(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters)

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter.

Hopefully this is out on time. Fingers crossed. I was cutting corners with this update.

I'm not sure when or if there will be a chapter next week. I'm super busy. It's my birthday, I've got work and I've got my final uni assignments so please prepare for delays. :(

Anyway, Enjoy this chapter.

Spencer was glad to get out of the house on Friday. Brandy and Charity had been over every day since he'd come home and Spencer was counting down the hours until his sick leave was up.

He got into work and to his desk with a surmounting feeling of relief. His dad had tightened his sling before he'd left and, to Spencer's embaressment, had packed him a lunch. So all he had to do was sit back in his chair and stare at the staggering amount of files in his tray.

"Pretty boy!"

Spencer glanced around and saw Morgan walking over to his desk, his arms open wide and welcoming.

"Hi, Derek."

Morgan grinned and walked over, wrapped his arms around Spencer's shoulders, wary of his injured one. "Good to see you back, genius," he said, ruffling Spencer's hair fondly.

"Thanks," Spencer said, mumbling about his hair as he fixed it with his one loose hand.

"Ah, put it back. It looked cool."

Spencer snorted, restoring order to his wavy hair and narrowing his eyes at Morgan.

"You're early," he said and he glanced toward the glass doors.

"Not for long," Morgan said.

Emily and JJ came in together and Spencer ducked his head to try and avoid their normal smothering. He didn't escape. He felt JJ's arms around him and a kiss being pressed to his cheek that had him blushing.

"Stop," he mumbled when Emily patted his cheek.

"You're my nephew, Spence, I'm just making sure you're alright," JJ said as Spencer rubbed his cheek. Spencer looked around to see if anyone had been watching.

"Cool sling."

"Thanks, Emily," Spencer said and he smiled sarcastically.

"Yea, Prentiss had one of those on a while ago, it really was one of her best looks."

"Shut up, Derek."

"Hey, don't talk to your uncle like that," Derek snapped with false sternness and Spencer turned back toward his desk with a smirk.

Emily moved to her desk but she leaned over it and continued to watch Spencer. "You should prepare yourself," she said, glancing up and smiling before looking back at Spencer.

Spencer looked up from the file he'd slid out of his tray and frowned. "Why?"

Emily looked up again, smiling broadly and Spencer was about to follow her gaze when he heard her.

"SPENCER!"

"Oh no," Spencer mumbled and although he didn't need to, he glanced around and saw Penelope storming through the bullpen. Spencer shrunk down in his chair and looked up at Emily, his eyes glistening with a silent plea.

"Told you so," Emily said with a laugh and she slid down into her own seat, unwilling to save Spencer.

Spencer pulled his chair close to his desk and curled up in it as he glanced across at Morgan who was laughing, his arms folded casually.

"Spencer! Angel cakes! Why didn't anyone tell me you were back today?!"

Spencer's chair was forcefully spun around and he quickly plastered a smile on his face when he faced Garcia. "Hi, auntie pen," he mumbled.

"Are you meant to be back? Are you okay? Do you feel ill? I can take you home. Should I take the day-"

Spencer lifted his good arm up, chuckling nervously as he interrupted Penelope's rambling.

"I'm fine," Spencer said and he stood up, smiling sheepishly. "I'm okay. Aaron said I could come back today. I feel fine."

Garcia looked up at him for a moment before pulling him into her embrace.

"I've been so worried about you," she muttered, cupping the back of Spencer's head and brushing her fingers through his hair.

"I'm good. I promise."

Garcia pulled back and looked him over critically. "Hmm," she mumbled. "When did you get so tall?"

Spencer snorted. Penelope always liked to mention how tall he'd gotten. She was offended when, at thirteen, he'd hit a growth spurt that had unfairly put his height past hers.

Garcia let him go after another minute and she glanced up at Hotch's office.

Spencer looked up too as he slowly sat back down.

"I nearly forgot," Garcia said. They could see Hitch behind his blinds, just standing and looking out.

"He's probably feeling..." Emily shrugged and looked across at JJ to help her out.

"Sad," JJ mumbled, her own eyes looking up sadly at Hotch's office.

"Why?" Spencer said, looking around at his team and then up at their unit-chief's office.

Morgan smiled sympathetically and he patted Spencer's head like he was some dog. "It's Hotch's last day."

Spencer looked back up at the office and he saw Aaron beside his window, looking back out at them.

"Oh yea," Spencer said and he rubbed a hand down his face. "I forgot."

"I thought you didn't forget anything," Morgan said with a chuckle and Spencer smiled back weakly. He hadn't really forgotten. He just tried to forget.

The day was uneventful and Spencer hated it. He hated that Aaron's last day was so mundane. It felt like an injustice. He kept glancing up at Aaron's office. He wasn't doing much work, mostly packing his things away and greeting anyone passing by with a more jovial attitude than normal.

"Your old man get drinks in?" Spencer jumped and glanced around. Morgan had his bag over his shoulder and was leaning back on the divide between Spencer and Emily's desks. It seemed the work day was nearly over.

"Uh... probably."

"Great. I need to go home and shower then I'll be over."

"Sorry, what's happening?"

Spencer was frowning at Morgan who scowled back.

"Rossi said he'd host Aaron's retirement party. Didn't you know?"

Spencer looked away. His dad and Aaron hadn't mentioned that. Perhaps to spare his feelings or maybe they were too nervous to talk to Spencer about it considering it was a fragile subject.

Morgan thumped the back of Spencer's chair, gaining his attention again when Spencer winced.

"See you there, kid," he said, waving Spencer off.

"Y-Yea, okay."

Spencer watched Morgan leave and then he glanced up at Aaron's office. To his surprise, Aaron was standing outside of his door, gazing out at the bullpen. His gaze fell on Spencer and his soft smile spread.

"Hey, buddy," he said, forgetting in his nostalgic moment that Spencer wasn't the two-year-old boy who had hidden under the conference room table anymore.

"Just us," he added and Spencer looked up and around to see that the bullpen was indeed empty.

Spencer looked back at Aaron with sad eyes. "I'm going to miss you," he said.

Aaron folded his arms but continued to smile. "I always dreamed of retiring," Aaron said. "I always thought about that moment I was ready to move on from this place. You know what's funny, Spencer? I don't think I'll ever have that feeling."

Spencer watched Aaron with eyes full of wonder.

"I could work here with you and our team until I died. That's the problem with us all. We don't know when to say enough is enough. I'm going to miss this place like you wouldn't believe." He sighed and dropped his arms to his side, moving slowly to the stairs.

"Y-you can come back," Spencer said quickly, rising out of his chair. Aaron smirked and raised his eyebrows at the young man. "You can come on cases when you get bored."

"That's my point, Spencer. I don't know how to stop. After our last case though, I realised how precious life is. I thought I was going to die. Then I thought you weren't going to pull through. We can't live like that forever. So..." Aaron got to the bottom of the stairs, his hand falling slowly from the rail. "Help me say goodbye."

Spencer went with Aaron around their desks, then to his office and then Rossi's old one.

Aaron started chuckling to himself and Spencer turned around and scowled at him.

"What?"

Aaron stifled his laugh and shook his head. "Nothing... I just... well... I just remember you making this place your personal play room." He chuckled softly as Spencer glanced around. "Dave and I came in here after leaving you for ten minutes alone and you'd..." Aaron snorted. "You'd attempted science magic."

Spencer blushed. "Uh... yea, I remember that", he said, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I added too much accelerant."

"Foam was coming out of the door!"

Spencer smiled as Aaron started laughing again.

"Your dads face," he said, wiping at his eyes. Spencer retreated from the room and they shut the door quietly behind.

"Should we go?" he asked. Aaron looked away from him and into the conference room.

"Give me one minute," he mumbled and he walked slowly into the room. Spencer watched as he walked around the chairs, pausing at his own and smiling.

After a moment he nodded and walked from the room, putting his arm around Spencer's shoulder and turning him away.

"Come on," he said fondly. "Let's go see your old man."

Spencer was thrilled when he got to his dad's house and found the two strange women who had been terrorising him for nearly a week, had cleared the premises.

He hugged his dad, and squeezed him a little tighter, a 'thank you' for getting Charity and Brandy away.

He then set about helping with food. They were having a barbecue but Dave had always taught his son to never rely on the grill.

They made salads and cold pasta dishes and as they were setting up the grill, Aaron came back with Jack and Beth.

Morgan showed up next, alone, aside from a nearly full bottle of rum.

He set it down and smirked at Spencer who turned his nose up at the bottle. "I wasn't offering any," he said with a laugh.

JJ came next with Will and Henry. Emily and Garcia came together, the latter hurrying into the garden with bags under each arm, one with alcohol and soda and the other with cakes and donuts.

Rossi started grilling and Spencer sat down at one of the patio tables with Morgan. He was ready to start enjoying himself when two more guests arrived.

Spencer saw her bleach blonde hair through the window and he groaned.

Charity walked out onto the back porch, her hair freshly done, likely by some expensive salon and her outfit pushed her breasts to the forefront of her figure.

"David, baby!" she cried, nearly tackling Dave from the grill when she hugged him.

"Hide me," Spencer mumbled, trying to step behind Morgan who was looking around in confusion.

"What?"

"Spencey!"

Spencer frowned and poked up from where he'd been trying to hide. "Hi, Brandy," he said through gritted teeth. Brandy was sneering at him before she looked up at Morgan. Her eyes changed suddenly and she beamed at him.

She offered her hand and said "Brandy McLeod. That's my mum over there."

"Pleasure," Morgan said with a similar distaste as Spencer had displayed.

Brandy pulled her hand away and folded one arm, the other raised and holding her glass of wine. She was wearing a strange shade of green in the form of a cocktail dress. Her heels were bright red and complimented the band in her hair, pushing her hair off her face. Spencer thought she was trying too hard to look young. He remembered a British phrase he'd once read: mutton dressed as Lamb. Spencer had to hold back a laugh.

"Kinda cold," Brandy murmured, pushing her chest out and smiling up at Derek. "Doesn't dad have a fire pit, Spencey?"

"He's my dad," Spencer mumbled quietly.

"Huh?"

"I said it's warm enough. I don't want dad to have to pull out the fire pit."

Brandy looked Spencer up and down. "You could do it," she said and Morgan scoffed looking down at Spencer and zeroing in on his sling.

"I don't think so," he said and Brandy turned and scowled up at Derek.

"I need my cardigan then." She looked back at Spencer, still sneering. "Maybe you should get some more drinks. Inside," she added and she smiled up at Derek again before slowly moving away.

Spencer sat back down at the table, watching with narrowed eyes as Brandy went to his father and leaned over his shoulder to whisper in his ear.

"She's charming," Morgan said, taking his seat again at the table. Spencer nodded, glancing at his drink once again before grabbing it and taking a deep gulp. He pulled it away and wiped his mouth.

"Tell me about it," he muttered and without thinking he drank again.

"Easy, kid. You're not meant to drink while on antibiotics," Morgan said as he reached out to pull the glass away.

"I'm not a kid anymore Der-" Spencer paused when he saw the look Morgan was sending his way. "Sorry, uncle Derek. They're nightmares and dad just overlooks it constantly."

Derek lifted his beer bottle up to his own lips and nodded. "Yea... I didn't think ya dad was this desperate. Wanna come stay with me?"

"What about Savannah?"

Derek looked away quickly. Spencer noticed then that Savannah wasn't there, the sudden realisation shocked him and he felt guilty for not noticing her lack of presence before.

"She's staying at her sisters."

Spencer narrowed his eyes before choosing his next words carefully. "What did you do?"

"Wha-?"

"She wouldn't miss this for no reason. What's going on?"

Morgan blinked at Spencer for a few moments before he set his bottle down and lifted his hands to his face. "Kid," he said with a sigh. "You're the one who's meant to come to me for advice."

"No offence, uncle Derek, but I wouldn't want relationship advice from you... or Aaron or Luke and especially not my dad. Have you not seen his type?"

Morgan shook his head and chuckled.

"No, none of you get my 'type.'"

"That not being the opposite sex? Look kid, guys aren't so different from ladies. I like to be given gifts and... pleasure ya know... love."

Spencer snorted. "You're making me question my own sexuality here. Besides we were talking about your relationship."

Spencer glanced at Morgan who looked down, sighed and took a sip of his drink.

"I did... well no, I didn't do enough. That's the problem. She wants more affection which isn't easy for me since we get home, sleep, eat and come back to work."

Moran sighed, tilting his head up and pursing his lips together.

They sat back, both basking in each other's problems. Rossi interrupted when he held up a cooked burger off the grill with a proud grin.

"Grubs up, pretty boy," Morgan said and with a huff he pushed out of his chair.

Spencer followed after him. "Derek?"

"Hmm?" Derek glanced around at his young nephew.

Spencer gave a sad smile. "I hope Savannah comes to the next one," he said.

Derek face softened a little and he reached out and ruffled Spencer's hair gently and with an endearing fondness. "Me too, kid."

Thanks for reading. I have a feeling this is late... I'm writing this on Wednesday evening and I still have so much to write so fingers crossed you got this Thursday. Nope... it's Friday... soooooreeey

Anyway, let me know your thoughts in the reviews.

See you soon, stay safe.