The night before the trial two weeks later, Aaron had asked if Spencer wanted to stay at his apartment with Jack and try and relax. Spencer accepted and showed up at Aaron's with his overnight bag and his messenger bag loaded with books and papers. Aaron let him in and took his overnight bag as he asked, "Where would you like to sleep?"
"Not sure but it'll be figured out by then."
Aaron nodded and sat the bag in the guest room to let Spencer choose where he'd be most comfortable. The two had settled in and cooked dinner together, moving around the other fluidly, and talking like they'd been doing this for years. Spencer was in charge of the sauce and towards the end, he stopped Aaron and held the spoon up to taste. Aaron tasted it and couldn't help the moan of satisfaction. He licked his lips and kissed the corner of Spencer's mouth. "It's delicious as always."
Spencer quirked his lips into a small grin and said, "You always say that."
"And it'll never be a lie."
Spencer put the spoon down and held Aaron in place before he gave him a proper kiss. Aaron in his surprise opened his mouth and all he felt was the tentative hot tongue of Spencer's ease inside his mouth. The two moaned as Aaron got with the program and slid his tongue along Spencer's. Eyes closed and the two clinging together didn't break for air until the smell of burning pervaded their senses. Aaron moved away so Spencer could salvage the sauce, luckily it was on a low temperature so no real damage was done. Spencer blushed and Aaron bit his lip as Spencer mixed the sauce in with the vegetables and beef tips that Aaron had grilled before keeping them warm in the skillet.
"We need to watch what we're doing when cooking." Aaron laughed.
Spencer raised an eyebrow and said, "But you're thoroughly distracting."
Aaron gave Spencer a quick peck on the lips and then they made their plates and Spencer got Jack's bottle and a couple of jars of baby food together so that he could feed Jack while he ate so that Jack would be ready for bed soon. Aaron watched as Spencer took Jack out of his playpen and sat him in his lap as he situated his own plate and the baby food. Aaron said, "You know I can feed him too."
Spencer heard the chuckle and said, "I know but I like to feed him."
"Alright but we can trade off on the feeding duties…"
Spencer looked up at him and said, "You're daddy so you have diaper duty."
"But you're daddy too so we share duties." Aaron said with a grin as he picked up a bite of his food.
"Deal." Spencer said as he got a scoop of peas ready for Jack.
The two ate with quiet banter and Aaron fed Spencer some of his dinner while Spencer took care to make sure Jack got enough food and his bottle. Aaron handed Spencer a spit up towel and Spencer threw it over his shoulder, where he proceeded to burp and deal with the baby spit up without cringing. Aaron knew the first few times Jack spit up on him baby blanket or none that he wanted to get sick himself and he watched as Spencer went about cleaning Jack then himself up and singing some lullaby he'd never heard.
Aaron watched as Spencer sat in the rocking chair in Jack's room and continue his ministrations while getting Jack to sleep for the night. Aaron couldn't help but think that Spencer was a natural when it came to parenting. Jack cooed and gurgled up at Spencer and Spencer rocked him to sleep. After putting Jack to bed, Spencer couldn't help it as he leaned against side of the crib to watch the baby. Aaron came over and rested his hand on Spencer's back and it automatically started to caress the curve leading to Spencer's ass.
Spencer leaned into Aaron's body and looked up at him under his eyelashes and Aaron couldn't help but lean down and kiss him. Spencer turned and wrapped his arms around Aaron's neck as they deepened the kisses and Aaron dropped both his hands down to rub Spencer's ass. Spencer let out a quiet moan as the two sucked on their tongues. Aaron pulled out of the kiss but kept them pressed together as he walked them into his room across the hall - picking Spencer up would have been nice but he knew Spencer weighed near his amount even though he looked like he weighed a buck twenty sop and wet.
The two tumbled onto the bed and Aaron went back to kissing and nipping at Spencer's lips while he hands tried to hard not to rip at Spencer's shirt - he failed as buttons and fabric flew off the bed. It got a surprised squeak from Spencer and he said, "Too many clothes."
Aaron grunted in response and he ground his erection into Spencer's hips as he propped himself above Spencer and continued thrusting and grunting as he worked them to orgasm. Spencer gripped his shoulders and panted as Aaron made love bites on his chest. Spencer wrapped a leg over Aaron's thighs and moaned loudly at the change of position and Aaron keened as he felt his dick explode in his pants. Aaron tugged at Spencer's pants and Spencer's erection sprung free - one last deep kiss to Spencer's mouth and Aaron worked his way down to Spencer's dick.
Aaron lapped at the head languidly like he was enjoying a popsicle on a hot day and Spencer carded his fingers through his hair and gripped his hair as Aaron worked more of the appendage into his mouth. The musky scent that hit Aaron's nose caused a groan to vibrate all the way down Spencer's dick and up his spine and Spencer's only warning was tugging Aaron's hair and gripping the back of his neck as he shot stream after stream down Aaron's throat.
Aaron cleaned Spencer up and worked his mouth over his hips, up his stomach to his nipples where he worked them into pertness. The teasing kept on as Aaron nuzzled Spencer's neck and then kissed him deeply. Spencer pulled away and said, "No one's ever cherished me like this. Thank you."
Aaron stroked his cheek and said, "Always, I'll always cherish you to our dying days."
Spencer smiled and kissed Aaron gently. Coming back up for air, Spencer said, "I think we need a shower."
Aaron nipped his jaw and said, "And you'll always be right."
Cleaned up and in clean boxers, the two curled up in bed together and fell into a comfortable sleep for the rest of the night.
The next morning the two got up and dressed in proper suits with ties and Spencer let Aaron get Jack ready to go so they could drop him off with their tech analyst, Penelope Garcia, to watch while they were in court for the day. Aaron couldn't believe the level of domesticity that he and Spencer could create over the short amount of time. They continued to cross the lines of intimacy when they were ready and were becoming a stronger family for it. Jack would understand happiness, Spencer would feel loved and cherished for just being himself, and Aaron himself could have a strong person to lean against when he couldn't be strong anymore - life was looking up for them.
A few hours later the prosecutor, June Hays, had Spencer on the stand recounting his two days of torture. Spencer looked over the gallery area from where he sat on the stand after he affirmed to the tell the truth and saw Haley smug and Aaron clenching and unclenching his fists. He thought of their night of passion and he wanted to blush and shiver but he kept himself under control and waited for the lawyer's questions. He tucked his hair back behind his ears and bit his lip.
Ms. Hays looked at Spencer and asked, "What's the first thing you remember after being kidnapped from the Hankel property?"
Spencer bit his lip again and willed himself to relax. Nothing could hurt him in the courtroom. He looked at the lawyer and said, "I remember it being very cold and my head hurt from being knocked unconscious."
The lawyer motioned for him to continue.
"My team, while they saw a lot of what Tobias Hankel did to me, they didn't see him at his worst. When I came to I was partially unclothed and I was feeling fuzzy headed, I think the Dilaudid was already administered by that point, but what I noticed the most was only static could be heard. Then I started hearing my voice but I wasn't talking and I was repeating things over and over like the periodic table in its entirety and different mathematical theories I've been working on."
"Do you record yourself going over your mathematical theories and reciting things like the periodic table?"
"When I'm really busy I tend to record my thoughts about current projects outside of my job."
"Do you know how this person got your recordings?"
"No ma'am."
"What else do you remember?"
"The recordings played for almost four hours and my mind was in a state that I didn't know if I was talking or if I was hearing a recording and then it went silent for an hour or so. I lost track of time and that's when I saw Tobias Hankel for the first time. He was on a phone and I heard Haley's name and I doubted the first few times he said the name and then he spoke of my supervisor Aaron Hotchner and I knew she had something to do with what was happening to me."
"And how was the defendant, Haley Hotchner, involved?"
"She seemed to be the one giving orders. Tobias Hankel administered more Dilaudid afterwards and then proceeded to club my feet. He had me restrained to a wooden chair so I couldn't defend myself at all."
"What else did he do to you by orders of Haley?"
"He made me watch as he went and killed three more families. He would replay the tapes for hours even with my eyes closed he narrated everything he did to the families and what he wanted to do to them but the Bible was against it so he found other ways to torture them and myself."
"And then what else?"
"The Dilaudid was increased on the second day and as he beat me, I became unconscious and died. He resuscitated me and gave me some water. Afterwards his phone that he kept next to his computers started to ring and he answered it - it was Haley again and I could hear her through the fog as I tried to place the time and day. She wasn't pleased when Tobias brought me back. He was to make me choose one of my team members so that he could go kill them but I beat him at his own game on that one.
I chose Aaron Hotchner and gave him a bible verse and a clue about a conversation we had months previous and then Tobias beat me again and took me out to the cemetery near the shack he used. I was digging my own grave when my team's sirens could be heard on the road and Tobias tried to kill me but I wrestled the gun out of his hands and shot him in the chest killing him instantly. I wasn't happy or proud that I had to do that because he just needed help but it was my life or his."
By the end of his recollection, Spencer's head had dropped and he was fiddling his fingers. The lawyer looked over the courtroom and saw Spencer's team with hands over their mouths and Aaron with a very grim look like he wanted to get sick but was holding back until court was dismissed. Haley just sat in her seat like she owned the courtroom but she had the decency to have a blank look on her face.
The lawyer looked back at Spencer and said, "No further questions your Honor."
The judge said, "You're dismissed Dr. Reid." Spencer scrambled off the stand and out into the hallway so he could breakdown without his team and especially Aaron seeing him weak.
A moment later the door opened quietly and Spencer looked up from his bent position on the bench with his fist in mouth and silent tears falling down his cheeks. Aaron dropped to his knees and pulled Spencer into his arms. "It's going to be okay. Anything you need Spencer." Aaron stroked his hair and back.
"I just want to go home and curl up in my chair and cry."
"Okay. We're going. Let me tell the team we're going." Aaron was quick about it and then he went back to Spencer. He wrapped his arm around Spencer's shoulders and he took Spencer to his car. Aaron looked at Spencer and asked, "Where do you want to go?"
"Let's pick up Jack and go home."
"Are you sure? We can spend a few hours just gathering our thoughts and then pick Jack up in time for dinner."
"I want Jack there. He needs his family."
"Okay call Garcia and tell her we're coming to get Jack."
"Are they going to question Haley?"
"They played the recording of the interview and then the judge called for a recess."
"But she'll be in prison for the rest of her life?"
"I'm pretty sure that'll be the case."
"Okay. I'm okay with that. I just want my family around me. I need to stay busy."
"Are you okay?"
"I will be eventually." Spencer let a sad smile show as he reached for his phone.
Aaron took Spencer's free hand in his and stroked his fingers as Spencer talked to Garcia about Jack and he knew that Spencer would be his last life partner. He squeezed Spencer's hand and Spencer tightened his own hold.