(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters)

Soooo this story was never meant to spiral into the whole Diana being sick storyline therefore I won't kill her off as soon as I'd planned, instead I'll prolong it. I'm not sure for how long, but I recently write a funeral scene for Diana in 'Biological Father' and I really don't want to do that again.

Instead this chapter will move on a bit. Drugs have managed to increase Diana's life expectancy and Spencer and Hotch have returned home. Let's get back to the main plot shall we ;)

Thank you for reviewing! This story is almost at 800 reviews and that's insane. It means so much to me especially considering my second longest story had at most 2/3 reviews a chapter and is nowhere near as reviewed as this. So thank you guys so much! I'm glad I didn't give up ;) also, this is chapter 60!

Thank you Hippiechic81, Ludub, fishtrek, Emobunnyme, lailyspenstar, lilyflower101, Guest, Diana, Daisyangel, Rookblonkorules, and Jesuslover123.

Please keep those reviews up, I love hearing from you guys. I usually PM reviewers directly (I didn't this time because I was very busy) and if you're a guest I'll start addressing your reviews in the AN.

Speaking of:

Guest- thank you for reviewing! Please leave a name next time so I can personally thank you ;)

Diana- thank you for reviewing. Your continued support is wonderful as always. I wish I could PM you and because I can't I always feel so bad so I hope this makes up for it.

Alright, now that's done, enjoy!

Previously:

Hotch watched as Spencer's eyebrows furrowed. He knew the bedtime story fell on deaf ears in Spencer's case.

He reached out and put a hand on Spencer's leg. The boy peeled open an eyelid and a lazy brown iris found Hotch who smiled and mouthed 'don't worry.'

Spencer swallowed thickly and nodded. His head fell back onto the pillow and his mind went back to worrying.

Spencer and Henry lounged out on the plastic chairs outside the principal's office. Henry was on his back kicking his legs in the air while Spencer sat with his legs dangling over the edge, his head swaying from side to side.

After he and Hotch had come home (having found out that Diana was improving) they'd gotten called into Jack's school because he'd punched another boy.

Haley was there too and neither she nor Aaron was very happy.

"I don't understand, Jack, why would you hurt Samuel? I thought you were friends," Haley said, her voice full of hurt and confusion. Jack looked down at his hands and shrugged.

"That's my point, Mrs. Hotchner, Jack won't tell us why he attacked another student. I have very little choice other than to suspend him."

"It's Brooks, Aaron and I aren't together anymore." Haley turned back to Jack, her eyes filled with a silent plea. "Jack, please tell me why?"

The boy folded his arms and let out a huff, refusing to speak to his mother. He kept his eyes averted from his father, whose glare was burning into him. JJ sighed and leaned over to put a soft hand on Jack's knee, something she'd do when Henry got upset or when Spencer panicked at work. Jack's eyes flickered up to her briefly before he grunted and turned his face away.

"What is it, Jack?" Asked JJ in a soft voice that could calm a grown man. Haley was scowling fiercely at JJ, her lips stretched over gritted teeth and her fingers digging into her arms where she had them crossed.

Jack allowed his eyes to drift up to JJ's and he swallowed thickly, still careful not to catch his dad's eyes.

"Jack, I will be forced to expel you if-"

"Expel!" Hotch bellowed and his glare shifted from Jack to the principal, who suddenly appeared flustered. All he could do was shrug.

"It's the consequence for violence, Mr. Hotchner, as I'm sure you're already aware."

Jack, who looked seriously terrified now, licked his lips hesitantly before he opened his mouth. "Please don't expel me, sir," he pleaded, his voice low and tinged with sadness. His panic filled eyes found Aaron's and he looked away with shame.

JJ's hand was still present over his knee but Haley leaned in and stroked a strand of hair behind the boy's ear, shooting JJ a look that said to back off. "Honey, we can't help you if you don't tell us. I know you wouldn't just hit Samuel, now what happened?"

"You shouldn't hit anyone," Hotch hissed, his nails clawing into his thigh as Jack shifted uncomfortably at his side. "We never resort to violence, Jack."

"Aaron," Haley said in a hushed and annoyed whisper. "Can you do that after we find out why he did it?"

JJ nodded, sitting back in her chair and palming Aaron's shoulder. Hotch closed his eyes and let an angry breath seep past his teeth before he muttered. "Fine. Jack, you better have some kind of explanation and I want to hear it now."

Jack sucked his lips in and his eyes burned with tears. "I'm sorry," he whimpered, a little hysterically as a sob tried to force its way from his mouth. "H-he was making fun of Conner a-again," Jack sniffed. He took a quick and deep breath, rubbing at his eyes. He looked at JJ for some kind of help. "Sam s-said that Conner's backp-pack was lame. I-I told him to leave Conner alone because..." and Jack looked up at Aaron. "Cus that's w-what you told m-me to do. I'm not even friends w-with Conner but Sam was being r-really mean, Dad."

Aaron felt a bit of relief surge through him and some of the anger disappeared from his chest. JJ, on the other hand, whipped her head around at the principal.

"Aren't you supposed to deal with bullying?" She spat.

"Nobody has informed us of this incident, only that Jack hit another student."

"Maybe you should pay attention to your students then?" Haley put in. She also turned her anger towards the principal rather than JJ, both of them finding a common enemy in him.

Hotch motioned for Jack to continued now the boy had recovered a little. "I thought he'd stop because he knows that I'm the captain of the football team but he pushed Conner. Conner's really small, mom, he's a bit like Spencer but he's older."

"Does Conner get pushed around a lot?" Haley asked and Jack nodded.

"He usually hides in the library, but last Monday someone ripped a page from his book."

The principal cleared his throat a little nervously.

"That's not why I hit him, though. I told him that if he didn't leave Conner alone, t-that I'd tell my dad," Jack continued, his voice stuttering a bit as the memories came back. "Sam said that you wouldn't care because you hate m-me." Jack's voice broke and he quickly rubbed his eyes.

Haley was eying the principal, watching his face grow more and paler.

Aaron reached an arm around his son and shushed him. "It's okay, bud, people say mean things about me all the time and none of its true. I love you, Jack, you know that."

Jack gave a little-stuttered nod. "I know. I-I told Sam that but then-" Jack hesitated.

"Then what?" JJ questioned softly.

"Then he said that... that I was the reason t-that you two split up." Jack motioned to Haley and Aaron before his head fell down and he shook it. "S-so I hit him. I-I was just so angry!"

Henry glanced over at Spencer who was trying to get into a more comfortable position on the hard chairs.

"Hey, Spence," Henry called, making Spencer raise his head from where he'd laid it on the chair. "Did I tell you that we learned our two times table today," Henry said proudly as he held a smug grin on his face.

Spencer raised his eyebrows. "Oh...dats tool," he mumbled before turning his head back against the chair.

"You will learn your time's tables when you're my age," Henry added. Spencer didn't say anything so Henry started clicking his tongue boredly. "I could teach you to count," he offered after a few moments of annoying Spencer with his clicking.

"Dats otay," Spencer mumbled.

"It's easy, Spence, look." Henry held out his closed fist and raised a finger. "One," he said clearly.

Spencer sat up with a grumpy look on his face. "I tan tount, Henwy," he huffed.

Henry hesitated, his mouth open and his second finger hovering in the air. He looked over at Spencer and frowned. "My friend Trevor said his sister has just learned to walk and she's two, just like you," Henry announced in a questioning tone. Spencer sat up a little further. "How come you can count when you're still a baby."

"I'm not a baby."

"But you're two! Mommy said I couldn't talk normally when I was two."

Henry shot Spencer an incredulous look and the smaller boy gulped.

"Um..." Spencer murmured, not knowing what to say to Henry who seemed to be growing suspicious.

"Trevor's sister is still in diapers and Aaron said Jack was wearing diapers till he was three," Henry put in his eyes still boring into Spencer as the boy squirmed in panic.

"I-I wear pull-ups," Spencer admitted and in doing so he caused a ruby red blush to spread over his cheeks. Was he trying to prove that he was a normal two-year-old to Henry? Wasn't he obstinate on doing the opposite with the team, JJ, and Aaron?

Henry seemed to consider this, his eyes falling to Spencer's tiny chinos. Spencer covered himself quickly. "Okay, but how come you just read things? Trevor's sister definitely can't read! He says that she just runs around the house."

Spencer could feel his heart pounding and he tried desperately to keep his breathing at a normal level. "I lite stowies," he whispered quietly, his eyes frantically slipping from the office door and back down at the chair.

Henry narrowed his eyes and looked down the hallway briefly. He didn't seem to notice that Spencer was verging on a panic attack.

"Is there something wrong with you? Is that why you're so different?" Henry asked. Spencer opened his mouth but stopped himself. What was Henry expecting a two-year-old to do?

Spencer called on all of his toddler emotions, creating a wobble in his lower lip. "Mommy says I'm 'pecial," he whimpered, rubbing his nose on his sleeve.

Henry's eyes grew wider and he craned his neck up at the principal's office window, making sure his mom wasn't looking. He turned back to Spencer, who had managed to force out crocodile tears, and Henry swallowed thickly with worry.

"I didn't mean that, Spence. I guess you are special."

Spencer took a shuddery breath before curling back up on the chair, facing away from Henry. "I w-want Mommy." His voice shook perfectly and Henry shrank back in his seat, filled with guilt and thrown off his suspicions.

Was Henry having doubts about him? Spencer felt his chest constrict. What if the boys found out who he'd been before? He couldn't have that, where would he go? Hotch wouldn't kick him out but he couldn't go on living with them, the boy's would be confused and scared of him. He could go to Rossi's... no! Too big, Spencer thought, too scary, and Rossi was no fun compared to Aaron and JJ and especially Henry and Jack.

"Spencer? Are you okay?" Henry called, pulling Spencer from his thoughts yet again. "I'm sorry for making you cry," he added in a soft voice.

Spencer hummed to let Henry know he was fine. He curled tighter into a ball, like a cat, but his mind was swirling with worry instead of mice and kibble which Spencer assumed a cat would think of if they did in fact 'think.'

Spencer shook his head. He knew he couldn't let the boys discover his secret. No, he'd simply just have to step up his game in order to be more convincing. What had Henry said first? Was he too quiet? Was he sat around reading too much? Well, he'd just have to be a little more 'crazy,' that was easy to do, he'd just run around the house, pretend it's a game or something, he recalled Henry doing that a lot.

"And where were you this weekend, Mr. Hotchner?"

Hotch pursed his lips and glared at the principal. "Our youngest, Spencer, he's adopted. His biological mother had taken a turn for the worst," he ground out, keeping his eyes leveled at the principal.

"Well, maybe if you paid attention to your own son then he wouldn't be acting out," the principal chided by which point Jack had enough and he stood up abruptly from his chair while Aaron clenched his fists.

"Spencer doesn't have proper parents! A-and Henry's Dad wants to leave him. My daddy is their Daddy," he yelled. His fists were balled up at his sides and his face was a vision of anger. The principal glanced over at Jack and rolled his eyes, looking back to Aaron.

"This is what I'm talking about."

JJ looked over at the window and smiled sadly at her own son who was knelt on the chair, gazing at the posters on the noticeboard. She glanced to the spot they'd left Spencer and saw him curled up on his chair, his thumb in his mouth and his stuffed rabbit wrapped between his fingers. An affectionate smile crossed her lips as she turned back towards the meeting where Aaron was still arguing with the principal.

"Sit down, Jack," Hotch muttered and the boy, who's face screwed up in frustration, plonked himself back into his seat and folded his arms. "Jack only acts in the defense of himself and others," Aaron continued. "I have taught him that, though I have never encouraged violence as a method of defense unless it is his only option."

JJ nodded along with what Aaron was saying, watching the principal for any sign of leniency.

"Our school has a no violence policy," he interjected.

"And I understand that, but as Jennifer said you also have a no bullying policy."

The principal seemed to falter at this.

"Therefore I believe that if both boys received a detention-"

"What!?"

"Jack," Hotch hissed and Jack grunted miserably. "As I was saying, if they served a detention and apologised to each other and in Samuel's case, Conner, then I think this issue can be easily resolved."

Haley smiled proudly at the former lawyer before turning back to the principal.

The principal cleared his throat. "This new information is certainly helpful, however, your son still hurt another student. I cannot let him off with a detention. As of tomorrow, Jack will be on suspension for a week."

Jack covered his face.

"If that's the case then Samuel ought to be suspended for bullying, Jack mentioned that he got physical with Connor."

The principal sighed before he nodded. "I suppose that is fair. I will speak to Conner and Samuel to confirm this story. For now, take Jack home, and perhaps teach him how to control his anger."

Spencer sat on the couch with his finger tapping thoughtfully on his chin. So toddlers were rambunctious? Well, he certainly had the energy to do that, but did he have the willpower?

They made messes, he thought as he walked slowly over to the toy box, something he rarely dove into unless it was to find his Doctor Who figurines. He stuck his hand into the box and retrieved a big tub of Lego that had been neatly put away. He glanced back at Jack who was watching TV with a scowl on his face. He could hear Henry bugging JJ over when dinner would be ready.

Spencer heaved the tub out of the box but completely misjudged his strength as it tipped sideways causing a tidal wave of blocks across the floor. Jack startled up from the couch at the sound of the crash and he stared at Spencer who was holding an empty tub of Lego and gaping at the mess he'd made on the floor. Jack grinned and shook his head. "Kids," he muttered with a roll of his eyes.

Spencer felt awful about the mess he'd made and he sat down on the floor to start clearing it up. He lifted two pieces stuck together and maneuvered them slightly. At that moment JJ hurried in with Henry who started laughing.

"Oh, Spencer," JJ groaned at the sight of the toddler sat in the middle of the Lego, looking as if he hadn't a care in the world. They'd dealt with enough that day. Speaking of which, JJ peeked at Jack who'd had his gaming devices taken away and he wasn't to put on his favourite TV channel so he was stuck watching a re-run of The Simpsons, (something Hotch had still debated.)

Henry giggled and wiped his eyes. "You can't play with those, Spence, they're too small."

Spencer, who was creating something from some of the blocks, smiled confidently and stuck his tongue out at Henry who just gaped at him. Jack snorted, his eyes still on the TV.

"You can clean those up, Spencer," JJ sighed as she went back to the kitchen.

Henry waltzed up to Spencer and pulled some of the blocks out of his hand. "Hey," Spencer whined, reaching back for it, he'd become woefully distracted with building a coffee machine.

"These are too small, Spence." Henry reached forward and lifted Spencer up to his feet, helping him tiptoe over the mess on the floor. "But I have a better game."

"What's dat?" Asked Spencer, wincing when a piece of Lego got caught between his toes. He hopped on one foot and Henry helped to brush off the Lego.

Jack had lost interest in the TV and was listening to his brothers.

"Tag."

Spencer gazed at Henry for a moment. Tag... it was a high-intensity game, involving running, hiding, dodging, catching, it checked all the boxes on the things 'crazy' kids did. He nodded eagerly but his eyes drifted back to the Lego. "What about da mess?" He asked as his head lowered shamefully.

"It doesn't matter," Henry said and then he threw Jack a glance. "Jack's it!" He cried, grabbing Spencer's hand and pulling him out of the door and shutting it behind them just as Jack leapt off the couch to chase after them.

JJ cleared up the kitchen table watching as the boys scurried out of the room, screaming with excitement as they did.

"Careful!" She called after them.

Aaron skimmed past her, pressing his lips to her cheek as he deposited the dishes in the dishwasher.

"What are we gonna do with them?" He chuckled as he grabbed JJ by the waist and wrapped his arms around her.

"Let them play." JJ shrugged. "I guess."

"What about Jack?"

"Haley can have him some of this week and then Sean can fill in the gaps. We could have Spencer stay with him," JJ said.

Hotch frowned and pressed his face into JJ's neck. "This is meant to be a punishment."

"And he is being punished. He's not allowed to see his friends or play video games. And Spencer and Henry are both likely to annoy him more than anything else."

"You sure about that?" Chortled Hotch after Jack chased Henry past the door.

"I'm gonna get you!" Jack bellowed.

"Get Spencer! He's easier to catch!"

"He's hiding! And you're easy to catch too!"

"Boys," JJ called. "Be careful if you're running around!"

JJ sighed and twisted out of Aaron's grasp; she led him out into the hallway as Jack and Henry fled up the stairs. She stepped into the front room and frowned at the mess across the floor.

"What happened here?" Hotch snorted. JJ leaned back and raised an unamused eyebrow at him.

"Three boys happened here," JJ shot back. She jumped to the left when Jack ducked past her. Henry was panting at the doorway and glaring at Jack.

"No, fair, you cheated! Clothes don't count, you didn't touch me."

"Did too!"

Jack darted for the couch, kicking Lego as he went. He pulled Spencer, who had been crouching behind the arm, up and started to pull him back into the room.

JJ collapsed onto the couch and pursed her lips at Spencer. "What did I say about this mess, Spencer?" She questioned.

"Spencer did that?" Hotch asked incredulously just as Jack pulled Spencer past Henry and into the dining room.

JJ glanced up at Aaron and patted the free space on the couch. "Yep, and he will be cleaning it up later."

Hotch laughed and got comfy beside JJ. "That's if this game doesn't end in tears," he put in as he curled an arm around her.

"Don't say that. You'll jinx it."

There were loud cries from the other room and the couple exchanged a quick glance before Henry dashed in and hid in the corner. "Spencer's it," he whispered.

"Just remember that Spencer's slower than you two," Hotch warned, glancing into the hall where Spencer was looking around with a dazed look.

He hurried in with a giddy smile on his face and he peered around the couches. "Have you seen Jack ow Henwy?" He asked, blinking sweetly at Hotch as he leaned on the couch.

Aaron was happy to see Spencer happier than he had been that weekend. He shook his head and grinned. "Be careful," he said when Spencer bounced toward the other couch.

"You know what I can see," JJ grumbled. She motioned to the floor. "A mess."

"Sowwy," Spencer muttered. He looked over at the lego and bit his lip but he was quickly distracted by a whistle from out in the hall and he spun around. He cocked his head and heard it again and he resolved to follow the sound.

"Spencer, slow down!" JJ cried as Spencer darted out of the door. A loud bang followed his disappearance. JJ and Aaron jumped up from their seats in an instant.

"Spence?!" JJ called, hurrying around the corner.

"I'm-I'm otay," Spencer stuttered as Hotch and JJ tore around the corner where the small boy was sprawled on his backside, his hands planted on either side of himself as he shook his head. Aaron knelt down and took Spencer's arms, checking him for injuries. The hall table was still wobbling from the collision and Aaron's briefcase had fallen from it to the floor.

"What did JJ say about running?" He chided in his serious voice. Spencer looked up at him with wide eyes that were starting to water.

"I'm sowwy."

"No, Spencer, you could've really hurt yourself. You're going to sit in time out until you've calmed down," Hotch ordered, pulling Spencer up on his feet. Spencer hid the wince the action chased as bet he could.

"What did you even do?" JJ asked with a sigh. She lifted Aaron's briefcase off the floor where it had fallen, the contents covering the carpet. She picked up some of the papers and shuffled them back together.

Spencer, whose lip was shaking, pointed to the side table which had shifted positions slightly. He rubbed his shoulder and bit his lip. "I-it got in my way," he mumbled, keeping his eyes low. Hotch lifted his sleeve as he tutted.

"You ran into it. And now you've bruised your arm," he huffed, touching the tender, red skin just below Spencer's shoulder.

"Ow."

"Exactly. Maybe you'll think before running around like a psycho."

JJ plucked up the pens, shoving them back into the case when her fingers brushed against a small box.

"I'm not a sy-sy... I'm not a-a psyto!" Spencer whimpered under his breath, pulling his arm from Aaron. Hotch grabbed it back.

"You're not going anywhere, come on."

"But-" Spencer started.

"Aaron..."

"No, Spencer, you heard what I said. You're going to calm down," Hotch hissed, ignoring JJ's quiet voice behind him.

"Aaron."

"I didn't mean to... you tan't just boss me awound."

"I can," Aaron retorted.

"Aaron."

"'Top tweeting me lite a baby!"

"You're certainly acting like one!"

"Aaron Hotchner!"

Both Spencer and Aaron stopped arguing and turned their head towards JJ who was stood, a box in her hands and her eyes gazing disbelievingly at her boyfriend.

"What's wr-" Hotch began but his eyes caught sight of the little blue box in JJ's hand. "Oh..."

"What's this?" JJ asked in a small voice. Spencer looked from JJ to Aaron and stepped back carefully, his expression set in a grimace.

"It's a... it's-"

"An engagement wing," Spencer put in with a helpful smile but his eyes widened and he covered his mouth.

"I know that, honey," JJ said, her eyes drifting back to Aaron. "What's it doing in your briefcase, Aaron?"

Spencer chewed his lip hard and backed away a little more.

"Sowwy, Daddy," he murmured, realising he'd ruined Hotch's plan. He glanced back and saw Jack hovering in the doorway. The older boy waved Spencer over.

"I planned this differently," Hotch sighed, turning to face JJ but remaining on his knees.

Jack caught Spencer and held him in front of himself, watching his dad and JJ with bated breath.

"A-Aaron," JJ gasped while Aaron pulled the box from her limp fingers and got on one knee.

He pulled it open and revealed a thin ring, one pale blue stone in the centre with two diamonds flanking either side of it and breathless silver twisting around the stones to hold them in place.

"Jennifer Jareau, we've been through so much together both at work and at home. Today was just another of those crazy days and you and the boys are the only people I want to spend those days with." He gulped nervously, shifting on his knee. "JJ, w-will you... khm... wo-would you-"

"Marry you?" JJ breathed. Hotch nodded hopefully.

"Yes... I mean, will you marry me, Jennifer?"

JJ stared at him for a long painful moment and then down at the ring and then back at Aaron. She never saw herself as one of those brides on the cover of magazines. She glanced at Henry, and Jack and then Spencer who looked incredibly guilty. Maybe she would be one of those brides after all.

"Ask again," she whispered.

Aaron frowned and readjusted on his knee. "Um, will you marry me-"

"Yes!" JJ held out her hand eagerly as a dumbfounded Aaron fumbled with the box and slid the ring on her finger.

He beamed, a bright grin on his lips as he staggered forward, wrapping his arms around JJ and kissing her passionately. Jack covered Spencer's eyes and 'ew'ed loudly.

Neither Hotch nor JJ took any notice. They broke apart and smiled affectionately at each other.

"I was so worried you'd say no," Hotch breathed, pressing his lips to JJ's again, unable to hide his broad smile.

"Aaron Hotchner?" JJ snickered. "Scared?"

Aaron grinned and poked her in the side. "Hey, be nice."

"Am I 'till in twouble?" Spencer asked, wincing when Aaron's hand came down on his shoulder.

"No, buddy, you are definitely not in trouble. In fact," he smirked and patted Spencer's back. "You're going to be our flower boy."

"Dats not a fing!" Spencer cried.

"Oh, it will be."

Aaron winked and Spencer rolled his eyes. "Yay..." he mumbled.

I had to do something big for chapter 60, and I can't write something depressing again.

Please review, it means a lot and I'd love to know your thoughts. Also, I'd love to hear what you guys want to see next in this story, I may end up using your ideas.

I feel like this chapter was an assortment of goings on. I hope it wasn't too crazy : /

Thanks for reading and I'll see you all soon!