A/N: WARNING – SPOILERS FOR 2x12, "Profiler, Profiled"

Chp. 4

Max Ryan and Hotch had joined Morgan at William Reid's residence, collecting evidence and trying to find clues to Mr. Reid's current whereabouts. But the other agents could tell Morgan's mind was with Prentiss and her charge, young Spencer Reid. After an hour, Hotch told Morgan to go to the hospital to watch over Prentiss and Spencer, incase William tried to reacquire the boy there. The older man didn't miss the smile on Morgan's face as he left. You'd have to be blind, deaf and mute to miss the fact that Derek Morgan was attracted to Emily Prentiss.

It only took Morgan fifteen minutes to reach the hospital and during the drive he thought about the hell he and Emily had rescued little Spencer from. Derek Morgan loved a lot of things about his job, but conversely, he hated a lot of things about his job. One of the things he disliked most was people who abused children. Part of Morgan's feelings stemmed from the fact that he'd been abused as a teenager in the worst way possible. Part of it was that most of the people Morgan saw abuse children were the same people who were supposed to protect said children.

As he walked inside the building and headed for the elevators, Morgan thought about what he'd seen in Spencer's closet. The boy had more than likely been abused by his father, in the same way Morgan himself had been abused by his mentor Carl Bufford. Given Spencer's age, which Morgan guessed was around four or five years old, he was probably terrified of men. That had been one of the reasons he'd allowed Prentiss to take the lead when the two agents found the boy, and the fact that Emily was a natural with children. As he stepped off the elevator into the pediatric ward, Morgan promised himself that he would do whatever it took to show Spencer that not all men were like William Reid.

Pulling out his badge wallet, Morgan stepped up to the nurse's station and held up the wallet. The nurse seemed to sense his presence and looked up. "May I help you, agent?"

"Special Agent Derek Morgan, Ma'am. My colleague came in with a young boy a couple of hours ago. Could you give me his room number, please?"

"Sincerely." The nurse answered with a smile and turned to her computer. Spencer had been admitted as a John Doe, incase William Reid came back to the house and discovered his son was missing, and the agents there were unable to take him into custody. "He's in room 519. Did you find the person who hurt him? I've been on this ward fifteen years and he's the worst case I've ever seen." The women said sadly.

"Not yet ma'am, but we're close." Morgan said, "Thank you."

But the nurse wasn't done. She leaned forward and whispered. "When you find that SOB, you put them under the jail."

Morgan actually smiled at that. "Might just work out that way, Ma'am. You have a nice evening."

"You too, Agent Morgan."

Morgan stopped just outside Spencer's room a moment later and smiled at what he heard.

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word…"

Morgan leaned against the wall and decided to wait for Emily to finish putting their charge to sleep.

000

"So, how'd you manage to get me reinstated, agent Gideon?" Mark asked from the backseat of the SUV he was riding in with Gideon and Dave.

"Your father was the one who pulled strings." Gideon said.

Mark scowled. "Why?"

"You're motivated." Dave said.

Mark's scowl deepened. "You want me to kill William Reid?"

"Apprehend if possible, terminate if necessary." Gideon clarified as the vehicle turned into the parking lot of the U.S. Marshals Field Office for Las Vegas.

"Why?" Mark asked again, when they'd parked and were walking into the building.

"Why do we want you to kill him?" Gideon asked. Instead of responding, Mark gave the FBI agent his best 'well, duh' expression.

"It would better for all concerned." Dave said.

"You mean it would be better for Spencer."

"And Emily." Gideon added under his breath. Before Mark could ask who Emily was, Mark's boss, John Gregory and fellow agent Will LaMontage, walked over. Mark quickly made the introductions and the group moved to the conference room, where Hotch had already set up. Hotch looked up when they entered and stepped over to Mark. "SSA Aaron Hotchner. I'm sorry for your loss, Deputy."

"Thank you, agent Hotchner."

"Hotch, please."

"Ok, Hotch, what do we know?"

000

Morgan's phone blipped, signaling a text. He pulled the device off his hip and looked at it in surprise. It read simply, you can come in now. :P Grinning at his friend's sense of humor, Morgan holstered the phone and quietly pushed open the door to their charges' room.

Moving as quietly as possible, Morgan took one of the chairs under the TV that was mounted near the ceiling and surveyed the scene before him. Prentiss was sitting as close to the bed as possible, her chair positioned so that she could see the door and Spencer both easily. She was holding Spencer's hand as the boy slept. Emily caught him watching her and they both smiled sheepishly.

Morgan watched as Emily gently laid Spencer hand down, then quietly stood and moved to the chair next to him. The man could tell this case was affecting his fellow agent and friend more deeply than cases of this type normally did. Cases of this type? Man, I've been doing this too long.

"You ok?" Derek asked quietly. He knew she wasn't and that it was a stupid thing to say, but he had to start somewhere. He watched one of the strongest women he knew bite the inside of her cheek to keep from crying and shake her head. A single tear rolled down Emily's cheek and she swallowed. Derek just waited. He knew she would talk. And she did.

"When we…when we brought him into the ER, the nurses cut off his pajamas and his body was covered in bruises, in various stages of healing. He was filthy. He was wearing a diaper and it looked like it hadn't been changed in a day. That bastard used his own son for his sadistic needs and just locked him in the closet." The last part of her statement was drowned out by a quiet sob. Derek reached out and took Emily's hand, squeezing it lightly.

"The nurses…" she stopped again and he waited. "started giving Spencer a sponge bath and he was so scared. I knelt next to his head and just did whatever I could to keep him calm. When one of them started to put a new diaper on him, he thought…he…" Her breath hitched and she couldn't finish. Morgan squeezed her hand again and put his other arm around her. After a few minutes had past and Prentiss calmed some, he spoke. "That little boy's safe, Emily. You did that. Focus on the good. You can't change what his bastard father did."

Before Emily could respond, a nurse entered carrying a try of supplies. Emily saw baby wipes, lotion, baby powder and a diaper. She looked at the bed and saw Spencer was awake. The nurse looked at the agents and smiled gently. "I need to..." she started, before Spencer spoke up. "Emwy." Spencer's little voice sounded plaintive and afraid.

He knows, she thought. "It's ok. You can leave that stuff. I'll do it."

The nurse look surprised. Clearly this wasn't what she expected from a federal agent. "If you're..." the nurse started.

"Emwy!" Spencer said, almost wailing now. Prentiss saw that Morgan had gone to the hallway and was grateful. Being exposed that way in front of a man would terrify Spencer.

"It's ok, honey." Emily said and he immediately quieted. The nurse got the message and put the supplies on the table before leaving herself.

Emily looked at Spencer and smiled. "Is it ok if I change you, kiddo?"

"Emwy no bad touch. No hurt." Spencer asked, sound skeptical.

It took every ounce of control Emily could muster not to weep once again for this child.

"No, baby. I won't hurt you."

Spencer pushed down the sheets and raised the hospital issued gown in response to her question. The gown fit him like a tent and it gave Emily an idea. She grabbed the gown and raised it up so it covered her face and asked in a voice that contained more happiness than she felt. "Where's Spencer?" Suddenly she dropped the lower half of the gown and smiled down at Spencer before gasping in mock surprise and saying in the same happy voice, "There he is!"

Despite everything that had happened to him, Spencer now understood that Emily represented everything that was missing in his life. Safety. Love. Comfort. And a whole host of other things he couldn't explain. He laughed and it was music to Emily's ears. "Again!" he said through laughter.

"Again?" Emily asked, laughing and feeling genuine happiness that her plan had worked.

"Peas?" Spencer asked, sounding more hopeful than Emily had ever heard from him.

"Ok, but then I need to change your diaper." Emily said.

"Otay, Emwy."

"Ok, honey."

They ended up playing peek-a-boo two more times before Spencer let Emily change him, but he was much calmer than she knew he would have been otherwise. She moved slowly and gently through the process, like any parent would when dealing with a child who'd suffered a severe trauma.

"Him come back?" Spencer asked as Emily finished.

"You mean Morgan?" Emily asked. Spencer shrugged, as he didn't know the man's name. "Do you want him to?"

Spencer looked shocked at being given a choice. He'd never been asked for his opinion anytime that he could remember. He looked at Emily. She'd been nothing but kind to him so far. She wouldn't let this new man hurt him. "Him your fwiend?"

Emily smiled again. "Yep. Morgan's my friend, and I bet he'll want to be yours too."

Spencer's head hung low at this. Emily looked concerned. "Spencer, what's up kiddo?"

"I don't got no fwiends." He said sadly.

Emily frowned and sniffled until he looked up at her. He scrunched up his forehead in confusion. "Emwy? What's wong?"

"Well, I…" she fake cried some, then continued. "I met this little boy named Spencer who was really sweet and I thought we were friends, but he told me he doesn't have any friends." She said, pulling a tissue out of her pocket and blowing her nose in an exaggerated fashion.

Spencer giggled. "Emwy! You my fwiend, silly."

Emily smiled again. "Good. Glad we cleared that up. Want to meet Morgan?"

Spencer nodded and Emily turned to the door. "Morgan?"

He pushed the door open from where he'd been listening. Prentiss was born to be a mother, among her many talents. He watched as she looked at Spencer. "Spencer, this is my friend, Derek Morgan. Can you say hi?"

"Hi, Emwy's fwiend Dewek Morgan."

Morgan and Emily both grinned. "Hi, Spencer. Nice to meet you." Morgan said.

"Nice to meet you too, Morgan." Spencer said, yawning.

Emily took charge. "Ok, Spencer. Tell Morgan goodnight and then it's time to go to sleep."

"Emwy sing?" He asked hopefully. This time she did blush, but she told him she would.

"Otay, Emwy. Go'night, Morgan."

Morgan smiled at him. "Goodnight, Spencer." He turned to Emily. "I'll be right outside."

"Ok, Derek. Thanks."

"No prob."

Once Morgan was gone, Emily sat down next to Spencer's bed and took his hand in hers. "Close your eyes, sweetie."

Spencer complied and smiled when she started singing again. Just outside the room, Derek Morgan smiled too, as he heard the familiar voice singing.

000