Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of these characters (except Alex).

A/N: Although I will try to keep the characters and story line the same as on the show, I have changed somethings. Gideon didn't just disappear like on the show (which totally broke my heart because it broke Spencer's heart and I think anyone who watches CM loves Spencer so you understand). Instead he just retired and is now writing books like Rossi did but he will not be introduced until later in the story anyways so you could like totally ignore this if you want and then just come back and read it once you make it to him. But of course you've already read this part and now you can't just forget what you've read so...just continue on with the story I guess.

Chapter 1

Rossi and I walk into the bullpen together. I don't know if he can tell but I'm extremely excited and anxious. These are the people my mentor respects and cares about, the people that he talks about none stop when we're together, the people I've wanted to meet since I've first heard about them. Now, not only am I going to meet them, I'm going to work with them.

Rossi clears his throat when we enter. All eyes turn to us.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Alexander Marco." Rossi says.

"Ah, the new kid," A bald black man says. I assume this is the fearless Derek Morgan. The tough agent who can tell just about everything that went down at a crime scene just by walking into it. Rossi speaks very highly of him, just as he's done every agent on the team.

I reach my hand out and smile. "Agent Morgan," He shakes my hand. "It's an honor. Please, call me Alex."

"Wow, an honor," A dark haired woman says. "Looks like you have a fan, Derek." This must be Agent Emily Prentiss. I've heard that she is a whiz when it comes to profiling, especially terrorists. I wonder, as I stand trembling under their scrutiny, if she can tell how nervous I am.

"Oh yes, ma'am. I am a fan. But not just of Agent Morgan, of all of you. It's been my dream to join the BAU since I first met Dave…I mean…Agent Rossi."

"You two have known each other long?" A skinny guy, definitely Dr. Spencer Reid, asks. This is the genius of the group, his nerdy clothes and giant glasses attest to that.

"Since my freshmen year in college," I answer before Rossi has a chance to say anything. "Rossi was giving a lecture about his book and I was in the audience."

"And he had more questions to ask about the book than I was allowed to answer in the 90 minutes I had." Rossi says with a laugh. "He stayed over after the lecture to finish questioning me and we've kept in touch ever since."

Kept in touch is somewhat of an understatement. David has been there like a nagging parent to me since then. He's the reason I'm here now, although I know I don't deserve to be. He has the power of persuasion and pulled some strings for me to get me onto this team. And I appreciate it more than anything. Joining the BAU has been my dream since I met David and I'll do anything to keep this job.

"If you don't mind me asking," Morgan says. "How old are you? You look pretty young."

I clear my throat and deepen my voice a bit as I say, "I'm twenty…twenty-four."

"Twenty-four, you must be pretty good at what you do if you can make the team at such a young age."

I look away from him and say, "Uh, yeah…I guess so,"

"So I assume Rossi is the one who incited your interest in the BAU." A blonde lady asks. Since she's not dressed 'flashy' like Rossi often describes Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia, I assume that this is Agent Jennifer Jareau.

"Yes ma'am, Agent Jareau, or should I call you JJ. I've been told it's a preferred nickname." I answer smiling.

She smiles back. "JJ will be fine."

"David was very helpful in honing my interest in the becoming a profiler. He even helped me in my Psychology studies in college."

Just then Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner comes out of his office. My smile slowly fades. I've met Aaron before, once, and it was a very formal meeting, but he seemed very cool and reasonable. Still, I tend to have problems with my superiors. If it isn't one thing, it's another, but mostly it's because of me not following orders. If it weren't for David pulling strings and talking down my bosses I probably would've been out of the Bureau a long time ago.

"Agent Marco," Aaron says coming to the rest of us.

"Agent Hotchner," I say back, extending my hand for another hand shake.

"Please," He says taking my hand. His grip is firm. "Call me Hotch. You're a part of the team now. Formalities are no longer necessary."

"Yes sir," I say. I'm more at ease now that I know that he's human like the rest of us.

The day has been quite boring for a first day as a BAU agent. All I've been doing since I got here is paper work. Hotch gave me the handbook and, although I already read it before coming an agent, he wants me to read it again. That's probably not going to happen.

"Alex," Someone says. I look up from my paper work and see Agents Morgan and Prentiss, Dr. Reid, and Ms. Penelope Garcia all standing above me.

"We're about to go out for a late lunch, you want to come?" Derek asks.

Without missing a beat, I stand up and say, "Yeah, sure. What are we eating?"

I feel a strong hand squeeze my shoulder before I look back and stare into David eyes.

"Don't you have work to do first?" Rossi asks.

I glare at the piles of paper sitting on my desk and the BAU manual.

"I can do it afterwards," I insist. "I mean, I gotta eat. You don't want me to starve, do you, Dave?"

David releases my shoulder and says somewhat warningly, "Come back right after, son. Don't let me down."

I nod and inwardly cringe. I remember how much David's put on the line to help make me in agent. If I mess up even once, it'll discredit him. I gotta fly straight if only for him.

The restaurant we go to for lunch is very chic, very modern, very boring. But the company is worth it. I've only dreamed of spending an afternoon with the agents of the BAU and here I am living my dream.

"So, Alex, what's the relationship between you and Rossi," Reid asks.

I'm caught off guard by the question.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that too." Prentiss adds. "I mean, those words of departure seemed a little more personal than two people who've just kept in contact for a few years."

I'm quiet. I'm not sure of what to say exactly. I mean, if David didn't see it necessary to mention any more about our relationship except that I spoke up a few times during one of his many lectures, why should I?

"Uh…it's nothing guys, really," I answer. I wonder if they can tell I'm lying. Of course they can. They do this kind of stuff for a living after all.

"C'mon kid," Morgan insists. "You can tell us. You're part of the team now. We're a family. You don't have to hide anything from us."

"It's-it's nothing important. David's just…been watching over me for a few years now."

"You mean, like taking care of you?" Prentiss asks.

"No, not taking care of me, just…watching over. Before we met, I had a lot of problems and it was obvious that I was going down the wrong path. Rossi saw my potential and helped reign me in before I was permanently lost. He's been like…like a dad to me over the past six years."

"Is that all? A father figure. Kid, you didn't have to be embarrassed to tell us that." Morgan states.

"Yeah, I think you'll find in the BAU a surrogate father isn't uncommon." Reid adds on. "There is always an older or more experienced person that someone else looks up to."

I smile at his statement but inside I know different. Surrogate fathers may not be uncommon but if they knew how far David takes his parenting role of me, they'd think different of how common our relationship is.

The waitress brings our drinks and then leaves. I ordered a sweet Tea but to be honest I really wanted a stronger drink but I know I can't have one while on the clock.

"Alex, Morgan tells me you're twenty-four. That's pretty impressive. You must be as smart as our boy-genius over here." Garcia says.

"I wouldn't say that," I quickly correct. "I'm not genius. I'm just really good at taking tests and shooting a gun. If I knew half the stuff David says you know, Reid, I could probably avoid some of the trouble I get into."

"Trouble?" Derek asks.

"Yeah, you know, just the normal agent trouble. Nothing serious."

"No, I don't know. What normal agent trouble?"

Derek doesn't seem too pleased. Great, now what did I do?

"Just…stuff like not turning my paper work in on time or being late to evaluations or, uh, coming into work late. Not important stuff, like not following orders in the field or something. I always obey in the field."

"Yeah, well, if you know what's good for you, you better start obeying in everything else. Hotch is lenient sometimes but when it comes to work related orders he expects them to be followed."

"Derek is right, my adorable little minx," Penelope says. "I like you. Don't make Hotch turn into the big bad wolf, little lamb."

"Don't worry; I don't think I'll be getting into any trouble here."

I won't tell them, but I know I won't be getting into any trouble here. Not while Rossi has Hotch's ear. At first, Rossi had to pull strings and work with some of his important contacts to get me out of trouble, but now, all he has to do is whisper into the big guy's ear and I'm as good as untouchable.

"You know, if I didn't know you, I wouldn't believe you were as old as you are." Prentiss says.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean you look every bit as young as eighteen or nineteen. If we met on the streets I'd assume you were a college student, a freshman."

"Yeah, I've always looked a little young for my age." I say laughing. "When I was eighteen, my friends and I tried to go to a club but the bouncer wouldn't let me in, even after I showed him my driver's license because he swore I was sixteen or something. I was mad as hell then but I can laugh about it now."

"I can believe that," Derek says and everyone laughs.

"Why didn't JJ come with us?" I ask.

"She has plans with her love, Will." Prentiss answers. "But I'm sure you two will get a chance to be informally introduced sooner or later."

The waitress brings us our order next. Emily and Penelope ordered chicken walnut salads, Spencer ordered some sort of funny named fish (YUCK!), Derek has a grilled chicken sandwich, and I have an A1 steak burger with steak fries.

"Jeez, that's lunch?" Penelope says eyeing my burger. "Pretty heavy, don't you think?"

"I skipped breakfast." I say digging in. "Hmm, this is good. Dave never lets me eat this kind of stuff."

"He chooses your meals for you?" Emily asks.

I pale realizing what I just admitted to. "I mean…he uh, he…I usually eat over his place, because I can't cook, and he never cooks this kinda stuff."

"Don't worry," Derek says. "I doubt the kid can eat all of it. That burger weighs more than he does."

"Oh yeah," My mouth is full and I swallow it down before continuing. "You wanna bet? I may be small but I can eat an entire pig if I had the chance."

"Kid, if you eat that entire burger and finish off those fries, I'll pay for it myself." Derek agrees.

I smile wide. This guy just doesn't know what he's getting himself into. I've made hundreds betting on how much I can eat with guys like him. I chow down and before he can finish his pitiful sandwich, my burger is gone. I start in on my fries when I hear Garcia.

"Okay, two things. One, I extremely jealous, and two, where does it all go?"

I laugh and shrug, "This is nothing. One Halloween, I tried to eat my weight in candy. Would've done it too but I had this dog who liked candy as much as I did and he ate most of it."

"Wow, you must have been one busy toddler." Prentiss says. "I do not envy your parents."

"Yeah, I was. But it was my grandmother who carried that burden. My parents died when I was a baby. Can you imagine a sixty year old woman chasing after a hyperactive two-year-old?"

I dispose of the rest of my fries and smile broadly at Derek.

"Looks like you're buying me lunch, big guy."

He laughs and says back, "Yeah looks like it. I will never doubt your stomach again."

Everyone soon finishes their food, after me, and the waitress comes back. Derek pays for mine and his and everyone else pays for themselves.

"Alex, are you riding back with us?" Derek asks me once we're outside. I continue past his car and shake my head no.

"No, I think I'll hit the gym a bit."

"But you still have work." Spencer says.

"Yeah, but it's just paper work. It's not going anywhere."

"But you promised Rossi you'd get back to work after lunch." Garcia declares.

These guys…really?

"Guys, calm down. It's a slow day. Tomorrow will probably be just as slow. I have time. Dave will understand. If I don't go work out now I'll be no good in an office anyways."

"Alright kid," Derek resigns. "Good luck."

They all leave, Derek and Garcia in his car and Reid and Prentiss in her car. Me, I have no car, so I start jogging. I jog a block before my jacket becomes a hassle. I stop and pull it off before I start jogging again.

I can only imagine how funny a guy in a suit looks running down the crowded sidewalk but jogging is a heck of a lot faster than walking, that's for sure.

When I get to the gym I see a homeless guy sitting on the curb. It's only about fifty or so degrees out here but I still give my jacket to him. He needs it right now more than me.

I go inside and head straight for my locker and change into my extra set of gym clothes that I keep inside just for such occasions. I spend the rest of the afternoon working out. It's exhilarating. Then I hit the showers and head back to my locker.

Redressing, I realize that I don't have my phone.

"Damn, I must have left it in my jacket." I assume that the homeless guy is probably gone by now but I still hurry and put on my clothes and then run quickly outside to see that he, by some stroke of a luck, is still sitting outside where I left him.

"Hey, uh, sir…I seemed to have left my phone in one of those pockets." I say.

He goes into the jacket pocket, hands me my phone, and just because I'm grateful, I give him twenty bucks.

I look at my phone, I've missed 12 calls. Eight from Dave, four from Grandma. I decide to call the lesser of the two evils first.

"Hey grandma," I say when she answers the phone.

"Alex, sweetie, why didn't you answer your phone earlier? I called Dave looking for you but he said you weren't with him. Are you alright?"

Oh great, he's got her worried. I start off walking towards home while talking to her. "Yeah grandma, I'm fine. I cut work today to work out. Dave's probably just…upset."

"Alex, why would you do that? After all the work David did to get you into his job. That nice man-"

"Yeah grandma, I know, I know. I'm going to make up the time, I just had a heavy lunch and I needed to burn it off granny. Don't let Dave raise your blood pressure. Your worrying about me is going to make me worry about you."

"Okay sweetheart. I'll stop worrying about you if you promise to start checking in with Agent Rossi and me before you go off alone."

"Grandma, I'm not a little kid anymore. I can take care of myself. But if it'll help you sleep, I promise to call you before I go out on anymore mid-afternoon workouts."

"Thanks sweetie. Now call David before he worries himself to death."

"Yeah, okay granny. Bye,"

I hang up from my grandma and seriously contemplate not calling David. If I call him now, he's probably going to be pissed. He's not one to yell often but he'll probably get really loud. Do I really want to hear a lecture right now?

Before I can make a decision, I see a black car pull up beside me in my peripheral vision. Getting out of the car, I see, is a very angry David Rossi.

"H-hey Dave…I was just going to call you,"

"I'm sure. Why didn't you answer it when I called you earlier?"

"I…I gave it to a homeless guy."

His eyebrow quirked and I automatically know he thinks I'm lying. "Derek told me you were cutting out on your work to go to the gym." He's speaking to me very calmly. Too calm. I'd rather he yell than be this calm but I think he wants to be just as angry with me as I imagine him being but he doesn't want to cause a scene in public. "Please, tell me that isn't true."

"Look, Dave, I was gonna finish that paper work tomorrow, honest. It's just…all we've been doing is sitting at desks doing paper work all day. That's boring. You know how much I crave physical activity."

"I'll give you physical activity, alright. Get in the car,"

I obey Dave without a second thought. If I cause a scene than I know he will too and I'd just like to avoid that for now.

As soon as he's in and his door is shut, Rossi begins to lecture. "You have responsibilities, Alex. You're not a little kid any more who can just blow off school work to go play baseball with his pals."

"I know, Rossi. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Your first day," He continues. "Your first day and already you've messed up. I put my neck on the line for you because I believed this was really something you wanted to do."

"I do want to do this, Dave." I panic. He's not going to ask Hotch to kick me off the team for this, is he? "I-I just had a moment of weakness. I didn't think it through. Please, it won't happen again, I swear."

Rossi takes his eyes off the road for a second to glare at me. Turning back he says, "I wish I could believe that, son. I really do."

"Please Rossi, give me another chance. Please don't kick me off the team for this."

"I'm not kicking you off the team," He's calmed down a bit. "That isn't my call to make anyways. Hotch is thinking about having you suspended though." He looks over and sees the sorrowful look in my eyes. "But I'll talk to him and see what I can do."

I grin from ear to ear. Just as I thought. With Rossi in my corner, nothing can stop me. He glares at me again when he somehow magically senses me smiling.

"That doesn't mean you still aren't in trouble with me." He states. I frown.

"W-what are you going to do to me?"

"What do you think I'm going to do?" He retorts. I hate it when he asks me that. Does he really expect me to say what I'm thinking out loud?

I sit back in my seat and stare out the window anticipating the worse once we get to his place. I ignore the rest of his lecture as I can only think about my impending punishment. This is the part of our relationship that the others can't know about. If they did, I'd probably die of embarrassment.

When we pull up outside of David's house, he's done lecturing me but compared to what is still to come, I prefer the lecture.

We go inside and Rossi turns to me and says, "Have you eaten dinner yet?"

I shake my head no.

"Go wash up and I'll see what I can do."

I nod and beeline it to the bathroom. I make quick work of washing my hands before heading back to the living room. Dave's house has become somewhat of a second home to me. There isn't a thing in it that's off limits to me. I turn on the television and kick my feet up as I wait for him to finish cooking dinner for us.

The television is on, but I'm not really watching it. I'm trying to but every time I get comfortable in a show I remember my pending punishment. I try hard to keep my mind off of that, though to no avail.

"Alex," David calls from the kitchen hours later. No more needs to be said for me to know its chow time.

I'm surprised that David picked three-cheese chicken lasagna as his food of choice before having to tear me a new one. I mean, that's gotta be a tiring dish to make. Maybe he's not going to punish me after all tonight.

I sit down at the table and get two servings of the lasagna and dig in. Rossi sits across from me. I glance up at him every so often as I eat but he doesn't look at me, at least, I don't catch him looking at me. I notice that while I'm drinking water with my meal, David is drinking red wine. Doesn't seem fair, but then again with my…issues with the sauce…I suppose it's for the best.

Just for good measure, I get a third serving of pasta trying to postpone the inevitable.

"Did you call your grandmother and tell her you're staying over for the night?" David asks me.

I look up at him from my plate in surprise. "Staying over?"

"Yes, I think its best."

"Y-yes sir," I agree. After what I know he's got planned, I don't think I could sit down in his car from the long ride back home anyways. "I'll call her after dinner."

"Don't bother, I'll call. You just go get ready for bed."

"Bed? Dave, it's barely eleven o'clock. I haven't been to bed this early since I was ten."

"Consider it part of your punishment, now go."

In anger, I throw my body out of the chair and stomp away towards my room like and errant toddler. Admittedly, that should've been a bit embarrassing considering my age and occupation but I was mad so I didn't care.

In my room, I go to my dresser and pull out a pair of boxers and a white t-shirt before heading to the bathroom. I skip the shower since I took one after leaving the gym and I just slowly get dressed before heading sulkily to my room again.

I lie in my bed dreading the upcoming punishment for about ten minutes before David comes in.

"I think I've made it clear how disappointed I am in your ability to make proper decisions today," He says. I stare at him only interested in what he's holding. It's a black, well-worn, slipper. I already know what he plans to do with it too. I've had the slipper before, most of the time actually, and it stings worse than anything. I'd much rather have his hand but Dave hasn't used his hand since the first time he spanked me. I think it's because it stung his hand just as much as it did my ass, that's why he changes between the slipper and brush from time to time.

"David," I say sitting up and looking him in the eyes. "I'm sorry, really."

"You see, I know how you might think that, but this is just a precaution. To make sure that you think a little bit harder the next time you have the urge to skip out on your obligations again,"

He walks over to the bed and sits down. I know what I'm supposed to do now but that doesn't mean I want to. I stare at the slipper and cringe as I imagine the pain that's sure to come.

Rossi isn't willing to wait for me to move on my own free-will and flips me over his lap himself before pinning me down with a strong hand. I shift uncomfortably on his lap a few seconds before I feel the first whack of the Devil-Slipper. I yelp uncontrollably. Then I brace myself and take the next five with only a few grunts every now and again.

"The next time you make a promise, you keep it," David says as he lands the next five whacks further down on my butt. I feel a few tears coming and I try hard to push them back.

"And the next time you think about skipping work, don't,"

He lands ten more whacks on my upper thighs and I can no longer hold back my tears.

"I'm sorry, Dave," I howl.

"Five more, son," he says. I brace myself for the last five strikes that I know are going to be the hardest ones and they are. I wail something fierce on those.

When it's over, David sits me up on his lap and I cry into his shoulder. It is the most embarrassing thing in the world and if someone saw me doing this with him right now, I'd die no doubt about it. But I can't help myself right now. Every time Rossi finishes spanking me I always look for comfort in him right after.

"C'mon now son," He whispers to my hair as he gently rubs the back of my head. "It's over now. You're forgiven, just don't let it happen again, or next time I won't be so lenient."

He says that every time. If that was lenient, I'd hate to have him go hard on me.

I soon stop crying and Rossi takes me off his lap and sits me on the bed beside him.

"Alex, I know you're a good kid, but mistakes like this have got to stop happening. I won't be able to rescue you every time. You're not a kid anymore and you have to start taking responsibilities for your own mistakes."

"Yeah Dave, I know. I-I'll try harder."

He puts his hand on my head and tussle my hair a little before saying, "You just keep working on it, son."

He stands up to leave but I stop him. "Dave, th-thank you,"

"For what exactly?"

"For…everything,"

He smiles. "You're welcome. Now go to bed."

I obey, of course sleeping on my stomach though.