(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters)
Thanks to fishtrek, It's Morley To You, pallyndrome, gregmontgomery, Jesuslover123, R Leaf, and HungrySoMuch for reviewing the last chapter.
HungrySoMuch- First, thanks for reviewing, I loved reading your review. I feel like you might be mad at me after you read this chapter. I'll slap my hand... I'm not being kind to Aaron. I'll let you read to see what happens, no more spoilers.
Since I was late getting this out I thought making it longer would help you guys forgive me.
Let me know what you think in the reviews. You guys always seem to help motivate me, I love seeing what you have to say.
Anyway, Enjoy.
Aaron got back into his car slowly. He sat for a moment and wondered whether he should get out and stomp on the device once again just to be sure it was broken. He glanced out of each window, and turned around, checking the backseats as he did, trying to convince himself the device was harmless.
The gas station attendant was looking through the window, scowling at the SUV and Aaron quickly turned back to the front. He let out a shaky breath and reached toward the steering wheel, his fingers twitching slightly. He got his hands around the cold rubber and forced himself back into the present.
He'd paid at the machine after haphazardly filling up but no other cars had arrived not until... Aaron's hands clenched the wheel tighter when an old blue car pulled in. Aaron started his engine and watched the other car settle behind him. Aaron watched, waiting for the man in the car to get out but he didn't.
Aaron reached down for his phone and pulled it out.
He inched his car forward as his finger hovered over Rossi's name in his phone. The car behind still didn't move so Aaron stepped on the gas.
He pulled out of the station and got into the right lane. He breathed heavily, glaring at the windscreen, his phone now forgotten on the seat beside him. When he got to his first set of stop-lights Aaron looked back.
Aaron felt a chill pass through him, making his fingers tremble on the steering wheel. Behind him was the same blue car.
Aaron couldn't make out the face through the window but just the silhouette made him shiver.
Aaron turned back to the red light, his breath coming out in harsh puffs of air. He reached for his phone just as the lights went green, and he quickly turned, going a different way than he had planned. With his phone still in his hand, juggling between it and the steering wheel, Aaron wrenched his neck back and found the blue car was still following him.
Aaron grappled with his phone and he stepped harder on the gas peddle. He pressed the call button, glancing down from the road as his car sped up.
"Fuck..." he hissed when he missed the call button again. When he finally managed to hit it he looked up and quickly turned the wheel to go down another random road. Aaron pressed speaker and threw the phone onto the passenger seat beside him so he could get both hands back on the wheel.
He took a quick look behind. The car was closer. Its nose was right up the back of Aaron's SUV and as Aaron took another panicked glance in his side mirror he thought he saw the silhouette smile, its eyes and mouth breaking free from the shadows.
"Rossi?" Aaron called out, keeping his eyes on the road. The phone rang again and again and Aaron looked back at the approaching car. "Dave! Come on, please," he whispered, looking piteously down at the phone.
The ringing stopped and Aaron grit his teeth, praying he hadn't gone to answer-phone.
"Hotch?"
Aaron unclenched his teeth and glanced down at the phone again. He stared for a moment, looking back at the road occasionally.
"Hotch? Is that you? Rossi went to get coffee. It's-"
"Spencer?" Aaron mumbled and there was quiet 'um hm,' in return.
Aaron looked at his mirror again, the car wasn't slowing down. He took a deep breath and pushed his foot hard onto the gas.
"Aaron?"
Spencer's voice sounded worried. It also sounded strained and Aaron winced at the thought of Spencer sitting in his hospital bed as he weakly spoke to Aaron.
"Listen," Aaron said and he took another violent turn, looking quickly back to see if the car had followed. It had, and it was so reckless in its turn that it had nearly crashed into a parked car. Aaron reached down and grabbed the phone, holding it tightly against the steering wheel. "The unsub is following my car."
"Hotch-"
"Just listen, Spencer." Aaron looked back into the mirror and he nearly cried out in terror. He pulled his stinging eyes away. "You need to call the team. I don't know where I am but if you have Garcia track my phone you'll find me. I was at the gas station on Broadstreet, that's where he followed me from."
Aaron looked into his mirror again.
"I can do that," Spencer said, his voice shaky but full of the strength that Aaron forgot to give him credit for.
"I'll try and outrun him for as long as I can. He had a tracker on my car."
There was a pause on the phone before Spencer whispered, "I'm sorry."
"You didn't know... Spencer, find Rossi, or Morgan, get them-"
Aaron didn't see the car stopped ahead of him. He turned the wheel violently, dropping the phone under the seat and the car jerked left down a small embankment. It came to a sudden and jolting stop when a tree sprung up its way.
An Hour Earlier
Spencer had somehow managed to sleep despite his shock. It was a restless sleep, he kept seeing William behind his closed eyelids, and he was always smiling. And Spencer followed him. Throughout his dream, he would follow after the man he thought was his dad. William led him to a large door with several kinds of locks below the handle. He snapped each one open and pushed the door so it swung inward. William's grin grew and he pointed down the steps of what Spencer thought must have been a basement. Something about it felt familiar.
Spencer craned his neck, shuffling toward the threshold and looking down. At first, he saw nothing, and then Rossi walked out of the shadows. He had tear-tracks running down his dirty face and he reached a hand up towards Spencer.
Spencer stared at him. "Dad?" he whispered.
"Spencer!" Rossi yelled, stretching his hand up, his fingers straining to reach. "Oh god, it's you, it's you! My boy!"
Spencer took a step closer and reached out for Rossi. "Grab my hand, Rossi."
Spencer leaned past the doorway and William laughed and shoved him.
Spencer jolted awake just as he fell into the first step.
"Spencer?"
He took a deep breath while he stared ahead at the door to his room. He watched it, licking his dry lips and waiting for William to walk through the door with a sly grin on his face.
"Spencer!"
A hand pulled Spencer back against the pillows and he looked across from him. Reality swarmed back over him when he saw Rossi looking at him strangely.
"You okay, kid?"
Spencer looked into his eyes before finally blinking and swallowing deeply. "Yea," he said, a little breathlessly.
Rossi smiled and Spencer stared at the kindly expression and the soft lines around his eyes and mouth. Spencer let out another breath of relief as the image of William Reid's smile faded from his mind.
"H-how long have you been here?" he asked, swallowing hard again when his throat made a croaky sound. He glanced at the hand Rossi had left on his shoulder.
Dave followed his gaze and pulled his hand away with a chuckle. "Only a few hours," Dave said. He smiled again and Spencer felt a pang of longing in his stomach. Dave must have recognised the look because he reached back and rubbed his neck.
"Spencer," he started and he sighed.
"W-why don't y-you get a coffee?" Spencer said quickly, looking at the empty cup on the rolling table.
Dave looked at the cup and then back at Spencer, his eyes narrowed. Spencer wrapped his arms around himself self-consciously, knowing he was being profiled.
"Alright," Dave said and he stood up and took the coffee cup. "But we're talking when I'm back."
Spencer nodded and watched Dave leave.
Dave was going to tell him. Spencer could feel it. The tension in the room, as if the older agent was building himself up to tell him.
Spencer was about to construct his own plan of action when Dave's phone started to ring.
Spencer looked over at the chair Rossi had been sat in and where his jacket still lay and saw the pocket vibrate.
Spencer watched it for a moment, glancing at the door to see if Rossi was back, not that he'd be able to get a coffee and be back in that time.
On the third ring, Spencer heaved himself toward the chair and grabbed the jacket. He pulled out the phone and gave it a pleading look but it didn't stop ringing.
It lit up once in his hand and Spencer saw Aaron's name on the screen.
He didn't need anymore convincing; he answered it right away.
Hotch?" he said, holding the phone to his ear with both hands. He could hear Aaron's ragged breathing distantly through the phone and he adjusted his grip.
"Hotch? Is that you? Rossi went to get coffee. It's-"
"Spencer?"
Spencer nodded and blushed when he realised Aaron couldn't see it. "Mmm Hmm."
Aaron went quiet again and Spencer frowned. "Aaron?" he called, his voice croaking as his concern grew.
"Listen," Aaron said and Spencer heard him take a deep breath. "The unsub is following my car."
"Hotch-"
"Just listen, Spencer."
Spencer shut his mouth and looked up at the door, hoping Rossi would come in to help.
"You need to call the team. I don't know where I am but if you have Garcia track my phone you'll find me. I was at the gas station on Broadstreet, that's where he followed me from."
"I can do that," Spencer said and he cringed a little at how shaky his voice came out.
"I'll try and outrun him for as long as I can. He had a tracker on my car."
Spenecr wasn't sure what to say. He licked his lips nervously and glanced again at the door as he whispered the only right thing he could think of, "I'm sorry."
"You didn't know... Spencer, find Rossi, or Morgan, get them-"
Aaron's voice cut off suddenly and Spencer scowled and pushed the phone closer to his ear. There was a loud crunching sound and Spencer couldn't bring himself to draw a breath in.
"Hotch?" he whispered and he gasped when anther loud bang came from the phone. "Hotch! What happened!"
Spencer stared at the closed hospital door as Aaron failed to answer his calls. "Come on, Hotch," he hissed, pressing the phone closer to his mouth. After the crash the phone had gone silent except for a quiet clicking sound.
The door Spencer was watching opened and he lunged forward far too quickly for the sake of his injuries. "Rossi," he rasped, holding the phone up at the older agent. Dave quickly put his coffee on the table and took the phone from Spencer.
"What is it? Are you hurt?"
"Hotch," Spencer said and he swallowed hard and pointed at the phone. "I-I don't know... I don't know what happened. He-he won't answer."
Rossi put the phone to his ear and he frowned. "Aaron? Are you there?"
Spencer watched him, his eyes were wide and his fingers shook.
"Aaron? Spencer, what is that sound?"
Spencer swallowed thickly again. "I think Aaron crashed. He said William Reid was following him." Spencer looked up at Dave and shrank away from him when he saw the dark look in his eyes.
"Don't you think I should've known that first! Aaron! Aaron, can you hear me!"
"I-I'm sorry I-"
Dave wrenched the phone from his ear and started pressing more buttons.
Spencer's lip trembled as he stared at Rossi.
"Morgan? Get Garcia to track Hotch's phone. I'll meet you at the station- I don't know, something bad."
Dave pushed his phone into his back pocket and checked that he still had his gun in his hostler. His hand brushed against the cool metal and his brow burrowed down. He was going to kill this bastard.
He looked back up and saw his son trembling in the large white hospital bed. Rossi's gaze softened and he pulled his hand from his gun.
"Spencer," he said. "I'm sorry."
Spenecr looked away. He couldn't bring himself to say that he knew. Maybe Rossi was still denying their paternal connection . "You have to go," Spencer mumbled and he glanced at the chair across from him and saw Dave's jacket hung over the arm.
"I'll be back. As soon as I know Aaron is safe."
Spencer nodded and turned slowly back to Dave. "I know," he said. "Make sure he's okay."
Dave lingered for a moment, wondering what to say but in the end he just nodded and walked out the door, leaving Spencer in shock.
William was after Hotch. Spencer looked at the spot where Dave had been and he couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for this new reign of terror his 'dad' had unleashed. If he'd been a better profiler none of this would have happened. Spencer snorted and wiped his eyes. If he hadn't denied the abuse he could have prevented more than just his own misery.
Spencer lay in bed for a moment thinking. He thought hard about Dave and Aaron and... and the basement and...
Spencer shut his eyes and held his breath, knowing that if he breathed he'd start sobbing.
He remembered the basement and a time before it. Small snippets of memories fluttered across his closed eyelids and he grit his teeth to keep the despairing sounds in.
"Daddy!"
"Jason, hear me out. No, you weren't listening- Fine."
Spencer frowned and looked back down the steps of the slide. Another boy had started to climb up so Spencer had no choice but to slide down. Once at the bottom he put his hands on his hips and glared at his father who was sat on a bench talking to uncle Jason. It was meant to be their special day but uncle Jase had still found them.
Spencer pouted before taking a deep breath and yelling, "daddy!"
David Rossi glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "Hey, kiddo."
"You missed me on the slide!" Spencer said angrily, and his voice squeaked.
Jason Gideon tilted his head back and grinned. "I saw you, kid," he said and Spencer frowned.
"No, you didn't," he retorted and Dave laughed.
"Don't try and con that kid, he always knows," he said and he turned away again. "Anyway, what I was trying to say is that your geographical profile is all wrong."
Jason scoffed. "Oh, yea?"
Spencer huffed angrily and turned away from his father. If they were going to ignore him, well, he'd just go as far away from them as he could. He started marching to the end of the park where the swings were.
When he got there he tried to get on one of the big ones and ended up falling onto his backside.
"Oh, look at you, Crash. You could've hurt yourself."
Spencer sat up quickly as a woman stood up from the bench on the other side of the park fence. She had a long, cream dress on and one of the straps had fallen from her bony shoulders. Her thick blonde hair rested down her back in tangled waves but she smiled at Spencer and he smiled back.
"Hi," he said quietly and the woman smiled again.
"What are you doing on your own, Crash?" she asked.
Spencer got up and he frowned thoughtfully. He walked closer until he could touch the fence and he blinked up at the woman. "My name's not crash," he said.
"Oh." The woman smiled sweetly and she bent down. "What is your name?"
"Spencer."
"Thats a lovely name. My name is Diana." She paused and looked around hesitantly. She smiled again when she looked back at Spencer. "I'm alone too, Spencer. Would you mind keeping me company?"
Spencer looked at the woman as she continued to smile. He glanced back at where his father was and found the man hadn't even realised he'd gone.
"Okay," Spencer said and he looked up brightly at the woman.
Spencer wasn't sure what happened next but he never saw his daddy again. He'd heard someone yelling as Diana carried him to her car where a man was waiting in the driver's seat. Spencer remembered that he was crying when he was forced into the back.
He remembered someone screaming his name before the door was shut.
Another memory bombarded Spencer and when he next opened his eyes he was back in the basement.
"Ethan's dead!"
Spencer shrank away from the fight. He picked up the half eaten slice of bread off the floor and nibbled the edge. Diana- the lady from upstairs- had thrown a stale bag of bread downstairs earlier and even after separating it equally between them, no-one had finished their share. Spencer hated to say it but the dirty fruit meat-man had given them the week before had been better than the bread.
Thomas slammed his shoulder into the door again while Joe tried to pull him away.
"He's not dead!" Thomas shouted down at them. He smacked his fist against the heavy door again and screamed.
"Leave it, Tom!" Joe snapped and he pulled the boy back, making him stumble down a few steps.
"Don't you care!" Thomas yelled. Sam helped Joe pull Thomas down the rest of the way and Spencer shuffled back from his spot as Thomas landed on the floor.
The boy stood back up and started to charge for the stairs but Sam, being bigger and older blocked his way.
"He'll come back," Sam said, shoving Thomas back. "He'll come back and take you."
"I don't care! We have to help Ethan."
"Ethans gone," Joe said as he panted. "It's too late, alright. Just shut up."
Thomas stared up at the two older boys and his eyes welled with tears. "I wanna go home," he mumbled.
"Grow up."
Joe glared across the room. "Shut up, Wally," he snapped.
Thomas got up and marched to a dark corner and slunk down. He covered his face and Spencer glanced over to see his shoulders shake.
Spencer looked up at the large door, keeping them all locked down in the basement. He could remember how much Ethan had screamed. The sound echoed in his head.
"Sir?"
Spencer gasped and opened his eyes. He was back in the hospital room again. He looked down at where his hands were clenched into the crisp hospital sheets and he let the whiteness of them blind his mind for a moment, quieting the screams he'd relived a moment before.
"Mr. Reid?"
Spencer looked up and found a nurse at his side, her hands hovering over him hesitantly. Her brow was creased in concern and she looked back at him with confused blue eyes.
Spencer licked his lips and smiled, the motion pulling at the cracks in his skin. "M'fine," he said and the nurse let her hands fall gentle away from him. Spencer nodded. "I'm good I'm... uh, great, actually. Um, could you tell me about another patient here? Uh, Bailey MacDonald?"
The nurse frowned and Spencer sat up quickly, wincing a little.
"I'm an FBI agent... SSA Dr. Spencer-" he paused thoughtfully and arched his eyebrows.
The nurse jumped at the knowledge, not noticing Spencer's hesitation and she said, "Oh right, yes of course, sorry. I forgot you were on the case." She nodded sincerely and took a step from the bed. "Last I heard about Mr. MacDonald was that he was being treated for minor abrasions and malnourishment..." she hesitated before her eyes lit up. "Oh, and dehydration," she added in a spritely voice.
"Thanks," Spencer said and he shifted up again, trying to hide his grimace. The nurse nearly fell forward to help him but he smiled at her and muttered that he was fine.
"Where are the other agents?" The nurse glanced around the room to make her point that he was alone.
Spencer raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth as he too looked around the room as if he'd forgotten his isolation. "They have a lead," he said. "O-on the case I mean."
"Oh... that's exciting." There was silence for a moment and the nurse took a step back and schooled her enthusiastic expression.
"Is there anything more I can help you with, agent... uh..." She looked up at Spencer, her face twisted sheepishly.
"Rossi," he said without thinking and the nurse smiled brightly.
"Agent Rossi," she said, correcting herself. "Anything else?"
"No... I- uh, that's everything, thank you."
Spencer smiled and watched her leave the room, waiting when she glanced back for a moment.
When she finally shut the door Spencer pushed the covers back and got up.
He stretched his arm out to the chair where Rossi had been sat. Underneath it was something Spencer had been eying ever since he'd first woke up. Spencer whined in pain when he stretched out further, pulling at his still healing stitches. He pressed his hand against the pained area and reached a little further until his fingers brushed the bag and he managed to pinch the corner between them.
With a great effort, Spencer pulled himself back up on the bed, bringing the bag with him.
He sat back on his pillows for a moment, his hands lay heavily against the bag as he got his breath back. Spencer sucked in a deep breath and sat up again. He opened the bag and pulled the first thing his fingers caught out. His bloody shirt flopped out on the sheets and Spencer bundled it back in with a grimace, hastily rubbing his hands against the sheets.
Spencer winced as he peeked inside the bag and found more articles of clothing soaked in his dried blood. But passed the garments Spencer caught sight of something silver and without a moment's thought, he reached in and grasped it. He thought the team had brought it with them from his house. The crime scene, Spencer reminded himself. He in no way wanted to connect himself to that place any longer.
Spencer retracted his hand from the bag, his fingers clenched shakily around the butt of his glock. When he had it under the light, Spencer sighed and righted his grip on the weapon, checking it as he did before leaving for every case. He glanced up at the door and quickly tucked the gun under his thigh. He reached back in the bag and found his wallet and credentials. With them free of the blood-hardened clothes, Spencer slung the bag to the floor.
He grabbed his glock again and with that and his other things resting safely on the bed, he twisted his body around and tugged his legs from under the covers. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. He got his legs into the cold air and slowly, he lowered them to the floor.
It was an agonisingly slow process to get his wobbly legs to hold his weight long enough for him to stand up. When he finally managed it, he grabbed onto the rolling table and held it to give his body a moment to overcome the stabbing pain in his stomach.
Spencer sucked in a breath and nodded his head, and with his teeth gritted in determination he released the table.
Spencer looked down at himself. The hospital gown swayed at his bare calves, an uncomfortable chill rising up the back of it where the string was tied loosely. Spencer looked around the room and only saw his bag of tarnished clothes and the various things his team had left him. Then he remembered Rossi's jacket. It was still where Dave had left it, draped across the chair in all its expensive navy glory. Spencer staggered forward and grabbed it. He pulled it to his chest with a soft smile. He slowly put an arm through each hole and he zipped it up over the bland hospital gown.
Spencer looked down and almost laughed when he saw that he'd basically turned the hospital gown into a skirt. He turned to the bed, giving the sheets a quick and dismissive look. He couldn't fashion anything from them. His gaze fell to the floor and the bag there. Spencer huffed and he bent down to grab the bag, holding his stomach as he did. He dropped it on the bed and pulled out his brown slacks. There were dark stains down the front where his blood had seeped but it was his only option.
Once finally changed and in more pain than he had been for a while, Spencer hobbled back to the bed and pocketed his wallet. He stared at the gun for a moment before picking it up, his whole being filled with an undaunted passion.
He was going to kill William Reid.
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