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.
AN- This chapter is a late graduation gift for a good friend of mine. Congrats, girl!
Previously on Criminal Minds- Helping Spencer finish getting undressed and in the bath, the BAU leader could only hope this latest revelation wouldn't be the straw that broke the camel's back.
CM
Hotch carried Reid out of the bathroom and gently sat him on the bed beside the menagerie of stuffed toys. Taking a seat next to the boy, he swiftly slipped the child's shoes on his socked feet and tied them. "Okay, Spencer pick which friend you want to ride in the stroller with you and we'll be ready to go." Aaron instructed.
Spencer cocked his head to one side, looking at his boss like he'd grown a second head. "You guys won't fit in the twoller." He stated, the 'duh' clearly implied.
Shaking his head, Hotch had to resist the urge to laugh at the statement. He'd forgotten just how literal his youngest agent could be at times. "I meant the stuffed animals, Spencer." He clarified.
"Oh" Reid muttered, blushing at the mistake. Looking over at his pile of toys, he studied them all carefully. He needed the giant dragon to keep the throng of vacationers from getting too close to him but the Ewok Garcia had given him and the tiger Morgan made brought him comfort when being in the midst of a large crowd got to be too much. But Hotch had said friend so he couldn't take all three. He had to pick one. But which one?
Aaron watched the toddler who was biting his bottom lip as he glanced from one favorite toy to another. Seeing the indecision and longing in the little boy's face, the surrogate father caved. Reid had been through enough, he wasn't about to make it worse by forcing him to make a choice he clearly wasn't ready to make. "You can take more than one if you'd like." He said.
Smiling, Spencer picked up his three protectors. "Tan I tate fese fwee?" he shyly asked, holding up the three stuffed animals.
"Of course you can, buddy" Aaron replied, ruffling the youngster's hair. Standing, he scooped up the toddler and his friends. He adjusted his hold on the group and then headed for the door. "Let's go see what everyone else is up to, shall we?"
CM
Coming out of the bedroom, Reid frowned as he caught sight of the expressions on his team mate's faces before they managed to mask them. JJ and Garcia looked heartbroken while Emily and Derek were pissed. Even the stoic Rossi looked like he was ready to rip someone apart. Spencer knew something big had to have gone down to cause those kinds of reactions but he just couldn't imagine what it could have been. Maybe they were upset with him because they kept having to come back to the hotel so he could…
"Stop thinking so hard, kid. You're giving me a headache." Morgan quipped, disrupting the toddler's train of thought.
"Don't tease him, Morgan. He just woke up." JJ chastised, lightly swatting the profiler's arm. Getting up from the couch, she walked over and took the little boy from Hotch. "Come on, Spence. Let's get you a snack before we go back to the park."
"We'll pack the trucks while you do that." Aaron informed her. "That should give us a little more time."
"Pat? We'we leaving?" Reid incredulously asked. "But, but we jut got hewe."
"I know, but we don't have a choice. Strauss wants us back at work first thing tomorrow morning." Hotch told the youngster.
Spencer sighed. Now he understood why his friends had been so upset. He couldn't blame them, either. Their vacation was ending almost before it began. Resigning himself to a plane ride instead of a park ride, Reid dropped his gaze. "When do we leave?" he quietly inquired.
"Not till tonight, Sweet'ems" Garcia cheerfully said. "We have plenty of time left. And it's going to be a blast! Just wait till you see what Morgan and I have cooked up for our evening's festivities!"
"Ummm, Gawcia, what exa'tly do you have planned?" Reid nervously asked. While he loved the tech analyst, her "surprises" often landed him in a very uncomfortable situation. And he was in enough of a mess as it was. He didn't think he could handle anymore right now.
Spying the toddler's hands anxiously twisting the hem of his shirt, Morgan rushed to calm the boy. He walked over and stilled the tiny fingers. "Don't worry, kid. This is one 'Garcia special' you're gonna love. Promise." He assured the youngster. "Now get in that kitchen and get your snack so we can get outta here and into the park."
"I'm going, I'm going" Spencer huffed, giving his best friend a dimpled grin. He trusted Derek. If he said Reid would like the surprise, then the toddler was sure he would.
CM
The BAU team stepped off the bus at the only park that hadn't checked out yet. They waited for Morgan to fold out the stroller and then followed the crowd around the bus port and up the path to the Animal Kingdom entrance. After stopping to take a quick picture under the beautiful sign, the group went through the baggage check area and ticket turnstiles before stepping into the park.
"Which way?" JJ asked, staring at the two identical looking paths.
"I don't think it matters." Rossi answered, gazing at the map. "They both seem to come out at the same place. Just pick a direction and we'll follow you."
JJ looked over both pathways before choosing the one that seemed less crowded. Going left, she slowly strolled down the canopied path with the others. They stopped to read signs describing the animals in the various fenced in areas and to watch the animals. Some, like the ducks and flamingos were easy to spot while others seemed to have perfected the art of blending into the background.
After several minutes of trying unsuccessfully to spot a giant anteater, the group decided they needed to move on. They walked away from the enclosure, around a corner, and into the bright sunlight. Blinking as they adjusted to the light, the team glanced around before staring in awe at the enormous tree in the distance. The monstrous tree was covered with intricately carved animals.
"It's beautiful" Penelope whispered.
"Tan we get tlosew(closer)? I want to exam…" Spencer quickly stopped himself. "I wanna touch it." He corrected.
"Later, Sweet Pea. We need to go this way first." Garcia replied, pointing to a sign for Camp Mickey Minnie.
"Are you sure, Pen?" Emily skeptically asked. "That doesn't sound like a fun place."
"Trust me. You're gonna love this!" the tech analyst gushed. She quickly led the way past various character meet and greets and a couple of buildings before stopping at a carved sign for The Festival of the Lion King. "Here we are!" she announced. "This is supposed to be the best show in all of Disney! There's supposed to be dancing and singing and gymnastics and juggling! I can't wait to see it!"
"You might have to, Baby Girl" Derek said, motioning towards the long line that went all the way to the entrance.
"Nonsense, it's a huge theater." Garcia countered. "I'm sure we'll all get in."
"Can't hurt to try" JJ conceded with a shrug. Picking up Reid and his entourage, she walked over and got in line.
Erik sighed as he watched the family take their place in line. He hated telling people they wouldn't make it in the show; that they'd end up waiting till the show after this next one. It wasn't just seeing the disappointment in the children's faces that bothered him, either. It was never knowing how the family would react that got to him. While ninety-five percent of their patrons took it in stride, the other five percent more than made up for it. And the men in the family at the end of the line looked dangerous. But it was part of his job to inform people if they wouldn't make it in for the next show. And he needed his job. So, crossing his fingers that the family fell into the larger part of their patrons, he walked towards the group. He opened his mouth to deliver his spiel only to snap it shut as his eyes fell on the Brave Little Tailor buttons. His eyes flicked to the animated toddler before dropping to the ground. Pasting a smile he didn't feel on his face, Erik took the last few steps over to the family. He cleared his throat to get their attention. "Excuse me folks, if you'll just come with me, I'll show you to the waiting area." He told them.
"I thought this was the line." Emily said.
"It is." The young black haired man replied. "But we have another area for special patrons such as yourselves. If you'll just follow me."
The team glanced at each other before shrugging and following the young man around the line and to a small cordoned off area beside the building.
"The show should be over in a few minutes." Erik informed the profilers. "You folks just wait right here and as soon as the auditorium's cleared, someone will let you in."
"Thanks, Erik" Derek said, shaking the younger man's hand.
"You're welcome, sir" Erik replied. "I've gotta get back to my post now. You folks enjoy the show."
True to his word, about five minutes later, the door opened and a young blond escorted the family to the bottom row of one set of bleachers. As the crowd started to shuffle in, the profilers gazed around the open auditorium. Apart from the four sets of metal bleachers along the four sides of the building, there wasn't much to see. There were no decorations or anything of that sort. Intrigued, they wondered how the show could possibly be as wonderful as Garcia had described with the lack of props they were seeing. Deciding to give it the benefit of the doubt, they sat back and waited for the show to begin.
Once the crowd had filled the bleachers, the lights dimmed and a voice boomed across the auditorium. Then music started to play and four people walked out from the four corners of the building. The two men and two women, dressed in native attire, sang The Circle of Life to a pleased audience. When they were through, the older of the two men stepped forward and introduced himself and his fellow actors before welcoming everyone to the show. The four of them went on to explain that the audience was broken into four sections: lions, warthogs, giraffes, and elephants. They told the crowd that they would be part of the show and as such they needed to rehearse. The four narrators then walked to the different sets of bleachers to help the groups practice.
Reid watched nervously as the tall, black man strode towards them. The man looked to be several inches taller than Morgan but it was hard to tell with the furry headdress he was wearing. Seeing the older man headed straight for them, Spencer scooted closer to Derek.
Kiume slowly approached the lion section. Noticing the wide eyed toddler in the front row, he made a point of stopping off to one side instead of standing in the middle of the bleachers as he usually did. He didn't want to frighten the child anymore than he already was. Kiume smiled at the audience as he explained that since they were the lion section, they needed to practice roaring like lions. He then asked for a volunteer to help him. His mouth dropped open as the scared toddler's hand shot up in the air. Kneeling down, Kiume called the youngster over to him and asked his name. When the spotlight turned to them he said, "This is Spencer from Virginia and he's going to show us how to roar like a lion." Looking down at the boy, he smiled. "Okay Spencer, raise those paws in the air and let's hear that roar."
Spencer copied the tall man's movements. He raised his arms over his head, curving his fingers to make claws. "ROAR!" he growled into the microphone in as deep a voice as he could.
"That was great, Spencer!" Kiume praised, patting the boy on the back. He sent the toddler back to his seat and stood. "Now it's your turn, lions. On the count of three, raise those paws and roar. One, two three!"
ROAR!
"Now that's a lion!" Kiume exclaimed.
Reid watched from his perch on Morgan's lap as the other sections sounded off. The music started again and several costumed actors danced out joining the first four. His eyes widened as one giant float after another came out of a curtained area and glided across the floor before coming to a rest in a corner. Each beautifully decorated float housed an animatronic animal that coincided with the animal noises they had made earlier. Seeing a small float containing gymnastics equipment followed by a group of orange and yellow striped monkeys, Spencer sat up straighter. Garcia was right. This was gonna be awesome!
CM
"I will never doubt you again, Pen." Emily promised as the team walked out of the auditorium after the show. "That show was wonderful!"
"I told you." Garcia crowed.
"You sure did, Baby Girl. And the show was great." Derek agreed, going around the building to get the stroller. "But you know what the best part was…seeing Spencer volunteer to act like a lion." Turning to the youngster in question, he added, "Why did you volunteer anyway?"
Reid shrugged. "I touldn't let Wossi have all the fun." He remarked. Actually, he'd only done it to lift his friend's spirits but they didn't need to know that. Wanting to divert the team's attention before they questioned him further, he looked over at Rossi. "Where should we go next?"
Dave pulled the map out of his pocket and unfolded it. Stopping beside their stroller, he studied the map. "I think we should head over to Africa for a safari."
"Oookay" Prentiss drawled. "Lead the way."
The team went back down the path and out of Camp Mickey Minnie. Going up the short hill, they turned left and made their way across a long bridge. They walked past what appeared to be a small village in Africa before coming upon the line for the safari ride. After parking the stroller, the group got in the back of the line. They spent their time waiting in line planning what to see and do next, stopping every so often to check out the various photos and artifacts in the small sheds they passed through. The line moved quickly and before they knew it they were boarding the open safari van for their trip through the savannah.
CM
After seeing the elephants, giraffes, and all the other animals, the profilers took the train to the Conservation Station. They walked down the shaded path to the building, taking in the various animals in different spots. Once there, they took in the various stations in the rounded room before heading outside where there were more animals.
One look at the petting zoo and Emily knew what she had to do. Taking Reid from Hotch, she strode over to the fence and, ignoring the toddler's protest, went through the gate. She got a handful of feed from the machines and walked over to one of the baby goats. Squatting down, she sat the little boy in her lap and put some feed in his tiny hands. "Here you go, squirt." She said with a smile. When Spencer failed to move, she sighed. Putting her hand under the youngster's, Emily held it out to the goat, who swiftly slurped up the treat. She then turned Spencer's hand over and helped him gently pet the top of the goat's head. She chuckled at the boy's surprised look. "See, they don't bite." She stated, giving him another handful of feed.
Feeling the goat nudging him as it searched for more to eat, Spencer held out the food, grinning as the animal practically inhaled the pellets. When the goat turned his bright eyes on him, the toddler tentatively reached out his hand and patted the goat's head. "It likes me" he whispered in awe. He'd never had an animal react this way to him. Most animals he came across…a lick to the face cut that thought off. Giggling as the baby goat licked him again, Reid reached up and happily petted his new friend. Bolstered by the animal's friendly reaction, the BAU's youngest agent snitched another handful of feed from Prentiss before hopping off her lap. He raced over to a group of sheep. Slowing down as he got close to the group, Spencer glanced around for the smallest sheep in the huddle. Spotting a tiny lamb off to the right, he slowly approached the animal and held out his hand. As the lamb munched on the pellets, Spencer reached up and patted the animal's head.
The profilers watched in amusement as the littlest member of their family scampered from one side of the enclosure to another petting the animals. It was rare to see the boy this excited about anything not related to a case and they were enjoying every minute of it. Seeing Reid approaching a small wooden shed near the back of the fenced in area, the group quickly took a few steps closer to the fence. There was no way he was getting out of their sight again.
Spencer gazed up at the dapple grey pony behind the wooden gate before looking over at his friend. "Aunt Emily, I need help. I tan't weach." He called.
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the aunt comment, Prentiss walked over to the toddler and lifted him up. The youngster reached out to pet the pony only to quickly retract his hand as the animal shook its head. "It's okay Reid. He's just shaking that long mane out of his eyes. You know, like you do sometimes." She teased.
"Do not" Spencer muttered. He slowly reached out again, smiling as he petted the pony's soft mane. After a few minutes of petting, the toddler turned to his friend. "Otay, you tan put me down now." He instructed. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he raced over to the other side of the enclosure where the bunny cages were.
Morgan glanced at his watch before sighing. They needed to get a move on if they were going to get to everything they wanted to. Hating what he was about to do, Derek took a deep breath before reluctantly hollering, "Time to go, guys!"
"Come on kid, gotta go" Emily said, reaching out to take the boy's hand.
"No" Spencer replied, taking a few steps back. "I wanna tay. I haven't seen all the aminals yet."
"Sorry Short Stuff, we have to go now." Prentiss stated, trying and failing once more to grab the toddler's hand. Seeing the boy about to bolt, she scowled. "Spencer, get over here. Don't make me chase you." She warned. The profiler groaned as the youngster took off like a shot towards the opposite side of the enclosure. Shaking her head, Emily dashed after Spencer, easily overtaking the runaway toddler. Grabbing the little boy by the arm, she swatted his behind a couple of times before picking him up. "You don't run away from me, Spencer." She scolded as she headed for the gate. "Understand?"
"Yes, *sniff* ma'am" Spencer tearfully answered. Reaching up to swipe at the tears rolling down his face, he jumped as Prentiss captured his hand before it could reach its destination.
"Don't put your hands near your face until we've washed them." Emily told the boy.
"Otay" Spencer agreed, dropping his hands to his sides. Peering up at his friend, he hesitantly asked, "Awe you mad at me?"
Emily sighed. "I'm not mad, Spencer; just disappointed. Why did you run away from me like that? You know better."
"I, I don't know." Reid honestly answered. "I jut, I wanted to pet the aminals. I'm sowwy, Emily."
"It's alright, Spencer" Prentiss assured the toddler as she picked up the bottle of Germ-X that was sitting on a fence post. "Just don't do it again." She stood the youngster on his feet before squirting a generous amount of soap in both their hands. Emily helped her friend wash his hands and then scooped him back up and walked out of the petting zoo.
"Everything okay?" Hotch questioned, walking over to the two.
"We're good." Emily told him. "Just need to find a bathroom so we can wash our hands again. That Germ-X stuff made them all sticky."
"You've got it." Morgan said. "I saw a restroom sign around the corner."
Emily nodded and headed in the direction the muscular man was pointing. "Be right back guys" she called over her shoulder.
After a quick bathroom break, the team walked down the path to the train station. They took the train back to the station in the main part of the park. Once they disembarked, the profilers went across the bridge and followed the path to the base of the tree where a sign for an attraction called "A Bug's Life" was posted.
Derek glanced from his watch to the posted waiting time. "If that sign's right, we have just enough time to see this before we have to go." He announced.
Remembering Reid's earlier remark about the tree, Hotch knelt down beside the stroller. "What do you say, Spencer? Is that what you want to do?"
Spencer looked at the waiting crowd for a minute before shaking his head. Spying a set of stairs on the other side of the walkway, he pointed it. "Tan we go ovew fewe, intead?"
"If you'd like" Aaron replied. Getting a nod, the surrogate father stood and pushed the stroller over to the top of the cement stairs. Parking it off to one side, he picked the toddler up and carried him down the steps. He walked to the long bench in front of the glass wall and set the boy on his feet.
"Ottews!" Reid exclaimed, shuffling closer to the glass. He giggled as he watched the otters flip and spin around in the water. "Did you know fat ottews…" one look at his boss's face stopped him in his tracks. "Sowwy, I forgot."
"I know and it's alright. As long as there's no one else down here, you can rattle off all the statistics you want." Aaron replied, ruffling the boy's hair. Taking a seat beside the toddler, he chuckled as Spencer excitedly tottled from one side of the bench to the other, animatedly chattering the whole time.
Startling at a buzzing noise, Morgan snatched his cell phone out of its cradle and turned off the alarm. He glanced down at his watch with a sigh. "We've gotta go guys. The park will be closing soon." He warned. "Besides, we have somewhere we have to be at seven."
"Otay" Spencer sadly agreed. He walked over to Hotch and raised his arms.
Aaron picked the toddler up and went up the stairs. He settled the youngster in the stroller and the team made their way down the walkway to Dinoland. They went under the gigantic Brachiosaurus skeleton that spanned Olden Gate Bridge and past The Boneyard where children were playing to Restaurantosaurus for supper.
After a quick bite to eat, the group of profilers boarded the bus to the Magic Kingdom. Riding in the almost deserted vehicle, Morgan passed out a new set of tickets while Garcia rifled through one of their bags.
"What are these for?" JJ asked.
"These are our tickets to the Halloween party tonight. See, every year Disney has Halloween parties in October. Kids dress up and get to go trick or treating in the park. There's even a special nighttime parade." Morgan explained.
"But, but I don't have a tostume." Reid pointed out.
Oh but you do" Garcia countered, pulling out a tiny Darth Vader costume.
"Vadew! Tool!" Spencer exclaimed. "Fants, Gawcia!"
"You're welcome, My Jedi Knight. But, I'm not the only one you have to thank for this. Rossi bought the costume for you and JJ helped hem it up so it would fit you." The tech analyst informed her Junior G-Man.
"Fants, guys!" Reid hollered, climbing from lap to lap to give the three a hug.
"Anytime Spence. Now what do you say we go ahead and get this on you. The cloth is really thin so you should be able to comfortably wear it over your clothes." JJ stated.
"Otay" Spencer readily agreed. Plopping down in the young woman's lap, the youngster took the costume from Garcia and started the arduous task of dressing.
By the time the bus pulled into the bus stop, the BAU's resident genius was dressed and ready for the fun. The team stepped off the bus and ambled down the bus port and into the park. Since they were a little early for the party, they decided to check out the rides at Tomorrowland. The group walked across a bridge into that section of the park and glanced around at the rides.
"That one looks fun." Emily said, pointing to the Toy Story ride on the right.
Morgan shrugged. "Sounds good to me." He agreed, pushing the stroller over to the brightly lit attraction. He parked the stroller, scooped up Reid and his friends, and followed the rest of the team inside the building. Reading the signs, he smirked. "A shooting ride! Yes!" he whooped. "I'm gonna wipe the floor with you guys!"
"Dream on!" Emily challenged. "You and I both know, I'm the one that's going to come out on top!"
"Children" Dave sternly warned. "Be nice. It's just a ride. Besides," he added, breaking into a grin, "You're both going down!"
"In your dreams, old man" Morgan fired back before climbing into the ride cart and settling Reid beside him. Taking hold of the neon yellow space shooter, he got ready to blow the others away.
CM
Snickering, JJ and Reid walked out of the building and headed for the stroller parking. Looking over JJ's shoulder, Spencer grinned at the three pouting profilers following them. "Tome on, guys, Hotch has always been the bet shot." He teased.
"Suck up" Morgan muttered, grinning as Spencer stuck his tongue out at him. "What, no Force, kid?"
"Bite me" Reid tossed back, giggling as his friends' mouths dropped in shock.
"Man that sounds so wrong coming out of your mouth." Derek told the youngster.
"Spencer, language" Hotch warned, catching up to the group.
"Sowwy Hotch" Reid apologized, dropping his gaze.
JJ patted the little boy's back before sitting the chastised youngster in his stroller. Taking the handle, she pushed the buggy up the walkway with her fellow team members.
Spotting a Goofy's Candy Co. sign, Garcia hurried over to the media liaison. "Hold up JJ" she instructed. "There's trick or treat spot number one for the night." She leaned over and picked Reid up, settling him on her hip. Handing the toddler his trick or treat bag, she started for the cart.
Spencer glanced from Garcia to the cart and back. Squirming uncomfortably, he debated with himself for a moment before quietly asking, "Umm Garcia, what do I do?"
The tech analyst stopped. "Baby, this is no different than the trick or treating you did when you were little." She said.
"I never went twit ow tweating." Spencer admitted. "Mom said Hall'ween was a ton-tonsp…"
"Oh, Sweetie" Penelope gasped. Shoving the heartbreak that simple statement had caused to the back of her mind, the bubbly blond smiled at the toddler. "Okay, trick or treating is really easy, Baby Doll. All you do is walk up to those guys, hold out your bag, and say trick or treat. That's it." She explained. "Do you think you can walk or do you want me to carry you?"
"I tan walt." Reid replied.
"Good, cause I don't think it would look good for Darth Vader's mini me to be carried." Penelope teased. Setting the toddler on his feet, she took his hand. "Come on, let's get some candy."
Pulling his helmet over his head, Spencer tottled over to the two men at the cart and nervously held out his bag. "Twit ow tweat!" he called.
"Dude, look! It's Darth Vader!" the shorter of the two men excitedly said. "Quick, give him some candy before he uses that mind meld thing on us."
Cocking his head to one side, Reid smiled as the taller man rolled his eyes. "That's Star Trek, Fred" he huffed, swatting the other man's arm. "Darth Vader used the force, right kid?"
Nodding, Spencer raised both hands, pointing them at the brown haired man.
Luke's hands flew to his neck. "Ahh, I can't breathe! Hurry, give him the candy." The man ordered as he pretended to fight an invisible force.
Fred grabbed a handful of candy and dumped it in Reid's bag. "Here you go, Mr. Vader. Please let my friend go. He'll be good now. Honest."
Reid dropped his hands. "Fant you" he said before taking Garcia's hand and walking back to the team. Getting to his friends, he proudly held out his bag. "Loot! I got tandy!" he enthusiastically shouted.
"Great going, kid! Can I have some?" Morgan asked, reaching for the bag.
"No! Mine!" Spencer growled, pulling the bag to his chest.
Glaring at surprised man, Garcia gently picked the toddler up. "Derek Morgan, you are not taking candy from our baby genius." She scolded. "Now back away. Don't make me Photoshop you."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! No need for that, Baby Girl" Derek assured her as he took a step back. "I was just teasing the kid."
"I know" Reid broke in. "Hewe, you tan have fis." He held a lollipop out to his friend.
"Thanks, man" Morgan said, taking the offered candy. Unwrapping it, he popped the treat in his mouth. "Now, let's go get some more."
"Yea!" Spencer cheered.
The team spent the next couple of hours trick or treating and riding any rides they came across. Hearing an announcement that the Halloween parade would begin in half an hour, they checked the map for the parade route and then hurried to Main Street to scope out a good place to watch. Finding most of the curb already taken, the profilers walked up the street until they found a spot that wasn't too crowded. Leaving the ladies and Reid to hold their place, Hotch, Rossi, and Morgan went to find some drinks and snacks. Coming back several minutes later, they passed out bottles of water and small bags of animal crackers. They stood and munched on their snacks and talked while they waited for the parade to begin.
Finally the park lights dimmed signaling the beginning of the parade. All eyes were glued to the street, watching for the first float. Well, almost all eyes.
Reid leaned left and right trying to see around the people standing in front of them. Still unable to see more than a glimpse of the street, he huffed. How was he supposed to see anything with all those tall people in his way? Recalling Hotch's solution the day before, he smiled. Spencer patted Morgan's chest to get his attention. "Mowgan, tan I get on youw shouldews? I tan't see." He asked.
"Sure, Short Stuff" Derek answered. He quickly hoisted the toddler onto his shoulders, grasping the child's ankles for support. "That better, kid?" Hearing the boy's 'uh huh', the young man settled in to enjoy the parade. He clapped with everyone else as the headless horsemen rode past and the parade music started. He watched as float after float of dancing Disney characters traveled by. He had to admit the park went all out. Each meticulously decorated float was more beautiful than the one before. And the characters seemed so at ease. They didn't seem to be fazed by all the starting and stopping the floats did. Spotting Lilo and Stitch on the next float, Morgan started to nudge the toddler on his shoulders, only to stop as he noticed a heavy weight on the top of his head. Taking a couple of steps to the right, he elbowed Hotch. "I think it's time to go." He whispered.
Glancing over at the younger man, Aaron chuckled at the sight of a sleeping Reid using Morgan's head as a pillow. After snapping a couple of photos with his phone, the BAU leader nodded his agreement. He tapped the others on their shoulders to get their attention before pointing to the sleeping toddler. Once everyone had gotten the message, the team slowly started maneuvering around the crowd. It was time to go home.