Dr Reid, Are You OK?

“I’m serious, Reid! You need a vacation! It’s the perfect time of year to go visit my cousin! His school’s letting out for the summer, so he’ll be more than able to show you the sights!” the blonde pleaded with him.

“I’m not leaving the continent based on this threat, Garcia! It’s not even credible, look at how the UnS– What’s this?” he queried as she handed him a bundle of papers.

“It’s your non-refundable, very expensive plane ticket to go visit Andrew for two weeks, the approval sheet for your time off request and a list of pictures I expect to get from you when you get back, honey!”

He just stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to respond to all of this. In the end, he decided he was able to admit a lost fight when he saw it, and conceded.

“Thank you, Penelope.”

“It’s no problem! Do you need help to get ready? Your plane leaves in,” she checked her watch “Seven hours…” He double checked his ticket, then his watch, and ran through the inventory of what he’d need for this trip while calculating the time he’d need to get home, pack, get to the airport, consider the traffic at that time, factor in the crowds once there and a time buffer in case of unusual happenings, and made his decision, all in less than 30 seconds.

“No, I’ll be fine. Thank you again,” he said, setting off with that far off expression that said he was still a bit troubled by being manoeuvred so smoothly.

Garcia smiled at herself, comforted knowing she was keeping her young friend safe.

Everything was uneventful up until arriving at the terminal in Scotland. Reid was waiting to retrieve his luggage, when he was surprised into a hug from a stranger.

“You’re Dr, Reid! Garcia’s pictures haven’t done you justice! You’re gorgeous!” At Reid’s bewildered expression, the man backed up to hold him at arm’s length. “I’m Andrew,” he stated the obvious.

“Call me Spencer. It’s nice to meet you,” was his reply, as he stuck out his hand, only to be roped into a second hug by the slightly broader, taller man.

They spent the first few days visiting around, making sure to take plenty of pictures for Garcia, and evenings in various pubs near Andrew’s flat.

Walking home on the fourth night, they passed by a warehouse.

“Sounds like one heck of a party,” commented Andrew. “You feel like stopping in?”

“I’m not certain it’s a party, for one thing, it doesn’t sound like any music I’ve ever heard. Also, there seems to be someone attempting to break through a window to get out of the building…” he trailed off as he made his way towards the surrounding fence.

Reid climbed over it like something out of a kung fu movie; using his cunning to see the ledge here and the lip there others miss. Once on the other side, he looked through the rubbish scattered in the lot, until he found something he could use to break the window. Picking up the length of steel rebar, he signalled to the screaming young woman to back up to avoid being caught in the shower of shards of glass sure to result from the blow.

As soon as she was clear, he swung the implement, shattering the window, and used it to knock most of the glass away from the frame. He grasped the hand that was reaching out to him, and helped the clearly panicked woman climb out.

Moments later, just as the young doctor was noticing the extent of the wounds sustained, some gigantic dog, the likes of which Reid had never seen, lunged out the same window and continued mauling her, before turning his attention to the newcomer.

Slowly backing up, clutching onto his makeshift weapon harder than ever, Reid was calculating his odds of survival (pretty grim), trying to place exactly what this creature was, and what he could do to try to get away.

In the end, the choice was taken away when the creature leapt for him. He put up his arms to protect his throat, the likeliest animal attack point, and ended up spearing it through its own neck with the rebar.

The most shocking part of the attack came moments later, when the creature changed shapes and became human.

“What the bloody HELL just happened, Spencer!?” was Andrew’s question, while the profiler just kept staring at the body that just appeared where the beast he impaled had been, bearing a great big hole in the neck. He slowly looked up at Garcia’s cousin and told him to call the police.

An hour later, at the police station, he was going over the events again.

“Listen, I don’t know how else to say this, it was a giant hairy creature! It wasn’t human! It transformed –” he was cut off when someone opened the door.

“Detective, we need you for a moment,” a voice said. Reid looked down at his arm, handcuffed to the table in front of him and noticed blood on his sleeve.

The door opened again, and a tall dark man pointed a stick at him, and his wrist was liberated from its confinement. Stunned, Reid looked at the man, who promptly pulled him out of his chair. Still holding onto his arm, he turned back towards the door and…

They were in a different room? Instantly?

“What’s going on here?” he demanded.

“This muggle was involved in the werewolf incident this evening,” the man who took him told the attending physician.

“Oh, dear. Let’s hope this bleeding is the result of something else,” was the reply

“There was broken glass at the scene, and there was also a weapon of some kind present. He was able to defend himself.”

“Rebar,” was all Reid said, still processing what was going on.

The doctor looked a bit surprised that he was talking, but took it in stride. He looked at the wound, waved his stick over it, and observed some apparently invisible result with a serious expression.

“It’s as I suspected. He’s been infected,” the doctor told the man.

“Excuse me?” interrupted Reid “What have I been infected WITH? What do you mean ‘Werewolf incident’ exactly? That was actually a werewolf? How? What’s going on?” At this, there was a collective sigh.

“What’s your name, young man?” the physician asked.

“Spencer. Spencer Reid.”

“Well, Spencer, earlier, when you tried to save that woman, you were infected by the werewolf that attacked you. Yes, it was real. This is all real. You will become a werewolf tonight, and tomorrow night, then three nights every full moon, for the rest of your life.”

Reid accepted this as plausible, pending further analysis, and moved on to his next question.

“You’ve got telekinetic powers?” he asked pointing at the first man, “And you can… see people’s illnesses?” pointing at the second.

“Well, yes and no. You see, magic is real as well,” the doctor started. ‘That makes the most sense of anything they’ve said to date…’

“Sooo, am I a fugitive now? What happened to my friend, Andrew?”

“No, dear boy, no! The police and the witness have had their memories modified. We’ve led your friend to believe you’ve just gone for an evening stroll.” At this point, the doctor just received an absent nod, while his patient was lost in thought.

“Mr. Reid, do you understand what I’m telling you? You’ve contracted a very serious illness: There is no cure for lycanthropy. You’re taking all of this surprisingly well. Usually we’ve had to enchant the patients by this point, especially when they come from a non-magical background, like you.”

“Actually, it’s Doctor Reid, and I understand the magic. Frankly, I expected to run into it much more frequently than I have… But lycanthropy? Are you certain of your diagnosis? Do you have any research I can go over? I, I mean, something like this, I can scarcely believe, and I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

“Doctor Reid, I’d be more than happy to provide you with all the information we have on the subject, but right now, the most essential thing is getting you into contact with the local support group for newly bitten victims. It is the full moon tonight, and to be candid, we can’t have you running unchecked. I’ve sent an owl already to Mr. Lupin, our hospital liaison; he should be here in the morning to explain things to you.”

“I don’t mean to impugn your judgment, doctor, but you’re absolutely certain of your diagnosis?” he asked again in disbelief.

“There is no mistake,” he reaffirmed to the young man. This part he was used to. “Mr. Lupin will know who you are as soon as he steps into the waiting room. You will also know who he is. He WILL pick you out of the crowd as a confirmation,” he concluded enigmatically.

“Right…” the younger man answered sceptically, not too sure about where this was heading. He was led out to the reception area and told to take a seat.

“It shouldn’t be too long a wait,” he was assured.

Sure enough, he had a few hours of seeing some of the strangest things he couldn’t have even dreamed up and reading through the research parchments they had provided him.

He had a hard time believing large portions of what he was reading, occasionally mumbling out loud to himself.

“People who accept and embrace their lycanthropy live up to six times longer than those who are ashamed and attempt to reject it, barring outside influence and dangers… Makes sense, other than the whole werewolf part.”

Eventually, the flame in the fireplace he hadn’t noticed flared to three times its size, and turned a bright jewel green.

And out stepped a man!?

Reid did a double take, then a triple take, and immediately believed every word the man had said.

He could SMELL this Mr. Lupin.

And did he ever smell GOOD!

The man’s eyes locked onto his instantly.

“Mr. Reid,” the man addressed him quietly “I’m Remus Lupin. I’d like you to come with me to tonight’s location.” The profiler could barely breathe.

“Certainly, Mr. Lupin.”

“We will travel by floo; it’s the safest way from here. What we’ll do, is called a transport run. Basically, we will hang onto each other as tightly as we can, and I will direct us. You might find yourself getting nauseous, dizzy, disoriented, but don’t worry, you’ll be safe with me. I’ll take care of you,” he lowered his voice for the last sentence of their whispered conversation.

The older man pulled a handful of shimmery dust from his coat pocket, and firmly holding onto the young man, tossed it into the flames, causing them to glow green again. He muttered something unintelligible and with one last reassuring glance at his ‘passenger’ they stepped into the fireplace.

And straight into the most horrifying method of transportation Reid could have conjured up.

After several seconds too many of the unbearable spinning, they stepped out of the hearth presumably at their destination. Well, Remus stepped out, and his companion threw himself at the ground, hoping to keep his stomach’s contents actually inside his stomach.

Helped back to his feet, the young man was led down a hallway with doors on each side, most of which were opened to small rooms. He assumed the last few doors led to more of the same, but these were occupied. At the end of the hallway was a vast room with flooring that seemed to be made of a gigantic mattress. There were 22 people sprawled across the room, haphazardly lying together, cuddling each other, their limbs entwined; blankets strewn around over most of them.

‘How do I KNOW there’s 22 people here?’ he idly wondered.

“This is the common room, for obvious reasons. It’s where we all spend our transformation nights. Most of us also choose to sleep here too, after we change back, we find it’s therapeutic or soothing to have the physical contact around the moons, it reassures us that were all still human, still loveable.

Some of us have spent years in exile, or else hiding our condition, and it’s nice to KNOW that all those here understand. They don’t flinch away; they aren’t secretly revolted at the touch. It’s also nice not to have to wrestle our inner wolf into complete submission to avoid potential ‘wolf outs’,” at Reid’s puzzled expression, he added, “Wolf behaviours that occasionally either bother or frighten non-lycs, or might expose us to xenophobes. These behaviours become more prominent after your first transformation.”

“Anyways, down the hall, we have rooms for those who prefer them, and the younger teens. They can group cuddle in the rooms, but not with the rest of the pack until they come of age. They’re also the only ones who need to be dressed in the common areas during daytime. You saw the kitchen when we came in, and the loo is across the hall from it.

Moving along, you’ve obviously been up all night too, no offence, but you look like you’ve been through the wringer. You’ve got the choice between sleeping in one of the small rooms, or the Pack, if you feel ready.”

“Where will you be?” was the reply.

“I can help you get settled in wherever you like, but I sleep with my Pack.

“I still have so many questions…”

“They’ll keep. I’ll find you at 4:00 this afternoon, if you aren’t in the kitchen, to make sure you get all of them answered. What’s it gonna be?”

“Um, I think I’ll take you up on a room for today… I can honestly say I’ve never slept in a room full of strangers, especially nude ones. I don’t think I’d sleep a wink, to be frank.”

“Perfectly understandable,” the older man replied with a chuckle. “We won’t be strangers for long, though, you’ll see. Nude is not going to change, however. You’ll get used to it, we all have. Most of us don’t even bring clothes anymore, but we’ll get into that later. For now, sleep. Here now,” he said gesturing to an empty room. “If you need me, you know where to find me, though anyone awake would be happy to help you. You’re an honorary Pack member now, and you’re welcome to stay, if you chose. Sleep.”

“Good night Remus, thank you.”

“Good night Spencer.”


TBC

AN: Much more is written, just needs typing, should be quick... Any warnings not listed will be added as needed at the start of chapters.