, macho Derek Morgan leaned over and hugged him. For a moment Spencer was uncomfortable but he eased into the embrace and sighed.

Derek pulled away after a minute and sat back, wiping his own wet eyes.

"Derek," Spencer whispered, his eyes fluttering open and looking toward the door. "I don't think... I don't think I was the first."

Morgan frowned for a moment before his expression cleared. "There were two girls that Ed kidnapped and killed before you. That's why he was-"

"No," Spencer said in a raspy whisper and his scared eyes found Derek's before flitting back to the door. "Aaron."

"What about Aaron? Ed didn't hurt him..."

Derek looked up thoughtfully while Spencer watched with wide, damp eyes.

"When we were kids," Spencer mumbled as Derek looked back down at him. "I think... I think Aaron protected us from him. I-I think he did to Aaron what he did to me."

Morgan stared down at Spencer. "Y-your dad?"

Spencer nodded and Derek inhaled deeply. "Ed's obsessed with Aaron. H-he called me Aaron t-that night. I-I think... I think he did it to Aaron when he was... he was just a kid."

Morgan felt sick. Aaron knew how it felt. Morgan had always felt so alone but Aaron was right there, with the same burden weighing on him for years.

Morgan was pulled from his thoughts by Spencer's soft sniffing.

"God, I'm sorry, kid."

"T-thanks Derek but uh... I-I'd like you talk to Aaron now..."

Thanks for reading. I know initially I said the assault was up to you, whether it was real or not, but it's important to this story and I haven't and won't go into much more graphic detail.

Please let me know what you thought in the reviews.

And if you haven't already, check out my other story, Biological son. I don't think many people are reading it so if you like this story I have good things planned in that one.

ALSO, and last thing, I have another story coming out soon. I will be uploading every Sunday so keep an eye out for 'Not Mine,' as votes for by you guys on my profile poll. I'm hoping to have a chapter out in the next two weeks.

Anyway, thanks again for stopping by. See you soon and stay safe.