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Chapter Eight:
Reid barely said a word except to offer Simms directions to Rossi's place. He was bundled up in a vest over at a dress shirt, t-shirt, and tie with a blazer. Simms had never seen him look more miserable. He got out of the car without saying a word when they arrived.
Rossi opened after the first knock.
"Come on in," he said lightly.
"Thanks for hosting this," Reid said tightly and walked past him.
Rossi and Simms exchanged a look.
"He's still in rough shape," she said.
"I can see that," he said.
They walked into the family room where the rest of the team had gathered.
J.J. tried to grab Reid's hand and he pushed her away.
"Spence, please!" she said.
"I can't believe you even want to touch me! After what I did, I can't believe any of you even want me around!" Reid shouted.
"It wasn't you," Prentiss said.
"It was me!" he said. "It was me with my tongue exploring for J.J.'s tonsils. Who wanted her in the worst way. It was all me!"
He broke down into sobs. J.J. threw her arms around him and held on tight.
"I won't let you go," she said as her eyes filled with tears. "You mean too much to me. I don't care about what the demon made you do. You are my best friend, the godfather of my children, and I will never stop loving you!"
Simms coughed.
"This night is only going to get more difficult," she said. "But I'm glad you two have begun mend a bridge."
They slowly let go and took seats. Simms stood before them.
"At Prentiss's suggestion, you've all been invited so we could develop a plan for what to do in light of recent revelations."
Simms began to pace.
"I know demonic possession never struck any of you as easy but for me it wasn't entirely out of the scope of my general skill set in terms of handling them. A gateway for demons into Spencer's soul is a little out there even for me."
"So how does it work exactly?" Rossi asked.
"Portals are generally places, not people," she said. "This is a special portal designed for at least three demons to intermingle in Reid's body without raising suspicion unless in the presence of a magic practitioner such as yours truly. When the demons are destroyed new ones can enter for eternity."
"We never found any proof Cat Adams was interested demonic worship," Prentiss said.
"From what you've said and from what I've siphoned off Spencer's dreams, I think Cat Adams may have done this without full knowledge of her actions."
"How?" J.J. asked.
"I think she's a witch without knowing it. In her subconscious she focused her hatred on Spencer in a way that attracted the attention of a powerful devil. Her desire to hurt him at any cost resulted in her giving up her child to the devil."
"Is burning her at the stake an option?" J.J. asked.
"It wouldn't help the situation," Simms said.
"What about dousing the child in holy water?" Garcia asked.
"Even blessed by the Pope with water from the Middle-East wouldn't help."
"Can the child be saved?" Lewis asked.
"That's one of the goals," she said. "Listen none of you have to help me. I can do this on my own. The only reason I am asking for help is because it improves the odds of success."
"I'm in," Prentiss said.
"One hundred percent," J.J. said.
Simms shook her head. "I'm sorry J.J. I won't allow anyone to go on this journey with children under the age if eighteen. That included you too Simmons."
"What?" she said. "But I-I—"
"I don't want you to go," Reid said quietly. "I can't stop everyone from risking their lives for me, but I can stop you. Please, do it for me. Don't go."
"It would be confusing to have a Simms and a Simmons on the same team," Simms said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Going to Hell didn't sound like that much fun to begin with," Simmons said.
"That is another important thing to remember before you decide, if there is so much as a seed of doubt in your mind, a demon will exploit it and you will die and dying in hell is not fun," Simms said. "After I'm done explaining all this, you will have until midnight to decide without judgement."
"Okay," Prentiss said. "What do we do?"
"On earth there are many gates to Hell. I'd like to go to one I'm familiar with in Los Angeles. It's a Hollywood studio sound stage actually."
"So, you've done this before?" Alvez asked.
"I was in a coven ritual where three members went into Hell to bargain for the life of a soul recklessly gamboled away. I didn't go in. Only two made it out, but they managed to retrieve the soul."
"Scary stuff," Alvez muttered.
"Once in Hell," Simms continued, "we will journey through various places where we will be tempted to stray from the path. If we all manage to get through the journey without losing our way, the devil will grant us chance to play game to negate the deal. I don't know what the game will be, I'd put money chess, but it could be dodge ball for all I know."
"And if we lose?" Garcia asked.
"If I haven't scared you by now, this might do it: Gates in souls are not created often. In my research I have only found one that sounds vaguely related. The reason I want your help is, if we don't stop this, the Apocalypse might come."
Everyone stared at her with disbelief.
"The world in on the brink of war in more places than it has in a long time. Natural disasters are occurring more frequently. The weather patterns are a mess. The only reading of a demon portal in a soul that failed to be stopped resulted in a minor plague in Western Europe."
Garcia shivered.
"I was scared and now I am terrified," she said.
"It means you realize the gravity of the situation," Simms said. "I want to perform the ceremony Saturday night. The moon isn't where I'd like it to be, but we don't have much of a choice."
"It is Thursday," Prentiss said. "What do we do in the mean time? What about the demons in Reid right now?"
"Spencer has agreed to stay with me under my protection until then," she said.
"You look spent," Lewis said. "Are there any coven connections that can help?"
"I haven't been here long enough to build them," she said. "I do have a reserve of energy I can tap into when the time is right."
"How do I repay you for all of this?" Reid asked. "How?"
"How do you expect people you saved from murderers to repay you? Or the families of victims you gave peace to apprehending the killer? How?"
Reid didn't say anything.
"Being a witch is a calling," Simms said. "My grandmother, my hero, took it extremely seriously. While my mother was jealous of my powers, I was taught that the greatest power comes not from using magic for personal gain but to help others. That is why I think my powers are working so well on you. I'm doing this because I care and for no other reason."
"What aren't you telling us?" J.J. asked suddenly.
"Profilers," she muttered. "If we fail, all Hell might run loose, if we succeed world peace will NOT break out but there is a prophesy from a semi-reliable website that suggests something really good might happen. I really don't want to get your hopes up in that regard."
"What happens at midnight?" Rossi asked.
"I make all who are coming swear a blood oath and then go our separate ways until is time to go to La La Land."
"Okay," Prentiss. "Let's decide."