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

Thank you to all the voters on my profile. How to parent was the top choice so I will start that very soon. I haven't actually prepared anything for it yet. I thought 'Arrow through my heart' was going to win and I have things written for that. I will definitely get to it soon. If you don't like the outcome I'm sorry but I've had the poll up for two weeks and have sent out reminders. Only 11 of you voted so I'm going to go with their final decision.

Thanks everyone who reviewed! We're at 900 reviews!

Don't forget to review with your own ideas on the following chapters, I'm still taking requests.

Enjoy.

Previously:

Jack and Henry, who had been listening on the stairs, thundered down and scooped the dog up, taking her back up with them. Aaron was smiling for real as he shut the door, listening to Spencer chatter excitedly to JJ about all the things they'd do with Rosie.

"Gwandpa!"

Rossi paused in the hallway, shooting Aaron a half confused look with a slanted smirk attached.

Aaron rubbed his forehead and said: "yea, that's one of the new developments around here."

They turned back to Spencer and Henry, the latter leaping into Dave's arms while Spencer embraced his leg.

"Hey, kiddos."

"Henry! You're supposed to be getting ready?"

Dave tilted his head up the stairs where the call had come from and saw JJ stood at the top, her arm draped along the banister and an elegant dress drooling over her. The back had yet to be zipped. Her hair was up in a curly ponytail, her fringe twisted into it. She smiled sheepishly and drew the arm of the dress further up.

"Rossi," she said in a flustered breath. She shifted for Henry as he charged past her on the stairs. In her other hand was a stick of mascara that she was carful not to touch anything with.

Dave waved as Spencer reached his arms up toward him. He bent down and picked Spencer up, the boy quickly wrapping his arms around his neck.

"Thanks again," JJ said. She was holding the dress up to her neck, embarrassed suddenly by her show of skin. Dave just nodded his head and chuckled.

"Not a problem. It was about time I took my share of time with Spencer."

"I'll be down in a second, Aaron, welcome our guest properly please." JJ spun around, clutching the back of her dress. Dave averted his eyes while

Aaron grinned briefly at the sight of her bra-strap: she'd worn the lace one.

"I have som'fing to s'ow you, gwandpa!" Spencer said, pulling both Dave and Aaron's attention back to him.

"Do you?"

"I have-"

"You'll have plenty of time to show him, buddy," Aaron said. He motioned Dave over and took Spencer from him.

He smiled down at Spencer. He'd changed the toddler into a pair of Henry's old pyjamas, the top was sagging loosely, the short sleeves coming to his elbows and the hem went to his thighs. The sleeves and back were light blue and the front was grey with a Sesame Street character in each corner of the top, filling it with cracked vibrancy from too many washes. Spencer was also wearing the light blue shorts to match and these fell to his knees thanks to JJ's stitching.

"Hey, buddy, why don't you go put on your show while we get ready?" Aaron asked, ruffling the grinning boy's damp hair. Spencer looked at Dave and then back at Aaron who shook his head.

"Da... grandpa is staying, he'll join you in a minute. You go on ahead." Aaron set Spencer down on his feet, knowing that Dave was watching him.

Spencer hurried to the front room, his little feet slapping on the tiles before meeting carpet. Aaron watched to be sure he made it to the couch before turning back to Dave.

"So-"

"Did you teach him that?"

Aaron closed his mouth and frowned at Dave thoughtfully.

"Grandpa?" Dave added. There wasn't any bitterness in his voice which seemed a relief to Aaron.

"That's what I wanted to talk about. Since you last saw him... since the incident really, Spencer's changed," Aaron said. Avoiding major details and only making Dave more confused.

"Changed?" he asked, shifting his posture to the left. "How so?"

Aaron glanced back at Spencer with a sympathetic look.

"He's forgotten."

"How much?"

"Everything..."

Dave dropped his arms. "You're sure?" he muttered."

Aaron nodded slowly and turned back.

"Oh... poor kid."

Aaron rubbed the back of his head. "But that's the thing... he's actually enjoying himself, it's like a relief for him not to remember."

"For you or him?"

"Hm?"

"Nothing. As long as Spencer's okay that's all that matters to me. Big or small," Dave said, sidetracking from his doubt.

Aaron sighed with relief. "Good. There are other things you should know. In terms of babysitting. First off, he hasn't had dinner. He's had a bath and he's ready for bed but he still needs to eat. JJ had some turkey dinosaurs in the oven and she cut some cucumber and carrots to go with them."

"Right."

Dave glanced into the kitchen to see a high chair and a bright oven.

"You might need to cut the dinosaurs small. He goes to bed at 7.30. Make sure he uses the toilet before bed. One story if you can manage it. And don't let him work his way into two stories because it doesn't stop from there." Aaron took a quick breath, not noticing Dave's concentrated look. "He has the nightlight on and if he starts to suck his thumb give him a pacifier. Oh, and he won't sleep without Arthur or Darwin anymore."

"And who are they?"

"His rabbits."

"Ah, of course."

There was a bang from upstairs and suddenly Jack and Henry were bounding down with full backpacks.

Dave stood back as Jack flew by.

"And what of this grandpa business?" Dave asked as Henry rushed past into the front room where Spencer cried that he 'was wat'sing dat!'

JJ laughed, finally in her dress, a white shroud over her shoulders as she brushed past the two. "Go with it, it's cute," she said. She pressed a quick kiss upon Aaron's lips which seemed to surprise and please him. He himself was in a colourful shirt the boys had got him for Christmas, and navy trousers which practically sparkled with newness.

"Does he actually think-"

"No, but I expect that's who he sees you as. He never had a grandparent before... at least he hadn't met his biological ones," JJ said and Rossi didn't argue again, he suddenly felt bad for even questioning it.

JJ pulled her bag off the door handle and slung it over her shoulder.

"Do you want anything from our room?" Aaron asked, heading for the stairs.

"Uh... oh, lipstick, please. And hurry up we better go, Sarah's expecting the boys at six. We have ten minutes." Then turning to Dave JJ smiled softly. "Thank you again. Jack and Henry are staying at their friend Andy's so you don't need to worry about them. We'll be back before midnight."

"Have fun, and don't worry about me and the little bambino," he said.

"Alright. Help yourself to anything you want to eat and-"

"Gwandpaaaa!"

Dave and JJ glanced toward the front room, both smirking.

"Looks like you're wanted," JJ said, motioning to the door.

"Come on, boys! We're going!"

Dave dropped down on the couch beside where Spencer was stood, his feet sinking into the pillows. He grinned at Dave, waving the remote in front of him.

"Spencer sit down!"

Spencer plopped down onto his backside hiding his sheepish face from Aaron who was stood in the front door, about to leave.

Dave chuckled and helped hide Spencer by waving Aaron off.

Aaron smiled. "Make sure he doesn't stand on there, he'll fall. We'll see you later. Be good, Spencer!"

Aaron went to leave when Spencer let out a panicked squeak. He wriggled off the couch and ran to Aaron.

Dave saw a slight roll in Aaron's eyes, it was a fond act as the unit chief leaned down and accepted Spencer's hug. He pressed a quick kiss to the side of Spencer's head and whispered something about not standing on the couch and that he should listen to what Dave said.

"And you know your bedtime, Spencer. Don't push your luck."

Spencer nodded as he scampered back to Rossi and with one last glance Aaron turned to the sound of his running engine and shut the door behind him.

Spencer struggled back onto the couch with the help of Dave's hand giving his butt a shove.

Spencer sat on the couch, his back turned to the TV as he stared at Dave. He was smiling like a madman and it was unsettling to Dave.

"Spen-"

"Tan we p'ay chess?" Spencer asked, interrupting Dave's question. The Italian paused with his mouth open and glanced at the toy chest in the corner of the room. There were some things scattered around it but the lid had been secured and a child's chessboard set up. So that's what you want, Dave thought as Spencer bounced comically on the cushion.

Dave glanced at his watch. The turkey dinosaurs would be done soon and with the way the two of them played they'd be burnt before they'd made the first ten moves.

"Really quick game, kiddo," Dave warned and as the first words left his mouth Spencer had slid off the couch and bolted for the chessboard.

Dave got up slowly and followed the kid.

He let Spencer go first and moved his pieces carefully while Spencer practically threw them at him.

"Not so fast, bambino."

"You said twick!"

"A quick game doesn't mean you have to go breaking the set. Give yourself a second to think about your moves."

Dave moved a piece and glanced at the kitchen. He wondered if Spencer even understood what he was on about. He was a genius, sure, but he also had the mental capacity of a two-year-old genius, he wasn't sure if that affected his smarts.

He heard Spencer smack his bishop into one of Dave's pieces.

"Youw go, youw go! Gwandpa youw go!"

Dave turned back and looked across at Spencer who was beaming at Dave's tentative hand.

He moved just as a faint beeping came from the kitchen, placing his queen down and turning to the sound.

"Teck!"

Dave jumped. He turned and frowned at Spencer. "What?"

Spencer pointed to his bishop and showed Dave a toothy grin.

"Teck! Youw move!"

"Check... how..." Dave looked around the board. He laughed and shook his head, moving a random piece and letting Spencer take his king.

"You haven't lost your touch have you?"

"Nope! I win?"

"Yea, you win, kiddo. How about some dinner to celebrate?"

Spencer nodded happily. He reached his arms up toward Dave. Dave went to walk out. Spencer stared at his back and whined.

"What?" Rossi said, seeing Spencer reach his arms up again and pout.

"Cawwy me?"

"No..."

Spencer dropped his arms and looked down at his chessboard, his smile suddenly gone.

"Oh for Christ... here," Dave said, hooking his hands under Spencer's arms. The toddler giggled, grabbing Arthur and Darwin who had been acting as his cushions. He clung to Dave's neck as he hoisted him up.

"You'll be too big for this someday," Dave said as he walked, with Spencer rubbing his face against his collarbone, to the kitchen.

Dave deposited Spencer in his seat, taking his rabbits off him as he went to the counter. Spencer whined, reaching two grabby fists out for the rabbits. Dave set them on the counter.

He switched the oven off and fished out a tray with three dinosaurs on. He fanned them with a flimsy chopping board before he picked up a knife to slice up the Turkey dinosaurs.

"Gwandpa wossi!" Spencer grumbled, pushing against his straps.

"Just cutting them up kiddo, here, have these if you're hungry." Dave paused in his cutting and handed Spencer the plate of carrot and cucumber sticks. Spencer pointed to his rabbits with an angry pout.

"Noooo! Awthuw and Da'win!"

Dave glanced at the rabbits and shook his head.

"Sorry, bambino, but you don't want to get them dirty do you?" The question was rhetorical and he let Spencer simmer on it while he finished cutting the dinosaurs up. He grinned when he heard Spencer crunching the carrots, most likely trying his best to keep a sulky quiet around him and failing.

Dave set the knife in the sink and picked up the chopping board with the chopped dinosaurs on. Spencer had a cucumber stick in his mouth when Rossi slid the turkey pieces onto his plate.

The cucumber stick slipped from Spencer's mouth as he gasped at the turnkey.

Dave beamed at his handiwork. Not bad for a guy with zero experience with kids. That is a decent meal. He was forgetting that JJ had cut and plated the vegetables and Aaron had put the dinosaurs in the oven.

Spencer raised his head to Dave's beaming face with his lower lip trembling. Dave's smile fell.

"What is it, kiddo?"

"Da dinosauws..." Spencer mumbled, pointing to a piece of T-Rex. Dave followed the finger. Well, it wasn't so much a T-Rex anymore.

"Yea, dinosaurs," Dave said, picking a piece up and offering it to Spencer who turned his head away, a whine coming from him as he did.

"You tilled dem!" Spencer cried. His expression was so sad that Dave felt his heart clench.

"No, I... I was just cutting them to cool them down. You can't eat a whole one, bambino."

Spencer shoved the plate away; Dave caught it before it went over the edge.

"Spencer..."

"Dewe not dinosauws! You tut dem up!"

"I had to-"

"You tilled dem!"

Dave's mouth slipped down in panic when Spencer's eyes started to fill with tears.

"Here," he said quickly, putting the plate back in front of Spencer. He matched up a few pieces and made a diplodocus. "See, it's back together and um..."

Dave looked back at the table and eyed the ketchup bottle. He grabbed it and popped the cap open.

"Look, we can glue it back together."

Spencer sniffed as he watched Dave spread sauce between the cracks. The dinosaur was back together again to Spencer's surprise.

Dave watched Spencer with anticipation until he finally picked up a piece of its tail and stuck it in his mouth with a smile.

"Mmmm!"

"Thank god," Dave muttered.

Spencer only ate one and a half dinosaurs but he only left one cucumber stick so Dave unstrapped him and let him down. He gave him his rabbits back and Spencer bared his teeth happily.

Suddenly his features twisted into excitement.

"You haven't met Wosie!" he cried. Dave nearly choked on the body of a leftover dinosaur that he'd been sneaking. He swallowed dryly and looked at Spencer with teary eyes.

"W-what was that?"

"Wait hewe! She's 'till s'eeping."

Dave took a sip of water to get the rest of the dinosaur down and he didn't steal anymore.

Spencer's little bare feet tapped lightly on the tiles as he went only to come back a few minutes later, half carrying, half dragging a creamy blonde terrier. Her tail was wagging between Spencer's legs and her tongue lolled out. Spencer lifted her a little higher with a grunt of effort and he beamed at Dave.

"Dis is Wosie!" he said proudly, setting the dog back down and giving her a friendly pat.

"Ah," Dave said. So this was the animal that had caused Aaron's unwavering staminate to well... waver.

Dave put the plate in the dishwasher and turned and kneeled before Spencer. Rosie padded forward and nearly caught her tongue in her teeth when she rested her chin on Dave's knee.

Dave gave an awed chuckle and rubbed the pad of his thumb up her nose.

"We put postews up and talled lots of people but she wasn't dewes a-an' she's not mitwo...mito... tip-"

"Microchipped?" Dave offered as he ran his hand along Rosie's soft fur belly and she let herself fall to the floor, her head still in Dave's knee.

Spencer nodded, his expression bright.

"Daddy's 'till looting but he said she's ouws now!"

"You don't say?"

"Uh huh!"

Dave found out Spencer's 'shows' were on the nature and history channels. He ended up with Spencer glued to his side as they watched a documentary on the Vietnam war.

Dave snorted at some of the inaccuracies every once in a while and he smirked each time Spencer interrupted with a random fact.

"I know you know a lot, kiddo, but it's different when you're actually there." Dave sighed and leaned back into the couch. Spencer was gazing up at him in awe. He climbed to his knees and grabbed Rossi's arms with his two small hands.

Dave looked down at his awe-rounded eyes.

"Tell me."

And Dave did tell him. He'd closed his mouth hesitantly, his eyes falling upon Spencer's curious ones before he'd taken a long gulp, shimmied the boy into his side and began.

For the most part, Spencer just gazed at him in awe. Dave was sure the boy's neck was aching at times from tilting up to watch him. His head fell at one point but Dave knew he was still listening. Right up until he slumped against Dave.

"Kiddo?" he whispered, shaking Spencer gently. The boy hummed and curled into Dave.

"I hope I'm not that boring..." Dave smirked and glanced at his watch. He nearly leaped off the couch at what the hands were indicating. Thankfully he only jolted slightly, keeping Spencer soundly asleep.

When had it gotten to 9.56?

"Shit..." Dave mumbled and he carefully tucked his fingers under Spencer's baggy t-shirt arms. He pulled Spencer up and held him against his chest, pressing his cheek into the fleshy part of his shoulder.

"Bedtime for bambino... and we won't be telling Aaron or JJ about the time," Dave muttered, standing from his seat which was fiery from how long they'd been sat there.

He made his way up the stairs slowly, listening to the scamper of Rosie's paws follow him and wait outside Spencer's door. The room was cast in a dreamy blue hue.

Dave took Spencer and his stuffed rabbits to the bed and deposited them gently onto the sheets, righting Spencer's pyjamas as he did.

He pulled the covers up to Spencer's chin and made sure his rabbits weren't too lost in the sheets. Spencer shifted and smacked his lips together.

Dave smiled fondly and ran his fingers along Spencer's scalp.

"Next time I'll tell you about Italy," he whispered, standing up and heading toward the door, shooting the already on night-light a reassuring look. "And maybe I'll have to take you and the boys there one day."

Dave crept out of the door, managing to step over Rosie who had been waiting with thumping tail to have Dave all to herself for belly rubs.

Dave held onto the door and watched Spencer for a moment as Rosie nudged him impatiently.

He looked down at the dog and chuckled. "You better not tell JJ or Aaron about this... especially not JJ."

Next chapter is suggested by hime1437.

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Thank you.