(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or it's characters)
Thank you to everyone for reviewing as usual! I'm afraid that my eyes are falling closed, therefore I cannot address each and every one of you like in the last chapter, but you should have a PM from me by now, expressing my gratitude. I'd just like to quickly thank FallWithMeOffAClift, E.J. Morgan, Ash59, Astrahan, Sarry22, Guest, Hippiechic81, AZCatmom, guest, fishtrek, Salomé (thank you for telling me your name and taking a chance on this story, you should consider making an account, then I can speak to you), and lailyspenstar.
Please keep leaving reviews and help this story archive 200 reviews before the end of the year! Even if it's just a few words I do really appreciate it. Look at it this way:
REVIEWS = MOTIVATION = QUICK UPDATES
It's a win/win scenario!
Fine! I'll stop begging...but remember it's Christmas Eve, I have given you the present of an update, and in the spirit of giving perhaps you'd like to return it with a review...just saying...
Okay, I'll seriously shut up...maybe...oh, go on then, you can read it...
JJ opened her eyes slowly, frowning up at the white ceiling. She could've sworn she'd painted her and Aaron's bedroom ceiling cream.
She moved her hand and felt something warm shift on her. Glancing down she saw Spencer clinging to her in sleep, his thumb in his mouth, messy waves hanging in his face and his cheek nestled against her side.
"'Bout time." JJ looked up to see Emily sat cross-legged on the armchair which had been maneuvered to sit in front of the TV screen.
"What are you watching?" JJ whispered back with a smirk on her lips. Emily raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Can you not tell? Grey's Anatomy, of course," she scoffed, rolling her eyes and turning her attention back on the TV as if JJ's lack of knowledge in the show warranted Emily's silence.
"You watch that show?"
"You don't?" Emily retorted, breaking her silence and JJ held her arms up in surrender, careful not to jolt Spencer awake.
"Actually I don't like this episode," she sighed, switching channels to a nature show. She groaned at the sight of killer whales, preparing to skip to another channel.
"Why not?" JJ asked. Emily flicked back to the show and pointed a finger at one of the characters.
"That one dies at the end," she shrugged.
"Oh, thanks for spoiling it for me," JJ huffed, trying her best to look and sound offended.
"Like you were going to watch it anyway," Emily smirked, going back through the channels.
"I could've! Aaron might have liked it."
"Does Hotch even watch TV?" Emily swiveled in her chair, grinning with genuine curiosity at JJ.
"Careful, I have a tendency to tell him everything."
Emily was about to make a witty comeback when Spencer shifted and moaned into JJ's shirt. They hadn't realised how loud they were being. They sat in a tense silence, hoping Spencer would fall back to sleep, but when a hazel eye peered groggily up at JJ she knew the game was up.
"Morning, Spence." Spencer raised himself a little on his good arm and took in the room. He looked back up at JJ and his eyes widened. Was I sleeping on her, he thought gaping at himself scandalously. He pushed himself away from her, a yelp forced from his lips when he knocked his arm.
"Calm down, Spence. Don't move to fast," JJ said calmly, rubbing his back gently. He found himself sinking back into her touch despite himself.
"Hey, Handsome," Spencer lifted his head weakly and saw Emily grinning at him as she motioned toward the TV. "Wanna watch the TV?" She switched to the nature channel and attracting the boy's attention. JJ lifted him up carefully and helped him lay back on the pillows.
"F-Fant you," he croaked groggily, fisting his eyes with his good hand.
"No problem, Sweetie," JJ carded a hand through his hair, and confident that he wouldn't fall off, she slid off the bed and lifted the railing. Spencer whimpered quietly at the sudden lack of contact and company but forced himself to continue watching the TV. He refused to admit to wanting cuddles. Never, he thought, but he could feel his eyes becoming watery even as he denied himself the one thing he desperately craved.
JJ stretched out and was about to go out to find Spencer's doctor and discuss his surgery when he made a squeak.
"D-don't le-leave me," he pleaded, watching her with terrified eyes. JJ shook her head and grabbed his hand.
"I'm not going to leave you. I just need to find your doctor, I'll be right back, I promise. Emily is here," she let go and hastened herself from the room. Spencer's lip trembled at the sudden empty feeling.
"Hey, you don't really wanna watch this, do you?" Emily asked, her finger poised over the remote.
"I-I lite it!" He cried, pointing frantically at the screen. "D-dat's a Chinese Al-aligatow. Dey have f-fwee eyelids," he explained excitedly, holding up three fingers and forgetting his lonely feeling. "Dey also live in w-wawm climates."
"Why do you know this?" Emily groaned, rolling her eyes and smirking at him.
"I-it's intewesting..." he replied sheepishly.
JJ walked back in and Spencer grinned toothily at her. A female doctor walked in behind her and gave Spencer a wave. He waved back nervously.
"How's he feeling this morning?" She asked, unsure whether the child had learned to speak.
"He seems okay, don't you, sweetie?" Spencer nodded his head at JJ before turning back to the TV.
"Does it hurt anywhere, honey?" The doctor asked Spencer tore his eyes from the bald eagle swooping across the screen.
"M-my awm, ma'am," he mumbled, eliciting a small 'aw' from the doctor.
"We can fix that. I can give him some medicine for that," the doctor addressed JJ allowing Spencer to watch the documentary much to Emily's disappointment. "He hasn't eaten anything since that ice cream last night, right?" She asked, looking through Spencer's chart.
"No. And I doubt he's eaten for days before that."
"Okay. Well, we should be able to get him in for surgery in about an hour," she checked her watch and nodded.
"How long will that take?" JJ questioned, her brow furrowed anxiously.
"Shouldn't take longer than two hours. It's a clean break so I'm confident that there won't be any complications." She peeked at Spencer, who was luckily too engrossed in the TV to listen in.
"And when can he go home after that?" Emily asked, putting her hands on her hips and leaning into their conversation.
"I'd like to keep him in for another day, but by tomorrow, if everything goes to plan, I'll let you take him home."
"Loot! It's a kimono lizawd!" Spencer yelled, watching the TV with an open mouth. Emily snickered and earned herself a smack from JJ.
"He's uh...quite advanced," JJ explained to the doctor.
"He's quite cute, that's what he is," the doctor smirked, watching Spencer enviously.
Jack bounced in at the moment with Hotch following slowly behind, a bag in one hand and a teddy bear in the other. Jack was carrying Spencer's rabbit. He made a running jump at the bed and managed to scramble on. Spencer felt the bed dip and glanced around to see Jack offering the stuffed rabbit to him. Spencer stared at the rabbit, taking it gently and holding it close to his face, taking a long sniff. It smelled of home.
"Morning, Spence," Jack leaned forward and hugged Spencer, who winced when Jack unintentionally knocked his arm.
"Careful, Jack," Hotch warned, setting down his bag on the chair and sitting the bear comfortably beside it.
"Sorry," Jack pulled back and carefully sat next to Spencer, who was already back to gaping at the nature programme. Jack raised an eyebrow and looked at Spencer then the TV and then his dad. He shrugged and decided to humour his brother by watching his show.
Happy the boys were entertained, Hotch turned to the ladies who were smiling at the sight of Jack and Spencer.
"Did you have any problems last night?" He asked sternly, his face becoming serious.
"Apart from a bad back," Emily stretched her arms out with a groan. "And three hours sleep...it was fine."
"Did he have any nightmares?" Hotch asked, his face still full of concern.
"No. He must've been exhausted because he's been flat out since you left," JJ added, placing a hand on Hotch's chest. "There's nothing to worry about, honestly. We were fine."
Hotch hesitated, mulling over what she'd said before deciding it was an adequate response and pressing his lips to hers. She returned the action by slipping her tongue gently passed his thin pink lips and tangling it with his.
"Get a room!" Emily cried, putting her hands over her mouth and pretending to be sick. This caught Jack's attention and his face contorted in disgust.
"Ew!" Jack squealed, covering his and Spencer's eyes. Spencer moaned and pulled Jack's hand away so he could see his show. JJ Laughed into the kiss and pulled back, leaving Hotch's lips hanging in a pout.
"Later," she muttered.
Garcia clip-clopped down the corridor, a smile plastering her face.
Room 87, Room 87, she reminded herself as she searched the doors.
"85, 86, Ah! Bingo!" She cried, pushing open the door.
JJ glanced up from where she was fiddling with Spencer's bag.
"Spencer's in surgery," she said as Garcia skipped in with a fluffy, green stegosaurus under her arm, a big purple 'get well soon' balloon clutched in her hand and a tin of homemade biscuits that she must have made the night before.
"Oh balls," she muttered, dropping the balloon and pouting.
"He shouldn't be there for too much longer. He's been gone for almost two hours already," JJ lifted the stuffed teddy Hotch had brought from home and for the third time, she rearranged it on the chair.
"He better be. I have been deprived from cuddles for ages now! I haven't seen Jack nor Henry so I can't even use them," the technical analyst whined, setting the dinosaur beside the teddy bear, unaware of the stark contrast between the two stuffed animals.
"You and me both," JJ agreed.
"Hey, you hogged him all night!"
"That's not what I mean, he was using me as a pillow an-"
"Admit it. They're addictive!" Garcia announced.
"What are?" JJ asked, raising her eyebrows and hiding her smile.
"You know what I'm talking about: Spencer cuddles!"
"Is that a thing?"
"It's more than a thing, JJ! Once you have one you need more! He's literally a drug and I need a fix!" Garcia gasped. JJ pushed away her thoughts of Spencer's last drug addiction.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You'll see."
On cue, Spencer's door swung open and a nurse walked in to guide Spencer's bed through the door. They locked the bed in place and made sure the small boy was comfortable before turning to the women.
"Your mom I take it?" JJ gave the nurse a closed lip smile in reply. "He'll be waking up soon and he may seem a little disorientated at first and maybe a little loopy from the pain medication. If you have any problems press the call button," she instructed.
"Thank you," JJ said, twirling on her heal to Spencer. She hurried to the side of his bed and stroked a finger over his bruised cheek.
"See."
"Huh?" JJ eyed Garcia who had her arms full with the stuffed animals.
"Little Spence is irresistible."
"Fine! You win. Now pass me those stuffed animals."
JJ twisted her head just as she was pummelled with a teddy bear. "Hey!" She Laughed. She surrounded Spencer with the animals and pulled up a chair to be near him.
"God, He looks...", Garcia bit her lip as she looked at her Boy wonder. There was a large bruise over his cheekbone which had started to travel up to his eye. His arm was in a splint with several layers of bandages holding it all together. What scared her the most were the black fingerprints on his neck. She shuddered to think what he went through.
"Don't mention it, He's not ready," JJ Whispered as she palmed Spencer's cheek.
"Alright," Garcia whispered back, still gaping at Spencer's still frame. "Where is everyone?"
"Hotch and Jack went to the canteen to get some food, they're bringing back something for me and I sent Emily home to freshen up and get some proper sleep."
"Good. I think Rossi's still asleep but Morgan's coming, He should be here soon," Garcia said.
"M'gan?" Both Garcia and JJ looked around at the bed where Spencer was blinking tiredly at them.
"How are you feeling?" JJ asked, moving his fringe from his eyes.
"M-Mowgan?" He whispered after clearing his throat.
"He's on his way to see you," Spencer looked up to see Garcia smiling down at him.
"Gawcia."
"The one and only, babycakes," She swooned, planting a kiss on his unsuspecting cheek. He giggled and wiped it off.
"Tan we go home now?" He asked, gazing at JJ innocently and with the best puppy dog eyes, he could muster.
"Tomorrow."
He whined and sank further back into his pillows. He raised his shaky hand a little and stared at it with wonder, the drugs affecting its movement. JJ chuckled at the display.
"You know what, I think doctor who is on now," Garcia said and Spencer's eyes popped out of his head.
"Weally!?" Garcia switched on the TV and pressed a few buttons until the tenth doctor's face filled the screen.
"Really," She concluded.
Rossi wandered down the hospital corridor and heard giggling coming from a room ahead of him. He raised his eyebrows and hurried along the tiles.
As he got closer he could hear the dulcet tones of Derek Morgan seeping from under the door.
He pushed down on the door handle and tenderly pulled it open. Hotch jumped out of the way to let him in and exchanged a look with the Italian.
"What's going on in here?" He asked, glancing around at his team. Spencer was sat up on his pillows, his arm resting on a pile of pillows with a vibrant green dinosaur sandwiches between them. Jack was next to him, clapping his hands happily. Garcia and JJ were sat in chairs beside the bed and Hotch was by the door. They were all watching and laughing at Morgan on the other end of the room.
"Shhh! He's about to start the second verse," Garcia jibbed, watching Morgan hungrily.
"Second what?" Rossi looked up at Morgan just in time to hear him burst into song.
Jack screamed with laughter and Spencer covered his face to hide a dimpled smile.
"Urgh! I can hear you from the end of the corridor!" Emily groaned as she staggered into the room with a box of donuts.
"You love it!" Morgan called back in the middle of the verse. He took a quick breath before breaking into song a little louder than before.
"What brought this on?" Rossi chortled, and Hotch gave him a smug smile.
"I may have bet him $50."
"Why?" Ross asked. Hotch nodded to Spencer who was trying desperately trying to stifle his giggles.
"Cheer him up," he answered simply. Morgan started the last verse and Jack almost slipped off the bed he was laughing so much, Spencer had to pull him back up with his good arm.
"I think you've done that."
I've never watched a full episode of 'Greys Anatomy' so what I said was not a spoiler... I know there are deaths in the show, but I don't know who.
Also, this story just hit 11,000 views! That's mad! Thank you to everyone who read it! It means the world!
Sorry if that chapter was a little boring, I've been trying to edit this all day but I went to church with my family and everything got so busy. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a great Christmas!
See you soon!