Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I own nothing. I do not own anything you recognize.
AN- I've finally got the next chapter for you. Sorry, it took so long. The last few weeks of school were extremely busy. (Plus, I've banged up my hand twice in as many weeks at Tae Kwon Do. Its rainbow colored right now.) Oh, and a heads up. The site has been screwing around with the review reply links for the past few weeks making me unable to reply to you the usual way. The only way I can reply right now is with a PM. (which several people have turned off.) So, if you haven't heard from me yet, thank you!
Previously on Criminal Minds- 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.
CM
Rossi whistled as he and Hotch drove down the gravel drive to Morgan's new home. "Impressive" he commented, pulling to a stop behind Garcia's convertible. "It's not exactly Morgan's style but I can definitely see why he decided to keep it."
Aaron studied the house as he climbed out of his friend's truck. "It does have more of a family feel. Think he's planning on settling down?"
"Morgan? Not a chance. He's too much of a ladies man for that." Rossi replied, mirroring his friend's actions.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Dave." Hotch disagreed. "I think if he…"
"Oh thank goodness you're here!" Garcia exclaimed, bounding down the front porch steps. "I was afraid I was going to have to carry all those groceries by myself." Going over to Esther, she leaned in and grabbed a couple of bags off the back seat.
Hotch and Rossi shared an amused glance before strolling over to the tech analyst's side. Reaching into the classic car, they each got several bags. Looking at the sea of brown still covering the floorboards of the convertible, Hotch chuckled. "Garcia, I know there are some big eaters in our group but I think you bought way too much food for tonight."
"Oh, it's not all for the cookout, Boss Man." Penelope replied, opening the front door. "I know Derek doesn't keep a lot of food in the house because of all the out of town jobs that pop up. He eats more fast food than anything else. And while take-out pizza and Chinese may be fine for him, they're not what my Junior G-Man needs if he's going to grow up big and strong. So I got the fixings for family friendly meals and some healthy snacks. I also bought a couple of extra sheet sets for Reid's bed and a week's worth of khaki pants and button down shirts so my baby won't have to wear blue jeans and t-shirts to work every day."
"Good thinking" Rossi complimented as he followed the young woman down the hall and into the kitchen. Putting the bags on the island surrounding the stove, he curiously glanced around the quiet home. "Where are Reid and Morgan anyway?"
"They're outside setting up the grill." Garcia said. She started towards the front door, stopping when she noticed the two men weren't following her. Turning, she smiled at the sight of the profilers staring longingly at the back door. "Why don't we go say hi before we finish getting the groceries?"
"I think we will." Aaron answered already moving towards the back door. Grasping the handle, he yanked the door open and quickly walked outside with Rossi and Garcia right on his heels. The two men scanned the backyard as they went to the edge of the porch. Their eyes widened and their mouths dropped open in surprise at the scene in front of them.
"Is, is Reid riding a dog?" Dave questioned, cocking his head to one side.
"He is." Hotch stated, eyes still trained on the giggling toddler.
"Like the kid's new ride?" Morgan called from his spot by the grill.
"The Reid effect is no more, I take it." Rossi commented.
"It's definitely gone for now." Derek replied. "Animals actually like toddler Reid and now that he knows they're not gonna eat him, he's starting to warm up to them."
"Eat him?" Hotch repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Long story" Morgan answered, walking over to his co-workers. "Why don't I tell you all about it while we unload the truck?"
"Sounds good" Aaron agreed. "Dave, you and Garcia stay here and watch Reid. Morgan and I can handle the unloading."
"Your wish is my command, Boss Man" Penelope teased, winking at the profiler.
Snickering as a blush crept up his unflappable leader's face, Morgan clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on Hotch, let's get started. It's gonna take us a while to get everything set up." he said. "And knowing Reid, it needs to be finished before we eat. I don't want him to fall asleep when his bed's not ready for him."
"Right" Aaron replied, heading for the back door with Morgan.
"Make sure you get the rest of the bags out of Esther first!" Garcia called after them.
"Don't worry, Baby Girl, we'll get them. You just concentrate on taking good care of our boy." Derek threw back.
"Go, Morgan. Baby Cakes will be just fine." Penelope assured her friend. "I promise."
CM
Reid sighed as he slid off Clooney's back. He'd been having fun playing with the big dog until he glanced up and saw Hotch and Rossi staring at him. Their expressions showed confusion and something else; something he couldn't quite identify. Whatever it was didn't really matter. He got their message loud and clear; they were upset with him. Spencer had thought they wanted him to play and have fun. After all, that's what they kept telling him down in Florida. But he had evidently misinterpreted them. They must have meant for him to act that way while they were at Disney, not here. They must have expected him to go back to acting like his normal self now that they were home. Another sigh escaped his lips. 'Guess I better go over there and see if I can help.' Reid thought, giggling as a slobbery tongue licked the side of his face. "Top it, Tooney!" he commanded, pushing the lab's snout away from him. "I tan't pay wif you anymowe." He patted the dog on the head before slowly trudging across the yard.
CM
"Here we go!" Garcia exclaimed as she came back out of the house, carrying a tray full of chicken. "This is the last of them."
"That's good because I don't think we have room for much more." Rossi stated, taking the tray from the young woman. Opening the cover, he started placing the legs on the grill.
Leaving Rossi to take care of the food, Garcia turned her attention to their charge. Seeing the toddler walking towards them with his head down and his shoulders slumped, she frowned. "What's wrong with my baby?" she asked. "He was playing when I went inside a minute ago."
Dave glanced in the youngster's direction. "I don't know. Maybe he's just tired of playing with the dog."
"I don't think so. Reid was only playing with Clooney until Morgan could get over there so he could get on the slide." Penelope explained, snapping her fingers as a thought came to her. "Hey, maybe that's it! He's upset because Morgan's not here. He probably thinks he forgot about him."
"Could be" Rossi agreed.
"Shh, here he comes." Garcia shushed. Pasting on a smile, she walked around the grill and kneeled down in front of the forlorn boy. "Hey Sweetie! Is everything okay?"
"Yeah" Spencer replied, dropping his gaze to his feet. "I jut fought you might need some help." Turning to Rossi he asked, "Is fewe anyfing I tan do?"
Dave rubbed his goatee in thought for a moment before saying, "You know, now that you mention it, there is."
"Weally?" Reid questioned, staring up at his friend. "What is it?"
Dave walked over to the toddler and leaned down. "You can go play on the slide with me." He said, picking up the youngster. He threw the surprised child into the air a couple of times before setting him back on his feet. "Garcia, take over the grill for me. Spencer and I are going to play."
"You two go have fun. I've got things under control here." Penelope cheerfully replied.
"Thanks" Rossi said. Glancing down at Reid, he smiled. "Hey kid! Race you to the slide!" he yelled before taking off.
Garcia laughed as Reid stood gaping at the man for a moment before racing after the slowly running profiler. "Way to go, Rossi" she whispered. She watched Spencer overtake Rossi and run up and tag the swing set. Knowing her baby was in good hands, Penelope turned her attention back to the grill. She had a meal to finish.
CM
"Man, I never knew little kids needed so much stuff!" Morgan muttered as he walked out of the bathroom with Hotch and Prentiss.
"That's nothing compared to what you'd need for a baby." Aaron told him, heading down the winding staircase. "The supplies for the diapering alone would fill up one whole half of the room."
"Hotch, if Reid were a baby, we wouldn't be having this conversation 'cause he'd be staying with you." Derek stated.
"What's a matter, Morgan? You scared of a few diapers?" Emily teased.
"The diapers aren't the problem; it's what's in them that I have no intentions of dealing with. Ever." Morgan clarified as he stepped off the bottom stair and started walking down the hallway.
"You'll change your mind about that someday. Trust me. I never thought I'd be on diaper duty either. Then Jack came along and everything changed, including me." Hotch explained.
"Yeah, well I won't have to worry about that 'cause I don't plan on…" Derek paused mid-sentence as something caught his eye. "Hotch, are my eyes playing tricks on me or is Rossi swinging with Reid?"
Aaron stared at the swing set where the older profiler was actually sitting in a swing swinging while he pushed the toddler in the baby swing beside him. "I don't believe it." he mumbled.
"Well believe it. Reid and Rossi have been out there playing since you guys went inside and I have the pictures to prove it." Garcia said, holding up her digital camera.
"Ooo! I wanna see!" Emily shouted. Taking the camera from the tech analyst, she hit the display button and flipped through the photos, her smile growing with each click. "These are adorable, Pen!"
"I know." Garcia agreed. "I can't wait to get them printed off and added to Spencer's memory book!"
"Don't you mean books?" Morgan asked as he forked the chicken legs onto a plate. "With all the pictures you've been taking the last few days you're gonna need four or five books to hold them all."
"That's okay" Prentiss broke in. "We'll just make a different book for each month and then one for our Disney trip."
"That's a wonderful idea!" Penelope squealed. "And I know just where to get the photo album for our vacation! The Disney Store at the mall has one that has Mickey and Minnie and…"
"Whoa there, Mama! You two can discuss photo books after we eat." Derek suggested, wrapping foil around the plate to keep the chicken warm. "I don't want Spencer falling asleep before he tears into those presents in the living room."
"Oh, right, I almost forgot about those." Garcia responded. "Okay, I guess I should call them to come in now." Glancing over at the happily playing toddler, she frowned. "Maybe, we could wait until we get the table set?"
"No, Spencer needs to come inside. The temperature's dropping now that the sun's going down and I don't want him to get sick." Aaron explained. "You three go ahead inside and set the table. I'll get the children."
"You better not let Rossi hear you calling him that." Derek warned as he started for the stairs.
"I'll take my chances." Hotch answered with a smirk. Turning around, he strolled across the yard to the swing set. He leaned back against one of the wooden beams and casually crossed his arms. "Are you two having fun?" he asked, the amusement clear in his voice.
"We certainly are." Dave replied, bringing his swing to a halt. "As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to look into getting something like this for my porch. They're very relaxing. Right, Reid?"
"Uh huh" Spencer said, giving his friend a grin before turning his attention to Hotch. He gazed up at his boss with a sigh. "It's time to go in, isn't it?"
Aaron nodded. "It's getting too cool to stay out here." He informed the boy. "Besides, we need to eat soon if you're going to have time to open your presents before bedtime."
"Pwesents? Weally?" Spencer questioned, raising his arms.
"Yes, there are four boxes sitting in the living room waiting to be opened." Hotch responded as he lifted the toddler out of the swing and set him on the ground.
"The ones fwom Disney?" Reid asked. Getting a nod in reply, Spencer whooped. "Tool! Tome on Tooney! We've got pwesents!" He grabbed the dog's collar and gave it a pull and then took off towards the cabin.
Aaron and Dave exchanged amused glances before following the little boy.
CM
Spencer shoved the last spoonful of beans in his mouth and quickly chewed them up. He washed them down with his juice and then glanced around the table. Seeing the others still eating, the youngster sat back in his booster seat with a sigh.
"Something wrong, Short Stuff?" Morgan asked.
Not wanting the bother the others, Reid shook his head. "No" he replied. "I'm just tired of sitting in this uncomfortable seat."
"You can get down if you're through eating." Aaron told the toddler, pushing the boy's chair away from the table.
"Fant you" Spencer said. He slid out of his chair and started for the living room.
"Wait a minute, Sweetie! Don't forget your dessert!" Garcia called, holding out a chocolate chip cookie.
Grinning, Spencer tottled over to his friend. "Fants" he told her, taking the cookie.
"You're welcome, Sweetness" Penelope replied, frowning as a knock sounded at the door. "I wonder who that could be?"
Morgan placed a hand on Garcia's shoulder and gently pushed her back in her seat. "I'll get it, Baby Girl." He said. Getting up, he snatched his gun off the side table and walked out of the room.
A tense silence enveloped the room as the group waited, listening for the slightest sound of trouble. They knew unexpected visitors could spell danger, especially considering the fact that Morgan hadn't lived at the cabin long enough to make friends with the neighbors. Hotch, Prentiss, and Rossi placed a hand on their weapons, preparing to back up Morgan if necessary. Seeing this, Garcia swiftly scooped Reid up and snuggled him to her.
"Hey guys, look who I found" Derek called as he walked into the room a couple of minutes later with JJ in tow.
"JJ, what are you doing here? I thought you said you couldn't come because Henry was sick?" Prentiss inquired, as the media liaison took a seat at the table.
"He is. But he's been sleeping peacefully the past couple of hours, so I thought I'd come check on you guys: see if you needed anything." JJ explained.
"Have you eaten yet?" Garcia asked. "I can get you a…"
"Its okay, Pen. Will and I fixed something after Henry fell asleep." JJ assured her friend. Seeing Reid's eyes glued to the boxes in the other room, she added, "It's a good thing too because I don't think a certain somebody would be able to wait until I finished eating."
Following her gaze, the small group chuckled before digging back into their meals. A few minutes later, everyone was finished. Splitting up the work, they quickly cleared the table, stored the leftover food, and washed the dishes. Once that was done, they led an excited Spencer into the living room to open the boxes.
Morgan pulled out his pocketknife, sliced through the tape on top of the boxes, and ripped all four open. "Go to it munchkin." He teased, ruffling the little boy's mop of hair.
"Fants, Mowgan" Spencer said. Standing on his tiptoes, he reached up and stuck his hand into the first box. He struggled for a short time before pulling his hand back. "I tan't weach." He sadly told his friends.
Realizing the boy's dilemma, Aaron quickly and carefully turned the boxes on their sides. "Here you go, Spencer. You should be able to reach everything now." He uttered.
Nodding, Spencer plopped down on his behind beside the closest box. He crawled closer to the opening and pulled out his very first surprise; a toy Ewok village. The toddler examined the box very carefully, taking in every detail before reluctantly setting it down close to his side. Grinning from ear to ear, he excitedly reached into the box to get his next treasure.
The BAU watched as their youngest member dug into the box. Seeing the boy pull out a toy and look at it before placing it in one of two piles, they frowned. Finally Emily couldn't stand it anymore. She had to know what was her friend was up to. "Spencer, what are you doing?" she asked.
Reid stopped sorting his toys and looked up at the raven haired woman. "I'm putting the toys in piles fow Jat and Henwy." He stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh, Spence" JJ muttered. Kneeling down beside the toddler, she lovingly palmed his cheek. "That's really sweet, Spence but these are for you, not Henry and Jack."
"But I'm a gwown up. I don't need toys." Reid protested, though his body language told a different story.
Knowing the boy's protests had more to do with his fear of appearing weak and that a part of Reid truly wished to play with the toys, Hotch swiftly worked out a compromise that would both ease the boy's fear and allow him to play. "Reid, why don't you keep the toys while you're little? Maybe toss them around a little bit, make it look like a real toddler lives here just in case one of Morgan's neighbors comes by. Then when you're grown again, you can give them away if you'd like." He suggested.
Spencer thought it over for a moment before nodding. "Otay" he agreed, giving his friends a dimpled grin.
"Good, now that we've settled where the toys are going to be, can we please get back to unloading the boxes?" Derek asked, feigning exasperation. "Come on kid, get to it! I wanna see what you got."
Grinning broadly, Reid dug into the box once more. He took out toy after toy, turning over and reading each box carefully and squeeze testing the stuffed animals. Before long, the youngster was surrounded by every Star Wars toy imaginable. Leaning down, the happy toddler noticed one more item at the very back of the box. Unable to reach it from where he was sitting, Spencer got on his hands and knees and crawled into the giant cardboard box. He grabbed the cloth bag and swiftly scooted backwards until he was back out. Rearranging himself so that he was sitting criss-cross, Spencer placed the bag in his lap and looked it over.
"Whatcha got there, Little Bit?" Derek asked, staring at what looked like Disney's version of a Trapper Keeper.
"I don't know." Reid replied. Finding a zipper on the side, he slowly unzipped and opened it. "Wow!" he breathed as he flipped through the cloth pages covered with pins from what looked like every ride at the park. There were small pins, large pins, pins that had moving parts and pins with dangling pieces.
"It's a pin set!" Garcia gasped. "Those are collector's items, Reid. When we were shopping at the marketplace, there was a pin trading spot. People were trading and selling pins just like those and you wouldn't believe how much some of them went for."
"Awesome" Spencer exclaimed. Zipping the bag closed, he gently handed it to Morgan. "Tan you put fis up fow me?"
"Sure thing, kid" Derek responded, taking the pin bag. He went over to the bookcase against one wall and set it on the highest shelf. Walking back to the group, he noticed Spencer fisting his eyes. Knowing the toddler wouldn't be awake much longer, he decided to speed things up. "Whatcha waiting for Reid? Go ahead and start on the next box." He urged.
Nodding, Spencer crawled over and sat beside the next box with a yawn. This one was full of clothes for different types of weather and a handful of different sizes. The toddler quickly went through the huge assortment, holding up each piece for the ladies to make over before handing them to JJ, who was folding and sorting the items. Finishing with that box, Reid slowly crawled to the third one. Reaching inside, he found a medium sized box. It was too heavy for him to lift so he carefully slid it out, a smile forming as he saw what it contained. "Hotch, loot! A waffle matew!" he hollered, patting the Mickey Mouse shaped waffle maker.
Kneeling down, Aaron checked out the box. "That it is." He said, grinning when he spied another, smaller box. Pulling it out, he handed it to the boy. "And look what else; a box of waffle mix."
"Yes!" Spencer exclaimed, fisting his eyes once more.
"Guess I know what I'll be cooking in the morning." Morgan playfully grouched.
"Uh *yawn* huh" Reid agreed as he reached into the box for the next prize. He pulled out containers of candy and baking mixes, his movements slowing down a little with each reach. He quickly finished that box and sluggishly crawled to the last one. Finding a giant wooden box blocking his way, the littlest profiler turned to the closest available person; Rossi. "Wossi, tan you help me wif fis?" he asked, pointing to the box.
"Sure, sport" Dave replied. He carefully pulled the wooden box out, hiding a smile as the toddler's whole face lit up.
"No way" Spencer gasped, reaching out to ghost a hand across the Star Wars chess set box. "Why would…how did fey…" Stopping as a fleeting memory of Rossi carrying a huge bag into the tree house came to mind, the toddler turned to the older profiler. Pushing himself up with his hands, he tottled over to Rossi and to everyone's surprise, hugged the older man. "Fant you" he whispered.
"You're welcome, Reid" Dave replied, patting the boy's back. Feeling Spencer's head drop onto his shoulder and tiny fingers twisting the hair on the back of his neck, the profiler chuckled. "Derek, you mind showing me where the kid's bedroom is? I think he just conked out for the night."
"You want me to take him?" Morgan offered.
"Nah, I've got him." Rossi said as he adjusted his hold on the toddler before carefully standing.
Derek nodded. "Okay then, follow me." He instructed. The muscular man led the way up the stairs and down the hall to Reid's bedroom for the next few months. Together the friends changed the little boy into his pajamas and tucked him into bed.
CM
"No, no go away, NO!" Spencer shot straight up in bed. Wide, frightened eyes scanned the dark room. Finding himself alone in a bedroom, not a bathroom did nothing to ease his fears as he took in the unfamiliar surroundings. The toddler clutched his Ewok tightly as he stared around the semi-dark room. Seeing the Mickey Mouse night light he'd used at Hotch's house and the footboard of the car bed he was sitting on, Reid tried to slow his breathing. "I'm safe, I'm at Mowgan's" he chanted, staring at the partly open door and the light spilling in around it. That knowledge did little to calm him however as the creaks and groans of the old cabin reached his ears. Trembling, Spencer pulled the covers up to his chin with his free hand and repeated his mantra even faster. A loud boom of thunder was all it took to send the boy over the edge. The toddler was out of his bed and running across the room before his brain even processed the movement. Reaching the lighted hallway, the terrified child dashed down the hall, peering into each room he passed in search of a friendly face. It wasn't until he got to the door at the end of the hall that he struck gold, though. Gazing into the room, Spencer saw Morgan sound asleep with Clooney stretched across his feet. Wasting no time, the youngster hurried into the room and up to the bed. He reached a tiny hand over to wake his friend up before reluctantly stopping himself. He shouldn't be waking Morgan. He was a grown man. He should be able to…
"Reid?" a sleepy voice called. "What's a matter, kid?"
"I ummm, I was jut uh, I mean I…" Spencer stammered, feeling incredibly weak for running to his friend like a baby.
"What is it, man?" Derek questioned, his brow furrowing in concern for the younger man.
"I fought fat, I mean I was" Spencer started. Startling as a particularly loud boom of thunder rattled the windows, he rushed out, "Tan I leep wif you?"
Morgan pulled back the covers. "Sure kiddo. Hop in." he murmured, smiling as Spencer raised his arms. Derek scooped the toddler up, settling him in the middle of the bed. After tucking them both in, he wrapped an arm around the trembling little boy and snuggled him close to his side. "It's okay, Spencer. I've got you." He soothed, running a hand up and down the toddler's arm. He continued the reassurances and the comforting motion until Spencer relaxed and dropped off to sleep. Worried about his friend, Derek lay there watching the toddler sleep as the storm outside raged. It wasn't until after the storm passed hours later that the profiler allowed himself to rest.
CM
An incessant ringing noise woke Derek. Glancing at the numbers on the clock on the nightstand, he groaned. Phone calls at three o'clock in the morning were never good. Snatching his cell off the wooden stand, he swiftly flipped it open. "Mor*yawn*gan" he answered.
"We've got a case."