Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I own nothing.
Previously on Criminal Minds: "Who's the kid?" Rossi asked gazing down at the faintly familiar face. Seeing the object dangling from the little boy's neck, he gasped. "Reid?"
"Umm, hi" Reid squeaked.
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"That's Reid?" Prentiss exclaimed, stepping closer.
Seeing Morgan's nod, Hotch sighed. He should have known. The kid always managed to find trouble somehow. Staring down at the toddler in the younger man's arms, he sternly asked, "Reid, what happened?"
The now tiny genius squirmed uncomfortably for a moment before answering. "I tep, sss-tepped on a twip wiwe." He sheepishly said.
"A twip wiwe?" Rossi repeated with a smirk.
"He means a trip wire." Hotch smoothly translated.
"That's what I said." Reid indignantly huffed, crossing his arms. "A twip wiwe"
"Oh my God! He's adorable!" Prentiss squealed, ruffling the boy's messy hair.
Feeling his charge tremble, Morgan quickly stepped back and held up his hand. "Stop it, Prentiss. You're scaring him." he warned his friend.
"No, she's not." Reid disagreed. "I'm not tared, I'm told."
"Told, huh?" Hotch said, smiling as a blush crept over the boy's face. Regaining his composure, the agent held out his arms. "Hand him over, Morgan. I'll take him to the SUV and get him a blanket. I need to take him to the hospital to get checked out anyway."
"NO!" Morgan and Rossi chorused.
"What do you mean no?" Hotch demanded, taking the small boy from the dark skinned agent and settling him on his hip.
"Come on Hotch! You saw how the other victims were being treated! Doctor Wells was acting like they were lab rats, not patients!" Morgan ranted.
"Morgan's right. That doctor wasn't interested in the victims. He was only interested in discovering something that would make him a millionaire." Rossi agreed. "You told me yourself the doctor was no better than Wasden."
"I'm with them. Hanna Jenkins, the first victim, was more upset over what Doctor Wells put her through than being changed from an obese woman to a pencil thin one and back." Prentiss chimed in. "She told me the physical showed she was perfectly healthy but that Wells refused to let her leave the hospital without further testing. The only reason she's out now is that the chemicals or whatever Wasden used wore off after three days and she went back to her normal size."
"In other words, she wasn't useful to him anymore." Morgan clarified.
"Okay, so we take him to another hospital." Hotch suggested as he headed for their vehicles.
"Not a good idea. Most doctors won't be able to resist the temptation to study Reid. After all, turning back time is a multimillion dollar business." Rossi pointed out.
Hotch opened the back door of the black truck and carefully sat Reid on the seat, mulling over their options. Taking the blanket Morgan had retrieved from the trunk, he wrapped it around the toddler and then turned back to the others. "Alright, here's what we'll do. We'll keep it quiet for now. I'll take Reid to the hotel before anyone sees him like this. You three stay here and finish searching the premises. See if you can find an antidote for the poison or whatever Wasden's using. Just be careful. There's no telling what other kinds of traps he has lying in wait for us." The BAU leader warned as he fastened the seat belt around the youngest agent. "If the police ask, tell them the smoke caused Reid to have an asthma attack and that I took him back to the hotel. That should explain our leaving and any absences at the police station for a few days at least. Hopefully this will wear off before anyone gets suspicious."
"What are we going to do in the meantime? Reid can't go around dressed in an over sized shirt and nothing else." Prentiss pointed out.
"I'll call JJ. She can pick up some things for him and bring them to the hotel." Hotch replied. Pulling out his cell phone, he walked a short distance from the others and punched in JJ's number. "JJ, are you alone?"
"Just a minute" JJ whispered into her phone. After glancing around, she nonchalantly walked across the main room of the police station and into the interrogation room they had been using as their headquarters. She quietly closed the door behind her, scanned the area outside the room for potential problems, and then turned her attention back to her boss. "Okay, it's safe to talk now."
"JJ, I need you to go to the nearest store, pick up a few things for me, and bring them to my hotel room." Hotch informed the media liaison.
"Yes sir" JJ replied. Grabbing a pen and notepad off the table, she scribbled down the supplies Hotch rattled off. Curiosity piqued by the unusual list, the media liaison waited for her boss to finish his instructions and then asked, "What's going on, sir? What do you need all these things for?"
"Just get the supplies and meet me at the hotel. I'll explain everything when you get here." The BAU leader promised.
"Okay" JJ reluctantly agreed. Shutting her cell, she headed out the door. This was one explanation she couldn't wait to hear.
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Hotch glanced through the peephole and then swiftly opened the door. Grabbing a couple of bags before they fell, he gave his teammate a smile. "Here, let me help you with that."
"Thanks" JJ said. She followed Hotch into the room, freezing as her eyes landed on the mop haired toddler sitting on the bed surrounded by papers and photos of their latest case. Mother instincts kicking in, JJ hurried over to the bed and scooped the child up blanket and all. Resting the squirming boy's head on her shoulder, she rounded on her boss. "Hotch, are you crazy? This little guy's too young to be exposed to crime scene photos!"
"JJ, he's…"
"A baby" JJ finished, taking a seat at the nearby table and settling the toddler in her lap.
"I am not a baby" Reid protested, crossing his bare arms. "I'm a gwown man with free dotw, dotw, PHDs."
"Spence?" JJ gasped. "What, what happened to you?"
"Apparently Wasden knew we were coming. He booby trapped his house and barn before fleeing." Hotch explained as he began unloading the supplies the other agent had brought. "Reid had the unfortunate luck of tripping one of them."
"Great" JJ sarcastically stated. "So what do we do now? You're not going to take him to that quack Wells, are you?"
"No, I'm not." Hotch replied. "We decided it would be best to keep him here until whatever this is wears off. Our cover story is that Reid had an asthma attack at the house and had to be brought back to the hotel. That should keep the police from questioning where two of our agents are the next few days."
"Two, Hotch? Did something happen to one of the others?" JJ asked.
"No, they're all fine." The former lawyer assured. "I just meant that one of us will have to stay here with Reid until he's back to normal."
"I tan tay by myself!" Reid huffed.
"Not right now you can't." Hotch disagreed. Picking up a bag full of clothes, he held out a hand to the youngster. "Now, come on. Let's get you dressed before you get sick."
"No, no way. You awe not helping me dwess." Reid stated shaking his head.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Hotch sighed. "Fine, here" he conceded, handing the bag to the toddler. "Go in the bathroom and change. JJ and I will wait here."
"Thanks" Spencer said. Taking the bag from his boss, the boy toddled across the room, disappearing into the bathroom.
"Hotch, do you think…" JJ stopped as the other agent put a finger to his mouth. A few seconds later she heard a squeaked, "What?" just before something colorful flew out of the bathroom.
Spencer's head popped around the corner. "I am not weawing diapews!" he shouted, glaring daggers at the older man.
"They're not diapers, Reid. They're pull-ups." Hotch corrected as he retrieved the tossed clothing and handed it back to the cross toddler. "And you are wearing them. You don't have a choice. They're the only kind of underwear made in your size besides diapers. Now you can either put them on yourself or I'll come in there and put them on you."
"You, you wouldn't" the young genius stammered.
"Try me" Hotch challenged, squatting down and looking the young man in the eyes.
Spencer gulped. "I, I'll just go put fese on now."
Smirking, Hotchner stood and walked over to the table. "I need to get back to Wasden's place. I want you to stay with him. Once he finishes getting dressed have him go through the files again. Maybe he can spot something we missed." He instructed. Grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair, he headed for the door. He put his hand on the door knob and turned back to JJ. "If he gives you any trouble, call me."
"Don't worry, Hotch. I'll handle Spence." JJ assured her boss. "You just find Wasden so he can turn our boy genius back into his old self."
"You got it" the BAU leader agreed. Turning back to the door, he loudly called out, "Reid, I'm leaving now. JJ's in charge till I get back. Don't give her any trouble." Smiling at the answering "yes sir", agent Hotchner opened the door and walked out of the room.