This is my first effort, so any and all input will be greatly appreciated. This is AU (obviously). Warnings for non-explicit non-con and child abuse, and violence.

I do not own Criminal Minds nor any of the characters. I wish!

The boy was tired. And thirsty-so thirsty. When was the last time THE MAN had given him water? Two days at least, and longer still since he'd seen food. "But, boy was good" he thought, "Boy did all the blue man asked. Why hasn't HE come?" The pain he was accustomed to, and the blood. But usually there was water after "entertaining" one of HIS guests. Usually he was untied and allowed to curl up on the ragged blanket in the corner, at the furthest reach of the chain attached to the collar on his neck. The sun shining through the window high on the wall had traveled all across the floor and disappeared since the blue man was here….and still no-one had come. The boy closed his eyes and tried to find the darkness, the only escape from his thirst and aching limbs.

The door at the top of the stairs slammed open, as did the boy's eyes, his terrified gaze fixed on the column of large, uniformed men in bullet-proof vests streaming down the stairs, shining flashlights around the dank, dark basement. The first three men walked past him, closely examining the space before calling "Clear!" The fourth and fifth slowly approached him, speaking soft reassuring phrases. The boy felt the ropes holding his knees to the bedframe fall away, followed by those holding his hands to the headboard, and sat up as swiftly as he was able, drawing his knees up to his chest and wrapping both arms around his legs.

"Hotch, there's nobody else down here" one of the first three declared, with obvious frustration, "where is she!" "Look for hidden spaces-knock against the walls for empty spots" advised the tall dark haired man standing next to the boy, "Morgan, help them" he directed the dark skinned man with him. The black haired man kneeled down next to the trembling child and gently addressed him. "My name is Aaron, I'm with the FBI, and I am not going to hurt you. You're safe now. We're here to help you, OK buddy? Just relax. You're safe." Turning his head to the side, he called for a bolt cutter, water, and a blanket. One of the first three trotted up the stairs and returned with the requested items as Aaron continued to speak softly to the boy.

Seeing the bottle of water, the boy scrambled from the blood-stained mattress and over to a battered, dirty bowl on the floor, the chain attached to the collar on his neck rattling loudly. He looked expectantly to the black haired man, then a shadow crossed his face, replaced by a look of acceptance. Hotch walked over to the boy, who promptly reached up and began to pull down his zipper. "No! What are you doing!" the man exclaimed, and the boy cowered, covering his head protectively with his arms. Realizing his mistake, Hotch knelt next to the boy, covering his naked form with the blanket, and soothed "It's OK, I'm not mad at you. I'm not going to hurt you. You don't have to do that anymore, OK? This water is for you and you don't have to do anything for it, not anymore, OK?" The boy looked up at him hesitantly, fear still shining in his eyes. Hotch opened the bottle of water and tried to hand it to the boy, who gazed at him in obvious confusion then held up the bowl. Realizing the obvious, Hotch reached out for the boy's right hand and wrapped it around the bottle. "You are a human being, not an animal. You don't drink from a bowl. Drink from the bottle. Bring the top to your mouth (he gestured how) and pour a little water into your mouth then swallow" Aaron instructed.

The boy hesitantly followed instructions, then grinned happily with his success. While the boy drank down half the bottle, Hotch took the bolt cutters to the lock on the boy's collar and released him. Gratitude shown from the boy's eyes, as he gazed at Hotch, then he scampered across the room, dragging his left leg behind him. He began pushing against a heavy looking chest of drawers and called out "Erh-run…help lady!" Hotch immediately joined him and added his effort, asking "you know where the lady is?" "Yes-under!" exclaimed the boy. As soon as the chest was pushed out of the way, the boy knelt and pulled up the rug covering the floor. A small ring was visible in the floor and the boy pulled upward with all his might. Adding his strength, Hotch watched as a portion of the floorboards swung upward, revealing a crawlspace beneath the floor containing a semi-conscious naked woman littered with bruises and cuts. The boy moved forward and removed the blanket from around his shoulders, draping it around the woman, and tried to hand her the remaining half bottle of water. "It's OK," murmured Hotch, "you keep that water, we have more for her" as he wrapped his windbreaker around the boy, unbelievably touched that the obviously cold and dehydrated boy would share his water and warmth with another victim. "You finish that, ok?" The boy nodded, uncertainly, until he saw one of the men coming down the stairs with more water and blankets. Then he limped over to a dirty pile of blanket on the floor, curled up and finished off the water.

"You know my name buddy, what's yours?" asked Aaron, moving over toward the boy's "nest" as the other man tended to the woman they had been searching for. "Boy" he promptly replied. "What did they call you before you came here?" he re-phrased. After a moment of thought, searching his memories, the boy replied "Spencer. Spencer Reid."