So, uh, it's been almost 2 years since I've updated... *winces* I'm really sorry about that... there've been a lot of reasons and excuses for my absence, however nothing that can excuse almost 2 years. So, if there is anyone out here still interested in my little story, here you go. I hope you can still enjoy it :)

The plane landed in DC and Derek just had to drive 30 minutes to get to his house on the outskirts of Quantico. Spencer remained silent, just staring out the window with a book on his lap, like he was going to read, but kept getting distracted by the scenery, throughout the whole drive, but Derek noticed his relaxed posture and the way his eyes seemed to light up for the first time as they got closer to his house and Spencer began to recognize the area.

Derek smiled. Maybe Spencer could really start to get better once he was home. He certainly seemed more comfortable here than he did anywhere else. Spencer watched the landscape around him for awhile, before looking down at the book he'd been reading and returning to it. Derek mentally reminded himself to enroll Spencer in school. And to enroll him in school he'd need to get in IQ tested and have some level tests done to see what grade he needs to be in...

'And his room. I hope it's okay. I think I still have a bed up in his old room... and food! I need to go grocery shopping for things Spencer would eat. Well, shit,' Derek thought, 'I'm not quite a prepared as I thought I was.'

Derek started mentally freaking out, before making himself take a calming breath and chill out. Everything was going to be okay. Spencer was coming back to the safe home he belonged at, he was going to get the right education, and everything would work out for the best. He just had to keep being positive enough for the both of them for now. Spencer was going through enough that he didn't need any hopelessness from Derek making it any worse

"So, buddy," Derek asked, breaking the silence. Spencer looked up irritably from his book. "What do you want to do when we get home?"

Spencer shrugged. The flight had been a rather early one and, while 5 hours on a plane felt like a really freaking long time, there was still a lot of day left.

"Well, I was thinking we could just spend today at the house, resting, maybe go out to dinner with the team if you're feeling up to it, and then tomorrow we can go shopping for clothes and anything else we need to get you," he said. "That sound okay?"

"I don't need new clothes," Spencer whispered in his scratchy voice.

"Well, I'd like to get you some anyways," Derek said gently. Spencer might deny his need of new clothes, but Derek had seen the things he had from his uncle's house. There were some nice things, but for the most part it was all baggy or too small or torn up. He needed new clothes the way a man dying of thirst needed a cup of water.

Spencer shrugged apathetically and went back to reading his book.

Derek didn't say anything the rest of the drive, letting Spencer read his book in silence. Derek sighed happily as he pulled into his driveway, ready to be able to stand up and stretch.

"We're finally home, buddy," Derek said, stretching his arms up and cracking his back as he stood up out of the car, then winced at the sound. "Hate that sound," he said with a light smile.

"It comes from Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, and Nitrogen in the synovial fluid that keeps your joints lubricated. When you stretch the join capsule they escape and form bubbles which make the cracking sound," Spencer told him, quietly.

Derek was surprised at the sudden words, but tried not to show it. "Really?" he asked. He'd heard something like that before, but wanted to try and get Spencer to speak more. "That's really interesting." Spencer just shrugged it off and looked up at the house, then grinned. Derek could see the boy trying to repress the smile, but failed at it and it made Derek beyond happy to see Spence so happy.

He'd always thought the idea that making someone else happy was the best way to make yourself happy was ridiculous. Derek didn't like getting close enough to people that he would feel dependent on their happiness for his own, but he knew that he would kill if only to make Spencer look happy again. There was next to nothing he wouldn't do for that child.

Derek grabbed Spencer's bags out of the trunk, along with own go-bag so that he could wash the clothes in it, and took them inside. He dropped his bag by the front door, but took Spencer's stuff up to the room he'd slept in before. Thank god he'd left the room alone. It still had a full-matress and a comforter, but after 4 years Derek knew it was time to change the sheets. He stripped the bed down, throwing the old sheets in the laundry bin and grabbed a new set from the linen closet. He winced as he put the sheets on the bed, realizing how boring and old the room looked. They'd need to redecorate it however Spencer wanted at some point...

Derek added that to his ever-growing list of things that needed to be done. He spent very little time at home, but Derek knew that was going to have to change soon. He supposed Spencer could stay with Garcia while he went on cases, but there were some cases that needed Garcia there. He decided that that was something to worry about later. Right now, he was home with Spencer and that was amazing in and of itself.

"So, kid," said Derek, "are you tired?" Spencer looked dead on his feet. Derek knew that any answer but 'hell yeah' was going to be a lie.

Spencer nodded.

"Why don't you go up to your room and nap, okay?" Derek said. "You look like you could use it."

It was a testament to how honestly exhausted he was that Spencer went upstairs without a word to sleep.

Derek sat down on the couch when Spencer was gone and suddenly wanted the boy back where he would be able to see and take care of him. It made him nervous for him to be even a little bit out of his sight, but Derek took a deep breath and told himself that he needed to get over that right now. He wouldn't be able to watch Spencer all the time and that, frankly, Spencer would probably want a lot of privacy right now.

He sat for a moment, before remembering to call the team and tell them he was home. He pulled out his phone and called Garcia first. Her reaction was as expected. Tears, jokes, laughter... basically a large, dizzying flurry of emotions. Which was basically Garcia 24/7. Then Hotch. After Hotch was JJ, then Rossi.

Morgan yawned, thinking that he could use a nap also, but made himself stay awake and looked up the nearest elementary school. He called the number he found.

"Hello, FD Roosevelt Elementary," a voice said from the other end said.

"Oh, hello, my name Agent Derek Morgan," he said, adding the agent on so hopefully things would move along with more speed than these things did most of the time, "and I need to fine out what I need to do to enroll my, uh, son," he said, unsure how to refer to Spencer. "Well, I'm his legal guardian but there's no actual blood relationship. But, he has some, uh, special needs I guess."

"Well, I can get you speaking with the Special Education department-" she said.

"No, not like that," Morgan said, interrupting her. "He's extremely intelligent. His doctor and everyone else that know him says he needs to have his IQ tested because he's probably a genius."

"We can give him some screening tests to see what grade level he's at," the woman said.

"That would be great," Derek replied. "When should I bring him up?"

"Well, it'll take a little while to get everything set up," the woman said. "But, if you give me your contact information I'll be sure to call you back Agent Morgan."

Derek gave her his information, said thank you, and hung up. He decided to take a short nap, setting his phone alarm for 30 minutes away so he wouldn't sleep too long. He didn't want Spencer to wake up if he was asleep.

Everything seemed a lot better at the moment, though.

I'm really sorry about the wait again. I know this chapter kinda sucked, but I wrote it in under an hour just to have something to upload.

Please, leave a review though :D They're always greatly appreciated :D