A/N: DANG! At first I had hard time getting this chapter going and then it basically typed itself. (chuckles) We'll see how it turned out…

Firstly, though…! Thank you so, so much for all those fantastic reviews and love! The fact that a sequel has that many friends is absolutely baffling. (BEAMS)

Awkay… I suppose that it's showtime. Sooo, let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

Damaged Bonds

It took all JJ had to keep herself together until she was at a safe distance from Henry. She barged into the bathroom and locked the door, then slid to the floor with her face buried into her hands. Her breaths came out in short, desperate wheezes.

Her son… And, apparently – because she could do that math just fine – her husband as well… Among them…

'It's not uncommon that those of my race become partners with humans. Mostly they keep their secret to themselves. Usually those pairs can't reproduce due to the differences in their genes but there are exceptions', Spencer told the team, once upon a time. 'If such an offspring is born the differences are so subtle that only a careful DNA-analysis reveals them. And a case where the offspring has… special abilities is about one in a million.'

She clasped a hand to her lips. Still the mixture of a gag and sob was uncomfortably loud. Tears pooled into her eyes.

What in the world was she supposed to do?!

The sounds of familiar steps made her stiffen and ache at the same time. They paused right behind the door. Will didn't even try the door, clearly knowing that it was locked. "I understand that you're scared and upset. But I… Jaye, we need to talk about this."

JJ swallowed loudly, searching the words for the longest time. She wiped her eyes roughly. "You don't know the things that I've brought upon your kind", she choked out. "Upon… Upon our son's kind."

There was a long moment of silence. "There's no 'your kind' and 'my kind' in this house, Jennifer. We're a family. That's why we need to face this as one." Will was pacing behind the door. "I know that I should've told you a million times but I just… I couldn't although I tried, especially when you told me that you were pregnant. Then Henry was born, as normal as any little boy can be. And I saw how upset you were upon finding out Spencer's secret. So I kept quiet."

The hurricane of emotions that overcame JJ was shocking. In the end the storm settled on a particular bit. "When… When did you find out that Henry…?"

"… has special abilities, after all? Remember when you were on a case and he became so sick that I had to take him to a doctor? That's when I saw the first signs."

JJ was shocked and scared out of her mind. In the end she clung to rage and saw red. "You… You've known all that time and told our son to lie to me?! To hide something like that from me?" she snarled like a wounded lion. "I'm his mother!"

"I know that I screwed up, okay? I know! But you seeing him… like that… It wasn't why I'm telling you this now." Will was trembling so badly that she could actually hear it. "Something's happened."

All of a sudden the text message signal JJ's phone gave was one of the loudest sounds she'd ever heard. She jumped and glanced towards the item. After a lot of hesitation she read the message and instantly wished she hadn't.

'Get back here right now. There's been an attack against the bureau. It looks bad.'

When consciousness began to rush back in the first thing Derek felt was a wave of pain that mixed with a bout nausea. He groaned and shifted to his side, then gave in to the urges of his body and vomited loudly. Surprisingly it sounded like there was a bin of some sort waiting.

There was also a voice talking. He wondered how long it'd been there. "… it easy, now … a nasty blow you took …" He was startled by the straw someone guiden into his mouth. "Relax, it's just water. Take small, slow sips. See if it agrees with you."

After a brief hesitation Derek did as he'd been instructed. The sick feeling he'd had before seemed to drift away a little and the ache reduced to dull throbbing. Where was the injury anyway? His sides, especially the right one, and his head seemed to be the main sources of discomfort. No wonder he was dizzy and confused if it was his head that received the assault.

What happened? The last thing he remembered was the interrogation room, with him on the wrong side of the table. And the alarm sound.

Derek's eyes widened. Just like that the nausea was back. With vengeance.

Oh my…!

He threw up again. The mystery person beside him groaned with apparent displeasure and replaced the bin. The voice, which sounded a bit clearer to him now, spoke again. "The bureau… It's gone. Those bastards tore it down almost completely. Including us there's only thirty survivors. If the falling debris hadn't formed a shield on us there'd be twenty-eight. It's a miracle that we made it." The pause lasted less than two seconds. What came after it barely registered. "You have a very nasty head injury that kept you down for almost three days, along with a couple of broken ribs. There was worry about internal bleeding but fortunately there wasn't such. You also broke your arm."

The news shook Derek down to his very core. He began to tremble violently, a chaos of terrifying thoughts swirling around in his head. The mixture of rage, disappointment, betrayal and sheer terror that overcame him was paralyzing.

All those dead people… People he knew, friends, colleagues… And… "Garcia", he half-wheezed in a voice he couldn't recognize.

"Penelope Garcia woke up a day or so ago. At the moment she's guarded heavily. While you helped transport food and supplies to the Others she was caught actually helping them in a far more direct way. She's considered a traitor."

Finally Derek managed to look up. The patched up, battered face he met belonged to Erica Leonor. There was a grim look in her eyes.

"I told you, Derek. Re-evaluate your loyalties. You may find them misplaced."

When Emily heard that Spencer and Maeve, who absolutely refused to be left behind, were planning on heading back to States she announced that she wasn't about to let them go there without help. Technically Jason Gideon's direct orders had been to keep the couple from leaving London but she couldn't do that to them.

Using a couple of huge old favors she managed to arrange them a relatively safe flight to Virginia. As it turned out the old hideout of Lauren Reynolds was still available. The tense, fretting trio settled there, unable to do much more than wait for the inevitable phone call.

Hours blurred together while they all tried to will the time to pass by faster. In the end Emily heard sounds coming from the kitchen, signaling that Maeve was already trying to make herself at home. After giving it a moment's thought she decided to check up on Spencer.

Emily knocked but didn't remember to give the still recovering genius enough time. When she opened the door Spencer was still in the middle of putting a shirt on with his back to her. After the immediate embarrassment Emily found her attention shifting to something particular.

There, marring Spencer's entire back, were scars that screamed out a horror story. Harsh cuts that'd stolen his wings along with a lot of other injuries she was much happier not knowing more of. And there, in the middle of the violent mess that used to be healthy skin, she saw the frail beginnings of wings. They were stunningly large considering the time that'd elapsed and how much recovering Spencer's whole body had to do, but by no means ready to actually carry him. Judging by the way they shuddered they seemed to be aching. Apparently keeping them hidden wasn't as easy as it was once upon a time.

"Sorry, but… Could you, uh… not stare?"

Snapping out of her stupor Emily shook her head and looked away. "I'm sorry." She gave him a few seconds. "Your wings… They're healing."

Spencer nodded. The shirt was finally on him, hiding the damage. "Maeve's blood… It seemed to enhance their re-growth." He moved them a little in the covers of the fabric, as though testing, and couldn't quite disguise the wince. "They still feel… strange."

Emily nodded, not quite knowing what to say. Which was frustrating because there were so many things that they should've talked through. The words that eventually crawled out of her mouth weren't those she'd expected. "Look, I… I'm sorry, that I couldn't be there. Through it all." When he thought he lost Maeve. When they chased him. When he was captured.

To her surprise Spencer gave her a small smile. "You're here now, Emily. You've risked so much for us. You can't try to tell me that it isn't enough."

Emily couldn't resist responding to that smile. Somehow just a little bit of the world was in its right place once more. "I've missed you", she confessed in a uncharacteristic moment of weakness.

Spencer blinked once with stun. The smile from before widened. "I missed you, too."

Upon leaving the room and sauntering towards the small apartment's kitchen Emily found Maeve making tea. Clearly the woman had spent long enough in England. "How is he?" the other asked, only a slight hint in that voice betraying the level of worry lurking within.

Emily didn't have the slightest clue what to say. In the end she decided on honesty. "About as well as expected." She eyed on the other. "How about you? You seemed queasy through the entire flight and again this morning."

To her surprise Maeve emitted a small, somewhat choked chuckle. The woman's eyes strayed towards the bedroom before she spoke quietly. "I'm completely fine. Actually… It's perfectly normal to feel a bit nauseous in my… situation."

It took Emily a very long moment. But slowly yet surely those words sunk in. Her eyes widened a fraction. "How far along are you?" was all that she managed in the end.

"I'd suspect that around seven weeks. I haven't been to a doctor yet but I've taken five tests to make sure." A tender, protective hand was pressed on a stomach that didn't show even the slightest bit of swell yet. Although Maeve's whole being radiated joy and excitement there were also shadows of doubt and fear hiding in her eyes. "I… haven't told Spence yet. I don't know how to."

Emily understood, better than well. They lived in a world that was in a state of war. In a world where their kind were hunted and persecuted. There was no telling just how bad things might get. What kind of a world was ahead of them. Bearing a child in the middle of all that…

Emily's lips opened but before she could utter a sound the bedroom's door opened wider and Spencer walked out. There was a grim look on his face. "The call just came", he revealed in a unnaturally tight voice. "He told me to come alone. A car will come and get me."

Emily frowned, shivers of discomfort running through her. "Are you sure that you want to do this?" In her mind she begged him to say 'no'. Of course he was far too stubborn for that.

Spencer nodded resolutely. "This mess… It's too deep to be stopped all of a sudden. But I'll have to do what I can to get my family out of it."
Maeve made her way to the genius. A wave of warmth went through Emily while she observed, feeling like an intruder, how the two of them exchanged whispers and a kiss of goodbye. It was good to see that after everything he'd gone through Spencer had found someone like Maeve. Emily didn't think that she'd ever seen two people more in love.

"Be careful", were the quiet yet firm words Spencer was sent off with.

Spencer nodded solemnly. They all knew that it wasn't quite that simple. With a one last look at them both he headed towards the door and left, clearly knowing that a second more of stalling might've broken his resolve.

The inner turmoil Maeve went through was palpable. For a few moments the woman's eyes shimmered with moisture until she gathered herself with a deep breath. "So… Tea?"

Emily nodded. Because, heaven forbid, she'd spent too long in London, too. And what else was there to do?

Aaron wasn't a military man. But he did know what it meant to be sealed out while those who called the shots decided to have an important discussion. Seeing the higher ups gathering to a meeting room at the bureau's new base he felt cold shivers cross his whole body.

Of course he realized that he was considered someone to be regarded with suspicion. One member of his team turned out to be one of the Others. Two more members had, apparently, been helping the enemy, as the Others were viewed. It was only to be expected that they lay some suspicion on him as well.

Which, of course, didn't mean that he would've just accepted his fate quietly.

While five people had already entered the mysterious, ominous meeting Aaron was surprised to discover that someone who wasn't usually invited was about to join in. Walking towards the large, oval shaped office was none other than Mateo Cruz. Mateo, who was no longer a section chief but a consultant.

Their eyes met. And although Aaron knew that he owed his former boss a million favors for the war the man put up for his team he chose to strive for owing another one. His steps were slow but not hesitant when he approached. "What's going on?" he demanded, his voice sharped by worry.

Mateo appeared deeply torn for a while, then sighed. "I shouldn't be telling you even this, but…" Dark eyes glanced around restlessly yet subtly. Only a careful eye spotted the scan. "There's been risk level 5 activity." The voice was quiet yet clear. "We're going to have to act quickly. So if there's someone you need to contact… Do it soon." With those eerie words the former section chief began to march towards the chilling oval office.

Confusion and even fear creeped through Aaron while he wondered what the man was talking about. Then he spotted something that made him feel several degrees colder than before. Some might've assumed that it was a mistake from Mateo's part but he knew better.

His former boss was holding a thick file. One photograph had slipped out partially, just enough to give him a glimpse of the face. It was a picture of Spencer Reid.

When Spencer entered a small and long since abandoned, seemingly harmless old warehouse he couldn't possibly have the slightest clue of all his company.

Five armed guards were rapidly spreading strategically around the building while one lone figure took such a spot from which it was easy to see Spencer entering. In the meantime a car parked outside to a empty, shadowy alley. A person rose from the backseat, instantly followed by three security guards.

Spencer, perhaps, wasn't able to discover the desperate, misguided soul that also sneaked into the building. But the person that climbed out of the vehicle was. A hand rose, signaling the followers to stop.

"We have company", a firm, authoritative voice announced sharply. When one of the guards moved the leader gave a firm shake of a head. "No. I'm taking care of this one myself. He's relatively harmless, anyway. Don't come inside unless instructed otherwise."

Oblivious to the drama Spencer went on cautiously and frowned at the seemingly empty space. His muscles stiffening with adrenaline overload he paused and listened intently. Quite soon his eyes adjusted enough to distinguish a familiar shadow. "I'm here. Alone", he announced, his voice a touch sharper than he'd intended. "So let's talk."

Surely enough Jason Gideon emerged, his expression grim. There was a new scar marring the man's cheek and exhaustion in those formerly familiar eyes. "I'm sorry that we didn't get the chance to talk before we parted ways the previous time. But right now it's vital that you listen to what I have to say."

Spencer's eyes flashed. Fire coursed through his veins. "You're one of those who started this war. I may have been practically unconscious at the time but I remember that much", he growled. The betrayal was still there, aching and burning. "I thought… I thought that I could trust you, once. And I did. I looked up to you. So why should I listen to you now?"

"Because your life depends on it."

Higher in the building, carefully hidden in the shadows, a gun rose. The hands holding it trembled, making aiming properly impossible. The target shifted between the two men.

And then it was too late, anyway.

"You're waiting for the leader, aren't you?" a deceitfully pleasant female voice observed. "Well, Thomas… Here I am."

Thomas Rhyes, who celebrated his twenty-second birthday a couple of months earlier, stiffened completely. Cold sweat broke through while his heart began to hammer furiously. He joined the self-proclaimed 'cleaning up crew' around four months earlier, when an attack of the Others killed his little sister. It was by accident, really, that he found out about this meeting at all through hacking a couple of well chosen phone calls. This attack was his very own attempt to tear down several of the greatest enemies, to protect his kind. It was dangerous but he had a solid plan. Yet even there, in the middle of great terror, he knew for a fact that his plan was about to fail. This stranger wasn't supposed to know his name.

He turned his head abruptly. Somehow a woman with blonde hair and extremely sharp eyes had managed to sneak up on him without him noticing. A woman whose face he'd never seen before although she just said that she was…

He swallowed loudly. Mercifully he was too far gone into a shock to notice how pitiably he was trembling. "But… You're not the leader."

"Lesson number one", the woman adviced him, leaning closer. She didn't seem to even notice his gun. "Don't believe everything you're told. Because sometimes people… tend to make incorrect assumptions."

Thomas' mouth opened but even a word wouldn't come out. It was like something had taken a hold of him. What was this woman doing to him?

"Now… You have two options", the woman explained calmly. "Either you walk away, forget that any of this happened and live a long, happy life. Or you use that gun. Which one do you choose?"

The hold on Thomas' mind grew slack. He took his chance instantly. In a blink the gun was raised and pointed.

Down below Jason sighed, shoulders slumping. "You shouldn't have returned to States", the man stated in a gloomy voice. "It's not safe for you."

Spencer frowned. "It's not safe for anyone. Why shouldn't I try to protect my family?"

Jason's eyes darkened. "Because you're someone they want to get their hands on. You've become a very valuable bargaining tool." Teeth were gritted so hard that it had to hurt. "You're the son of the Others' real leader."

Spencer blinked. Once, twice. "What?"

The echo of a gunshot was unnaturally loud.

Diana Reid stared at the body at her feet with unreadable eyes, knowing entirely too well that she felt far too little. But then again, if she had to choose between the lives of her son and some unknown enemy the decision was quite simple. She only did what was necessary.

Besides, now wasn't the time to let her attention stray. She sighed, her heart more than a little heavy. There was a family meeting ahead of her.

The gunshot still rang in Spencer's ears while he ducked for cover, carefully making sure that Jason had found cover as well. His mind raced a million miles per hour, desperately trying to bring some sense to what was going on around him. And then all stilled to a entirely too familiar voice whispering in his head.

'Hello, Spencer.'

Spencer gasped, his eyes flying wide. It couldn't be… "Mom…?"

TBC

A/N: That… was pretty intense. (takes a deep breath) Soooooo, what happens next? How will Reid react to his mom's secret? And what happens when he finally meets most of the team?

PLEASE, do leave a note to let me know your thoughts! That box does look quite inviting, doesn't it? (winks)

I've really gotta go now. Lots of typing and updating ahead! (grins) Until next time, you all! I really hope that I'll see you then.

Take care!

Guest: I'm super happy to hear that you feel so! (BEAMS) We'll see just what's up ahead next. I truly hope that you'll remain as captivated when the story goes on.

Gigantic thank yous for the review!