Disclaimer: Nope, can't say I own Criminal Minds or Supernatural.

A/N: You might have to take a little leap from real world (what twelve year old let's strangers to his home?), but well,I think it's little unrealistic to say Spencer lived alone with his schizophrenic mother since he was ten and that he still went to Cal Tech at twelve. I've tried to play that latter a little more reasonably, or at least so I'd like to think.
Originally written for Dec 18th, 2011.

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One very interesting holiday

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Dean couldn't figure out the boy sitting beside him. His name was Spencer Reid and he was twelve, two years younger than Dean and two years older than Sammy. Why had the younger boy let them, three virtual strangers, in his home? Well, sure, they'd kinda saved his life from a ghost earlier, but still. What's more – Dean couldn't understand why his dad had accepted. He'd looked at Spencer in the eye for some time and then said they were accepting. Spencer had given them all even more brighter smile than he had after they'd taken care of the spirit. With half an ear he listened as his brother chatted with their young host.

"Wow, you're graduating from high school this spring?"

"Yes," Spencer nodded with a serious look on his face as he adjusted his glasses.

"What you're doing then?" Dean had to hold in a snort, trust Sammy to be interested in someone as academically centered as he was.

"I've applied to universities," Spencer sounded almost shy.

"You have?" Sammy was almost bouncing on the couch, "Where?"

"University of Nevada, Cal Tech and Yale," Spencer then frowned a little, "I'd love to go to Cal Tech, if I get in, but with my mom," he hesitated, and Dean turned all of his attention to the younger boy when he averted his eyes a little and quietly continued, "with mom as sick as she is now, I don't think I can leave her alone, so I'll most likely go the uni here."

Spencer wasn't meeting Sam or Dean's eyes and neither of them knew what to say. Sammy was giving Dean the puppy dog eyes, pleading him to do something. Dean opened his mouth a few times, not sure what he could say after that, when there was a knock on the door, saving him of blurting out something stupid.

"Must be dad getting back," Dean was up before neither of the younger boys could get up and at the door.

"Spencer, who is it?" Spencer's mother called from her study and Dean watched as Spencer made his way towards her, no doubt going to explain one more time to his mother Diana, that they had guests. Dean had seen Spencer's mother only once and he had been little surprised to realize that he couldn't actually tell from just looking at her that she was sick.

"Hey, boys," their dad greeted Dean and Sam.

"Hi, dad," Dean said back, still looking towards where Spencer had disappeared. Sammy on the other hand came bounding towards their dad with the energy of ten year old.

"Did you buy Lucky Charms, dad? Did you?" This time Dean didn't bother covering his snort. His kid brother sure loved his cereal.

"Oh Sammy, was I supposed to buy Lucky Charms?" Dean could see immediately their dad was teasing Sammy, but his brother apparently didn't as his eyes went comically wide as he uttered a weak, "Oh," sounding so pathetic that Dean had to take pity on him.

"Dad's pulling your leg, Sammy," he told Sammy with a grin.

Their dad shook his head amused when Sammy let out a relieved sigh, "Now Sammy, these have to last till after Christmas, okay?"

"Yes, sir," Sammy sounded serious even as his eyes were glued to the two shopping bags John Winchester was lowering on the kitchen table.

"Hi there, Spencer," Dean turned and saw that the boy had come out of his mothers room and was standing behind him.

"Hi, Mr Winchester," Spencer's voice was on the small side, making Dean think he was still a little scared of his dad, even if Spencer denied it.

His dad seemed to be aware of that as well, when he asked, sounding to Dean like he had after he or Sam had had a nightmare when they were smaller, "You okay with mac and cheese today?"

"It's fine," Spencer nodded.

Dean had a feeling that this year Christmas was going to be one very interesting holiday.


A/N: Could I interest you with this thing called reviewing?