(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters)
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Aaron and JJ walked into the coffee shop, holding hands casually as they went toward the counter.
"See her?" JJ muttered, her own eyes doing a brief sweep of the room.
Aaron cleared his throat, looking up a the board. "Yea. Window on the right, with glasses."
JJ looked up at the board too. "I'll have a hot chocolate."
JJ glanced quickly at the window while Aaron raised an eyebrow.
"Hot chocolate?" he said, grinning.
JJ turned back and smirked smugly. "I had close to three coffees this morning since Jack and Spencer decided to be up early."
Aaron chuckled. "Hey, it's not my fault Spencer was excited at half-five."
"What about Jack?"
"We must have put him to bed too early."
Aaron shrugged and stepped forward when it was their turn. He gave their orders and he and JJ stood to the side.
They waited quietly, chatting amongst themselves until their drinks were ready before making their way toward the table by the window. Aaron stopped in front of a chair and looked down at the woman there who was shuffling through some papers. He knew it was her, he recognised her mousy-brown hair and owlish glasses. He cleared his throat and the young woman looked up.
"Agents," she said a little breathlessly. She started to push her paper together when she noticed they were there. Aaron brushed his coat aside to reveal his cuffs. Caroline sighed and leaned back into her chair, watching the two agents take their seats.
JJ stared at the woman as she fingered the handle of her mug.
"This is uncomfortable," said Caroline.
"Don't you dare-" JJ pointed a finger accusingly at Caroline, sitting on the edge of her seat but Aaron was quick to pull her back and run his hand down her arm.
Caroline watched her, her brow low.
Aaron rested his hand against JJ's knee, squeezing it to keep her calm. He glared back at Caroline.
"You realise what you caused? Spencer still has nightmares from it and..." Aaron paused, glancing at JJ who looked away.
Caroline sighed, taking a sip of her drink. "Can I explain myself?"
Aaron scoffed, lifting his own drink to his lips. "Good luck."
Caroline clasped her hands on the table, shooting JJ a quick look before clearing her throat.
"I'll keep this short. My partner had been arrested and I'd been studying a biology degree so money was tight anyway. I had to find a job and Scott... Scott Fitzgerald, offered me one once he'd seen my CV. When I met him I realised the 'job' wasn't what it seemed." Caroline rubbed her hands together. "They showed me things regarding Spencer Reid, made me believe he was a willing participant. But when they brought you both in unconscious. And..." Caroline stopped and looked up guiltily at Aaron. "Cuffed you... well, I knew something wasn't right. When I questioned it Scott pulled a gun on me, told me I could leave when it was done. I didn't know they planned on killing Spencer, or you for that matter. I tried to tell myself it was for the advancement of science to try and get through it but I understood it... what I did was wrong. I'm not looking for your forgiveness but I'm offering Spencer an actual way out. I studied Javis' work, I think I know how to reverse it."
"And you just so happen to want something from us too," said JJ, her voice cold, but less vicious than it had been.
Caroline squared her shoulders. "I can't afford Lacey's lawyer and fund the research into a cure. And I'm desperate. Like I said, I'm not looking for forgiveness, but I am sorry. I just see it as, I need help, you need help, why not work together."
Caroline stopped talking, picking up her drink and taking a long sip while Aaron and JJ exchanged looks. JJ didn't shake her head this time when Aaron raised his eyebrows hopefully.
When they finally looked back at Caroline she was holding images out to them. "This is evidence of my results so far," she said. She waved it before Aaron and he took them. He looked down at the image of what looked like a mouse, small in the first image and much larger and older in the next, some of it's fur white around the mouth. "It's not perfect, I still need to do a lot of work but I'm confident. If I didn't have to focus on Lacey's case I would have finished this already."
"What is this?" JJ muttered.
"They're mice. Well, the same mouse. The first image was taken before I administered treatment, the second is a day after... after treatment was administered."
JJ nodded, laying the photos back on the table.
"So?"
Aaron looked up from the mice and stared at Caroline for a moment, profiling every inch of her. He sighed and nodded. "If everything you have said is legitimate, We can help you."
Caroline smiled in relief gathering her papers back together and reaching down into her bag for another file.
"But," Aaron said, continuing, making Caroline pause. "If you lie, or try anything to jeopardise our son's health then we'll have you charged and you and your partner can enjoy prison together for the majority of your lives. Do you understand?"
Caroline, finishing retrieving the file from her bag, nodded sheepishly. "Yes."
Spencer looked up from the big picture book in his lap. The small boy opposite him looked away and Spencer scowled.
"Excuse me?" he called. The boy looked up, putting his fingers in his mouth.
"Hi," he mumbled. Spencer looked down at his book before closing it.
"Hi," he called back. The boy moved closer.
"I'm Phelan," the boy said, grinning droopily at Spencer before licking his lips.
"I'm... Spencer," Spencer said quietly, his eyes darting around the room. The other kids were busy with their own tasks, some finger painting, some building blocks and some were chatting with one another, stuffed animals in their hands. Spencer left his two stuffed bunnies in his bag by the door and he was starting to regret it.
Phelan marched, suddenly, up to Spencer and invaded his space, looking down at the book.
"What's that?"
Spencer looked down at the book. It was a story about a lonely monster who was looking for his family. Spencer poked his finger at the image of the furry blue monster. "It's a stowy about him."
"Who's that?"
"His name is Bowis."
Phelan giggled. "That's a funny name," he said. Spencer just shrugged, looking back down at the book. Phelan, however, had other ideas. He gave Spencer a nudge. Spencer looked up and Phelan snatched the book out of his hands.
"Hey!" Spencer cried, trying to grab the book back. Phelan hid it behind his back with a smirk.
"Play with me," he demanded. Spencer glared at him.
"Give me the book," he said before adding a quick "please."
Phelan shook his head, sticking out his bottom lip. "Be my friend," he said. Spencer stared at the boy. He was older than Spencer, slightly chubby in the face, and it looked like he may have dressed himself from the atrocious colours he wore. Spencer looked around, realising all the other children had friends. He looked down at himself and understood that he was alone.
"Okay," Spencer said and Phelan beamed at him.
To Spencer's disappointment, Phelan threw the book onto a beanbag and grabbed Spencer's hand.
"Come on, lets play," he said. "You're my friend now."
Spencer smiled to himself, letting Phelan drag him along.
"What awe we gonna play?" Spencer asked, looking around the room for something to do. Phelan didn't answer, he was heading straight toward one of the empty tables, some pots laid out on the plastic table-cover.
Before Spencer knew it he was being shoved into a chair while Phelan trotted around into his own.
"We make stuff," he said, tipping a pot of play-doh on its head. Spencer watched the boy squish his fingers into the dough, shaping it strangely.
"You do it too!" Phelan said, sliding a pot toward Spencer. Spencer pushed the blue pot aside, opting for a purple pot instead.
"Purples a girl colour," said Phelan.
Spencer frowned. "Colouw has no gendew," he said in a matter-of-fact way.
Phalan didn't understand so he just shrugged and went on squishing. After several minutes Phelan lifted the dough to his mouth, looking around cautiously before taking a quick little bite. Spencer watched in horror.
"Why did you do that?"
Phelan grinned. "It's yummy. Try some."
"No thanks," Spencer grumbled. Phelan frowned then.
"Eat some," he demanded.
Spencer shook his head, his eyes round with fear. Phelan looked him up and down before muttering, "only big boys can do it so you can't be a big boy."
"I am a big boy," Spencer said quietly.
"Then eat some."
"But you'we not s'posed to."
"Do it!" Phelan snapped, pushing Spencer's hand up to his mouth.
Spencer gave an adamant scowl. "No. It's gross."
Phelan folded his arms arms. "Do it or we can't be friends."
Spencer's scowl fell and his expression became hurt. "That's not faiw," he said and Phelan just shrugged.
"If you try it we can be friends."
Spencer looked down at the purple dough. "But it's not nice."
"It is! Try it! Please, Spencer, we can be friends then."
Spencer looked down at the dough. It was just a taste... and then he could tell Phelan it was gross.
With a sigh Spencer pulled a pea-sized piece of dough from the pot and stuck it on his tongue much to Phelan's delight.
"Spencer!"
Just as Spencer was chewing the salty dough a hand clapped on his jaw and wrenched it open. Spencer cried out because it surprised him and well... it did hurt.
Sandra, one of Spencer's favourite workers, stuck her fingers into Spencer's mouth which made Spencer shove her arms back in surprise. Sandra managed to fish the dough from Spencer's tongue first though.
She sighed, grabbing a tissue and discarding of the dough before turning to Spencer with a stern look.
"You don't eat the dough, young man."
"But..." Spencer glanced at Phelan who was gaping at them.
Sandra shook her head and grabbed Spencer's wrist gently.
"Come on, mister. Time-out," she said and Spencer whined suddenly.
"No!"
He didn't want a time-out... what would mummy say?
"Please," he begged but Sandra pulled him along with her and sat him in a small chair in the corner.
"How old are you?" Sandra asked, her voice still soft despite the punishment.
Spencer's lip shook and he raised two little fingers weakly.
Sandra nodded and smiled at Spencer sympathetically.
"Alright, sit here for two minutes and then I'll come back and you need to tell me what you did wrong."
She stood up and left despite Spencer's desperate stammering, he was prepared to admit his mistake if it meant him getting off the time-out chair.
"So we're going to do this?" JJ looked at Aaron who had his fingers pressed to his chin. He slowly turned his head and sighed.
"It's what Reid would want if... you know."
JJ nodded, she reached her hand forward and took Aaron's.
They glanced across at the daycare, Aaron glancing at his watch. "We should head in now," he muttered.
"Yea... he's probably dying to get out." JJ unbuckled her belt and got out from her side.
Aaron locked the car and they started toward the doors. When they got inside they had to dodge several kids running to get their bags. Aaron walked toward the front desk while JJ glanced toward the main room.
She found Spencer almost instantly, he was sat by himself, his back to her. JJ grinned and walked toward him. "Spence?" she said, placing her hand on the boy's shoulder. She noticed when her hand touched his shoulder that he was shaking.
"Spencer?" JJ leaned down, her hand pressing gently to Spencer's shoulder. Spencer lifted his head. His eyes were red around the edges with tendrils of scarlet running across the whites of his eyes. He recognised JJ instantly and lifted his arms.
JJ quickly reached out and pulled Spencer into her arms. He put his head on her shoulder, sniffling as he clutched at her top.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" JJ brushed Spencer's hair from out of his face so she could look down at him properly.
Spencer squeezed his hands into JJ's top, catching her necklace. He glanced around and pointed to a chair in the corner. He turned back, his eyes more dewy than before. "She put me in time-out," he whispered, looking down at his fingers shyly, shame rising up his throat with a burning sensation.
JJ frowned and looked over at the chair. Before she could say anything Aaron's hand was on her back.
"You guys ready?"
JJ turned to see Aaron smiling at them both until he recognised JJ's concerned expression and Spencer's wet face. He frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Spencer had a time-out," JJ said, taking a step toward the exit. Aaron followed quickly and looked down at Spencer as he did.
"What? Today? How?"
"I don't know," JJ said and she gave a brief smile to the receptionist as she took Spencer's bag from his cubby hole. She pushed the door open and looked back down at Spencer.
"What happened, Spence?" she asked. Aaron hurried to open the car as Spencer sniffled loudly.
"I-I-I didn't me-mean to," Spencer stammered, blinking across at the car and his reflection in the window. He turned his face away in embarrassment.
"Spencer," Aaron said, stepping back from the car and touching Spencer's face and turning his face toward him. "What happened?"
Spencer stared at Aaron before finally blinking, new tears rising up.
In just a few minutes Spencer had regurgitated his entire day and specifically his time-out in stammers and ramblings.
Aaron couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. JJ coughed and glared at Aaron and he quickly straightened his face out again. JJ patted Spencer's back while he wiped his eyes.
"Is that all?" Aaron said and JJ sent him another glare.
"Aaron."
Spencer scowled up at Aaron. "Huh?"
"Spencer, you didn't do anything wrong. Your 'friend' Phelan shouldn't have done that. You don't have to do things to make friends. You shouldn't have done it, I know, but friends don't do that, buddy."
Spencer glanced up at JJ who was nodding too.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled and Aaron shook his head.
"You don't have to be sorry. Clearly you've learnt your lesson, don't worry about it, alright," Aaron said and he grinned. "I hope you had something more substantial than modelling dough for lunch," he added.
Spencer pouted and JJ smacked Aaron's arm. He laughed and headed for the driver's seat, shaking his head as he went.
Thanks for reading. Next chapter will be up next Friday. I'm excited to finish this story.
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Stay safe, see you soon.