Disclaimer: Criminal Minds isn't mine! Neither are it's characters :(
A/N: Again amazing BETA work by peanutmeg. Without her this story would be a bumbling mess.
Holding Spencer's hand tightly, Stephanie led him into the building and into the main room. Dragging her new little playmate to the corner table she pulled out a chair and patted the seat and turned to him with a smile "Now you ssit down. I'll get the color book!". Releasing her grip on his little hand she ran to a little bookshelf nearby.
Spencer watched her go and then immediately scanned the area for Derek.
Running back with a colorbook clutched to her chest Stephanie frowned. "What'ss wrong?". Following his gaze she spotted the dark man talking to Mrs. Annie by the entryway. "Don't worry SSpencer. We'll only sstart coloring a little. Look..." she held the colorbook out and opened it to a random page. Spencer looked at the picture and at her furrowing his brows. "We'll color the puppy and the kitty" the little girl paused, thinking, ".. well.. you color the puppy I'll color the kitty and your daddy can color the doghouse. We'll ssave him ssomething to color don't worry." With her toothy smile she walked past the little boy and placed the coloring book on the table and took a seat.
"C'mon SSpencer the puppy is cold. He can only get warm if you color him in.". She patted the seat again and grabbed a box of crayons from the table, scattering them all over the surface. "You can color him whatever color you want. Even purple." She held up the purple crayon and waved it at him.
Spencer looked from the girl back to Derek. When he heard her patting the chair a third time he hesitantly turned back to her and went over.
As Spencer stood near the chair staring at it Stephanie frowned. Pushing her chair back and hopping off she went to his side and attempted to lift him onto it.
"Woah woah. No no no." Before Stephanie knew what was going on she felt Spencer being lifted out of her hold. Turning around in confusion she saw the dark man placing him at his side.
Crouching down Derek looked at the little girl and began "I know you were trying to help him up but that was dangerous. I know he looks little but you're little too." Derek paused and made sure Stephanie was paying attention, "Lifting him up could have had you both hurting yourselves. What if he was too heavy and you ended up getting hurt? What if he was too heavy and you both got hurt because you found you couldn't hold him and ended up dropping or falling with him?".
Stephanie looked at the man before her in puzzlement. "I wass jusst putting him on the chair. You're like my dad he'ss sscared of everrrrrything.". The little blonde chuckled and as a result of her contagious little laugh, Spencer joined in.
Raising an eyebrow with a defensive look on his face Derek turned his attention to Spencer "What are you laughing at huh?" he gently pushed the little boy back causing him to squeal in laughter and turned back to Stephanie "I just don't want you hurting yourself or Spencer, even if it is an accident.".
Stephanie nodded. "Can you put him on the chair then? I don't think he can get up by himsself". She looked to Derek then back at the chair.
"Of course. And from now on when you wanna help him up somewhere he can't reach you call an adult to help alright?" Derek waited for her to nod and then lifted Spencer up onto the chair and took the seat next to him "So what are we coloring?".
While he finished filling the roof of the doghouse in with the red crayon Derek's cell rang. Reaching down to his side he fished his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open with a curt "Morgan.".
"Hello my beautiful Chocolate God.. What are you doing? Where are you? Should I be jealous?" Penelope Garcia's voice filled the device near his ear.
"I'm.." looking down as Spencer colored in a puppy ear with a purple crayon, the agent smiled and leaned back "I'm coloring.".
Garcia squealed into the phone and Derek moved it away from his ear. When the noise died down he brought it back "Babygirl! You're gonna pop an eardrum.".
"Sorry" Morgan rolled his eyes as he waited for the inevitable torrent of words, "It's just – .. you're coloring! Derek Morgan the ladies' man... MY man is coloring. I want twelve copies." Derek heard a click and sighed, placing his phone back in his pocket. "Girl is crazy" he muttered to himself.
Stephanie's head popped up "Who's babygirl?". She looked over to Morgan and stopped coloring.
Derek looked up, remembering that he didn't just have Spencer for knowing he had been heard
"Just a friend," he smiled,. "Speaking of though..I gotta take baby boy here and get going. It was nice coloring with you, Stephanie." Derek lifted Spencer off the chair and placed him by his side.
"Bye guyss" Stephanie smiled and got back to coloring.
As the boys got to the entryway they heard a little voice from behind calling them. Spinning around Derek look down at the little blonde holding up a paper.
"Here. You guyss can have it. I finisshed. Pluss you colored more than I did." handing the picture over to Derek she smiled and ran off "SSee you later SSpencer!".
Derek looked at the picture and smiled before handing it to Spencer "Looks like you get to keep purp".
Spencer took the picture and looked up at Derek "whatsa purr?".
Derek turned and walked them out the door "It's purp. It's the dog. You colored him purple.. He needs a name right? I thought it fit.".
Walking across the parking lot and to his car Derek opened the back and placed Spencer in his car seat.
"what's her name?". Derek looked up from buckling Spencer in to see him pointing at the cat. "I don't know.. What do you think we should call her?". Closing the back door he made his way to the front and got in.
As he started the car he looked back in the rearview mirror at the little boy studying the picture hard. "She's orange. We could call her Ori." he suggested as he watched the little boy's brows furrow.
Pulling out of the parking lot he made his way back to the BAU.
"they're hungry" Spencer pipped up as they were halfway to the office.
Derek looked into the rearview mirror "Who's hungry, kid?".
"purp n' ori"
Derek smiled. "Well I'll tell you what. When we get home we'll hang them on the fridge so that they have full access to the fridge and they're never hungry."
Pulling up to the BAU building Derek drove into the garage and parked. Getting out of the vehicle he walked over to Spencer's side and opened the door, releasing him from the car seat. Placing him beside him he shut the car door and grabbed the boy's hand to lead him to the elevators.
Clutching the coloring book page tightly in his other little fist Spencer walked happily with Derek into the small compartment.
Before pushing the button inside Derek picked up the toddler and held him close, Spencer had an issue standing alone when the elevator moved and found it more tolerable when being held. Which Derek found out that morning when Spencer had a near panic attack when the box began to move making his little body wobble.
When the two made it into the bullpen they were greeted right away by JJ. "How'd it go?" smiling she eyed the little boy in Morgan's arms. "What's that?" she asked Spencer pointing at the paper in his hand.
"purp and ori," the little boy responded happily. Extending the now crumpled picture out he showed the blonde. Reaching out carefully the liaison took the paper and looked it over. "This is beautiful work, Spence. I think we may have just found your talent." Smiling she ruffled his hair. Becoming bashful Spencer sucked in his lips and buried his head into Morgan's chest.
Deciding he couldn't resist, Morgan spoke up "I colored the doghouse you know," he announced, a sly smile plastered on his face.
Lifting her brow JJ looked at her colleague "Well I wasn't gonna say anything but..…" she started with a grin.
Prentiss having heard the last part of the conversation as she walked by broke out into laughter. Coming to stand by JJ she looked at the picture in the blonde's hands. "Yep. Masterpiece minus that one little doghouse right there in the corner" she smirked, trying to keep from laughing before walking away.
Narrowing his eyes with a smile of his own Derek was about to open his mouth when JJ spoke up.
"Don't worry I'm sure Garcia will love it". Handing the picture back to Spencer she gently rubbed his cheek and smiled back at Derek with a wink.
Looking to Spencer Derek shook his head. "You liked my doghouse right, pretty boy?". Lifting his head up to look Derek in the eyes Spencer nodded.. Nodding his head in determination and staring off to where JJ left he took the picture from Spencer "Come on, let's show Garcia.".
Tapping her pink fluffy pen against her chin Garcia hummed while looking at her computer monitor. A slight knock on the door had her ears perk up "Who doth trespass?".
"It's just me and Spencer, babygirl"
Hearing Morgan's voice on the other side of the door brought a smile to the tech's face. Spinning around in her chair she got up and opened the door. Squealing at the sight of the boy in his arms she reached both hands out "Gimme! gimme!".
Shaking his head with a smile Morgan handed the boy over. Spencer willingly let himself be passed off. He was still getting used to these people but he found himself taking a liking to the two blondes right away.
"Garcia look at this picture and tell me what you think." Morgan handed her the picture in his hand and folded his arms over his chest giving her a serious look.
Shifting Spencer onto her right hip she grabbed the paper and smiled hugely. "I LOVE IT!". Spencer's cheeks grew red as he smiled.
"What about the doghouse though? What do you think of the doghouse?" Morgan asked, determined to prove a point.
Garcia's eyes lowered and she spotted the red doghouse in the corner "It makes me want to be an animal from a coloring book so I could live in it". Her eyes popped back up to meet Derek's and she saw his huge grin. "I'm gonna make copies.".
Before Derek could speak the tech sped past him with a whoosh.
Derek exited her lair and bumped into Hotch.
"Morgan," Hotch nodded towards the man, "Shouldn't you be working on those files?" he cocked an eyebrow at his subordinate.
"Yeah Hotch I'm gonna do it right now. I just need to go get Spencer back." Morgan attempted to take a step forward but was stopped by Hotch's voice.
"Where is he?"
"With Garcia." Morgan made another attempt to leave when the older man opened his mouth again.
"Then he's fine. Get to work." Hotch gave the younger man a no-nonsense look. Derek was ready to protest when Garcia came back with a stack of copies in one hand and Spencer in her arm. She smiled hugely at Derek and entered her office.
Hotch gave Morgan another look as the tech passed them. "There. Now you know where they are." Hotch gave him a look and Morgan sighed.
Throwing a look at the now closed door Morgan went back to his desk and began the tedious task of completing his paperwork.
Thirty minutes into his second file Garcia came rushing into the bullpen holding Spencer's hand and a book. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?".
Cocking an eyebrow Derek looked from Garcia to Spencer and back again. "Tell you what?".
"THIS" she shoved the book into Derek's hands and he looked it over
"The Princess and the Pea?" he read aloud. Looking down at Spencer he lifted a brow before turning his shocked gaze on Garcia "Why do you have this?" he asked her.
"It's one of my favorite fairytales" she explained tilting her head at his reaction. "Anyway that's besides the point!" grabbing the book back from the agent, she gave it to Spencer. "Why didn't you tell me?" she stated again.
"Tell you what? Babygirl I have no idea what you're talking about. And maybe you should tell me 'cause now I'm starting to worry.". He placed his folder down and leaned back in his chair.
Garcia narrowed her eyes looking him over to see if he was telling the truth. "Spencer,.. go to page five."5".
Morgan gave Garcia a disbelieving look, "Babygirl he can't do that. He's two he doesn't even know how to..." Morgan looked over at Spencer opening the book to none other than page five.
Garcia smiled smugly. "Spencer go to page thirteen.".
Spencer licked his bottom lip and flipped through the pages till he got to 13.
"What did you guys do? Rehearse this?" Morgan scoffed.
Garcia looked over Morgan and onto his desk. "Give him that book and try it out.". Morgan picked up Rossi's book and handed it to Spencer. "Go to page 28" he instructed. Spencer opened the book and landed it on 28 and gave it back to Derek.
"Impressed?" Garcia beamed. "Check this. Spencer who does it say is the author of that book is?".
"Garcia – .." Morgan shook his head not believing it was possible.
"Morgan! Just show him the cover" Garcia demanded.
Sighing Morgan lifted the book so Spencer could see.
"David Rossi" Spencer immediately replied after giving the book a quick glance.
Morgan's eyebrow shot up. "No way.".
