A/N: Damn, it's been busy lately! (sighs, then grins) But hey, as long as the chapters get done right in time I'm happy. Besides, I love this time of the year so much that a little bit of insanity is quite alright.

First off, THANK YOU, with all I have, for your amazing reviews, listings and support! (GLOMPS) You're real miracle workers, ya know? So thank you!

Awkay… (takes a deep breath) I'd say that it's high time to get on with the story. I really hope that this piece meets your expectations.

Down With a Blow

/ After their first encounter outside the café Anton and Spencer were bound to see each other again. And again. And again. It was a huge bother to arrange, for Anton's schedules seemed to be as crazy and Spencer's, but their mutual, nearly animalistic desire was strong enough to overcome the troubles.

Apart from bodily fluids they shared first names and phone numbers. That's all. No emotional connections. No strings attached. That arrangement worked very well for both of them and after overcoming the first shock Spencer found himself rather enjoying having that kind of excitement in his life. Enjoying, although things got a little rough sometimes.

Since they were both fairly good at French the two of them decided to see a French movie one late evening. Spencer was tired and exhausted after a case that'd led to five dead pregnant women. It appeared that Anton had had a rough day as well. The tension was palpable. They ended up spending half of the movie in the men's room, worked up by a entirely different kind of art.

The rules were simple between them. That's why Spencer wasn't hurt in any way when Anton's cell phone rang and the man left, leaving him alone to ease the rest of the tension. Anton's smell lingered on Spencer when he left the theater about half an hour later.

Spencer was already walking away when he sensed that he was being followed. True enough, a black car approached him. A door was opened as soon as the vehicle stopped. In sat a woman who had to be in her early twenties. Long, blonde hair. Piercing brown eyes. "Hop in. Now. Before he notices."

Spencer frowned, tensing up completely. He took a instinctive step backwards. "Who are you? What…?"

He was silenced as soon as a badge was shown. "Cadet LeAnna Pavlov, CIA." The woman's eyes darted around, clearly securing the environment. "Hop in now and I'll explain."

Spencer had no idea of what made him act. But in the end he slid into the vehicle. The sound of a door slamming made him shiver. The quite heated events from before must've left his nerves on the edge.

Once he'd recovered for a couple of moments Spencer focused on the woman. Her eyes seemed even darker than before when focused on the road. "What is this?" he demanded, surprised by how firm his voice sounded despite the shock.

LeAnna gave him a brief sideways glance. "That man you walked into the movie theater with… He seems rather fond of you. What do you know about him?"

For once Spencer was glad that it was dark. It hid his blush. "That his name is Anton. I don't know him very well." He frowned, dread making his skin crawl. "Is there something that I should know about him?"

The woman's eyes darkened. "His name is Anton Silas. After I've told you what he is all about I'm going to ask if you're willing to help us stop him." /

The two weeks following Spencer revealing the almost full truth of Anton Silas to his team were pure chaos. They were observed and followed wherever they went, for their own safety but still. The fear and paranoia that'd been Spencer's life for a long time already became his family's new reality. And it was killing him.

He'd never, ever wanted this to any of them. If he'd known from the start that it'd go here he most likely wouldn't have agreed to this absurd plan at all. The guilt followed him like a shadow, lifted its head whenever he looked at his team.

But at very least they weren't helpless against the threat. They prepared themselves and their families. With Strauss' surprisingly eager consent they spent quite a bit of time investigating whatever they could of Anton's moves. And Spencer, the one who'd gotten closer to Anton than anyone else ever had before, was their most important key to help them get into the monster's twisted head. There was no pride, not anymore. Feeling sick to his stomach Spencer revealed them far more details than he would've cared to. Revealed just how much of himself he had to give to earn even a shred of Anton's trust.

Spencer knew, with his reason, that they'd never judge him for something he'd been forced to do. But he couldn't stand the looks on their faces. He also couldn't stand the humiliation that was rising inside, hard enough to make him feel sick.

In the end Spencer excused himself and marched into the break room. For once he didn't head straight for coffee. Instead he leaned heavily against the wall, his face buried into his hands, and breathed. Memories spun wildly inside his head.

Anton's hands. Lips. Anton's…

When the room's door screeched he thought, for one moment of blind panic, that his nightmare had just come knocking. He looked up to discover that it wasn't the case. Instead he found himself face to face with Aaron.

He gulped with some difficulty while the unit chief closed the door and entered slowly. The words were hard to find. "I understand, you know?" He blinked quickly and fiddled with the hem of his shirt, his eyes fixed on the floor. There was a crack. "If this… changes things. If you don't…"

He was interrupted by a hand that brushed his hair and face gently, in a way that Anton had never been capable of. When he finally met them Aaron's eyes held no disgust or hostility. "I wish that you'd told me. But… I've had my suspicions, since you told me that Lucia is his as well." The unit chief's expression was a lot softer than usual. "This doesn't change the way I see you, Spencer."

Spencer couldn't but smile at that. He leaned closer to Aaron's hand, welcomed the comfort of the unexpected touch. Savoured the brief moment while it still lasted.

Spencer stiffened completely at the sounds of new approaching steps, Aaron's hand withdrew so quickly that he shivered. He knew who it would be before the break room's door was even opened. By the time he looked up to meet the arrival's face LeAnna Pavlov was right there, her arms folded and a stony look on her face. He didn't like what he saw in her eyes.

Spencer frowned. "Didn't I tell you not to come here?" he growled. Suddenly he felt very protective of his team, even against her.

LeAnna gave him a impassive look. "This is a case of emergency, doctor." She paused for a beat, allowed her eyes to flicker on Aaron. "I'd be much more comfortable with talking to you if we were alone."

Spencer folded his arms and lifted his chin a little bit, allowed his facial expression to become a lot harder than he felt comfortable with. "Whatever you have to say to me, you can speak out in front of him. He's my supervisor. I've told him everything."

LeAnna's eyes flashed with rage and disappointment. "That's classified information! What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking of keeping my family alive until this whole disaster has been dealt with." He took a subconscious step forth, placing himself between Aaron and the woman. "What's going on? Why are you here?" He wasn't in the mood for wasting any more time.

Neither was she, thankfully. "One of my contacts just called. I decided to come and warn you in person." Her eyes darkened. "Silas is here, in Virginia. You're the profiler and statistics wonder of us two. You tell me the odds that he's looking for you."

Spencer didn't say anything to that. He had a feeling that she already knew the answer. A wave of cold washed over him.

Lucia… She was only a couple of rooms away, under JJ and Penelope's enthusiastic care. He really wanted to…

He never had the time to process that thought properly because just then his cell phone began to ring. Ice traveled through his veins while he took the item slowly. The caller's number wasn't displayed. Didn't need to be. He knew instantly who it was. He picked up after a lot of hesitation, knowing that there was no telling what'd happen if he didn't. "Hello?"

"Hello to you too, pretty boy." Anton's voice was smoother than velvet but carried a clearly audible threat. A bomb that lay in a slumber. "You have no idea of how hard I had to work to get this number." A second or so passed. "I'm assuming that agent Pavlov already got to you? Do tell her 'hi' from me."

Spencer swallowed thickly, casting a look towards Aaron. The unit chief nodded and left the room quickly, headed towards Penelope's lair. LeAnna stood perfectly still, observing him with alert in her eyes, before she took her cell phone and dialed numbers. Spencer's head was a mess and it took longer than it should've to form words. "I know that you've come for me. What do you want?" His voice sounded firm, at least. That was more than he'd dared to hope for.

"You know damn well what I want. I want my family back – all of it. But I have a feeling that you're not about to give me that." Anton's voice was even more dangerous than before. "So, I've decided to be generous. Just this once. For now I'll settle for a talk with you instead. What can I say? I've really missed you, darling."

Spencer swallowed, feeling sick to his stomach. Suddenly it was harder than it should've been not to feel Anton all over him, inside him. "When and where?" It was insane. It was desperate. But if this was the only chance to catch Anton…

"You still remember that café where we first met, don't you? Stand at the street corner in exactly one hour and I'll come to you. I'd tell you to come alone but I already know that you won't. No matter, I love a little bit of challenge." There was a strange, metallic sond. "See you soon, pretty boy." The phone call was over before Spencer could even pull in a proper breath.

Spencer stood frozen, the phone still on his ear. Stood, his chest so tight that he could barely breathe. And trembled for a moment. Then, as quickly as he could, composed himself and met LeAnna's eyes.

"How long?" she demanded. The phone was still in her hand, the hot line open.

Spencer's was surprised by how well he managed to keep his expression and voice even. "An hour." It certainly wasn't much.

LeAnna nodded. Infuriatingly confident, too inexperienced to smell the threat. Even excited. (He couldn't blame her, not really. If a catch like this would go down well it meant big things on the careers of those responsible.) "We'll be ready."

"So will we." There was a inferno in Aaron's eyes. The man went on without a hint of mercy, the prosecutor inside taking over. "I understand that this is a CIA operation but agent Reid is also a member of the FBI. Strauss never approved his resignation officially."

LeAnna's eyebrow rose. "Meaning…?"

Spencer's chest tightened because he understood. Cold settled in, quickly. No! The last thing he wanted was to get his team – his family – involved. To…

"Meaning…", Aaron echoed in a not quite patient tone. "… that my team also wants to be a part of this operation." He folded his arms, prepared to finish his case. "We can waste time on arguing over this or we can work together." The words were meant as much to Spencer as they were to LeAnna. His eyes narrowed. They'd definitely talk about this later.

Spencer had a feeling that since she was a child LeAnna hadn't played well with the others. For a moment there was a frosty expression on her face until she spoke a few mumbled words to her phone. When she was done her eyes were ice. "Fine. But stay out of the way, do you understand? Do not mess this up for us."

Spencer left right after that, mumbling something about getting ready. Being around Aaron wasn't an option for a few moments. Instead he spent five minutes with his daughter, while he could.

After half an hour of restless pacing Aaron came to the conclusion that he'd go mad if he wouldn't follow his instincts soon. And so, ignoring the questioning looks sent his way, he marched towards the room where he knew Spencer had been taken. Cautiously, as though Spencer would've ever rejected him, he knocked before opening the door slightly.

Spencer had apparently asked the CIA agents to give him a moment of privacy, for the genius was all alone in the room. Tense, deep in thought and scared. Even with the thick bulletproof vest the younger man appeared delicate. Fragile.

He must've stood there for at least a minute before Spencer finally sensed his presence. The slight smile was stiff but genuine. Yes, there was definitely irritation. But no longer open rage. "Hey. What are you doing here? I thought that you were being briefed for the encounter."

"I already was." Aaron had certainly heard more than enough. Unable to control himself for another second he approached, closing the door before making his way to Spencer. "I… just wanted to come and see you, before we need to go."

Spencer blinked once, looked at him long and hard. Drawing strength. Memorising. Taking everything he could from these precious stolen moments. "Oh."

Aaron ran a hand down Spencer's bulletproof vest, trying to keep some of the turmoil spinning inside from showing. He swallowed, unable to chase away the nauseating taste sitting on his tongue. "I don't want you to do this", he murmured.

"I know." Spencer's sigh shuddered. The genius took a small step closer, so that they were able to feel each other's warmth. He man's fist nearly pounded Aaron's own vest, with a lot more force than would've been necessary. "For the record, I hate this, too. I'm still upset with you."

They looked at each other, giving in to the moment of temptation. In a few moments a million things drifted in the air between them. Unspoken yet louder than any scream.

Pleas. Promises. Confessions.

Deciding to toss caution to the wind Aaron placed one hand to where Spencer's heart was and leaned forward, closer, closer…

Until they heard a door opening and felt a presence.

Jumping apart like two children caught from a cookie jar they turned their heads towards the doorway. Derek stood there with a unreadable look on his face. For a moment those eyes were sharper than razors as they cut through Aaron but the words were spoken surprisingly softly. "The CIAs are getting antsy. They think that it's time."

Spencer nodded softly, a faraway look in his eyes. "Okay." The genius took a deep breath. "I… guess that we should get going, then."

None of them liked even the idea. Dread was swelling inside them, with such pressure that it was suffocating. When Aaron and Derek looked at each other they finally managed to agree on something. For once there was no competition.

They'd do whatever the hell it'd take to put Anton down. They'd put an end to this nightmare. Because there was just far too much to lose.

They couldn't afford to fail this time.

Another half an hour later found Spencer approaching the very infamous café that started this whole nightmare. It was the busiest rush hour and he didn't feel comfortable with the crowd around him. Everything around him screamed threat and he almost walked against a red light just to get away from the situation.

"Just stay calm." Aaron's voice was a blessing, even though it came through a earpiece. "There's a lot of people around you who want to protect you. Just stay calm. We'll get you through this. Everything's going to be alright."

Spencer opened his mouth to reply, even felt tempted to smile. But at that very second all words got stuck in his throat. Instead he tensed up completely. Absolutely. Blood ran cold in his veins and he shivered while adrenaline crashed through.

This cologne he could smell clearly despite the crowd around him… Only one person he'd ever met wore it. Only one person's presence made him feel like this.

And sure enough, he knew the voice that floated to his ears at that very moment. "I told you, Spencer. Several times over. There's no running away from me." He was almost sure that he felt a hand although it couldn't possibly be there. Anton took his time before continuing. "You left, and took my child along. A man could be livid over less."

Spencer swallowed. Perhaps he was in a shock because he couldn't really feel a thing. "And you shot me", he pointed out in a voice that didn't sound like his. "You almost killed me."

"You weren't the target, remember?" He felt Anton's warm sigh. It made the hair in the back of his neck rise. "'Collateral damage' is the term I'd use. That agent would've killed me to the spot if it wasn't for you."

Spencer stiffened, unwanted memories filling his head. The gunshot scar close to his stomach was itching madly all of a sudden. "Next time… They won't miss."

"Hmm." A hand caressed his hair. "That's because I won't be giving them the chance to try again, dear."

"Reid." Even through the earpiece Aaron's voice was sharper than usual, almost frantic. "There are too many bystanders. The snipers aren't able to get a clean shot. We're trying to find positions for a close range shot. Just stay calm and keep him still."

Spencer took a deep, shuddering breath. "This isn't going to end well for you, Anton. Whatever you do they'll catch you. They may even kill you."

"Oh, I know, dear. I know." Anton's voice was light, smooth. Free of all fear. That, perhaps, was the most worrying part. "But since I'm going to die in the end, anyway… Why not go with a majestic bang?"

Spencer's hand reached out towards his gun, fully ready to do whatever was necessary to stop the monster behind him. He was never fast enough. "Until next time, Spencer." And then the presence was gone. Anton's scent vanished. In less than a breath the man had disappeared completely, like the killer had been nothing but a trick of his imagination.

"He disappeared to the growd! We lost him! I repeat, we lost him! All units, get ready!" Aaron's voice was sharper than a whip. "Reid, stand still, do you hear me? Don't…!"

But Spencer wasn't listening. He'd brought this monster to his friends and their families. This threat… It was his fault. And he was about to do whatever it'd take to stop this.

This time the gun was already in his hand as he ran, ignoring the cries of the people he pushed past. Following some inner voice he couldn't explain, trusting it all to a chance. Somewhere nearby and impossibly far others were running as well. None of them took the direction he did.

All of a sudden it became perfectly clear what he'd been running for. When he turned a corner he saw a car abandoned to a isolated street corner that made him freeze entirely. Black. Darkened windows. Expensive, definitely not meant for blending in. Anton's style. His grip on the gun tightening he began to approach, as cautiously as he could.

"Spencer!" The tone of Aaron's voice was almost enough to make him stop. "Don't…!"

The sound of a explosion was so unexpected that Spencer shivered, almost losing his hold on the gun. Somewhere behind him, in the direction he'd just left, people were screaming. Spencer's heart stopped for a unhealthy period of time while his knees nearly buckled. The terror and adrenaline were almost enough to sweep him off his feet.

"Hotch!" he cried out to the earpiece. No response. No sign of life. Nothing. Tears filled his eyes and he didn't quite manage to blink them away. What the hell happened? Were the others alright? Were they even…? "Aaron! Anyone! Are you alright? What's going on?" Still no response. Nothing but torturous silence.

Spencer didn't get the chance to worry much further. He didn't realize how close he'd gotten to the car until a impossibly bright flash blinded him. The bang he heard hit him like a sledgehammer, felt even worse than the actual impact of energy. He flew backwards and crashed down to the ground with a sickening amount of force.

After that there was nothing but darkness.

TBC

A/N: Awkay… (clears throat) You do remember that if you slaughter the author there's no hope for a finish, don't you? (hides)

Alright, so… Everyone together. WHAT THE HECK?! What just happened – and what follows after? Because things seem pretty damn messed up right now.

PLEASE, let me hear your thoughts! Were you pleased, at all? Or should I be extra careful when I open mysterious Christmas gifts this year…? Ya all know what to do if ya want to let me know. (winks far from coyly)

Until next time! I really hope that you'll all stick around for that.

And very, VERY HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL!

hphottie34: Awww, it's good to hear that! (beams) Uh huh, let's hope that I didn't. It'd be a real tragedy. (winces)

Huge thank yous for the review!

Anon: A quite cute moment, wasn't it? (grins) And it must've filled Aaron's head with all kinds of thoughts… It's such a good thing that the team knows about Spencer's little angel. Let's hope that they'll manage to keep her AND themselves safe.

And here we have Elle! (blinks) No worries, in a couple of chapters her role will become a great deal clearer.

Massive thank yous for the review!