Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I own nothing. I do not own anything you recognize.
AN- Hey! Still buried under paperwork here. (not to mention a bruised wrist courtesy of a board break gone wrong.) It's due Tuesday though so after that I should have more free time.
Previously on Criminal Minds- Pushing a little harder on the accelerator, the profiler could only hope that they'd make it back before the youngster lost the fight with the sand man.
CM
Morgan drove around the parking garage, searching for a spot close to the elevators. After driving through three levels, he finally spotted one on the fourth floor. Pulling into the space, the profiler glanced into the rearview mirror at his exhausted co-worker. "You still with me, Reid?" he asked, cutting the engine. The barely audible 'yeah' spoke volumes. Knowing the toddler wasn't going to last much longer, Derek snatched the keys out of the ignition and swiftly climbed out of the truck. He hurried around to the passenger side of the vehicle and threw open the door. The dark skinned agent quickly unfastened the straps on the toddler's car seat and lifted the boy out, not caring whether anyone saw them or not. Setting Reid on his feet, Morgan took a tiny hand in his. "Get his other hand, Baby Girl" he instructed. "If anybody questions it, we'll just say he has a migraine."
"You got it, Handsome" Garcia replied. Taking the toddler's free hand, she slowly walked alongside her friends as they made their way to the elevators. Getting to the closed doors a couple of minutes later, the tech analyst pushed the up button. She let out a relieved breathe as the metal doors immediately opened. The sooner they got Spencer to her lair the better.
Derek stepped onto the elevator and hit the button for the seventh floor. Feeling Reid lean heavily against him, he reached down and patted the boy's shoulder. "Hang in there, kid. We're almost there." he comforted. He relaxed as the doors closed and the elevator started moving. They might just make it after all.
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, the elevator ground to a halt. The doors opened and Anderson walked into the small cubicle, arms laden with files. "Late lunch?" he asked as the upwards motion started once again.
"Something like that" Morgan answered.
The four agents rode in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Adjusting his hold on the files in his arms, Anderson blinked rapidly, not believing what he was seeing. His eyes widened when the image he was looking at didn't change. "D-Dr. Reid are you sucking your thumb?" he incredulously asked.
"Sowwy" Spencer mumbled, reluctantly pulling the digit out of his mouth.
Thinking fast, Derek grinned over at the younger agent. "Don't mind him, Anderson. He's been doing that since he started writing some paper or something on the effects of thumb sucking. I think he's trying to figure out what the big attraction is."
"Oh" Anderson said. Seeing the elevator doors open, he quickly made his way out. "Sorry Dr. Reid. Good luck on your paper." He added before rushing away.
Chuckling at the young man's embarrassment, Morgan led Reid and Garcia off the elevator. The group slowly walked down the hall to the tech analyst's office. Opening the office door, he let go of the toddler's hand. "Night, kid" he murmured.
"N *yawn* ight" Spencer whispered. He shuffled over to the corner and collapsed onto the pile of blankets and pillows there. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
Noticing the diaper bag slung around the toddler's neck, Derek grinned. He crept over to the sleeping child and carefully extracted the bag. Unzipping it, the profiler pulled out the stuffed Ewok that was crammed inside. He gently raised the baby's arm a little, slid the stuffed toy underneath, and laid Reid's arm on top of the animal. A contented sigh escaped the little boy's lips as his arm wrapped around the Ewok causing the dark skinned agent to chuckle. "Sleep well, kiddo" Derek whispered, carding a hand through the toddler's hair. He grabbed a blanket and pulled it up to his friend's chin before standing and walking over to Garcia.
"I'll take it from here, Hon. Go on back to work now." Penelope quietly told her friend.
"Alright, but you call me if he needs anything." Morgan softly replied.
"Your wish is my command." Garcia agreed. "Now go before you get us both in trouble."
"I'm going, I'm going" Derek muttered. He leaned in and gave his friend a peck on the cheek. "Later, Gorgeous"
"You better believe it, Hot Stuff" Penelope whispered as she watched the handsome profiler walk down the hallway and around a corner. Sighing, she closed her door and went to her desk. Taking a seat, she glanced over at her sleeping charge before turning her focus to the bank of computers in front of her. The tech analyst's fingers flew over the keyboard as she started on the mound of work waiting for her. Combing through employee records of a large retail chain, she quickly became engrossed in the files scrolling across her screens.
A knock on her door a short time later had Garcia rolling her eyes. She'd thought Morgan would have lasted a little longer before he came to check on their Junior G-Man. Her eyes shifted to the still sleeping boy. Once she had assured herself that the knock hadn't woken her charge, Penelope jumped up and hurried to the door. Throwing it open, she said, "Derek Morgan, I thought I…oh, hi Em. Come in." She stood to the side so the raven haired woman could pass. "Sorry about the greeting. I thought you were somebody else."
"Not a problem" Prentiss replied. "If it helps, I've had to stop Derek from coming here three or four times now."
"I figured as much." Penelope sighed, taking her seat once more. "So, what brings you to my lair?"
"Oh, I was in the break room getting a cup of coffee and I thought you might like one." Emily told her friend, holding out the mug in her hand even as her eyes strayed to the sleeping toddler in the corner.
Following the profiler's eyes, Garcia shook her head. "Coffee? Girl, that's one of the lamest excuses ever. If you wanted to check on Spencer, you could have just said so."
"Sorry, I just needed to see for myself that he was sleeping peacefully. I guess I'm as bad as Morgan, huh?" Emily sheepishly admitted.
"Not quite, Sugar. You've got a ways to go before you're as overprotective as my man is." Penelope answered with a smile. "Now, to ease your mind I'll tell you the same thing I told him: I'll call you at the first sign of trouble."
"Thanks, Pen" Emily said, her focus still on the napping boy. "Guess I'll ummm…" she reluctantly tore her gaze away from the toddler. "I'll let you get back to work now. Sorry for the interruption."
"No probs, Em" Garcia replied, walking her friend to the door. She opened the door. "Just make sure you tell Derek our baby's alright or he'll be coming here next."
"You've got it" Prentiss responded. She took one last look at the peaceful little boy before turning and heading back to the bullpen.
Shaking her head at her overprotective friends, Penelope shut the door and started walking back to her desk. She made it halfway before another knock on the door stopped her. Sighing, the tech analyst turned and trudged back to the door. Opening it, she wasn't surprised to find JJ standing with two cups of coffee in her hands. "He's fine, JJ" Garcia assured. "He's still sleeping peacefully. But he won't be much longer if you guys keep knocking on the door every five minutes."
"Sorry, Spence is just sending my mothering instincts into overdrive right now." JJ explained. "I just had to make sure he was alright especially since he's been having all those nightmares."
"I understand Sweetie, I do. But the more noise there is, the less likely he is to stay asleep." Penelope pointed out. "Luckily for you, the Tech Goddess has the perfect solution. Go on back to your office and look for an email from me. There'll be an attachment that should put your mind at ease. And make sure you tell the others, too. I'd hate to go all mama bear on one of you for waking my little baby bear up."
Snickering at the image of Garcia taking on one of the others, JJ nodded. "You've got a deal, Pen." She agreed. "But could I, umm since I'm already here, do you mind if I peek in on Spence?"
"Go ahead" Penelope replied, opening the door wider so the blond profiler could check on the sleeping youngster.
JJ stared at the toddler, smiling at the thumb stuck firmly in the boy's mouth. Pulling out her cell phone, she quickly snapped a couple of pictures. "Thanks, Pen" she whispered, putting her phone away. "I'll spread the word for you."
"That'll be great! Thank you darling" Garcia responded. "Now I hate to rush you but I really have a lot of work to do."
"Oh sorry, I'll just be going now. Thanks for the heads up." JJ told her friend. Turning on her heels, she walked back down the corridor. Rounding the corner, she almost ran straight into Hotch. Smiling, she took her boss by the arm. "Word to the wise, Hotch. You do not want to go down there right now. Trust me. Garcia's threatened to go "mama bear" all over the next person that disturbs her." JJ informed her boss. "And before you say it, she knows we're just worried about Spence. But she doesn't want us waking him up by constantly going to check on him. She said she was sending us an email with an attachment that would put our minds at ease."
"What kind of attachment?" Aaron asked, raising an eyebrow.
"She didn't say. But you know Garcia. If she says it'll put us at ease, then it'll definitely do that and more." JJ replied.
"Alright, I'll go check my email." Hotch reluctantly said. "But if it isn't what I need, I'm coming back to check on him."
"You won't be the only one." JJ assured her friend. Stopping at the stairs leading down to the bullpen, she released her friend's arm. "I'll tell Morgan and Prentiss, you take Rossi."
"Okay" Aaron agreed. He strode down the gangplank to the senior profiler's office. He knocked once before opening the door a crack and relaying the message. Mission accomplished, the BAU leader quickly made his way to his own office. He hurried around his desk, took a seat, and pulled up his email. Spotting a message from Garcia, he frowned. 'Financial records for Case 87564' didn't sound like anything that would put him at ease. Deciding to give the tech analyst the benefit of the doubt, he opened on the email. Clicking on the enclosed attachment, Hotch was shocked to see a web cam image of a sleeping Reid pop up. Smiling at the peaceful expression on the boy's face, the profiler made a mental note to thank Garcia. This was just what he and the rest of the team needed to relax and do their job. Maximizing the live feed, Aaron opened his half-finished report and got to work.
CM
Hearing a whimper, Garcia spun around in her chair. Seeing the toddler starting to wake up, she quickly cut the video feed and walked over. "Hey there, Sweet Cheeks! Have a nice nap?" she cooed.
"Uh huh" Reid answered, fisting his eyes. "Tan I go bat to my det, now?"
"Umm, I think you might want to change first." Penelope suggested, motioning to the pajama pants the little boy was wearing.
A blush crept up Reid's cheeks as he realized just who had changed him. "Oh, yeah. Tan you hand me my tlothes so I tan get dwessed?" he shyly asked.
"Sure Baby Doll" Garcia agreed. She took his pants and underwear off the back of the chair and handed them to the youngster. Remembering the boy's penchant for having accidents in his sleep, the tech analyst eyed the toddler critically. "Do you need to umm, freshen up first, sweetie? You didn't spring a leak or anything, did you?" she questioned.
Spencer shook his head, turning even redder. "I'm good, Gawcia" he assured her with a smile. "Tould you tuwn awound so I tan get dwessed?"
"What? Oh sure thing, sweetness!" Penelope replied. She turned around and stared at the door until she got the all clear from the toddler. she smiled down at her friend. "Now JJ made me promise not to let you out of this room until you had a snack. So you need to eat these before you go back to work."
"Otay" Spencer replied, taking the box of animal cookies and juice box. Plopping down on the blankets, the little boy quickly gobbled up the treat. Wiping his hands on his pants, the profiler drank the juice down in one gulp. Putting his hands on the ground, he pushed himself up to a standing position and walked over to the trash can. After tossing his trash, he said his goodbyes to Garcia and tottled out the door. He had work to do.
CM
Morgan shut down his computer and leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh. For once he'd managed to get almost all his paperwork completed without sliding any Reid's way. Of course Garcia's video feed was one of the main reasons why he'd gotten so much done. Being able to see that his friend was peacefully sleeping without having to leave his desk meant that he could work without interruption. He owed the tech analyst big time for that one. Making a note to take his Baby Girl out for a night on the town sometime soon, Derek closed the file on his desk, threw it on top of the others, and glanced over at Reid. "Time to go, Short Stuff" he announced, smirking as the toddler startled.
Spencer glared at his friend. "I tan't go yet, Mowgan. I'm not fwough wif my wowt." He told the older man.
"You'll just have to finish tomorrow then 'cause we are outta here!" Derek replied as he walked over and perched on the side of Reid's desk. "We've gotta run by the store before we head to my place."
"But, but…"
"But nothing Buster. We have just enough time to grab what we need from the store and get home before the others show up." Morgan explained, ruffling the toddler's hair. "Now come on, let's go."
Sighing, Reid closed the file he was working on and slid off his chair. Taking his diaper bag off the floor, he slung it around his neck and followed Morgan out of the bullpen.
CM
An hour later the two profilers pulled into the gravel drive leading back to Morgan's new home. Coming to a stop in front of a large two story log cabin, Reid gazed up at the house. The cabin was framed by a wrap-around porch that was equipped with rocking chairs as well as a porch swing. The wooden railing surrounding the porch reminded Spencer of houses he'd seen in various Western movies. The second story had a small balcony jutting out of the front. Taking in the white wooden fence positioned around the front door, the toddler couldn't help but smile. "Fis is awesome, Mowgan!" he exclaimed.
"Thanks, kid" Morgan replied as he climbed out of the truck. He swiftly opened the back door and got the youngster out. He set the boy down beside him and grabbed the grocery bags from the floorboard before shutting the door. He ushered Reid across the lawn and onto the porch. Shifting the bags in his arms, Derek unlocked the front door. Pushing it open, he motioned the toddler inside. He followed the little boy down the hall to the kitchen and set the bags on the counter. "Come on Reid, let's go get the grill fired up."
Nodding, Spencer walked over to the back door with his friend. He waited for Derek to open it and then stepped onto the back porch. He walked across the porch and hopped down the four steps to the backyard. His eyes lit up when he spotted a certain piece of equipment. "A lide!" he hollered, racing towards the child's play set. Freezing as he heard a loud bark, the toddler scanned the area. Seeing a brown blur bounding towards him, Spencer squeaked in fright before running over and hiding behind Morgan's legs.
"Hey Clooney" Morgan greeted, moving back a step as the chocolate lab jumped up to greet him. The profiler patted the dog's head before issuing the command to 'sit'. Praising his pet for obeying him, the young man knelt down and pulled the cowering boy out from behind him. Settling Reid on his knee, Derek ran a hand up and down the child's arm in comfort. "Spencer, you don't have to be afraid of Clooney. He won't hurt you." He soothed. "Clooney loves kids."
"I bet he does love kids." Reid muttered, adding "for breakfast" under his breathe.
Sighing, Derek tried a different approach. "Look man, just put your hand out like this and let him sniff you." He instructed, holding his hand out, palm up.
Taking a deep breath, Spencer slowly put out his hand. "Don't eat me, don't eat me" he quietly mumbled as the huge dog came closer. Closing his eyes as the dog leaned in, he hoped he wasn't making a big mistake.