Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I own nothing. I do not own anything you recognize.
AN- Sorry it's so short. It's been that kind of week.
Previously on Criminal Minds- Wrapping his arms around the now peacefully sleeping little boy, he readied himself for a long, sleepless night.
A soft sound roused Hotch from a deep sleep. Opening his eyes, he blinked to clear his vision before glancing around the room for the source of the noise that woke him. Midway through his search he heard a pained whimper causing him to look down at his sleeping charge. Seeing Reid curled into the fetal position with tears streaming down his face and both hands covering his infected ear, the surrogate father gasped. He swiftly sat up, scooted against the headboard of the bed, and picked up the ailing boy. Hotch gently removed Reid's tiny hands from his ear before resting the toddler's head on his shoulder. "Shhh, Spencer, it's alright" he soothed as he began rubbing the youngster's back. "Is your ear hurting that bad?"
"Yes sir" Spencer cried. Moaning as the pain intensified, he latched onto the front of his boss's shirt and held on tight.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" Aaron asked as he glanced at the time on the alarm clock sitting on the nightstand.
"You, you wewe leeping and I know you don't, don't get much leep on a tase and I, I didn't want to, to…" Spencer paused, sticking his thumb in his mouth and sucking on it for comfort. "To bofew(bother) you again. I've been enough twouble…"
"Spencer" Aaron growled, cutting the boy off. He thought they'd gotten past this but evidently not. "You are not trouble or a bother. What you are is family and families take care of each other."
"But I toot you 'way fwom the tase." Spencer argued around his thumb.
"Yes, you did but that's okay. Being there for you in that ER was more important than the case." Hotch stated, frowning at the disbelief he saw on the mini agent's face. Thinking an example might help Reid understand, he posed this question. "Spencer, think back for a moment. Do you remember what happened in the middle of that case in Texas a couple of years ago?"
"Uh huh" Reid replied. "Haley talled and told you she was tating Jat to the ER."
"That's right. And do you remember what I did?" Aaron prodded.
Spencer thought for a moment. "You, *cough*, you put Gid'on in chawge and flew home."
Hotch nodded. "Do you think Jack was being trouble or bothering me?" he inquired.
Spencer stared up at Aaron like he'd grown two heads. "Of Towse not" he answered.
"And why is that?" Aaron asked.
"Betause Jat is youw son." Reid said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's only wight fow you to be thewe fow him."
Hotch nodded. "It's the same with you."
"Wh, *sniff* what?" the little boy questioned, his forehead scrunching in confusion.
"Our team is a family and like it or not, you are the baby of that family." Aaron explained, sighing at the skeptical expression on the tiny agent's face. "Spencer, do you mean to tell me you don't think of us as your family?"
"No, I do" Reid replied, quietly adding, "I jut didn't fint you guys…"
"Felt the same way?" Aaron finished. The boy's wince was all the answer he needed. The BAU leader sadly shook his head. For all his genius the kid could really be dumb sometimes. Determined to make the toddler understand, Aaron thought for a moment. "Spencer, you are part of our family: a very important part. We all love you. Think about it. If you were just a co-worker, would the girls make over you and mother you like they do? Would Morgan be so over protective of you? Would he insist on dragging you out of your apartment and taking you out on the town for your own good? And what about JJ? Why would she and Will make you Henry's godfather if you were just a co-worker?" he questioned. The father allowed Reid a few minutes to mull over everything before continuing. "I'll tell you why; because you're not just a co-worker, you're family."
"I am?" Spencer asked, hope shining in his eyes.
"Yes, you are." Aaron said, lovingly palming the boy's cheek. "You are every bit as important to me as Hailey and Jack and I know the others feel the same way."
"Weally?" Reid whispered.
"Really" Aaron repeated with a smile. "The others were so worried about you it was almost impossible to get them to go back to their rooms for the night. In fact the only way I got them to leave was to threaten to revoke their babysitting privileges until you were well."
"You, *yawn* you didn't!" Reid giggled. That giggle turned into a moan as the pain spiked once more.
"Okay, enough talk. Let's get some medicine in you so you can go back to sleep." Hotch suggested as he stood and started towards the table.
"Eaw dwops?" Spencer asked with a grimace. He hated the way those felt.
"No, it's too early to use those again." Aaron regretfully informed the boy. Making it to the table, he picked up a plastic, medicine bottle and a bag before going back to the bed and taking a seat. He set the bag down beside him, took the cap off the bottle, and poured a dose into the top that doubled as a measuring cap. "Bottoms up" he said, handing the cup to Spencer.
Reid raised his head long enough to swallow the grape flavored medicine. Dropping his head back on Hotch's shoulder, he closed his eyes, hoping the medicine would kick in soon.
"Spencer" Aaron softly called. "I've got something that might help until the Tylenol starts working but I have to lay you down first. Is that okay?"
"Yes" Spencer simply answered. He didn't really want to leave the comfort of Hotch's arms but at this point he'd do anything to stop the pain.
Aaron gently laid the toddler on his left side. Picking up the bag from earlier, he pulled out a heating pad and proceeded to plug it into the socket on the wall. The profiler turned the switch to low before carefully placing it over Reid's ear. "That should help in just a few seconds." He told the little boy. "Morgan said his mother swears by it."
Spencer squirmed. He didn't think a little heat could possibly stop the horrible pain he was…his thoughts ground to a halt as the warmth of the heating pad started to ease his ear ache. Sighing in relief, he closed his eyes.
Aaron watched as the tension slowly drained from Reid's body and the toddler drifted off to sleep. Letting out a relived breath, the weary father pinched the bridge of his nose. He hated seeing the littlest agent in so much pain, especially in the state he was now. He had the strongest urge to snuggle Spencer into his side and hold him until he was well once more. Shaking his head at that notion, Hotch slowly removed the heating pad, turned it off, and set it on the nightstand. He sat and watched his ill charge sleep for a few hours before climbing into bed next to the youngster and going to sleep himself.
CM
"I'm not leaving him, Dave" Hotch argued, pinning the older man with the glare he usually reserved for suspects.
"Aaron, you're the team leader. You have to go." Rossi countered, returning the glare with one of his own. Noting his boss' unwavering resolve, the profiler sighed. "Look Aaron, I'm not thrilled about leaving the kid either but we don't have a choice. We have a case."
"Dave"
"I know Aaron. I know." Rossi softly said, placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "But it's just for the morning. You'll be back here before you know it. Besides, it's not like we're leaving him alone. JJ will be with him. She'll take good care of Spencer. You know that."
"I know, it's just…"
"You guys ready to head out?" Morgan quietly asked as he walked up beside them.
"Aaron?"
"Fine" Hotch huffed. "But at the first sign that he's getting worse…"
"We'll all come running." Morgan broke in, his face telling the older men he was dead serious.
"Agreed" Dave said.
"Alright, you two go ahead down stairs. I'll fill JJ in on Reid's medications and times and then I'll meet you in the lobby." Hotch instructed.
"Five minutes" Rossi stated, holding up one hand. "Anymore and we're coming up to get you."
"Understood" the BAU leader replied. Turning on his heels, he walked over to JJ, who was sitting in a chair beside the bed. Looking over her, he watched Spencer sleep for a few moments before reluctantly tapping the media liaison on the shoulder.
"You're leaving?" JJ whispered, glancing back at her boss.
"Yes" Aaron answered as he sidestepped the chair and crept up to the bed. He bent down and picked up the stuffed Ewok that had fallen to the floor. Pulling back the blanket, he carefully lifted Spencer's arm and placed the toy under it. The father chuckled as the tiny arm immediately curled around the stuffed animal. After tucking the cover back around the sleeping boy, Hotch palmed Spencer's cheek to check his temperature and then turned back to JJ. "He needs to take his antibiotic when he wakes up. Try to get him to eat some cereal or toast or something before he takes it otherwise he'll have a stomachache later. He's not due for more ear drops until nine but you can use the heating pad on low if he's hurting before then. Oh, and I gave him some Tylenol around three this morning so he can have another dose if he needs it after breakfast. Also, if he does start throwing up, I left the sup…"
"Aaron, Spence will be fine. I promise I'll take good care of him until you get back." JJ assured the worried father. "You just concentrate on the case."
"I'll try." Hotch pledged. He glanced down at his ill charge and then turned and shuffled to the door. "Call me if there's the slightest change."
"I will." JJ agreed, smiling at how over protective her friend was being.
Nodding, Aaron opened the hotel room door. "I'll see you at lunch." He called over his shoulder before walking out the door.
"Well, it looks like it's just you and me, Spence" JJ whispered as she reached out and brushed a stray bang out of youngster's eyes. Seeing the little boy snuggle farther down in the covers, she smiled. "Sleep well, Sweetie" she whispered. JJ leaned over and kissed Spencer's forehead before standing and going to the table. Taking a seat, she picked up the room service menu. Keeping one eye on her sleeping charge, she began perusing the folder for a breakfast food Reid might feel up to eating when he woke up.
CM
"Alright, what do we have so far?" Hotch asked as he stared around the table at his team.
"Four victims in three different counties, all teachers" Rossi recited.
"And beside each victim was the words "You failed" written in blood" Prentiss added.
"Don't forget all the victims were killed at home and every murder contained something school related. There were the colored pencils, the protractor, the bookshelf full of books, and the Bunsen burner." Morgan ticked off.
"The strength needed to commit the crimes indicates that the unsub is male." Hotch deduced. "The force of the stab wounds as well as the bookcase being upended point to a very strong unsub."
"And an angry one, too. The crimes appear to be revenge motivated." Dave theorized. "I'd say he…"
"Agent Hotchner!" Officer Stubing shouted as he raced into the room. "There's been another murder!