Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I own nothing. I do not own anything you recognize.
Previously on Criminal Minds- Spencer mulled over all the information as he slowly chewed his mouthful of casserole. Cocking his head to one side, he set the spoon on the table and looked at his friends. "What about her boyfriend?"
CM
Spencer's inquiry was answered with complete silence as the adults stared open-mouthed at their junior g-man. As ill as he was the boy had still managed to come up with what might be a vital clue.
Breaking into a grin, Morgan beamed with pride. "Your brain never takes a holiday, does it Pretty Boy?" he asked, patting the toddler on the back.
"You say that like it's a surprise." Emily stated.
"Yeah, Morgan. You should be used to Spence thinking rings around you." JJ teased, earning a mock glare from the muscular agent.
Sensing things were about to get out of hand, Dave quickly refocused the group. "You've got a good point there, kiddo. A boyfriend would definitely fit the profile." He mused, rubbing his beard. "What do you think Hotch?"
"It's a good theory but I'm afraid it doesn't fit what we know. I asked Mrs. Beyton about a boyfriend or a significant male friend in her daughter's life. She said Amy hadn't had a boyfriend for several months. She went out with her girlfriends almost every night and they either stayed out until late at night or didn't come home until morning but there was no male friend." Hotch explained.
"She went out every night with girl friends? Please!" Prentiss snorted, rolling her eyes. "Her mom actually bought that load of bull?"
"She wouldn't be the only one." Reid suggested, absentmindedly pushing the remains of the casserole around his plate. "A tudy in two fousand two found fat fiwty-seven pewcent of females in feiw(their) late teens to eawily twenties admitted to, *cough*, having had one ow mowe welationships fat fey hid fwom feir pawents fow one weason ow anofew."
"Spence is right about that. I remember having a couple of secret relationships growing up. They never lasted long of course. My parents always got wind of it somehow and they'd put an end to it before I could get into any real trouble." JJ relayed. "When you're a teenager, there's just something exciting about dating a guy with a "bad boy" image. I think most girls have dated one of the so called "bad boys" at one time or another. Right, Em?"
"Are you kidding? The only reason I dated half the guys I did was to tick my mother off." Prentiss admitted with an evil grin.
"Emily Prentiss! I'm shocked!" Derek mock gasped, placing a hand over his heart. Hearing giggling, he glanced down at his best friend. He winked at the laughing toddler. "You were a wild girl?"
"What was your first clue?" JJ joked as she wiped Spencer's mouth and hands.
"Laugh it up while you can guys. Just remember I don't get mad." Emily threatened. Smirking at the "oh crap!" expressions on her friends' faces, she stuck her tongue out at the two before turning her attention to the tiny agent across the table from her. "Are you through, Sweetie?" she asked.
"Uh huh" Reid answered with a nod.
"You want another popsicle, kiddo?" Dave questioned, already getting out of his chair.
"Yes peas" Spencer replied. Taking the tasty treat from the senior agent, he quickly popped it in his mouth, sighing as it soothed his sore throat. The tiny profiler glanced around the table at his friends as they bantered back and forth. Each and every one of them was going out of their way to ensure that he was happy and safe. Their actions spoke loud and clear. He was part of their family and they loved him. Reid wished he had a way to show them just how much they meant to him. But in this little body, there wasn't much he could do. He'd just have to wait until he was back to his adult self to let his friends know how much he cared. Decision made, the youngster leaned back against his surrogate father and fisted his eyes with his free hand. Yawning around his popsicle, he let his friends soothing voices wash over him.
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Hotch set his fork on his empty plate and drank the last of his coffee. He glanced down at his charge, chuckling at the sight of the sleeping toddler sucking on the popsicle stick like a pacifier. "Looks like its bedtime." He whispered. "I'll give him his meds and get him settled in bed and then we'll go. Morgan, I want you to stay with him."
"You've got it, Boss" Derek replied.
Aaron gently picked Spencer up and carried him to the bed. He sat down on one side of the bed and settled the boy in his lap before shaking Reid's shoulder. "Wake up Spencer. You need to take your medicine."
Spencer's face scrunched as his eyes slowly opened. Yawning, he fisted his eyes for a moment. Seeing the rest of the team clearing the table, he sighed. He turned and stared forlornly up at Hotch. "You have to go, don't you?" Spencer asked, snatching up his stuffed Ewok. He knew he shouldn't be upset that they were leaving him but he just couldn't help it. He was starting to feel terrible again and he wanted his family.
Hotch nodded. "We need to get started on that clue you gave us. Don't worry though. Morgan's going to be here with you. And I'll just be a phone call away. You tell Morgan to call me if you need me, alright?"
"Yes siw" Spencer replied. He nervously twisted his stuffed toy's ear for a moment before softly stammering, "Tould, tould you…nevewmind"
"What is it kiddo?" Aaron asked.
"Nofing" Spencer answered, gazing down at his pajama clad knees.
"It's not nothing." Aaron countered. "Come on buddy talk to me. What do you need?" Getting no answer, he sighed. "Spencer, it's okay to ask for help, you know that right? Nobody's going to make fun of you or think you're weak. I promise. Now what is it? And don't tell me it's nothing. Whatever it is, it's important to you and that makes it important to me."
"It's important to all of us." Dave softly said, taking a seat on the opposite side of the bed from Hotch and the toddler.
"Come on son, tell me what you need?" Hotch coached.
"Will, will you tay wif me till I fall aleep?"
Hotch's "Of course, I will" was echoed by the rest of the team as they all sat down around the bed, forming a circle around the littlest member of their team.
Smiling down at his surrogate son, Aaron ruffled the toddler's hair. "See that wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked as he reached over to the nightstand for the medicine bottle. "Now, let's get your medicine in you and then we'll go sit in the rocker."
"Wait" Spencer said, pushing the bottle away. He'd finally thought of a way to show his family how he felt about them and he needed to do it before he lost his nerve. Sliding out of Hotch's lap, he crawled over to Rossi and climbed in his lap. Using the older man's shirt as leverage, he shakily pulled himself up to stand, wrapped his tiny arms around Dave's neck, and kissed his friend's cheek. "Night, Wossi" he wearily rasped.
"Night buddy" Dave echoed, kissing the boy's forehead.
Smiling, Spencer reached out for Morgan.
Morgan quickly took Reid from Rossi and hugged him to his chest.
"Night Mowgan" Spencer croaked, kissing his best friend's cheek.
"Night Pretty Boy" Derek said, kissing the top of the toddler's head. Morgan then passed the tired boy to Prentiss.
Spencer kissed the raven haired profiler's cheek as he hugged her tightly. "N-night *yawn* Emily" Spencer whispered.
"Goodnight Sweetie. Feel better soon." Prentiss said, returning the hug and kiss. She held the toddler close for a few seconds before reluctantly handing him to JJ.
"Night JJ" Spencer yawned, giving his friend a sloppy kiss.
"Night night Spence" JJ replied as she kissed the toddler's forehead. "You be good for Morgan, okay?"
"I will." Spencer promised. Squirming out of JJ's hold, he crawled back into Hotch's lap. "Up" he requested, raising his arms.
Smiling, Aaron complied. Scooping the boy up, he wrapped him in a loving embrace.
"N-night H, *cough* Hotch" Spencer whispered, planting a kiss on the older man's cheek. Laying his head on Hotch's shoulder, he closed his eyes with a contended sigh.
"Not so fast, Spencer" Aaron stated, shaking the toddler awake once more. "You've still got to take your medicine."
"Otay" Spencer agreed. He took the measuring cup of pink syrupy looking medicine and swiftly swallowed it down. "Yut!" he exclaimed, sticking out his tongue.
"Here you go, Champ. This will help." Dave said, exchanging the measuring cup with a small cup of water.
"Fants" Spencer rasped before greedily gulping down the cool liquid. He handed the empty cup back to the older man and laid his head back down on Hotch's shoulder.
Aaron walked over to the rocking chair in the corner of the room. He took a seat and slowly started to rock, humming a lullaby as he did. It didn't take long for Spencer to fall asleep. Hotch rocked through one more verse of the lullaby before stopping the chair. He shuffled across the room and tucked the toddler into bed. "Sleep tight, kiddo" he whispered, brushing the boy's bangs out of his face. Smiling, Hotch stood and walked over to the others. "Keep an eye on him, Morgan." he ordered.
"I will, Hotch. Don't worry." Morgan assured the anxious father.
"I don't think that's possible." Aaron responded, glancing back at the sick boy on the bed. Turning back to the rest of his team, he sighed. "Let's head out. I want to interview some of Amy's friends before it gets too late."
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Morgan startled as his ring tone sounded. Grabbing his cell off the nightstand, he hurriedly flipped it open. He looked over at his tiny best friend, letting out a relieved breathe when he saw the boy still peacefully sleeping. Putting the cell to his ear, he whispered, "Morgan"
"Morgan, it's JJ. Spence was right. Amy did have a boyfriend, a guy named James Scott. Garcia managed to track him to an abandoned warehouse just outside of town. The team is heading out there now and Hotch wants you to meet them at the site." JJ explained. "He sent me to take over Reid watching."
"Okay, how long till you get here?" Morgan asked as he silently crept around the room getting his things together.
"I'm just walking into the lobby now. I should be at your door in a few minutes." JJ informed her friend.
"I'll be watching for you." Morgan said. Flipping his phone closed, he sat down on one of the wooden chairs and slid on his shoes. He fastened his shoulder holster and walked over to the door. Peering through the peephole, he smiled as JJ's face came into view. He opened the door and ushered the blond inside. "Ear drops went in at nine thirty. His fever started going up again so I gave him some more Tylenol at eight."
"Got it." JJ replied, glancing over at the sleeping toddler. "Garcia sent the address to the warehouse to your cell. Hotch promised he'd wait till you got there to go in."
"I guess I better get going then." Morgan stated. He started for the door only to be stopped by a hand on his arm.
"Be careful, Morgan. All the information we found on this guy shows he is an extremely violent man." JJ warned. "He won't go down without a fight."
"It'll be okay, JJ. I promise." Morgan assured his friend. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly before turning and hurrying out the door.
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"One hundred and one point four" JJ read, shaking her head. Setting the thermometer on the nightstand, she glanced at the clock. "Alright, Spence. It's been a little over four hours. I'll get you some more Tylenol. Be right back, okay?"
"O-o-otay" Spencer agreed with a shiver.
JJ hurried over to the counter and grabbed the Children's Tylenol bottle. She twisted the cap off and poured a dose. Hearing her cell ring, she glanced at the display before quickly flipping it open. "Em, did you get him?...Who got hurt?...How bad is it?...Okay, where are they taking him?...You better…His fever's going back up again. I was just about to give him some more fever reducer when you called…no, no trips to the bathroom…okay, you better…yeah, bye." Closing her cell, she walked back over to the bed. "Okay Spence, bottoms up."
Spencer shook his head. "Who got huwt?" he asked.
JJ sighed. She should have known he'd heard that. "Hotch" she honestly answered. "The unsub knocked him out. Em said he's okay, though."
Spencer eyed her skeptically. "Fen why is he going to the ho'pital?"
"He's just going to get checked out, Sweetie." JJ replied.
"Let's go." Spencer said as he threw the blankets off his legs.
"No. You're not in any shape to be going out." She told him.
"You tan tate me ow I'll find my own way." Reid warned.
"Really? And just how to you plan to do that?" she challenged. "Even if you managed to escape the room and get to the lobby, how would you get to the hospital? It's not like you could ask the hotel manager to call you a cab. Now come on, get back under the covers before you make yourself sicker."
Spencer stubbornly crossed his arms. "I might not be able to tall a tab but I have anofew way. I tan fall and hit my head again and fen you'll have to tate me." He threatened, scooting closer to the edge.
JJ's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't dare." She growled.
"Twy me." Reid shot back. He scooted a little closer to the edge to show that he meant business. A dizzy spell suddenly hit causing him to close his eyes. Swaying, he yelped as he started to topple off the bed.
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Morgan paced the length of the waiting room as the group waited for the doctor to come out.
"Morgan, come sit down." Rossi ordered. "You're making me dizzy."
"Fine" Morgan huffed. He stomped over to his fellow agents and dropped into one of the faded blue plastic chairs. Running a hand across his bald head, he bounced his leg restlessly.
The profilers fell into silence, each wondering how badly their friend was injured. Two cups of crappy coffee later, they finally heard footsteps heading their way. Looking up, they saw "JJ? What are you and Reid doing here?" Morgan inquired.
"Spence, overheard our conversation and insisted on coming." JJ replied as she took a seat beside the others. "And after his little stunt, I decided I'd better bring him before he did something stupid."
"What stunt?" Rossi asked.
"He tried to fall off the bed so I'd have to bring him here." JJ explained.
Reid winced at the glares that were levered his way. "I told you fat was an ass'dent. I got dizzy."
"Spencer Reid, that had better…" Rossi's scolding cut off when a doctor stepped into a room. Standing, the senior agent walked over to the dark haired man in the lab coat. "How is he?" he questioned.
"Agent Hotchner has suffered a mild concussion." Dr. Lewis informed the group. "I'd like to admit him for twenty four hour observation but he's not being a very cooperative patient."
"Let me guess. He's insisting on signing out." Rossi guessed.
"Yes" the doctor simply replied.
Dave ran a hand across his face. "Let us talk to him." he instructed.
The doctor looked over the profilers before nodding. "Right this way." He said.
The team followed Dr. Lewis through a door and down a short hall to a curtained off cubicle. Pulling back the curtain, they walked through to see their leader lying on a gurney. A stark white bandage was barely visible underneath his head.
"Hotch!" Spencer exclaimed, reaching out for his surrogate father.
"Spencer?" Aaron muttered. He took the upset toddler from JJ and settled him on his chest. "Hey, it's okay. I'm alright. It's just a little bump." He assured, rubbing the boy's back. Feeling Spencer's heated skin through his shirt, he quickly placed the back of his hand on the youngster's forehead. He frowned at the heat he found there. "When's the last time he had any fever reducer?"
"Not since eight. I was just about to give him another dose when Em called. Spence refused to take any then." JJ explained. Reaching in her purse, she pulled out the medicine bottle. "I was hoping you'd be able to talk him into taking some."
"He'll take it now." Hotch said, giving his charge a pointed look. Taking the bottle from JJ, he struggled to unscrew the lid.
"Here let me get that." Morgan offered. He took the bottle from his boss, unscrewed the lid, poured a dose, and handed the measuring cup to Hotch.
"Alright Spencer, open up." Aaron instructed.
Reid reluctantly swallowed the medicine down, making a face at the horrible taste.
Handing the cup back to Morgan, Aaron wrapped his arms around the ailing boy. He smiled as the toddler popped his thumb in his mouth and closed his eyes. His breathing was just starting to even out when the curtain swished open and a stern looking nurse shuffled in, startling the little boy awake.
Nurse Hilda took one look at the baby lying on her patient and huffed. "You folks need to leave. We need to transfer Mr. Hotchner to a room now." She told the group.
Reid's "I'm not going!" came at the same time as Hotch's "I'm not staying!"
Sighing, Rossi stepped up to the gurney. "Aaron, you are staying." He ordered, taking the struggling toddler. "Be still, Spencer. You'll see him again in a few minutes. The nurse will come get us just as soon as he's settled in, right Nurse Hilda?"
"I most certainly will not." The nurse disagreed. "It's past visiting hours. You'll have to come back tomorrow to see him."
It was Rossi's turn to scowl. Shifting the toddler in his arms, he pulled out his ID and flashed it. "You will get us the second Agent Hotchner is in his room. Understand?" he commanded.
"As I already told you sir" Nurse Hilda angrily spat. "Visiting hours are…"
"Is there a problem in here?" Dr. Sawyer asked as he stuck his head through the curtain. Seeing the familiar faces, he stepped inside. "What are you folks doing back here? Don't tell me Little Bit's worse."
"No, we're not here for Spencer. Aaron's the patient this time." Dave replied.
Dr. Sawyer walked over to the gurney and looked at Hotch. "Like son, like father, huh?" he teased.
"Something like that." Aaron answered with a smile.
Shaking her head at the young doctor, she stormed over to the man. "Dr. Sawyer, will you please do your job and tell these people that they need to leave and come back tomorrow during visiting hours."
"I'm afraid I can't do that Hilda. You see, the little boy there is my patient and I'm not going to do anything that would set back his recovery. If he wants to stay with his daddy, I'm all for it." Sawyer informed the uptight nurse. "Now why don't you get back on your broom and go bother somebody else."
"Why I never!" Nurse Hilda gasped.
"I know. That's kinda your problem." Dr. Sawyer fired back, snickering as the woman huffed before stomping out of the cubicle.
"Man, I can't believe you said that." Morgan chuckled.
Dr. Sawyer smirked. "That was a good one, wasn't it?" he boasted.
"That was a mean thing to say." JJ scolded. "You should be ashamed of yourself."
"Oh please, the old bat deserves that and more. She lived down the street from me when I was a kid and ever since I started working here, she has taken great pleasure in reminding me of every little bad thing I did growing up. I swear the witch has it out for me." Dr. Sawyer explained. Seeing the orderly come through the curtain, he smiled. "You folks go on out to the waiting room. I'll escort Mr. Hotchner and Spencer to their room and then I'll come get you. Y'all can stay with them as long as you like."
"Thanks doc" Rossi said, shaking the younger man's hand. Motioning to the others, he glanced back at his injured and sick family members before following the others out of the cubicle.
Dr. Sawyer took up position at the front of the gurney. Unlocking the brakes, he started pushing. "Come on gentlemen, let's get you to your room for the night." he whispered. Together with the orderly, they rolled the gurney across the room and out of the cubicle.