Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I own nothing. I do not own anything you recognize.

Previously on Criminal Minds- It was also the one his mom always had on her face anytime the two of them were together. Spencer had been safe with her. Would this new man keep him safe, too?

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Rossi leaned back in his chair, a mischievous grin on his face. "I'm telling you, Jackson after that last round of prank wars, I'm seriously considering putting a woodshed in back of the BAU."

"That's a great idea!" Jackson replied, playing along. "Of course, there is one downside. Knowing my nephew, you'd spend so much time disciplining him your hand would be sore as all get out."

"True" Rossi agreed. "But it'd be worth it to put an end to the pranks."

"Don't listen to him, Uncle Jack. He enjoys the pranks just as much as everyone else on the team." Aaron put in with a snicker. "Dave just…" The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, alerting him to the fact that he was being watched. Glancing at the entryway, he found himself staring into wide, brown eyes. "Hey there kiddo, you must be Spencer." He called, smiling at the frightened boy.

Spencer timidly nodded.

Mary stood and slowly walked over towards the doorway. Remembering the youngster's fear of adults, she stopped a few feet away from the child and extended her hand. "Spencer sweetie, why don't you come in and sit down on the couch?"

Spencer glanced at her but made no other movement.

When the four year old's eyes turned to her, Haley decided to attempt to convince the unsteady boy to have a seat. Sliding out of her chair, she knelt down on the floor. "Spencer, your bear looks awfully tired. Maybe you should sit on the couch with him so he can go back to sleep."

Reid barely managed to keep from shouting out that his bear was just a stuffed animal and as such was incapable of being tired. Correcting adults was a sure fire way to anger them. So he settled for huffing his displeasure at being talked to like a baby.

Seeing his wife's smile falter, Aaron quickly stepped in to defuse the situation. "Why don't we leave Spencer alone? I'm sure he'll come sit with us when he's ready. Right, buddy?" he asked, winking at the little boy.

Nodding, Spencer gifted the younger Hotchner with a slight smile.

The tiny gesture put all the grown-ups at ease. They turned back around and started conversing amongst themselves once more. Keeping the conversation light, the group talked and laughed about the various pranks the BAU's team members had managed to pull over the last few weeks. As they listened to Aaron and Dave recount the events, each person kept watch over their newest family member. They smiled as the boy inched his way into the room.

When the boy plopped down beside his chair, Aaron grinned from ear to ear. His plan had worked. Partially anyway, Spencer was in the room. But he was sitting on the hardwood floor and that couldn't be comfortable with his injuries. Wanting to soften the youngster's sitting spot, Aaron pretended to accidently knock one of the throw pillows onto the floor next to the little boy. His smile grew as the four year old swiftly scooted over and sank down on it. They were making progress.

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Jackson glanced at the clock sitting on the mantle and did a double take. He hadn't realized it was getting so late. They needed to get the show on the road if they were going to cook out before dark. "I'm going to go fire up the grill." He told the group as he stood. "Boys, go get the chicken ready. By the time you're done, the grill should be just the right temperature."

"Okay" Aaron replied. He climbed out of the recliner and strode into the kitchen, mentally cheering as a certain little someone followed him.

Dave grabbed the chicken and BBQ sauce out of the refrigerator and set them on the counter. "Aaron, you mix up your special BBQ seasoning and I'll work on the grape salad." He suggested. Smiling at his friend's shadow, he knelt down so he would be at the boy's level. "Would you like to help, Spencer? I could really use another set of hands."

Shocked that the man was asking his help, Spencer glanced up at Aaron before hesitantly nodding.

"Thanks Spencer" Rossi said. He scooped the four year old up and set him on the counter. He sighed at the trembling his actions caused. "Sorry Sport. I didn't mean to scare you." He apologized. "I just needed to get you up here so you could stir the salad for me. What do you say? Will you forgive this old man for touching you without asking first?"

Spencer's mouth dropped open at the apology. No one had ever apologized to him before. They always just did what they wanted to him. Comforted by the man's thoughtfulness, the little boy graced him with a spoken response. "Yes sir"

"Good man" Dave praised, resisting the urge to pat the boy on the back. He set a large mixing bowl beside the youngster, dumped some of the ingredients into it, and handed Spencer a wooden spoon. "Here you go, kiddo. Go ahead and start stirring. I'll add the grapes once I get them ready."

Spencer nodded. Sticking his tongue out in concentration, he slowly and carefully stirred the mixture. He had to get it just right. He didn't want to disappoint the bearded man or worse make him angry.

Aaron and Dave kept a close eye on Spencer as they worked on their various dishes. The two bit back at chuckle at the intense look of concentration on the boy's face. The expression looked more like that of a surgeon performing surgery than a child stirring a bowl of grape salad. Their amused smiles dropped as they realized that the four year old was more than likely so intent because he was afraid of messing something up and angering them. Wondering just what the youngster had been through to make him respond that way, they decided to see what they could find out when they got to work on Monday. Knowing there was nothing they could do for now, they turned back to their own jobs. Finishing their tasks a few minutes later, the men turned to their next challenge; getting Spencer down.

After looking around the room, Dave came up with what he hoped was the perfect solution. He walked to the table and grabbed a chair. Bringing it over to the counter, he set it under the four year old's feet. "Think you can get down by yourself?" Dave asked.

Spencer looked at the wooden chair and gratefully nodded. He scooted to the edge of the counter and carefully slid down to the chair. Getting on his knees with a hiss, he used the slats under the seat to climb down the chair to the floor. Picking up the stuffed bear he'd dropped when he'd been lifted off his feet, the youngster clutched it to his chest and obediently followed the men out of the house and onto the deck.

"Here you go, Jackson" Dave said, handing the man the tray of chicken. "Anything else we can do?"

"No, Mary and I have it handled." Jackson answered with a shake of the head. "Why don't you guys go play ball till its ready? There's a soccer ball on the bottom step."

"Alright! Let's go guys!" Aaron exclaimed, jumping at the chance to bring his newly acquired shadow out of his shell. He bounded down the steps, snatched up the black and white ball, and tossed it to Rossi. "Come on, old man! Get the lead out!"

"I'll show you who's old." Dave teased back. He jumped off the porch steps and fired the ball back to Aaron, smirking at the 'oomph' that sounded when the younger man caught it.

Spencer wearily sat on the top step and watched the men race around the yard tossing the ball back and forth. Cocking his head to one side, he curiously eyed the two as his mind ran through the list of soccer rules he'd read in the soccer manual he'd found in their last house. The little boy wondered if the men knew they were playing the game wrong. He opened his mouth to inform them of the correct rules and procedures before slamming it shut. They had been nice to him and he didn't want to do anything to change that. So Spencer just sat and watched the overgrown boys totally screw up the game of soccer.

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Jackson put the last of the chicken legs on the foil lined tray and closed the grill lid. Scooping up the filled tray, he took it over to the table. After setting it down in the middle of the table, the senior Hotchner picked up a fork, speared a couple of legs, and placed them on Spencer's plate to cool. He added a spoonful of mashed potatoes and a small piece of corn on the cob. He then slathered a little butter on the corn before going back in the house for the drinks.

Hearing Jackson yell that supper was ready, Aaron and Dave stopped their game and started for the porch. They wore matching frowns as they crossed the yard. Both men had hoped the little boy on the steps would see how much fun they were having and join in. They'd tried their hardest to get the youngster interested but it hadn't worked. Spencer had just sat there clutching his bear and staring. Walking onto the porch and seeing said boy struggling to climb into a patio chair one armed, Aaron hurried over. "Would you like some help, Spencer?" he asked, remembering not to touch the boy.

Spencer looked up at the smiling man and shook his head. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he slid his casted arm out of the sling and used both arms to pull himself up. The four year old sat down and wiped his wet face before gently sliding his arm back in the blue sling.

Jackson bit the inside of his cheek to stop from scolding the boy for using his injured arm. The little guy needed his space right now and the ex-military man was going to make sure the kid got it.

Mary waited for everyone to sit down and then said, "Honey, would you bless the food?"

"Sure" Jackson replied. Taking his wife's hand, he laid his other hand beside Spencer's plate, closed his eyes, and began. "Dear Lord, thank you for bringing us all together and for the wonderful meal that has been prepared for us. And thank you for Spencer being here. We're all happy to have him with us. Please reassure him that he's safe here with us; that no one here will hurt him. And help him understand that all of us care about him and want to help him anyway we can. Amen."

"Amen" the group chorused.

Opening his eyes, Jackson was surprised to find Spencer staring intently at him. If he didn't know better, he'd have thought the kid had understood every word he'd said. But that was impossible. After all, the boy was only four. Wanting to wipe that expression off his foster son's face, Jackson gave him a reassuring smile. "Dig in Spencer" he instructed. Recalling the barely eaten lunch and the possible reasons for it, he added, "Eat as much as you want, okay? That food is all for you."

Spencer glanced from Jackson to the plateful of food and back in awe. All of that was his? They wanted him to have that much? Hoping it wasn't some kind of trick, the little boy began shoveling food into his mouth. If it was a trick, he wanted to eat as much as he could before they took it away. Shoving a spoonful of potatoes in his mouth, he grabbed a chicken leg and took an enormous bite, coughing as the potatoes went down the wrong way.

"Whoa there, buddy!" Jackson hollered. He raised the youngster's arms and patted him on the back, careful not to hit the child's welts. Once the coughing fit was over, he gently rubbed the panicked boy's back. "It's okay, Spencer. You're okay." He whispered. Feeling the youngster tense and flitch away, he quickly removed his hand. "Slow down a little buddy. Nobody's going to take it away from you. I promise."

Spencer eyed the muscle bound man skeptically before turning back to his food and digging back in, a tad bit slower this time.

Crisis averted, the family went back to their meal. They talked and laughed as they ate. Every few seconds, one or more of the adults checked on their littlest member to ensure he wasn't stuffing himself again. Seeing the youngster eating at a more reasonable rate, they relaxed.

Spencer finished off the last of his chicken and glanced around the table. He was still hungry but he knew better than to ask for more. He had been lucky to get such a big helping the first time. Gazing at all the luscious food, he sat back to wait for the adults to finish.

Dave sighed when he saw Spencer staring longingly at the plates of food. Knowing from experience that the boy wouldn't ask for seconds, the profiler swiftly came up with a plan. He hurriedly ate what was left of his food before placing a couple more chicken legs and another half a piece of corn on the cob. Picking up his refilled plate, he pushed away from the table and stood. "That was wonderful. My compliments to the chef." He said, rounding the table. "But I'm stuffed. I couldn't possibly eat another bite." Dave set his plate down beside the hungry child and walked away.

Reid peered at the deserted plate of food and then glanced over at the bearded man. Hearing him say he was going inside to catch the news, the little boy cocked his head to the side. He bit his lip as he attempted to determine what to do. Finally deciding to go for it, Spencer squared his shoulders. After risking a peek at the other adults, he reached out and snatched one of the chicken legs. Once that one was devoured, the four year old grabbed the other piece. Finishing that in record time, Spencer took the last item on the plate. He ate half of the corn before getting full. Putting the partially eaten cob back on the plate, he sat back with a contented sigh. It felt so good to have his tummy full.

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After finishing their meals, the group headed inside where Rossi was waiting for them. They chuckled as they took in the chess board sitting in the middle of the room. "Are you ready to get b, to lose?" Dave asked, changing his wording to avoid frightening the child in their midst.

"Who says I'm gonna lose?" Jackson fired back. "I'll have you know I've been practicing."

"Uh huh, I'll remind you of that after I wipe the floor with you." Dave gloated.

"Are you two going to talk or play?" Mary questioned. "Because I've gotta tell you, this posturing you're doing is getting old."

Rolling his eyes at his wife's comment, Jackson sat down across the board from Dave. "We're playing. We're playing." He huffed, moving up his white pawn.

Spencer avidly watched the first game, calculating moves in his head as the two combatants played. He could tell that the game wasn't a very fair one. Dave was a far more skilled player and that made for a very boring and short game. Seeing the men setting the pieces up for another game, Spencer suddenly had an idea. Maybe if he helped his foster father win the game, the man would consider that payment for the food. Maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to sleep through a whole night without someone coming in on him. Decision made, the little boy took a couple of steps to the right so he would be in his foster father's view. When the muscular man picked up his pawn, Spencer frantically shook his head.

Noticing the movement, Jackson set down his chess piece and looked over at his charge. Putting his hand over another piece, he received another head shake. Jackson kept touching pieces until he finally got a nod. He picked up the piece and after checking with the four year old, placed it further up the board. The senior Hotchner waited until Rossi finished his move and then repeated the process. He didn't know if his foster son knew how to play chess or not but he didn't really care either. The boy was connecting with him and that was all that mattered.

A couple of hours and several Jackson won games later, the family decided to call it a night. Spencer had started fisting his eyes and yawning, a sure sign that it was bedtime.

Yawning himself, Dave stood and stretched. "I think I'll be going now. It's past time for someone to be in bed." He said. "Thanks for the great supper. We'll have to do it again some time."

Spencer sleepily gazed up at the bearded man. He dropped his head onto the arm of the couch when the man headed for the door. That was one less person to worry about.

"Hold up, Dave. We'll walk out with you." Aaron called. "We should go too."

Hearing the smiling man say he was leaving drove Spencer to action. He leapt off the couch and raced over to the man. Latching onto Aaron's leg, the little boy proceeded to climb him like a tree. "No! No go!" he shouted. "Don't leave me! Please!"

Floored by the youngster's actions, Aaron stood stalk still for a moment. But his daddy instincts quickly kicked in and he wrapped his arms around the pleading boy. "Hey, it's okay buddy. You'll see me again tomorrow. I promise." He assured the child.

"No, stay" Spencer cried, tightening his grip on the man's neck.

"Spencer, I'm not sure…"

"It's alright Aaron. You're always welcome here. You know that." Jackson told his nephew.

Aaron gazed down at the trembling boy in his arms and nodded. "Okay, I'll stay." He agreed. He gently shifted the youngster to his hip and started for the back of the house. "Come on kiddo. Let's get you changed and in bed and then I'll read you a story. Would you like that?"

Getting a shy nod, Aaron smiled.

"There are clean pajamas on his bed." Mary called after them.

Aaron waved to show he had heard her and continued down the hall. After a quick stop at the boy's bedroom, he made his way into the bathroom. Holding Spencer with one arm, he pulled the boy's pajamas and underwear down and gently sat him on the toilet seat. Once the child had finished his business, the young man helped him clean up and put on a clean pair of pj's. He then scooped Spencer back up and carried the sleepy boy to his new room. He stopped and picked a book off the shelf before going over to the bed and taking a seat. Aaron scooted back until his back hit the headboard and settled the four year old beside him. Wrapping an arm around the trembling boy, he opened the children's book and began to read. They were both asleep in minutes.