I don't own Criminal Minds or the characters.
Sorry it's late. Warning- Emotional child abuse in this chapter, sorry.
The house was full of laughing children. Derek had never thought he would hear Spencer laugh so carelessly again. After the robbery everything had been so awful. Spencer and Charlie both had to go to a child psychologist, thankfully it was to the one Spencer had already. It had been a long couple of months, but now it seemed like everything was getting back on track.
Spencer did not want to go back to the house, Derek understood. His mother told him about a house for sale near hers. The house was okay but not really to his liking. It was by chance that he talked to his mother's neighbor. She was moving abroad to be with her husband. She had just come to the decision to sale. Now, three months later the house was theirs.
They were having a housewarming party at the moment. The house was full of most of his friends and family. Spencer was upstairs with his new gang. Derek didn't know what happened but it seemed Charlie was actually good for him. They moved in with his mom and her family until the house closed; Spencer moved in with Charlie. Spencer started talking more to other kids and now he had made friends with some neighborhood kids. Jack and Henry were playing along with them.
"You kids go on out back to play!" his mother yelled to the kids. He watched as Norris opened the door to usher the kids out it.
"Dad, can I sleep over at Nana's tonight?" Spencer asked, as he stood at the door.
"I thought tonight we were going to have pizza and sodas?" Derek tried to not let the feeling of rejection show on his face.
"We can do that anytime."
"You can have sleepovers anytime," he pointed out.
"Let him spend the night with your mom. That'll mean that we can go out," Sloane said from the entrance of the kitchen.
"Umm… I forgot. We were supposed to have ice cream too. I can't stay at Nana's tonight," Spencer said before walking out the opened door.
The room got very quiet for a moment before Pen broke the silence. "So, why wasn't I invited to ice cream with my two favorite men?" Patchy laughter sounded from the people in the large kitchen.
"Hey, what about me?" Kevin asked in mock anger. Everyone except Sloane laughed.
Things had started getting serious with Sloane as of late. The only real issue was Spencer's apparent dislike for her. The boy never said anything bad about her, or show anger but he could tell the boy didn't like her. He didn't know why there was friction between the two. It also didn't help that his friend and family didn't care for her either. He was a profiler for crying out loud, he knew he was high maintenance but she was a really good person.
"I really love this house," J.J. said looking over kitchen.
Derek did too, it was a beautiful two-story single family home. Brick with plantation shutters. Five bedrooms, his and hers baths in the master bath. Granite top counters, hardwood floors and in-ground pool in the back. It was something he usually wouldn't get but he fell in love with the place, and so had Spencer.
After everyone left he made the call for pizzas for him and Spencer.
"Pizza, soda and ice cream. Sounds like a man's meal to me," he said to Spencer.
Spencer giggled. "Are we going to watch a dumb ballgame?"
"I take offense to that," Derek said, laughing. "So you don't want to watch the Nationals vs. the Braves?"
"Please, Dad, not that. Anything but that," the boy pleaded.
"Okay, so how about that show your Aunt Penelope gave you?"
"Doctor Who?" Spencer asked with a slight groan.
"We can give it a shot. We want her to know we gave it a fair shot, right?"
"Right," Spencer pouted.
Derek put in the first DVD into the player. Then the doorbell rang, it had to be the pizza.
After setting the plates on the table and pouring their drinks, Derek pushed play on the remote.
Three hours later and Derek had to put a stop to the insanity. As the credits signaled the end of the third episode it was time to end this. He had tried after the first episode but Spencer pleaded for one more, same after the second. He would not be persuaded again.
"Okay, it's time for you to go take a bath and brush your teeth."
"But Dad…I can't."
"Why not?"
"We have to see where The Doctor and Rose go next."
"I think it'll wait until next weekend."
"Next weekend?" Spencer whined.
"Yes, tomorrow is a school night."
"I could watch it during the day," Spencer said hopefully.
"No television during the day. This usually isn't a problem."
Spencer glared at Derek before stomping upstairs. Derek didn't know if he should be proud or not of the boy. Before, anytime he asked Spencer to watch TV with him, the child would groan and say he had better things to do.
His phone started to ring as he was cleaning up from dinner.
"Morgan," he answered, not looking at the display.
"I was hoping you'd answer," Sloane said seductively.
"Hey, baby, why wouldn't I?"
"I thought you'd be too busy having your boys' night," she laughed lightly.
Derek really liked Sloane, he knew with time he might even love her. He just wished Spencer and her got alone better. Hopefully with time they would bond. They only needed time together, he was sure of it.
Two months later
They were just finishing up the paperwork when Hotch walked it.
"That's not good," Derek said.
"Christ, I had a date this weekend," Emily whined.
"Looks like that is out the window. I'm going to have to get a sitter for Spencer."
"I thought your mother watches him?"
"She usually does but they're in Chicago this week. Norris' mother passed away, the funeral is today. They won't be back until Sunday night." After the robbery Mrs. Carrington had a massive heart attack, she was still in rehab. She'd never be able to take care of Spencer again anyway, but the boy missed her.
"Grab your go bags, we'll do the briefing on the plane. Wheels up in thirty," Hotch said.
Great, now he would have to call from the plane. At the moment Spencer was at day camp. It had been a couple of months since they moved into their new home. Spencer has grown into a happy, healthy boy. He had a bunch of little friends in the neighborhood now. Just then an idea occurred to him. Why didn't he think of it earlier?
Spencer waited for his Aunt Penny to come get him. He like the old routine, unfortunately his Nana had to go to Chicago. It was even sadder that Charles and Evelyn were with her. Now his Aunt Penny picked him up and took him to daycare at Quantico. He hated daycare, it was for babies.
As he waited for his Aunt Penny to arrive he kicked at rocks by his shoes.
"Spencer."
He looked up and cringed. What was Sloane doing there? She walked up to him and the counselor, Luke, with him.
"Hello, my name is Sloane Jeffers, I believe Derek Morgan called you," she said to Luke.
"Yes ma'am,' Luke said. Spencer like Luke, he was a high schooler who volunteered at the camp.
"Where's Aunt Penny?" Spencer asked, not liking that Sloane was here.
"Work. Derek asked me to come over and get you. I'm going to stay at your house to watch you. Won't that be fun?" Her voice wasn't very nice.
"Can't I stay with Aunt Penny?"
"No, I'm staying with you. Come on," she said coldly.
Luke gave him a sympathetic smile before turning and walking away.
Spencer followed Sloane back to her car, dragging his feet. He didn't want to go with her but he didn't have any choice. When she looked at him sometimes he could feel her hate for him. Every time his dad asked why he didn't like her, he would tell him that he just didn't like her. He didn't want to his dad to get rid of him because his girlfriend didn't like him. He knew Sloane was more important to his dad than him, Sloane said so. It was clear because he never asked Sloane to be nice to him.
"Get in the back," she snapped at him.
As he opened the car door he noticed his booster seat wasn't there. "Where's my booster?"
"God, stop being such a fucking baby. Just get in the car and buckle up. It's not my fault you're smaller than normal five-year olds."
"I am normal," he said quietly. His dad said not everyone had to look or act the same. His mom said he was special but there was nothing wrong with him.
"Shut up, you're giving me a headache."
Spencer hunched down in the back of the car. He wanted his dad or Nana to come and get him. Once he got home he would call them and see if they would come home. He couldn't stop from crying, no matter how much he tried. Charles always told him that he would protect him, but he wasn't here. He was in Chicago, far, far away.
Once they arrived at home he watched as she stomped inside leaving him in the car. He didn't want to go inside the house with her but knew better than to disobey.
"Go to your room and stay there until dinner," Sloane said loudly when he came into the house.
"Can I call my dad?" He really needed to talk to him.
"No, tonight maybe. Go on up."
Spencer raced up to his room, throwing himself on his bed when he got there. He wanted his dad or his Nana. Pop wanted to give him his own phone but his dad said no. He wished he had it now because he wanted to talk to his dad.
"Dinner's ready," Sloane said knocking on his door hard. Spencer wiped the sleep out of his eyes, he didn't even know he had cried himself to sleep. Looking out the window he could tell it was dark already.
Walking groggily down the stairs he made his way to the kitchen table. His dad usually had them eat at the table in the kitchen or they would eat in front of the television. Watching in front of the television was only for sports and Doctor Who. They would watch two episodes every Saturday night his dad was home. They only had one more episode of season one. His dad promised to get season two.
"Don't sit there," Sloane snapped.
"Are we going to sit on the couch?" he asked hopefully. Maybe his dad told her he could watch Doctor Who tonight. He had the best dad ever.
"We aren't going to do anything. You are going to take your plate and eat in the bathroom."
"The bathroom?" That didn't make any since.
"Did I stutter?"
"No, but can't I eat at the table. I like to eat at the table." He really didn't want to eat in the bathroom.
"Okay, I'm going to explain this real slow for you. First, Derek is not your father, so call him Derek. Second, he doesn't want you here, he's just stuck with you. Third, now that I'm going to have Derek's real child he won't need you at all."
Tears started to fill his eyes. "I want to call my dad."
"You don't have a dad, he's dead. Derek called earlier and didn't want to talk to you. If you bring our little discussion up he'll just get rid of you sooner. Then where will you be?"
He was crying heavily now. "Nana and Pop will want me."
"Really? Now that she's having a real grandchild she won't have time for you. This one will be blood. She'll love this one."
"She loves Charles and Evelyn even though they aren't her blood," he said brokenly.
"Not really, she's just putting up with them because they are her husband's blood. You are nothing to them though. You are just a stupid little boy who has overstayed his welcome."
"My mom loves me," he said with certainty.
"Your mom doesn't know anything; she's never getting out of the funny farm. She'll be there until she dies. If everyone is lucky she'll off herself soon."
Spencer couldn't stay there anymore; he ran back up to his room. He locked the door, not wanting the mean woman to come in. No one loved him. He thought his dad…no Derek did but now he knew better. Now they wanted to be called by their names. She said if he asked his da-Derek he would get rid of him early. He wouldn't say anything, maybe Derek would change his mind. Maybe if he was real nice to Sloane she would be nice to him and talk his dad into letting him stay.
Derek groaned before laying back on the hard, hotel bed. Grabbing his phone, he called the number he had been wanting to call all day. He hoped Spencer wasn't in bed yet, he really wanted to talk to his little guy.
"I thought you'd never call," Sloane purred.
"Hey, baby, it's good to hear your voice. How's my little man?"
"He's went to bed early; he was really tired from camp."
"That sucks, I was hoping to talk to him." He sighed.
"You can always talk to me," she said with a light giggle.
"I know, I'm sorry. So how are you two getting along?"
"I think we've finally come to an understanding."
"That's great. So, what are you wearing?" He smirked into the phone as it got very hot in the hotel room.