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

Thanks to for reviewing the last chapter and anyone who read it.

Please keep reviewing, it really means a lot. I was so busy last week and I was late on posting my updates and the one thing that really brings me to write is reading what you guys think and knowing that there is a reason I write.

We left off on a sour note, let's see what happens.

Enjoy

"He was acting out again." Charity was talking again but Spencer kept his eyes low, glaring at the floor. He knew that if he took one look at Charity's tight puckered face that he might not be able to control the words that would no doubt fall from his mouth.

Aaron, on the other hand, lifted his head and looked at Charity who had before then been too occupied with her phone.

Aaron took note of the word 'again' that Charity had used. She wasn't denying what had happened before with Spencer.

"You did this."

Charity and Aaron looked between them where Spencer was sat with his arms on his knees, glaring down at the floor. Spencer sighed. He'd failed to keep his mouth shut, the anger twisting around in his guts.

"Excuse me, young man?"

Spencer tilted his head, his eyes narrowed as he glared at Charity. "You poisoned him."

Charity snorted and she looked across at Aaron who was also glowering at her, watching her body language closely. As Aaron expected, she sank back, her gaze become shifty.

"I never touched your father," she snapped. "He drank enough to do this to himself."

"Don't you dare blame this on alcohol. Dad barely drinks and when does he's not mean!" Spencer glanced back at Aaron who nodded, knowing Rossi to be a strangely wise drunk. "What I saw was a drug overdose, something my dad could never conceive of doing."

"Maybe you don't know your daddy as well as you think," Charity said and Aaron quickly grabbed Spencer's arm, preventing an outburst before it started.

"They'll find whatever you've been giving him and he'll tell me exactly what happened," Spencer said and he smirked at Charity with a sense of evil triumph. "And you'll be arrested. You won't get anymore money from us."

Spencer turned and stared up at the door, behind which his father was. He pressed his hands against his knees, waiting to be let inside.

Charity sagged back nervously. She pressed a long nail between her teeth but quickly pulled it out when she caught Aaron watching her.

Aaron looked down at Spencer and put his hand on the young-man's shoulder. "Morgan will be here soon. I text him a while ago now."

"Good..." Spencer didn't look away from the door.

They sat awkwardly, Charity shifting back and forth in her seat until Morgan's loud voice boomed down the hall and she jumped up from her seat.

"Spencer!" Morgan called, walking faster down the hall while Charity straightened her skirt with shaky hands.

Charity turned, knocking past Morgan as she stumbled away. "I need to use the restroom," she said, hurrying down the hall as Morgan scowled after her.

"What's up with her?"

"She's acting," Spencer said bitterly. Morgan glanced toward the hospital room and then back at Aaron and Spencer.

"Hotch you didn't tell me what happened? Why's Rossi in there?"

Aaron ran his hand down his face and met Morgan's gaze. "Overdose."

"What!? How the hell did that happen?"

"Charity that's how," Spencer said. He was still glaring at the end of the hall where Charity had run to.

Morgan sat down slowly. "She drugged him?"

"He wouldn't do it himself!"

"Alright, kid, I get it-"

"You don't! I told you all she was bad news! I told you he needed to get away from them!" Spencer cried and he jumped back when Morgan turned sharply.

"I listened to you," Morgan said. "I agreed too. But what could we do?"

Spencer turned his head and looked down into his lap.

"Are you sure it's her doing it?"

"She's the only one living with him... and Brandy," Spencer muttered. Morgan nodded along with him.

"We'll have a talk with her when she's back," Morgan said. He glanced down the hall. "And if she doesn't come back I'll go and find her myself."

Morgan sat back and folded his arms, settling in for the wait. After another twenty minutes Morgan patted his legs, eager for a coffee.

"So-" Morgan was cut off from his question about coffee by the doors to Rossi's room opening. Spencer stood up, as did Hotch who reached out and pulled him back.

"How is he?" Spencer asked. "Did you find what caused it? He's okay right?"

"We have run blood tests and are waiting for them to come back. Whatever caused this will be found, Mr. Rossi, I assure you."

"It's doctor," Aaron said half-heartedly and the doctor frowned, glancing at Spencer.

"My dad is Mr. Rossi," he said and he smiled. "I'm a doctor."

"Are you? My apologies, you're so young I didn't think... not of medicine I suppose."

"No, science. And it's fine, just call me Spencer anyway." Spencer licked his lips, looking past the doctor and at the door. "Can I see him now?"

The doctor nodded slowly but he stopped Spencer when he moved forward. "One more question," he said and Spencer stepped back to look at him. The doctor cleared his throat and asked, "did your father take the drugs himself? It's only this level of overdose would be difficult to achieve on his own."

Spencer looked back at Aaron who nodded. "I think his girlfriend poisoned him."

Morgan stood up and headed down the hall.

The doctor looked up suddenly. "Oh. Did they argue?"

"I'm not sure but she's the only one whose been living with him and my dad wouldn't take anything unless coerced."

"And where is she now? It's best we contact the police," the doctor said and he followed Spencer's gaze to the seats behind them.

"She was here," he mumbled as Morgan went down the corridor and peered around the corner.

"She said she was only going to the restroom," he said. "That was at least twenty minutes ago."

Spencer stared back at Morgan. "She's gone," he said and Morgan nodded.

"Sounds guilty to me. I'll contact the police. Dr. Rossi, you can head on in. Only you please."

"I've got it, doc," Morgan said and he pulled his phone out, moving away from them before dialling.

Spencer brushed his cheeks quickly, feeling them hot with emotion as he did. He looked at Aaron who smiled and just motioned to the door.

"Thanks."

Spencer pushed open the door, deaf to the voices in the corridor behind him. He froze in the doorway, his eyes on his dad who was lay on his back, tucked in with crisp hospital sheets. Spencer felt a lump build in his throat as he saw the pale complexion of his fathers skin against the white sheets. There was little contrast. His skin seemed thin, translucent and holding the same fragility as a tissue. Spencer saw the tubes burrowing into the crook of his dad's arm and his nose crinkled in a wince when he saw the dark bruise spreading in the spot the tube entered.

Spencer moved away from the door, letting it close quietly behind him. The clicking of the lock set a flicker of movement across the bed and Spencer stepped back when he saw his dad's head rise shakily.

They looked at each other, two sets of honey brown eyes searching the other. One for forgiveness the other for love.

"Spencer?"

Spencer's lip trembled when he heard the frail tone in his dads voice.

The elder reached shakily for his bed remote and pushed his weak thumb against a button which started to lift the head of the bed, lifting Rossi into a reclined position where he could see his son without struggle.

"Spence... come here?" Rossi's voice rose in question, his brows heavy as he watched his son move nervously across the room.

"Papa?" Spencer looked up and down his fathers body, taking in the fact that closeness only worsened his condition. Spencer could see now the dark circles under his eyes and the heavy red tint rimming each eyelid. His cheeks were hollow and pale and there was a bruise on his jaw, which Spencer deduced was where he'd hit the floor.

"Are you okay?" Spencer mumbled, his legs hitting the bed and his hand reaching out but not quite touching his dad's face.

Dave forced a tired smile and Spencer watched uncomfortably as the smile pinched his sunken cheeks and exasperated his dark eye-bags.

"I don't know;" Rossi said. He looked toward the door and then up at his son. "I-I couldn't stop myself."

Spencer sat down heavily in the chair next to the bed.

"Charity," Spencer said. "I think she did this."

"I'm sorry."

"Dad, it was Charity and Brandy-" Spencer said, but his dad just shook his head, continuing to interrupt him.

"I'm so sorry," he said again and the creases beside his eyes turned downward sadly. "I nearly left you."

"I-" Spencer stopped. His gaze moved slowly up to his dads teary eyes and in that moment he realised how close he had been to losing his dad.

Spencer could feel the tears in his eyes and emotion bubbling up his throat and he quickly covered his mouth with his hand and turned away from his dad.

"Spencer."

Spencer's body heaved a sob, in conflict to the strong demeanour he'd been upholding. His breath caught in his throat when he heard the rasping voice of his father.

"Please, bambino..."

Spencer lifted his head, rubbing his eyes quickly before blinking at his dad. "Don't cry, papa," he mumbled when he saw tears dripping off his dads chin.

"Mi dispiace, figlio," Rossi cried and his own head fell into his hands, just as Spencer's had. "I hurt you! I hurt my baby!"

"I understand, dad, I understand. I don't blame you!"

"You should." Rossi turned from Spencer's touch, his body shaking with sobs. Spencer felt the emotions inside him begin to push against his boundaries again and he did the only thing he knew to do. He grabbed his dads face and pulled his hands away. He moved his thumbs over his dads cheeks, gently massaging the skin and the hot tears wearing his hands.

Dave looked up as Spencer's fingers rubbed under his eyes gently. Spencer saw the soft eyes of his father again, the gentle and kind ones, and not the dark gaze that was birthed from the drugs.

Dave stared at Spencer with so much love that Spencer began to well up again. Rossi lifted a hand and wrapped it gently around Spencer's wrist as the young man continued to stroke his face as he had done to Spencer when he was younger.

"That's my job," Rossi mumbled but he smiled and Spencer followed with a watery smile of his own.

"I'm sorry, son," Rossi said and his eyes fell sadly. "I couldn't... I tried to stop myself." He looked back up at Spencer and his eyes were desperate. "I tried so hard, son. But I couldn't do anything, I just had to watch."

Spencer pulled back and looked seriously at his father as he dabbed a tear away with his thumb. "Did Charity do it?" he asked. Rossi looked up slowly.

"Dad?"

"I don't remember," Rossi mumbled and he squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I-I remember feeling someone jab me with something... she was the only one with me."

Dave dropped his hand and looked at his son. "It must have been her."

"I thought so."

"A-and the other times. She'd make me drinks, s-she'd always take my mugs and glasses and fill them for me." Rossi put a hand over his face, covering his shame. He looked away from his son, unable to face the loss of respect Spencer no doubt held for him. But Spencer reached forward and put his hand on his dads shoulder.

"Spencer, I'm sorry."

Spencer sighed but his hand never moved from his dads shoulder. "I knew something was wrong when you took Brandy's side over mine." He smiled. "You of all people would know that I wouldn't touch Brandy like that, I have more respect for myself than to do that, not to mention my lack of attraction to women."

Dave nodded slowly. He lifted his opposite arm and rested his hand against his son's which was still draped on his shoulder.

"I thought you were drunk. But then the lack of response and 'losing your phone' and I started to get concerned about your control."

"I still haven't found my phone," Rossi mumbled.

"Exactly. That was your first smart phone and you haven't lost it in the four years you've had it. Dad, none of this is your fault." Spencer paused and smirked, adding, "except your taste in women."

Rossi laughed and dropped his hand from the young man's shoulder.

"Just do me a favour," Spencer said and he smiled when Rossi's eyes snapped up to meet his.

"Anything."

"If any of your girlfriends call me Spencey they're gone, alright?"

Rossi snorted but was quick to nod. "As you command, bambino."

"Good, now get some sleep. Aaron hasn't called the rest of the team yet so I think you could get an hour in before then." Spencer winked and took the bed controls from his dad, pressing the down button so his dad was lay on his back again. Spencer leaned forwards and lay his head against Dave's warm arm. He smiled when gentle fingers started rubbing through his hair.

"There's something," Aaron mumbled. He looked down the corridor with a frown. Morgan stared up at him, seeing the older man in deep thought.

"The something is that bird Rossi had, alright, she is the one that did this."

Aaron heard Morgan but he felt something more, like there was something they were missing.

"I say we go down to Rossi's and arrest her... both of them."

"On what charge?"

Morgan snorted, shaking his head incredulously at Aaron. When Aaron didn't respond Morgan huffed loudly. "Poisoning Rossi," he said.

"We have no proof," Aaron said, still miles away in another train of thought.

"We'll find evidence, in fact-" Morgan stood up, grabbing his duffle bag with him. Aaron finally turned around upon hearing the duffle bag scrape off the chair. He looked at Morgan whose dark features were twisted in anger. "I'm going down there now."

Aaron didn't try to stop Morgan as he turned and marched down the corridor. He simply turned back to where he had been staring before. He knew something wasn't right. Something that went beyond the two women who had intercepted the Rossi's lives. And Aaron had a gnawing feeling of dread clawing at his insides.

There was danger lurking in places they just couldn't see yet.

Thanks for reading.

See you soon.