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- Please bear with me the next couple of weeks. I might be a little slower updating than usual. I'm on the pre-scan diet called the LID(low iodine diet) and its making me very tired. Plus finding food is a hard job. If you're curious as to why, look up the diet on the thyca site or another site. Look at the acceptable list, then cross out the fresh vegetables and all the fresh fruits except bananas(due to other problems). What's left is all I can eat for the next couple of weeks.

Please remember I don't write death fics. This story is going to have a happy ending.

Previously on Criminal Minds- "I'm sorry. We did everything we could but the damage has already been done." He replied, the sorrow clear in his voice. "If he has any other family members, you should call them in to say their good byes. He's not gonna last through the night."

CM

"I'm so sorry guys." Sawyer said. "I, I…"

"No, you're wrong." Garcia adamantly stated. "You've gotten his test results mixed up with someone else's or, or you did them wrong or something. My baby genius is not dying. He's not. Spencer is going to come out of this okay."

"Pencew?" Henry repeated, breaking into a mega-watt grin. "Untle Pencew's hewe! Yay! Henwy's missed Untle Pencew!"

Will flinched. "No buddy. Uncle Sp-Spencer's not, not here." Will haltingly told the excited youngster. "Aunty Pen is, t-talk-ing about R-Reid."

"Oh otay" Henry replied, his smile dimming just a little. "Weid toming home now."

"Sssssssomething l-l-like tha-that" JJ stammered.

"Yay! Weid pay wif Henwy!" the little boy hollered, clapping his hands in glee.

JJ's expression crumbled. She turned away from her son to prevent him from seeing her crying.

Seeing his wife's reaction, Will tamped down his own emotions and took over the difficult conversation. "Reid's not coming home with us, bud. Remember your Sunday School teacher talking about Heaven?" he asked.

"Uh huh" Henry answered. "Hew sayed ouw hamstew went to Heaven tause him didn't move no more."

"That's right." Will agreed, tuning out the muffled gasps the child's description of death caused. "Well, Reid is, he's…" the young father closed his eyes and took a slow breath. Once he had his emotions back under lock and key, he continued. "Reid has to go to, to Heaven now."

"Weid go bye-bye?" Henry questioned, his lower lip quivering.

"Yeah, buddy Reid has to go bye-bye." Will affirmed.

"But, but I don't want Weid to go bye-bye! I want him to tay hewe wif me!" Henry wailed.

Will pulled his son into his lap and wrapped him in a comforting embrace. "I want him to stay, too Henry but he can't. Reid got hurt too bad. He has to go to Heaven."

"Him come back and see Henwy?" the youngster cried, fisting his father's shirt.

Will had to swallow the lump in his throat before he could answer. "No, bud. Reid won't be able to come back." He stated as the tears started rolling down his cheeks.

Henry thought for a moment and then asked, "Henwy go see Weid in Heaven?"

"No son, you can't go to Heaven to see Reid. You can't visit Heaven. When you go there, you have to stay." Will explained, hoping the discussion would end soon. He didn't think he could handle much more. And from the look of the others, they couldn't either.

Henry's forlorn expression morphed into anger. "Then Weid tan't go! Him tan't leave Henwy! Weid tay wif Henwy!" he furiously stated, crossing his arms and scowling. Hearing a strangled noise, Henry glanced around the room, searching for the source of the sound. Seeing his mom and all his aunts and uncles crying, the tot turned wide eyes on his mother. "Mommy sad tause Weid is going bye-bye?" he asked.

"Yes baby mommy's sad that Reid is, is leaving." JJ managed to get out before breaking down.

Henry gazed up at his dad with tear filled eyes. "Weid tan't go bye-bye daddy!" he said as he began to cry again. "Tell Weid he tan't go, daddy! Peas! Don't let Weid go!"

That sent Will over the edge. Losing his fight with his emotions, he hugged his son tightly and cried.

Dr. Sawyer, who had stood quietly by observing the scene, discretely wiped the tears from his face. He knew time was of the essence but he also realized that the people in front of him needed some time to process the fatal diagnosis before they confronted the reality of the situation. So he silently stood, allowing the family a few minutes to grieve in peace. When Josh thought enough time had passed, he cleared his throat to garner their attention. "Are you ready to see him?" he asked.

Not trusting his voice, Aaron merely nodded.

"Follow me." The doctor instructed. He led the group out of the waiting room and down the hall to the ICU entrance. "Okay, normally we only allow one person at a time in the rooms and only for fifteen minutes. But given the circumstances the Chief of Staff has decided to bend the rules for y'all. You can all go into his room at once and you can stay with him for as long as you want." He explained. "He's in the first room on your right. Nurses will be in and out but they've been instructed to let you be. You'll be able to say your goodbyes in peace."

"Thank you" Rossi replied. He shook the young physician's hand and then followed his family into ICU. He nodded to the nurses on duty before going into Reid's room. Dave stopped short in the doorway, sucking in a shocked breath. The boy who had become like a son to him was lying in the hospital bed surrounded by machines. Wires and tubes seemed to poke out from everywhere on the boy, the most alarming being the tube protruding from his mouth. And Spencer, he looked so tiny and frail and still. Dave had to turn away as his emotions and memories of his son James overwhelmed him.

Aaron slowly approached his baby's bedside. Dropping onto the edge of the bed, he shakily reached out and gently grasped a tiny hand. He rubbed the little boy's knuckles being careful not to disturb the IV line. "Hey buddy daddy's here." he whispered, carding a hand through Reid's long chocolate locks. "I am so sorry this happened. I'm sorry I let the nurse give you that medication. I should have questioned her about it. I should never have let her administer that medication without checking with Dr. Sawyer first. This is my fault. I'll never forgive myself for allowing you to get hurt."

"Hotch" Emily softly called.

Aaron didn't spare her a glance. Eyes focused on his son, he continued. "I am so proud of you Spencer. You are the best son a man could ever hope for. Your father was a fool to leave you. You're everything a father could want and then some. You're smart and funny and loving. Any man would be proud to be your dad. You are an exemplary agent, also; one of the best I've ever seen. Your brain works in a completely different way from everyone else's making you able to swiftly come up with patterns that the rest of us just don't see. You, you…"

A young brown haired stranger suddenly appeared in the room making everyone jump. The man, whose back was to the group, looked at the bland wall and frowned. "What the" he muttered as he slowly turned around. Spotting Reid lying on the hospital bed, the man's expression changed to disbelief and then frustration. "What the…Oh for Pete's sake! Seriously!?" he growled, glaring at the group. "I leave for a couple of days to check on the dynamic duo and this is what happens!? Unbelievable!"

"Gabe, this wasn't our doing." Rossi informed the angered being. "Someone's trying to do us in."

"Why am I not surprised?" the trickster huffed, shaking his head. "I told you to watch him! He's supposed to have a carefree childhood not a hospital death scene! You know I have a good mind to take him back with me!"

Hearing the stranger say he was going to take his friend, Henry leapt off his mommy's lap and ran over to the man. "No! Go 'way! You no tate Weid! Him's my fwiend!" he shouted, pummeling the being's legs with his tiny fists.

Gabe grinned. "Cute kid" he stated before bending down to look the youngster in the eyes. "Hey, don't hit Uncle Gabe" he said, capturing the little boy's hands in one of his. "I'm not gonna take Reid away from you. I just came to make him all better."

"Untle Gabe mate Weid feel bet'ew so he won't go to Heaven?" Henry questioned.

"Won't go to…" the trickster glared at the adults in the room before turning back to the frightened tot. "Yeah buddy, I'm gonna make Reid feel all better. Promise." He replied, crossing his heart. "Come on. You can help me." Gabe opened his arms in invitation.

Grinning from ear to ear, Henry jumped into his new uncle's arms. "Mommy! We fix Weid!" he shouted.

JJ gave her son a watery smile.

Ignoring the adult's worried stares, Gabe stood and walked over to the bed. He took a seat on the edge and placed Henry in his lap. "Okay Henry, I want you to put one of your hands on Reid's forehead like this." He instructed, demonstrating what he wanted the child to do. "Good, now close your eyes and say there's no place like home."

Henry quickly closed his eyes. "Fewe's no pace lite home." He repeated.

The trickster stifled a snicker. He just loved kids! "Keep saying it, kiddo. You're doing good." he urged, patting the boy's back. With his companion occupied Gabe focused on his own job. He placed his hand on Spencer's forehead and closed his eyes. His hand glowed for a few moments before stopping. Opening his eyes, he smiled. "All done" he announced. "Short Stuff will be back to his old rowdy self by morning."

"Really?" Morgan scoffed, eyeing the still form on the bed. "Then why is he…"

An alarm on one of machines suddenly started blaring! Before the family could react, medical personnel swarmed the room. The frantic group was pushed out of the room where several orderlies were waiting. They escorted the distraught family members back to the waiting room.

Garcia and JJ immediately collapsed into chairs. The duo plus Emily started sobbing their eyes out, positive that they had just witnessed the littlest profiler's death.

The men tried their best to be strong. It worked for a few seconds and that was all. They just couldn't keep up the façade; not when their youngest was in the other room dying. Heads in hands the men wept for their lost friend.

Henry gazed from one adult to the next. All the crying was confusing him. They should be happy. Uncle Gabe had made Reid better. So why were they crying? Confused and a little frightened, Henry toddled over to his mother and crawled onto her lap.

Dr. Sawyer shuffled into the waiting room an hour later. Raking a hand through his hair, he gave the family a tired smile. "Spencer is fine. I don't know what happened or how it happened but Spencer has done an about face. Not only is he no longer dying, it's like he never was. Little Britches is almost completely healed."

"But the alarm?"

"That was the ventilator alarm. The kid set it off when he started breathing on his own." Josh explained. "Which reminds me; you guys need to get back in that room before Little Britches decides to start screaming his head off."

"He's awake!?" Aaron inquired as he rose to his feet.

"Yeah, he's awake and he's asking for you." Dr. Sawyer informed him, chuckling as the family raced out of the room. Shaking his head, the physician turned and started for the door. He needed to get home.

CM

Aaron ran through the ICU entrance and over to his son's room. Peering inside, he was shocked to see the little boy sitting up. "Spencer?" he shakily called.

"Daddy!" Spencer shouted, raising his arms.

Aaron hurried over to Spencer's bedside. Dropping onto the bed, he enveloped his little boy in a bone crushing hug. "Spencer!"