Greetings Dear Readers-finally back again! I know-about time! There will be more drama and angst later, but let's have some fun and fluff for a while. Stand by for Little Spencer cuteness….
As usual, I do not own Criminal Minds or cannon characters, and no profit is made from this story.
Chapter 29
Dave drove to the airport, stopping along the way for sandwiches to feed the whole team. Spencer looked up as they pulled up next to the jet, and excitedly exclaimed "Oh Wow! Are we flying home in that?"
"Yes Buddy, we are" responded an amused Hotch, feeling very pleased that Spencer was already thinking of Virginia as home. "Have you ever been inside a plane before?"
"Uh-uh" the boy replied, shaking his head, broad grin upon his little face. "I only read about them in books. This is going to be awesome!"
"It will indeed" declared the Unit Chief with a grin of his own. "Would you like to see the cockpit before we take off, and meet the pilot and copilot?" At the youngster's enthusiastic nod, Hotch unlatched their seatbelts and exited the SUV, carefully climbing the steps up into the plane. He asked Morgan to go down and help Rossi with the food as he carried the child up the center aisle to the cockpit door and knocked firmly.
"Well, well-who do we have here?" queried a tall blonde man as he opened the cockpit door and smiled gently at the excited child.
"My name is Spencer, and Aaron is my new Daddy!" declared the boy, wide grin still present. "Can we see the cockpit?"
"Of course you can Spencer! I'm Brian, the copilot, and this is Steve the pilot" he introduced his shorter brunette partner, as both reached out to shake the child's tiny hand, murmuring "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"It is a pleasure for me as well" Spencer returned in a formal tone, serious expression on his face. "Thank-you for allowing us into your workspace. I promise not to disturb anything."
After exchanging grins at one another and Hotch for the boy's cuteness, the charmed pilots showed their little visitor all the controls and buttons, explaining what each did, and let him sit in the pilot's chair for a bit. Steve then pinned a winged emblem onto the child's shirt, and told him he was now an official trainee. Spencer was delighted to say the least. Waving goodbye to his new friends as Hotch carried the boy to their seats and buckled him in, he smiled happily and greeted each of his new 'aunts' and 'uncles' by name. They greeted him back with cheerful smiles and Morgan, who was seated right across the aisle from him, began to discuss plans with him to visit some of DC's main attractions. This kept the boy sufficiently distracted during take-off, and Hotch gave Derek a grateful look and nod.
Once they were airborne, and the fasten seatbelts sign turned off, Aaron unbuckled Spencer and held him up to the window so he could see Vegas below them. The boy was suitably impressed. The group then dug into the sandwiches and chips that had been brought aboard along with waters and sodas from the plane's mini kitchen. Rossi walked to the front of the plane to share the bounty with the flight crew to their utter delight. Listening to the light conversation amongst his aunts and uncles, along with a full tummy, soon lulled Spencer into a peaceful sleep, and the rest of the BAU crew soon joined him in slumber as the plane continued its long journey.
The dinging of the seatbelt sign awoke Hotch, and he immediately set about getting the rest of his group awake and strapped in for landing. "OK folks, here is the plan" announced the Unit Chief as soon as all were buckled in and able to pay attention. "Prentiss, JJ and Spencer all go with me to urgent care at the hospital for evaluation and will proceed as directed. Rossi and Morgan, go home and get some rest-after you two help me get that box of books in my vehicle if you could please. I'll take the casefiles too. And the Bear of course."
"You gonna have room for all that Aaron?" smirked Rossi. "Why don't you let me drop the casefiles off at the office-you're going to be kinda busy I think."
"Ok-good point Dave. Thanks. As long as I have room for the books and the bear Spencer should stay happy, right sport?" declared Hotch, looking to the child next to him. "Uh-huh!" the boy agreed enthusiastically.
"Hotch, we were released, why can't we just go home too?" complained Prentiss. "I promise to check in with my Dr. Honest, pinkie swear!"
"Yeah" joined in the petite blonde, "I would rather see my own Dr. too…cross my heart, I'll go as soon as I wake up from a 4 hour nap!"
"Now, ladies, what kind of example are you setting for Spencer!? I promised your doctors at the hospital you would follow up as soon as we hit the ground, and I also promised Nurse Ann I wouldn't let you two talk me out of it. Besides, you'll need prescriptions for medications, and I will need to know how long to keep you home." Hotch cajoled, fighting to keep a smile off of his face.
"Ok, Ok" both wearily gave in. "Let's get it over with" added Emily.
The box of books was wrestled down the stairs of the jet and into Hotch's SUV, as was the bear, and the injured agents got into the back seat, with Spencer buckled in between them. The bear rode shotgun.
After everyone was seen and cleared to go home, the tired father drove the ladies back to the airstrip to retrieve their vehicles, with strict instructions to take 3 weeks off and follow-up with their physicians within a week. With an exhausted sigh, Hotch turned his SUV homeward, nervous about how the first meeting between the boys would go yet anxious to be home.
Next time: The boys meet!
