Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I own nothing. Disney World is not mine either. I do not own anything you recognize.
*Warning*- extremely disturbing situation involving a child at the beginning of the chapter. Not very graphic but please use caution when reading.
Previously on Criminal Minds- Spencer kicked and punched for all he was worth but the muscle bound man easily yanked him up. Pressing the toddler to his chest, the black haired man raced out of the bathroom!
CM
Dave Rossi sat on a bench near the restrooms conversing with a young couple as he kept an eye out for his friends. The Petersons had recognized him from one of his books and approached the veteran profiler moments after Hotch and Reid had gone inside. They had asked for an autograph and afterwards the three had gone on to discuss the different cases mentioned in the books as well as some of the aspects of profiling.
"Mr. Rossi, I know you probably have more important things to do than talk to us all day but I have one more question if that's okay?" Joe Peterson asked. Getting an answering nod, he began. "My little brother is a junior in high school and he's already decided he wants to go into criminology, be a crime scene investigator or maybe even a profiler. The kid's watched every episode of CSI, NCIS, and Without a Trace that's ever aired. Do you have any advice about what he should do when he graduates if he still wants to go into one of those fields?"
"Well, the first thing he needs to do is stop watching that crap on TV." Rossi replied. "Our jobs are nowhere near as glamorous or exciting as they're made out to be on those shows. If he really wants to be a profiler, he needs to read. There is a wealth of resources dealing with serial killers and the art of profiling."
"Thank you sir" Joe said, shaking the older man's hand. "I'll tell Frank that."
"You do that." Dave responded, turning when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Zeroing in on the restrooms, he watched as a muscular man carrying something dashed out of the men's room and into the family changing room, ignoring the out of order sign in front of the door. A glimpse of tiny jean clad legs and blue tennis shoes was all Rossi needed to figure out just what, or more appropriately who the man was carrying. Jumping off the bench, he raced towards the building. "Call security! That man has R, my nephew!" he yelled over his shoulder at the stunned couple. Running across the courtyard, he made it to the door just as a disheveled Hotch appeared from the men's room. Nodding at the closed door, he reached for his gun only to remember that he'd left it back at the tree house. Cursing their bad luck, the profiler waited for his partner to kick the door open and then rushed inside. What met his eyes was something out of a nightmare.
Seeing Reid dangling from the sink with his pants around his ankles and the kidnapper's free hand unzipping his own pants sent Hotch over the edge. Running over he tackled the burly man sending them both to the floor. The incensed agent then straddled the stunned suspect and let his fists fly.
Leaving the kidnapper to the younger man, Rossi hurried over to Reid. He quickly righted the toddler's clothes before picking the struggling boy up and hugging him to his chest. "Spencer? Spencer, hey, it's okay. It's me, Rossi." He softly whispered, attempting to calm the frantic child. "Shhh, you're okay, kiddo. I've got you." He kept murmuring reassurances, flinching as tiny fists and feet continued to pummel him. Doubling over at a particularly hard kick to his nether regions minutes later, the profiler had to admit defeat. It was clear he wasn't going to be able to get through to his traumatized co-worker. Deciding to call for reinforcements, Dave glanced over at Hotch who was still whaling on the now unconscious suspect even as the young man Rossi had been talking to earlier attempted to pull him off. As much as Dave knew the man deserved everything Hotch gave him and then some, he also knew he couldn't allow his co-worker and friend to seriously injure the man. The only thing that would do was land the BAU leader in jail. No, he needed to get Hotch off the dirt bag. Problem was there was no way he could put the fighting toddler in his arms down long enough to pull their boss off. In Reid's frame of mind he was liable to dart out the door and disappear into the crowd. That left only one option. He hurried over to the two men on the floor, cringing as Reid's struggles increased. Getting as close as he dared, he called out to the younger man. "Aaron! Aaron, that's enough!" he sternly ordered, shaking his head when Hotch didn't even pause. 'Time to change tactics' he thought. "Aaron, you've gotta stop! Spencer needs you! He's freaking out!"
Hotch froze, fists in mid-air. Spinning around, he blinked up at the older man and toddler before jumping up and rushing over, skidding to a stop a few feet away. "Spencer, it's me, Hotch. It's alright now. We took care of the man that took you. He isn't going to hurt you anymore." he softly said as he slowly stepped up to his two friends, making sure to keep his hands in plain sight.
Stilling, Reid peered over at the sound of the quiet voice. Seeing Hotch coming, the toddler immediately reached out for him. "H-H-Ho-tch" he stammered, tears running down his face.
Taking the boy from Dave, Aaron was taken a back as Reid threw his tiny arms around his neck, hands fisting the back of his shirt. Going into daddy mode, the father wrapped the terrified child in a loving embrace. "Shhh Spencer, it's alright. I've got you. You're safe now, buddy." He soothed, rubbing circles in the youngster's back.
Dave watched in amazement as Hotch expertly calmed the frightened toddler. The man definitely knew exactly what to do and say to Reid. 'Good thing one of us is a natural with kids.' He thought as he walked over to the unconscious man on the ground and delivered a swift kick to the creep's family jewels. "That was for Reid, you jackass." He muttered.
Hearing footsteps headed their way, Rossi glanced at the doorway just as two of Disney's security personnel ran in. Wanting to prevent Reid from freaking out again, he hurried to intercept them. He strode over to the tall, burley men, blocking their access to his friends. The veteran profiler pulled out his I.D., which he'd stuck in his jacket pocket out of habit that morning, and pointed to the unconscious suspect on the ground. "I am Supervisory Special Agent David Rossi of the F.B.I. This man is under arrest for kidnapping and attempted molestation."
The older of the two guards glanced at the bloody suspect for a moment before turning his gaze back to the F.B.I. agent in front of him. "Kidnapping? Molestation? Who'd he try to…" he broke off with a gasp, eyes widening in disbelief. "HE WAS GONNA R-R-HURT THE BABY!" Jim hollered, wincing as the volume and tone of his voice made the toddler jump.
"Yes" Dave simply answered.
"Robert, get on the horn and tell'em to call the Orlando P.D., have them get out here ASAP." Jim ordered.
"Yes sir, Jim" Robert responded. Turning, he pulled out his walkie-talkie and walked over to the doorway.
"We'll take it from here, Agent Rossi. You just concentrate on taking care of that little boy. He didn't, didn't, you know. Did he?"
"I don't think so. He didn't have the time. I saw him as soon as he ran out of the bathroom. By the time I made it to the door and Hotch kicked it open, the suspect had managed to get Spencer's clothes down but not his own." Rossi explained.
"You should get him checked out just the same." Jim advised. "I can call you an ambulance if you'd like."
"No, thanks, my nephew's upset enough. I don't think he could handle strangers touching him let alone riding in the back of a cramped ambulance with them." Dave replied, shaking his head.
"Okay, well how about if I drive you to the hospital myself?" the gray haired guard offered. "I could call ahead and let them know we're coming so they'd be ready and the little guy wouldn't have to wait in a crowded room."
"That would be great. I don't think Spencer's hurt but I need to be sure. And I know the police will probably want a medical report for evidence." Dave said. "Give me a few minutes to talk to my friend and then we'll be ready to go."
"Friend? I thought you said the baby was your nephew?" Jim curiously questioned.
"I did and he is just not in the traditional sense. You see, his father Aaron and I work together. And with the nature of our job our team is often working side by side for days on end in cities that are far away from home. Between all the time together and the dangers that come with being an F.B.I. agent, our team has become very close." Dave expounded. "Aaron and I have been working together for more years than I care to remember. We're more like brothers than co-workers. In fact, the two of us are closer than most brothers I know."
"Say no more" Jim said with a nod. "You go ahead and discuss things with your friend. I'm gonna go talk with Robert, find out how soon the cops will be here."
"Thanks Jim" Rossi replied. He shook the guard's hand before turning and going over to Hotch and Reid.
"What's going on, Dave?" Aaron whispered slowly rocking the trembling toddler in his arms.
"One of the security guards called the police so they should be on their way." Dave informed the younger man. "And the older of the two, Jim, said he'd take us to the hospital to get Spencer checked out. He even offered to call ahead so we wouldn't have to take the kid in a crowded waiting room."
"No! No ho'pital! I wanna go home!" Reid pleaded, turning his tear filled, puppy dog eyes on the man holding him. "Peas, jut tate me home!"
The woebegone expression on the toddler's face was almost enough to change Aaron's mind. Spencer had been through so much the last few days and the BAU leader hated to add to it. But he knew he had no choice. "I'm sorry Spencer. I know you don't want to go, but I'm afraid you have to. You know that."
"H-Hotch, peas. Just tate me home." Reid begged. "Peas"
"We can't, buddy" Aaron softly replied. Seeing the boy open his mouth to protest, Hotch quickly stopped him with a look. "Just hear me out. Think of this as one of our cases. If we had found a missing child under these circumstances and the father refused to allow that child to be checked out by a doctor, what would you do? And more importantly, what would you think?"
"F-fat he was, was hi-hiding somefing." Reid reluctantly admitted before shaking his head. "But he, he di-didn't d-do anyfing. Pwomise. Don't you believe me?"
"I believe you, Spencer. Unfortunately, that isn't the problem. Rossi and I may know you're an adult in a child's body and as such you can tell us what happened. But I can't exactly tell the security guards and the cops about you." Aaron explained.
"Aaron's right, kid," Dave agreed. "You have to go if for no other reason than to avoid suspicion or worse a call to CPS."
Wiping a fresh round of tears off his face with the sleeve of his shirt, Spencer slowly nodded. "Otay" he brokenly whispered.
Drawing Reid in closer to his chest, Aaron gently kissed the toddler's forehead, frowning when instead of pushing away, the boy leaned into him more. "It's going to be alright, Spencer." He assured, rubbing the boy's back once more. "I'll be right there with you the whole time."
"Pwomise?" Reid mumbled around the thumb in his mouth.
"I promise." Hotch replied. Taking a deep breath, the young man glanced over at Rossi and nodded. "Alright, we're ready now. Let's go."