"Thank you for taking them" With a guilty smile Will looks at Spencer as he hands him Micheal's bag, "I don't know where I catched it." He sneezes, causing Spencer to back away with the disgust written all over his face. "Sorry"
"Spencer!" WIth a wide smile Micheal comes running out, "Is Hank in the car?"
"Yes"
"Awesome!" The kid runs ahead, they have a soccer tunrament today and originally Will was suppsoed to take them but called in the morning to infrom Spencer that he is sick and if he could take them.
"He has everyhing he needs in his bag and I am sure they will teach you all about soccer tournaments that you need to know"
"I bet they will" Sceptical Spencer looks down onto the bag before responding to Micheal walking back to him and grabbing his hand to pull him to the car, "I am coming, I am coming."
"We don't want to be late!"
"We have plenty of time left."
"But you always drive so slow" Hank argues when Spencer gets into the car, "You drive like a grandma." He tells him before the boys break out into laughter,
"Oh yeah? Do grandmas have this?" With that he pulls out sour patches from his back,
"No" Micheal laughs,
"Can we have some?"
"We may need them if i drive to slow" Spencer remarks with a smirk,
"Yeah but then we need to eat them now so we have enough energy to run to the tournament." Hank argues and Spencer hands them the bag, knowing full well that when that kid grows up to be a teenager they will have their hands full to argue with him.
"Will just texted me, thank you for taking the boys, please pack your ear protectors, it can get loud and take a break in between. Love you, you will do amazing." Spencer reads from Savannah as they arrive at the building.
"Okay, what do you need me to do when we get in?"
"We don't get in we meet with our team outside" Micheal explains to him,
"And then we go change and you can talk to the other parents in the meantime." Hank adds.
"Oh okay"
"Yeah and then we will warm up but between our games we have to wait."
"And that sucks, we have to wait over an hour between our third and fourth game" Hank tells him, "But we can run around then"
"I am sure you can" Spencer mumbles and gets out of the car, grabbing their bags from the trunk as the boys run ahead to greet their teammates,
"Oh a new face" One woman exclaims as Spencer joins the circle of parents, to which he only shoves his sunglasses higher on his face and looks at the children being a bubble of energy, excited for their day. He has been at their games before, he just never talked to the others, usually Derek and Will do that.
"You are taking the boys today? I thought it was Will's turn." One dad speaks up, his hands buried in his pockets, he already looks like Spencer won't like him.
"Yes, I am. Will is sick" Spencer tells them, speaking in what Hank would call his "Agent voice", "I am Spencer, I- I am their godfather-"
"Oh Spencer, so I am assuming your name has been an inspiration for Hank's second name" Another woman speaks up,
"Yes" He confirms, nervously still looking at the children and not at the people who are staring at him so rudely. He is just glad he always packs a book, although from what the kids just told him, he will need more than one.
He keeps close to the group, just sitting down near where they are sitting and just doing what the others are doing. He assumes that will be the safest way to get through that thing without ruining anything for Micheal and Hank, "Can you help me Spence?"
"Help you?" He asks insecure as Micheal approches him,
"With taping my knee, usually Derek does it"
"Whats wrong with your knee?"
"It always hurts." Micheal tells him and Spencer feels guitly for asking, he should have known this, "So can you help me?"
"I am not sure-
"You are a doctor" Micheal answers confused, "You should know how to put tape on."
"You are?" The same dad as earlier asks, he has found out his name is Brad since then. It does not make it better,
"I am not. Well, I am but not a medical one"
"I can do it-" He wants to step in before Spencer interrupts him,
"I can do it" Hesitant he takes the tape from Micheal, "Sit down here, buddy"
"Are you sure you can do that?" The kid whispers, "I can ask my couch"
"I am sure" He is not. He is not sure at all. He has done this last when Hotch had an injury in his shoulders and that must have been at least fifteen years ago, "Tell me when I am hurting you."
"You only will when you tape it wrong, then it hurts this evening."
"You've got experience with that?" Carefully he places the first stripe down,
"Yeah and that doesn't look right"
"I can do it, it's no big deal." Brad steps in again, "I have done it before for him."
"Is that okay?"
"Why not?" Micheal shrugs and Spencer hands over the tape, placing a calming hand on Micheals shoulder but the kid doesn't seem to be bothered that another person is doing that,
"You are good to go,kid" Brad announces and hands Spencer the tape roll back, "I hope this will at least get us one goal from you young man"
"I am not sure"
"You don't owe him anything, it's okay if you don't score a goal, just have fun" Spencer quickly corrects the man and tugs a hair strain back behind Micheal's ear who starts walking towards to field but then after a few steps comes back to hug him, "Oh"
"Now I have all the good luck I need"
"You are close with them" Brad points out, "My childrens godfather isn't"
"Oh, I am sorry"
"Do you spend much time with them?"
"I live with Hank. And Micheal is there all the time. I actually wish I could see them more."
"Do you have your own kids?"
"No"
"Now I understand how you can still have the wish to see them more." Brad jokes and another dad steps in,
"We will gladly borrow you ours for a weekend."
"I don't want to borrow your kids" Confused Spencer looks at them before turning around in order to place the tape back in Micheals bag and to search his own for his earbuds again. He relationally knows there aren't any in there, he had used them at the last case and left them in the SUV but maybe there will be an old pair or some headphones, just something so he doesn't have to hear the crackles in the music and the high pitched noise in the microphone,
"Are you okay, man?"
"Perfect" He lies and puts his smile back on, "I am all good"
When the kids come back to the stands after their first game, they are all over the moon and both boys break into a ramble at the same time, telling Spencer about different situation in the game from their perspective while he tries to listen to both while bringing both to get into their jackets to avoid that they catch a cold,
"Spence listen!" Micheal whines when Hank gets more attention from him,
"How about you two talk one at the time?" Spencer suggests, "Drink something first and then you have time to tell me"
"I forgot my water"
"We can get you some"
"Now?"
"Of course, why don't you wait here Hank, we will be back in a moment." Disappointed Hank sits down near their bags and gets out of his jacket again,
"Can you leave that on, please. It is not warm enough to run around without one."
"No"
"Hank please"
"No it's so warm"
"It's not, please put your jacket back on"
"No, it's not like you know when its warm anyways" The kid protests and takes another sip from his bottle,
"Why do you not know that?" Micheal asks curiously,
"Sometimes I have a hard time with telling if I am to warm, I am practiacally always cold but i can read the weather report and it tells me really clearly that you two should be wearing a jacket so please, both of you, keep your jackets on."
"No"
"Come on Hank, jacket on" His couch calls over, "I am sure you would not be having this conversation with your father"
Just like that, Hank picks up his jacket and puts it on again while Spencer and Micheal walk over to get him something to drink, "Anything specfic in mind?"
"Just water"
"Are you sure? You can have something else if you want."
"No, I only like to drink water when playing soccer" For a moment they just stand there, the lady behind the counter waiting patiently for their order until Spencer realizes that Micheal is not going to order anything himself,
"One bottle of water please" He stammers out and hands her the money, eventhough Hank and Micheal are inseparable, the two are sometimes nothing alike.
Hank would have just ran up, talked to the lady like he has known her for years while Spencer is sure he has never seen Micheal speak to a complete stranger when he was not asked to do so,
"Thank you, Spence"
"Of course, now you can tell me about your game while we walk back" They don't become less chattering over the course of the day, Spencer would say its actually quite the oppsite, the longer it takes the more they talk, the louder the music gets and the more they play the more tired and ready to argue everything they get,
"Will promised us we could stay over"
"He didn't know then that he would be sick" Spencer tries to reason with them, they have one, maybe two games left, depending on if they win the next one,
"Why can't we stay over at our place?"
"Because Savannah and I have to work in the morning"
"We will be really quiet"
"You say that everytime"
"This time we will" Hank arugues, "Please Spencer"
"Hank it's really not a good idea" Comforting Spencer holds onto Hank's hand, they have been doing this ever since he was a toddler. Whenever they had serious conversations, they would hold onto each other's hand. When Savannah and Derek talked about it once, she had assumed that it was maybe their equivalent to holding eye contact. Since Hank learned growing up that looking Spencer into the eyes is not an option, he doesn't try to now.
"We promise we will be quiet" Micheal repeats, leaning his head down on Spencer's shoulder who tries his hardest not to flinch away. He doesn't mind them touching him but he is already overwhelmed by the noise, unexpected touch just seems to put him on edge even more. "Please please please please"
"Okay-"
"Really?" Hank and Micheal gasp at the same time,
"Only with a bed time and then you two are going to sleep in sperated rooms."
"Can I put my matress in your room?" Micheal asks immideatly, grabbing Spencer's hand as he adds an excited "Please"
"Then I would not be closer to any sleep"
"I don't snore, please Uncle Spence"
"We can see about that later okay?"
"So it's not a no?" Micheal points out with a grin,
"It's not a yes either" Hank adds,
"Don't get to excited okay? I will probably need some alone time first"
"I will be super quiet" Micheal whispers still holding Spencer's hand. Both of JJ's boys have grown up to love physical contact. Since they are kids they have been glued to Spencer's side and even when Henry is a teenager by now, when he sees his uncle, he still demands a hug.
"I don't want you to be sad when you can't stay in my room"
"Alright" A little bit disappointed Micheal lets go of him. walks down a few steps and starts looking at the game taking place on the field right now from there while Spencer feels his heart break. From all the boys, Jack, Henry, Hank and Micheal. Micheal had always had the hardest time understanding Spencer. Whenever it was about touch or noise or when he can't speak.
"Now you made him sad" Hank tells him, "We have another game to play"
"I am sorry"
"Why couldn't you just say you can let him sleep in your room?"
"Because chances are high he won't."
"Why?"
"You know why, sometimes I just need alone time"
"You can have alone time before that"
"Hank please" Spencer tries, he really doesn't have the energy left for this. His head is pounding, his shirt is sticking to his back and the smell of the food truck a few feet away is making him nauseous.
"When will dad be here?"
"I don't know, he said he would drive here when he is done with his meeting."
"This sucks"
"I am sorry he isn't here to watch you two" Spencer makes an attempt to comfort him but before he can continue, the kid does,
"I wish he would have taken us, at least he would have been fun." And if he wouldn't have been so tired already and wouldn't have been arguing all day with them, he would have understood that Hank awfully misphrased what he just said, that he wished his dad would have been here because Derek has fun going here and not that Spencer isn't fun to have here.
"I am sorry" With that Spencer gets up from his seet and starts walking towards the end of the stands, trying to cover his eyes while Hank walks behind him, managing to grab his hand only a few feet away from the end, "Don't touch me"
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, yes, I am fine" Spencer forces out, shaking his hands out as he pressed his eyes shut, "I am fine, go back to the others."
"Are you sure?"
"I am okay" He manages to create a smile and places a hand on Hank for a moment, "Get back to the others, you are up."
"Will you come watch?"
"Of course" Shaking he walks behind him on the stands and the moment he can't feel Hank's hand in his anymore he knows he has lost the battle, that he tries to push back by rocking back and forth as he sits down, waving to Micheal when he looks anxiously over to him as the game starts and when the shouting starts again, the parents next to him cheering on their kids, he loses it.
In pain he tries to cover his ears, trying to shield himself away from the bright sun that feels like it's directly shining onto the stands as it sets and away from Hank and Micheal who are playing on the field, hoping they won't notice his dsitress,
"Hey man, are you alright?" He can hear someone asks as he desperately shakes his head that hurts so much, the pressure behind his eyes feeling like it crushes everything inside of his scalp and takes away his ability to breathe.
"Shit someone get the medics" He calls as Spencer is kneeling on the floor, pressing his hands over his ears, his eyes shut and he is using every strength inside of him not to scream, not here, not with Micheal being there, he just needs to hold on a little bit longer until someone takes them elsewhere, "What's going on dude?"
"Spencer!" Hank screams as he sees him flinching away from the other fathers hand, "Spence"
"Hank wait" His coach calls as the kid runs of the field,
"Don't touch him" The kid is quick to climp over the barrier, grabbing the medics arms as they want to go up the stairs, "Don't go near him, he is scared of you"
"Buddy, you need to let us help him." The man speaks, gently trying to pry the kid's hand of as Micheal runs after Hank, wanting to see what is going on with Uncle Spence,
"No, no, no, you need to tell your collegue he can't touch him."
"We will just help him." A father starts pulling Hank away as the kid starts screaming again,
"Don't hurt him please, he is just confused"
"They will just help him." The father, Thomas, tells him, "It's okay."
"No, they don't know how to help" He inists, "They will hurt him"
"They are here to help people, kid" Thomas is holding Hank close, hugging him from behind as he stares at Spencer who has tears running down his cheek as he shakes his head vionlty, while a women is hugging Micheal who hides against her stomach, crying in fear.
"We don't know him very well, he hasn't been here often" Brad explains as the female medic looks at Spencer, worrying he might hurt his neck if he continues this, "I have no idea what's got him so upset"
"I need to go to Spence" Hank repeats,
"No, let them handle it."
"No, please, I know what to do"
"It's safer if you stay here." Thomas tightens his grip when he feels Hank starting to fight and now he starts crying as well, not because he is scared of Spencer but because he knows in how much pain he is and because no one is listening to him. He knows what to do, Derek and Savannah have taught him from a young age, "Hank stop"
"I need to tell the medics what to do"
"They know by themselves"
"Sir, can you please look at me?" The woman repeats as she stands in frond of Spencer, "Sir, please look at me"
"Is it possible he is on something?" The male medic asks,
"This is a kid's game no, no I can't imagine that, he is lovely with the kids."
"I need to tell them something." Hank sobs, "Please, let me talk to them."
"Shh, it's okay, calm down."
"No please"
"Buddy stop, hey" With strength Thomas holds Hank as he has to watch the scene of Spencer hitting his arms against the seat in the process of shaking his head over and over again, "He will be okay, it's okay"
"Why aren't they helping him?"
"They are trying."
"No they are not" He yells, "Help him!" Hank screams into the direction of the medics, "He will break his arm and not ntoice, help him!"
"Let them work." Thomas stresses and looks over to the woman holding Micheal, rubbing his back as the kid cries, "It will be okay, boys, its okay" Thomas copies what she is doing, rubbing Hanks arm while holding the other in a strong grip, "Why don't we call your dad, I have his number, lets get somewhere quiet-"
"I am not leaving Spencer"
"Kid-"
"No"
"Okay, okay but stay here." The moment Thomas lets go of him Hank starts running up the stairs but before he can reach him, Brad catches him and he breaks out into a high pitched scream that manages to rip Spencer out of his thoughts, watching in panic as he sees Hank being dragged down the stairs as he is calling for him,
"Can you hear us- hey- hey-" A hand comes into his vision as he stares at Hank, his tiny body being manhandled down the stairs, "Look at me, Sir." Spencer does, anxiously looking at the medic before pointing at Hank, "They will take good care of him, is that your kid?"
"Hank"
"Is that his name?" Slowly Spencer nods before tapping his chest, he knows there won't be any more words coming out of his mouth, he knows the feeling on his tongue, the swirl in his head, so he reaches into Hanks direction again, forcing out a whine, "What is it?"
He tries again but she doesn't understands so he tries getting up but she holds him down. Holds him down like he thinks they are holding his boys down, her touch burning on his arms as he starts panicking all over again, trying desperatly to get her to let go, to let them let the kids go, he needs to be with Hank and Micheal, he needs them to know that he is okay, that they don't need to be scared.
"She can't hold him down, only my dad can, please make her stop" Desperatly Hank looks up to the man holding him, "He is scared, he doesn't want to hurt anyone, please"
"Kid, I am sorry but if they aren't holding him down, he will end up hurting himself or others."
"No you don't understand. He only hurts others when they get too close when he has a meltdown. You are not listening, he is autistic and right now he is confused because you aren't helping him you are making it worse." He speaks up right when Derek approches them,
"What is going on?" He asks, his voice sounding threatening as he sees the man holding his son like that before his ears recognize the distress pleas from Spencer, "Let my kid go, now" He barks before hurrying up the stairs, "I am with him, let him go"
"Sir we-"
"I've got it, he is autistic and has PTSD, he does not respond well to strangers, especially health care workers touching him." With a nod the woman lets go and Derek takes over, crouching down in front of him and when Spencer recognizes him, the younger man reaches forward, hiding against Derek's shoulder as he sobs, his hands gripping the mans shirt, "I am here, it's okay, let it out."
"Dad?"
"Are you okay?" Derek whispers as Hank kneels down next him, "Can you tell me what happened?"
"We were playing and then saw Spencer having a meltdown but they didn't let me help him." Bravely he wipes a tear away, "I really- I really- I really tried-"
"I am sure you did, kid." He lets go of Spencer with one hand to pull Hank closer, "Where is Micheal?"
"With Melina"
"Okay, okay, we will check on him when Spencer has calmed down a little bit, okay?"
"He hit his arm"
"We will put some ice on it on the way back"
"I told them they need to help him." He repeats, "I am sorry"
"It's not your fault" Derek whispers, leaning his head down on Hank's as he holds him close while Micheal walks up the stairs, sitting down next to Hank before wrapping his arms around him, "You okay there, bud?"
"Why is Spencer crying?"
"I don't know yet, but we will figure it out, okay?" It takes a while for Spencer to be calm enough for Derek to spend some more attention on the kid's while he is leaning against him, his eyes starring into the distance, "Do you two want to keep playing?"
"No" They answer in sinc,
"You don't have to, that's okay, do you two feel up to get your things with Melina or do you want to do it with me?"
"With you" Micheal tells him and Dereks heart melts at the sight of the kid. JJ has told him countless of times how she has no idea what to do, the kid must be the most sensitive kid they have met and even when JJ never even slightly made fun of that, when they always encouraged him to talk about his feelings he remained quiet most of the time.
"Why don't you boys go to your team and watch their game, and when I took care of Spencer we will get your things okay?"
"Can I stay with you?"
"Dad needs a moment alone with Spencer" Hank explains and grabs Micheals hand, "Come on, it will be okay"
"If you don't want to go, it's okay"
"I can go with Hank"
"Alright, kid" Derek waits for them to walk down the stairs as he gently holds Spencer, "Do you feel up to drive home in the car with us or do you want Savannah to get us so I can be next to you?"
It takes a moment before Spencer taps Derek one time, "Good job, I think it would be better for the boys if they can calm down a first,is it okay if we just sit here for a moment?"
He answers with a nods, before pushing himself more upright as Derek holds him, "I am sorry I wasn't here sooner"
The boys are completly silent on the ride back, no matter what he tells them, no matter what radio station he plays they stay this way so the moment they arrive home, he orders them to sit on the couch with Savannah and him. She is holding Micheal close while JJ is on her way over.
"I need you two to know, that what happened today was not your fault." Derek starts and Micheal looks up to Savannah, insecure what to do with that statement but she just lets her hand run over his round face, tugging some hair back behind his ear as Derek continues speaking, "I can't imagine how scary that must have been but I can tell you that when I brought Spencer to bed, he was okay again and he fell asleep immediately, he is not in any pain right now."
"Was he in lots of pain earlier?" Micheal asks
"We aren't sure, honey. But it was probably his head that really hurt." Savannah explains and gets interrupted by Hank,
"He was covering his ears"
"He does that sometimes, you know that"
"I knew what to do but no one listened."
"I am sorry, that wasn't fair, I know you would have known the right things to do." When JJ arrives a few minutes later, Micheal breaks down crying again and through broken sobs and words they can make out how he was scared of Spencer's yelling and of the fathers who held Hank while Hank stays quiet the entire time JJ is with Micheal in the kitchen.
"I am proud of you" Derek eventually breaks the silence, "When I arrived I heard what you said, you did everything right by standing up like that"
"I was kind of mean."
"No you weren't, they didn't listen to you and you were protecting Spencer, you did everything right."
They end up staying the night, both cuddled up on an air matress in Spencer's room while JJ sleeps downstairs on the couch, not sure how Micheal will react when she leaves him but when she walks into the room in the morning, to get him because they need to head home so she can get ready for work she finds all three of them cuddled up on Spencer's bed.
Hank holding Micheal close both covered with Spencer's blanket while the man is only buried under his weighted one with a distance to the kids but one arm reaching over to them, holding Micheal's hand.
If she comes in late that day, because she laid down next to Spencer, Emily won't need to know a thing.