(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters)
Chapter three is here! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favourited.
Enjoy!
Aaron carried Spencer onto the jet. The kid was a slow walker. He'd noted how occasionally he'd stutter in his steps and he'd look at the floor and hurry on again.
Hotch wondered what he'd find if he was to lift the boy's pant leg, he suspected an older injury from the way the kid stood.
He also knew what was puffing up the kids pants. He was wearing some kind of protection. Sure the kid looking young, but a four-year-old shouldn't still be in them. Aaron hoped there was some kind of explanation but he didn't mention it to the kid, not wanting to upset him.
He didn't look bad for a kid on the run for nearly five days. It made Aaron's mind whirl at the thought of how Spencer had got to them. The buses, the subway, the walking, Christ the kid was smart. Especially with a map.
Aaron let the kid down when they were onboard but he didn't move.
Aaron cleared his throat and Spencer looked up at him nervously. "Go ahead, Spencer," he said.
Spencer looked back at the plush interior and he took a slow step forward.
"I-is this Mr. Rossi's?" he asked quietly, his curious eyes darting around the flashy jet.
Aaron chuckled and Spencer turned and looked at him with a frown. "No," Aaron said. He smiled at the kid. "This belongs to the FBI, Dave wishes it was his though."
Spencer thought about it for a moment. It made sense that such a big branch of law enforcement would have their own planes to take people in but... spencer had never been on one. He thought that people had to sit on the floor. His mum told him planes were dangerous. She said that powerful people had planes and that they could watch us from the sky, monitor everything we do. Spencer didn't like when she talked about things like that. Besides this plane was nice, and after another quick glanced spencer was sure he hadn't seen a camera.
Spencer nodded at Aaron's explanation and walked inside, looking around for a place to sit. He knew he was being brave. His lips curled up slightly: Ashley would be so proud of him.
He saw a window seat that looked wonderfully sheltered and he wandered toward it. He looked back at Aaron who was following, waiting for Spencer to sit down to put his go-bag in the overhead. Spencer paused in the isle, he turned, feeling pretty courageous, and looked at Aaron curiously.
"Why do you call him, Dave?"
"Uh-"
"You call everyone else by their surnames, cus I know Miss Prentiss and Miss Garcia aren't actually called Prentiss and Garcia," Spencer explained to an increasingly flummoxed Aaron. The boy hopped into the seat by the window and glanced out. "But you call Mr. Rossi by his first name."
Spencer looked back at Aaron then he smiled nervously. "Am I allowed to sit here?" he asked.
"You can sit wherever you like. And um... well, me and Mr. Rossi are quite close. We live together."
Spencer blinked at him for a moment before he swallowed thickly. "Okay," he murmured.
He hadn't realised Mr. Rossi was gay. His daddy always taught him of what a sin it was to be gay. Spencer had always nodded along with him and when he'd argued that it didn't make sense because love wasn't always just a man and a woman, well, he'd spent two days down in the basement.
"That's okay, isn't it?" Aaron asked as he sat opposite Spencer. The boy didn't look at him but he nodded.
Aaron narrowed his eyes. "Did someone tell you it wasn't?"
Spencer's eyes darted up before he shook his head.
"You're sure."
"Yes, sir."
"Call me, Aaron."
Aaron looked over at the door and watched Dave and Emiky walk in. Morgan followed promptly after, buckling in and raising his headphones over his head.
Spencer watched him do it, wondering why the agent was covering his ears.
"Doe that agent man not like listening?" he asked. Dave looked at him as he found a seat beside the boy.
"Huh?"
Spencer pointed to Morgan and then made the motion of putting headphones on. "What are they?"
Dave stared at the boy as if he'd grown another head.
"They're headphones, buddy," Aaron said, offering a smile to Spencer. He glanced at Dave, his eyes saying a thousand words, but mostly to sit down and stop staring.
Spencer pursed his lips and nodded slowly, still unsure.
"He listens to music through them," Aaron added and Spencer's eyes grew wide.
"Oh... wow," the boy said. He turned to look out the window his eyes growing even wider as he stared down at the ground and at all the little people walking around, directing other planes in.
Aaron watched him with a hooded brow. How did the kid know about sexuality -in a poorly hidden attempt at concealing his unease- yet not know what simple things like headphones were? Aaron relaxed his scowl and felt his palm curl around the arm rest instead as he watched Spencer's wide-eyed curiosity, the kid having both hands against the jet window. Spencer's father seemed to have a few things to answer for.
Dave leaned forward, glancing at Spencer as he did before putting a hand up to shield his mouth.
"He didn't know what an elevator was earlier," he muttered. He shared a concerned look with Aaron before they both looked at the boy.
Dave leaned forward further. "I don't think he's ever been on a plane either."
They landed a few hours later. Dave's suspicions were confirmed. Spencer had started to panic when the plane was airborne and he'd taken Spencer's seat and sat the kid next to Aaron. Spencer calmed down after a little while, finding his voice again to ask questions. Each time they tried to talk about Spencer's father the boy seemed to expertly direct the conversation away. Even after Emily asked if he missed his father, Spencer simply mumbled something before asking how many people they rescued.
When they landed Spencer was asleep and Aaron had to lean over to wake Spencer up.
They had an SUV waiting, Spencer sitting with Emily and Aaron in the back seats. They were escorted to the station by two police cars.
When they arrived Aaron, Dave and Emily got out and shook hands with what looked to be the sheriff. Morgan glanced at Spencer and smiled as the boy fumbled with an old looking teddy bear in his bag.
"Who's that?"
Spencer startled, pushing his teddy bear back inside his bag. He looked nervously at Morgan and was surprised to see a half-smile on the agent's face. Spencer decided to test the waters.
"Gary," he mumbled, pulling out Gary's head to show the agent.
Morgan chuckled at the sight of the slug-eyed teddy bear. It was dirty and it's facial features seemed to be falling apart. At least it had two eyes, but one was most definitely lower and bigger than the other.
Spencer, looking slightly offended, stuffed Gary away.
"Oh no, kid," Morgan said with a cough to stifle his laugh. "S'just a good name."
Spencer's hands paused on the zip and he raised an eyebrow at Morgan. "Really... ya think so?"
"Sure. Most kids call their toys names like... Mr. Bear... or Beary. Gary's a pretty cool name."
Spencer beamed and gave a quick and proud little nod. He felt a bit better. "Thanks."
Morgan glanced back out the window and smiled. "How about we go see your old man?" He turned back to Spencer and saw the boy was no longer smiling. He was gripping his bag and his mouth was set in a hard line. But he still nodded.
Morgan got out of the car and helped Spencer out. Rossi was waving them over So Derek slammed the door behind the short four-year-old and started off in their direction.
Morgan held Spencer hand and he noticed how the boy trembled as he wandered after them, his eyes hooded and staring at the floor.
He didn't mention it but he knew something was off. He followed the others inside and they were led past the reception area to a bull-pen similar to the one at the bureau.
As they walked into the large bull-pen Morgan saw a man pacing by a desk, his hand supporting his chin as he walked back and forth thoughtfully.
"Mr. Reid?" one of the escorting officers reached out and pulled William from his trance with a hand on his shoulder.
"The agents are here with your son."
William stopped pacing and his eyes turned on the agents, stopping briefly on them before dropping down to Spencer. His sharp gaze made the boy shift his feet, his eyes falling abruptly the ground. William took a deep breath, preparing for a show of affection, despite the pot of anger inside him boiling over.
Spencer looked up anxiously, clutching his lip between his teeth.
He found his father's eyes but looked down again quickly at the sight of them.
To his surprise he heard a deep sigh of relief. He glanced back up to see his father smiling.
"Oh, Spencer, thank god you're okay."
William Reid staggered forward and opened his arms out for his son.
Spencer stared at him for a long moment. He glanced back at Rossi then back at his father.
"Daddy?" Spencer whispered, still waiting for the shouts. He slowly released Morgan's hand and shifted his backpack a little. His dad looked... happy.
William nodded, smiling almost painfully wide. He closed the distance between them and raised the boy into his arms, squeezing him tightly. Spencer gasped at the sudden action but he felt a sudden warmth flood him and he just closed his eyes.
Spencer let his father hug him as he lay limp, his mind tying to figure out what it all meant.
"Thank god you're safe. I've been so worried!"
Spencer blinked, coming back to himself, he pulled back to look seriously at his father. "You have?" he whispered and William laughed.
"Yes! Don't ever leave like that again. I... I love you so much."
A tear slipped down Spencer's face and suddenly he was gripping his father back.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, smiling into his dad's shirt. "I love you too!"
Emily felt a smile spread across her face. She felt relived. Maybe the kid truly had just left his father to meet Dave. A story she had no doubt the news would dig into. She'd been worried the kid had run away from something.
William pressed a kiss to his son's head and looked over at the four agents standing across from him. The officers were muttering about closing the case.
"Thank you," he said, hugging Spencer to him. "I haven't slept since he went missing. If you hadn't..." William didn't finish his sentence, he just ran a hand up Spencer back.
"It was your son who found us," said Morgan. He eyed William suspiciously as the man nodded.
"I-I was told about that. I'm sorry if he caused trouble."
Dave shook his head, stepping forward with a smile. "No trouble at all."
William watched Rossi (as if sizing him up) and extended his hand toward him. "You must be David Rossi," he said as Dave took the hand.
"I am. Quite the kid you've got there."
William glanced at Spencer who was still hugging him, beaming up like a little ray of sunshine.
"Yea, he does nothing for my nerves though," said William with a laugh and Dave chuckled too. William shifted Spencer so they were face to face. "You should have asked if you wanted to meet Mr. Rossi so much."
William looked back at the agents. "He never stops talking about the FBI, especially you Mr. Rossi. I blame his mother for getting Spencer into the 'David Rossi fan club.'"
Aaron snorted, quickly putting himself back into SSA mode. "We're just glad he's home safe," he said.
Spencer felt a sickly feeling of dread grumble inside him. That's not why he left... Ashley was still missing.
"Ashey-?" he started and William's eyes were instantly back on him but he was still smiling.
"Is travelling, champ. She sent you a letter on Monday." William sighed and ruffled Spencer hair. "She's coming back for her birthday, we're taking her bowling remember?"
A surge of relief passed across the agents' faces. The stories seemed to line up now; they'd made the right assumptions.
Spencer pouted but didn't argue further. He was already having great luck with his father's mood, there was no point in pushing him over the edge.
"Can I take him home now?" William asked, still smiling affectionately at his son.
"You might want him checked out," said one officer, his hand falling on William's shoulder.
William nodded and stood up, turning back toward the agents. "How did my son get all the way to the FBI headquarters?" he asked.
Morgan scowled at the glint in William's eyes, it made him slightly uncomfortable. It reminded him of something. The others didn't pick up on it.
"I got the bus, daddy," Spencer said with a grin. "I can show you later. I got six buses and then I took the subway."
William looked down at his son before smiling himself. "Guess I'll be hiding my maps from now on then."
Thanks for reading. Next chapter will be up in a few times because I'm too excited.
See ya soon.