Chapter 14

BAU Headquarters
Quantico, VA

December 2005

Spencer

Spencer stood there staring at the board.

As they had returned to base Morgan had been relaying instructions through Penelope. An office at the end of the hall, currently between occupants, had been cleaned of furniture. Now some safety mats from the gym lay on the floor, a table in the corner held supplies, and there were several white boards up. Or what looked like white boards. "Smart Boards." Penelope said. "What you write here we see in the conference room."

But it wasn't the set-up that had Spencer's attention. It was what was on that board.

Penelope had put a file together for Dr. Rivers.

Dr. Jeremy Rivers.

"I thought the alien virus only matched up opposite sex couples." JJ said

"That's what we all thought." Penelope replied. "But I checked the data, and so far it's looking like fifteen percent are same sex match ups. Doctor Jeremy Rivers." She started reciting off. "Twenty-five, no father on record, mom abandoned him at nine, grew up in the foster care system. Went to Berkley at age sixteen on a state scholarship for foster kids. Got his degree in medieval and renaissance literature with a minor in library systems at nineteen. Spent a year in England as a Rhodes Scholar, ended up with a PhD, also in literature at twenty-two. Currently the head of reader services at the Folger Shakespeare Library here in DC, which as near as I can tell means he's the head of the reference desk. Kind of a middle management thing."

"Something like that." Spencer replied. In the picture, likely taken from the staff website, Jeremy was wearing glasses and a suit that looked more than a little like a private school uniform, right down to the sweater vest and striped tie. But beyond those glasses were these amazing blue eyes, smart and strong and a little shy. He could not stop looking at those eyes.

"Foster kid. That explains his apartment; he's subconsciously ready to move at any time." Emily said from the doorway.

"Prior victimization." Gideon was saying from the other room. "We'll have to take that into account."

"I would definitely peg him for you." Morgan said to Spencer. "Except for the whole male part."

"I don't care." Spencer could not look away from those eyes. But from what he could tell there was quite the handsome young man behind those glasses, slender and fine boned, with a sweet smile and a mop of curls. Likely quite silky curls. But none of it mattered more than those eyes.

"Serious?" Morgan turned to Penelope for confirmation.

And Penelope confirmed. "It's called pansexual. He's been holding out on us." She said.

"Oh great." Morgan shook his head. "Okay, give us some privacy. I will call if I need anything."

"You better." With that Penelope slipped out, closed the door behind her and they were alone.

Morgan looked over at Spencer. "Okay kid, your go bag's over there. Get comfortable." He began looking over the supplied Garcia had put out for them.

"Why? Shouldn't we be working the case?"

"We are." The older man sighed. "Look at Jeremy. Not as his life mate, look at him like he was a victim. What kind of Unsub would be willing to take the risk to get a hold of him?" Spencer looked again. He looked at what could only be described as a pretty, innocent face, with the youthful look of one who's hormones were still catching up, and the slender build, and the lack of anything athletic, and having been a victim before... "Yeah. That's what's coming. Reid." Morgan waited until he had Spencer's attention again. "I've been there."

"You..." Spencer's brain was still stuck on this cannot happen...

"Yeah. And I am walking proof that you can get through this. But we have to get him back first and that means we have to get him to help us."

"How?"

"Telepathy. Remember what happened to JJ? Now get comfortable. It's going to be a long night."

He was right. Spencer closed his eyes, calculated the chance of a miracle.

Then he went to get his clothes from his go bag.

Somewhere else

Jeremy

Dr. Jeremy Rivers woke in a very strange bed.

For a long moment he lay still, his eyes closed, feeling the world dip and sway around him. He had no clue what time it was, even if it was day or night. The last thing he remembered clearly was getting off work and the brisk walk home through the crisp winter air, so very different from California. He had dim memories of feeling water pouring on him, of feeling like his skin was burning, of deep pain in his belly, of crying for mercy, but he couldn't clearly remember anything. It was all some kind of dream, or more likely nightmare.

Before he opened his eyes he reached out and felt the other presence that had been part of his life ever since he caught that cold on the last Family Day at the library. Dr. Reid felt worried and tired and like he might have been hurt, a dull, aching pain in his belly and over his skin. Which could not be good, would it be wrong to text him to check that he was okay? Or perhaps to call that Garcia woman, just to check? He felt again, and decided it would be acceptable. Just a quick check. So as he usually did he reached to the nightstand and felt for his glasses and phone there.

There were no glasses there.

There was no phone there.

It wasn't his nightstand.

Jeremy opened his eyes and squinted as he looked around the room.

It was a large room, with a large bed in the center and marble topped nightstands and no other furniture. It was white, white paint and white woodwork and a white bed under him and a pale wood floor. There were no covers on the bed, only some kind of sheet that wrapped the thick, soft mattress and pillows that were stitched in place. And his clothes, any clothes, were nowhere to be seen.

Which meant nothing to hide behind.

The room finally stopped swimming long enough for him to try to get up. That was when he noticed the chain that went from his ankle to the bed.

No...

BAU Headquarters
Quantico, VA

Spencer

At first Spencer hadn't known what to make of what he was feeling from Jeremy. It had been this confusing jumble of fear and panic, all of it blurry and indistinct. But eventually the reason came to him. "Drugged." He'd said.

"So he can't resist?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah." Spencer focused. "I think he's in a shower."

"Just get down on the mat."

"Why?"

"When Brisco was picking up on Cargill getting beaten we thought he was having a seizure. There's a good chance that will happen here. Now take off your glasses and get down before you fall down."

Spencer got down on the mat. Morgan shut off the overhead fixture so the light wasn't right in Spencer's eyes. Spencer closed them anyway, the better to focus. Which meant that there was nothing between him and the pain that suddenly flared along Jeremy's leg. Spencer yelped from the burning pain, reached down to rub his own calf but it was fine. "This is going to be bad, isn't it?" He'd asked.

Morgan nodded. "Yeah."

Now all of that was over. Spencer laid on the mat, already worn out, as he felt Jeremy shake off the last of the drugs in his system. He felt his confusion and then his panic, clear and bright, which grew stronger and stronger until...Goddamn it! No! No! No! No! No!

Spencer let the reflection of that panic fill him until he could feel something kick over, and...Jeremy!

There was confusion now, mixed in with the panic.

Jeremy! You're not hearing things. The alien virus, remember? Telepathy?

Dr. Reid?

Yes. You're panicking hard enough to transmit. I can hear you.

Help! Please help!

Jeremy we are going to get you out of there. I swear we are going to find you and get you out of there. But we need you to help us do that.

Spencer had expected denial, refusal, panicked babbling pleading. He did not expect the sudden flare of strength and resolve he felt then, strength that did not ameliorate the panic, but that rode beside it. What can I do? Jeremy asked

We need you to be our eyes and ears. He thinks you're isolated, that you're alone. If he doesn't know we're communicating he'll make a mistake and we can use that to find him. But only if you see it for us.

All right.

You can't let him know that we're communicating.

I won't. For a moment the panic flared. This is going to happen, isn't it?

Spencer had been focusing on Jeremy, his emotions, his sensations. But now he couldn't stop the wave of heartbreak he himself felt. Very likely. I'm sorry.

Now mingled with that panic and that strength was a wave of regret so bitter Spencer felt like he could choke on it. What's your name? I mean your first name?

Spencer.

Spencer felt the stutter in Jeremy's mind just then and perhaps in his heart as well. I...I expected a woman. I thought...

So did I. All of a sudden Spencer's mind kicked something new out at him. But I'm glad of this. He couldn't stop the wave of love he suddenly felt for this strange, strong, amazing person.

Jeremy felt it too, and it surprised him at first, but then Spencer felt that feeling returned. Oh. Hi.

Yeah. Hi.

With that the bitter regret grew. I'm sorry.

Why?

All of a sudden the panic flared. There's someone outside the door.

Damn it. Spencer had hoped for more time. Don't struggle too hard and follow directions, don't give him a reason to lose his temper and hurt you. And repeat everything he says to you back to me.

I'll try.

Okay.

There was a pause. Spencer could feel how alert Jeremy was. He just called me a beautiful creature. "What do you mean beautiful creature? Who the hell are you? Let me go!" He told me not to say anything. "Don't say anything? You sent some goon into my house, kidnapped me, drugged me, assaulted me, now you've trapped me here and you think I'm not going to say anything? Look, let me out of here now and I won't say anything to the cops." He's taking his clothes off.

All of a sudden Spencer felt a burning pain in his shoulders and across his back. He instinctively raised his arms to ward off phantom blows. What was that?

His belt. Owwww! He's angry now. He's insisting I not speak.

So keep quiet for now. Are you all right?

See what I made him do. Fucker sounds like my mother. Yeah, I've had worse. He's saying I just need to relax. He knows what I am; He'd freed me from the world. Now I can be what I'm meant to be. The sooner I accept that the better.

What does he think you are? Spencer felt Jeremy's stomach turn, disgust mix with the anger. What is that?

He's kissing me, or trying to. Regret came back, more bitter than before. I'm not getting out of this, am I?

Likely not. If you fight he'll just get violent, try to overpower you. You'll be at greater risk for injury. Spencer took a deep breath. Your safest bet is to not fight. Just remember, you're not alone.

.

Casting Note: OK, this is all set before 02x11 "Sex Birth Death" because Anton Yelchin is perfect for Jeremy. He played Nathan Harris.