Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I own nothing. Disney World is not mine either.
AN- Thank you to everyone still reading especially those of you nice enough to leave a review. And a special thank you to Doodlebug, MaryAnne, Angel, Elyy2k, and D for their reviews.(you weren't signed in so I couldn't respond to your reviews.)
Previously on Criminal Minds- Grabbing a booster seat for Spencer, she slipped around tables, chairs, and people to a large table in the far corner of the room. She set the booster seat in a chair and then sat down in the chair beside it to wait.
CM
"There they are." Rossi said, pointing out into the crowd. Setting his drink on the table, he stood. "I'll go meet up with them and send JJ and Garcia your way. You three can save our table while we get the food. You know what you want?"
"Burger and fries" Emily replied.
"You got it." Rossi stated before turning and walking away.
Emily watched Rossi maneuver around the throngs of people, quickly making his way to the rest of the team. She stood and waved as JJ and Penelope started towards her. Glancing back at the men, she noticed that Reid was clinging to Hotch for dear life. Looking closer, the profiler saw that the BAU leader was rubbing the toddler's back and whispering to him. Frowning, Emily wondered what could possibly have upset the boy genius enough to cause a reaction that bad. She didn't remember a graveyard being in the movie Snow White and there was no way the witch would terrify the kid. After all, he was an adult brain wise. So either the ride was very different from the movie or something had happened on the ride that freaked the kid out. Whatever it was must have been big, because Reid didn't scare easily. And even then, he didn't seek comfort. In fact the only time he had initiated any contact of that sort was right after the team found him in that cemetery in Georgia. And that had only been a quick hug, nothing more. Worried more than she cared to admit, Emily hurried around the table to her two friends. "What happened to Reid?" she questioned the second they reached her.
"Another flashback" JJ sadly replied as she took a seat at their table and set down her bag. "I don't know what caused this one though. There wasn't a graveyard or anything like that. We just rode through a few dark places and the witch popped out at us. Well, it was more like she slowly came out from behind things. You could see her coming a mile off. But maybe being so little, Spence didn't see her until she appeared over the top of the bushes and rocks. It could have looked like she jumped out to him. That still doesn't explain why he had a flashback though."
"Oh, I can answer that one." Penelope broke in. "He freaked when she came out from behind that big rock, right?"
"Yeah" JJ said. "He kind of tensed the first few times she appeared, like she had startled him or something. But it wasn't till that last time, that he started shaking like a leaf and latched onto Hotch."
"Okay, well when we got stuck in that haunted house, we were right beside this tombstone and this skeleton head thingy kept popping out at us." Garcia explained.
"So, you think the witch coming out from behind the rock reminded him of the skull and grave in the haunted house which reminded him of the graveyard in Georgia and that's what set off the flashback?" Emily deciphered.
"That'd be my guess." Penelope responded.
"But Reid was clinging to Hotch. Reid's not a touchy-feely person. He's rarely initiated that kind of physical contact no matter what happened to him. He always just shuts everyone out and deals with it on his own." Prentiss pointed out. "What makes this time so different?"
"I think Spence being in that tiny body is part of it. It doesn't take much to upset children that age and they seek out adults for comfort. They need that love and support to feel safe." JJ theorized. "Add to that the fact that he's exhausted and hurting, and you have one clingy little boy. Henry's the same way when he's tired."
"Girls, the guys are headed our way." Garcia loudly whispered. "Quick, talk about something else. Our junior G-man is probably embarrassed enough without hearing us talking about him."
"She's right." Emily conceded. "So, ummm, what, uhh, what do you two want to do while Reid's taking his nap?"
"Oh! Oh! I know! We'll…"
"Here you go ladies. Lunch is served." Morgan announced, setting the two trays he was holding in the middle of the table. He swiftly passed out the baskets of food and empty soda cups. After telling the three where to fill their drinks, the young man sat down and dug into his food.
Hotch placed his tray on the table and then took a seat at one end. Ignoring the booster seat, he settled Reid in his lap. He grabbed the bag of ice off his tray and gently set it on the toddler's ankle. "Think you can eat something?" he asked in a soft voice he usually reserved for Jack. Getting a slight nod in reply, the surrogate father picked up the basket of chicken nuggets and handed them to the boy. After watching the youngster eat for a few moments, Aaron finally turned his attention to his own meal.
The BAU ladies returned to a silent table. Taking their seats, the three snuck glances at the youngest member of their team while they ate. They sighed as the toddler merely picked at his food.
Deciding a distraction might help, Emily looked over at Garcia. "Hey, Pen, what was that place you were telling us about earlier? You know the one you said we should go to later?"
Garcia glanced across the table at Prentiss who stealthily gestured towards the upset toddler. Catching on, the tech analyst happily began to fill everyone in. "Oh you mean the marketplace! We have just got to go there! There's tons of shops of every kind! There's a candy shop, a chocolate shop, a Lego store, and one of the largest Disney stores anywhere! It's totally awesome!"
"A Lego towe?" Spencer asked, absentmindedly taking a bite of the chicken nugget in his hand.
"That's right, sweetie" Penelope replied, smiling as the toddler took another bite. "I heard they have an area where you can try out some of the different building sets. And the store is surrounded by life size models made out of Lego's. The newest one is an enormous Transformer, at least that's what the family I talked to said."
"Tan we go fewe?" Reid asked, peering up at Hotch.
"We'll see." Aaron told him. "We'll talk about it after we finish eating, okay?"
"Otay" Spencer agreed, popping another nugget in his mouth.
Since their distraction was working so well, Garcia decided to keep it going. She told the team all about the various parks, pausing every so often to eat a bite or two and grinning as Reid did the same.
Hotch smiled as he listened to the tech analyst prattle on about the park. She had definitely done her homework. She seemed to know every little detail about Disney. Plus her little talk was managing to take Reid's mind off the earlier flashbacks, a feat he was incredibly grateful for. Smiling, he turned back to his food. He'd let the others plan out the afternoon. He had no desire to be in charge. For once he just wanted to sit back and enjoy their mini vacation. Feeling the small body in his lap lean heavily against him, Aaron glanced down to see Reid's eyes closing. "Spencer? Spencer open your eyes buddy" he softly called, nudging the youngster who blinked sleepily up at him. He took the bottle of baby aspirin JJ handed him and quickly read the instructions before pouring a single pill into his hand. "Here, chew this up and then you can go to sleep." he instructed, handing the medicine to the toddler. Hotch watched the little boy slowly chew the pill and fall right back to sleep.
"Looks like it's time to go" Rossi whispered.
Nodding their agreement, the team hurriedly finished their meal and threw away the trash. They then walked through the castle and down the street towards the exit.
"Where did you say we were staying, Morgan?" Hotch asked, glancing down at his charge as tiny fingers began playing with the hair on the back of his head. The motion reminded him so much of Jack at that age his heart ached. He couldn't believe he might never see his son again. He wouldn't believe it. He was going to catch Foyet and get Jack and…a hand on his arm brought Hotch out of his thoughts. "Sorry, what were you saying, Morgan?"
"I said we're staying at the Saratoga Springs resort." Derek replied as he went through the turnstile at the park exit. "You okay?"
Hotch nodded. "Fine" he said, letting the younger man know with a look that that was the end of the discussion.
Getting the message loud and clear, Derek shrugged. He started for the shuttles that would take them to the truck only to stop as he noticed Garcia heading in the opposite direction. "Where are you going, Baby Girl? The parking lot's this way."
"I know" Garcia replied. "But the bus to the hotel is over there. I rode it over here this morning. Besides, I figured Hotch might want to take the bus since Reid is sleeping. It'll be faster than going to the truck and then driving to the hotel."
"I don't know, Garcia. I'm not sure I want to wait for a bus to come along. It might be a long wait." Hotch reasoned.
"The buses run every twenty minutes, Boss Man." Penelope informed the BAU leader. "It'll take Derek and Rossi that long to get back to the SUV."
"Well in that case, I guess we'll see you at the hotel." Aaron said, handing the truck keys to Morgan.
"Alright" Rossi agreed. "Don't wait for us to get there. Just call and give us the room number and go ahead up."
"We will." Emily assured him.
The team then split; the two groups going in opposite directions. Garcia led her half down the walkway to the huge bus port. Going to their hotel's designated drop off, she walked around the rows of rails before stopping and turning around. Looking at the sleeping toddler, she couldn't resist tenderly running a hand through his hair. "I can't get over how tiny our boy genius is." She whispered.
"Yeah, it's hard to believe he was ever that little." Emily added.
"I know" Cocking her head to one side, she eyed Reid for a few moments. "This is going to sound terrible, but I'm kind of glad this happened." Penelope stated. Seeing the others open their mouths to argue, she held up a hand. "Just hear me out. This is going to be good for Reid. I mean, think about it. Our Junior G-Man never really got a chance to experience what it was like to have a family that cared for him. Sure he had a father, but we all know the man was his dad in name only. I doubt he ever really took care of Spencer, not like Hotch and Morgan have been doing. And I'm sure his mother did her best but he did more taking care of her than the other way around. I just think it'll be good for our Baby Bunting to have a chance to find out what it's like to be a kid in a real family."
"Garcia's right." JJ whispered as they stepped onto the bus. They walked to the back and took a seat. "Too many people, including his parents, treated Spence as an adult because of his intellect. He was expected to act like a grown-up because of how smart he was. They tended to forget that he was still just a little boy."
"That won't happen this time." Emily adamantly stated. "Reid's going to have a carefree childhood this time; no responsibilities or looking after everybody else."
"It's not going to be easy. Reid is used to taking care of himself." Hotch pointed out. "Sooner or later he's going to decide he's had enough. I'm not looking forward to that, umm, 'discussion'."
"True, but we'll get him through it. After all, we have logic on our side. Reid's stuck with us caring for him whether he wants it or not. Although, I have a feeling once Spencer gets used to us taking care of him, he'll actually enjoy himself." Garcia theorized. "Not that he'd tell us that of course but he will."
"Hey Pen, is that our hotel?" JJ asked, pointing to the multicolored building ahead.
"That's it!" Garcia replied. She picked up her bag and waited for the bus to stop before standing. "Come on. Let's get our keys and put munchkin to bed."
"Geez, this would be the hotel she'd pick. It looks like something Disney threw up." Emily muttered as she followed the others off the bus and into the hotel.
After a quick stop in the lobby to get key cards and directions, the group stepped out into the sunshine. Seeing Morgan and Rossi getting out of their SUV, they hurried across the street to meet them. The team piled into the truck with Prentiss behind the wheel. She pulled out of the space and took a right out of the parking lot. Following the map the attendant had given them, she went around the huge hotel and took a left. She drove a few feet down the road before turning into a small dirt drive. "This is it." she announced as she cut the engine.
Derek got out of the SUV and stared at their home for the next couple of nights. "We're staying in a tree house?" he asked.
"Just call us the BAU family Robinson" Garcia quipped as she walked up the stairs to the deck of the hexagon shaped home.
"A house on stilts. Interesting" Rossi commented as he made his way up the steps and into the home. Looking around at the enormous living room with its flat panel TV and the fully equipped kitchen, he had to admit he was impressed. It was nothing like he'd expected and for that he was grateful.
Hotch walked into the first bedroom he saw and gently laid Reid down in the middle of the bed. Grabbing a pillow, he carefully set it under the boy's injured ankle before covering the toddler with the blanket from the truck. The BAU leader positioned pillows on either side of his youngest agent and then crept out of the room, leaving the door open a little just in case. Going into the kitchen, he poured himself a glass of ice water. Leaning against the counter, he took a large gulp as he watched the other members of his team milling around the living room. "Why don't you guys go out for a while? I'll stay here with Reid." He suggested.
"Are you sure, Aaron?" Derek questioned. "I'll be happy to stay if you want to go out."
"I'll stay. I want to get a start on the paperwork anyway." Hotch told him. "But thanks"
Nodding, Morgan glanced at the ladies who were sitting on the couch. "Okay, so what do you lovely ladies want to do?" he asked.
"We are going shopping at the marketplace!" Garcia cheerfully announced as she stood and took the profiler by the arm. "And you my good sir are coming with us."
"Come on Pen, not shopping. There's gotta be something else we can do. Something a little more fun." Morgan pleaded.
"Sorry, my sweet, the marketplace is calling for us." Penelope said. "Right, ladies?"
"Right!" "Absolutely!" JJ and Emily chorused.
"See sweetums, we don't have a choice." Garcia insisted.
"Fine" Derek conceded. "I guess Rossi and I can find something to do there."
"Afraid you're on your own, Morgan." Rossi disagreed. "I'm going to check out the spa part of the hotel."
"No way! You're not seriously going to throw me under the bus, are you?" Derek growled.
"Sorry kid, as thrilling as shopping with three ladies sounds, I'm going to have to decline." Dave cheekily replied. "You have fun, though."
"Enough wasting time! Let's go my shopping bag Hercules." Garcia said as she started pulling him to the door with JJ and Emily's help.
Hotch watched in amusement as the three practically dragged the profiler out the door. Turning to Rossi, he raised an eyebrow. "You know what they say about payback, Dave." He commented.
"Please, like Morgan can pull one over on me." Rossi grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a spa to get to."
Hotch chuckled as Rossi walked out the door. He had no doubt that Morgan would find a way to get him back. He just hoped it didn't turn into an all out prank war. They didn't have time for…a whimper from the other room caught his attention. Hurrying over to the door, he pushed it open. Seeing the toddler tossing restlessly on the bed, the father rushed to his side. "Shhh, Spencer, it's alright" he soothed, palming the boy's cheek.
"No, please" Reid muttered, flinching away from the touch. "Please, don't"
With the toddler's movements becoming more frantic, Aaron switched to a more hands on approach. Tossing the blanket aside, he scooped Spencer up and cradled him to his chest. "Shhh, you're alright, Spencer. I've got you." He murmured as he slowly began to rock.
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David Rossi walked back into the tree house, completely relaxed. The time at the spa had been just what he needed. Now he was ready to handle spending the afternoon in the park. Seeing no sign of Aaron in the kitchen or living room, he immediately became worried. Thinking something must have happened to the youngest member of their team, the profiler hurried over to the bedroom, stopping at the open doorway. The sight that greeted him had the older man stifling a chuckle. Grinning mischievously, Dave pulled out his cell and snapped a few pictures before silently backing out of the room. Hitting some buttons, he quickly sent the pics to the rest of the team.
CM
Standing in the middle of the children's section, Morgan sighed. He was beyond bored. Hearing his cell phone buzz, he snatched it out of its holder. Flipping it open, he pulled up the message from Rossi. Chuckling at the image, he made his way over to the clothes rack Garcia was going through. "Hey, Baby Girl, get a load of this!" he cackled.
Penelope glanced down at the picture on the cell. "Awww, that's adorable!" she squeed as she stared at the photo of Hotch conked out on the bed with Reid sleeping peacefully on his chest.
"Guys, you've gotta see thi…oh, Rossi sent it to you too." Emily said as she and JJ walked up to the couple. "Hotch and Reid are so going to kill Rossi for taking that."
"I don't know. I think it's cute." JJ stated with a smile.
"It's beyond cute!" Garcia exclaimed, grinning as an idea struck her. "And I know just what to do with it!" Picking up her bag, she scurried towards the exit. She had an important job to do.
AN- Uh oh! What's Garcia up to now?