A/N: Yup, I'm back with this 'lil beast. (grins) BUT, before getting on with the story…
THANK YOU, seriously, for your absolutely amazing reviews! You've done miracles to my inspiration, ya know? (HUGS) So thank you!
Awkay… Before I get all mushy let's get back to the business. I REALLY hope that you'll enjoy the ride!
The Birth
In the bureau the rest of the remaining team stared at Derek as he finished his story.
David was the first one of them who managed to speak. "So… You're telling me that Reid – our Reid – just tossed you to the other side of the street?"
Derek growled slightly, the irritation making his headache escalate. "Don't you get it? That wasn't Reid! Whatever it is inside him… It took over for a moment, completely."
The others digested his words for a while. Sullen silence filled the room. "He must be horrified", JJ whispered in the end, folding her arms to her chest.
Emily managed to keep her emotions in check, but just barely. Terror shone in her eyes. "Do you have any idea of where he went?"
Derek sighed, rubbing his face with both hands. "My guess, as far away from us as possible. This is Reid we're talking about – there's no way he'll come to us if he thinks that he's a threat."
Aaron nodded, his facial muscles appearing painfully tight. The unit chief's sharp eyes flew towards Penelope, who'd been listening to the conversation with wide, horrified eyes. "Garcia, run a trace on Reid's cell phone. He's not answering it but maybe he still has it along."
Penelope nodded, unable to speak, and hurried to her computer. Derek would've given a lot if he'd had even one word of comfort to offer her. But as it was his mind was completely blank.
As though reading his mind Aaron focused on him. The man's expression was stone hard. "You should go and see a doctor."
Derek's eyes narrowed. "There's no way in hell I'm going anywhere until we've found Reid."
Just one look into his eyes told Aaron that the man had lost the fight before it even began. The unit chief sighed, focusing on Penelope. "Anything?"
She shook her head, appearing close to tears. "I… I can't find a trace." She looked at them all. "I'm so sorry."
JJ ran a hand through her disheveled hair, her eyes darting around without being able to focus on anything. "How are we supposed to find him?"
How someone managed to sneak up on a group of FBI agents was beyond them. The all too familiar female voice sent shivers down their spines. "Maybe I can help you with that."
Derek turned his head much faster than would've been healthy. His heart skipped a beat when he found Elle Greenaway.
When Spencer woke up he felt… nothing. Absolutely nothing. For the first time in weeks there was no back- or abdominal pain, not even a headache. Just numbness.
He groaned and shifted, desperate to move and ease his muscles. Shock washed over him when he discovered that his wrists were fastened. His eyes flew open and darted around frantically. He lay on some sort of a surgical table, his wrists caught with restraints. His panic only grew as he noticed all the surgical equipment absolutely everywhere around him.
What the…?
His eyes kept shifting around, desperate for a way out. Gray walls, a gray ceiling, less than five steps from him a huge, metallic door that seemed to be bolted heavily. So close yet miles away.
And then he heard Dr. Castro's voice. "I see that you're awake. I'm sorry. I was hoping that you wouldn't have to wake up to witness this."
Fighting to keep his breathing under control Spencer examined his situation further. He was shirtless, and it looked like the skin of his abdomen had been handled with disinfectant of some sort. His eyes widened while the reality crashed down on him.
So this was why the doctor had kept him so close…
The thing inside him kept shifting around with terror and the chirping was so loud that it hurt, but this time the sensations were different. Dr. Castro must've given him something while he was unconscious – that's why he was so numb.
He licked his lips and once again attempted to move without much success when the doctor began to approach him, all equipment prepared. Tears, or perhaps something else entirely, blurred his eyes. "No… Please…!"
Dr. Castro met his eyes. There wasn't a hint of remorse on the man's face. "I'm sorry, Spencer. But I need that thing inside you." The man focused on his skin, obviously planning on his next move. "Maybe you'll be lucky. Maybe you'll make it through this alive."
Spencer unleashed a bitter laugh, his head spinning and hurting. The chirping was pounding in his skull. "How big are the chances for that?" he inquired quietly.
Dr. Castro didn't speak, which was most likely for the better. For just this once Spencer was much happier without knowing the numbers. "Just hang in there", the man advised him. "This'll all be over soon."
Spencer swallowed, unable to look away as the doctor made the cut.
In the bureau it took a while until the team had recovered from the shock enough to start asking questions. It was almost impossible to believe that the unhealthily skinny woman with untidily cut short, filthy hair and a reek of alcohol was the same Elle they used to know.
"Where the hell have you been?" Derek managed in the end.
Elle gave him a dry look. "What does it look like?"
"I… I tried to contact you, a while after you left." There was a look of pure shock on Penelope's face. "But… I couldn't find you."
Elle shrugged. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I spent three years in a Mexican prison." Her eyes then hardened. "Now, do you want to find Reid or not?"
"I assume that you may know where he is", Aaron stated. There was a bizarre, unreadable expression on his face.
Elle nodded. "He's with Dr. Castro. He called, telling that he'd hurt someone." Her eyes flashed. "Dr. Castro wants that thing growing inside Reid, and won't stop at anything to get it. I tried to warn Reid but Castro had given me something. I passed out. When I woke up there wasn't a trace of him or Reid in the house."
Emily fell a couple of shades paler. "We've gotta find them before Dr. Castro cuts him open to get to the thing."
Penelope nodded furiously. "I'm on it."
While the blonde began to type David looked at Elle with a frown. "How did you find out about that thing in the first place?"
"At a bar", came the instant, obviously honest answer. She shrugged once again. "You're profilers. You know how much and fast people spill when they're drunk and careless." She sighed, rubbing her eyes. "This associate of Castro's was there, going on and on about that thing to anyone who would listen. I got curious when he said that it'd planted a seed into a FBI-agent. The guy's description matched perfectly with Reid. I came to Quantico as fast as I could and looked up Castro. I was trying to keep him from hurting Reid." Her eyes grew darker. "Look how well that turned out."
"Do you think Castro in dangerous?" Aaron cut through that trail of thought.
Elle shook her head without hesitation. "He's just a mad scientist who doesn't play well with others. He doesn't even have a gun – he's afraid of them. He avoids all physical confrontations as much as he can."
"I found something!" Penelope practically cried out all of a sudden. "There's… There's this beach house. It's rented under Castro's first name and his mother's maiden name. It's…"
"… his Castle. His very own pride and joy." Elle licked her lips. "Castro… Once, when he was particularly drunk during our night together he slurred that he should take me to his beach house. That it'd be beautiful there. I'm pretty sure that that's where he took Reid."
Derek's eyes flashed. "Then let's get going already."
"Wait." Elle gulped. "We can't just barge in, alright?"
Aaron frowned, impatience flickering in the man's dark eyes. "I thought you said that Castro isn't dangerous."
Elle gave him a look. "Castro isn't what I'm worried about."
Spencer didn't feel pain, not exactly. But he did feel Dr. Castro working inside him. He was glad that the man had given him a bucket before starting with the procedure. He vomited at least three times.
The cold sweat on Dr. Castro's forehead didn't make him feel any better. "It's… It's hiding there, in the middle of all those organs." The man's Adam's apple moved restlessly. "I… I'm sorry, but… I don't know what I could do about all this bleeding." The doctor looked directly to his eyes. "I'm sorry."
Spencer's heart thumped beyond all his control. The blood, his blood… He could smell it, taste it. It was highly likely that he was bleeding internally. Tears trickled to his cheeks while he balled his fists, so tightly that nails nearly dug through his skin. "Please…", he whispered, unsure if he would've been able to produce anything louder even if he'd tried. "The hospital… Take me there. Please… They'll…"
Whatever little hope there'd been inside him died along with Dr. Castro's firm shake of a head. "It's too late for you already. I'm sorry, but… Right now that thing inside you is far more valuable than your life could ever be. I'm not going to risk losing it, letting someone else take it."
Whatever sedative Dr. Castro had given him clearly wasn't enough. Little by little he was beginning to experience the agony. Whenever Dr. Castro did something inside him he felt it, as a stab of fire hot pain.
Spencer gasped, his toes twitching while pain waved inside him.
Dr. Castro gave him a look before focusing on his work. "It's almost over already. I… I think I can already see it."
Spencer's head began to spin and turn cloudy. He didn't like how his line of vision darkened just a little bit around the edges. It was only a matter of time, before…
He wasn't sure if he actually moved his head or if it simply lolled to the side. What he saw just then made him shiver. A tiny pool of blood was forming underneath the table. He couldn't lose much more before it'd be too much.
Dr. Castro's voice sounded muffled and static in his ears. "Oh… my God!" The man swallowed, his hands shaking inside him. "It's… It's actually here, Spencer! It's really here."
And then there was the strangest sound Spencer had ever heard. A mixture of the chirping he'd kept hearing and a baby's crying.
Spencer had no idea of where he found the strength to do so but he turned his head with a huge amount of effort, just enough to see the thing in Dr. Castro's arms. His cloudy, nearly glazed over eyes widened.
It… was so close to a human baby in many ways. Ten toes, ten fingers. But the rest was something the kind he'd never, ever seen before. A long tail, a part of which was hidden from him. A bizarre, although somehow beautiful shape of a head. Horrifyingly long, sharp nails. Huge, completely black eyes.
It definitely wasn't from this world.
The thing screamed with fear and displeasure when Dr. Castro took a tighter hold of it, his eyes darkening to such extend that they became unrecognizable. "A female… You're definitely going to help me put an end to the curse your kind brought along." So saying the man was already leaving the room, ignoring the way the thing struggled in his arms.
Tears ran down Spencer's cheeks and he had no idea if they were caused by pain or something else entirely. "No…!"
He tried to reach out a hand but it was already much too late. The door boomed closed, leaving him alone to bleed.
Spencer fought, with absolutely all there was in him, but no amount of effort was enough. The dark swept him away before he even realized what was happening.
The last thing he heard was the thing screaming.
TBC
A/N: Ugh… (winces) Poor, poor Reid. 'Wonder if there's any way he could walk out of this alive.
BUT… PLEASE, leave a review – like it, hate it, couldn't care less? Let me know! It'd seriously mean a lot. (gives puppy's eyes)
IN THE NEXT ONE: Reid's life hangs in a delicate balance. Is it too late already? Meanwhile Dr. Castro's run gets an unexpected end…
I'VE GOT PRETTY MUCH THE REST OF THE STORY WRITTEN. Which means that if you'd like, I can ALMOST promise quick updates…
ONLY TWO MORE TO GO!
Until next time, folks! 'Hope you'll all stay tuned.
Take care and enjoy the summer!
marshall: Glad to hear that you're eager to read a little bit more. (beams) Awww, of course I came back! There's no way I could've leave this baby unfinished.
'Hope the rest will please ya as well.
Gigantic thank yous for the review!
Steph: Heh, in that case welcome aboard, dear! I'm REALLY happy and proud to hear that you decided to give this a chance despite your doubts – AND, even happier to hear that you've enjoyed the read. (beams)
I really hope that you'll keep staying tuned and having a good time.
Colossal thank yous for the review!
