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Spencer shut the door to his bedroom after looking in on his mother. She slept peacefully, and he sighed. The last two days had been rough as she alternated between crying and hugging him every time she saw him, and furious silence. He sighed and went to his kitchen. He poured out a fresh cup of coffee and went to his desk. He reached for a framed photograph and picked it up. The carved pewter frame cradled his favorite memento. It had been taken five years ago at a BAU picnic on a perfect summer day. He touched the face of Morgan, and then Emily. Two friends. Two of his best friends. His fingers hovered over Hotch, who might never return. He looked at JJ, then Garcia, and finally at David Rossi.
Someone knocked at his door, startling him away from his thoughts of his family. He hurried to the door, and the minute he opened it, a small blond blur launched into his arms. "Uncle Spencer, I missed you so much."
"Henry," JJ admonished. "Not so rough."
"It's all right," Reid said as the little boy hugged tightly. "I missed you too, Henry."
"Why did you go away so long?"
"Come inside, and we'll talk."
"Hello," JJ greeted him with a smile and an awkward hug as she carried a half-asleep Michael on one hip.
He winced at the sight of her bruised face, and the cuts along one cheek, but, she'd walked away from Scratch's vehicular ambush without major injury, as had all the members of the team. To him, it was a miracle of the kind he didn't know how to explain.
"Hi, JJ. I'm so happy to see you.
"Me too. I hope you're not mad that we barged in without calling.
"I like this kind of surprise.
"Good, because the boys demanded to see you."
"This is just what I need," Spencer said as he took Michael, who murmured sleepily. "Unca Spence."
"Hey, little man."
He lay Michael on the sofa with Henry next to him. He pulled a chair away from his chess board and sat. Henry left the couch and went to Spencer. "Where did you go, Uncle Spencer? We came here lots, and you were gone every time."
"I'm sorry I was gone for so long, Henry. You see I had to go to a special place with lots of bad men."
"I heard Mrs. Diana say to Nurse Cassie, that you went to jail."
"Henry," JJ admonished. "What did we say about listening in on big people talking to each other?"
"I'm sorry, mom, I didn't mean to. It was an accident. We came here for a visit, and I had to go to the bathroom. Nurse Cassie was talking to Mrs. Dianna because she was so sad."
"I'm sorry," JJ said to Spencer. "Why didn't you say anything?" she directed to Henry.
"Because you were sad, too, mommy."
"Oh, baby. I'm sorry you were worried."
"Why did you have to go to jail, Uncle Spencer?" Henry asked, "You're not a bad man."
JJ looked at Spencer as he struggled not to give into the tears that collected in his eyes. His heart thumped painfully in his chest, as guilt churned in his gut. Didn't the Bible say from the mouth of babes? If only it were true that he was indeed, blameless.
"Henry, you know that your mom and I try to catch the bad guys and make sure they can't hurt you."
Henry lay his head on Spencer's arm. This simple gesture made Reid's hands begin to shake. "Yeah, you and mom are superheroes."
Reid cleared his throat, hard. "One bad guy killed someone I knew and tried to say I did it. The police didn't know it was someone else, so they arrested me, and I had to stay in jail. Your mom and all your aunts and uncles worked very hard to prove it wasn't me, and two days ago, I got to leave and come back home."
Henry went to his mother and threw himself into her arms. "I love you, mom. Thanks for making the police say Uncle Spencer didn't do a bad thing."
Spencer wiped at his eyes while Henry had his face on JJ's shoulder. She smiled at him, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "You're welcome, little man."
"Yes," Reid said. "Thank you for proving my innocence."
"Spencer," said a voice from the doorway.
He looked up to see his mother standing there in her pink robe with a confused expression. "Who are these people?"
"This is JJ, Mom. Remember, she's my friend from work, and these are her sons, Henry and Michael."
"Hello, Mrs. Diana."
Diana looked at Henry for a moment and something stirred in her eyes. For the first time in two days, she smiled. "Oh yes, Henry. How are you?"
"I'm good. I'm happy that Uncle Spencer is home."
"So am I," his mother said. "Jennifer," she greeted and shocked Spencer by hugging his friend.
"How are you, Diana?"
"I've had a nice nap, and I thought I'd come out and look at my scrapbooks."
JJ picked up Michael, who blinked sleepily, looked at Spencer and held out his arms. Spencer took the boy eagerly and held him tight. "I'm so glad to see you, Michael," he whispered and stroked the little boy's hair.
"Uncle Spencer, can we play chess?"
Spencer smiled and swallowed hard against more emotions storming through his gut. "Yeah, as soon as I put Michael down in my room."
"I can do that," JJ offered.
"No, it's okay."
He left JJ and his mother looking at scrapbooks and went to his room. He lay the boy down and sat next to him as Michael drifted back to sleep. "I hope you don't remember any of this," he said quietly. "I hope you never have to know that I did something terrible to survive. I hope no one ever forces you to make such a decision. I hope you never know the misery of forced separation from everything you love."
He kissed Michael's head and stood. He watched his godson sleep for several long, beautiful moments, then returned to the living room for a game of chess with Henry.
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"I like Jennifer," his mother said when they were alone again three hours later.
"Yeah, she's great."
"Spencer, what's bothering you."
He looked up from the grilled tilapia tacos and rice, he'd ordered from a seafood restaurant down the street. His mother had her favorite salmon steak with clam chowder, and for once, her appetite seemed strong.
"It's nothing," he hedged.
"Spencer!"
"Henry knew where I've been for the last three months. He overheard it, and he's lived with the knowledge for weeks."
"Are you upset that he knew, or that he'll think less of you."
He opened his mouth to deny it, but couldn't, and something broke inside. "I wouldn't blame him if he did."
"Why, you were framed."
"Yes, but I did something terrible, mom. I hurt six men because I was angry."
"Spencer…"
"I wanted to hurt the men that killed a friend I made, another inmate that they used to teach me a lesson. I was so enraged that I tried to poison the heroin they wanted me to move for them. Instead, I nearly killed six other men. Luckily, no one died, but – "
"You are not a murderer," Dianna said, and her eyes were bright and full of compassion. "You did what you had to do."
"I didn't have to do that, mom."
"Isn't it true that they would have killed you too. You proved you couldn't be bullied."
"I should've found another way. I have this genius, and I couldn't think of another way."
"If there had been another way, you would've found it, my son."
"Mom, how can you say that?"
"Because I know you, Spencer. You're kind, compassionate, intelligent, and brave. You are a survivor. You endured and what you endured made you stronger."
"I just wish that Henry didn't know I went to prison, mom. He's too young to understand."
"Are you upset that Henry knows, or that you might not be an idol on a pedestal for him, anymore."
"Mom, I don't want him to think of me as some unflawed superhero that never makes a mistake."
"I don't know; it's great for the ego when a child thinks you're invincible."
He watched his mother, and then he laughed, long and loud, and for the first time in months. "Mom, you almost had me going there for a minute."
"Did I," Dianna said calmly, but she grinned at him. "Feel better?"
"Yes," and somehow, he did feel better.
"Good, now, let's look at these photo albums."
"Mom," he said exasperatedly. "We've looked at them at least six times since I got home."
"So, we'll make it seven."
He agreed, because his mother was happiest talking about him as a child, and for now, he needed her to smile and remind him that the world's greatest gift to the human race, was family.