This short one-shot is dedicated to my friend Tia. She wanted a Hotch/Morgan/Reid story, so I made this one shot and plan on making her a story as well, which I might post as a continuance of this clip if anyone else would like it. otherwise I'll just send it to her, lol, and let her keep it for herself. I enjoy this three way pairing, it's a lot of fun and one I think I could enjoy. Any story that goes with this later won't be extremely long (at least that I plan. who knows what my muse plans?) But I will write more. It's just a matter of it people want me to post it or not. let me know!

If anyone who reads these has a request for something they'd like to see, feel free to send it to me! I take all requests, though some I try and don't work. I am always willing to try, though! Hope anyone out there enjoys this. Tia, this is for you girl, enjoy the heck out of it. I'll have more for you soon!

I don't own them and I never will. But I own Chester, WA-seeing as how I made up the town ;)

Slouching slightly in his seat, Spencer let his eyes drift shut as his mind traveled over the case details. He was tucked into the back of the jet away from everyone, needing to try and think and not wanting to be distracted, something that everyone was well used to. When he got this way, they always left him to his thoughts unless they needed him for something important.

The jet was carrying them all to Chester, Washington where young women were being abducted and murdered. His mind scanned through the facts he'd read about each woman, trying to find the connection between them to help with victimology. Part of it was obvious; age, gender, hair color and length, eyes, figure. But they needed to see if there was something more that tied them together. Something that might link back to their Unsub. He should have known better than to think about that while so tired; he drifted off to sleep with their images in his mind. It was almost natural for the nightmare to start.

Two sets of eyes were drawn to him when he started to whimper slightly in his sleep, shifting around a little. Those eyes made a quick sweep of the jet, nothing that everyone was toward the front and were sleeping, and then went to one another. Without a single word between them, the men rose and moved toward where Spencer sat.

Morgan reached him first. He looked up to the front one last time and then slid into the seat next to Spencer. One of his hands came up to stroke back Spencer's hair while the other slid over his thigh. "Spencer." He murmured low in the young man's ear. "Come on, baby boy. It's just a bad dream. Come on now, everything's ok."

Sliding into the seat across from them, Aaron Hotchner reached over the table to let his hand rest over top of Spencer's which were curled in his lap. "Spencer, wake up." He said in a low, firm voice. "This is just a nightmare. You're safe, everyone is safe. Come on, now."

The combination of the two voices was doing the trick. They could see as Spencer slowly started to come back to himself before his eyes suddenly jerked open, a gasp catching on his lips. His eyes jerked from Morgan to Aaron before dropping down to his lap. Little trembles ran down his lithe frame. "Sorry." He mumbled.

The hand on his leg and the one holding his both squeezed gently. Even if someone woke up, no one would see their touches, tucked back in the corner the way they were. Knowing that, Aaron let his thumb caress the side of Spencer's hands. "Don't apologize for bad dreams." He told him gently. Anyone else would have been shocked to hear that gentle of a tone coming from Aaron toward one of his subordinates. Morgan and Spencer didn't bat an eye. Something about Spencer drew out the gentle side in the two alpha males.

Morgan stroked over Spencer's hair again, trying to help calm the trembles. "You fell asleep thinking about the case, didn't you?" He smiled at the young man. "You know that gives you nightmares, baby boy."

"I was looking for patterns." Spencer explained. His voice was low, cracking slightly in a way that told the other two profilers exactly how bad his dream had been. They both responded automatically. Morgan scooted a little closer, not caring if anyone looked up and managed to see him, moving his hand from Spencer's leg to wrap it around his waist and snuggle in with him. Aaron tightened his grip on Spencer's hand and moved his feet forward, letting their legs twine together under the table. They both knew that the best thing for Spencer after a nightmare was positive contact. It grounded him and reminded him of the good things in life.

Biting his lip, Spencer looked from one to the other, love in his eyes. "Thanks."

"We're here for you, Spencer. No matter what else is going on, we'll be here for you." Aaron reminded. Out of them all, Spencer was the most unsure of himself, the one that needed the most reassurance in their relationship. That was what these three had together; a relationship. It wasn't just friends and it wasn't just for the sex, though both were wonderful and important. What they shared as a trio went beyond that. There was love shared between them as well as respect. Even need. In their own way, each one needed the other. As a unit they felt whole.

Though they said nothing about their relationship, they knew the others had to suspect something. Maybe not the three of them together, but at least some kind of pairing. Aaron had watched the others and the conclusion he came to was that the others thought Morgan and Spencer were secretly dating and that they'd only told Aaron. He could tell that they thought that Morgan and Spencer spent time with him because he was their only friend that knew about them. If they only knew the truth!

He let that image grow, though. It served a purpose for them. They'd agreed that it was ok for others to assume that Morgan and Spencer were dating since, in a way they really were. If the brass ever found out about the relationship, Aaron could do his best to protect them. But if it came out that the three of them were in a relationship, well, he didn't image it would go over very well. With him in the relationship with them, he wouldn't be able to protect them as well if things came out to the brass. So he fostered the idea that he was only their friend. It didn't bother him.

Sometimes it was hard on Spencer—though not for the reasons others might have thought—and in turn that made it hard on them. Aaron and Morgan had learned early on in this little triangle that Spencer had more self-doubt than they'd ever suspected. He was quick to take blame for something and just as quick to expect people to walk away from him. In little ways the two worked to make sure that Spencer understood how important he was to them. How absolutely vital he was in their lives. But when they were on cases and they couldn't indulge in those little moments for long periods of time, they had to keep a close watch to make sure Spencer wasn't starting to think it was because of him.

He was embarrassed by it, stating once that a normal person wouldn't be so insecure. Both Aaron and Morgan had reassured him that he was perfectly normal and his insecurity was understandable and that they didn't mind at all, which they didn't. That was part and parcel of Spencer and neither would change him for the world.

Spencer chewed on his lip nervously, but his body had shifted toward Morgan and his foot wrapped lightly around Aaron's calf. "I know you guys will be here for me." He spoke low to make sure no one heard him. "I just feel puerile sometimes for needing it as often as I do."

"Puerile?" Morgan asked him.

Smiling, Aaron looked over at his dark lover. "Childish or childlike. Silly, in a sense"

Nodding in understanding, Morgan looked back over at Spencer. His eyes darted to make sure no one was awake before he indulged himself by kissing the younger man's temple. "Nightmares in our line of work are normal, not childish. Plus, your nightmares are getting less and less, Spencer. You rarely have them anymore."

A blush crept into Spencer's cheeks. He looked down at where Aaron's hand still held his. "I feel safe, sleeping between you two." His voice was so low they almost couldn't hear it. "I generally only have them now when I sleep alone. You guys keep them at bay for me. You…you make me feel safe."

Before either of them could say anything to that comment, the announcement came for their descent. Spencer pulled back to himself while the other two sat back as well. Aaron opened the file in front of him before buckling his seatbelt. Morgan had just detached himself from Spencer and was putting on his buckle when the others started to sit up and stretch, buckling themselves in as well. The three men shared a brief, secret smile before jumping right into a discussion of the case as if that was what they'd been doing the whole time. Trembles finally gone, Spencer gave his opinion that there was something more than looks that tied the victims together. Nothing about the scene looked amiss. Unless someone would have bent and looked under the table. Morgan's leg and Spencer's were pressed against one another. Spencer's other leg was stretched forward, twined still with Aaron's, and Aaron's other leg was forward enough that his and Morgan's shoes bumped slightly. The three were twined together, just the way they liked to be.