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- WOW! I was blown away by the response to my question. Suggestions ranged from keeping the same pace to skipping to New Year's. The majority asked me to stay at the same pace so that's what I'll do.
I also received a ton of wonderful suggestions for things y'all would like to see. I'm going to try to incorporate as many of those as I can.
There is another little Reid story but I'm a little hesitant to suggest it since it is slash. (Not so far but the author warns its coming.) If you'd like the name of that one, PM me.
A few others were mentioned to me but while little Reid is in them, they are definitely not Reid centric. He's either wallpaper or worse a way to further other character's SL. A couple go so far as to make him a little too much like the Matt in my story to be likeable.
Previously on Criminal Minds- Spencer's eyes slid shut and he drifted off, dreaming of the wonderful Christmas to come.
CM
"WEID! WEID!" Henry shouted as he barreled into his friend's bedroom. "IT NOWING!"
Aaron startled awake. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he glanced at the clock and groaned. It was far too early to start the day. He'd been hoping to get another hour or two in before Spencer woke. Hearing Henry's shrill shout again, Hotch propped up on his elbows planning on quieting the tot. He was too late.
All the shouting woke Spencer out of a sound sleep. Knuckling his eyes, he yawned and tiredly peered around the room before closing his eyes once more. Those eyes snapped back open as Henry's words registered in his brain. "Now?" he questioned, sitting up. Reid quickly slid out of bed and toddled over to the window. Pulling back the heavy curtain, he gasped at the sight of the white wonderland he saw. "NOW!" he hollered, jumping up and down. He dropped the fabric, raced over to the bed, and with a running leap, pounced on his father figure. "Daddy! Daddy! Wate up! It's nowing!"
Aaron slowly turned over fully intent on ordering his son to go back to sleep. One look at the excitement on the boy's face changed his mind however. He sat up with a smile. "Morning Reid" he greeted the bouncing boy.
"It's nowing daddy!" Spencer shouted. "Tan we go out and pay? Peas?"
"Reid, we…"
Will chose that moment to burst into the room. "Henry, I told you to let Reid sleep." He admonished before turning to the duo on the bed. "Sorry Hotch, he kinda got away from me."
"Not a problem" Aaron assured him. Looking back at the energetic youngster in his lap, he said, "We'll go out Reid." He waited for the boys' cheers to die down before adding, "After a bath and breakfast"
"Awww!" Spencer and Henry chorused.
"Sorry Little Man" Will said as he scooped up his son. "But the same thing goes for you. No bath and breakfast, no playing in the snow."
"No now?" Henry tearfully asked, his lower lip trembling.
"Not until after breakfast, okay?" Will confirmed.
Henry pondered this for a moment before grinning. "Otay" he happily replied. "Bye Weid! We go eat now!"
"Bye Henwy!" Spencer called, waving at his friend. Once his godson was out of sight, Reid slid off the bed on his belly and ran over to the chair. Snatching up an outfit, he spun around and dashed towards the bathroom. "Tome on Hotch! Huwwy!"
"I'm coming" Aaron called back. Shaking his head in amusement, he climbed out of bed, grabbed his own change of clothes, and hurried to the bathroom.
CM
After a record breaking bath and breakfast, the boys were dressed in their snow suits and the family went outside to enjoy the surprise treat.
Spencer gazed around at the newly fallen snow in awe. The gloriously white carpet that covered the forest floor told him that the snow had been falling for quite some time. There was at least two to three inches already on the ground and with the rate it was still falling, he estimated they'd get at least a few inches more. He couldn't wait to get in it!
"Alright Reid, here you go" Aaron said, setting the boy on his feet. He watched his son take a few cautious steps and stop. The tiny agent then raised his head and stuck out his tongue.
Spencer giggled as a snowflake landed on his tongue. It wasn't like he hadn't done this before. He had, not that he'd ever tell the team that little tidbit. But it was different being a small child. Everything was so, so fresh, so new, so…innocent his brain supplied. It was wonderful! Turning to his companion, Spencer shouted, "Tome on Henwy! Let's mate a nowman!"
"Yay!" Henry cheered, clapping his mitten covered hands. "'Mon daddy! We mate a nowman!"
The two fathers along with the rest of the grown-ups hurried over to the rambunctious boys and after divvying up the tasks, got to work building the first snowman of the season. Henry and Will rolled the ball that would become the head while Spencer and Hotch started on the snowman's chest. Some of the others began the bottom snowball and the rest walked around searching for the twigs and stones they would need to fashion the arms and face. Once those jobs were finished, the family gathered in front of the porch to piece together their snowman. Several minutes and a lot of grumbling later, the snowman stood tall and proud. JJ and Emily then helped Spencer and Henry place the twig arms and stone eyes and mouth. Rossi finished off the BAU snowman with an FBI cap, an empty shotgun shell for a nose, and an old ID badge around his neck. Stepping back the family admired their kind of short but cute snowman agent.
Morgan scratched his temple. "I don't know guys. I think something's miss…" SMACK! The shocked young man wiped the snow from his eyes before staring at the culprit; the very tiny culprit. "Reid?!"
Spencer pointed to his friend and giggled. "You, you sh-should've seen youw, youw face!" he cackled.
"You little brat!" Derek hollered, his smile foiling his attempt to sound angry. "You are gonna get it for that!" Picking up a handful of snow, he swiftly fashioned it into a snowball and tossed it at the boy.
"Na na na na na!" Spencer chanted, sticking out his tongue. Seeing his friend rare back his hand, the youngster readied himself and then dodged out of the way at the last instant.
Prentiss however wasn't so lucky. "MORGAN!" she shouted, wiping snow off her behind. "You are so dead!"
"Oh crap!" Derek muttered before taking off running.
Spencer and Henry plopped down in the snow and laughed cheering occasionally as they watched the all out snowball battle between the two profilers. Watching Emily pelt Morgan with snow as she chased after him was very entertaining; At least for a few minutes. Tiring quickly of the show, the two Energizer Bunnies hopped back up and trotted over to their parents.
Reid yanked on Hotch's pants leg to garner his attention and then asked, "Daddy, tan we have a nowball fight too?"
"I don't see why not." Aaron answered, pulling his son's hood back over his head.
"Yes!" Spencer hollered, pumping his fist in the air.
"Why don't we make it a team competition? We could make snow forts and play a modified version of Capture the Flag?" Dave suggested. "I think there's enough snow on the ground for that."
"Sounds like fun!" Garcia squealed. "Who's on whose team?"
Reid thought for a moment. "Daddy and Untle Wossi, tan be on my team and all of you tan be on Henwy's team." he informed them.
"What about Morgan and Emily? They're not going to want to be on the same team." JJ pointed out.
"When they finish their little game of chase, they're welcome to pick a team to join." Rossi replied. "Anything else before we begin?"
"What are we going to use as flags?" Will questioned.
It was Fran that answered this time. "You can tie a couple of dish rags to sticks." She said. "I can make those while you all are building your forts."
"Anything else?" Aaron asked. Getting 'no's' and head shakes, he smiled. "Alright then people pick a side and get building."
Spencer marched over to the right side of the yard, stopping even with the end of the porch. "Hewe's good" he announced. Dropping onto his knees, the junior genius used his hands to shovel snow into a pile. He then molded the soft, fluffy lump into a sturdy snow brick. "We need to mate fiwty(thirty) of fese. Maybe mowe"
"You've got it" Rossi cheerfully responded. He got down between the tiny boy and Hotch and the three got to work.
Half an hour later Morgan stood and looked at the creation he'd help build. Their snow fort looked more like a snow drift but the packed tight snow should defend their flag from any snowballs that came their way. Prentiss and Reid were so going down. There was no way they could have…his thoughts ground to a halt at the sight of the gleaming snow castle across the yard. The structure was six blocks long and four blocks high except for the towers on either side. Those were a whopping six blocks tall! And behind the far right tower just barely visible was the team's blue flag. 'Dang! I knew I should have picked Pretty Boy's team.' he thought.
Emily smirked at the expression on her adversary's face. "What's a matter, Morgan? Scared?" she taunted.
"Of what? Your pretty little princess castle?" Derek tossed back. "Not a chance."
Spencer stepped around the side of the castle and glared at his big brother. "Fis isn't a pwincess tastle! It's the tastle of Ting Weid and his knights of the wound table!" he hollered.
Seeing the little boy's watery eyes, Morgan winced. He'd forgotten Little Spencer and teasing were not a good combination. "Sorry, my mistake Little Man." He apologized. "I was just…" SPLAT! "Henry! Not yet, kiddo."
Spencer sniggered. "He got you! He got you!" he sang, dancing around his castle.
"Yeah, and I'm gonna get you!" Morgan yelled, lobbing a snowball in the general vicinity of the prancing youngster.
Yelping, Spencer jumped out of the way of the slow moving projectile. He swiftly retreated to the safety of his castle and the snowball battle began!
CM
A weary and wet family of snowball fighters tromped into Rossi's cabin a short time later. The war had been intense with both sides quickly soaking the forts and each other with well aimed snowballs. The flags had been the only thing unscathed in the battle. The introduction of Spencer's handmade catapult swiftly changed that, though. The jury rigged contraption had turned the tide, hitting their opponent's flag over and over again until the stick broke and it toppled to the ground. And with that the war was over. After the surrendering of the House of Henry and a victory dance courtesy of Spencer, the family had decided it was time to get their littlest members out of the frigid weather. Once inside the BAU brood clomped upstairs and separated into their various rooms to search out warm bathes and dry clothes.
Afterwards, the family came back together for lunch. The tomato soup and tasty turkey and ham sandwiches definitely hit the spot, warming the group from the inside. They talked and joked about the morning's events while they ate. And then the discussion turned to afternoon activities.
"Emily and I are gonna go into town after lunch. There are a couple of things we need to get." Morgan announced before taking another bite of his sandwich.
"I wanna go!" Spencer shouted. "You'll let me go, wight Mowgan?"
"We'll see." Aaron answered.
Spencer sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Fat means no." he muttered, poking out his lip in the cutest pout the girls had ever seen.
"No, that means we'll see." Hotch corrected. "I'll decide after your nap."
Reid's eyes widened at that. "No! No nap!" he argued, shaking his head. "If I tate a nap, fey'll leave me, lite they did in Tal'fownia!(California)"
"Hey" Morgan sternly said as he tenderly palmed the boy's cheek. "I would never do that to you. You know that, right?"
"Pwomise?" Spencer asked, holding up his pinky.
"I promise, Pretty Boy." Morgan stated as he intertwined his pinky with his best friend's tiny one. "You go ahead and take your nap and when you wake up, Em and I will be right here waiting for you."
"That's right, kiddo. We're not leaving without you." Prentiss seconded. Smiling, she added, "I need someone to keep this jokester in line."
"Hey!" Derek halfheartedly protested.
Reid giggled. "I tan do fat." He promised, fisting his eyes. "I'll mate suwe he *yawn* doesn't bofew(bother) y-you."
"I'll just bet you will." Emily said, winking at the youngster. Taking the sleepy boy from Hotch, the raven haired woman headed upstairs to put Reid to bed before he fell asleep in his soup bowl.
CM
Spencer gazed contentedly out the window, smiling at the winter wonderland flying past. The snow level had grown considerably during his nap. It was starting to coat the road now even with the salt that had been dumped onto the blacktop. That didn't worry him though. Morgan was a superb driver even under the worst conditions. A little snow wouldn't bother him. They were perfectly safe…
BANG!
The front tire burst causing the Jeep to swerve. Morgan white knuckled the steering wheel attempting to regain control of the vehicle. He slowly pressed on the brakes, gasping as nothing happened. The profiler jammed his foot on the petal but the result was the same. The brakes weren't working. 'Must be frozen' he thought even though he didn't really believe it. "Hold on guys. This might get a little hairy." He warned as he worked on keeping them on the road. He fought and fought, letting out a relieved breath as the truck finally began to right itself. That relief didn't last long though. Just as Morgan regained control, the Jeep hit a patch of black ice. The vehicle swerved wildly before taking out a guardrail and roaring into the woods!