Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I own nothing. Feel free to read and review, but please don't copy.
AN- Thank you for everyone still reading this one. You guys are great!
Oh, and if Hotch is a little OOC in my story, thank you for either not noticing, not caring, or being nice enough not to point it out. I thought I was writing him in character.
Previously on Criminal Minds- Aaron looked over at his son. Seeing Spencer struggling to keep his eyes open, he strode to the couch and scooped his sleepy little boy up. "Come on buddy. Time for bed." He whispered.
Realization
CM
Spencer awoke with a contented sigh. That had been the best and most restful night's sleep he'd gotten in a long time. He was almost sorry he had to get up. Then again today was the first day of his new freedom. The youngster shot up. His new rules! He'd almost forgotten! Starting today he got to enjoy being a kid while still making all his own decisions. It was the best of both worlds! Excited by that prospect Reid shoved the blankets off his lower half, crawled to the edge of the bed, and slid down the side on his tummy. He skipped over to the footstool to retrieve the clothes Hotch had laid out for him. Finding the piece of furniture devoid of his things, the little boy frowned. Hotch had been setting out two outfits for him to choose from for a while now. Why hadn't he done it today? Where was Hotch anyway? He was never far away when Spencer woke up. Maybe he was in the bathroom. Yeah, that had to be it! Spinning around, the itty bitty profiler raced to the bathroom. The wide open door and dark room told him his father figure was not inside. The concern he felt swiftly changed to worry. Something had to be wrong for Hotch to be MIA. Had they gotten called in on a case or was one of the others sick or hurt? Or maybe something had happened to Haley and Jack? Maybe Foyet found them and… Spencer gasped! He had to find Hotch now! Morning routine forgotten, the little boy dashed down the hall to the staircase. He ran as fast as he dared down the wooden steps. Tipping on the last one, he landed hard on his hands and knees with a yelp. Shoving his pain to the side, Reid jumped to his feet and scampered through the living room and into the kitchen. He slid to a stop beside the table where Hotch, Rossi, and Morgan were all calmly sitting drinking their coffee. Spencer eyed the group curiously for a moment before asking, "What awe you doing down hewe, Hotch?"
Aaron glanced down at his charge, eyebrow rising at the sight of the pajama clad boy. "I came down to eat breakfast like I do every morning." He replied.
Spencer stared at his father figure waiting for the man to holler 'Got you!' or something but Hotch didn't so much as crack a smile. He just sat there sipping his coffee like it was the most normal thing in the world; like he hadn't forgotten to wait and come down with Spencer. His lower lip began to tremble at the hurt that thought brought.
Seeing the action, Rossi quickly spoke up. "Hey kid, are you ready to eat?"
Reid glanced over at the eldest member of his family. "Yes siw" he answered.
"Waffles or a ham biscuit?" Dave questioned as he stood and walked over to the sink to deposit his empty mug.
"Waffles, peas" Spencer told him.
"Okay" Rossi said. He walked back to the table, grabbed a chair, and carried it over to the counter by the sink. "I figured as much. The waffle mix, maker, and everything else are right there. Make as many as you want. We're going downstairs to play a few games of pool."
Spencer's mouth dropped open. "You mean I, I…" he stammered. "But I don't know how to mate waffles."
"The directions are on the box." Aaron advised. He set his mug and plate in the sink and then the three men walked out of the room, leaving their youngest alone.
Reid stared after the men in shock. They were just going to leave him here to cook his own breakfast?! Just what the Hell was going on?! The floored tot stood stock still, waiting for his friends to come back in and tell him they were just joking. After several minutes went by with no sign of anyone however, Spencer had to accept that he had been left to fend for himself. Sniffling, he slowly plodded over to the chair, climbed onto it, and grabbed the box of waffle mix.
CM
One lumpy breakfast later Spencer trudged down the stairs to the playroom. Finding everyone happily engaged in one activity or another, he sadly tromped over to the sofa, climbed up, and sat down beside Garcia who was playing a game on her laptop.
Penelope took one glance at the forlorn boy and reached out to pull him into her arms for a great, big hug. She swiftly retracted her hands however, when she recalled Reid's new requirements. While it was clear to her he needed comfort, the boy might not accept it. Seeing the large, dewy eyes, the tech analyst knew she had to at least try. "Reid" Garcia called. She waited for the boy to look at her before continuing. "Is it, is it okay if I give you a hug?" she hesitantly asked.
Spencer looked at his friend like she'd lost her mind. Garcia was asking if she could hug him?! Garcia never asked! She just did it and if you didn't like it tough.
Taking the profiler's silence as rejection, Penelope quickly started backpedaling. "I, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."
"No, no its otay!" Spencer protested, wrapping his tiny arms around her. "I was 'pwised you asted."
Garcia laughed. "I don't usually ask, do I?" she said, hugging her Junior G-man.
"No" Reid answered, snuggling into her side. "You've always 'veloped me in a bone twushing hug whenevew you feel lite it no mattew whewe we awe."
"Well, I promise I'm going to do better from now on." Penelope said, reluctantly releasing the little boy. "No more surprise hugs. Cross my heart." Needing to get away before she could break the promise she just made, the tech analyst stood up, set her laptop on the couch, and hurried across the room to the pool table. If she couldn't hug her snuggle bunny anymore, she'd hug her chocolate Adonis instead.
Spencer sighed as Garcia practically ran away from him. Something was wrong. Everyone seemed to be acting strange and he didn't know why. 'There's only one way to find out.' He thought. Narrowing his eyes at the pool playing group, the youngster slid off the couch and began stalking towards them, determined to get some answers.
CM
By the time lunchtime rolled around Spencer was one very confused, hurt little boy. Nothing had gone as it normally would and he didn't know what to make of that. Besides the disappearance of his and Hotch's morning routine and having to make his own breakfast, no one had commented on the fact that he was still wearing his pajamas or that he hadn't bathed and they didn't touch him or play with him unless he asked. And to top it off Hotch was avoiding him like the plague. He just didn't get it. Just what was going on?
"What do you think's going on? They doing what you said you wanted." The partially brown and black puppy in his coloring book said, smirking when the youngster startled.
"Loti(Loki)?" Spencer mumbled, eyeing the lively drawing critically.
"The one and only" the trickster replied, wagging his tail. He lifted a hind leg and scratched the back of his head and then looked back up at the upset child. "Let me guess; you thought your family would still treat you the same after your little rule change."
"Why wouldn't fey?" Reid asked.
"Are you kidding? You tell them to treat you like a kid and a grown-up and you can't figure out why they're acting different?" Gabe questioned, cocking his head to one side. "Kid, they're trying to do what you asked. They're just not sure which way to treat you when. They can't hardly treat you like both at the same time."
"But I said fey tould…"
"I know what you told them doofus. That doesn't make it any easier on them." Loki explained. "They're attempting to walk a very fine line. Granted it's not going so well right now but I'm sure they'll get the hang of it in a few weeks."
"A few weeks!" Reid exclaimed. "It'll be Twismas(Christmas) by fen!"
"What did you expect? It's hard for old dogs to learn new tricks." The trickster said, grinning widely. "Get it?" Seeing the tot's shoulders slump, he sighed. "Look kid, you can't have it both ways no matter what anyone says."
Spencer scowled. "But I, I don't wanna be a tid."
"I didn't say you had to be. The choice is yours not mine. You can either go on like this until you turn back or you can go back to the way it was before your new rule negotiation." Gabe told the disgruntled youngster.
Spencer put his elbows on the table and propped his head on his hands. "I don't know what to do." He miserably muttered.
Loki leaned forward and licked the boy's arm. "Hey Moping Myrtle, do you know why little kids are so happy?" he asked. Getting a head shake in response, he wagged his tail. "It's because they don't have to make any decisions. They can just sit back and relax. They're free to play without care because they leave the hard stuff to their parents. They don't have to worry about what to wear or eat or anything like that. They just run and play and have to good time. Sound like fun?"
"Yeah, but…"
"But you're not a real kid. I know." Gabe broke in. "And as an adult you want to make your own decisions. You don't get it, do you? Yes, your friends were treating you like a kid but not completely. They were letting you make a ton of decisions every day. Mr. Stick up his A…Butt let you pick your outfits, your breakfast and snack, and even what you did during the day. You were allowed to bathe yourself, go to work, heck, they even let you help cook sometimes. That's more than any little kid your age gets to do."
"I hadn't fought about it lite fat." Reid admitted.
"I figured as much." Loki replied. "Look, the decision is yours to make. But if I were you, I'd enjoy the freedom being a kid gives you. You won't get another chance to relax and not worry about anything. Let someone else take the reins for a while; someone like that Hotch guy is okay even if he is as uptight as they come."
"I don't know if he'll want to." Spencer sadly whispered. "I fint he's mad at me. He hasn't tome neaw me all mowning."
"Can you blame him? You told him you hated him." Gabe reminded.
"I, I didn't mean it. I was jut angwy." Reid defended.
"Did you tell him that? Maybe apologize for it?" Gabe prodded.
Spencer's eyes widened. "I, I, I've gotta find Hotch!" he shouted. Leaping to his feet, he raced out of the room. He ran from room to room, searching for his father figure. After a fruitless search downstairs, the little boy rushed up the stairs and started looking in each room. He found nothing until he opened the door to the room he shared with Hotch. Seeing the man's arm hanging off the bed, he darted over and scampered up onto the mattress. Reid crawled to his boss and father, gasping as he caught sight of the spreading red stain on Hotch's white shirt. Grabbing his friend's cold hand, he felt for a pulse, letting out a wail when he didn't find one. "No, no, no" Spencer hollered, wrapping his arms around Hotch's neck. "You tan't be, be…peas tome bat! I'm sowwy I said I hated you! I'm sowwy! I'm sowwy! I'm sowwy!"
"Spencer? Spencer, wake up!" Aaron urged, shaking his crying son's shoulder. "Come on buddy, wake up! You're starting to scare me here. Spencer? Spencer!"
Spencer awoke with a gasp! Feeling himself wrapped in a loving embrace, he glanced up to see… "Hotch! You're not dead!" he cried.
"Dead?" Hotch repeated, rubbing the terrified boy's back. "That must have been some nightmare."
"Nightmare? You, you mean it was all a dream?" Spencer inquired. "I didn't weally mate my own waffles and play by myself all mowning?"
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Spencer, I know we agreed to allow you to make your own decisions but there doesn't mean you'll be making your own meals. I'd never allow you to cook alone no matter how much you begged."
"Fant you! Fant you!" Spencer shouted, tightening his hold on his father. "I, I'm sowwy Hotch! I'm sowwy I said I hated you! I don't! I was jut mad and it tame out. I didn't mean it! I love you! Peas fowgive me! I'm sowwy! I'm sowwy! I'm sowwy!"
"Shhh, Spencer! It's okay. You're forgiven." Aaron softly absolved, rocking his distraught son. He rocked and rubbed and murmured reassurances until the tiny little boy's crying stopped and his breathing evened out in sleep. Hotch then slowly lay back down, being careful not to disturb his charge. "Night buddy" he whispered. After wrapping both arms around the youngster sleeping on his chest, Aaron closed his own eyes and drifted off to sleep.
CM
Spencer awoke with the start. Sitting up in bed, he glanced around the room. Finding the room devoid of anyone else, he was hit with a strong sense of déjà vu. This was familiar somehow and not in a good way. He just couldn't…Oh no! The dream! This was how his dream began before it turned into a nightmare. Or maybe it hadn't been a dream? Maybe Hotch waking him up and assuring him that everything was okay was the dream? Maybe he really was…
"Good morning, Spencer" Aaron greeted as he strolled out of the bathroom.
"Morning" Reid cautiously replied as he debated which part of last night was a dream.
Seeing the fear and confusion in the boy's eyes, Aaron sighed. He'd worried this might happen. Knowing actions spoke louder than words in his youngest case, the father took a seat on the edge of the bed, picked up his son, and settled him in his lap. "It was just a nightmare, Spencer. You're okay." He assured.
"Pwomise?" Spencer softly muttered.
"Promise" Aaron replied, rubbing the boy's arm. Feeling the child's tense muscles relax, the profiler gifted Reid with a genuine Hotchner smile. "Are you ready to get bathed and dressed?"
"In a minute" Spencer answered. "I've gotta do somefing fiwst." He slid off his father's lap and toddled over to the dresser where his new rules were hanging on the mirror. Scowling, he climbed onto the chair beside it, snatched the paper off the glass, and ripped it in two.
"Spencer!"
"No mowe new wules!" Reid growled, tearing the paper into tiny bits. "I wanna go bat to the way it was. I wanna be a tid; youw tid. You mate all the decisions. I don't wanna."
"Spencer, are you sure?" Hotch inquired.
"Uh huh" Spencer replied, nodding his head.
Aaron walked over and scooped up his son. "Then consider it done." He said. He kissed the boy's forehead and then set him on his feet. "Now let's get you ready for the day. I'll go start the bath water. You go pick out what you're going to wear today. Your choices are on the footstool."
"Otay!" Spencer happily agreed. He ran over to the stool and looked over the two outfits. Grabbing his long sleeve Disney ohana shirt and a pair of jeans, Reid headed for the door. It was going to be a great day!