"So," Morgan asked as he walked into Hotch's kitchen, "How is he?"

"Sleeping, hopefully. Pour yourself some coffee, the mugs are in the cupboard to the right of the sink," Hotch responded. Morgan looked at the clock.

"It's quarter after ten, pretty late, don't you think?"

Hotch shrugged, looking at Morgan, "Strauss has been alerted of the current… situation, that we're in, and we're all on paid leave until further notice,"

"Well, at least it's paid leave." Morgan muttered.

"Nothing like this has ever happened before. I don't think anyone knows what to do, really,"

"Reid didn't exactly have a good child hood, Hotch, how much do you think he remembers?"

"Well, after you all left last night and I helped him get ready for bed, he started talking. He said that he had to take care of his mother when she had her...episodes, and that his father neglected to care for either one of them. He also revealed that he's currently three."

"He told you all that? Why was he so shy around all of us?" Morgan asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"New people or surroundings, maybe? It was pretty overwhelming for all of us," Hotch said. Morgan nodded, silently agreeing with the statement.

"You sure he's still asleep?" Morgan asked his boss.

"I'll go check on him," Hotch responded, setting down his mug and making his way towards the hallway where the bedrooms were situated.

He knocked lightly on the door, and then entered the room. The bed which Reid had slept on was neatly made, and the small boy was sitting cross legged at the edge of it. He looked up when the door opened.

"Hey, buddy, what's the matter?" Hotch asked after seeing the boy's distraught look on his face.

"Where am I? When am I?" Spencer asked, wrapping his arms around his torso, tears forming in his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"I...I tried t-to call my mom last night, after you fell asleep, and...and her number, was… It said it was disconnected," Spencer whispered, looking away from Hotch.

"Buddy, maybe-"

"And then...And then I found a newspaper sitting on your coffee table...and the date, it said 2007,"

Hotch sighed, "Spencer, there was an… accident, that brought you here. But I'm going to do everything I can to get you back home, okay, buddy? But until then, you have to work with me, alright?"

Hotch wrapped his arms around the small boy, picking him up and carrying him into the kitchen.

"What's the matter, pretty boy?" Morgan asked when he say the boy's face. Spencer's eyes widened in panic, and he started to squirm in Hotch's arms.

"No! Please!" He squealed, burying his face in Hotch's shoulder.

"What is it, Spencer? What's wrong?" Hotch asked.

"Spencer, I'm not going to hurt you," Morgan said in the most soothing tone he could muster.

"Can you tell us why you're afraid?" Hotch murmured, stroking the boy's hair in an attempt to comfort him.

"That's what he calls me...Says, says he'll kill Momma if I don't do what he wants,"

"What does he want you do to?" Hotch asked, fearing what the answer would be. Morgan, who was on the same page as Hotch as to what he thought Spencer was talking about, had turned pale.

"Don't make me go back!" Reid screamed, clutching onto Hotch, "Please!"

"I'm not going to make you do anything, Spencer, no one is going to hurt you, alright? No one's gonna hurt you," Hotch whispered, holding onto Spencer.

*!* *

"After he called his old house number, he found a newspaper on my coffee table, and saw the date. He put the pieces together. Well, not completely together, I believe he thought he was a time traveler," Hotch told the others (Minus JJ, who was at a doctor's appointment).

"Then, when he came into the kitchen, I called him Pretty boy," Morgan continued the story, "And he freaked out, begging us not to make him go back, and he said that whoever he was talking about would kill his mom if he didn't do what he was told,"

Garcia looked ill, "You don't think he was…?"

"I'm not sure, Penelope, he didn't tell us anything else, he was too spooked."

"Where is he now?" Rossi asked.

"Sleeping," Hotch said, nodding towards the hallway. Rossi got up, walking in that direction, "Rossi, I don't think that's a good idea." Hotch warned him. Rossi ignored him, quietly entering the boy's room and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You're not asleep, are you?" Dave asked.

"How did you know?" Spencer asked in a whisper.

"'Cause I'm smart. Why so glum, little one?"

"They're talking about me, aren't they?" The boy sat up, looking at Rossi expectantly.

"Well, only because they love you and they're worried about you,"

"Nobody loves me," Spencer said suddenly.

"Why do you think that?" Rossi asked.

"Dad tells me it all the time, and when Momma gets sick, she screams at me that I'm just a mistake,"

There was a spike of anger in Rossi. Who could tell their child that nobody loves them, especially a child that was as smart and adorable as Spencer Reid?

"Well, like I said yesterday, your dad isn't always right, and your mom only said that because she wasn't feeling well, I know for a fact that she loves you very much," Rossi remembered the letters Reid and his mother exchanged daily.

Reid looked at him, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I'm smart, remember? Now you should get some rest, you look exhausted."

"Dave, will you lay with me for a while? You don't have to lay here that long, just for a few minutes..." Spencer trailed off, looking embarrassed that he was even asking the older man this question.

"Of course, buddy. I'd be honored."

And the team found them like that. Spencer curled up besides Rossi, while Rossi was laying on his back, mouth open slightly, snoring quietly, a protective arm wrapped around the small boy.

Garcia made sure she got lots of pictures to show JJ.