(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or it's characters.)

Thank you ahowell1993, Rookblonkorules, fishtrek, Daisyangel, Ash59, Diana, Ludub, lailyspenstar, and Ihatz1 for reviewing and everyone who followed and favourite this story.

Ash59- thanks for reviewing. I'm so happy you're still with this story, so thank you!

Diana- thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the update, it's always great to hear from you. And I'm really trying to find that balance between the sweetness and the sinister so I'm happy you approve of that. Thanks again.

In fact, thank you to everyone, new and old reviewers for continuing to stick to this story and leave your comments, it's so wonderful!

Please keep reviewing.

Enjoy!

Previously:

"And we had a nerf gun fight!" Jack shouted above Spencer.

"Sounds awesome!" Hotch exulted as he hugged Spencer again who let out a yawn.

"I guess... it was," the toddler murmured. It was nice not to have so much to worry about.

Henry stood by the doorway as he watched his dad try and fit all his boxes into the car. He was picking up some things that had been in JJ's attic that he'd left behind after their breakup. JJ was holding Henry's hand and squeezed it tighter every time Will brushed past them, avoiding his son's sad eyes each time.

He paused on his last trip back out and looked at JJ imploringly.

"Don't do this, Cher," he said.

"You're the one leaving, William," JJ retorted as she pulled Henry closer to her.

Will glanced over at the car where Claudia was sat, lounging in shotgun, her newly pedicured toes up on the dashboard. Henry watched her loathingly, his bottom lip pushing past the top and his arms folded.

He sighed and knelt down before Henry.

"Hey, bud, you can still come with us ya know."

Before JJ could bite out a response Henry piped up. "There's no room." He pointed to the seats in the back, crowding the window with boxes.

Will rubbed the back of his neck.

"We could come back for you, your-"

"I know what she did!"

Will stared at Henry in shock.

"What-"

"Claudia. I know she teld someone to take Spencer away," Henry said, his voice growing higher.

"Buddy, that's adult stuff." Will shot JJ a look and she just shrugged. Henry or Jack must have overheard. She smirked all the same. I

"She's mean and horrible and I hate her!"

"Henry," Will said warningly.

"I don't want to live with her, a-and I don't want to live with you!" Henry blurted and he folded his arms up again and turned his back on his father. Will knelt there, a little dumbfounded.

"What are you waiting for?" JJ sneered, glaring down at her ex. Will stood.

"I wish you both luck, you deserve each other," she added.

Will didn't have anything more to say. He picked up the final box and took one last look at his son.

"I'll see you soon, Henry. I promise. Maybe you'll want to come live with us when I get a job."

Henry didn't reply.

"I love you, buddy"

Again, no response. With a heavy heart, Will started walking to the car. He shoved the box inside and settled in beside Claudia. JJ watched as he tried to talk to the young woman and she rolled her eyes and drew closer to the window, nattering more loudly on her phone.

Henry turned back as the car pulled away. He dropped JJ's hand and he wiped furiously at his eyes.

Spencer, seeing his god-son and (what he would consider) his brother in distress, hurried away from Aaron and hugged Henry. He forgot how small he was now, and ended up hugging the older boy's middle.

Henry leaned down a little as his tears fell and he hugged the smaller boy back.

"Come on, let's get inside," Aaron said, putting a gentle hand on Henry's back. Henry nodded as he slapped his wet cheeks to get rid of the tears. He pulled away from Spencer and skulked inside. Spencer glanced up at Hotch and they exchanged a sad smile.

"What will mate you feel bettew?" asked Spencer as Henry played with his food.

He shrugged and spooned in a mouthful of beans.

"How about a game of baseball? Outside?" Jack offered.

Henry shook his head. "Too cold," he muttered.

Spencer picked up a turkey dinosaur and narrowed his eyes at it, trying to decipher what species it was.

"TV?" Jack asked, his voice sounding a little helpless. Henry slumped over his plate.

Spencer bit into the dinosaur, being sure that it was some breed of triceratops.

"We tould... um... Lego?"

Henry shrugged.

Jack nodded along with Spencer and winked as he shoved a handful of fries into his mouth. "You love Lego's, Henry!"

Henry just shrugged again.

"Jack, finish what you're eating before you speak," Aaron warned as he walked by to grab a coffee.

Jack swallowed the thick mound of potato in his mouth and looked over at his father for help. "Dad, what can we do?"

Aaron set his mug to one side and sucked his teeth thoughtfully. "You boys could play upstairs. Pretty sure all your dinosaurs are still out, Spencer."

Spencer blushed and sank down into his cushioned chair so his chin rested on the table.

"How about that, Henry?" Aaron asked softly. There was a sudden clatter as Henry dropped his fork onto his plate.

"Just leave me alone!" he yelled, sliding out of his chair and storming out of the room. Spencer and Jack watched him go with wide eyes (and in Jack's case, a mouth of turkey dinosaur and fries.) Aaron sighed but didn't call the boy back. He looked at Jack and Spencer.

"Eat up, boys. Give Henry some time for now. You two could play dinosaurs."

Spencer swung his legs a little apprehensively (they hung quite a way off the ground,) as he looked up at Hotch while Jack sent his father a look that said 'seriously.'

Spencer found himself sat crossed legged just half an hour later with both his dinosaurs and Jack's remote control cars laid out in front of him.

"Watch this," Jack said, sticking his tongue out as he flicked the lever on his controller and the flashy red car zoomed past Spencer and out of the door with a T-Rex along for the ride. Spencer giggled at the ridiculousness of the situation and Jack smiled at the small boy. "Cool right?"

"Yea."

"Told you I could make dinosaurs more fun."

Spencer could easily disagree. He could've made it an enjoyable exercise by logging the details of each dinosaur, as he had been when he was alone, in his notebook (which was also covered in dinosaurs, Garcia had really gone mad on the dinosaur front recently,) but it couldn't be helped, Jack had been rather insistent on bringing cars into the mix.

Spencer picked up one of the smaller dinosaurs and closely examined its colourings while Jack drove the red car back in.

"Can I play?"

Jack and Spencer looked up at the small voice that cut into their concentrated quiet.

Henry stood awkwardly, looking down at his feet.

Jack folded his arms stubbornly. "I thought you didn't want to play with us?"

Spencer shot the older boy a sharp glare but Jack didn't seem to notice.

Henry shifted. "I didn't... but I do now."

Jack sighed and reached behind him, pulling out another controller. "Okay, but you have to be the blue car."

Henry broke into a smile and he got onto his knees and took the controller. "I like the blue one anyway."

Spencer watched the boys position their cars and steal dinosaurs from his collection. "Awe you otay, Henwy?" he asked. Henry drove his car into the chest of draws and glanced at Spencer. He nodded and reached out to ruffle Spencer's hair lovingly, (Spencer also knew it was a display both Jack and Henry did often to reinforce their power over him what with them being 'older.')

"I'm okay, Spence."

"You'we not sad anymowe?"

"Nope," Henry said, turning his face from Spencer and reversing his car. Spencer didn't believe the boy for one second but he didn't say anything, he just let the older boys show him how 'cool' driving dinosaurs were. Spencer had to bite his tongue in order to not correct them everytime they misdiagnosed the breed of the dinosaurs.

JJ walked by Jack's room with a basket of clothes and she peeked in through the ajar door. She grinned at the sight and carefully backed away and dropped the basket off in her and Aaron's room. Aaron was reading on the bed and she nudged him.

"It's bedtime," she muttered. Hotch yawned and glanced at the clock on the side table before he frowned.

"It's half seven, Jen, what are you talking about?"

"Not for you, Aaron!" JJ laughed, punching him playfully on the shoulder. "Just go check Jack's room."

Hotch set down his book and shimmied off the bed. JJ followed him down the corridor until they arrived at Jack's door and she gave him a gentle shove.

Hotch grumbled but leaned on the door until it opened. He smirked and looked back at JJ.

"Got a camera?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"I've got my phone," JJ said, fishing it from her pocket. She snapped a quick photo of the three slumbering boys.

Jack was laying across his cars and Spencer's dinosaurs, a controller in his hand. His other arm was stretched over Henry who was sprawled on his back, his eyes closed, his breathing heavy. Spencer had his rabbit pressed up to his chin and was curled between the other two boys. Around them was a scattered array of dinosaurs, Legos, figurines, and cars.

"You take Henry back," Hotch whispered. "I'll deal with the other two."

"You sure you got them both?"

"Yea. Besides, last I checked, Henry had pulled the sheets off his bed."

JJ huffed and nodded slowly, stepping forward and carefully prying Henry from the mess. He mumbled in his sleep and wrapped an unconscious arm around his mom's neck.

Hotch removed the controller and other toys from around Jack before lifting him up, puffing out a breath as he did.

"Dad?"

Hotch glanced at his son's sleepy face and he hushed him. "Go back to sleep, Jacko."

"Okay... make sure the dinosaurs aren't driving," Jack muttered vaguely. Hotch looked down at him with a furrowed brow but the boy was already asleep again.

He carefully changed Jack's jeans into comfortable pyjama pants, leaving the Adventure Time t-shirt on him. He pulled up the covers and kissed Jack's forehead.

"Night, buddy."

Hotch smiled and turned to their youngest. Spencer was shivering slightly, curling further in on himself. Aaron bent down and quickly hitched the youngster up onto his hip. Spencer burrowed his face into Aaron's shirt, muttering something about pterodactyls and their wingspan.

Hotch chuckled as he shut Jack's door behind them and carried Spencer into his room. While still holding the toddler he turned on the nightlight and found his button-up pyjamas. Hotch was rather proud of his ability to change his children's clothes efficiently, even Haley commended the skill when Jack had been young. Spencer was soon in his softer and warmer pyjamas and Aaron laid him down in the low bed. He was sure to keep Spencer's rabbit close to the boy who gripped it unconsciously.

"Night, Son," Hotch muttered, kissing Spencer's cheek while Spencer slowly pressed his thumb between his teeth. He stood and saw JJ in the doorway with a smile on her face.

"They're all asleep," she said. Hotch smirked.

"Early bedtime," he whispered with a wink and JJ took his hand and led him to their bedroom. Shutting the door quietly behind them.

They were all so blissfully distracted in their comfortable family that they were uninformed of the fact that Debra Whinton had been released on bail. Nor were they remotely aware that she was convening with Scott and that a plan was starting to evolve.

Sorry for the time this took to update.

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