A/N: See, see? Another relatively fast update. Spring's here and apparently the amount of sunlight is doing miracles to my inspiration. (beams) Hooray?
First off, though… THANK YOU, so much, for those absolutely amazing reviews! You can't even imagine how good it feels to know so many of you are out there, waiting for an update. (GLOMPS) Thank you!
Awkay… Before I get all sappy or change my mind, let's rock. I truly hope you'll enjoy the chapter!
Unfinished Business
Spencer hadn't dreamt of his father since he was a child. Back then those dreams were mostly nightmares of the man leaving, of all those fights his father had with his mother. Today it was a surprise that as the early hours of morning dawned it was William Reid's face he saw while his mind still slumbered.
Rain was falling heavily while they stood in a cemetery, both dressed in black and staring at a tombstone that had no name on it.
Spencer had absolutely no idea how long they'd been there when his father suddenly looked at him. He could've sworn he saw tears in the man's eyes. The air smelled like salt as William swallowed. "I'm sorry."
At first Spencer couldn't understand but then felt something he couldn't quite explain. He looked down with a frown and felt colder than should've been humanly possible.
His hands… They were disappearing.
And then he woke up, bolting to a sitting position and gasping so loudly that a scream almost broke through. It took almost three full minutes before he was coherent enough to realize that he was in his own bed – but not alone.
Looking to side with steadily widening eyes he felt a shudder upon discovering Derek. The older man was sleeping with his face towards him, fully dressed and looking more serene than he'd ever seen the agent.
The night before, the things Derek had revealed during the quiet, dark hours… Was it just a dream? A hallucination? Spencer wasn't sure if he wanted to find out.
A sudden groan startled him to the realization that this might all be real, after all. Derek's nose wrinkled slightly before the man's eyes opened halfway. At first they carried confusion until reality began to set in. Until memories clicked into place. Derek swallowed loudly, his Adam's apple jumping nervously.
In the end it was Spencer who had to say the first words. His hand twitched with desire but he kept it still, not wanting to break the moment. "Thank you", he whispered simply. Those words weren't even the start of what he wanted to say but he hoped Derek managed to hear the rest, anyway.
Derek nodded. The man's eyes held a hint of fear and uncertainty but also a massive amount of sheer relief. Such relief Spencer had never, ever seen before. Relief that radiated what was bubbling inside Spencer.
Finally daring to he reached out his hand and took Derek's. The agent returned his hold immediately.
It was amusing, really, that even with their clothes on they'd never been so throughoutly naked before each other.
In a few moments Spencer's loud, wide yawn broke the tender moment.
Derek chuckled. "Yeah, very nice to know that I've been awake for less than five minutes and I'm already boring you. Really flattering." The mocha skinned man then wrinkled his nose for the second time that morning. "You need a shower. And a toothbrush."
Spencer snorted and tried to appear insulted but failed. "Like you'd smell of roses." His chest tightened considerably and his stomach dropped when Derek began to crawl out of the bed. Flashbacks of their past two nights together rushed through his head. He licked his lips, sitting up faster than would've been wise. "You're… not leaving, are you?"
Derek glanced towards him. In a moment the man seemed to understand. "I'm not leaving, Spencer." It was said with such sincerity and devotion that it silenced the demons whispering in the back of Spencer's head. The agent ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead, which seemed to surprise them both. "You go and take a shower. I'll see if I you have anything that could be used as a breakfast."
Spencer blinked twice, surprised. "I… never eat breakfast. All I need is coffee."
Derek's look revealed that the man didn't like his comment. The agent sighed, rolling his eyes. "No wonder you're so skinny." The man's eyes left no room for arguments. "Now, off to the shower. Or do I have to carry you?"
The offer was oddly tempting but Spencer chose to comply instead. He could've sworn he felt Derek pinch his ass while they left the room.
As he closed the bathroom's door and took off his clothes Spencer heard the sounds of Derek in the kitchen – clattering, muttering and some cursing. It felt so good and right that he smiled while warm water wrapped around him like a security blanket.
When Spencer walked out of the shower, still toweling his wet hair, he just had to smile at the sight that greeted him.
Derek seemed very much at home while preparing what looked suspiciously lot like a ham omelette. It appeared there was also some toast incoming. Coffee maker purred in a far corner of the room.
Unfortunately the moment was interrupted by Derek hissing loudly. Spencer felt a jolt inside upon noticing some drops of blood fall while the agent caught a firm hold of his finger. "Stupid knife…", the older man muttered.
Dropping his towel Spencer reached out towards the nearest cabinet, took a box of bandaids and made his way to Derek. "Let me see", he murmured, gently prying the injured finger from the agent's hold. The wound wasn't as deep as he'd first feared. Relieved, he put some cool water running and guided the finger beneath it. He gave Derek a admonishing look when the man hissed and tried to pull away. "It needs to be cleaned up before I can put on the bandaid. So hold still." Finishing up he took a look around. "This… looks really nice."
Clearly forgetting the pain in his finger Derek smiled, looking directly at him. "Yeah. It does."
Spencer blushed and cleared his throat, feeling his heartbeat change slightly. He wasn't exactly used to stuff like this.
His discomfort made Derek chuckle slightly. The man put a strayed strand of his brown hair back into place with a gentle hand. "C'mon, Pretty Boy. Let's dig in before everything's cold."
The breakfast was finished and consumed in a comfortable silence.
Later, after ushering Derek to brush his teeth and taking care of the dishes, Spencer found Derek examing his collection of books with his eyes. Surprisingly he didn't feel angered by someone invading his private space. Instead he walked closer, unsure of what he was supposed to say. "I've… loved books since I was little." His voice was quiet but calm. "Those were the only things I took with me from Vegas."
Derek gave him a look. "That's quite a collection."
Spencer shrugged, focusing firmly on the books. "It's not that much, really, only ninety-seven. I've read most of them several times. It only takes me less than ten minutes to finish one, so…" He cleared his throat, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden. "They're precious to me."
Derek chuckled once again and shook his head. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by anything with you." In a while the man focused on the books once more. "Which piece is your favorite?"
"'The Parliament of Fowls', from Geoffrey Chaucer", he replied without a hint of hesitation. The words came to his mind without being invited. "'Of instruments of strings in accord, Heard I so play a ravishing sweetness, That God, that maker is of all and lord, Had heard never better, as I guess. Therewith a wind, scarcely it might be less, Made in the leaves green a noise soft Accordant to the fowls' song aloft.'"
Something changed in the room's air, in the energy flowing between the two of them. Suddenly absolutely nothing else existed. Derek took the two steps separating them, touched his face in a way he'd never been touched before and leaned closer, closer…
And then the doorbell rang.
They jumped apart like two children spotted with their hands in a cookie jar, blushing and panting. Spencer counted to three and licked his lips before daring to try his voice. "I'll… go and open."
Derek followed silently as he went. If they'd been blushing before it was nothing compared to what overcame them when they found Aaron Hotchner standing behind the door.
The unit chief gave them a long, suspicious look, his gaze traveling from Derek to Spencer and back again.
"Morgan, he…" Spencer cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. "He gave me a ride home."
Aaron nodded slowly. The eyes looking at Derek clearly said 'We'll talk about this later'. "I see." The man then focused on Spencer. "There's… something important I need to tell you. Can I come in?"
Suddenly, looking at Aaron's eyes, Spencer felt very, very cold. He moved to side automatically, letting the unit chief in. His blood began to rush. "Sure", he half squeaked, then led them to his living room. He sat down before daring to voice the questions screaming in his head. "What's wrong? Is it about Foyet?"
There was a beat of hesitation. "I asked to get to deliver the news myself." The look on Aaron's face was a immediate warning. The man swallowed before finally letting the words fall. "Foyet… It seems he got a hold of your father."
For a moment, two, three Spencer simply stared, his whole body completely numb. "What?" he breathed out in the end.
Aaron looked at him exactly the way people in his profession look at the family members of victims. There was a torturous pause. "Neighbors called in a complaint of noise and also reported that there was a gunshot. Upon investigation a bullet hole was discovered on the wall, along with clear signs of struggle. There was also some blood on the floor."
Spencer felt his body shaking, felt his blood pressure going out of control. But other than that there was still nothing. Nothing but a cold, black hole. He was becoming dangerously lightheaded. "What about my father? Is he alright?"
Aaron looked at him directly into his eyes, obviously wondering if he was ready to hear this. "He was stabbed nine times and he lost a lot of blood. His condition is serious but he's expected to survive if there are no further complications." The man's eyes swept briefly towards Derek. "He was left into the hospital by someone who had Derek Morgan's credentials."
It took a moment before Derek registered what'd been said. "Son of a bitch…!" the agent hissed in the end.
Spencer barely heard, didn't really understand any of the things going on around him. Feeling dizzy and detached he pushed himself up although his feet barely supported his weight. "I've gotta go there", he muttered, mostly to himself. "I've gotta make sure…"
The hand on his shoulder scared him and he almost reacted violently until he saw Derek's face, the sadness in the man's eyes. "Spencer, you can't. I'm sorry, but… You can't."
A flare of rage and despair shot through Spencer. His eyes were getting blurry. "What do you mean I can't? He's…" He fumbled for words. "He's in a hospital, Derek! What if…?" He just couldn't speak out the rest.
"I know you would want to go and make sure he's alright. We both understand that." Aaron's voice was cool and calm, professional. "But that's exactly what Foyet wants. If you'd go there you'd walk right into his trap. And I'm sure your father wouldn't want that."
Spencer couldn't speak. Instead he slumped back to the couch and buried his face into his hands, feeling absolutely trapped. Suddenly the mark Foyet had left on his shoulder seemed to burn a hole right through, all the way to the bone.
And despite all the locks on his door, despite the fact that there were two federal agents with him, despite Derek's protective hand on his shoulder, he felt more unsafe than ever in his life.
William Reid wasn't expected to be conscious for days after such an attack. He wouldn't have any of that. No matter how bad of a condition he was in her knew that his son needed him.
Diana always said 'A mother knows'. A father knows, too. Even a bad one.
So, less than two days after the attack William was wide awake and anxious to leave the hospital when one of his officers – a man in his mid-twenties with shortcut reddish hair and scared brown eyes named Owen Denson – walked into the room. The younger man cleared his throat, obviously wondering how to set his words. "The nurse… said it's okay to come in."
William forced himself into a sitting position although the pain it caused made black spots dance in his line of vision. He braced himself, a part of him knowing already. "What is it?"
Owen swallowed, fidgeting. "We searched through your apartment, and… Well, you know Foyet always takes something from his…" He was glad the younger man didn't voice word 'victim' in his presence. There was a pause. "He took a page from your address book."
At that moment there was no pain in William's body. Only terror. "Which page?" He didn't care if he was screaming.
Owen seemed reluctant but answered in the end, appearing scared. "The one with Spencer's new address."
William's heart stopped. Emotions struck his mind and body numb. Then a flash of clarity struck him like Foyet had been stabbing him all over again. He looked at Owen, his eyes and whole body burning. "I need to call the BAU team. Now."
Owen frowned. "Chief, this is a hospital. You can't…"
"Then get me somewhere where I can!" he snarled, disregarding the fact that he was venting his rage on someone who didn't even deserve it. He'd apologize later. "I need to warn them before that bastard gets to my son!"
In the end Owen seemed to understand what was best for his very health and took William outside in a wheelchair, slipping him a cell phone. William was glad they managed to avoid doctors and nurses. He couldn't waste a second.
As soon as Owen had left him alone William dialed the numbers he knew by hard. It wasn't once or twice he'd called Aaron to check up on Spencer. As always the answer was almost instant. "Agent Hotchner."
William took a breath, fighting a wave of pain and wishing he'd wake up from this nightmare already. "It's chief Reid. Is the team with you?"
"Yes." He could hear the man's confusion. "Are you alright? Dr. Hahn said…"
"I'm sorry, but… This is urgent", he cut off, his tone carrying loudly evident urgency. He licked his lips. "Could you… put me on speaker, please?"
"Of course." The man went on in a second. "You've got us all on the line now. What's wrong?"
William's whole body was shaking so badly that he almost dropped the phone. "Foyet… When he attacked me he stole a page from my address book. The one that has Spencer's address in Quantico."
There was a moment of heavy silence. He heard someone cursing and a loud bang before Aaron finally spoke. "He's coming after Spencer."
"I'm sure of that." William had never, ever been so scared and furious in his life. If he could've he would've ran away from the hospital and… He gulped, wiping his eyes. "Please, you… Promise you'll make sure my son is safe. Don't let that asshole get to him again."
"JJ is already working on the arrangements. A U.S. Marshal will take Spencer to Wittness Protection as fast as possible and make sure no one knows where he is. He'll be safe."
William wiped his eyes again, a bit more forcefully this time. As relieved as he was this… This felt wrong. It was wrong that his son had to hide and fear for his life. It was unfair that Spencer had to be ripped away from everything. "Good", he choked out. He had to compose himself for a moment. "You… You can put me off the speaker, now."
Aaron seemed to get the hint. Three seconds passed before he heard the man's voice. "What is it?"
Hard as William swallowed the lump in his throat didn't disappear. His breathing became louder. "Spencer… Wherever he's taken, make damn sure he knows I love him. And I'm sorry."
"I'll make sure he knows that." The unit chief went on in a second. "But I assume that wasn't the only thing you wanted to say."
He nodded although it couldn't be seen and composed himself. "It wasn't. Because… Because there's something else. Something I didn't really want agent Morgan to find out, considering his connection to the case." The memory was sharper than any of the stabs he'd received.
/ One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.
William had no clue how he managed to count the stabs. Perhaps shock was making his body shut down. But all of a sudden it was over.
"Shh, William. Just relax. Breathe through it." He saw Foyet through a layer of fog as the man smiled at him, then turned his attention on someone else. "Do you feel ready for your first?"
It wasn't until he heard the steps and the female voice William realized that there was another person in the room. "Yes." And then she was kneeling above him, her eyes reflecting absolutely everything inside her although her face remained expressionless. Despite the condition William was in he recognized the girl immediately.
As soon as it'd been confirmed that Ellie Spicer was involved he was faxed a picture of her. She looked even younger, even more fragile, in nature.
Fragile until the moment she took the bloodied knife Foyet gave her and looked at William directly into eyes.
William swallowed, terror swimming through the confusion filling his entire head. "Please…" His voice was wet, quiet and hollow – dead. "Don't…"
Ellie lifted a finger to her lips. "Shh…" She caressed his cheek, never once looking away from his eyes. "It'll be okay, I promise you."
And then she plunged the knife into him, twice. Since then he knew nothing. /
There was a long, hard silence until Aaron groaned.
William went on although he hated himself for it. "I know how important that girl is to agent Morgan, but…" He winced at the pain pulsating everywhere, making a mental note to sweet talk a nurse into giving him some more medication. "You haven't seen her eyes, not really. When you find her you have to remember that she's grown up with Foyet. She'd rather die than let you hurt him. You need to prepare for the possibility that she's beyond salvation. "
Outside the conference room Derek stood absolutely still, desperately trying to catch his breath. Trying to understand that this was all really happening.
Spencer… They'd take him away. And there was nothing he could do about it.
Some first day of work after his forced leave.
He jumped upon feeling a hand on his shoulder. Glancing backwards he discovered JJ, who was looking at him with sad eyes. "I'm sorry", she whispered.
Derek shrugged off her hand and made sure no one would hear before speaking. "It's okay." He didn't manage to convince either one of them. "He'll be safe. So it's okay."
JJ sighed, giving his shoulder a one more brief squeeze before turning away. "In case you want to know… Emily and David are on their way to Spencer's apartment to make sure he's safe. A marshal called Liam Doneghy will come and pick him up in an hour and a half." With those words she disappeared, leaving him standing there torn in two.
Spencer had his eyes closed as he let the painfully loud, almost aggressive violin music from is iPod dull his senses.
(He didn't hear the doorbell.)
He'd just called his father's doctor to discover that the man had been well enough to escape from his room. That information should've calmed him. So why was he still so restless and tense?
His fingers twitched greedily towards his cell phone, desiring to dial Derek's number, but he refused the relief.
Derek and he were only just trying to work things out between them. He couldn't call the agent every time he was feeling anxious, every time he felt like Foyet had been there with him, watching him.
(He was too preoccupied to hear the door being forced open.)
Spencer sighed, trying to relax on the couch. The music boomed, reaching its climax.
(He couldn't be aware of the steps.)
And then he wasn't quite alone anymore.
His heart skipped several beats while his eyes flew open to discover Emily Prentiss. His mouth opened but his throat was so blocked that he couldn't produce a sound. Or perhaps he just didn't hear it from the music.
Emily's lips were moving, her hands were shown so he could see that she didn't mean harm. It wasn't until then he took off the ear buds. "… okay, Spencer. It's okay."
"What's going on?" he finally managed, his voice shaking and his heart far from calm.
David Rossi stepped in. There was a nearly grave look on the man's face. "Foyet… He knows exactly where you are. I'm sorry, but… You have to pack as fast as possible."
Derek had absolutely no idea what things Spencer did to his heart and soul. But like a moth drawn to a flame he found himself sitting in his car outside Spencer's block of flats, watching how a wary looking man of his age with black hair and impossibly sharp blue eyes escorted the petrified looking genius out of the building.
Less than a minute and it'd be all over. Spencer would be gone from his life, possibly for good. Less than a minute and…
Derek climbed out of the vehicle and began to approach, feeling like he'd been sleepwalking. "Marshal Doneghy?"
The said man immediately gave him a look of mistrust, positioning himself between him and Spencer. "Who would you be?"
Derek pulled out his badge. "SSA Derek Morgan." He took a breath, futilely trying to sort out his whirring thoughts. "Could you… give Spencer and me a moment alone?"
Marshal Doneghy didn't appear pleased but nodded eventually, taking two steps backwards. It didn't provide much privacy but at least the man wasn't standing directly between them anymore. Face to face with Spencer, Derek had no clue what to say.
Spencer stared at him with a somewhat bewildered look in his eyes. "What… are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?"
Derek shrugged, frowning. Did Spencer really think he wouldn't come? "I couldn't let you leave without coming to see you."
Spencer blinked. He might've caught a brief glimpse of rosy hue on those pale cheeks. "Oh." The genius gulped and it was easy to see his thoughts spinning. "Derek, could you… promise me something?"
Derek nodded, surprised. "Of course."
Their eyes collided and held, which made Spencer's words sink even deeper. "Promise me that whatever happens you won't let Foyet consume you in whole. That you won't let him get under your skin. Because… Because you've already got too many monsters there."
Derek felt a flare inside him. His eyes stung and it took his all to keep it all from showing. "I will catch him. I won't give up, Spencer", he promised in a voice only the younger man could hear. "I swear I won't." Not before Foyet had been found. Not before Spencer was able to come back. Not before…
Spencer nodded. Was the man trembling or was he imagining things? "I know." He wished the genius would've promised not to give up, either, but the words never came.
It was silly, really, to be so emotional. They barely knew each other yet. But during the time since they met they'd been through more drama and turmoil than most couples do during the entire relationship.
Derek needed a proof that their time wasn't up yet, needed the reassurance. He needed to feel Spencer for one last time before the brunet would be taken away and he didn't care if the marshal saw it. He didn't care if the whole fucking world did.
This kiss was very different from the ones they'd shared before. This was two incredibly guarded souls finally letting each other just a little bit closer. This was a taste of something that may never, ever be.
It tasted a little bit too much like goodbye.
Derek cleared his throat and licked his lips as they broke apart, feeling embarrassed and so many other things that it was impossible to name them. "I… hope I'll see you again soon. Take care of yourself."
Spencer nodded, visibly fumbling for words that refused to come. The brunet merely nodded instead. "You too." Their hands brushed together but refused to hold while the younger man turned, then disappeared into the car. The vehicle's slightly darkened windows were like a brick of walls between them.
It was too late to say or do anything.
"Agent Morgan." There was a look in marshal Doneghy's eyes that revealed the man knew far too much. "I'll protect him with all I have. I promise."
Derek nodded, still feeling oddly numb. "Good", was all that came out.
As he watched the car distance and disappear with violin music echoing in his head Derek could only hope and pray that it wasn't all over just yet. Because he'd never, ever needed just a little bit more time as badly.
TBC, RIGHT?
A/N: Oh boy… Foyet's getting in the way again. (groans) We'll see just what this means for the couple…
On a positive note, I've already written a raw version of half of the next chapter so it MAY come out pretty quickly.
PLEASE, leave a note – let me know your thoughts! It'd seriously mean the world to me. (gives puppy's eyes)
IN THE NEXT ONE: Both Reid and Morgan feel there's something missing when they're forced to be apart. The loop around Foyet tightens – but the man might be closer than anyone ever feared… The story continues in 'Safe Haven'.
Until next time! I really hope I'll see ya all then.
Take care!
Nicolethecrazyone: Man, does hearing that make me happy. (beams) Especially the fact that you liked that particular scene. It was my favorite piece, too.
Huge thank yous for the review! 'Hope the next one keeps you as hooked.
Winter Cicada: It's a HUGE compliment to me that you thought the characters were… well, IC. That's something I always aim for. (sighs happily) 'Couldn't resist making him good with the gun. For some reason the thought's been bugging me for ages. (chuckles) (Whoever said that groin hit was a miss?) (grins)
There's quite a turmoil going on, no? (shudders) We'll see just what happens with Foyet and Ellie. As for Spencer and Derek… Let's hope the two of them get the chance to create something remarkable between them. They'd deserve to be happy for change.
I hope Daisy's okay, too. I adore cats.
Colossal thank yous for the review!
Katsakura: There's quite a bit of things to be nervous about, no? (sweatdrops) Let's hope things worked out, no matter how bad they look at the moment. We'll see what happens between our lovely couple next…
Massive thank yous for the review!
Reidland: So much stuff going on, no? (grits teeth) With all the drama and threat around them, we'll see what happens to the relationship between those two. Let's hope they get the chance to grow closer before it's too late.
And let's hope William's okay! The hit of losing him would be too much for Spencer. (winces)
Gigantic thank yous for the review!
