A/N: ONE SHOT – Little snippets with the newest addition to the Hotchner household and Atlas discovers just how much of his adult mindset has been pushed aside.

I do not own Harry Potter or Criminal Minds...sadly.
Also, I understand the Haley bashing, but I personally like her. So, OOC Haley and Aaron at this point now.
By the way, I just made up the schooling system here. I am not from the U.S and I barely understand the grade system.


After Atlas was adopted, Haley truly made Aaron realise how much he needed to spend more time at home. She stated that while she understood how important his profession was to him and that she didn't want him to leave it, he did need to get home on time to assist with the kids when the team wasn't travelling.

Aaron knew she was right. After Jack was born, he regretted that he still hadn't seen it because he hadn't before. He understood things needed to change now that they have two kids to consider, one of whom has health difficulties. Aaron ensured he would be home by 6 o'clock if he weren't jetting around the country. But after he got home, he would be there instead of in his office. When he got home, he would assist Haley with dinner and get the boys cleaned up and ready for food. It was his turn to watch the kids after dinner. Aaron would settle Jack and put him to bed before spending time playing with Atlas on the living room floor. Haley would often join them but would otherwise spend some time doing her own thing.

Aaron was unaware of how much he needed this. After dealing with grizzly cases all day, seeing his kids instantly improves his mood. When Haley entered the living room after saying goodnight to Jack, she occasionally saw Aaron dozing off on the floor, still in his suit. Atlas would be curled up on this chest, snoozing away, and Aaron's arm protectively held around his back to keep him steady. Haley would quietly photograph those moments to be added to their photo albums later.

Having Aaron home at reasonable hours in the evenings significantly improved their relationship. Even while it wasn't in a bad place before Atlas entered their lives, Haley realised that things might get ugly if nothing changed. She was relieved that her spouse had finally heard what she wanted to say. Even though he occasionally received a call in the middle of the night, she accepted their compromise. Although she occasionally struggled throughout the day alone, Atlas had been a lifesaver and would always try to assist, despite her protestations that it wasn't his responsibility. Additionally, Jessica was a regular visitor to their home, so it wasn't too horrible.

Anyway, Atlas was thriving in his new home. He still struggled with walking unaided, and he had thankfully not suffered a seizure since before he was taken to the Coopers. The parents' love for each other and their kids formed a fantastic bond between them that would last for eternity.


If there were ever a time when Atlas seriously wanted to try and curse Death, though, it would be now. Don't get him wrong, life with the Hotchners has been amazing. Sure, his dad works a lot, and he's often away for days at a time, but that makes the time their dad spends with both his sons all the more special.

Because of that, he tries to be the most well-behaved five-year-old. While his child mindset misses his dad during the day, he loves spending time with his mom. He can tell that sometimes it gets too much for her, essentially looking after two young children alone. That's why he fights his mentality so hard to keep himself from misbehaving.

Instead, he tries to help his mom with Jack by keeping him entertained for the day, allowing Haley to rest or get some stuff done around the home. If Aunt Jess were around, she would join the fun to give Haley a break.

Unfortunately, just as Death had advised, Atlas noticed that he would more often than not revert to the behaviour of the five-year-old he really is. His older mentality rarely appears now, and when it did, it was only brief and would often garner strange looks from the adults.

The rules that both adult Hotchners were sound, and the punishments if either of the children broke these rules were just. The rules were typical for any household with children. Rules such as no jumping or standing on furniture, never answering the door without an adult, use kind words only. Other rules were to promote morality, like apologising when you're sorry, treating others fairly, and not lying or hurting yourself or others. For chores, they only added that the kids were expected to tidy up after themselves.

In Atlas's opinion, most rules seemed easy to follow. Punishments were light compared to those at the Dursleys, usually like spending time in time-out or losing certain privileges. Atlas was promised that they would never use food as punishment, nor would they use physical means against him. They sure as hell wouldn't lock him away whenever he was sick.

One afternoon, the aroma of freshly baked cookies enticed Atlas and filled the air. He climbed up on the kitchen bench to retrieve the jar of cookies that Haley had kept out of his reach because he was unable to resist the appeal. His naughty escapade took a terrible turn as he climbed when he hit his head on an open cabinet, resulting in a loud thud that attracted Haley's attention.

A mixture of worry and displeasure could be seen on Haley's face as she hurried into the kitchen. "Atlas, what were you thinking? Climbing on the furniture is against the rules, and now you've hurt yourself."

Atlas, tears welling up in his eyes, rubbed his throbbing head. "I just wanted to get the cookies, Mamá. I didn't mean to hurt myself."

Haley took a deep breath, her voice steady but firm. "I understand you wanted the cookies, but climbing on the kitchen bench is dangerous. We have the rule to keep you safe and prevent accidents like this."

Atlas sniffled, guilt washing over him. "I'm sorry, Mamá. I won't do it again."

Haley knelt, wiping away his tears with a gentle touch. "I know accidents happen, Atlas, but it's important to remember that rules exist for a reason. Climbing on the bench can lead to falls or injuries, and we don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Atlas nodded before being sent off to play with Jack.

Aaron saw Haley waiting for him when he got home later that night. The solemn look on her face told him something had happened. Aaron and Haley exchanged a short glance before she told him about Atlas's mishap.

Aaron sighed, his voice composed yet stern. "All right, it's time for a talk, buddy." He led Atlas to a quiet corner of the living room and gently explained the consequences of his actions. "Atlas, because you broke an important rule and put yourself in danger, you must have a five-minute timeout. It's a way for you to understand the seriousness of what you did and learn from it."

Atlas's face fell, his eyes brimming with remorse. "I'm sorry, Papá. I didn't mean to cause trouble."

Aaron sat beside him, his voice filled with love and understanding. "I know you didn't mean to, Atlas. We all make mistakes, and taking responsibility for our actions is important. Timeouts help us reflect on what we did wrong and how we can do better next time."

That was the first time Atlas broke a rule, and it wasn't the last. Aaron would often come home to hear that Atlas had broken some rule, and sometimes the same rule more than once.

"I don't get it. He seems to be breaking the rules rather frequently. He seems truly repentant when it happens, but he continues to do it."

"Honey, he's testing our boundaries. It's normal for children to do this. We have to be patient but firm with him. It's also giving me hope, however. Hope that he's finally healing emotionally and becoming more comfortable with us. I'm glad he is acting out, but we need to make sure we are consistent with him and Jack." Aaron replied.

On Atlas's part, he wasn't sure why he kept breaking the rules. He knew them back to front and had no intentions of being punished. Even if they were more bearable than Vernon's punishments, he couldn't stop himself, and it was beginning to frustrate him. He felt that he should be old enough to know better.


Atlas's older mentality may have taken the backseat in his mind, but his memories of Harry's life definitely hadn't. Unfortunately, the mix of being of a younger mindset and then remembering his past means that his reactions to both have fed through to everyday life. He never spoke about the abuse he suffered at the Dursleys, and while it was mainly of the emotional type by the adults, there was a little bit of the physical kind and a heap of the neglectful kind too. Sadly, his life as Atlas contained a fair amount of physical abuse. It meant that even with the support of Haley and Aaron, he still struggled with many things.

One morning, Atlas woke up a little later than usual, but nothing that worried his parents. He wasn't feeling the greatest, nothing seizure-like, thankfully. He did feel like he was getting sick, however. Either way, he forced himself up, got ready for the day, and headed downstairs to the kitchen where he knew at least his mom would be.

"Morning, baby."

"Morning, mamá."

"Lassy!"

"Hi, Jack." Atlas smiled at his little brother as Jack babbled away in his highchair.

Haley served breakfast as Aaron sat at the dining table, already dressed for work.

Not having much of an appetite, Atlas pushed his eggs around the plate despondently. This didn't go unnoticed by either adult, who looked at each other worriedly.

"Atlas, what's wrong?" asked Haley.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm just…not hungry this morning." Murmuring Atlas in reply.

"Are you feeling fuzzy again?"

Atlas shook his head slightly, regretting it immediately after causing his head to hurt worse. "No, nothing like that."

"Buddy, we need you to eat at least a little bit." Encouraged Aaron.

Atlas sighed before eating a couple of forkfuls of egg before placing the fork on his plate with a shake of his head.

"Is that all you can eat, baby?" asked Haley, concerned.

"Sorry." Whispered Atlas. He took his medication and some water without prompting before asking to be excused. On his way to the living room, he grabbed Jack from his highchair, noticing that Jack had finished eating and then settled on the floor to play with the blocks.

Aaron and Haley looked at each other before shrugging and letting Aaron head off to work. He said goodbye to his kids before taking off for the day.

Haley cleaned up before checking in on the boys. Seeing them playing peacefully, she asked Atlas if it was ok if she could leave them alone for a bit, to which her eldest nodded in agreement. With the stipulation that he would go to her if either of them needed her, she went upstairs to give herself at most half an hour of rest.

They were still happily playing together when she came downstairs again, so she grabbed a book and sat on the couch nearby. After a while, she noticed that Atlas seemed to have lost some energy, and Jack was trying to get him to interact more.

Deciding they could all use some rest, she switched a kids' movie on, and both kids were curled up with her. She noticed the Atlas had fallen asleep only a half hour in, which was strange as he could usually get to just after lunch before he needed a nap. Concerned, she felt his forehead with the back of her hand but didn't discover anything to worry about. She placed Jack on the floor with some pillows before going to Atlas and lifting him to take him to his room.

By lunchtime, Atlas was still snoozing away, but Haley knew she needed to get him up to get him something to eat too.

She let him be while she prepared a light lunch until she heard a thud coming from his room. She placed Jack in his highchair to keep him in place before rushing upstairs to her eldest.

"Atlas? Honey, are you ok?" She pushed open the door before she was hit with the slight acidic smell of vomit and Atlas trying to clean it up off the hardwood floor. She rushed to his side, concerned with his pale complexion. "Baby, it's ok. Let me clean it."

"No, no. Made a mess. Gotta-gotta clean up own messes." He mumbled feverishly.

"Atlas, no, it's ok. Just an accident." She picked him up and took him into the adjoining bathroom and set him in front of the toilet just in time for him to vomit spectacularly into the bowl. Haley rubbed his back soothingly. "Baby, why didn't you tell us you weren't feeling well?" She asked as she brushed his sweaty forehead with the back of her hand.

"Not meant to tell. Not allowed." He groaned with his head leaning on the porcelain bowl before he retched again.

Knowing she wouldn't get much else out of him, she comforted the boy until it seemed he was done. She helped him change clothes before tucking him back into bed. Haley fired off a message to Aaron to let him know they had a sick child on their hands but that she had it handled.

She grabbed the baby monitor from Jack's room and placed it on Atlas's bedside table before returning to Jack. That way, she could keep an ear out in case Atlas was sick again. Feeding Jack, she let her mind wander to what she thought Atlas meant. It could be the sickness talking, but it also worried her that his last guardians would punish him when he was sick. She resolved to bring it up with Aaron later.

Atlas continued to sleep throughout the day, and Haley was distraught. She woke him briefly to get him to drink, but he refused all food. By the time Aaron came home, Atlas had been up to throw up nearly every hour, and it was mostly just bile. He had been crying for his papá for the last hour before he fell asleep again.

"How is he?" Aaron asked as he placed his keys by the front door and his bag off to the side.

"Throwing up a lot, refusing to eat. Crying for you." Haley sighed, downtrodden.

"And how are you holding up, sweetheart? Did you manage all right with both the boys?"

"Just upset that he's not well. It was hard to watch Jack too, but we managed."

Haley followed Aaron as he went up to Atlas, Jack on her hip. Aaron entered the bedroom and knelt by his little boy's head. Frowning, he brushed Atlas's hair away from his forehead.

"He's burning up. Did he have a fever before?"

"No, that's new."

Aaron rushed to the medicine cabinet in their bathroom and pulled out a thermometer.

"100 degrees." He stated after taking the boy's temperature. He quickly dressed Atlas in lighter clothing, worried he hadn't even stirred at the disturbance. "I'll stay up with him tonight. You look after Jack and rest. I'll keep an eye on him."

"Are you sure, honey? What about work tomorrow?"

"I'll call in. I'd rather stick around to ensure he doesn't get any worse."

"Thanks, baby." She replied with relief.

Haley quickly prepared dinner for the remaining three Hotchners before Aaron spent a little time with his youngest. Once Jack was put to bed, Haley could relax and watch tv in the living room, knowing Atlas was in capable hands.

Aaron had pulled over the rocking chair from Jack's room, knowing that both his sons would often be calmed by the smooth motions of the seat. He gently roused Atlas after a few tries so that he could get Atlas to drink something. They had placed some ibuprofen, water, and fruit juice on his bedside table, hoping they could get the fever down. A bucket was placed on the floor nearby in case he needed it.

"Papá? You're home?" Atlas asked blearily.

"I'm here, little one."

Feeling very young at that moment, Atlas reached out to his dad for a hug. Aaron obliged and lifted him and laid him on his chest. He carefully rocked the boy back to sleep.

Over dinner, Aaron had been told about what Atlas had been mumbling when Haley first found him sick. It left him fuming, thinking about what could have happened if he hadn't told them he wasn't feeling well. He promised himself he would talk to Atlas when he was feeling better and also made a note to find a child psychiatrist for him.

The chair's rocking eventually lulled him into a light doze, and neither moved until Haley had come in to let Aaron know she would be going to bed.

"Goodnight, boys." She kissed them both on their heads before heading off to check on Jack and then going to bed.

Both Atlas and Aaron managed to sleep for another hour before squirming from the younger woke the elder.

"Daaddyy." A small voice moaned. Aaron cleared his eyes before glancing at his son, who had started to shiver. "Cold."

Aaron grabbed the thermometer again and took his boy's temperature.

"Shit, 104 degrees." Cursed Aaron. "Buddy, we need to get your fever down." He stood up while the boy clung to his father like a koala.

Hoping they wouldn't need a late-night visit to the emergency room, he ran a lukewarm bath before putting his son in it, who promptly tried to get out again.

"Cold, papá!" He whined.

"I know, I know, little one. But we need to get your temperature down a bit."

"Please, I'll be good." Atlas cried quietly, eyes glassy with sickness.

"You're ok, baby. I'm here. Shh, shhh." Aaron responded soothingly. He was able to keep him in the bath for a few more minutes.

"Papá, sick."

"I know, son. But we'll get you ri-"

"No, sick." Whimpered the boy before he threw up a little in the bath. "Sorryy."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Atlas. Shh, it's ok. That was papá's fault. Do you think you need to be sick again?"

Atlas nodded before Aaron quickly stood the boy and expertly rinsed him off with the shower head before wrapping a towel around him and setting him in front of the toilet, allowing Atlas to empty his stomach again. The retching didn't last long because he hadn't eaten much that day but still looked exhausted.

Aaron got him dressed and back in bed in record time and retook his temperature and was relieved it had come back down a couple of degrees.

Both managed to sleep a few more hours before he was awoken by his son tugging on his arm. Looking down at him, Aaron noticed that Atlas was still very pale and shivering again. After getting another high-temperature reading and then guiding him through another vomiting session, Aaron decided it was time to take him to the ER, just in case. With his past and current health issues, he didn't want to take the chance that something serious might be going on.

Aaron quickly woke Haley to let her know what was going on. "Honey, I'm going to take Atlas to the emergency room just to be safe. His fever isn't improving, and he's still throwing up."

"Let me get Jack, and we can go."

"No, no. Stay. I'll take him. I'll call if we get admitted. You need to rest too."

"Ok, let me at least say goodbye to him then. Thanks, Aaron."

Aaron got a bag ready with some stuff for him and his son while Haley went to Atlas's room to find him hunched over the bucket again, groaning in pain.

"Mamá?" Atlas cried out.

"I'm here, baby." Cooed Haley as she gathered her little boy in a hug. "What hurts, sweetheart?"

"Stomach," Atlas whined.

"Ok, well, Daddy is going to take you to the hospital to check for anything bad." Soothed Haley but could see that Atlas was visibly upset at that, but before he could protest, Haley chimed in again. "I know you don't like hospitals, but we just want you better."

Atlas nodded dejectedly before Aaron returned to the room. He picked his son up as Atlas laid his head into the crook of his papá's neck.

"Bye honey, you'll be ok. Papá will make sure of it." Haley kissed her son on the head before taking the bucket to the bathroom to clean it and then returning to bed.

Atlas and Aaron quickly arrived at the emergency room and waited for a doctor, Atlas lightly dozing against his dad. Thankfully they didn't need to wait long before being seen to. Aaron nudged the boy awake before following the doctor.

After explaining the symptoms, the doctor carefully examines Atlas's stomach before ordering a CT scan after determining that it could be appendicitis. Once confirming the diagnosis and were happy that it hadn't burst, they decided to operate immediately to remove the appendix.

Aaron had called Haley to let her know they would at least be in the hospital for the next 24 hours but was otherwise in good hands.

TIME SKIP

Atlas was able to go home a day after the surgery with the instruction to take it easy and a warning that Atlas would still be slightly lethargic for a week or two. Aaron was given instructions on how to care for the stitches, which would dissolve after a little while.

Once the child was feeling better, Aaron and Haley sat him down and asked him why he felt the need to hide that he wasn't well.

"The other foster families. They didn't care. They would lock me away if I were sick."

The two parents were horrified.

"You know we would never do that, right?" Asked Aaron.

"Yes. I'm just. Not used to all this." Atlas waved his hand in a general direction, meaning…..well, everything.

"Atlas, buddy, you need to tell us when you're not well. In this instance, your appendix could have burst if we hadn't reacted in time. It's important that you come to us for anything, ok?" Stressed Aaron. He needed to make sure Atlas knew how dangerous it could have been for him.

Atlas shrunk back a little. "Ok, papá", he agreed.

Aaron and Haley hugged him to assure him they weren't angry, just concerned.


It's not something they were deliberately ignoring, but Aaron and Haley had yet to broach the subject of schooling. Because of their young son's trauma, they wanted to ensure he was settled at home before introducing something new to their routine.

Even back in that cell, Aaron had noticed just how well Atlas seemed to comprehend things, his way of speaking seemed to be miles ahead of any five-year-old he'd heard off, including the curse words. So, he'd assumed he had some kind of education back in Spain, but even then. Atlas seemed well more advanced than he should be.

He broached the subject with Reid early on and suggested they test his IQ. If he scored highly, then regular school would be a bore for him. The idea of home-schooling floated around too, but with Haley looking after Jack at the same time, they would leave that as the last option if Atlas didn't want to go to a public school.

In the meantime, Reid had given Hotch some educational books that he thought Atlas might like and included some fiction there too. He had got them on a whim for the boy, and if he concluded correctly, they all should be easy for the boy to understand. If he slipped in some workbooks, no one said anything against it.

When Hotch returned home that day, Atlas seemed to light up at the sight of all the books and immediately asked if he could read one. Aaron obliged and watched as Atlas picked up one of the math workbooks and one of the chapter books Reid had given. Though, he wasn't sure if he was impressed or resigned to the fact that Atlas had completed the workbook within a couple of days and had proudly presented it to him. Aaron thought about checking the work himself but figured he could give it back to Reid to check.

Atlas had quickly passed him the workbook before rushing off with another one to keep him amused. Aaron huffed quietly before placing it in his bag to take to Reid the next day.

On Atlas's part, he was delighted that Dr Reid had sent him some books. While he still loved playing with Jack and spending time with his mamá during the day, reading had been something he only started to enjoy after the war. Thankfully, his brain retained the extra learnings he had undertaken at Grimmauld, so the workbooks Dr Reid had left for him gave his brain a well-needed challenge. He was confident that he had filled everything in correctly, but as he never tested himself in his old world, he would wait for Reid to check his work.

He had decided early on that it would be too hard to act like he didn't know anything regarding comprehension and knowledge. While he didn't think he was a genius of any kind, he felt his parents at least would think he was one. He would have to deal with it, however. There was no way he would play dumb, and he was sure his papá already found at least his speech suspicious.

The doctor also left him some chapter books and novels too! He recognised most of these as he had copies of them at Grimmauld. The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and Sherlock Holmes were all in the bag papá brought home. Atlas decided to make his way up to those; he could easily read them now but figured it would just raise more questions. Maybe his parents could read them to him instead. The first of the fiction books he decided to read was The Velveteen Rabbit, an easy read for him, but he enjoyed it, nonetheless.

Much to Reid's pleasure, Atlas blitzed through most books within a few months. Hotch had told him that Atlas's favourites were the selection of books he had selected on various history topics. Atlas seemed entranced by those books and could often be found asking Haley questions about whatever he had been reading that day.

Reid also informed Hotch that Atlas's workbooks had been filled in entirely correctly, further advocating his idea that Hotch's son is a genius.

"Sweetheart, what do you think about sending Atlas to school?" asked Aaron one night after the kids had gone to bed. "He soaks up information so quickly and seemed to enjoy all of the books Reid gave us. In fact, he gave me even more today."

"Are there options for him? I get what you're saying, but even around your team, he becomes overanxious. I don't want to rush him."

"I'll ask Reid. He might know of some schools in the area."

"We should include Atlas in this discussion too."

A few days later, Aaron approached Atlas to discuss his education.

"Buddy, c'mere a second?"

"Papá!" Atlas raced over to his dad before Aaron grabbed him and sat him on his lap, cuddling the boy to his chest.

He began to do it when he and Haley noticed that the boy would automatically assume he was in trouble when they would call him over to talk. They collectively decided to continue the ritual until Atlas felt more confident in their home.

"Little one, we wanted to wait a bit before deciding what to do. We noticed that you liked those books that Spencer gave you. Do you like learning, Atlas?" asked Aaron softly.

"Yes, I like learning." Atlas nodded.

"That's good, that's really good. The thing is, buddy, you should be in school, but we wanted you to settle in at home before we suggested it." Aaron could almost feel Atlas's anxiety at just the idea of it.

"Hey, hey. Calm down. There are options available to you, son." Aaron softly rubbed his boy's back in comfort. "What's getting you so worked up, kiddo?"

"Kids don't like me. They're mean."

"You can't know that unless you try, son. But as I said, you have options. There's a normal public school that's nearby. It's a big school, lots of other kids for you to make friends with. There's a private school a little further away, but they strongly focus on academics and would be perfect for your thirst for learning. The last option is homeschooling. Haley would be the one to go through it with you if that is what you want." Listed Aaron, hoping Atlas would choose to socialise with other kids his age.

Atlas didn't want to hang around literal children every day; his experiences as Atlas and Harry in their former years left much to be desired. Dudley has made his primary school experience a horror. The schools back in Spain were a bit better, but no one wanted to associate with the foster kid. He almost instantly chose the homeschool option, but he knew that if Haley were the one going through the curriculum with him, she would only struggle more with having to look after Jack as well.

"Um. Would you send Jack to whatever I choose too?" Atlas hoped so; he wanted to be in the same school as his little brother. It would make it much more tolerable.

"Which one are you thinking about, Atlas?" Aaron asked, a little pleased that the boy was willing to try.

"The private school." Answered Atlas.

"Well, it depends. You need to take placement tests and score quite highly to get in. I have no doubt you will pass with flying colours. Jack is only three now, so we will give him the option to take that test too when he turns five." Replied Aaron. "If he passes too, then, of course, we will send him to the same school."

"Then I choose the private school. I know Jack will be just as smart as me." Said Atlas determinedly.

"That's great, Atlas. Thank you for giving this a go." Aaron hugged his son before allowing him to go off and play again.

Haley was proud as punch when Aaron told her of Atlas's decision.

Aaron had managed to get some time off work and had scheduled a meeting with the headmistress of the private school Atlas chose. There the four Hotchners had gathered for Atlas to take the placement tests. It was of no surprise to the parents of the group that Atlas passed with flying colours, even scoring in the top five percentile of all students that have taken that test. Needless to say, Haley and Aaron were both glowing with pride for their boy.

The transition to school for Atlas was as smooth as they had hoped it would be. For the most part, Atlas seemed to enjoy it though Haley was worried that Atlas hadn't spoken about any friends he had made. When she had asked the boy over dinner one night, he just shrugged and said he hadn't found anyone he wanted to be friends with.

Haley brought it up with her husband when he returned from one of his cases.

"Should we do something?" Asked Haley in worry.

"Maybe not yet, honey. It's still early days yet. The first parent-teacher conference is soon, right? We can ask about it then."

He was right, of course. Their first conference came up pretty quickly, and they were able to meet with Atlas's teachers.

"Atlas is a delight to have in the classroom. He's very respectful, soft-spoken and very bright for a child his age. You've raised an amazing boy; you should be very proud."

"Does he interact well with the other children?" Asked Haley.

"Yes, I often find him helping others with their work if they need it. He's very kind. He's good with them. But if you're asking if he's made any friends. Then not really. As I said, he's not mean to anyone or anything, but he seems to keep them at arm's length."

"Should we be worried about that? Is there anything we can do to help him form bonds with others?" Piped in Aaron.

"I wouldn't worry too much yet. He did start a little later than the rest of his classmates, so he might just be trying to find his feet here."

"We'll keep that in mind. Is there anything else we need to know?"

"You might want to consider asking the headmistress if we can move him forward a grade or two. He seems to find the work easy. If that is the case, I don't want to hold him back from his potential. But it's up to you and Atlas if that's the path you want to take. I will respect whatever decision you make."

Haley ended up asking Atlas if that's what he wanted to do. His reply both shocked and saddened his parents.

"No, I don't want that. That would make me even more of a freak."

As time went by, he did manage to make a couple of friends with his classmates. There was Akihito, a quiet boy from Japan who was very polite the first time Atlas's parents met him but soon discovered that he had a wicked sense of humour. Then there was Carla. A rather boisterous young Italian, who seemed to be polar opposites to the boys but respectful and kind, nonetheless. The three of them often had playdates at either of their three houses, and Aaron and Haley couldn't be happier that Atlas was finally bonding with others and not just them. His new-found friends also didn't seem to care about Atlas's obvious handicap; they even mentioned once that his cane was really cool (Atlas had chosen a panther head for the top of his cane, representing one of his animagus forms.)

The fact that Atlas had befriended children from other countries clued his parents to discover just how intelligent their child was. While Akihito and Carla spoke English fluently, they still reverted to their native tongue, especially with their parents. It was discovered that Atlas could speak Japanese and Italian very well (as well as Spanish, of course.) When asked, he just shrugged and said that his parents and the schools he attended in Spain encouraged him to pick up whatever languages he wanted. Indeed, Rossi was tickled pink when Aaron mentioned that Atlas could speak Italian.

The school offered various subjects to learn, even for the five-year-olds. Atlas had brought home an information packet one afternoon with a list of subjects you could take. Aaron and Haley went through it with him to pick out the electives he wanted to do.

The curriculum included the core subjects: English, Math, Science, History, Physical Education and Social Studies. Atlas had also chosen two languages, Mandarin and Te Reo Māori (the native language of New Zealand). He could also choose an instrument to learn, and he kind of cheated as he had already started learning piano in his old world, so he selected that. Home economics was picked too, and Atlas had ended up enjoying cooking in his old world, so that was an easy choice. As Atlas went through each grade, more subjects became available, including advanced classes.

Physical education was challenging for Atlas, but Aaron explained his health issues early on. The teacher suggested that she work with the boy to help strengthen his muscles in hopes that they could help his overall movement capabilities. At the moment, Atlas was down to just using a cane to help walk. Often, he would have bad days where he would need the crutches. Atlas often thought he was fortunate that he didn't need a wheelchair; he couldn't imagine the burden he would be on his parents if that were the case.

Unfortunately, joining a sport was out of the question for now, but Aaron hoped that it might be possible later on if Atlas's hip healed a bit more.

Reid was kept up to date on Atlas's education at his request. Hotch still hadn't pushed for an IQ test yet, but it was still something they were thinking of doing. Reid was particularly happy that the little boy was doing so well in his classes (Aaron had proudly shown off his end-of-term report card with A+ stamped all across it).

Now that their eldest was in school and thriving, Haley returned to looking after Jack during the day. She missed having her little boy home with them but knew it was necessary. Aaron had kept to his routine and still came home at reasonable times, and Aaron enjoyed hearing about Atlas's day when they would sit and have dinner together.