A/N: I bet anyone following this story waiting for updates is like *thud* . Yes a new chapter, so sorry for totally neglecting this story. I was hopeful I could do two at once, but then barely managed to update that one regularly. I guess you pretty much know how it goes with me by now. Anyway, wanted to say thank you to anyone coming back to read this :) and hi and thanks to any newbies. I do appreciate you sticking with me! Guess I found motivation with the new series starting here on sky tomorrow night.

...

"Stop sulking." Rossi grumbles, strolling down the bank towards the football field where the bodies had been displayed, "it doesn't become you."

At his side, Reid snaps his head up, "I'm not."

"Yes, you are." They reach the end line, Rossi grabs the kid's arm, holding him back. "You're sulking, and I get it." He continues in a hushed voice, eyes darting to the small crowd of who he presumes are mainly school staff standing alongside Deputy Carmichael. "But we have a job to do, regardless of how you feel about it."

"It's not the job I have a problem with."

"It's the team then."

"What? No." Reid shuffles, hiding behind his hair. "I'm just tired of being protected like I can't do my job."

"And just what do you think your job is right now?" Rossi glares at him. "Newsflash. Seventeen-year-olds do not get to roam crime scenes, no matter who their grandparents are. Hotch is not out of line ordering you to stay back. It's not to protect you, it's to protect your cover."

Reid has the grace to blush, Rossi at least feels he's accomplished something here today.

"Okay," he looks away, scuffing his feet against the grass. "I guess."

"Good, now let's get down there, you introduce me to this new guy and when I tell you to leave don't argue. Got it?" He looks him dead in the eye.

Reid, never fond of direct confrontation with his teammates, or lying for that matter, replies dutifully. "Got it."

It's later that evening, the rest of the team are back at the motel and Hotch – who stayed at the school - is in no uncertain terms, fuming. "What did I tell you?" He folds his arms to prevent them instinctually lashing out and swiping him one.

"Not to approach by myself" Reid parrots tiredly, like he's heard it many times over. Which he has. And not just on this case.

"I don't get it Reid. What makes you think everything we do is against you?" Hotch veers into untrodden territory, even though he's imagined having this conversation a thousand times. "We're here for a case. And we are going to do what it takes to solve it using every resource. You know that. Before Hankle you would never have questioned that."

Reid maintains a dead eyed stare, refusing to let anything deflect from what he knows is the right thing to do. "Things change." He shrugs

"We haven't!" Hotch practically screams at him, which is so not like Hotch. "You should have trusted us!"

"Then give me a reason to!" Reid screams back in response, unthinking just reacting. "All week you've been hovering over me, just waiting for me to crack, like - like I can't look after myself. You do realise I've been looking after myself just fine for almost my entire life? Do you really think I'd have made it to even have the opportunity to be kidnapped by Hankle if I didn't?"

The implication of those words sinks in about the same time Spencer wants to drag them back, shove them down and never ever think, let alone voice them out loud again. With what little self-control his has left waning he turns and runs, slamming the door to the meeting room on his way out, leaving Hotch frozen in his wake.

Reid runs, and runs, keeps it up until he reaches the communal building where his dorm is and collapses just the inside the doorway.

He didn't know where it all went wrong. He had done just as Rossi asked. He'd taken him to the tall man who had addressed them in the dinner hall the other day….

"Who are you?" The man demanded immediately upon setting eyes on them.

Reid was about to speak, explain that Miss Henderson had sent them, but Rossi jumped in first.

"David Rossi, retired special agent with the FBI," he reached out without looking and wrapped an arm around Reid's shoulder, pulling him close, "this is Spencer, my grandson, he thought I might be of some use here."

The tall man sized them both, looking them up and down with distain. "Ms Henderson mentioned you, you're a profiler?"

"I am."

Tall man's eyes narrowed, "Dennis Hall." He held out his hand, tone softening. "I'm interim principle. And yes, we could use some help. Ms Henderson said you could be discreet?"

"Well I am retired, so this would technically be a favour." Rossi smiled tightly. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to the other guy… Gables?"

"Left on a family emergency." Hall offered without preamble.

Reid was watching the exchange closely. Dennis Hall seemed… genuine. He was still sounding very much like a lawyer, the more he shared with Rossi the less they learned. Hall stuck to the facts, downplayed the deaths, calling them overdoses. But if he truly believed that then why would he want Rossi's help?

Looking around the crime scene Reid noted the bodies had been displayed just like the original victims, side by side on the ground, only this time the clothes were soaked through because of the recent snow. It meant they lacked their normally pristine presentation. Stepping closer he could see where the knife had cut through the girl's blouse, on the boy it was lower down he realised and the angle appeared off somehow.

"Hotchner!"

Reid jumped, startled by the tone more so than the name.

"Spencer, get away from there." The second voice was Rossi's and that put slightly more fear into him.

"Sorry," Reid straightened and backed away, from the bodies and the two angry men suddenly bearing down on him.

"Hotchner go join your classmates, everyone's been sent to the dinning hall." Hall orders without apology. Not at all bothered by the presence of his pseudo grandfather. "Now Hotchner."

Reid looks to Rossi but knows even before their eyes connect what he's going to say.

"You heard the man, Spencer. Go!"

Reid nodded a quick 'yes sir' and left, biting his lips to prevent a retort when he hears a dismissive, 'kids' uttered behind his back. Little did they realise by sending him to join the other students they were in fact putting in the best position to conduct some unwitting interrogations. That was his job. No one could really argue with that, could they?

Sitting on the floor right now, breathing heavy from his frantic jog across the compound, Reid realises the answer was yes, apparently, they could easily have a problem with it. Regardless of his teammate's attitudes, has no regrets about his attempt to get information from the students all huddle awaiting instruction I the dining hall. It's what happened after, what Hotch and the others don't yet know about that has his stomach doing flips and his brain feeling the need to distract from any thoughts that centre around Hotch, the team or Tobias Hankle.

...

"He did what?"

"He questioned the senior class."

"Jesus." Rossi cursed down the line. "His cover blown?"

"Not yet." Hotch sighs, taking the turn on the mountain road which led to the station. "We're pulling him out in the morning."

"If you think that's for the best."

"I do." Hotch knew the repercussions, despite what Reid thought, it wasn't because they didn't trust him. "He's in too deep. I should never have let it get this far."

"Okay, I assume he's safe for the night?"

"I left him in one piece if that's what you mean."

Rossi chuckles down the line. "It wasn't but it's good to hear. I assume we need to remove him without blowing his cover?"

"I have a plan. Reid won't like it but that's not my main concern right now." Hotch bites his tongue, releasing a heavy sigh, feeling irritable and helpless and with no idea why… "I'm about thirty minutes out. We'll talk more then."

"Spencer Hotchner," the ER nurse calls out and Aaron is so tired from no sleep the previous night thanks to his argument with Reid he has to do a double take.

"Here," he approaches the nurse, Rossi at his side. "I'm Aaron Hotchner, Spencer's father."

The nurse smiles. "This way, your son's free to leave."

Walking through the double doors following her, they turn the corner and the nurse pulls back a privacy curtain to reveal Spencer sat on the bed, swinging his legs back and forth, looking very bored. The white bandage around his head makes his hair stick up in random clumps. Blood still evident on some of the strands. He looks young, too young in fact to even suit the school gym kit he's still wearing.

"Spencer," the brash older woman from the school who brought him to the ER snaps the second Hotch and Rossi walk in. "Your dad's here to take you home."

Reid's eyes lift hopefully and catch his, but shift to the left at the last second, taking in the continuing presence of the nurse.

"Hi Dad," Spencer forces a grin and jumping of the bed launches forward. Hotch's eyebrows hit his hairline the second Reid's arms loop around his neck in a big hug. His stubble brushing Reid's cheek as he settles his head close to his ear. "I'm going to kill Morgan." He whispers.

Hotch, having already schooled his expression to hide his surprise chuckles lightly and in lieu of an answer pats Spencer on the back as he pulls away.

"Go with your Grandpa," He guides him towards the door, pointing at Rossi.

Reid looks unimpressed, but does as he's told, walking past the nurse and school escort offering each a thin smile.

"Let his teacher know I'll call in the morning to arrange Spencer's return to school." Hotch says to save face.

The woman he's never seen before from the school affords him a blunt nod before barrelling out the room, pulling a packet of cigarettes from her handbag.

"Take care of him now, he's a sweet kid." The nurse walks them out, and doesn't once lose her smile.

Watching Reid walk down the corridor in front of them Hotch can't help but agree, "he can be, when it suits."

Sliding into the back seat of their discovery, Rossi and Hotch climbing into the front, Reid starts the second they close the doors.

"I can't believe you did that to me!" He cries at them, falling back with a huff, arms crossed defensively over his chest.

"Spencer-"

"No. I'm not talking to you." Reid turns to stare out the window.

"You do know you're not really seventeen, don't you?" Rossi weighs in, feeling as Hotch obviously that the environment has had an unprecedented effect on their youngest.

"Reid, I'm sorry. This wasn't exactly how it was supposed to go." Hotch jumps in before he can dig himself a hole by answering Rossi. "but we needed you out and your cover intact, -"

"What for?" He bites, jumping in, "not like you're letting me go back."

"Reid, not now-"

"The unsub has taken another victim." Rossi announces quickly, ripping off the band aid, knowing Reid would take the news badly whenever it was delivered.

"What?" As expected that gets a reaction. "Who?"

"Jessica Hall," Hotch sighs, gripping the steering wheel tightly, preparing for the explosion.

Reid is silent and they wait pensively, letting him digest the recent turn of events. They get to the first junction before he speaks up again.

"You need to take me back."

"Reid, if the unsub follows pattern his next victim will be a boy." Hotch continues to drive, keeping his concentration on the road and not on the hopeful face looking directly at him through the mirror. "You were close with Jessica and even if we hadn't already decided to remove you we would be doing it now anyway. You're at risk."

It wasn't just that, Hotch was afraid of what Reid might do to draw the unsub to him on purpose.

"Jessica's at risk right now, which is why I need to be there. I can help find her."

"No, it's too dangerous, we have leads to follow and can do that better with you at the station. Unless you've neglected to tell us anything there's no tactical reason for you to remain undercover."

"But-"

"I'm not discussing it." Hotch shuts him down.

Reid bites his lip, seething at the teams' audacity to think they can pull him out whenever they feel like it, just because they don't believe he can protect himself. "You do realise you're not actually my father, don't you?"

Hotch pulls the car to an abrupt stop at the side of the empty road and turns in his seat to face him.

"No, I'm not your father, I'm your boss, but in this line of work it's the same damn thing. You're in danger – you put yourself in danger yesterday after I explicitly told you not to. This is Texas all over again and I wouldn't be doing my job in keeping you safe if I let you stay."

The silence following Hotch's very angry telling off is deafening.

"I'm sorry" Reid looks down at his feet.

"It's okay," Hotch softens, showing his palm to reinforce his words.

He can see Rossi looking at him out the corner of his eye but chooses to ignore the worry there. They've actually pulled in next to a gas station and deciding he needs to calm and regroup Hotch drives into the forecourt and climbs out to fetch the team some snacks for the evening, they'll be pulling an all-nighter trying to narrow down their suspects. He is just paying the cashier, including a bonus chocolate bar for Spencer to make up for his uncharacteristic rant when a commotion outside catches his attention.

"What happened?" Hotch asks Rossi who's standing by the SUV, gun drawn.

"I'm not sure, but that was that Brent kid."

"He kidnapped Reid?"

"No," Rossi looks shocked, "Reid went willingly."