A/N: TISSUE WARNING!

Chp. 6

Father and son drove to the hospital in silence, Rossi behind the wheel and Mark in the front passenger seat. After ten minutes, Dave spoke. "Your mother said she talked to you the other day. Said you sounded busy."

Mark shrugged. "I was. Tim and I were on a stakeout."

"Tim was your partner, the one who was killed?" Dave asked.

Mark rolled his eyes, looking more like a petulant teenager than a trained killer. "You know all this, Dave. What do you really want to know?"

Rossi's eyebrows shot up. "Dave, now? Whatever happened to Dad?"

Mark sighed and looked out the window. "Does your team know about James?"

"Gideon, Max, Hotch and Morgan know."

Mark was silent for several blocks. As they turned into the hospital parking lot, he asked in a quiet voice. "Do they know about Shelby and Nicholas?"

Rossi was actually offended by this question, but he quelled it. Partially, anyway. "Mark, regardless of the fact that you've basically cut off all contact with us since you joined the Navy, I wouldn't do that to you. What Shelby did to you and Nicholas is your business." Dave said, putting the SUV in park.

Reaching to open the door, Mark turned to his father, an apology in his eyes. "She hurt you, too." Without waiting for a response, he got out and went back of the truck, opening the back cargo doors. Dave waited a minute, then joined him. Mark had opened the gun case was pulled out his Benelli semiautomatic shotgun. "Really think you're gonna need all that firepower?" Dave asked, nodding to case in the cargo area and the shotgun Mark was now wearing across his chest.

"Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it." Mark said as he closed the case and then the door. "Besides, kid probably needs rest and nothing says, 'go away' like a pissed off looking sentry with a shotgun."

"His name is Spencer." Dave said as they started into the hospital.

Mark rolled his eyes again. "Whatever." Though his heart went out to the little boy, Mark had decided on the ride over that he wouldn't attempt to get close to the kid. He had one mission, to kill William Reid and avenge his partner. For Mark, protecting Spencer was secondary. The two men rode the elevator up to the floor housing the pediatric ward and made the same inquiries at the nurses station that Morgan had a couple hours prior. Making their way to Spencer's room, the two men found Morgan dutifully standing guard outside the door. Morgan noticed them and Dave made the introductions.

"SSA Derek Morgan, Deputy Mark Rossi. Mark, Derek." The two men shook hands.

"Serious firepower you got there."

"Better to have and not need…" Mark said, not bothering to finish. "Where do you want me?"

"Hangout by the nurses' station and don't let them come down here unless absolutely necessary. Little man's been through enough tonight."

"How's Spencer?" Rossi asked, when Mark was out of earshot.

Morgan looked away. "About as well as can be expected. He latched on to Emily and I think she's pretty attached to him as well."

Dave smiled a little at this. Emily was always good when cases involved children. "Do either of them know?"

Morgan shook his head. "They were asleep when I went in after Hotch called. I haven't checked on them again."

"What don't I know?" Emily asked quietly and both men turned to see the door partially open. Judging by the looks on their faces, Emily knew it wasn't good news.

"Diana Reid's been found." Morgan said in a sad tone.

Emily quickly pieced it together, but decided to confirm it anyway. "Is she?" Morgan simply nodded. Emily turned and went back into Spencer's room. She sat down in the chair next the bed and prayed he would sleep through the rest of the night. But her prayers weren't answered as Spencer stirred and opened his eyes. Emily forced a happy expression on her face and her mouth muscle into a smile. "Hi, honey."

"Emwy? Where you go?"

"Oh, I just went outside for a minute. I wouldn't leave you, honey."

"Did you find my mama yet?" He asked. Emily swore the kid could read minds.

She didn't know how to tell him other than to just do it and comfort him as best she could. "We did find your mommy, sweetie."

Spencer brightened and it was like a knife through Emily's heart. "Is she here? Can I see her?"

Emily moved to the bed and sat down next to the little boy who'd stolen her heart. "She isn't here, Spencer. Your father…he…" she faltered as realization dawned on the small child's face.

"NO! NOO! YOU'WE WYIN', EMWY!" Spencer said, even as tears began to flow from his eyes and his body shook with sobs. Emily lay down next to him and took Spencer's tiny body in her arms. She was surprised when he didn't fight her. "Shh. I'm so sorry, baby." She whispered, stroking his hair as she felt his tears on her neck. He mumbled something into her neck and Emily reluctantly pulled away in case it was important. "What did you say, hon?"

"Can Derwek come in?"

Emily smiled sadly. "Sure, sweetie." She pulled her phone off her belt and texted her partner. A minute later, the door opened and Derek entered.

"Hey, Spencer." Morgan sat on the opposite side of the bed and took Spencer's hand when the boy reached out to him. The two agents rocked, held and otherwise comforted the broken little boy long into the night. At one point a look passed between Derek and Emily that communicated the same thought; Spencer wasn't leaving the hospital with anyone but them.

000

In the hallway, Mark and the others had heard Spencer's cries. The nurse had started to get up to see what was wrong, but Mark stopped her. "Let them handle it."

"And if his father comes here?" the women asked.

Mark just smiled grimly and tightened his grip on the shotgun. "Then I'll happily send him straight to the morgue."

000