The secret relationship went on in that way for nearly five months. A few weeks after the start of summer break, Tia woke up in her apartment to the sound of the phone ringing. Thinking it was probably Spencer or her boss, she moved to answer before it went to voicemail.

"Hello?" She asked groggily, trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. Instead of Spencer's comforting familiarity or Mr. Anderson's deep voice, she heard the bright voice of her twin.

"Morning, sister! Did you just wake up?"

Tia blinked and yawned, unsure why Brooke was calling so early. "Brooke? Is something wrong?"

"Yes." She said, completely serious. "Yes, something is very wrong. What's wrong is that you are spending three glorious months off of work laying around and sleeping in."

"Brooke, it's seven in the morning. I'm hanging up now."

"No no no, wait! I'll get to the point." She sighed. "I just got you a ticket back to Phoenix. You are going to come down for a whole week, forget about Quantico for that time, and spend it with me. We are going to party like we're twenty again, so don't forget to pack some of those dresses I sent you."

"Brooke, you know that's not my thing."

"La la la, not listening. And the ticket's non-refundable, so unless you want to waste the 200 dollars I just spent on you..."

"Ugh," Tia groaned with a small laugh. "You are insufferable."

"But you love me." Brooke laughed. "Your plane leaves tomorrow at five! Get to packing!"

"Wait, Brooke-and she hung up." Tia sighed as she set the receiver down. She got to her feet to get dressed. She pulled on a pair of denim capris, brown sandals, and a short sleeve light blue button down. She was putting her hair up in a messy ponytail when she heard a knock on the door.

She started for it, tying her hair as she went. When she opened up the door, she involuntarily smiled. Spencer stood in the doorway with a small grin. "Morning," he greeted.

"Morning," she replied. "Hey, it's actually good that you stopped by, I've got to tell you something."

He frowned as she moved to let him inside. He shut the door behind him and followed her into the kitchen. He stood at her side while she rummaged through cabinets, looking for her coffee mugs. "Should I be worried?"

"No, it's nothing bad, promise. My sister, Brooke, called me this morning. She bought me a non-refundable plane ticket back to Arizona. She wants me to stay for a week."

"Oh." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess you're gonna go?"

She nodded as she found the mugs and headed for her coffee machine. "Well, Brooke is the only family I have left, and we've always been close. I mean, we're twins. Besides, she spent a lot on that ticket and I can't let it go to waste."

He nodded, and took the mug with his usual five sugars when she offered it to him. "Well...I-"

"Spencer, I promise there's nothing you need to worry about. I'll be fine." Tia assured him, understanding why he was so nervous.

"I know." He sighed. "Just...um, have fun and stay safe, I guess."

"Spencer, I leave tomorrow, not right now." She laughed. "If you want, you could stay around and help me pack."

He smiled. "Alright, I'll stay. Thanks, by the way, Tia."

She smiled and reached over the counter to squeeze his hand. "Anytime, Spencer. Now, Brooke said to pack some...party dresses-"

"Oh, wait a minute, I don't-" Tia laughed as his face turned red.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to make you look at any of those dresses. You can help by folding things."

"Alright," He sighed with a nervous laugh. "That I can do."

She laughed to herself as she walked over and pecked him on the cheek. The flush returned. "Just for the record...you are adorable when you're flustered."

The next day, Spencer clocked out early from the Quantico office to go with Tia to the airport. She kissed him lightly before she left, and it took a bit of time after the plane ascended for Spencer to leave the airport.

The next few days all he received we're a couple texts and photos of Tia and her sister. Her sister still had no idea about the relationship between the two of them. On the day before Tia was supposed to return, she didn't send any texts. But Spencer knew that the two sisters had been up late at a party, as Tia had called him the former night to vent about not wanting to go. He got up just like normal and headed into the office just like normal.

It was not normal.

He should have been concerned when Tia didn't text or call. But he wasn't.

He walked in and found Morgan and Penelope standing in front of the stairs, waiting for him. When they spotted him entering, Morgan approached.

"Hotch wants us at the Round Table ASAP. He said there's a time sensitive case we need to brief for."

"A case?" He asked incredulously. "Now?"

Morgan frowned. "Something happening soon, kid?"

"I...nothing. It's...it's fine."

He still looked suspicious, but he nodded anyway. "Alright, then, come on, Pretty Boy."

He followed the two of them into the room, where Spencer and Morgan took their seats while Penelope picked up her remote to start the briefing.

"So, Phoenix PD is calling us in for what is most definitely an abduction case. Team, meet Brooke and Cynthia Carmichael. They're fraternal twins, both originally from Phoenix...Reid?"

Reid hadn't realized he had stopped breathing. He took a deep ragged breath and turned away. "I-I'm sorry, I-" He shook his head, got to his feet, and rushed from the room. The rest of the team exchanged confused looks.

"What's wrong with Reid?" Blake mused.

Hotch, face stoic, glanced back at the screen, where the grinning faces of the girls was staring back at them. "I think Reid knows one of our victims."