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

Sunday again! Means updates ;D

Thank you Autxmnal Rain, ahowell1993, Diana, AZCatmom, fishtrek, lailyspenstar, Daisyangel, Mary tag, MaidenMoonshine, and Ihatz1 for reviewing. Glad to see people are still enjoying this story even after over a year

Anyone else catch the season 14 finale?! I actually loved it. I know people are very mixed and I agree with both sides of the argument but (I'm trying hard not to give it away to anyone who hasn't watched it) I'm really excited to see where they'll go with this 'twist.'

Please keep reviewing.

Previously:

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.

"All looks very... medical," Debra muttered as she stepped into the laboratory. Scott smiled and turned in the small space.

"It's not big but we've made do with the money we had. Besides, after we have the formula we'll be swimming in cash."

Debra looked around with a doubtful frown.

"My trial starts in three weeks. How exactly are we going to do this? And what is my part?" she asked in her normal cold voice, her arms folded over her plump chest.

"Well," Scott said with a grin. He flexed his hands out and sat down on one of the desk chairs. "I know you have nursing training."

Debra blinked. "You expect me to perform some kind of procedure? I didn't pursue a medical career for a reason, Mr. Gildersleve."

Scott waved her away with the same grin stuck to his face. "You won't be leading anything just a... helping hand if you will." He motioned to the men with them.

Debra looked them both up and down until the larger one, with sandy blonde hair stepped forward, and held his hand out.

"Pleasure to meet you."

"You're British too?"

The man smiled. "That'd be right. I'm from Cheshire though."

"I'm an American, unlike these two, but I'm just as good a doctor," the shorter man said. Debra took his firm hand and narrowed her eyes on his green ones. His hair was light brown cut to a neat, short length. His smile was charming.

"And this is your gathering?" Debra turned to Scott. He watched her for a moment before answering.

"I have another. She works more on computers but she's still a scientist."

Debra walked around the metallic table in the room's center and looked at the tools, drugs, and other medical equipment laid out with military precision.

The shorter, American, man followed her. "I suppose you're wondering how this will all work?"

"Mmm," Debra mumbled.

"I'm Jeremy, by the way. The blonde one is Kieran."

Kieran nodded his head.

"So, Scott and Kieran will bring the child here."

"How will they manage that?" Debra snapped.

"That's for them to worry about. Anyway, once he's here, we'll need to run blood tests; the works basically. Establish an idea of how his body is working."

"Then we can start testing," Kieran said eagerly. Scott smiled at him with an indulgent look.

"Exactly," said Jeremy. "We get to find out what caused the boy to 'de-age' if you will. We will continue until we have exhausted all other resources and move onto the brain. If we still find nothing while he's living an autopsy will provide us with any unanswered questions. We're almost entirely sure we will maintain the formula Dr. Jarvis used."

Debra was nodding along slowly with him before her eyes flickered up at him in shock.

"The child will die?" Debra asked, her voice quieter than before. Jeremy seemed taken aback by the question. He looked over to Scott.

"I didn't realise you hadn't explained everything, Scott."

Scott looked up at the ceiling as he contemplated before he nodded. "It is the most likely outcome. But he's not a child, remember."

"Yes," Debra said and she nodded.

"For you, this is about revenge," Scott added. Then his face contorted into a broad smile. "And just think of that 14% going into your accounts."

Debra stared at the young man for a moment. She thought back to the 'child' they were referring to and her fists started to curl up.

"When do you plan to get the boy?" She asked.

"Friday," Scott said and Kieran sent him a look of apprehension.

"That's in two days, Scott."

"Very observational, Bevan. What do you think, Debra?"

Debra reached up and touched her patchy hair and her lips curled into a similar smile to the one Scott wore.

"The sooner the better."

Hotch hung up the phone and sat on the edge of the bed for a few moments. JJ, who had been listening in quietly as she read, set down her book and looked at her fiancé's back.

"What did Strauss want?" she asked. Hotch glanced back, smirking as he did.

"I thought you were reading?"

"I was... it... was just the same line."

"She wanted to speak about Spencer," Hotch said. He put his phone on the bedside table and sat back against the headboard.

"What about him?"

"She's not sure if he should be working as much as we let him."

JJ frowned. "We have cut back."

"Well, she wants us to cut back more." Hotch rubbed his neck and looked into JJ's blue eyes. "She has a proposition."

"He won't like this," JJ muttered. She glanced through their half-open door to the one with a yellow 'S' on. "He wants his freedom and we promised to honour that."

"I know but Strauss is thinking about him too. She thinks he should use this 'situation' to recreate his childhood. A second chance."

"He's getting that but he also needs to keep aspects of his old life. He'll be crushed if he's forced to stop working." JJ sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. Hotch ran his gentle fingers down her back as she leaned over.

"I'm afraid if we don't agree to the terms of her proposition she may remove Spencer completely from the bureau."

"Fine, what are these 'terms'?" JJ said with a tone of exasperation and she scowled frustratedly at Aaron.

"Two days a week."

"Of work?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Just listen."

"He'll hate it."

"She told us to send him to that nursery for three days a week."

"What?! No!"

Hotch rubbed his eyes. "I know. I think two days would be better."

JJ shook her head and reached over Aaron to snatch his phone. He just fell back into the headboard again to make way for JJ until she was pressing the phone back into his hands.

"Call her back."

"And say what? She could turn around and stop him from working completely."

JJ pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes.

"I'm going to put Jack and Henry to bed. You call her. I will agree on three days at work and two at a nursery but that's it."

Hotch stared helplessly at JJ as she stood and wrapped her robe around herself. In the moment of silence he could hear the sound of the TV downstairs and two quiet voices.

JJ paused at the door and flicked her head toward Spencer's door.

"You're lucky he's asleep, that gives you some time to come up with a way to explain this to him."

Spencer woke up early the next day and ate his breakfast quickly. He climbed up the stairs on his hands and knees and got changed.

Hotch walked by his room as he fixed his tie. He glanced inside and saw Spencer in his ruffled outfit.

"Need help, buddy?"

Spencer looked up and then down at his poorly buttoned shirt. "Umm, yes p'eas, dad," he said in a small voice.

Hotch walked in and bent down to Spencer's level. He started to unbutton the shirt and redo it properly this time. Spencer stood awkwardly, wringing his hands.

"What's got you so worked up, Spencer?"

The boy looked up briefly before his gaze fell down to his hands.

"I heawd you..."

Hotch paused. "Heard what?"

"You and mum- you and JJ. I know what you said."

Spencer kept his head low, as if embarrassed.

Hotch stopped buttoning the shirt and he looked at Spencer's tilted head. He had no idea how to go forward but he started anyway. "Spencer-"

"It's otay, dadd- Aawon, I undewstand."

"You do?"

Spencer sighed and looked up. "I don't agwee with it."

Hotch nodded slowly.

"But... it's getting easiew to be... a two-yeaw-old."

"Spencer, I know it's not what you want and-"

"It's otay... I miss my independence but... well... I um." Spencer swallowed and looked up at Aaron with crinkled eyebrows. "I nevew weally had a family befowe... and now I do. I lite being hewe... with you all. I... I'll agwee to what Stwauss said just don't mate me leave."

"Oh, Spencer. We wouldn't make you leave. Not ever. This is just as much your home as it is mine and we would never send you away."

Spencer's eyes lit up a little and he smiled. Only for a moment before it fell again. "But does that mean I 'till have to go to nuwsewy?"

Aaron smiled sadly and tucked Spencer's shirt in. "I'm afraid so. It's either that or Strauss will remove you from the team."

Spencer glanced around the room and let out a heavy sigh. "Dat... sucks."

"Yes, it does."

"If I go... to, us... nuwsewy, de team won't mate fun of me, wight?

"No, of course they won't. They'll have to deal with me if they say one thing."

"Fanks. Do I have to go today? Be'tause... 'Cus I'm weady fow wowk now... so..."

"Oh, so that's why you were up so early."

Spencer blushed and shrugged.

Hotch chuckled. "Well, you worked Monday, so I guess you can work today but that means you have to have tomorrow and Friday at nursery. Would that work with you?"

"I guess," Spencer grumbled.

"Awe you suwe I tan't just 'tay in Gawcia's office? Stwauss wouldn't know."

"No, buddy."

"What about youws?"

"No."

"Wossi's?"

"Spencer."

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've started to speed things up.

I know some people don't like Spencer still being small but it's not changing anytime soon.

I do have a plan for how this will end but I'm not giving anything away. Also, I plan to end this story on chapter 100 so we still have some way to go. I'm really excited about it ;)

Please review. Tell me what you guys thought. I hope people are still reading this. It takes just a second to leave your comments and it really helps motivate me to write the next chapters and I worked non-stop to get this one done; I rewrote a good amount.

Thanks again. See you next Sunday!