Hide n Seek Chapter 5
AN: Sorry that this chapter is a little shorter than usual. I was going to have it longer but I decided to split it into two parts so that I could post this week. Again reading all the lovely reviews make my day, so keep it up.
Arriving at Rossi's mansion after an eventful couple of the days the team wearily trudged inside wanting nothing more than to just have a quiet evening together. However Morgan had a different idea, wanting to cheer Reid up after his fall into the lake and getting his cold he decided to was time to introduce Reid to Clooney. While everyone else went inside to get unpacked, Morgan took his truck and went back to his apartment to pick up the german sheppard.
Coming back to the mansion Morgan decided to drop Clooney off in the backyard first so that he could surprise Spencer. Walking into the house, Morgan found the girls in the kitchen and Rossi in the living room reading to Spencer while sitting in a rocking chair. "Hey pretty boy, guess what I have a surprise for you, something to help you feel a little bit better."
Spencer looked up from his spot in Rossi's lap with a curious expression on his face. "What tind of suwpwise? I'm too tiwed to do anything." He said while fisting his eyes.
"Well this won't take too long and you can even keep sitting right there if you want. " Morgan replied while walking towards the sliding doors that led to the backyard. Opening the door Morgan whistled and Clooney came bounding over. Grabbing the dog's collar Morgan stopped Clooney before he could run inside and scare Spencer. Morgan walked Clooney over to beside the rocking chair, ordering for him to sit and stay.
Spencer looked down at the dog from his perch on Rossi's lap, he was unsure of Clooney not knowing if the 'Reid Effect' still worked in childhood. Clooney was a very large dog and that scared Spencer a bit, however he realised that the dog was being obedient and had stayed seated. Gingerly reaching out a hand he let Clooney sniff him. As his hand neared Clooney's snout, the dog stuck out his tongue licking the toddler's fingers. Spencer giggled at the ticklish feeling and reached further patting Clooney on the head. He slid off of Rossi's lap and landed on the floor next to the dog, standing up he was about the same height as Clooney. Spencer started petting Clooney all over his shiny coat giggling when Clooney turned around and licked the side of his face.
Morgan smiled watching Spencer and Clooney interact, he was ecstatic that the toddler and dog got along so well. He knew that Clooney would be good for Spencer, the dog would be a playmate for Spencer as well as a protector.
As Spencer played on the ground with Clooney Hotch walked in with his cell phone in hand. "Well Strauss wants to speak to us at the BAU in about an hour. She wants to discuss our caseload in the coming weeks. "
"Spencer shouldn't really be going into work if he is still sick, can one of us stay here with him while the rest go to this meeting?" Rossi asked standing up from his place in the rocking chair.
"Well I guess Garcia can stay here, I'm sure she won't be needed in this meeting and we can fill her in later anyways." Hotch conceded.
As the team left the house, Garcia decided that even though Spencer couldn't go outside because of his cold she would make sure that he had fun indoors. She set out some washable paint and mural paper while taping down some garbage bags on the kitchen floor so the paint wouldn't get on the expensive tiles. Walking over and picking up Reid she explained the afternoon's activity. "Well my junior g-man since it's just us this afternoon, I thought we should get messy and have some fun. I set out all the supplies for you to do some finger-painting."
Spencer looked up at Garcia with wide eyes "But that's so messy, why tan't I paint with bwushes like evwyone else?"
"What's the fun with painting with brushes. No finger-painting is so much more fun and I need to show you what it's like to be a normal two year-old. So painting with our appendages it is by mini vanilla cupcake." Garcia said determinedly.
Setting Spencer down on the ground beside the garbage bags and paper Garcia rolled up his sleeves and took off his socks. Pouring some paint on a paper plate, Garcia explained what Spencer had to do. "Okay buttercup just stick your hand in this paint and spread it around on the paper. Don't worry about making a picture just make it colorful."
Spencer looked at Garcia with an unsure expression on his face, however he gingerly placed his hand down in the paint. Feeling the paint squish between his fingers his face lit up, loving the cool feeling of the paint on his hands. He carefully started spreading his hands around on the paper, speeding up as he got more into painting.
Garcia started snapping some pictures of Spencer finger-painting with the widest smile on his face that she has ever seen him have. When Spencer finished painting on one piece of paper, Garcia put it on the counter to let it dry. Turning around she decided to paint Spencer's feet and entire hand so that she could get an imprint so that she could look back at and remember how small the two year old was. Pressing his hands first onto the piece of paper she had Spencer stand up so she could press his feet down as well. As Spencer began to stand Clooney ran by, running through the plate of paint and out the kitchen door.
Gasping Garcia looked at the red and blue paw prints that went across the entire kitchen floor, she began to go and run after Clooney before the dog could make even more of a mess. Following Garcia Spencer ran behind trying to catch the german sheppard not realising that he was leaving his own set of red and blue footprints behind.
Catching Clooney Garcia grabbed his collar dragging him out of the house and into the backyard tying him to the deck so he couldn't run any further. Going back into the kitchen Garcia groaned as she looked around, paw prints and footprints mixed together to make a very blue and red kitchen floor. Picking up Spencer she brought him outside as well, wanting to clean up the two miscreants first before cleaning the house.
Dragging the hose over to the deck Garcia began to spray Clooney down washing away all of the paint from his fur. After his fur was mostly clean she turned off the hose, as she turned away Clooney shook out his fur spraying her and Spencer at the same time. "Clooney! You troublemaker you're just determined to make the most mess that you can!" Garcia cried trying to wipe off as much water as she could. Clooney just sat there, tongue hanging out and tail wagging.
Spencer giggled pointing at Garcia "Tooney got you all wet, now you have to cwean youwself off as well."
Garcia smiled reaching out to Spencer to pull him into a hug "You think this is funny, huh? Well let's see how much you like it when you're covered in dog water." Garcia squeezed Spencer to her getting him wet in the process. Spencer squirmed trying to get out of Garcia's grip while squealing at her to let him go. Once Spencer got out from under Garcia he began to run away, looking behind him as she chased him.
"Come here Spencer, we need to get you dried off and inside before you get even more sick." Garcia admonished picking him up from behind and carrying him into the house.
By the time that Garcia cleaned Spencer and herself off and changed into dry clothes, the team began to arrive home. Walking through the front door Rossi's eyes widened as he took in the trails of paw prints and footprints weaving throughout the house. "Garcia! What happened?"
"Well I was teaching Spencer the joys of finger painting Clooney decided to join in on the fun by running through the paint. And Spencer here decided to take chase and forgot that his feet were covered in paint. I just got Spencer and Clooney cleaned off and now I was coming to clean the floors." Garcia sheepishly replied.
Morgan groaned thinking he should have put Clooney in the back yard before leaving the house. He went to the cupboard and took out a mop and bucket, since it was his dog that made most of this mess he thought he better pitch in with the clean up process.
After dropping off his briefcase on the couch, Hotch took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves deciding to lend a hand to make the clean up process go faster. Prentiss and Rossi followed suit while JJ went to Spencer to help him tape up his artwork on the fridge.
Once everything was sparkling clean and back in their proper place the team sat down around the dining room table. Hotch started off the discussion about what was said during the meeting with Strauss. "So Strauss wants to make sure that even though we will devote our time to finding Fowler that we don't forget about our responsibilities to the bureau. She has ordered us to continue to take outside cases while we search for Fowler. Since it is unsure when Fowler will appear next, we are to go into the office for the rest of the week and catch up on other paperwork. "
"But what happens if Fowler appears and you guys are in another state trying to solve another case?" Garcia asked enraged that Strauss was making them go back to their regular work.
"We can probably spare one or two agents to go and check out a lead if we are on another case, but we would have to finish the case we were on before going after Fowler." Hotch said not liking the situation anymore than Garcia did.
The team silently sat at the table at Hotch's pronouncement, contemplating the order that Strauss had given them and the effect it would have on them catching Fowler. None of the team liked what Strauss was making them doing but they couldn't very well go against her or she could have their jobs.
"Well we are going to have to be on the top of our games if we are going to do cases and still keep the case on Fowler open. We are the best behavioral analysis team in our unit if anyone can do this we can " JJ rallied wanting to lift everyone's spirits.
Hotch sighed not fully joining in on JJ's optimism, he looked over at where Spencer was playing on the ground with Clooney. The toddler's hand had started to slow as he petted the dog, his eyes slowly drifting close. Hotch got up from the table and went to pick Spencer up. He wanted to get Spencer ready for bed before he fully fell asleep on top of Clooney.
Going into the bathroom Hotch decided to forego a bath tonight as he wasn't sure if Spencer would be able to stay awake through it. Washing Spencer's face with a washcloth and brushing his teeth Hotch changed Spencer into his pajamas.
Placing Spencer on his bed Hotch was stopped from moving away when little fists grabbed his shirt. Running a hand through Spencer's hair Hotch said "Spencer it's time for you to go to bed, it's getting late and you're still getting over your cold you need your rest."
"I know but can you stay wit me until I fall asweep?" Spencer asked still not letting go of Hotch's shirt.
"Sure buddy, how about I get a book and I will read to you until you fall asleep." Hotch got up and strode across the room to the bookshelf that was already half full with toddler appropriate books. Picking out a book that he used to read to Jack when he was little Hotch made his way back to the bed and got in letting Spencer snuggle into his side. Opening the book he began to read "The night Max wore his wolf suit…"
Back in the dining room the team was interrupted in their discussion about Strauss by Morgan's phone ringing. Glancing down Morgan frowned as he accepted the call "Des, what's up?"
"Derek, it's mom you need to come soon." Desiree answered.
AN: Uh oh what happened to Derek's mom? By the way the book that Hotch was reading was Where the Wild Things Are, it's a really sweet book for little boys.