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

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Enjoy

Derek left Spencer but only after hours of sitting by his side and holding his hand. Spencer hadn't stayed awake long enough to see Aaron who had hurried in upon hearing that he was called for.

Aaron sagged in disappointment when he saw Spencer was unconscious again and despite having asked, Morgan kept the reason for why Spencer had wanted to see Aaron to himself. The conversation was a prospect too painful to think about. Derek was still reeling from the knowledge of Spencer's assault not to mention the fact that it had dredged up thoughts of his own past.

It felt like a sickening slideshow on repeat in his head, Carl and Ed's faces passing by frequently, the only thing holding Derek's anger back was when he looked down at Spencer and remembered why he was there. This wasn't about Ed, or Carl, or Derek, this was about Spencer.

So Derek kept his mouth shut and his fingers clamped around Spencer's. He rubbed his fingers gently over Spencer's knuckles, reminding himself that Spencer was still there with him.

Derek only left when asked to, otherwise he could have stayed with Spencer for the rest of the day.

Aaron poked his head around the door, words failing him for a moment when he stared at his little brother. In the time he hadn't been there he had forgotten Spencer's sunken face, narrowed by malnutrition, and his pale skin, nearing a grey complexion that starkly contrasted the deep bruises and scarlet marks that had yet to morph into vibrant bruises.

"Aaron?" Morgan said, forgetting for a moment that Aaron was still his boss rather than just a friend.

Aaron blinked and his somber gaze fell on Morgan. "We're going to the station," he said. "I'd like you to come."

Derek looked down at Spencer's limp hand as did Aaron, guilt aparent in his eyes.

"Sorry."

"That's okay."

"JJ wants to sit with him," Aaron said with a slight albeit sad smile. "He won't be alone." He moved to the side, revealing their blonde teammate who had been waiting in the hall.

JJ stepped in beside Aaron, smiling awkwardly at Derek until her eyes fell on Spencer and her smile dropped. "Oh god," she mumbled, gently moving past Aaron and walking around to the other side of Spencer's bed.

"He's just sleeping, right?" she mumbled, reaching forward gingerly but freezing with her hands trembling above Spencer's pale face. Derek reached across Spencer and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"He's exhausted, JJ, but he was talking to me earlier. He'll be okay."

He let JJ's hand go and she stepped back, sitting down blindly in a chair which she scooted closer. Her hands went back to the bed and she held Spencer's hand, careful to avoid the wires around him.

"Morgan." Aaron flicked his head, motioning Derek up.

Derek sighed and stood up. He gave Spencer one last look over, ensuring he was in safe hands before he left the room with Aaron.

"I'm sorry," Aaron said again once the door closed. He glanced back through the small room window one last time then, with a hand on Derek's shoulder he moved them away. "I hate to leave him but we've been here too long already. We have things to do at the station, for Spencer's sake."

Derek glanced sideways at Aaron, trying to see the hurt beyond his sober expression.

"Morgan?"

"Yes," Derek said quickly, realising he let silence lapse too long between them. "I understand. The sooner we wrap this up the sooner we can get pretty boy home."

They turned a corner and Aaron breathed out deeply.

"When should I start grovelling?" he asked, slowing down as they neared the elevator. He pressed the down button and looked at Derek who was considering the question.

"I think we started a few days ago. He said it's okay but... I'm not so sure."

"Neither am I." Aaron smiled and sighed, reaching behind his head to scratch his neck nervously.

"Hotch?" Derek turned to face Aaron and their eyes met.

"Yes?"

Derek hesitated. Aaron seemed so normal; aside from the guilt and worry for Spencer, he looked his usual hard self.

"Did Spencer ask something?" Aaron said and Derek shook his head.

He swallowed thickly as the elevator dinged. "Actually, don't worry."

Derek stepped into the elevator but Aaron stood on the other side, frowning at him.

"Did he say something?"

"No, it's nothing. Come on, I thought we had things to do."

Derek made an attempt at a smile and Aaron visibly relaxed, walking into the elevator with a smile of his own.

"There will be plenty of paperwork that's for sure," Aaron said with a soft chuckle as the elevator doors slid shut.

They got to the station to find the place buzzing like a live wasp nest. Emily has to jump out of the way of some heavy looking officers, running through to the sheriff's office.

"What's got everyone so busy?" she muttered, casting her gaze around the crowded police station. The chatter was thick in their ears, a constant buzz of urgent voices. Aaron moved past Emily and into the conference room, oblivious to the gaze of one officer following him. The officer stared at him, pictures trembling in each hand. Emily nodded at the officer and followed after Aaron.

"Seriously, Hotch? Are they working the case?"

"In case you forgot, I've been at the hospital for the past twenty-four hours, I don't know what's happening here."

Morgan, who was making his way through the station much slower than Emily and Hotch, paused at a desk and frowned over the photos scattered across it. He jumped when a little blonde woman, decked in tight uniform grabbed the photos, pulling them away from him. She scowled at Derek until he moved on silently, in no mood to argue. He pushed on, scanning the station as he walked toward the conference room.

Derek pushed the door ajar once inside the cramped conference room and he looked up at Hotch, wondering for a moment what the man had been through when he was a child. Morgan shivered as the thoughts became too deep.

Aaron stood in front of the large board where a map was pinned. His fingers were ghosting over the spot where they'd pulled Spencer out of the lake. His fingernail caught a small pin which indicated the spot where the boat had been having carried Spencer out to what was meant to have been his final destination.

"Jeez, they're really..."

"Emily, can we focus on our case, please?"

Emily jerked her head away from the window. She looked at Hotch over her shoulder, saw the badly suppressed anger in his expression and she turned away from the window.

"Yes, sir."

The officer who had been watching Aaron's was hurrying toward the conference room as Aaron stepped back, looking at the map thoughtfully.

Morgan watched the officer pause to push his sweaty hair off his face and then he pushed the door open, filling the conference room with the loud voices from the bullpen. Morgan moved aside to let the officer through. The young man had photos under his arm which Morgan tried to get a look at as he walked past.

"Agent Hotchner?"

Aaron pursed his lips, glancing at Emily who was watching the officer with raised eyebrows. "This will have to wait," Aaron said, only giving the officer another brief glance before leaning over the table and waiting for Emily to do the same.

"These are the three most likely exit points."

"So you think he definitely got away?"

Aaron nodded, feeling a tenseness at the back of his throat when he tried to speak. "He's done it once, Emily. We can estimate how far he's got from each point. He's wounded so that will slow him a good deal, and in his state he has to be on foot."

"Garcia is looking for anyone matching Ed's description and condition so if he's tried to get a ride she will find him."

"A-agent?"

Aaron nodded, moving photos to the side to see the papers underneath. He barely heard the officer still vying for his attention. "We need to predict his next move."

Morgan watched with his arms folded as the officer grew more and more anxious, looking back in agitation at the busy bullpen. Morgan felt bad for the guy but he had bigger things on his mind than some bouncy officer, begging for someone to listen.

Morgan looked back at Aaron who was stood upright again, rubbing his chin as he stared at the table filled with seemingly useless information.

"His end goal is us. It's-"

"Agent Hotchner?!"

Aaron turned sharply and even Morgan felt himself shrink away. The officer, who was the object of Aaron's glare, cowered beneath it.

"What? We're in the middle of a case."

The officer swallowed thickly, holding a hand out to Aaron, a photograph held tightly between his fingers. "The body," he said, releasing the photo and motioning for Aaron to look at it. "There was a name carved into her."

Aaron took the photo, scowling at the officer for another moment. "What body?" he asked, looking down at the photo.

Morgan and Emily watched as Aaron's eyes widened and his lips slackened.

"What?" Morgan asked, reaching out to take the photo.

"It's my name," Aaron mumbled. He let Morgan snatch the photo from his loose grip. Morgan looked down at the photo and his own chest tightened.

The photo showed a dead body, a woman in her early thirties. Her face was pretty, her lashes long but stiff, encasing her glassy eyes. Her skin was drained of its rich mahogany undertones and now a strange pale earthy colour remained, a contrast to the blood splattered across her face and torso.

In the woman's drained, dead flesh was a single word, carved deeply into her stomach as if she were some kind of butchered animal. Her throat was sliced so deeply that she had been nearly decapitated and her blood streamed down, pooling in the dip between her breasts.

Morgan held his breath as he read the jagged carving on the victims stomach. The butchered letters spelled out 'Aaron.'

Ed had fallen to the ground, his shoulder weeping blood while water pooled around his fallen body. He lifted his head and looked across the lake where he could see a flurry of splashing coming from around the small boat he'd stolen. The splashing and movement began moving slowly to the main shore, a good way from where Ed had dragged himself.

He didn't lay still for long. The flashing police lights blinded him as he heaved himself to his feet, his pants dragging on the ground, leaving trails of wet mud as he moved away from the lake. His shoes dragged heavily with each step and Ed kicked them off and started to moved faster from the crime scene. At some point the sirens faded as did the blue and white lights and Ed found himself breaking through the trees and stumbling right onto a quiet road.

He stepped out from the streetlights illuminating his haggard state and looked up the seemingly abandoned road. Water continued to patter down on the floor around Ed. It dripped into his eyes and right into his mouth as he breathed heavily, looking left and right, searching for a car. He thought back to the lake and anger surged up inside him. He had failed again. Myles had escaped and not only that, he had shot him, his own father.

Ed's jaw clenched as he thought of Aaron's smug face. Another victory for the ungrateful, betraying son.

Ed swallowed thickly, the dewy taste of lake water slipping through his taste buds. He pulled his hand away from his shoulder wound and took a quick glance at the fleshy hole where a bullet had entered. Ed winced and looked over his shoulder and down. He breathed out in relief when he saw thick blood clotting through his shirt. The bullet had passed right through. Ed pressed his fingers back on the wound, staunching both the blood and the aching pain radiating beneath his fingertips.

As Ed considered continuing his journey on foot, a cars headlights mowed up over the horizon. Ed looked quickly up from his shoulder and mind started to formulate a new and depraved plan.

The car was a small, black two-door, the make too modern for Ed to name. It was travelling slowly down the road, the engine quieter than any car Ed was used to. He watched it for a long moment as it drove closer and his unoccupied hand clenched into a fist at his side.

He stepped out into the road, simultaneously lifting his uninjured arm to flag the car down. Ed forced the anger from his face, plastering himself with a smile as he motioned the car over. His smile grew with sick joy when he saw just one person in the car, a woman, peering up over her steering wheel.

They make it too easy, Ed thought, still smiling as the car slowed down to a stop beside him. Ed lowered his hand and reached slowly into his pocket, his fingers brushing past a lighter and a roll of wet cash before he caught his thin penknife between his fingers.

Ed leaned over, holding his shoulder and hiding the severity of the wound and the running blood. The woman rolled down her window; her sweet tanned face came into view and she smiled back at Ed.

"Need a r- why are you wet?" The woman tilted her head to the side as she looked down Ed's body and noticed the way his clothes stuck to him. Ed could feel his shirt dripping cold wet water on his soggy brown socks.

"Had a little accident out on the lake, ma'am, wouldn't mind giving me a lift to the closest motel?" Ed asked, moving closer to the car as the woman frowned.

"Uh... sure... um... I might have a towel in the back," she said, glancing into the seats behind her. Ed pressed himself against the car door, flicking the penknife open. When the woman turned her head back around Ed lunged forward. His arms went around the woman's throat, catching a gold necklace and ripping it from her neck.

"Wha-"

Ed drove the sharp knife into the woman's throat, closing his eyes as the woman screamed.

Ed dragged the knife with one swift yank and sliced the woman's neck open, turning her shrieks into wet gurgles.

Ed grit his teeth and pulled the knife out. He held the woman up as her blood started to drain into his already wet sleeve.

With his other hand Ed fumbled for the door handle. The woman's body tumbled from the car when he opened the door, her body convulsing while her lips trembled. Her throat moved to breathe but she choked on the blood clogging her airways, suffocating her. The noises she made as her body slumped to the ground mimicked a strange wet churning sound until finally, as Ed wiped the knife against his pants, she went silent. Blood began to flood from her gaping mouth and it spurted from the ghastly ravine in her neck.

Ed leaned back against the car, breathing deeply as he looked down at the dead woman. His clothes continued to drip, peppering the woman's bloody face with dirty water.

Ed glanced at his knife and slowly got to one knee. He was going to make sure Aaron knew that he hadn't won. Not yet.

Thanks for reading. Its not over!

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See you next week and stay safe.