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

Thank you to California Drifter, R Leaf, fishtrek, UnDeanifiedMadness, and Cherubim22 for reviewing the last chapter. I know it was early but I was excited.

Please keep reviewing. It really helps motivate me.

Enjoy

"Spence!" JJ let out a sigh when she saw her best friend sat up, smiling. She hurried around the bed, stepping in front of Rossi and hugging Spencer.

"Hey," Spencer croaked and a blush spread underneath the tubes feeding oxygen through his nose.

JJ shook her head and laughed, rubbing a finger under her eye. "God, I was so worried about you," she said, her voice sounding faraway.

Spencer gave a toothy grin, the extent of which thankfully didn't show the one his father had removed. "Sorry." He hid the wince the smile has elicited. His cheeks hurt, and so did his mouth... and his arms too. In fact, Spencer was sure there wasn't a single part of his body that didn't ache or feel unnaturally heavy.

"Don't apologise."

Spencer looked up and saw Aaron in the doorway. He was smiling too and Spencer felt the corners of his mouth rise again despite the pain.

Morgan stepped around Aaron and walked urgently to the other side of the bed. He nodded at Rossi who was trying to hide the fact that he'd also been crying. Spencer was too busy trying to hold his beaming smile in to notice how bloodshot all their eyes were.

"You're not looking so hot, pretty boy," said Derek. He could've given himself an Oscar for underplaying the situation despite the fact he'd been having a mental crisis ever since finding out Spencer was hurt.

"I don't feel it either," Spencer said and he smiled again when Emily walked in.

"Hey, handsome."

"Hi."

Spencer tried to lift his hand to wave but all he managed was a weak jerk of his hand and he dropped it quickly.

Spencer frowned lightly and he glanced at Rossi.

"What are you guys all doing here anyway?" he asked, his voice croaking. He blamed whatever they'd stuck down his throat during surgery.

"You want us gone already?" Morgan said and he laughed when Spencer started to stutter out an excuse. "I'm joking, kid. And we've got the case, remember? I told you about it the other day."

Spencer's scowled again and he nodded his head slowly. "Yea, I remember... but why are you here? You should be on the case."

The team went silent, and Emily and Aaron looked over at Dave who shook his head without looking at him.

"Spencer there's-"

"We have to come and see you when you end up in the hospital," Emily said and she nudged past Aaron, shooting him a look that told him to keep quiet.

Morgan looked at Rossi and decided to go with it. "Yea, Garcia wouldn't let us go on without making sure her boy genius was okay."

He messed with Spencer's hair and the younger agent gave an annoyed grumble but he smiled as he reached up and weakly brushed his hair back.

His smile soon fell when he remembered why he was there. He looked across at Morgan with a troubled expression. "M-my dad?" he asked, and he didn't need to say more, Morgan's smile also vanished.

"We're looking for him."

Aaron's ringtone started going off and he stepped outside to take it as Emily and Morgan watched him wearily. Morgan sighed and focused on Spencer again. He'd nearly lost him... this young-man who he saw as a brother in every way but blood. Derek wouldn't ever admit it, but he'd been terrified.

Rossi watched his son as Morgan started running his mouth. He smiled as Spencer interacted slowly with the team. Now he was awake Rossi could truly see the similarities between himself and Spencer. The realisation both amazed and scared him and Rossi hadn't been able to totally confront it.

He was worried that Spencer wouldn't accept him. He was worried William Reid had brainwashed his son. Sure, Reid had always been a good kid but what if he hadn't looked deep enough. The thought made Dave shudder.

He hadn't raised this young-man, why should he take responsibility now? Especially if Spencer wasn't prepared to see him as his real father.

Aaron came back in as Morgan started to tease Spencer's lack of muscle.

"Leave him alone, Derek," JJ snapped and Morgan playfully patted Spencer's shoulder.

"He knows I'm joking."

Aaron cleared his throat and they all looked at him, except Spencer who couldn't hold back a yawn.

"That was the sheriff," said Aaron. "He wants to discuss something with me." He waited for the team to respond, half-expecting them to start cursing the sheriff and insisting they stay.

"I'll come with you," Morgan said and he stood up from his chair and started towards the door.

"No," Aaron said. He stared at Morgan for a moment and saw raw determination in the face that looked back. "You take Emily and go to the precinct," he said.

"You sure?" Morgan asked, his eyebrows furrowed. Aaron nodded.

Dave stood up, glancing at Spencer and sighing. He turned to Aaron but the unit chief had already left, the door clicking back into place behind him. "Oh," he muttered. He turned to Morgan who had already pulling out his keys. "I'll come to the station with the two of you," he said.

Morgan scoffed and Dave shot him a look, causing Morgan to shrug defensively. "Thought you'd be staying here."

Dave pulled his phone out of his pocket and held it up. "I've got to call Erin..." he paused. The thought of explaining this all to his wife filled him with dread. He looked at Spencer who was watching them with tired eyes. "I've got to update her."

"Okay. Coming Prentiss?"

"Yea." Emily patted Spencer's leg, jolting him awake. He blinked slowly and smiled at Emily. "See you later, handsome. Duty calls." She winked and Spencer closed his eyes and nodded slowly.

"Yea," he mumbled, leaning back.

Emily laughed. "You should probably go to sleep."

Spencer didn't nod but he gave a half-smile.

JJ squeezed Spencer's hand as she waved her team out. She looked back at Spencer who was finally overcome by sleep. "I'll keep you company," she whispered.

Aaron stared at the road ahead. In the corner of his eye his gas light was flashing red but he was trying to ignore it. He was gripping the steering wheel angrily.

Why hadn't Rossi told Spencer?

Aaron shook his head in frustration. His fingernails clawed at the soft rubber around the wheel. "He needs to know," he muttered to himself, glancing down at the flashing light again.

He still couldn't believe that the boy he thought he'd left to die in that basement was alive. It didn't clear Aaron's conscience but for the first time in a long time things in his life were starting to make sense. But Rossi... his denial... Aaron grit his teeth. He's a stubborn fool. First, Reid 'isn't' his sonand then when he finally acknowledges it he continues to keep Spencer in the dark.

The flashing red light blinded Aaron briefly when someone cut him off and he slammed his hand on the horn. He glared at the red warning and let out an annoyed huff.

Aaron looked out the window on his side. A gas station loomed up ahead and he flicked his indicators on.

There weren't any cars in the gas station as he pulled in. The lights inside the station were on and he could see a young man leaning against the counter, scrolling through his phone. He looked up when Aaron stopped the car and he made an attempt to straighten while continuing to go through his phone.

Aaron didn't pay the attendant much thought as he got out of the car. He fumbled with his wallet and the cards inside but as he pulled the right one out it fell straight through his fingers.

"Damn it..." Aaron stood for a moment, looking down at the card and he forced himself to take a deep breath. His anger was slowly rubbing into fear and he glanced around. Come on, he thought, shaking his hands out. He quickly pushed away the emerging thoughts and images his traitorous mind had sprung on him each night, claiming and infecting the few hours he had to rest.

He saw the blank face of the man who had kidnapped him in 1986. He could see the dismembered flesh of the boys he met in the basement. And he could never get the sound of Spencer's screams from his mind. He had never actually heard Spencer screaming during the fire but dark thoughts filled in the blanks for him and he not only cold hear the screams but since he was seventeen he could also see the child burn before his eyes in his dreams.

Aaron took another steadying breath, closing his eyes as he did. He smiled then and shook his head, silently scolding himself for letting himself get so anxious.

Aaron bent down, still smiling and picked up his card, his hand no longer shaking. As he was about to stand back up something under his car flashed. Aaron scowled and dipped his head lower to get a better look. Something flashed red again and Aaron went to his knees and reached his hand toward the light. Despite his best efforts his hands were shaking again.

"What...?" Aaron grasped the tiny bulb wedged behind one of his wheels. It illuminated and warmed the skin on his finger tips. He gave a tug and the bulb gave way. There was a small device attached to it and Aaron pulled his hand out to see what it was.

"The hell..." Aaron muttered as he prodded the device. A cold sensation ran straight down Aaron and he stared numbly at the device.

He got up suddenly and dropped the device. Without thinking he slammed his heel into it. The bulb crunched and the light immediately fizzled out against the shattered glass. Aaron gaped down at the mess of tiny filaments, solder, and wire.

His eyes shot up and looked around sharply, while his hands reached down for his gun.

Someone was tracking him.

Spencer woke up to find JJ still at his side. He looked toward the door and frowned softly when he vaguely recalled the rest of his team leaving. They were stupid if they thought he hadn't noticed the nervous fidgets and odd looks. He was a profiler after all.

Rossi was especially strange. Spencer hadn't been able to stay awake when Rossi had been the only one there but he was sure he could remember Dave talking softly to him. It had been so comforting that Spencer hadn't managed to pull himself back to consciousness until a doctor checked on him and then again when the team arrived.

He remembered the way Rossi's gentle palms had squeezed at his arms and hand, a constant reminder of his presence.

Spencer knee he was out of it at each of these encounters but there was definitely something going on, aside from the fact that his father was...

Spencer gasped and pulled himself upright.

JJ noticed the movement and she edged forward in her chair.

"Hey? Are you in pain?"

Spencer rubbed at his eyes, pushing aside the thought of the madman that his father had become. He peeked at JJ through his fingers before he leaned back into the monotony of pillows and let out a sigh.

"You okay, Spence? I can call a nurse-"

"What's wrong with everyone?"

Spencer dropped his hands from his face and squinted at JJ under the bright lights. JJ met his gaze with a sheepish look of her own. Spencer frowned as he tried to profile her.

"Huh?"

"Everyone's on edge. There's something you're not telling me."

"Oh uh..." JJ smiled nervously before continuing. "We re-opened the 86 case. You know Rossi and Hotch-"

Spencer was already waving her off and shaking his head. "Morgan told me all of that. There's something else though."

"Spence..."

Spencer tilted his head a little and JJ had to turn her head from the sad look he was giving her. "You know something... i-if it's about my dad then I can't help you. I had no idea he was like this. I never th-thought he could do this to me or Bailey... wait... Bailey!"

Spencer reaches urgently for JJ, his face twisting with worry.

"We have him. He's safe," said JJ and Spencer nearly choked as a breath of relief fell from his lips.

"Good..." he whispered. "Is that why you guys are being weird? Because of my dad?" he asked. Spencer paused thoughtfully. There was something his dad had said... something that didn't make sense. 'They all think you're dead anyway.' Who was 'they?' His team?

"-Shouldn't tell you this..."

Spencer raised his head, realising he had missed what JJ said. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

JJ opened her mouth and stammered for a moment. "Rossi sh-sho-should tell you this," she said, stumbling over her words and grimacing when Spencer frowned.

"Rossi? Why Rossi?"

"It's hard to explain-"

"Just tell me, JJ. Please."

"Maybe Hotch should be here too, they know better that me."

Spencer's frown deepened and he shifted forward on the bed, wincing as the stitches in his side tugged at his inflamed skin. "Know what?" he asked.

"Oh god-"

"Jennifer! Please just tell me."

JJ took a deep breath in and her gaze flickered between Spencer and the door. "I-" She bit her lip hard and Spencer was about to interrupt again when she blurted, "Rossi's your dad!"

Spencer's mouth fell open and he gaped at JJ who had already decided the door was better to look at.

"That's..." Spencer started but he didn't know what to say.

"Not possible?" JJ asked and she scoffed. "Yea, we know."

"How... how did you get to that conclusion?" Spencer suddenly found himself chuckling breathlessly as he shook his head. He reached up and ran a shaky hand through his hair, his IV line tickling his cheek. His other hand was twisting in the bedsheets and he looked at JJ.

Her lips were tightly pursed as she thought of what to say next and how to say it. "Your 'dad," JJ said and she paused to air quote. "Attacked you just like he did to the other victims. When you first came in here we didn't even know it was you. We-"

JJ sniffed and wiped at her nose. She couldn't bring herself to look at Spencer who was watching her intently.

"When I realised it was you I didn't know what to do... Everyone was saying you were one of the unsub's victims a-and that you had to be one of the boys from 1986."

JJ stopped and took some breaths to try and steady her rapid heart rate. Spencer continued watching her with a lost expression.

"I was three then, JJ.

JJ choked out a laugh and said, "yea. I know... the only victim who was that young was Spencer Rossi."

"No... that's... that's ridiculous, JJ," said Spencer but he was starting to feel a deep dread creep over him.

"Is it? Because your dad has been the unsub this whole time. He left a note in your mouth with Hotch's name on!"

Oh, so that's what it said, Spencer thought. He looked down at himself. He slowly pressed his hand against the spot his father had pushed a knife into him. His lip shook and he looked back up and he saw tears in JJ's eyes.

"Maybe..." Spencer started in a quiet voice. "He just didn't want me around anymore. H-he said it himself-" Spencer's voice was shaking and JJ stood up from her chair and grabbed his hands.

"Spence, listen to me. There was another boy, he lived upstairs with William Reid-"

Spencer managed to match JJ's gaze with his own and she continued to explain softly.

"He was nearly two years older than you. The other boys got out that night but you didn't-"

"Jen..."

"They found you down there an-and something must have happened but the child Rossi buried wasn't his son. It was your parents' real son-"

Spencer shook his head hard and JJ quickly embraced him, her palms caressing the back of his head gently. "M-my mom..." Spencer mumbled and JJ screwed her face up in response. She thought she knew Spencer's mother but this whole time she was just his kidnapper.

"Garcia crossed yours and Rossi's DNA from our system. He really is your dad. You were down in that basement too and before then you lived with Rossi and Erin."

Spencer sucked in an audibly shaky breath and he shut his eyes.

"I'm Joe. You're pretty young, right?"

Spencer squeezed his eyes tighter together.

"Listen, Spencer, you watch the door, okay, Fraser's nearly busted the window."

JJ pulled back from the hug and took one of Spencer's hands in her. His eyes were wide and wet as he stared back at her.

"Do you remember anything?" she asked.

"Leave him alone! He's three, what are you? Sixteen?!"

Spencer's breath hitched. When he spoke his voice was small and pitchy.

"Aaron," he said

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