(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters)
Hey... I'm really sorry for the delay! I was meant to update this before my exams but I got so caught up in revision that it has basically absorbed my life.
Currently, I have done 4 out of 10 exams. I have three this week coming and then three after that and then I am free!
I know I wasn't going to do any updating, but this is long overdue an update and I've done quite a bit of revision today and I only have an hour left which I'll probably do when everybody's sleeping so I won't be disturbed.
Anywho! Back to this story.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Your support means everything!
Keep reviewing, I'll be coming back to regular updates as soon as these next two weeks are done. Promise.
Enjoy.
Previously:
Spencer smiled broadly as he looked up at his father. "On'y by a few houws," he giggled. Hotch ruffled his hair.
"You get some sleep, buddy."
"Otay... love you, Daddy," Spencer said with a yawn. Hotch paused and looked at his curly-haired charge with affectionate eyes.
"Love you too."
"It's Chwistmas! It's Chwistmas!"
Hotch jolted upright from his sleep at the sudden, cheerful outburst that sang through the house. JJ was awake and smiling at him.
"It's Christmas," she confirmed in a whisper and Hotch glanced at his radio alarm. It read Friday 25th December. He looked back at JJ who held up three fingers, then two, then one before the door squeaked open and quiet footsteps patted against the floor.
"It's Chwistmas," Spencer cried, throwing himself at the bed but slipping back down onto the floor. Hotch chuckled and reached a lazy arm down to scoop the toddler up. Spencer scrambled onto the bed and wriggled between JJ and Aaron and grinning up at them.
"It sure is, buddy, and it's... FIVE THIRTY!" Hotch has to double take a glance at his alarm. He groaned and fell back onto his pillow. Spencer pushed him and whined.
"Wate up, it's-"
"Christmas," Hotch interjected, keeping his eyes closed. "Yea, we get it," he grumbled. Spencer pouted at Hotch before looking up at JJ with trembling lips.
"But... But," Spencer mumbled sadly and JJ shushed him, stroking a hand through his hair as she laid back down pulling him with her.
"It's too early, sweetie," she whispered. Spencer snuggled into her pillow and looked back at her with brown, puppy dog eyes.
"What about Chwistmas?"
"Try to get a little more sleep and it'll still be Christmas when you wake up," she promised. Spencer suddenly sat up and shook his head.
"It's imp...im...impossible!" Spencer huffed. JJ rolled her eyes before closing them and pulling Spencer back down. He squirmed as she held him to her in the hopes that he'd go to sleep.
After five minutes the toddler persisted and settled into JJ's side. JJ was nearing the edge of sleep when the ajar door burst open.
"Daddy, Mummy! It's time for presents!"
Spencer sat up and eagerly crawled out of the sheets.
"Santa's visited! We have to see. We need to show Spen-" Spencer's head popped out at the other end of the bed and he smiled up at Jack. "Oh, hi, Spencey! Santa Claus has left you presents!"
Hotch moaned and rubbed his face as the three boys congregated on the bed.
"I guess that's our cue," JJ mumbled, sliding out from under the covers.
Spencer tugged on Hotch's hand.
"Tome on," he said softly. "It won't be Chwistmas without you."
"I bet he got me the Seth Rollins figurine," Jack exulted, bouncing on the spot where JJ has just been.
"I wonder if he's eaten our cookies!"
Hotch slowly sat up; so much for a lie in, he thought.
Hotch carried an excited Spencer into the front room and deposited him gently on the floor, watching as he scampered after the older boys to their awaiting sacks of presents. Spencer smiled when he saw the boys grab their Santa sacks and heave them onto the rug. His eyes caught a third sack and he frowned.
"What's dat?" He asked, curiously peeking at the embroidery on the front. He made out a 'p' and a two 'e's in the folded material.
"That's your presents from Santa," Henry said as he pulled open his sack. When it was loose Spencer was able to read the embroidery on it. It read 'Henry.' He looked back at his own and stretched the fabric before gasping.
"It says my name," he said and Hotch shared a grin with JJ.
"Looks like Santa Claus visited you too. Do you need help pulling it?" JJ asked.
"Fow me?"
"Santa visits all the good boys and girls," Jack explained with an air of knowledge. He reached up to take a present but Hotch muttered an "Uh-Uh-Uh," causing the boy's arms to fall back in his lap reluctantly. Hotch stood up and lifted Spencer's bag of presents, putting it on the empty spot on the rug. Hotch frowned thoughtfully for a moment. Had it really looked that empty last year. Was there always that little space in their lives that Spencer seemed to fill?
"Is it weally fow me?" Spencer asked again, disbelief heavy in his words.
"Of course," Hotch said with a wink. "You've been so good that Santa just had to stop. And you two," Hotch added so the other boys wouldn't protest and start an argument between each other on who had been the best behaved.
The front room was filled with excited shouts and squeals for over an hour as the boys tore off the wrapping paper and presented their toys to each other; Spencer had to get up to show JJ and Hotch some of his things, his eyes wide in awe each time before he staggered back, opened another and repeated the process with overwhelming gratitude. They all managed to find their chocolate coins and Spencer had to pause his unwrapping to pull the foil off the coins so he could eat one. Jack and Henry multitasked, all three eager to take advantage and eat chocolate for breakfast.
The bags were slowly getting smaller when Hotch jumped up and went to the kitchen, whipping together his special holiday waffle mix for breakfast.
Hotch pressed down the waffle maker and hurried back to the front room where Jack and Henry had finished opening presents but Spencer was still trying to pull the foil off of his chocolate, which Jack had assisted in by loosening the foil. Hotch sighed and leaned over, pulling the bag of chocolates from Spencer's hands. Spencer whined through a mouthful of chocolate. "You've had enough," He said and Spencer pouted as best he could with a mouthful of chocolate.
"Hurry up, Spencer," Henry put in as he looked over at Spencer's Santa sack enviously.
"Be patient, Henry," Hotch said as he ruffled his and Spencer's hair.
"We'll have breakfast when Spencer's finished."
"What about... the other presents?" Jack asked coyly, his eyes sliding to the tree where he knew there were gifts for him.
"After breakfast," Hotch reiterated and Jack slumped and fumbled with his new wrestling figures.
Spencer finally opened his last present and babbled about how amazing it was (it was a pocketbook on types of insects, although both Hotch and JJ were sure Spencer already knew them all.) He opened it and pointed to the insects, showing them to Henry who was trying to steal Jack's nerf gun.
Hotch went back to the kitchen and plated the waffles before bringing them into the front room, as a treat, sauces cwtched under his arm.
He handed the boys plastic plates and divided the waffles between the five of them.
"How much sauce, Spencey?" Jack asked as he held the chocolate Hershey bottle, that was already oozing dark liquid chocolate from the nozzle, over Spencer's half waffle (he never managed to finish a whole one.)
"Not too much," JJ warned as Jack squeezed the bottle. Spencer waited till the waffle was drowned in chocolate, but before he could say ''top', JJ grabbed the bottle and tipped it upright, shaking her head at the copious amount chocolate sauce over the meager half waffle.
They tucked in, Spencer trying his best not to make a mess but ending up with sauce all down the front of his pyjamas. Henry had strawberry sauce across his eyebrow while Jack's lips were coated in thick chocolate.
"All three of you are having a bath before we go to Rossi's," JJ said, followed by three groans.
Hotch smiled and felt his pyjamas pocket absentmindedly where he'd planted a small box. He glanced at JJ who was laughing at the boys' messy faces, chocolate sauce now in Spencer's light brown hair, which he reached up to clean off only to leave more streaks. Hotch pressed into the hard square box in his pocket and stared at JJ's glowing eyes and beautiful smile. Should I? He thought to himself, his long fingers reaching over the hem of his pocket, tantalisingly close to the dark blue box inside. He hesitated for a long moment. Come on, his mind hissed, you've done it once, how hard can it be. Suddenly, his fingers fell back to his side and he closed his eyes briefly.
"You okay, Hun?"
Hotch jolted upright and stared at JJ's concerned face before breaking into an awkward smile.
"Fine, Fine."
"Sure," JJ chuckled sarcastically, leaning her head on Aaron's shoulder and finding his fingers to lace with her own. Hotch swallowed thickly, hoping she didn't notice how sweaty his palm was, while also hoping she couldn't feel the box.
Not yet, he thought with some relief. Another day. With that thought, he settled against JJ and watched the boys bouncing around the room on their sugar highs.
"Um... Jay?"
"Mmmhmmm?" JJ mumbled as she took a deep sip of her coffee and pressed into Hotch's chest. She looked up at her boyfriend who was frowning at the tree. "What?" She asked as she followed his gaze. Hotch pointed to a blue box nestled in the tree.
"How did the Tardis get in our tree?"
After a few hours of opening presents to each other and several demonstrations of how the boy's new toys worked (in Spencer's case it was either petting his new stuffed animals or reading a page from one of his books,) Hotch finally managed to catch hold of Jack and Spencer and started carrying the laughing boys upstairs while JJ convinced Henry not to open his new 'mad scientist experiment' set, which included DIY slime.
Hotch lost his hold on Jack who sprinted for his room with a mad cackle. Aaron rolled his eyes and tightened his hold on Spencer before he stepped into his and JJ's room. He heaved Spencer onto the bed and the small boy rolled himself up in the sheets to hide.
"Having fun?" Chuckled Hotch as he aimed a jab at the sheets and was rewarded by a loud squeal.
"Yes!" Came the muffled response. "But you tan't tickle me!"
"Oh really?"
"Yea... ow...ow I'll tell day-I mean Mummy."
Hotch frowned in amusement. "Tell her what? That I'm tickling you?"
"No." Spencer's head snuck out from under the sheets; he had a smug smile on his lips. His eyes fell to Aaron's pocket. "I know what dat is."
Hotch touched his pocket and felt the box. "How-?"
"I'm 'till a genius," Spencer whispered. "I won't tell," he promised.
"I know you wouldn't, bud."
"Why don't you ask hew?"
"It's a bit more complicated than that."
"Weally?"
"When you're older you'll understa-" Hotch cut himself off when Spencer raised his eyebrows and a 'seriously' look fell across his face small face. There was a moment of silence as Spencer crawled out from under the covers, pulling his stuffed rabbit, which had been abandoned there earlier, with him.
"She'll say yes ya know," Spencer muttered as he hopped off the bed and trotted to the door.
Hotch took the ring box from out of his pocket and popped it open to reveal a small diamond ring. He sighed heavily and closed the lid only to raise his eyes at the door where Spencer was still stood.
"Hew wing size is six by the way," he whispered.
Hotch rolled his eyes as he put the ring back in his draw.
Henry had the first bath. As soon as JJ washed his head he was hopping out, drying himself quickly before scampering out naked into his room. Spencer was next and he came in in just a small pair of underwear, JJ assumed Hotch had stripped him and Jack to make her job easier. He trotted in with a handful of bath toys he'd gotten from Santa and dropped them into the warm soapy water before attempting to climb in, not bothering to take his underwear off. Unlucky for him he was too short so JJ managed to strip him completely before putting him gently in the bubbles.
Once Spencer and Jack were washed and cleaned Hotch and JJ sorted through their new clothes and decided which to put them in.
Jack hurried into his clothes so he could watch the wrestling on the TV. Henry and Spencer were harder to convince. Henry took the lead by only wearing his underwear and Spencer followed but put his socks on too. Each time JJ caught Spencer he wiggled away as she was putting his Christmas pudding shirt on and he'd throw it off with a giggle and Hotch was having similar luck, but Henry was a little more violent. They swapped targets and Hotch huffed in frustration when Spencer pulled off his shirt for the second time.
"Fine. You boys want to wear just that then let's go," Hotch said and he picked up Spencer and motioned for JJ to do the same with Henry. He got to the front door and put Spencer on his feet, pushing him out into the cold. Spencer squealed and clutched onto Hotch's leg, raising his arms to be sheltered by Hotch.
Henry folded his arms and stood out in the cold, goose pimples rising across his skin.
"T-told," Spencer whimpered, waving his arms at Hotch who only raised his eyebrows at the boy. "I'll get 'tanged," Spencer promised, giving up on Hotch and reaching out for JJ who smiled and picked him up.
"Come on, Henry."
"Nope. Uh-uh."
Hotch let JJ take Spencer back in and they headed upstairs to change, he watched Henry and sighed. "Only boys who get changed can have more presents," he said and Henry gave him a sideways look.
"Presents?"
"Yep. I guess Spencer can have your presents from aunt Pen-"
"No!" Henry cried suddenly and he sprinted back inside.
Spencer was still flushed with embarrassment when JJ buckled him in the car with one of his new books. He admitted he didn't know what came over him. JJ explained that it was just something kids did but it didn't seem to make him feel much better.
They got to Rossi's by 12.
They'd had an agreement with Will and Haley. They both allowed the boys to stay with JJ and Aaron, especially considering both boys spent Thanksgiving without them due to a case. Will wanted to pick Henry up, however, Haley was spending the day with her new potential boyfriend and so was happy for JJ and Aaron to keep Jack the entire day.
As soon as they got inside Henry sprinted for the Christmas tree where stacks of presents were waiting.
"Ah! They're here," Rossi's voice drifted to the threshold where JJ and Aaron shared a quick kiss under the strategically placed mistletoe.
"And what time do you call this," Garcia chided from her perch in the kitchen, a half filled glass of wine in her hand. Her nails had been painted as Christmas trees which matched her dark green dress with red sequins over the hems.
"Ask Henry and Spencer," Hotch replied, pulling his scarf off.
"Didn't they get up?" Emily asked.
"Oh, they sure did. That wasn't the problem; they were up at 5.30."
"Ouch." Morgan cringed and took a deep sip of his mulled wine.
"Tell me about it." Hotch ruffled Jack's hair and he grinned up sheepishly at his father.
"It was Spencer and Henry's fault," Jack announced, raising his arms in innocence. "They wouldn't get changed! Henry stayed out in the snow in just his boxers!"
Spencer blushed deeply as the adults laughed. Henry, on the other hand, was too busy investigating labels and carefully shaking the ones with his name on.
"Well you're just in time for lunch," Rossi said, raising the turkey in the air and making Garcia jump into action with her own oven mitts.
"But what about presents?" Moaned Jack, pointing to where JJ was laying out gifts they'd brought. Spencer stared at the arrangement of presents and the variety of gift wrapping which, like Jack, had him infatuated.
"Yea," Henry put in with an affronted look, a particularly large package in his hands.
"After lunch."
"Why!?" Henry wailed, putting the gift down and folding his arms.
"Because you're late."
Henry huffed and followed JJ into the dining room.
"When can we open them?"
"After lunch," Hotch reiterated and Henry grumbled again.
Hotch helped Spencer into one of the chairs which Rossi had piled with books and pillows. It was at a level where Spencer could just about reach his plate.
"So did someone visit last night?" Emily asked as she dished carrots out onto her plate and passed them to JJ.
"Yea! Santa!" Henry shouted.
"Inside voices," JJ said, handing the carrots to Hotch who put a few on Spencer's plate. Jack took the bowl and did his own which made Spencer feel even more inadequate.
"Really?" Garcia gasped and all three boys nodded.
"He ate the cookies too!"
"Are you sure that wasn't Spencer?" Snickered Morgan.
"No," Spencer mumbled. "They wewe gone, Dewek. I pwomise I didn't eat dem! I'm not allowed sugar aftew bedtime," He said in a matter-of-fact voice.
"He's just teasing you, Kiddo."
"Oh."
Henry grabbed his Christmas cracker and peeked through the end. "He got us loads of toys. Jack got the newest nerf gun!"
"Oh, great," Rossi muttered sarcastically, raising an eyebrow at Aaron who suppressed a smile.
"Hey, blame Santa Claus."
"I hope I get the yo-yo," mused Henry, shaking his cracker which JJ snatched off him.
"Wait, Henry."
They ate and laughed in contentment and Henry swapped the Christmas crackers around until he was sure (by the power of guess) that he had the yo-yo, (Rossi wasn't about to tell him that the set of crackers he'd gotten didn't include a yo-yo.) Spencer was still slowly chewing his carrots - his fork lay on the tablecloth, abandoned after just 3 minutes- by the time the others had finished and were laughing between sips of wine.
Jack reached out for Morgan's glass and he quickly lifted it out of reach.
"Not until you're 21."
"Aw, no fair!"
"Can we pull the crackers yet!?" Henry moaned, waving his in the air.
"Okay," Rossi sighed and Henry perked up.
"Really?"
"Sure, ready Spencer?"
Spencer pushed his half-eaten lunch away and nodded.
They pulled the crackers with several cheers and giggles when they popped loudly. Spencer hadn't been strong enough so Hotch helped him pull and gave him the goodies inside both.
"Oh!" Henry cried in disappointment, slamming the comb that came in his cracker on the table and covering his face.
"What's this?" Jack showed his father the packet from his cracker and Hotch smiled and pulled out a small redfish.
"It's a magic fish," he explained and he placed it on Jack's palm.
"Aw cool! Look it's curling up!"
"Put your hats on," Rossi instructed, an orange crown already resting on his head. "Whoever keeps theirs on longest wins."
Jack and Henry quickly grabbed their hats and put them on. Jack's was red and Henry's was light green. Spencer pulled out a magnifying glass from his cracker and grinned when he examined the cotton tablecloth with it. Hotch pulled out a light blue crown and put it on Spencer's head, it fell down over his eyes interrupting his investigation of the cloth.
"Spencer loses!" Henry yelled, his hands clamping over his own crown.
"I have a clip to hold it up," Garcia said offering a bobby pin to Hotch. Soon enough they were all wearing hats. Hotch had a pink one, Morgan had purple, Garcia had yellow, which she stuck some glitter on that she just so happened to have in her pocket. Emily's was dark green and JJ's was dark blue.
Rossi beamed at the sight before picking up his joke and clearing his throat.
"How does Christmas Day end?" He asked and the team looked up at him with a mixture of grins and looks of confusion. "It's the joke," Rossi added and Emily and Morgan nodded in realisation.
"Uh... I dunno..." JJ mumbled.
"A-" Spencer started but Hotch put a hand over his mouth before he could ruin Rossi's punchline.
"It ends in a 'y'," Rossi chortled and the team rolled the eyes and laughed lightly.
"I don't get it," Jack said.
"My turn!" Henry called out and the table fell silent for him. "What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?" He didn't wait long for an answer before blurting, "Frostbite!"
Henry looked up with a grin and everyone made an effort to laugh which made his smile grow.
"Good job, Henry," JJ said, skimming over her own joke and scrunching up the paper. Morgan pulled his out and snorted.
"How can you tell between a snowman and a snowwoman?" Morgan said through the noise. Hotch paused and gave Morgan a sharp look. He knew the answer.
"Morgan," he warned.
"What?" Jack asked, staring intently at Morgan for the answer.
"Snowballs," Morgan chuckled, dropping his joke on the table and smiling smugly at an annoyed looking Aaron. Spencer, Jack, and Henry burst out laughing, with the former almost falling off his pillows.
"And with that, we should clean up," Rossi put in over the loud giggling.
JJ herded the boy's into the front room, handing them a bag of the toys they'd already gotten to keep them entertained. When lunch had been cleaned up the team gathered in the sitting room and plopped down on the couches with full stomachs. The boys were mid-battle, with Henry and Spencer brandishing soft foams swords against Jack's nerf gun which was pelting the laughing boys mercilessly.
"Presents!" Henry squealed excitedly, throwing his sword down and rushing to the tree.
JJ went to stop him but Rossi waved her off and crashed down into a chair. "Let him sort them out."
"Careful," Garcia muttered as Henry lifted up one of the glittery presents and set it in front of Aaron. "That one's fragile."
Spencer strolled around the chairs, huffing when he saw that there was no room for him. Rossi reached down and lifted Spencer up off the floor and settled him on his lap.
Once the presents were sorted out JJ gave Henry and Jack the signal and they tore into their gifts.
"Aw, thanks, Aunt Em!" Jack gasped as he unwrapped a wrestling belt and held it up to the light.
Henry ripped open one of his poorly wrapped gifts and gave a cry of excitement. "Awesome!" He said as he raised the wooden sword with delicate engravings.
"Henry, what do you say?"
"Oh, right. Thanks, uncle Derek."
"That's okay, kid, just don't use it against your brothers or I'll be in trouble."
Spencer smiled and watched the boy's from Rossi's his lap, barely noticing the slight tap of the Italian's knee that was making him relax even more. Garcia reached over from her place on the couch beside them and carded a hand through Spencer's hair, catching his attention. "Why don't you open your presents too?" She said, motioning to the stack by Rossi's feet.
"B-but I alweady had pwesents," Spencer mumbled, scowling at the presents.
"Yea, from Santa, not from us," Emily added.
Spencer accepted the first present, carefully unwrapping the glittery reindeer wrapping and pulling out something soft. He looked down and saw a set of button-up pyjamas. They were white and had a dinosaur pattern. JJ bit her lip and pulled the pyjamas out of his hands.
"Aw, Pen, they are so cute! I wish I'd found them."
"Doesn't he have enough pyjamas?" Hotch half asked, half grunted.
"No!" JJ, Emily and Garcia said in unison and Aaron's eyes went wide.
"Fanks, Gawcia," Spencer said. Hotch sent him a look and the boy quickly corrected himself. "I mean... Fanks, auntie Pen."
"That's okay, sugar bunny. There's more." Garcia pointed to another sparkly present. Spencer went through his careful unwrapping again and pulled out a diplodocus plush.
"Fanks!" He whispered in awe, touching the dinosaur's neck. He tucked the toy under his arm and pulled the last thing from the wrapping. It was a hardback book on dinosaurs and the many species of them.
"I sense a theme here," Hotch chuckled.
"Boys like dinosaurs," was Garcia's only answer.
Spencer unwrapped his other gifts and thanked each member of his team with a big smile. Rossi got him a colourful kids encyclopedia and a book on random facts. Morgan had gone the same way as Garcia and got him a box of dinosaur figures; Spencer smiled sweetly at the smirk on Morgan's face, just you wait, Spencer thought.
The adults started to open their own presents when the kids seemed satisfied. Jack was trying to make himself a wrestling outfit with his belt and the discarded wrapped paper while Henry and Spencer just examined their gifts.
Hotch picked up the glittery wrapped present that was clearly from Garcia's and he slowly unwrapped it. He caught Garcia watching him with a grin. He saw the back of a photo frame and flipped it over to see a photo of Henry, Jack, and Spencer. They were sat in Rossi's armchair, Jack had a false pained expression on his face as Henry was sat on his lap and Spencer was sat on Henry.
"Thank you, Garcia," Hotch said and he handed the frame to JJ who laughed.
"When was that?"
"Last time we were here. I forced them to take a nice photo but Jack still refused," she replied and she smiled at Jack who was grinning cheekily.
"Hey!" Spencer grumbled. "You pwomised dat was just fow you!"
"Sorry, I don't remember, baby boy."
Spencer huffed and they carried on opening presents.
Emily got to the present from JJ and Hotch when JJ leaned over and whispered "the other present is from Spencer," as Emily pulled off the wrapping and caught sight of another gift in separate wrapping paper. "He was adamant," JJ added with a wink.
The rest of the team noticed their extra presents with an S on the front of each to show who it was from. They glanced at the quiet toddler on the couch with his head resting on his new dinosaur, watching something Jack had put in the TV.
Emily was first to open her gift from Spencer and she laughed when she pulled out a pair of earrings in the shape of back cats with small green gems as eyes. "He picked this?" She asked and Hotch nodded.
"Jay tried to help but he had his heart pretty set on those," He chuckled and Emily smiled fondly at the distracted toddler and swapped her earrings for the back cats.
The others unwrapped their gifts from Spencer. Garcia gasped when she pulled out a set of designer pens, each different, with her initials on some and her nicknames on others, spelled out with colourful gems.
Spencer was rubbing his eyes when he noticed Morgan finally getting around to his present. He rolled his eyes at the chunky book that the toddler had gotten him and his eyes went to the tin that had also been in his package.
"What's this?" He asked, eyeing Hotch who shrugged. Morgan raised his eyebrows at Spencer who was attempting to sit up while he yawned.
Morgan started pulling at the lid and caught Spencer's attention in doing so and a grin spread across Spencer's face.
"Taweful," Spencer warned as Morgan stuck his tongue out, loosening the lid slightly. After a few seconds it finally popped out and Morgan yelled suddenly when what he thought was a rhumba of snakes lept out at him. He threw it in the air and scrabbled away, panting heavily as he ducked behind the couch.
Spencer's laughter filled the room and the team glanced down at the tin and the paper snakes hanging from its mouth.
"I pwanked you!" Spencer giggled and Morgan glowered at him, a smirk curling his lips.
"Oh, that was a good one, Kid, but watch your back," Morgan hissed. Penelope smacked Morgan and shook her head.
"Lave my little munchkin alone you big bully," She chided and Morgan's mouth bobbed open in exasperation.
"Did you not see that!?"
"He's only two, Derek, he probably didn't even know it did that," she said, aware of the two other boys who were snickering as they examined the tin.
"Oh, he knows."
"Don't worry, Spence, we'll watch your back," Jack promised.
"Then I'll just have to get you all," Morgan added under his breath as he collected his book and other gifts and settled into an armchair.
Henry put the lid back on and tried the prank again with Rossi who had to pretend he was scared.
Will came to pick Henry up later that day when the sky was beginning to darken. Henry had kicked up a bit of a fuss until Will had revealed that there were presents waiting for him at home and the young boy was suddenly hugging everyone goodbye and scurrying into his father's car.
"Well, I guess it's time for leftovers." Rossi rubbed his hands together eagerly. Spencer and Jack were lay in front of the TV, half watching the Christmas film playing on there. Spencer had his head resting on his dinosaur toy, his eyes half open on the TV. Hotch grabbed the boy's new sets of pyjamas, Spencer's with the dinosaurs and Jack's with Captain America's logo on the front. He walked over to the boy's and heaved Jack to his feet.
"Humph," Jack grumbled, still staring at the TV.
"Come on, let's get you two changed and comfy," Hotch mumbled as he gripped Spencer under his arms and lifted him up. Spencer grabbed his stuffed dinosaur and let his head rest on Hotch's shoulder.
"What about the movie?" Jack asked groggily as he shuffled out of the doorway, his father's hand guiding him.
"It'll still be on when you get back."
The team had helped themselves to leftovers by the time Hotch, Spencer, and Jack came back in. The two boys were pyjamas clad. Jack was guiding Spencer by holding his free hand which wasn't carrying his stuffed dinosaur.
"Well look at you two," Morgan said and he gave a low whistle which made Spencer hide his face behind his toy.
"Aw! They're so adorable!" Garcia squeaked. Hotch helped the boy's onto one of the couches and they lay side by side, their elbows resting on the couch arm as they stared at the TV.
"They hungry?" JJ asked as Hotch collapsed beside her and stole a bite of the second half of her turkey sandwich.
"Nah," He said through a mouthful. "I think they might have made themselves sick on candy. Which I blame Emily for."
"What? Why me?"
"You got them way too much chocolate," Rossi said absently. Emily quirked an eyebrow.
"I didn't know what else to get. They have too many stuffed animals, although Spencer is doing a good job at acquiring more. And Garcia gets them clothes every day of the week. What would you propose?" She quipped.
"Not candy," laughed JJ.
Jack grunted irritably and shot them a look, pressing his fingers to his lips. "Shh."
Emily had managed to crack open Rossi's second best wine and they were indulging in it as the Italian poured him and Aaron a scotch.
"Someone's tired," Morgan whispered and he nodded his head towards the couch where Spencer was sprawled out, his eyes shut, hair in his face, pyjamas askew and his thumb resting between his lips. His new dinosaur was clutched tightly in his other arm.
"Aw, his itty bitty baby body can't keep up with us," Garcia cooed.
"He's not the only one." Aaron pointed to the rug where Jack was stretched out, his head resting in his arms. He'd moved after Spencer had tossed and turned too much and he'd gotten annoyed.
The TV was still casting a soft hue over both boys which changed colours as the commercials died away only to be replaced with a new one.
"I think we better go home," JJ whispered. She glanced at her wine and then spun around to Aaron, who had his arm around her and a glass of scotch in his hands. "Oh... uh, Aaron, how much have you had?"
Hotch closed his eyes and withheld a groan. "Too many," he replied.
"Stay," Rossi said. "You can put them in one of my guest rooms," he insisted, swirling the drink at the bottom of his glass. "You might as well stay. It's late already."
"I'm sorry, am I hearing this right?" Emily asked with a smirk. "Are you letting us stay?"
"Sleepover?!" Garcia cried, but she quickly snapped her mouth shut when Spencer shifted and made a small squeak.
"Well you all got Pyjamas from Garcia, and she probably brought her own-"
Penelope grinned mischievously and pulled out a nightgown from her bag.
"You could be a profiler, you know," Morgan chuckled.
"No, I'm just prepared."
Hotch grabbed Jack while JJ took Spencer. Both the boys' hats had fallen off during sleep. Morgan took a quick glance at the others and found their hats to be missing. He grinned and held his hands up triumphantly.
"I won!" He yelled causing Jack to stir and mumble in his sleep. Garcia hit his arm lightly while Hotch scowled at him. "Sorry, Sorry. But I won the game," he took his hat off and twirled it on his fingers. "So what do I get?"
Rossi shrugged and sipped his scotch.
"Nah, come on, I want a prize," Derek said with a smug grin.
"Sorry, Morgan, but only winners get prizes," Emily said as she stepped out of the kitchen. Morgan wrenched himself around in his chair to argue.
"I had my- Aw, come on!"
Emily pointed to the slightly torn paper crown still sat on her hair and Morgan looked back down at the purple crumpled paper in his hand, his shoulders falling in defeat.
"Ah, feels good to win."
"I'm at an unfair disadvantage!"
"And why's that?" Emily asked with a false sympathy look on her face.
"You have hair."
"And you have a big head. We're even."
There you go.
Please review! It means a lot.
I'll be back in two weeks, just gotta get through real life stuff, but I'll be back I promise.
Thanks for reading.
See you soon.