Hello! Well it's been a while hasn't it! lol

I'd like to start this chapter by apologizing. My life hasn't gotten any less crazy and...honestly...writing something that I feel is worthy of people taking time out of their lives to read is hard.

As I said last time my muse is fickle and all my stories are emotionally draining so please bare with me.

Now, without further adue, I present to you chapter 12! Thank you to everyone who's still reading this. :)

ooo

A small cloud of dust lept up as a pair of soft dark slacks hit the floor. The short haired brunette kept his head down, resigned and unapologetic in his guilt, his obsession still firmly in place.

Beside him his maker knelt, bound in matching chains, the seal of their matriarch etched in to the thick cuffs.

The ceiling high windows at their side let in the bright sunlight and Ethan's sire winced at the harsh rays.

Behind them in shadow stood dozens of spectators, all come to witness for themselves the trial of those brave enough to break the divine edict.

Before them, silent and still, sat six of the seven immortal elders.

"This sovereign has broken," Zhin took a deep breath, shaking her head in sad disbelief. "This sovereign has broken our most sacred caveat. He has given the divine blood to his arshok," she circled them and spoke loudly with clear disdain. "Without their permit."

There were gasps and whispers from the crowed before a paper pale woman with floor length flame red hair raised a hand from the elevated dais in front of them. When she spoke it was with quiet but commanding reverence.

"We have also been informed that you," her thick Irish accent addressed the older vampire directly. "Provided no guidance for your charge, not even remaining with him for the transition." She inclined her head, "is it no wonder that his mind and spirit did not align properly with his body."

She looked to the other elders and then back to the creature in front of her. "Have ye no words of defense, Pierrot?"

"I...," Pierrot began, looking up at his jury, his throat dry and voice strained. "I needed him. I could not exist another day without him. I need him as I need the moon's light," he looked to his would be companion. "And I believed my blood strong enough to guide him through the turning." He bowed his head, "It was..."

"Gaisi de shen hubris," Zhin finished.

The elders remained silent, taken aback by the strong language, and their eyes closed as they shared their thoughts.

Zhin stepped forward, "before you pass judgment, it must also be know that this sovereign's actions have cause egregious, almost fatal, harm to one of the direct descendants...of the progenitor." She looked to Lenora, who stepped forward, her face carefully blank. Before today her identity was only know to the elders and their arshoks.

The gasps and chatter began again as the council members stood and bent to one knee in front of their throwns'. Their arshoks also knelt and the rest of the room followed.

Lenora remained silent but held up a hand to wave away the ceremony, and the council stood.

The red head spoke again, "this judgment is without doubt solely yours." She bowed her head.

Lenora walked slowly to stand in front of Ethan as she addressed Pierrot. "To avoid any future...misunderstandings, I will heal your arshok's mind. And I will leave it to you to pray for his forgiveness."

Pierrot's eyes shot up to her, a tear escaping. "Your compassion is incomparable, I thank you."

Lenora did not look at him as she knelt, her hands coming to rest on either side of Ethan's jaws.

Her eyes glowed a golden yellow as she whispered healing words in a language that none living now spoke.

Ethan began to shake and he tried to pull away but gold light began streaming from his eyes and a shrill blood curdling scream escaped his throat before he collapsed.

Pierrot crawled closer to him leaning down to whisper his name, wanting so badly to take him in his arms, bound tight behind his back.

Slowly Ethan rolled, groggy, heavy, blinking slowly. When he was able to sit on his knees again, crying quietly, he avoided his maker's eyes.

Their minds finally linked Pierrot called out to him but a painful silence was his only answer.

"In this madness your arshok is innocent." Lenora turned blazing green eyes on Pierrot. "For your impatience arrogance and selfishness, I will count all of his sins as yours." She stood. "100 years," she yelled.

The council was stunned, their mouths agape. This punishment would be worse than death, if the two survived.

"No! Please! Anything! Give me death! Not that!" Pierrot cried in shock, standing, but Zhin's hand shoot out to push him back to his knees. She closed her eyes and turned her head.

"One hundred years of separation," Lenora looked down on the two. Ethan bowed his head, his love for Reid giving him acceptance of his fate. Pierrot however was rearing for a fight, but in the instant he shook off Zhin's hand and stood, the back of Lenora's fist sent him flying left.

The marble wall cracked and splintered to pieces on impact and his body crumpled like a lifeless doll to the floor.

"Take them," she said calmly, her bubbling rage barely sated. It was Zhin's fingers linking with her own that calmed the angry glow in her eyes, and slowly she stroked the matriarch's burning cheek.

Lenora took a deep breath and gave her arshok a small smile. Together they faced the crowd of immortals and behind them the council had once again knelt, the display of power sobering.

Zhin and Lenora moved forward in silence and the horde parted, like the reverse wake of a wave, as they passed.

ooo

Slowly, painfully, Reid opened his eyes, but the light forced them immediately back in to darkness.

The sun lingered behind his lids and it took several minutes to hold them open, to focus.

With great effort he turned his head in wonder at the soft grip on his hand.

He smiled as Derek's peacefully sleeping face came in to view and the smile became a grin as noticed the empty cup of jello on the night stand.

Reid scanned the rest of the room. The two were alone with nothing but the subtle beeping of his heart monitor.

White walls and sheets and blinds only intensified the brightness of the sun, and the warmth of the room brought out the heady fragrance of the flowers left in the corner.

The young agent took a deep breath enjoying the silence. He gave Derek's hand a small squeeze and stroked the large digits with his thumb, eventually drifting back in to slumber.

The next time he woke the sun was setting and Hotch was seated in the chair at the end of his bed.

"Where's Derek."

Hotch looked up from his book with wide eyes immediately on his feet and pushing the nurse call button. "He's using the staff showers. He keeps refusing to go back to the hotel," he smiled. They'd have to work out the logistics of inter office relationships later.

"How are you feeling Reid?"

"Like I've been hit by a train," he chuckled. "Hotch, what happened?" He pushed the button to raise the back of the bed. "The last thing I remember is being in that rehab facility...and," Reid rubbed his head.

"Don't worry about that right now. You've been trough a lot. You should get some rest."

"Oh I'll make sure of that," came a smooth voice from the doorway. Reid blushed as Morgan walked over. "How ya feeling kid?"

Reid had unconsciously reached out for the taller man and Derek took the offered hand without thought or question as he pulled up a chair.

"The team's going back to the hotel to start on the report, though I'm not sure how much of what actually happened will make it in. Reid I've already talked to Morgan about updating us and we'll be on a plane as soon as it's safe for you to travel."

"Wait, a plane? Hotch," Reid looked between the two agents. "Where are we?"

Hotch smiled sadly and patted Derek's shoulder as he left.

When they were alone again the pair were silent for several moments, but the foreboding quiet was ended with a chuckle as Derek stroked Reid's hand.

"Derek," Reid began. "What happened?"

The older man's smile faded and he held his friends hand to his lips.

"You were attacked...kidnapped...by Ethan Rhane."

"Ethan? But he's my friend," Reid's confused eyes searched Morgan's face. "And I haven't seen him in years...," he swallowed. "And w...what um...what do you mean attacked?" Reid's eyes became glassy as images from the last couple days began flooding back. Inhumanly strong hands breaking the car window and grabbing at him, glittering gold chains binding his wrists, the damp cold of a marbled hallway. Then the slick downy soft silk sheets and a bruising grip on his thighs...

The tears fell and Derek put a hand on the young mans cheek shushing him as he watched the horror building in his eyes.

"Reid...Spence...you're okay, we found you, you're okay now..."

Reid was choking on sobs and Derek could see red bleeding through on his neck bandage. He hit the button for the nurse as he tried to calm the young agent.

"Spence please your neck," he placed both hands on the wet pink cheeks and looked in to Reid's eyes. Finally he couldn't help himself, his lips stole the pain from Reid's heart and the room fell quiet.

Reid's eyes opened slowly when Morgan pulled back, sitting on the side of the bed and whipping a straggling tear.

His tears temporarily forgotten the red in Reid's cheeks became a beet tinted blush and Derek grinned at him.

"Shut up," Reid grumbled, smiling as the nurse came in.

The nurse, a short older woman with raven black hair and bright sky colored eyes, worked quickly to change the bandage and as she finished she bowed deeply to Morgan, who looked to Reid a bit confused before nodding to her.

"Is there anything else you'll be requiring young sirs," she asked in a rolling Irish brogue.

"Um, no thank you," Morgan answered.

"Actually, could I have some jello, mine seems to have been pilfered," Reid looked at Derek who raised his eyebrows.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

The nurse smiled and nodded but before she could leave the room there was a knock at the door.

"Don't worry about the jello, we brought ice cream," Zhin greeted with a wide smile, holding up a large Baskin Robins bag.

The clattering of a metal tray drew everyone's attention and Reid and Morgan leaned over to watch the nurse drop to one knee and bow her head in front of Lenora.

The agents looked over to the woman in question for explanation but she only raised a hand and nodded to the nurse.

"Thank you, Esca, that will be all."

The nurse, Esca, nodded gathered the spoiled bandages and quickly took her leave.

"What was that...," Derek began.

"How are you feeling Spencer," Zhin interrupted, setting the multiple cartons of ice cream on the rolling table at the foot of Reid's bed.

"Um better," Derek squeezed his hand as Lenora pulled up a chair and snagged the carton marked jamoka almond fudge.

"I thought vampires don't eat human food," Morgan said, confused.

"Most of them don't," Lenora scooped a large spoonful and ate it with a sigh. "But what's immortality without chocolate?"

"Um, excuse me," a wide eyed Reid chimed. "Vampires?"

ooo

Well! *closing book/smoking bubble pipe* It looks like they have a lot to discus. And, I know it seems like Reid got over the whole being assaulted and tortured thing really quickly but trust me when I say no human's mind is that strong and he's going to have to deal with this for a long time to come.

I'll see you all soon! =^.^=