A/N: I'm so, so, so sorry that it took this long to update! I had some foreign relatives visiting and then I was hit by this extremely nasty flue (which still hasn't left me alone). (winces) So not cool.

I know I've kept you waiting too long, BUT before getting on with the story… Thank you so much for those fantastic reviews! (HUGS) I REALLY hope you'll all stay on board. Your support means the world to me.

Awkay. (takes a deep breath) 'Guess it's time to just bite the bullet, no? I REALLY hope this leg of the race turns out worth the wait.


The Parasite


Three weeks later


Much like his mom, Spencer had never been a huge fan of flying. But until the past few weeks he'd been able to tolerate flights.

Now the desire to vomit began as soon as the jet took off, every single time. That particular day he'd done remarkably well with tricking his mind to other matters and flushing down the vomit rising to his throat with bad coffee. But as they flew above Wisconsin, on their way home, he finally lost the battle. He was relieved the others were asleep.

He rushed to the toilet and threw up absolutely all there was in his stomach and much more. Once he was finally done he remained on the floor, gasping for the precious air he'd just lost. His hand flew to his upset stomach – and that's when he felt it once again.

A swell, such that's appeared subtly yet inevitably. And it seemed to be growing. He was finding it difficult to fit into his old pants anymore. It was probably the symptom that scared him the most. It was absolutely horrifying to have something inside him that grew so rapidly. He would've desperately wanted to know what it was and why it felt like it was eating him away. For the first time in his life he was looking forward to seeing a doctor.

Spencer swallowed thickly, bracing himself, then got up although his feet didn't feel entirely steady and cleaned himself up.

He'd have all the answers soon, he told himself. Until then he'd just have to hang on.

Spencer honestly thought he'd be able to get away with his little episode. That's why he shuddered with startle when he emerged from the tiny room to find Jennifer Jareau waiting for him. A deep frown appeared to her face as she examined him with her eyes.

He grinned faintly, desperately attempting to loosen the tightness around them. "'Guess I shouldn't have eaten that pizza, after all."

JJ sighed, the way her shoulders tightened giving him a loud warning. "You barely even touched it", she pointed out, then gritted her teeth. "Look, Spence… I'm not going to take that 'I'm fine' crap anymore, okay?"

Spencer's shoulders slumped with defeat and he felt extremely cold. It was worse and much more real, somehow, now that the symptoms he'd been struggling with had been noticed. "I… I've got a doctor's appointment scheduled", he admitted quietly, not wanting anyone else in the jet to hear. "It could be just stress, or something like that. It's probably just nothing. But…"

He became cut off when all of a sudden JJ took his hand and squeezed tightly. Her eyes did all talking for her.

Spencer would've really liked to hug her. It was embarrassing, really, how much he would've needed a hug at that very moment. But he felt too exposed and vulnerable already – he didn't need any further cracks on his shield right now. That's why he gave her a pale smile, then let go of her hand as gently as he could and made his way back to his seat with her steps following.

The others were still fast asleep but as he slumped to his seat Aaron's eyes met his. There was a hard, clearly worried look in them. He replied the unvoiced question with a barely noticeable nod.

Yes, he was trying to sort this damn thing out.

Already knowing that he wouldn't be able to sleep he turned his gaze towards the jet's window, mostly to avoid meeting Aaron's eyes any longer.

Thick, heavy clouds and dark wrapped around the jet as it sped through the air.


The following day Spencer did not feel excited about going to work. Waking up was pain. His stomach wasn't pleased with his decision to get up and start a new day in such a early hour, either. The chilling chirping sound that'd become his more or less regular companion was practically growling – if it'd been a little less threatening he would've thought it sounded like a sulking child.

All that considered, it wasn't a huge miracle that he didn't make it to work on time.

Derek gave him a clearly worried look, arching an eyebrow. "Well, there is the first time for everything."

Spencer rolled his eyes, dropping his bag next to his desk. "I just… didn't sleep well last night, I guess."

Derek frowned. And at that moment Spencer realized that he was screwed. "You know… You've looked exhausted for weeks already. What's wrong?"

Spencer swallowed furiously, trying to turn away. The toilet was so far away… "I'm fine, okay?"

He shuddered with surprise when Derek's hand wrapped around his wrist. "Reid, what's wrong?"

It appeared whatever the hell there was in his stomach didn't like the unexpected contact at all. Something shifted so violently that Spencer unleashed a gagging sound, for a moment sure that he'd throw up right there and then. And then came the pain.

It scorched and pulsated, making him think that something was about to claw its way right through his skin. The sensations were furious, and when his hand flew to his stomach he felt something close to kicks.

Those kicks he'd felt Henry give in JJ's stomach… These were ten times stronger.

Unable to keep it inside any longer Spencer cried out and practically doubled over, feeling dangerously dizzy all of a sudden. What the hell was going on? Had something ruptured inside him?

Derek's hand was there once again, trying to steady him. It wasn't until then he realized he'd been about to keel over. "Hey, don't pass out on me!" The man sounded… almost terrified, much like when he'd locked himself into that laboratory. "Can you stand up?"

To Spencer's credit he did try to stand up, with all his might. But it appeared his body had other plans.

Even though he was standing perfectly still the entire world was suddenly spinning right before his eyes. As the spinning grew faster the face of his teammate became nothing but a chaotic blur of colors.

"Reid!"

The chirping was back. As Spencer felt himself fall it exploded in his head, so loud that he actually feared it might tear apart his brain. He couldn't tell if there was more pain in his head or in his stomach.

"Reid! Hey, c'mon, keep your eyes open! Reid!"

Everything became black, like someone had switched off the lights. All of a sudden there was absolutely no pain.

There was nothing.


When Spencer finally resurfaced from the dark the chirping sound was gone. In its place he heard quiet talking from what sounded like miles away, several sets of steps and clattering.

And then there was a male voice he'd never heard before. "Dr. Reid? Are you awake?"

With a lot more effort than he'd expected he forced his eyes halfway open. At first all he saw was blur but then he managed to distinguish a doctor in his mid thirties with shortcut, almost black hair and sad deep blue eyes.

A hospital. He was in a hospital.

He groaned and brought both of his hands to his face. That was when he felt a violent pull. Alarmed he glanced towards the back of his right hand and frowned upon discovering a IV. "What…?" he muttered in a raspy tone.

"You were badly dehydrated and malnourished when you were admitted. We're going to have to keep you here for a little while to get that fixed up." The man held a pause, letting him absorb this information. "I'm Dr. Gregory Tulsa."

Spencer frowned, his sluggish head working furiously to make the necessary connections.

Malnourished …? Yes, his stomach had been growing, but the rest of him…

His frown deepened and his body went ice cold as dread began to creep in. Several horrendous scenarious played around in his head. "What's going on?"

The doctor swallowed, clearly wondering how to set his words. "There… is a mass in your stomach – you may have even noticed it because the bulge is starting to show. At first we feared it's cancerous, but judging by the stretch marks on your skin it's been growing rapidly and aggressively. That's why we performed some more tests."

Spencer swallowed thickly, fighting the urge to vomit when his stomach twisted and turned. "What's wrong with me?" He sounded terrified and pitiable. Considering the circumstances he didn't expect anything else.

Dr. Tulsa ran a quite unsteady hand through his hair. The look on his face was anything but soothing. "If you want me to be fully honest with you… I don't know just yet." The man gritted his teeth, casting a nearly desperate look at his portable laptop. "Like I said, there's a mass in your abdomen but it isn't cancerous. It's… It's moving around quite a bit, growing and breathing." The doctor's eyes were wide and wild. "It's… living."

At those words Spencer's brain simply shut down for a mighty while. All he could do was stare at the older man with huge, disbelieving eyes, his whole body struck numb by shock and sheer terror. His heart was racing in a far from healthy manner. His lungs practically collapsed, making his breaths loud and erratic.

This… was the worst joke he'd ever heard. This was sick!

Dr. Tulsa frowned. "Dr. Reid? Are you alright?"

Spencer barely heard. Even his tongue shook as he licked his lips, struggling to form simple words. "What… the hell are you saying?" he wheezed. "That I'm… pregnant?" What kind of a doctor was this? There was no way in hell…!

He was a man, for crying out loud! Where the hell was the 'baby' supposed to be growing? How…?

Obviously Dr. Tulsa wasn't any more comfortable with all this. The man fidgeted slightly. "I… wouldn't use that word. It's more like…" Probably coming to a conclusion that he wouldn't be able to explain this with words, anyway, the man turned the laptop towards him. "Well, take a look at it yourself."

Spencer did. And his heart stopped for a couple of seconds while vomit rose all the way to his mouth. He swallowed convulsively.

That thing on the screen, practically in the middle of his stomach… It had a lot of humane features. He recognized a head, limbs, even two beginnings of eyes. But… A human baby wouldn't have had a tail. The head also seemed to have a strange shape.

Spencer gasped, unable to breathe for the longest time. "What… What is that?"

Dr. Tulsa sighed, shifting weight to another foot. "I'm sorry, but I… I really don't know. I've never seen anything like this before." The doctor swallowed loudly. "If… If you so wish I can consult our obstetrician and ask…"

Spencer shook his head violently, unable to tear his eyes from the picture. The thing in his stomach was kicking and spinning violently, as though looking for a way out. "No. No." He sounded frantic although he couldn't really register feeling anything at all. Clearly he was still in a state of shock. "No. I don't want to… I can't…!"

He didn't even realize he was about to throw up until he stared at his own vomit in the bowl Dr. Tulsa had rushed to give him. Some tears stung in his eyes, spilling to the disgusting mess in the bowl. He was trembling uncontrollably.

He had absolutely no idea how long it took before Dr. Tulsa dared to speak once more. "Dr. Reid… I know this is overwhelming, but… You need to think about the options." The man's eyes were sad and apologetic. "It's latched on several vital organs. I'm sure you know that a human abdomen is a very delicate thing. If we'd remove the parasite surgically…" The doctor left the rest hanging but Spencer heard loud and clear.

If they'd get rid of the parasite he'd die.

Dr. Tulsa went on after he'd nodded slightly. "Medication is a good option – you can take the medicine meant for terminating a pregnancy. It's not fully certain that it'd work now that the parasite is so big but it's your best chance."

Spencer's head was spinning. This was all far too much to handle at one go. "If it's too late already…" He frowned and swallowed, a sudden chilling question crossing his mind. He forced himself to look at the doctor once more. "Then how… is it going to come out?"

Dr. Tulsa swallowed once more, seeming to feel uncomfortable in his own skin. "We just don't know yet. We don't even know when it's going to come out. All we know is that it's developing fast, which is why it's taking such a toll on your body."

Spencer's breathing turned even more erratic than before, and he could tell he was slipping dangerously close to a full blown panic attack. His hands shook as he covered his face with them, his thoughts whirring so fast it was making him feel sick.

How… How the hell was this even possible? How the fuck did he get something like that into his body?

And then, as fast a lightning, it hit him.

That room, five weeks ago… The attack… Suddenly it all made far too much sense.

He got a crystal clear flash of something attacking him, stripping him naked, invading his body… Something had seeped into him…

Spencer's eyes flew wide.

He must've blacked out for a while because the next thing he knew was that there was a paper bag held by his lips. Dr. Tulsa wasn't touching him but stayed close. "That's it, Dr. Reid. Take deep, even breaths. Keep breathing."

It took almost ten minutes before he finally swallowed, still tensed up and shivering but at least slightly coherent. "I… I'm fine."

Dr. Tulsa nodded slowly, clearly believing his words just as little as he did. "Your team is waiting, and I can tell they know something's wrong. They're asking for answers. Would you like me to tell them?"

Against his better judgement Spencer nodded faintly. He really, really didn't want them to know about any of this but it appeared that ship had sailed long since. And there was no way he could've looked at them and explained… this.

Dr. Tulsa nodded back before leaving the room soundlessly. As soon as he was left alone Spencer did the only thing he could in his current situation.

He threw up once more. When he was done he broke down into loud, bitter sobs of terror, ache and anguish.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

He never noticed how one of his hands found its way to the swell of his belly. He also didn't notice the small, almost tender push against his hand. But he did notice that suddenly he felt calm again.


Spencer must've fallen asleep because by the time he opened his eyes again the room was almost completely dark. He was grateful for the tiny lamp someone had left on. He really didn't want to face a dark room – it would've felt too much like waking up in a tomb.

He preferred not to think about a tomb right now.

"Reid?" It took a moment before he recognized Derek's voice. The man was sitting on a visibly uncomfortable chair beside his bed. He noticed that the older agent's hand was unsteady when he put away the magazine he'd been reading (How could he read with so little light on? Didn't he know that it was bad for his eyes?) and focused fully on him. The grin that greeted him didn't seem as emancipated as it should've been. "Hey there. So you finally decided to join us."

Spencer yawned, feeling exhausted although he must've been sleeping for a long time, and rubbed his face roughly. The thing in his stomach seemed to wake up as well. In an instant it started to make backflips that made him want to throw up. He swallowed. "How long was I out?" His voice was raspy but at least not weak. That was a good start.

Derek sighed, or perhaps yawned. "For half a day. But you really did need the nap."

Spencer nodded lightly, not really wanting to point out that he was still exhausted. The silence between them stretched, became heavy, until he decided to cut the chase. "I… guess the Dr. Tulsa told you."

Derek nodded stiffly. It took a mighty while before the man managed to gather the words. "Look… I know you're scared. To be honest this scared the crap out of us all. But… We're not going to just give up, you know? We'll figure out a way to get you through this. So… You just hang in there, kid." The man's eyes strayed towards his abdomen, which made him shield it with his hands. It was almost like he'd been… "We'll find a way to get that thing out of you."

Spencer swallowed once again, staring at the nearly invisible bulge. He could feel the thing moving – it seemed to be stretching – until it settled down once more, falling asleep. Suddenly warmth spread all the way through his body. And he didn't know absolutely anything anymore. "What… What if I can't kill it?"

Derek stared at him like he'd just gained a new head. There was open shock in the man's eyes. "Reid…!"

The man never got the chance to finish because just then a young female nurse with long, clearly dyed red hair and brown eyes entered the room. There was a apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but… Someone left a note for you, Dr. Reid. They said it was urgent."

Spencer nodded, the warmth from before turning into freezing cold, and accepted the note. It was just a tiny piece of white paper.

He could see Derek's frown although he didn't look. "Reid? What is it?"

Spencer couldn't respond. All he saw were the words floating before him.

'If you want to know what's going on, find us. We have a lot to talk about. We're the only ones who can help you.'

Underneath the words was a phone number.


TBC, OR NOT?


A/N: Oh dear… It looks like things are jumping forward. We'll see if that's a good thing or bad… Poor Reid's in for one heck of a ride. (winces)

PLEASE, leave a review – comments, thoughts, anything! I'm still a bit fluish so it'd REALLY cheer me up. (gives puppy's eyes)

IN THE NEXT ONE (in case ya want one, of course): Upon meeting a mysterious man Reid finds out more than he ever bargained for. The time of decisions is at hand. Or is it too late already…?

Until next time, folks! I REALLY hope you'll all join in then.

Take care!


Miku: I'm hearing ya, sweetie. (grins)

Huge thank yous for the review!


Morning Glory: Awww, no problem, hun. (hugs)

Ah, there seems to be a lot up ahead. Let's see the next chapter to find out how things twist next…

Colossal thank yous for the review! I really hope the next one won't disappoint.