Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds and I don't intend any copyright infringement.

~ for Sue1313 ~

Reid shook his head. "I'm not good at ... talking ... explaining ... consoling."

A slight, lopsided smile flitted across Jason Gideon's face as he sat down opposite from the young doctor. "You'll be doing fine."

"But JJ... Garcia... or you... you all would surely be much better suited..." Reid looked shrunken, small, shaken. The whole case had been heart wrenching, but what was asked of him now...

He was seemingly staring off into space. Gideon, however, knew his eyes were resting on the exact spot of the wall where the young boy was sitting on the other side, waiting for someone to talk to him, explain to him what was going on, console him. His parents, in their current condition of shock and repulsion, would surely not find the right words.

But would Dr. Reid? Hotch was skeptical. Gideon confident. "Don't try to imitate what JJ, Garcia or I would say. Use your own words. You two bonded during the case. He needs you now."

Still shaking, Reid shifted his gaze away from the wall and, for the first time since Gideon had entered the room, looked at him directly. Gideon reached out, put a hand on his shoulder and lightly squeezed it.

"You'll be doing fine."

Eyes red from crying, the boy's face still lit up when he saw Reid approaching. For a moment they just sat together, in silence. Then the child plucked up the courage to ask the question he hadn't dared asking anyone else. But this Dr. Reid... Spencer... he'd tell him the truth.

"My brother has done terrible things...", he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "They say it's..." he had trouble pronouncing the word "...genetic. Something he was born with... Schizo...schizophrenia... We're twins. Identical twins. Teachers can't tell us apart. Even mom and dad sometimes confuse us. Genetic... Does that mean...?"

Reid took a deep breath. He had known this question would come. It was basically the same question he asked himself, late at night, when he couldn't find sleep: "Will I one day be like my mother?"

"You like science, don't you?", he finally began, desperately struggling to keep his voice calm and strong.

Your own fears don't matter here.

"Look at your hands." Read spread his palms. "They are the same, thumb, index finger, pinkie and all, but no matter how you turn them, it is impossible for them to completely coincide. This is an example of chirality. In chemistry, chirality refers to molecules. The term derives from the Greek word χειρ. Two mirror images of a chiral molecule are called..."

Uh-oh, he had overdone it. The boy frowned. He was interested, but he didn't completely understand. Reid bit his lip and tried again. "Try and shake my hand."

Of course the child used his right hand. Reid, however, offered him his left hand. They had a bit of trouble... Suddenly the kid's eyes widened.

"My right hand and my left hand both look the same, but they are different... Just like..."

This was exactly the direction in which Reid had wanted the boy to think... but would he...? Reid held his breath.

"I'm not my brother... I can be completely different..."

YES!

"It's all up to you." Reid placed a hand on his shoulder.

Just then a door opened at the far end of the corridor and the child's parents came stumbling out.

"Thank you", the boy whispered, got up and walked towards his devastated mother and father.