(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or it's characters)
I'm back! Earlier than before! Everything's a little hectic for me at the moment; I turn 18 next week so I've been organising a party with my Mum, with revision and college just piled on top of that, but I have a really good schedule going, so I'm on top of everything!
Thanks to my loyal reviewers! I love you guys! Thank you ahowell1993, Sammie050301, Rookblonkorules, FallWithMeOffACliff, lailyspenstar, Claude, Guest (I plan to keep it going longer than that), Daisyangel, Sarry22, DP, CJ Fool, Ash59, and Diana.
So this is just a sweet little chapter. I haven't got anything big planned for several chapters because I want this story to be believable (despite the fact Spencer used to be 26...oops) and what with all he's had to deal with already I thought they all needed a little break, but after the Christmas chapter I plan to add a little bit of drama ;)
Please review! It really does motivate me to keep writing, and it really makes me a lot more productive in everything because it puts me in a great mood.
Thanks for your support.
Enjoy!
JJ and Hotch slowly drove home, all three boys were buckled in the back. Spencer had his face pressed against the seat, breathing softly in sleep while Henry and Jack chatted animatedly. JJ yawned and leaned her head against the window. Cases were starting to really exhaust her, especially with three young boys to look after.
They barely made it through the front door when Henry grabbed his coat and waited expectantly by the door.
Come on!" Henry yelled grabbing his mum's hand.
"Henry, we just got in. Let us get a coffee," she sighed, but Henry pulled her hand harder.
"No way! It's December the 2nd!" The small boy cried. JJ frowned and then realisation dawned on her face.
"Oh," she sighed. Hotch came around the corner with a cookie between his teeth. Spencer, who was barely awake in JJ's arms reached out for the treat, which Hotch bit into and offered the small boy a bite of the corner.
"Don't you have an advent calendar at your Dad's?" Hotch asked, taking another bite out of his cookie and holding it out of the toddler's reach. "Jack's Mom got him one at her house."
"We need one here too!" Henry wailed, pulling his Mum again. Spencer leaned his body out and Hotch gave him a small piece of cookie which he took gently and snuggled back into JJ to eat it.
"I want another one!" Jack chimed in. "And Spencer needs one too."
Hotch and JJ exchanged a glance. It was true. The boys would suspect if their little brother didn't have his own advent calendar.
"Alright, but it's already half five. You boys need to eat first," Hotch said and both boys moaned.
"The longer you stand there whining the longer it takes to leave."
With that, the boys darted off to the table and JJ handed Spencer to Hotch before hurrying to the fridge to heat up leftovers.
Hotch shoved the last of his cookie into his mouth making Spencer pout. The small boy wiped his crummy hands on Hotch's shirt and grinned cheekily.
"Is that what I get for sharing?" Hotch chuckled.
After the boys finished their meals (Spencer eating the bare minimum; his stomach still churning) they grabbed their coats and hastened out of the front door to wait beside the car. JJ wouldn't release Spencer until she got a pair of slippers on his odd socked feet.
Hotch walked wearily out the house, wishing he'd loaded his coffee with more caffeine as he helped buckle the boys in.
They got to Walmart and Henry and Jack pounced out of the car, jabbering on about how much bigger the one's advent calendar would be.
Jack grabbed a cart and pushed it toward his parents. JJ deposited a sleepy Spencer in the cart. They'd left him in his pyjamas; fluffy, blue, boot slippers adorning his tiny feet.
"You wanna go in too, Henry?" JJ asked, pointing to the large space beside Spencer. Henry folded his arms and shook his head firmly.
"Nu-uh. I'm a big boy, Mummy," he quipped and JJ raised her arms in surrender.
"Well, hold my hand then."
Henry grumbled but took JJ's hand.
"You too Jack," Hotch said and Jack took JJ's other hand without any qualms. Hotch grabbed the handle of the cart and started pushing; he smiled when Spencer gazed around groggily and ran his fingers over his rabbit's ears.
"Sorry, buddy," Hotch mumbled, stroking Spencer bed-hair down to no avail. "We need advent calendars."
Spencer made a small squeak in response and a passerby cooed at him. The toddler looked affronted and Hotch chuckled.
"You've got to stop being adorable if you want them to stop," he explained.
"I see them!" Jack yelled, releasing JJ's hand and pointing to a stand filled with an assortment of advent calendars.
"Wait for us!" Hotch called as JJ and Henry hurried after Jack. Spencer glanced around to see why they were all so excited.
"I want this one! No, this one!" Henry cried, pointing to a ninja turtle calendar, then a captain America one.
"That's mine!" Jack said, snatching up the latter and Henry pouted.
"What about the one with Micky Mouse?" JJ offered and Henry frowned up at her.
"Daddy got me that already," Henry whined.
Hotch and Spencer caught up and Jack threw his calendar in the cart next to Spencer. "That's mine, Spence. You have to pick your own," he warned when Spencer picked up the calendar curiously.
"What one would you like, Spencer?" Hotch asked, pointing to the selection.
"Doctow Who," Spencer said. JJ scanned the shelves and shook her head sadly.
"They don't have that one, sweetie."
"I want this one! Can I have this please, Mummy?" Henry asked, thrusting a Spider-Man calendar in front of JJ.
"Give it to Aaron," JJ said and Henry handed it over.
"How about this one?" Jack asked pointing to the Micky Mouse one. Spencer put his thumb in his mouth and shrugged.
"No, he'd want this one," Henry interjected, pulling a Paw Patrol themed calendar off the shelf. "You like the doggies, Spence?" He asked and Spencer nodded. Jack narrowed his eyes and picked up the Micky Mouse one.
"Don't you like Micky Mouse, Spence?"
Spencer nodded again, his thumb refusing to leave his mouth.
"No! He wants this one!" Henry argued.
"No, he wants the one I picked," retorted Jack.
"Mummy!"
"Dad!"
Hotch pinched the bridge of his nose and took a different calendar off the shelf. This one had cute dinosaurs on and was smaller, one made for toddlers with little chocolate shapes for young children to suck and he certainly didn't need a hyper Spencer, not after the last disaster.
"There. You like that one, Spencer?" He asked and Spencer picked it up to examine it and nodded.
"Aw!" The boys whined, putting their calendars back. Hotch grabbed two plain ones off of the shelf, knowing full well that JJ had said she didn't want one. If she didn't eat the chocolates then he would be more than happy to oblige.
"Did we need anything else?" JJ asked as she rubbed her eyes.
"Cookies?!" Henry asked hopefully, giving both JJ and Hotch puppy dog eyes. Spencer was suddenly wide awake at this and his eyes sparkled hungrily.
"Hmm... I'm not sure if the cookie ban is over," Hotch mumbled, raising his eyebrow at Spencer who shrank back guiltily and pressed his stuffed rabbit to his face as if trying to deflect blame. JJ narrowed her eyes at Hotch who seemed to have forgotten the cookie he and Spencer had shared an hour earlier.
"That was ages ago, Dad," Jack whined, putting emphasis on the ages and rolling his eyes. Hotch chuckled.
"Fine," he huffed guiding the way to the aisle in question. Spencer grinned happily behind his thumb.
"I'll catch up with you guys," JJ said, her eyes trailing to the clothes aisle.
Hotch nodded and drove the cart quickly down the almost empty store. The boys laughed and ran after their father and Spencer held onto the handle bar, his eyes wide as he glanced at the passing shelves.
Hotch stopped at the cookies and Spencer let out a breath of relief. The boys caught up and giggled wildly.
"What ones do you guys want?"
Henry and Jack exchanged a glance before blurting "Oreo!" and "Double chocolate chip!"
Spencer stared hungrily as Hotch put both options in the cart. Spencer reached his fingers out to a pack of salted caramel cookies but Hotch pulled his hand gently away and shook his head.
"We have enough, mister," he said and Spencer looked up at him with a pout.
"Are we done?" Hotch asked the boys and they nodded; both boys grinned stupidly as they stared at their cart full of treats.
Hotch pushed the cart back to the front of the store and caught sight of JJ running towards them.
"Mummy!" Spencer called, waving his small arm in the air. A few late night shoppers smiled in their direction as JJ hastened over.
They got to the checkout where Spencer sat curiously watching an older couple putting their packed bags in a cart. JJ put their items on the conveyer belt and Hotch smiled at her.
"Did we really come all the way here to get chocolate and cookies?" He asked with a laugh.
"Not quite," JJ said with a guilty smile as she pulled out a pile of clothes that she'd snuck in the back of the cart when she'd caught up to them.
"What's that?"
"Uh... a few essentials?" She said. Hotch frowned and picked up one of the items, causing it to fall of its hanger. "Hey," JJ chided, smacking his hand away and pushing the pile out of his reach.
"Jay-" Hotch started, but she was quick to explain herself.
"It's just a few things. Jack needed a new going out shirt; he literally only wears that Hawaiian one which I'd like to point out is your style... and quite atrocious."
"Excuse me!" Hotch gasped but he couldn't help the smile that filled his face.
"Spencer always needs everything-"
"Oh really? And why's that?"
"Because he can fit into almost the entire baby and toddler section and do you have any idea how cute that section is?" JJ scoffed and she pointed to the tiny clothes on the pile. "He needed new pyjamas-"
"No, he didn't."
"Yes, he did. And he needed that top because it's just too cute and those shorts! Come on!"
"It's December, JJ," Hotch chortled and JJ put her hands on her hips.
"And what wrong with being prepared for summer?" She retorted and Hotch raised his arms in surrender.
"Anyway, Henry also need some pants. Are you happy now?"
"Not really, I'm still paying for it all," Hotch grumbled and JJ gave him a playful shove. The checkout girl cleared her throat and caught their attention. "Sorry," Hotch mumbled and he hurried forward forcing Spencer to swivel around to continue his surveillance.
They got back to the car and Jack put the cart back as JJ buckled Henry in and Hotch tucked a baby blanket around Spencer.
By the time they got home, Spencer had fallen asleep again.
JJ got through the door with Spencer in her arms who had just woken up and wasn't entirely happy about it.
"You boys can watch one episode on TV but then it's bed," JJ said and she turned to Hotch. "I'll go put Spencer to bed."
"But, Mummy, we have to write our letters to Santa! And we have to eat out chocolate!" Henry put in, tugging on her pant leg and pouting.
"We're all tired, Hen-"
"Pleeeease! If we don't send them soon Santa won't have time to read them!"
"Fine, get some paper and I'll be down in a minute when Spencer's in bed."
"Spencer has to make one too," Jack said.
JJ sighed inwardly.
"It'll take five minutes, Jay," Aaron whispered, a coy smile wrapped around his lips.
"Alright then, but you can put Spencer to bed when he's even crankier."
"My pleasure."
Hotch took Spencer from her and led the boys into the dining room. He secured a whiny Spencer in his high chair and gave Henry a boost up despite the protest that he 'could do it himself.'
"Can we have the coloured paper please?" Henry asked, looking up at Hotch with the same persuasive blue eyes as his mother.
"Sure, what colour?"
"Blue."
"Red."
Hotch nodded and then glanced at Spencer who was playing with his fingers.
"Spencer?"
"Huh?" He mumbled, looking up with sleepy eyes.
"He can have blue like me," Henry said.
"No, he can have red," Jack retorted.
"But-"
"How about I get you some green, Spencer?" Hotch asked, interrupting the quarreling boy's.
"Otay," Spencer whispered, looking back at his small fingers.
Hotch laid out their paper and gave them markers to draw with. He knew Henry's would just be unintelligible scribbles so he'd have to ask the boy what he wrote.
Spencer took his pen with a frown and looked up to see what the boys were doing. Jack had already started to list things he wanted, with 'Dear Santa in big letters at the top. He'd already written several types of nerf guns down.
"Hey, Spence, look, you have to write what you want from Santa and he'll get it!"
Spencer titled his head curiously. He'd heard about 'St Nicholas' but he'd never taken part in such festivities. Knowing that the boys thought he was oblivious Spencer decided to play along. He looked up at Hotch and chewed his bottom lip.
"What's a 'Santa'?" He asked. Jack dropped his pen suddenly and gaped at Spencer.
"You don't know?!" He gasped. Spencer shook his head. Hotch smiled sadly and carded a hand through Spencer's hair.
"Did your old mummy and daddy not have a chimney?" Henwy asked.
"We don't have a chimney either, Henry, Santa has a special key, remember," Jack corrected.
"Did Spencer's old mummy and daddy lock the door?" Henry asked, looking to Hotch for the answers.
"Um," Hotch scratched the back of his neck. "Spencer was a little too young for his last 2 Christmas'."
"But Santa never misses the children."
"Santa probably did visit Spencer, but he was too young to understand," Hotch explained and both the boys nodded and released two unified 'oh's.
"Okay, Spencer, Santa is a big jolly man who wears a red suit and has twelve reindeer's and one has a red nose and they can all fly and he has a big fluffy white beard and a hat and-" Henry gasped for breath before going on. "And he has elves who make presents and he has a sled and on Christmas Eve he goes around the whole world to deliver presents at night for all of the children!"
"And you have to be good all year to get presents! But we've all been good, right dad?"
"Yea, I guess you boys have been good enough to have a visit from Santa... so far. You still have to be good until Christmas Eve, which means no arguing."
"We can do that!" Henry said.
"Yea, we never argue!" Jack affirmed and Hotch raised his eyebrows. He glanced back at Spencer who was looking up at him with his own eyebrows bunched together. Hotch leaned down and put a hand on Spencer's shoulder, and took the pen from Spencer.
"First, you have to address it to Santa Claus or he won't get it," Hotch said, writing 'Dear Santa' at the top of Spencer's paper before handing him the pen and smiling knowingly. "Now you write all the things you want from Santa."
"I don't want anyfing," Spencer murmured to which Jack's head shot up.
"Course you do, Spence! Think of all the Star Wars toys you can get!" He said, waving his hands. He paused for a moment and then grinned and eagerly wrote down another thing he wanted.
Spencer took the pen carefully and wrote some basic things in his untidy scrawl as he held the pen with difficulty. Henry turned his paper over and started on a new piece and Hotch groaned internally when he thought of how much the boy really wanted.
"Finis'ed," Spencer announced, handing Hotch his piece of paper and rubbing his eyes.
"And I think that means it's bedtime, and I promised mummy that I'd do it so come on," Hotch said as he unbuckled Spencer and pulled him into his arms.
"But we have to send it," Spencer yawned, reaching down for his letter.
"In the morning, now come on, you need a good night sleep to make you feel better," said Hotch walking out of the room as he felt the temperature of Spencer's forehead.
JJ stroked her hand through Spencer's hair as they passed by before shuffling over to the boys with her coffee and slippers.
"You boys almost done?" She asked.
"Almost," Jack mumbled, his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth in concentration. Henry was too busy to reply.
JJ glanced over Henry's shoulder and frowned.
"That's not to Santa," she put in, squinting at the name it was addressed to.
"I finished mine," Henry said and he pointed to an envelope with a scrawl across the front. "This one is for uncle Spence."
Just a quick little chapter.
Another will be coming soon!
Uh oh... the boys are starting to question his absence...
See you soon!