Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I own nothing. I do not own anything you recognize.
Previously on Criminal Minds- Shutting the door, Dave burst out laughing. He couldn't wait to see what kind of shape the young man would be in after a few hours of dealing with Reid on a sugar rush.
CM
Morgan groaned as he started yet another slow circuit around the room. He was so never giving Spencer sugar again. The past two hours he'd learned way too much useless trivia as his charge had droned on and on at lightning speed while he hopped, jumped, ran, and bounced around the room. Derek didn't think he'd heard the kid ramble like that since Reid's first week at the FBI. He felt like his head was gonna explode if the boy didn't…
"Giddy up, Mowgan!" Spencer hollered, bouncing up and down on the older profiler's back.
Morgan crawled over to the end of the bed and stopped. "You need to find something else to do, Pretty Boy. This horse is worn out."
Spencer reluctantly slid off his friend's back. He climbed onto the bed and started lightly jumping. "We tould westle." He suggested.
"Can't you think of something to do by yourself?" Morgan asked as he dropped onto the couch and flopped on his back. "I need a break."
"Otay" Reid agreed. He bunny hopped his way to the middle of the bed and began jumping harder. He knew he shouldn't be jumping on the bed but he had such an excess of energy that he just couldn't be still. Deciding that he'd be safe as long as he stayed in the middle and didn't jump very hard, the toddler jumped high one more time before landing on his butt. Standing up, he started jumping again, lightly this time.
Morgan sighed as the room became silent. Closing his eyes, he threw an arm over his aching head and settled in for a nice, relaxing break.
Spencer's mind whirled as he bounced on the bed. Unable to contain the excess of information, the little boy spoke up. "Mowgan, did you know fat some people fint fat twamp'ling owiginated wif the Estimos? Fey used to fwow(throw) each ofew in the aiw wif a walwus stin. The fiwst modewn twamp'lin wasn't invented until nineteen fiwty fouw. Gewoge Nissen and…
"Reid, shut the Hell up!" Morgan angrily yelled, sitting straight up and cradling his head in his hands. "I don't care who invented the trampoline or when or why or any of that crap! Geez, can't you be quiet for one minute!" Getting no response, he raised his head and looked over at the bed. Seeing the teary eyed toddler standing frozen in place, Derek deflated. Running a hand over his bald head, he stood and shuffled over to the bed. "I'm sorry, Pretty Boy. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just tired." He apologized as he pulled the youngster into a hug.
"It's otay, Mowgan." Reid whispered, scrubbing a hand across his face.
Morgan smiled. "Look, let me go to the bathroom and then we'll have that wrestling rematch you asked about, okay?"
Spencer nodded.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Derek questioned the unusually quiet boy.
"I'm fine." Spencer fibbed, pasting on a smile.
Morgan eyed the boy skeptically for a moment before nodding. "Okay, be right back." He hurried over to the bathroom and shut the door.
CM
"Did you think Spencer's driven Morgan nuts yet?" Dave asked, his eyes twinkling with merriment.
"No, I think we would have heard if he had. Actually, I think the whole building would have heard." Aaron replied with a grin.
"True" Rossi agreed. "How long do you think it'll take Reid to wind down?"
"He'll be crashing soon." Hotch answered as he stood. "I'm going to go talk to the girls about heading out in about fifteen minutes. I want Spencer to have lunch before he sacks out."
"Good, I'm more than ready to put this place behind me." Dave said.
"You're not the only one." Aaron muttered, opening their door. "How about going and informing Morgan of the change of plans? We can get out of here faster that way."
"I'll text him." Dave offered. He pulled out his cell and flipped it open.
"Chicken" Aaron teased.
"Says the guy handing off the job," Dave tossed back.
"Touche" Aaron commended with a smirk before going out the door.
Chuckling, Dave brought up Morgan's name and hit text. He had just begun typing when a new message popped up from the younger man. The profiler swiftly opened the message and read it. He frowned at the screen displaying the note "Go outside your room now." Worried that something was wrong, Rossi rushed over to the door.
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Spencer carefully set Morgan's cell phone on the nightstand before going to the table. He pushed one of the chairs over to the side of the door and climbed on top of it. After unfastening the chain, he unlocked the door. The mini agent put both hands on the door handle and pushed with all his might. Getting the door open a crack, he pulled it open as far as he could before jumping down and out the door. Spying Rossi standing in the doorway of Hotch's room, the toddler raced down the hall. He jumped into the surprised man's arms and buried his face in his shoulder. "Tan I tay wif you and Hotch? Peas?" he mumbled, trying and failing to stop the tears from falling.
"Sure buddy" Dave answered, wrapping his arms around the upset boy. He walked back into Hotch's room and sat down on the bed. "What happened, kiddo? Did you and Morgan have a fight?"
"N-no" Spencer stammered, snuggling into the older man's chest.
"Then why did he send you to me?" Dave softly asked as he rubbed the youngster's back to calm him.
"He, he didn't. I sent fat text." Spencer admitted.
"You what?" Rossi growled. Tugging Reid back so he could see the boy's face, the older man scowled down at the boy. "Spencer, does Morgan know you're here?"
"I left him a note on his cell." Reid offered up, gulping at the look that crossed Rossi's face. Not wanting Dave mad at him, too, the little boy rushed to explain. "I, I had to, Wossi. Mowgan was tiwed. I was talting too much and I made him mad."
"You made him mad." Dave repeated with a frown. "Spencer, did he yell at you?"
"Yes siw" Spencer answered with a nod. "But it was my fault. I shouldn't have…"
"Stop right there, son." Dave interrupted. "It was not your fault. Morgan had no right to yell at you."
"He did what?" Aaron exclaimed from the doorway, startling the profilers on the bed.
"Hotch!" Spencer squeaked. Sliding off Rossi's lap, the youngster ran over to the young father. "Hotch, peas don't be mad at Mowgan. It wasn't his fault. I was talting too much and he was tiwed and, and…"
"It's okay, Spencer" Aaron soothed as he scooped the little boy up and hugged him tightly. "I'm not mad."
"Pwomise?" Spencer asked.
"I promise." Aaron said before setting the youngster on his feet. "Now I want you to stay with Rossi while I go have a little talk with Morgan."
"No! No, don't" Spencer pleaded, grabbing the older man's hand and attempting to pull him away from the door.
Noticing the youngster's growing distress, Dave quickly stepped in. "Let me talk to him, Aaron." He offered, discretely motioning to the upset toddler.
Aaron glanced down at his charge. Seeing the tears streaking down the boy's face, the father frowned. Leaning down, he picked Spencer up and held him close. "It's okay, Spencer. Everything's going to be alright. I promise." He cooed before turning to Dave. "You go talk to Morgan. I'll stay here."
"I thought you'd see it my way." Dave said. He patted Spencer on the back and then opened the door. "Be right back, kiddo."
Aaron walked over and sat on the bed, settling Spencer in his lap. He stayed silent, giving the boy time to pull himself together. Once the tears dried and only the occasional sniffle was heard, the young man spoke. "Are you alright now?"
"Yes siw" Spencer replied. He slid off his surrogate father's lap and gazed up at Hotch. "Umm, what should we do while we wait?"
"Oh, I have a few ideas." Aaron mysteriously answered as he stood.
"Weally? What?" Spencer curiously asked.
Aaron smirked down at the toddler before lightly tapping him on the shoulder. "Tag! You're it!"
CM
Morgan splashed some water on his face before slowly standing up. He hadn't meant to snap at Reid. It was just after two hours of nonstop motion and babbling, he'd lost it. Knowing saying sorry wasn't good enough, the profiler quickly dried his hands and opened the bathroom door. "Spencer, I didn't mean…" he broke off as he took in the empty room. "Spencer? Spencer? Come on man, this isn't funny!" he called as he raced around the room, checking under and around the furnishings. Finding no trace of the toddler, Derek ran over to the door and yanked it open. Running out, he almost bumped right into Rossi. "Rossi! I can't find Spencer!" he shouted.
"Relax, Morgan. Spencer's fine. He's in the room with Hotch." Dave related, steering the frantic man back into his own room.
Morgan's mouth dropped open in shock. That shock swiftly morphed into anger causing him to explode. "He left and went all the way to Hotch's room by himself?" he fumed, angrily heading back to the door. "I'm gonna kill him!"
Rossi quickly blocked the doorway. Crossing his arms, he sternly glared at the more muscular man. "You'll do no such thing." He stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "What you are going to do is sit down and explain to me what happened between you two."
"You're kidding, right?" Derek incredulously inquired. "Spencer takes a trek down the hall alone and you're taking his side?"
"I'm not taking anyone's side, Morgan. I'm merely attempting to find out why Spencer felt it necessary to leave." Dave replied. "But in the kid's defense, he didn't leave alone. He used your cell to send me a text, telling me to come outside the room. He told me he left you a note on the phone as well."
Frowning, Morgan glanced around the room. Spotting his cell on the nightstand, he dashed over and snatched it up. He flipped it open and punched a couple of buttons. Derek dropped onto the bed as he silently read his best friend's quickly typed note. Dropping his head to his chest, the profiler let out a deep breath. "I really screwed up."
"Maybe" Dave hedged.
"You wouldn't say that if you knew what I did." Morgan countered.
Rossi walked over and took a seat beside the younger man. "So, lay it on me. What did you do that was so horrible?"
Derek looked away. "I yelled at him, Rossi." He sadly whispered. "I told him to shut up; that I didn't care about hearing his crap."
Dave sighed. Placing a hand on Morgan's shoulder, he lightly squeezed it. "You were just on overload. Two hours of continuous talking will do that to anybody. You reached your limit and snapped and lashed out. You didn't mean it. Spencer knows that."
"If he knows that, then why did he leave?" Morgan countered.
"To give you what you needed, a little quiet time." Dave filled in.
"Man, I feel like the worst kind of scum." Morgan muttered, dropping his head into his hands.
"You made a little kid cry. I wouldn't expect you to feel any different." Dave said.
"I made him cry?" Derek quietly asked. "I thought you said he was alright."
"I did and he is." Rossi assured the anxious man. "But you have to remember Reid's stuck in the body of a toddler. Toddlers cry when people yell at them."
"Oh man, I hurt the kid. He's like my little brother. I can't believe I made him cry." Morgan uttered, running a hand over his head. "What am I gonna do? How I am gonna make this up to him?"
"Well, you can start by going to Hotch's room and apologizing." Rossi advised as he stood. He walked to the door and opened it. "Come on, let's get down there before Spencer starts thinking I kicked your behind for what happened."
"Right, like you could" Morgan scoffed. Smirking at the idea that anyone would think Rossi could beat him, the young man strode across the room and out the door. A sudden hit to his backside had him stumbling into the wall on the other side of the hallway. Spinning around, Derek pointed an accusing finger at his snickering friend. "What was that for?" he growled.
"That was me kicking your butt." Rossi stated with a smile. He chuckled as the muscular man's bottom lip poked out in a pout. "Didn't you ever hear the saying don't poke a sleeping bear?"
"No" Derek replied before breaking into a devious grin. "But I have heard the phrase payback is Hell."
"Go for it. I'm always up for a challenge." Dave told him. "But first things first. Go make up with Reid. The kid's probably driven Hotch up a wall by now."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm going." Morgan mumbled as he walked down the hallway. "Just know, this isn't over. I will have my revenge."
"Uh huh" Dave said with an exaggerated yawn. "I'll try to remember that."
Rolling his eyes at the older man, Morgan stepped up to Hotch's room, knocked on the door and then scanned the key card and walked inside. Freezing, he did a double take before stepping back out the door and checking the room number.
"What's a matter, Morgan?" Rossi asked, going into agent mode.
"They're ummm, they're" Morgan stammered. Shaking his head, he scooted to the side to let the senior profiler pass.
Rossi swiftly strode into the room. The sight of Hotch chasing a giggling Spencer around the bed had him chuckling. Leaning against the wall, he cleared his throat before calling, "Is this a private game or can anybody join?"
Aaron and Spencer immediately stopped. "I think there's room for one more in our little game." He replied.
"How about two?" Morgan asked as he stepped into the room.
"Hi Mowgan" Spencer quietly said.
"Hey, Pretty Boy, can we talk?" Derek questioned. He walked over to the bed and sat down, smiling as the toddler climbed up beside him. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, kid. I didn't mean anything I said. I was just tired and irritable and I know that's no excuse but I just, I just…"
"I know Mowgan. It's otay. I fowgive you." Spencer sincerely stated. Pushing himself up to a standing position, he threw his skinny arms around his best friend's neck.
"Thanks, kiddo" Derek whispered, returning the hug. He kissed the top of the little boy's head before reluctantly pulling away a little. "Think I can get in on your game?"
"I don't know." Spencer replied. Eyeing his friend, he rubbed his chin as he pretended to think it over. "It's otay wif me but you'll have to ast Hotch."
Smiling, Morgan stood and turned to his boss. "What about it, Hotch? Can I play, too?"
Hotch sighed. "Morgan, I have just one thing to say to you." He said. He swatted the back of the younger man's head before calling, "Tag! You're it!"