Welcome back! Please have patience with my characterization of Jack-bear in mind that I raised feline children, and have little experience with actual 5 year olds. My goal is to portray him as he is in the series. Comments welcome. As always, don't own CM or canon characters, no profits being made.

Chapter 31

Jack Hotchner was so excited, he couldn't stand still as he anxiously waited for his Aunt to open the door to the apartment he shared with his father. Jessica couldn't hide her amused smile as she finally got all the locks undone and turned the knob, nearly bowled over as the energetic boy burst his way into the living room calling "Daddy!"

Hotch returned to the living room from the kitchen just in time to catch the little ball of energy up into his arms and swing him around in the air. "Hey Buddy, I missed you! Were you good for Aunt Jessie?"

"Uh-huh" the boy responded while nodding his head enthusiastically. "Did you catch all the bad guys?"

"Well, most of them" hedged the grinning father. "Are you guys ready to meet Spencer?"

"Yeah!" the boy cheered, and bounded confidently over to greet the timid child sitting nervously on the couch clutching a throw pillow to his chest. "Hi, I'm Jack and I'm your new brother. You can play with all my toys, just don't break 'em ok? This is Aunt Jessica. She looks after us when Daddy is at work, and she makes the BEST pancakes ever."

"I'm extremely pleased to make your acquaintances," Spencer began, only to be interrupted by the loud growling sound emerging from his stomach. He looked down in embarrassment and clutched the pillow tighter.

"That sounds like my cue to start cooking" laughed the smiling woman. "Hi Spencer, I'm happy to meet you too. We'll get to know each other better after we eat sweetheart. Do you like pancakes?"

"Yes ma'am" the boy answered, looking up shyly. "They seem really nice." He thought, feeling greatly encouraged by how things were going so far.

"OK, I'd better get started making some then!" and she headed for the kitchen.

"A bad man killed my mommy…did a bad man kill your mommy and daddy too?" questioned Jack innocently.

A horrified Hotch started to intervene, but was cut off by Spencer's calm answer of "No, my birth father IS a bad man, and my mommy is really sick and has to live in a hospital. Your father rescued me from the bad man that MY father sold me to, and put my bad father in jail forever. Then he decided that you need a brother and adopted me. Is that OK with you?"

"Yeah!" shouted Jack enthusiastically. "I always wanted a brother, but after Mommy died, I thought that I'd never have one. Just wait, we're gonna have lots of fun together! Aunt Jessica said that the mean man that you lived with never let you play so you don't know how. That's OK-I can teach you. Wanna go play trucks while Aunt Jessie makes breakfast?"

The boys both looked toward Hotch, who felt himself overwhelmed with gratitude at how Spencer had explained the situation, and with his son's response. "That sounds like a great idea" he responded. "Why don't I carry Spencer into your room and you can get out the trucks. I'll come get you both when it's time to eat."

"OK!" both boys responded happily, and they were soon engrossed in their play. Spencer payed as much attention to Jack's instruction as he would a schoolteacher's, and was soon pretending to carry materials with Jack's Tonka trucks. He then had an idea, and suggested to Jack that they have the trucks carry Leggo's in their beds to a certain location, and they could build something together. Jack loved the idea, and they soon had an impressive future construction site supplied.

When Hotch came in to bring the boys to breakfast, they were happily constructing a building complex. Pleased to see them getting along so well, he picked both up and carried them to the kitchen table, asking the duo if they were having fun, pleased with their happy nods.

Spencer watched with wide brown eyes as Jessica piled his plate with 3 pancakes-dripping with butter and syrup-sausage links and scrambled eggs. Digging in with a wide grin, the boy found himself moaning in delight. "This is sooo good!" the child exclaimed, grinning at his new aunt. "You are a most excellent cook!"

"Why thank-you Honey!" a pleased Jessica replied.

"I TOLD you she makes the best pancakes ever! I was right, huh?" declared Jack through a mouth full. "Uh-Huh!" Spencer agreed enthusiastically.

Soon the table was cleared of food, and the boys were eager to get back to their building project. After depositing Spencer back on the floor in Jack's room, Hotch sat down with Jessica for some serious conversation.

"So, what do you think? Is this going to work?" queried Hotch as he sipped at his mug of fresh coffee.

"Well, based on so-far, I would say yes. Spencer seems very mature for his age, and has already shown that he knows how to avoid making Jack feel threatened. I would expect Jack to show a bit of possessiveness at some point, but somehow I think Spencer will deal with that well. What will I need to watch out for with him? I assume he has been through a lot." Responded Jessica seriously.

"Yes, he has" Hotch replied. "He has been raped, repeatedly, over the past 3 ½ years, beaten, cut, bitten, deprived of food and water, and verbally denigrated. He doesn't like to be touched, understandably, and will obviously need time to trust new people. You've noticed how intelligent he is, so don't talk down to him. Everything else we'll have to handle as it comes up. Do you feel comfortable with that?"

"Yes" replied the new aunt, "I think I can handle this. Just tell me the poor thing will be seeing someone to help him recover from his traumas. I mean, I can give him all the understanding he needs, but I'm no professional."

"Don't worry Jess-it's taken care of. He'll be seeing a counselor experienced in child victims of sexual assault starting next week. She comes highly recommended by the Pediatrician he'll be following up with." Hotch assured. "I'll be taking a couple of weeks off to help him settle in, and I'd like it if you could spend time with us to help him adjust before you're on your own."

"No problem Aaron-sounds like a good plan. I can't wait to see him relax and learn how to be a child."

"Me too Jessica." Responded Hotch. "Me too."