By Kalmalinga
Warnings: Infantilism, timeout and naughty chair of an adult. Don't like? Then please don't read it.
Summary: After an accident Hotch takes care of Spencer as his guardian. Though he needs some help since Spencer doesn't make it easy for him.
Category: Crossover with Super Nanny. Infantilism.
Disclaimer: We don't own anything from Criminal Minds let alone Jo Frost or Super Nanny.
As/N: Even though we've boroughed Jo Frost from Super Nanny in this story it's still fiction, it has nothing to with real life including what we wrote in this story about Jo Frost.
Disclaimer: We don't own Jo Frost nor anything from Criminal Minds nor Super Nanny.
Hotch didn't know what to do. He was at the end of ideas how to deal with an adult genius with the mentality of a child. If only Spencer didn't remember that he'd once been a functioning young man, Hotch was sure he would have been able to handle it better. For about two months ago Spencer was in an accident in his own apartment. He'd suffered a head injury which had caused Spencer behaving as a child. He can't accept that he needs to wear diapers and that he can't take care of himself anymore and that's why Hotch has a fight with him every day. As Spencer had put up Hotch as his power of attorney no one argued in that he would be Spencer's guardian well accept from Spencer himself. Claiming he didn't need a guardian. They were in court and everything which Spencer lost.
Hotch had just diapered Spencer for the tenth times in a row.
Spencer took the diaper off again. "I said I don't want to wear that stupid diaper!"
Hotch sighed for the umpteenth time. "Please, Spencer. You need them, it's for your own good." He tried to reason as calmly as he could with the young man.
Spencer shook firmly his head. They were in the living room and the TV was on. The Super Nanny show was just starting.
Hotch sighed, exhausted and totally resigned to the fact that he wasn't going to win this argument any time soon. He flopped down on the couch and stared at the TV.
As he noticed that the children in the show was acting just the way Spencer was acting since the day he woke up in the hospital, he watched closely at the show. He was amazed the way Super Nanny was able to help the distraught family. Would she be able to help him?
With hope, Hotch picked up the phone and called Garcia to find the nanny's number. After she'd found it and given him her number he called her.
"Super Nanny here how can I help?"
"Hello, this is Special Agent Aaron Hotchner. I just saw your show on TV and I was wondering if I could ask you, to help me with my son. I just don't know what to do anymore."
"How old is your son, Agent Hotchner?"
"well... you see, he's not exactly a child, he's 26 years old, he's been in an accident and was badly hurt and his mind was affected pretty bad. Ever since then, he's got the mentality of a child." Hotch explained as best he could.
"... I see. I love a challenge so what do you say to a meeting? And I'll see if I can help you."
"I would like that." Hotch stopped for a moment, deep in thought, "there's something I need to ask you first, ma'am. Being a special Agent in the FBI, I'll need to ask you to please keep this as confidential as possible."
"Of course. Don't worry I won't mention it to anyone. So when are you able to meet and where? Where do you live?"
Hotch gave her his home address and quickly they set a date to meet. He only hoped super nanny would be able to help him with Spencer.
"I'm looking forward to meet you and your son. See you tomorrow."
"I'm looking forward to meeting you as well. I hope you'll have more luck with him than I have so far. See you tomorrow then."
While Hotch was watching the show Spencer had gone to the kitchen to get some coffee while Hotch was occupied.
Hotch hang up and with a resigned sigh he turned back around to go on fighting over the diaper issue with his bull-headed new son.
To his surprise, the young man was nowhere to be seen. "Spencer!" Hotch called, a mixture of worry and annoyance.
Spencer was sitting in the kitchen drinking happily from a cup of coffee with lots of sugar. He was so enjoying the coffee he didn't hear Hotch.
Hotch heard someone tinkering in the kitchen and shook his head, already knowing who and what was going on in there.
Spencer didn't even notice that Hotch went into the kitchen or that he was wetting himself.
"Spencer, what are you doing?" Hotch barked angrily when he spotted his obstinate charge, arms crossed over his chest and face set on a stern glare.
Spencer gulped. After a few seconds he got his composure back and said defiantly. "Drinking coffee. Are you blind? Maybe you should have your eyes checked."
"Now, you watch the attitude, young man." Hotch called in his usual calm, though he was hardly containing himself. He stalked to his side and grabbed the coffee cup from his fingers, putting it briskly away. The moment he got closer to Spencer though, a foul odor assaulted his senses. He scrunched up his face. "I think someone needs changing. Again." He sighed. "It would be much easier if you'd let me put the diaper on you, kid."
"I want my coffee! I'm not a baby, so I'm not going to wear a stupid diaper!"
"You may not be a baby but for the time being you do need that diaper." Hotch argued, "and no, you're not getting any more coffee." He shudder inwardly, if he was this cranky now he didn't even want to imagine what a caffeine ridden Spencer would be like. "Let's go," he grabbed his hand, "let's get you changed, you're all wet."
"No! I don't want to be changed!"
Hotch groaned, 'here we go again' he thought to himself. "Well, whether you want to or not, you need to be changed. Let's go." He said in a no nonsense tone of voice.
In the bathroom Spencer sat on the floor in a tantrum. He was kicking and screaming every time Hotch tried to change him.
Hotch grabbed his head, on the brink of losing it completely. "Now, that's enough, Spencer!" Hotch said in a loud voice, starting to lose his cool now.
Spencer stuck his tongue at him. "No!"
Hotch had had enough, he grabbed Spencer by the arm without saying anything further and dragged him away to his room. "That's enough with this behavior. You need changing."
As Spencer was so exhausted from his tantrums he stopped fighting and he fell asleep while Hotch changed him.
Hotch sighed in relief as he tucked Spencer in who was finally wearing the diapers and fresh, clean clothes but more importantly, fast asleep. "Thank goodness." Whispered the older Agent to himself and flopped down on the nearest chair, exhausted.
Fortunately Jack was with Haley at the moment, otherwise he would've been driven completely nuts today.
oOo
The next day Hotch was waiting anxiously for the nanny's arrival. Then finally the door rang.
Hotch sprang to his feet and opened the door, eager to see what this lady could do to help him. "Good morning, ma'am." Hotch greeted her with one of his polite, small smiles. "Please, come in."
"Good morning, Agent Hotchner." Super nanny said while she went inside.
"Please, sit down." Hotch motioned to the couch, "would you like something to drink?" He offered
"Yes please. Some tea would be nice."
Spencer was sleeping. Hotch had tried to wake him up so he could get him ready before she arrived, but Spencer had fought him to stay in bed and he won.
"Sure." Hotch smiled and left for the kitchen, heating up some tea for Super nanny and some coffee for himself.
"Here you are." He handed the hot cup over to her and sat on the armchair in front of her, steaming cup in hand.
"Thank you." She said and the sipped from her tea. "If I'm going to help you which I'm sure I will. I'll need to stay over at your house so I can assist you 24/7 for awhile. The first day I'll only observe and the next day you'll get my verdict in a family meeting."
"Okay, that sounds alright." Hotch agreed without hesitation.
The nanny looked around like she was searching for someone. "Where is your son?"
Hotch frowned, "He's still sleeping. I tried to get him up but he got mad and cranky, I got tired of arguing so I just let him sleep in a little. Maybe that will improve his attitude." Hotch shook his head, exasperated.
She nodded. "Tell me some more about your son."
"Well, he's very smart and has a big heart. He's always willing to help but can be very bull-headed when he wants to. If he's mind's set on something, you won't accomplish anything by arguing. He won't give up until he gets what he wants. Ever since his accident, he hasn't been able to take care of himself as he's very much a young child in mind and behavior and that's something that has been a bit of a problem."
"He hates the fact that he needs help with certain things now and that there are some things that he just won't be able to do anymore." Hotch frowned, shaking his head tiredly, "that has caused many arguments between us. He just won't accept the fact that he's not his usual self anymore and that he needs some help now." Hotch tried to explain their situation as best as he could.
"Is he in therapy for it? What help does he get?"
"Well, he's been seeing a therapist ever since the accident, but it doesn't seem to be doing much to help the attitude problem, if anything, it's getting worse." Hotch sighed, tiredly. "I don't know what to do anymore."
"I'm going to do my best to help you both."
"Thank you, I sure appreciate that."
"What do you say to we go up and wake your lad? I'm looking forward to meet him in person."
Hotch arched his eyebrows and got to his feet, dreading what stunts Spencer would pull today and whether super nanny wouldn't just turn around and leave. "Alright."
As they went into Spencer's room his was lying on the floor as he'd fell out of his bed. Hotch had tried to get him to sleep in a crib but Spencer had fought about it and to get his peace Hotch had let him sleep on bed.
"Spencer?" Hotch shook his shoulder gently, but no response so far, "Spencer?" Hotch whispered in his ear and shook harder.
"G'aw'y."
Hotch stood straight and shrugged at the nanny.
"Tell him what he'll miss when he stays in bed all day." The nanny whispered into Hotch's ear.
Hotch frowned, confused at first and then perked up with understanding and turned back to the slumbering lad. "Oh, it's a shame you're still asleep. I was planning this big day for us, have breakfast and then maybe we could play some gin together or go to the park and get some ice-cream and watch a movie together." Hotch tsked, "so many things we could do today, if you weren't asleep."
Spencer hurried off the floor. "I'm awake."
Hotch stared at the nanny in awe "Well I'll be." He smiled and laid a hand over Spencer's shoulders. "Well then, let's get you cleaned up and changed for our big day then."
First then Spencer noticed the stranger. He looked shyly at her. "I-I can do t-that on my own. I'm an adult."
Hotch noticed Spencer was uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed to admit he needed help with the simplest things around super nanny so turned toward super nanny, silently letting her know what was going on.
The nanny gave Spencer an encouraging smile. "I'll go back down to drink my tea before it gets cold."
Hotch smiled and turned back to Spencer when she was gone. "You don't have to be embarrassed around her, she's a friend." Hotch smiled as he pulled some clothes and a diaper out of the drawer.
"A friend? I haven't seen her before. Who is she?" When Spencer noticed the diaper he shook wildly his head. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not going to wear any diapers?" Spencer yelled so loud Super nanny had no problems in hearing him.
"Spencer, please. We've got company, try to behave at least today." He threw a stern look the younger man's way, "we talked about this before, I'm not arguing about it again. Come on, you want to go to the park and have some ice-cream or not?"
Spencer bit his lip. "Yes. But I don't want to wear a diaper." He whined.
"I know you don't, but you have to." He stared at him meaningfully and then added, "you don't want to have an accident in the park or at the ice-cream shop, do you?"
Spencer looked down to his feet. "No." He said sadly.
"Then you need to wear them, son." Hotch sighed, "I promise as soon as you don't need them anymore, I'll take them away, okay?" Hotch added gently, rubbing Spencer's back and pulling him in a warm, one-armed hug, smiling encouragingly at the disheartened young man.
"I'll take them off as soon as we're back here." Spencer said firmly.
"No, you won't." Hotch argued back, just as firmly. "You will take them off when you don't need them anymore."
Spencer let Hotch believe that he wouldn't.
Not wanting to prolong an argument any more than it already had so early in the morning, Hotch quickly diapered and dressed Spencer and to his relief, though he could see Spencer was none too happy about it, Hotch was glad he didn't fight him anymore on the issue for the time being. He thanked whatever deity had granted him this small mercy and didn't question his good fortune while it lasted.
"So who is that woman? She's British isn't she? I didn't know you knew someone from Great Britain."
"Well, I do and she's very nice, so be polite, okay?" Hotch shot him a stern stare, knowing how Spencer could be like and not wanting to subject the poor nanny to his son's bratty behavior anymore than was necessary.
When they went down to the living room Spencer hid behind Hotch as he was shy.
Hotch was surprised at this new behavior in Spencer. Sure, Spencer had always been a bit awkward around people he didn't know, even before the accident he'd always been a bit shy. But he'd grown so used to dealing with the mouthy, demanding brat lately he'd forgotten what a shy, quiet Spencer could be like.
He smiled fondly, and reached behind his back to pull the shying young man from behind his back.
"Spencer, this is Jo. Jo, this is Spencer." Hotch introduced them nicely, hoping Spencer's good behavior would prolong for just a bit longer.
"Hello there, Spencer. Nice to meet you."
"N-Nice to m-meet you t-too, Jo." Spencer said shyly. And he blushed when his stomach growled.
"How about we all have breakfast now? I'm starving," Hotch said, steering the obviously starving Spencer towards the kitchen and motioning for Jo to join them.
Spencer and Jo followed Hotch to the kitchen.
Hotch made some quick pancakes and orange juice, set them on the table and motioned for Jo to help herself while he put some of the pancakes on Spencer's plate and cut it in bite sized pieces for the lad and adding a reasonable amount of syrup on them. "Well, dig in, big guy." Hotch ruffled his son's hair and sat at his own place.
Spencer was too hungry to argue about Hotch cutting them in small pieces. He started to eat with his fingers till he got all messy.
The Nanny observed the interaction while she ate her pancakes with a fork and a knife.
Without saying a word, Hotch reached out, wiped Spencer's hand on a wet cloth and placed a fork in his hand instead.
Spencer studied the fork and then lay it down and continued to eat with his fingers.
Hotch sighed, wiped Spencer's hand clean and placed the fork back in his hand again.
"It's not polite to eat like that, Spencer." Hotch explained, "use the fork."
Spencer was about to argue but when he remembered there was a stranger he stopped himself in time. He tried to eat with the fork but it wouldn't co-operate with him. He threw the fork in frustration.
"Spencer!" Hotch reprimanded sharply, picking up the fork from where it had fallen on the floor, putting it in the sink and grabbing a new one and handing it back to his son. "Getting frustrated won't help matters, you have to be patient and practice." Hotch explained calmly and smiled. "You can do it."
Spencer lay the fork down. "I'm not hungry anymore." He said with a sad voice.
Hotch shook his head, "if we're going to the park, you need to eat, son." He picked up the fork himself. "Here, let me help you."
He picked up a slice of pancake with the fork and brought it to Spencer's mouth.
Spencer was really hungry so he reluctantly opened his mouth. His face was blushing bright red.
Hotch continued feeding the boy and eating his own in between until practically everything on Spencer's plate was gone. He beamed proudly at Spencer, "that's my boy!" He prized cheerfully. This day was going much smoother than he thought, maybe Super nanny's mere presence was a good thing. He should ask her to come over more often.
"Can we go to the park now?" Spencer asked hopefully.
"Sure, big guy." Hotch said brightly, suddenly in a very good mood at how well things were going and his hopes rising. Maybe there was light at the end of the tunnel after all.
Hotch picked up the dishes and washed everything quickly and before long, they were all walking down the street, happily on their way to the park. The sun was shining, birds were singing and there was a warm breeze blowing that morning, it was just, the perfect day.
"Can I join you to the park?" Jo asked Spencer.
Spencer nodded shyly.
Hotch grabbed Spencer's hand before crossing the street that lead to the park. Hoping Spencer's good behavior would last and wouldn't pull a scene for that today.
As Spencer was too shy on making a scene in front of Jo he didn't. But as soon as they were at the park he pulled his hand away from Hotch.
"Don't go too far, Spencer." Hotch called after his running son, "remember to stay where I can see you, okay?"
Spencer rolled his eyes. He went to a bench at the lake and sat down to watch the ducks.
Hotch leaned in closer to Jo and whispered, "well, he's behaving surprisingly well today."
Jo smiled. "That's probably because he's shy. I have a bad feeling that that will change when he knows me better. What about I get some arrangements set up today and then come to you tomorrow bright and early and we can begin to find out how I can help you two. I have some few ideas already."
Hotch nodded, impressed and hopeful. "Sure, that sounds great, thank you, Miss Frost. I'm running out of ideas myself so if you can provide me with some of your own I'd be very grateful."
"I'm happy to help. What about we join him at the bench?"
Hotch nodded and soon they were all enjoyably watching the ducks slide around in the little lake below, ducking their heads in the water and quaking away to each other.
Spencer slowly put his thumb in his mouth. While doing so the nanny noticed how abused Spencer's thumb was from being used as a pacifier. She for sure had some shopping to do before the week was over.
Hotch noticed the thumb and knew it was one of those times Spencer was feeling his insecurities the most, one of those times he needed his daddy the most. He lay an arm over Spencer's shoulders and brought his boy close and planted a kiss on the top of his head.
Spencer snuggled close to his daddy.
Hotch smiled at Jo over Spencer's head as they continued to gaze peacefully at the ducks and the beautiful scenario ahead.
Jo smiled back. She was sure that this was going to be an interesting case.
Jo had been at the Hotchner's house for a day while the day had been videotaped, not for television purpose but to show some clips at the family meeting. At first Spencer had been shy like the first day Jo met him, but as the day had went on and Jo was just there observing Spencer had forgot his shyness and behaved like he'd been since the day he'd been released from the hospital.
Now was the dreaded family meeting. Spencer was to Hotch's luck fallen asleep in his room.
"You have a bright son, Agent Hotchner." Jo said to enlighten the meeting.
Hotch smiled, "yeah, he is."
"I'm going to show you some clips and I'll tell you how you can handle's Spencer's tantrums better."
Hotch nodded silently.
Jo turned on the DVD and showed him a clip where Spencer fought against being changed. Hotch's voice in the video wasn't firm even though you could hear he tried to. He told Spencer that he wouldn't get any ice cream if he didn't keep the diaper on. Then she showed him another clip where Spencer had a tantrum, because he wasn't allowed any ice cream and it ended in the end Hotch had given up and gave Spencer the ice cream. "You need to use a firmer voice and you need to keep what you promise. If you promise him no ice cream because he didn't keep the diaper on, you need to stick to it."
"He needs to know that you mean business."
Hotch sighed and nodded. "I try to, believe me, I do. But Spencer can be very bull-headed when he's set his mind into something and I'm afraid I end up losing the battle more often than not."
"Have you ever tried to use discipline? When your younger son is with you how do you handle his tantrums?"
"well, in much the same way, I guess." Hotch shook his head and snorted, "and more often than not end up having two crying kids instead of one"
"As soon as Spencer wakes up I'll show you how to handle the discipline. I don't know what you think about spanking. But I'll tell you from the start I oppose spanking. What I use is timeouts and naughty chair, rug or stair or whatever you think will fit for a place for Spencer to be for a while when he's been naughty."
"Okay, sounds fine to me." Hotch agreed, hoping Jo's method would work.
Jo smiled. "Good then we'll be on the right track. You need to practice on your voice to be more firm. I advise you to go into your shower stall and practice it."
Hotch looked somewhat skeptical at first but nodded his head. Things couldn't get any worse than they were now, could they?
"I've noticed Spencer thumb is very abused from his thumb sucking." Jo said and stood up. She went to get what she'd purchased this morning. She handed him a pacifier. "I think Spencer's thumb will thank you when you give Spencer this."
Hotch took the item in his hand and stared at him dumbfounded. He'd worried about the thumb sucking problem for a while now and how come this had never occurred to him he didn't know, but it seemed like a pretty sensible solution to the thumb issue.
Hotch smiled at her and nodded his thanks to her. He only hoped Spencer would accept the pacifier now.
She then gave him tools to help Spencer improve his motor skills.
"Well, I guess all that remains for us to do is put all this into practice now." Hotch smiled with a mixture of hope and dread. "And cross our fingers." He added in the end.
"If you listen to my advice and use them then I'm sure Spencer will be a different young man."
"Okay then, I better go wake up our young man in question. It's almost time for dinner" Hotch smiled and got to his feet.
Jo smiled. "Let me do the honor. And look closely how I handle it and his tantrums. Because the next he has one you will handle the discipline."
"Okay." Hotch gestured for her to precede him, curious to see what she had in mind and how she would handle the situation should Spencer throw one of his well known tantrums.
Jo and Hotch went up to Spencer's room to wake him up. Again they found Spencer on the floor as he'd fallen off his bed. He was whimpering. Jo bend down. "Hey there sweetie." She helped him up. He had a small lump on his forehead.
Hotch was immediately squatting down and checking the lump on Spencer's forehead. "it doesn't seem to be very serious. I'll go get some ice." Hotch hurried out of the room and was back in less than a minute with an ice-pack in hand, which he pressed gently on Spencer's wound.
Spencer tried hard not to cry. He was about to put his thumb in his mouth. Jo gave Hotch a sign to his pocket where he'd put the pacifier.
Hotch remembered quickly and fished inside for the pacifier, promptly replacing the thumb with it in Spencer's mouth. He tenderly stroked his boy's head, picking him up in his arms and shushing him gently while slowly rocking him in a calming motion and applying the cold ice on the lump on his head. "It's okay, son. You're alright."
Spencer suckled happily on the pacifier and let Hotch carry him down stairs.
Hotch sat on the couch with Spencer tucked securely in his arms, holding the ice-pack firmly in place. After a while he pulled the cold pack back and inspected the wound, satisfied that it looked alright, Hotch put the ice away and dislodged Spencer from his arms, inspecting the boy's face. "How are you feeling now, son?"
"I'm fine. The cold helped."
"Good." Hotch leaned forward and planted a light kiss on his forehead. "Want to watch TV while I fix us something to eat?"
Spencer blushed when he noticed Jo seeing Hotch kissing his forehead like a little kid. He nodded shyly.
"Okay." Hotch picked up the remote and turned on the set on the cartoons channel and then handed it to his son before leaving for the kitchen.
As soon as Hotch left the living room Spencer turned over to the discovery channel.
Half an hour later dinner was ready and they were all sitting at the table enjoying good Italian spaghetti.
Spencer tried to eat with knife and fork but he gave up after a few minutes and started to eat with his fingers and made a mess in the process.
Hotch wiped his hands clean and placed a fork in his hand instead.
Spencer threw the fork on the floor angrily. Jo took firmly his hand and told him in a firm voice, "Spencer. Don't throw things." And then she took the fork and cleaned it. She then cut the spaghetti in nice pieces so it would be easier for Spencer to eat it with a spoon. She then gave Spencer a spoon instead of a fork. "Here try this."
"You not my boss!" Spencer yelled and threw the spoon on the floor. Jo picked the spoon up and cleaned it and handed it to him again. "If you throw that again I'll put you in a time out." She said firmly.
Hotch watched in awe as Spencer pouted but instead of throwing the spoon back to the floor as he would normally do, he picked it up and tried to eat with it instead.
Luckily it was easier to eat it with a spoon. He ate it all though he still made a little mess but not on purpose, but because of his bad motor skills from the accident.
Hotch was amazed at Spencer's response to Jo's authority. If he'd been the one dealing with the situation, he would've probably ended up with a kicking and screaming Spencer in his hands, and spaghetti strewn all over the kitchen as well perhaps.
Spencer let Hotch clean him up without any arguments.
After dinner was done, Hotch prepared a bath for Spencer, a bubble bath at his request and it was soon time for another unpleasant business. One that never went out without some shed tears or screaming. "Well, Spencer. Time for bed." Hotch called out, dread building up inside him.
"No! I'm not tired." Jo went to Spencer. "Spencer change that attitude young man." Jo said firmly. "And you are going to bed now. And you're going to sleep in your crib."
"No way! I'm not a baby!"
"Spencer. You've fallen of the bed too many times. Remember the lump you got today? So you are going to sleep in your crib from now on."
Spencer started a major tantrum. "No I don't want to!"
"Spencer stop right there or you'll get a timeout. Last warning." Jo said firmly. Spencer didn't stop though. Jo dragged Spencer to the corner to sit in a timeout. "Ten minutes."
Spencer walked away from his timeout and every time he did Jo dragged him back without saying anything. She even didn't talk back when Spencer talked not so nicely to her. It kept on and on. As Spencer found out she couldn't be pushed he stopped. Jo then set an alarm clock at ten minutes.
Hotch looked in amazement as before long, Spencer was sound asleep in his crib. He couldn't believe Spencer was lying in his crib, Hotch had been trying to get him to sleep in the crib for months now. To say Hotch was flabbergasted by this would be an understatement, to say the least.
Jo managed in a few minutes what he'd never been able to accomplish in months since Spencer had been living with him.
Jo handed him a baby monitor. "You better use this one. So you can hear him when he needs you."
Hotch picked up the baby monitor in his hand and stared at her in awe. "Well, I'll be. That was amazing, Jo." He exclaimed in a silent whisper, so as not to risk waking Spencer up.
They went down stairs. "I want you to do like I did when handling Spencer's tantrums whenever he has a tantrum. It's important that you don't play along with the word games. So every time he goes away from the timeout without permission you just get him back without saying a word. And when the time is up. It's important that you also do what I did when I released him from his timeout. As you saw and heard I told him why I had put him there and then I gave him a hug and a kiss to show him that he's been forgiven."
Hotch nodded in deep concentration as he listened carefully to her every word, trying to take everything in.
She then got Hotch to the bathroom to do his exercise in using a firm voice. She guided him in how to do it.
After a while, Hotch realized it was harder than it looked, he kept having to repeat it and getting corrections from Jo. One would think that him being an FBI Agent would've mastered a firm voice by now, but it seemed that in his endeavor to keep his job and his family life separated he'd left his authority voice behind his office doors as well. He would have to call on that stricter part of himself when dealing with a cranky Spencer now it would seem.
After an hour practice Jo said, "Good job. Use that voice on your sons in discipline situation that'll help you a lot. Tomorrow you'll see how well it works. Then it'll be your time to try what you've learned today."
Hotch nodded, eager to put everything he'd learned into practice and a bit nervous too. Would he be able to pull this off or was this all hard work for nothing? Maybe he should keep Super Nanny here to give him a hand, would she go for it?
He sighed, he'd much rather deal with psychopathic killers than with one of Spencer's tantrums.
"Well let's call it a day. You're going to have a hard day tomorrow but I promise it will be worth it."
"I sure hope you're right, Jo."
oOo
The next day came quicker than any of them would've thought and soon it was time to put everything he'd learned so far into practice. Hotch crept to Spencer's crib, bracing himself for their early morning scuffle that was waking the boy up. He sighed and squared his shoulders, well, let's get this show on the road.
He gently shook Spencer's shoulder. "Wakey, wakey, sleepy head."
Spencer was suckling on his pacifier. He started to stir. "D'n't w'nna."
"I know, but it's time to wake up. We have a long day ahead of us and you wouldn't want to miss on it, would you?"
Hotch hoped he'd go for the first tactic.
Spencer sat up sleepily. "What are we going to do today? Work?" Spencer asked hopefully.
"No, we're still on leave but that means we'll have all day to hang together, just you and me." Hotch ruffled his head affectionately.
Jo would be there too but just to be observant by stander and to help guide Hotch in the right direction of the discipline.
Spencer smiled. He let Hotch help him out of his crib. But when it came to the diaper change, Spencer fought once again against getting a new diaper on. He kicked Hotch on purpose in Hotch's very sensitive spot.
Jo whispered into Hotch's ear. "That has earned him to sit on the naughty chair to think about what he'd done."
Hotch swallowed hard, eyes clamped tightly shut and nodded mutely, biting back on a pained whimper as he straighten back up and stalked... ahem... okay, limp-stalked back toward Spencer, grabbed him by the arm and saying in his newly acquired firm voice. "That is enough with this attitude, you will sit in the naughty chair for ten minutes and think about your behavior."
Spencer gulped. He'd almost forgotten how firm Hotch's voice could be. Until now he'd just heard his firm voice when they'd been at work, but never in private. He sat still on the naughty chair for a minute but when he got his composure back Spencer left the chair without permission.
Hotch grabbed him by the arm and guided him back to the chair without a word.
Spencer yelled not so nice words at Hotch and kept getting off the chair without permission.
Hotch managed to keep his cool and simply guide him back to the chair every time he left without paying any mind to Spencer's complaints.
Spencer stayed defeated on his naughty chair as it seemed Hotch was stubborn and thought about what he'd done.
When the timer went off exactly ten minutes later, Hotch walked back to Spencer and squatted down in front of him and looked him straight in the eye. "Have you thought about what you've done?"
Spencer nodded while he looked shamely down at his lap, then he looked up into Hotch's eyes. "I'm sorry for kicking your cr... balls."
Hotch had to fight hard not to laugh at that and quickly brought Spencer in for a tight hug, "that's okay, son. You're forgiven." He pulled back and looked him firmly in the eyes, "but I expect you to never do something like that again, understood?"
Spencer shook his head. "Yes."
Hotch smiled warmly back at him and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. "Okay, shall we get you changed now?"
Spencer blushed when he first now noticed that he was naked from the waist down and that Jo was in the room. He hurried to nod.
Hotch smiled and ruffled his hair, then proceeded to diaper and change his son quickly and once it was all done, they were all soon gathered at the table having breakfast.
Spencer worked hard to eat his pancakes with a fork.
Jo whispered into Hotch's ear, "Remember to praise him when he does something good. Like now where he is working hard on eating with a fork."
Hotch nodded silently. Then turned to his son, "well done, son. You're doing a great job there." He patted his son's back lightly, the kid was indeed working hard to eat with his fork today. Hotch smiled with pride and brought his boy in for a warm one-armed hug. "I'm very proud of you."
Spencer wrapped his arms around him. "I love you Ho... Dad... dy." Spencer said and calling Hotch dad-dy for the first time.
Hotch beamed at that, planting a loving kiss on the top of his son's head. "I love you too, son."
oOo
After a few days Jo was leaving them and promised to come back in three weeks to see how it's going. In those days she's been there Spencer has learned to like her a lot. He had a lot of tantrums at first but it had gotten fewer and fewer and longer in between tantrums. Spencer gave Jo a hug. "Bye Jo-Jo. I'll miss you."
Jo returned the hug. "I'll miss you too pumpkin."
Hotch smiled at the pair, feeling a pang of sadness at seeing her leave as well. "We'll both miss you, Jo." Hotch added, raising his hand to shake hers.
Jo took his hand and then she hugged him. "I'll miss you both too." She said in her British accent. "See you in three weeks. And Hotch remember to get Spencer to his new therapist I've recommended."
"I will." He said, returning the hug with one of his own and adding in a chocked voice. "And thank you, for everything."
"You're very welcome love."
She then turned her attention to Spencer. "And you pumpkin, better behave and do the exercises I've taught you, without a fuss." She said firmly.
"Yes Ma'am." She gave him a final hug and left the Hotchners but not without wet eyes in her face.
oOo
Three weeks later, peace still prevailed in the Hotchner household. There was the occasional tantrums from time to time, but nothing Hotch couldn't handle with the tools and teachings Super Nanny had left behind and all in all, harmony reigned in their home.
Spencer attended the sessions with his new therapist and Hotch could see an improvement each day, little by little.
Jo was happy how Hotch was handling things and that he did a great job in using her advice. "I'm proud of both of you." She told them proudly.
Hotch hugged Spencer close and smiled back at her. "Thank you, Jo. It was all thanks to you."
"and Spencer and I here, got something for you." Hotch turned to Spencer and smiled conspiratorially, motioning for him to go get their surprise.
Spencer got off Hotch's lap and got the banner that said thank you Jo and there were some paintings on it which Spencer drew. He'd been drawing a lot as one of his exercises in improving his motor skills.
"After all you've done for us, we thought it was our turn to do something for you now." Hotch said.
Jo eyes watered. She got Spencer and Hotch in a big group hug. "Thank you guys."
Hotch and Spencer returned the hug with one of their own. "No, thank you, Jo." Hotch replied.
After the hug Spencer made a sign to Hotch that he wanted to sit on his lap.
Hotch complied, hugging the young man close.
Spencer took his pacifier out of his pocket and into his mouth.
They spent the remainder of the afternoon chatting and getting reacquainted and from that day on, Jo or aunt Jo-Jo as Spencer and Jack got used to call her was a regular visitor in the Hotchner home along with the rest of the BAU team who had promptly welcomed her in their makeshift family.
The End