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

Thank you to Daisyangel, Jesuslover123, Caroliny Hotchner, fishtrek, MaraBella15, Vivienne Joi, Guest and Sammie050301 for your reviews on the last chapter.

Guest- thank you so much for those lovely words. You are much too kind. I'm sorry I've been terrible with updating it but I hope I can be more frequent now.

We are on 1000 reviews! Thank you Sammie!!! You were the 1000th review. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story over nearly three years now. If it wasn't for you guys and everyone who favourited and followed, I wouldn't have continued this story, and I probably wouldn't be studying writing at university.

So please please review. Be a part of getting this story past that goal before it comes to an end.

Thank you

Spencer put his arms up and waited for JJ to put his pyjama top over his head, they smiled at each other when his head popped out of the neck hole, his hair ruffled messily.

"We're gonna have to brush your hair again," JJ said with a smile. Spencer reached up and pressed his curls to his head.

"Bettew?" he asked, despite having made no difference to his hair.

JJ nodded and leaned down to kiss Spencer's cheek as he wrestled his arms through his top.

"Ready to go to bed?" she said when Spencer was clothed. He nodded eagerly and hurried to the bookcase, grabbing a big one before running and jumping up on his bed.

"You can have one chapter and then you need to sleep," JJ said, taking the book from Spencer and perching on the edges of his bed. Spencer snuggled up beside her and helped her leaf through to the last chapter they'd been on.

JJ glanced at the door, wondering if Aaron was still in the kitchen pouring over the letter.

"What's wong?"

JJ turned to see Spencer watching her curiously. He rubbed his eyes which were slightly bloodshot from his lack of sleep. JJ just smiled down at him, he didn't need to worry about what was happening, it's not like he'd understand that sort of thing anymore. JJ didn't want to remind him, she was selfishly enjoying being his mother.

"It's nothing, sweetheart. Now what chapter were we on?"

JJ struggled to keep up with Aaron as he marched through the BAU.

"Conference room now."

The team looked up from their desks as Aaron passed through. JJ gave them sympathetic smiles as she hurried after Aaron.

"I'll get Dave," JJ said as Aaron put a heavy hand on Rossi's office door. He nodded and began walking to the conference room again. JJ sighed and tapped Rossi's door lightly.

"Come in."

JJ walked inside and shut the door behind her. She smiled at Dave and shook her head.

Dave pointed to Aaron's retreating form through the window. "What's wrong with your fiancé?"

JJ chuckled and wiped her brow. "You noticed?"

She sighed again as Dave lifted an eyebrow. "We need to talk to the team, he's a little more adamant about it."

Dave stood up from his desk. "Lead the way then."

"What's wrong?" Morgan asked as Aaron shut the door behind them.

"Well it's... it's sort of good news but it's-"

"Dangerous," Aaron said, cutting JJ off. "It's dangerous. We don't even know who it is."

Aaron yanked the letter from his pocket and put it on the table.

Morgan was first to grab it and he unfolded it. Garcia, who had just walked in, peered over his shoulder with a frown.

"What's going on?" she mumbled, giving up on her over-shoulder reading and looked to the girls for an answer. Emily pointed at JJ and Hotch.

"Someone is offering to help Spencer."

Dave frowned at Aaron. "In what way?"

Aaron turned to Dave, his face grim. "They 'claim' they can return Spencer to his original age."

Emily nearly knocked her coffee over. "What!?"

Garcia's eyes were wide.

Aaron just nodded. "I found it at the house yesterday, they must know about us... and everything that's happened this past year."

Morgan dropped the note, his face pale. "Have you called?" he muttered, passing the letter along to Emily who was quick to snatch it up.

"No," JJ said. "We thought we better discuss it with you all first. Especially since this person has clearly been stalking us."

Emily was scowling at the letter. "It says they want legal help in return. This doesn't seem right."

"Yea... none of us are lawyers..." Morgan said but then his face dawned with realistation.

"Aaron was," said JJ and Morgan nodded slowly.

"They might be talking about a profile though," Emily added.

"Either way it's risky," said Aaron. He finally sat down, his head falling into his hands. "On the one hand we would do anything to find a way for Spencer to go back to normal but..." Aaron sighed. "Well, he's practically our son now and-"

"You don't want to let him go," Garcia mumbled, a sympathetic smile on her face. Aaron raised his gaze and gave her a half-smile.

"We have to give it a chance," JJ said. "What's the worst that can happen if we call that number?"

She looked at Garcia who just shrugged. "We can call it through my system, they can't track us... a-and maybe I can track them!"

JJ turned to face Aaron who was staring at the letter which Emily had left on the table. JJ nudged him.

Aaron," she mumbled. "What should we do?"

Aaron carefully typed the number into the phone. He looked up to see Emily opposite him, watching his movements. He felt JJ touch his shoulder gently and he slowly pressed the call button. He raised it to his ear but JJ shoved him.

"Speaker," she hissed but before Aaron could pull it away a voice cut through the static.

"Agent Hotchner."

Aaron swallowed thickly. "Who is this?"

"Speaker," hissed JJ, pressing her nails into Aaron's arm. He pulled the phone away from his ear and pressed speaker phone. A grainy voice broke into the silence of the conference room, but despite that, it was clearly female which seemed to throw them all off. Aaron leaned over the phone, watching across from him as Garcia attempted to track it.

"Take me off speaker," the voice said.

JJ shook her head. "We can't do that. Answer the question."

The voice sighed. "There's no point in trying to track this phone. Do you agree to help me?"

Garcia stopped typing, looking up at the others with a grim expression, confirming what the voice had said, the number was untraceable.

"Who is this?" Aaron asked, starting to grow irritated with the voice.

"You won't remember me. I remember you."

"That's not helpful," Aaron muttered. He quickly cleared his throat. "How do you know about Spencer?"

There was a pause on the other line. Garcia was typing furiously again, trying to gauge anything she could from the number.

"Like I said, we met before. I know how to help him."

Aaron pressed his palms onto the table. If she knew about what happened to Spencer perhaps she had something to do with Jarvis.

"How can we trust your word?"

"Because I want something from you that is equally as important. My partner was wrongfully accused of killing an old man she used to care for."

The team exchanged curious looks.

"They sound perfect for each other," Morgan muttered.

"Who was that?"

"My team is listening," Aaron said, shooting Morgan a warning glare.

There was a sigh. "I thought so. Look, you may not want to trust me, especially when you realise who I am but I want you to know that I'm extremely regretful of my actions. I didn't have enough money at the time and my girlfriend was going to need bail money so... well I did what I had to do."

Aaron's mind whirled with the possibilities of who they were talking to.

"I can return your agent back to his old self, I've been experimenting, I have the right tools. I am willing to help you change him back but only if you agree to help me."

"How do we know your girlfriend is innocent?"

There was a pause. "I know she is. She's too gentle. The old guy was stabbed in his bed and, well, her being his carer... you get the rest."

She stopped, adjusting the phone.

"Do we have a deal?" she said, once the rustling sounds stopped.

Aaron glanced at JJ who shook her head. Aaron sighed. Deep down he and JJ just wanted everything to remain as it was, with Spencer as their third son. But Aaron knew it was wrong to turn down this opportunity for Spencer. It was the least he could do to try.

He cleared his throat. "I want to speak to you in person before anything is agreed."

"If we meet you'll have me arrested."

JJ glared down again at the phone, trying to work out who it was.

"If... if we were to meet I need your word that you'll allow me to leave again without intervention."

"No," JJ hissed, too quiet for the phone to pick up.

"Tell us who you are and I'll consider it."

"Caroline."

"Caroline?" Aaron frowned. Then slowly memories of him and Spencer in that lab flashed through his mind. He saw the cold woman typing at the computer, Caroline...

Caroline took a quick intake of breath. "I understand your-"

"You kidnapped and tortured my son!"

"I never did that! T-that was... he just told me it was a job. I didn't know... he said Spencer wasn't really your son and- I thought it was scientific research, I was just as manipulated as you were."

Aaron reached down and grabbed the phone, practically growling into it. "You belong in a cell!"

"He threatened to kill me!"

Aaron's bared teeth sunk back behind his lips. The voice on the other line panted heavily.

"I can explain everything. I'm willing to help you, does that not tell you anything about my character. Just promise to actually listen to me, don't arrest me."

"Fine," Aaron snapped. "You can text the coordinates of where you want to meet to this phone."

Aaron didn't give Caroline a chance to speak again before hanging up. He glanced up at his team who were all looking lost.

Aaron singled out Garcia's gaze. "Can you find everything you can on Caroline?"

She just nodded, standing up from her chair.

"I hope this isn't another mistake," Aaron mumbled, rubbing a resigned hand down his neck.

"Spencer?"

Spencer lifted his head from the book he was reading. One of the ladies who ran the nursery was smiling down at him and Spencer closed his book.

She held her hand out to Spencer. "Why don't you join us for our game?"

Spencer craned his neck, looking past the woman to peer at the other kids who were sitting in a circle, some giggling and others chatting animatedly.

Spencer clutched his book self-consciously.

"Um... what game?" he mumbled.

The woman smiled and took Spencer's hand in hers. "It's a question game. Come on, I'll show you."

Spencer sighed but reluctantly let the lady take his book away and lead him to the circle. She sat him between two girls. Spencer recognised the one, she was so intrigued by Spencer, hugging him while he read and trying to brush his hair when he was distracted. Spencer glanced her way with a grimace, taking in her obnoxious pig-tails and alarmingly neon t-shirt. He shuffled toward the other girl who was humming quietly to herself.

"Right." The lady who had been speaking to Spencer took her seat on the floor opposite him and held up a soft ball. "I'm going to roll one of you this ball and when you catch it you're going to tell me what you want to be when your older. When everyone's had a go we'll do another question." She paused, holding the ball to her broad chest. "I'll go first," she said. "When I get older..." she paused, a slightly disgruntled look coming across her face as she glanced around the room before she grinned again. "A princess," she said simply. "Here we go. Hm, Gracie."

She rolled the ball to a girl nearby. The girl took the ball shyly.

"What does Gracie want to be?" the lady asked sweetly and Gracie shrunk into herself.

"A princess," she murmured, trying to escape from everyone's gazes.

"Great choice. Roll the ball to Leo."

The ball was rolled half-heartedly to a small boy who announced he was going to be a baseball player.

The ball was then rolled to a rather rambunctious little girl. "I'm gonna be a tiger!" she cried excitedly which elicited several giggles, including Spencer.

Then the ball was rolled to him and he swallowed thickly, taking the ball between his little hands.

"What are you going to be when you grow up, Spencer?"

Spencer stared at the ball for a moment.

'Pretty boy! What you doing this weekend? Fancy drinks... potentially some ladies.'

Spencer scowled, blinking at the ball.

'You kick like a nine-year-old girl.'

Hotch laughed and shook his head.

Spencer bit his lip, the fabric around the ball scrunching in his fingers.

'She's the only person in the whole world that calls me Spence.'

"Spencer?"

Spencer jolted, dropping the ball to see all the children staring at him as well as the lady who was smiling softly.

"I..." Spencer started, the voices in his head fading. "I...I-I want to work for the FBI."

Thanks for reading. Sorry this took so long. I have been trying to write in advance so the next chapters will be written much sooner.