(Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters)

I need to stop delaying. This will be the penultimate chapter. I did have several more planned but I've decided to skip some time and get to the point.

I'll be real for a moment. I loved writing this story. I never wanted it to end and here we are, chapter 87. As I've matured and grown as a writer I've realised how much I've prolonged the inevitable. This story has to end, it's been three years. I love all of your suggestions and if I didn't have to start focusing on writing original things I would have explored all of them. (I especially liked the autistic idea, I thought that would be just a beautiful chapter, if I did it right.)

So, here I am, doing what I've been dreading for so long. But since I've made you all wait so long, and since I've rushed other chapters I'm going to do this right. You deserve a good ending.

Now, I have moved the story on a few days but you've all been waiting months so it shouldn't feel too strange.

Thank you to everyone who has ever supported this story, whether you reviewed, favourited, followed, or PM'd me. If it wasn't for all of you I wouldn't be pursuing writing as a career now.

So, all I can say now is enjoy.

Six Days later

Aaron shook Lacey's hand while she beamed back at him, tears in her eyes. Just as he retracted his hand she lurched forward and enveloped Aaron in a hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

A smile tugged Aaron's lips up and he hugged the young woman back. When she finally released him she wiped her eyes hastily and turned to the rest of the team. She looked at each of them, the greying agent with the eyes that always seemed to smile back. The blonde who quickly tangled her hand in Aaron's. The dark-skinned agent with his goatee and cocky smile and beside him the pale agent with her fiery attitude all packaged together in her tall black boots. Lacey's eyes started to brim with tears again and she shook her head.

"Sorry. I just... can't believe it."

"We got the right guy this time. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Emily and the corner of her mouth turned up with her smug sense of satisfaction.

Lacey's smile faltered as she tried to reign in her emotions and she felt a hand touch her face. She only had to tilt her head to see Caroline, her normally bored expression exchanged for her own watery grin.

"I'm free," Lacey whispered.

"I..." Caroline glanced at Aaron and she nodded briefly at him before turning her smile back on Lacey. "I've missed you so much." Caroline pulled the taller woman into a hug and pressed her nose against Lacey's hair, breathing in the chemical smell of barred-soap.

Caroline turned away from Lacey, their fingers falling away from each other as she turned to the team.

"So," she said. Her smile was gone and her lips pressed together seriously.

JJ narrowed her eyes. "So?"

Caroline nodded slowly. She looked back at Lacey who took her hand again. Caroline smiled. "I guess it's my part of the deal," she said and she looked up at Aaron. His hard stare didn't falter.

"Caroline, give it them."

Lacey released Caroline's hand and stepped in front of her. She her arms folded and Caroline laughed.

"Alright. I was just doing it." She shifted her bag off her shoulder and unfastened the strap.

Morgan snorted and Caroline paused to scowl up at him. "It's in your bag?" he said and he shrugged when Caroline just continued to scowl. She flipped open the satchel and pulled out a wooden box.

She gave Morgan another irritated look before she handed the box over to Aaron.

"There's only one in there," she said as Aaron took it carefully. He looked up and Caroline nodded to the box. "Open it. Check I'm not lying."

"Caroline," Lacey hissed, giving Caroline a light smack.

Aaron opened the box and found a vial inside, filled with a purple liquid.

"That dose is enough to restore your agent to his old self. I have more if it doesn't work."

Aaron shut the box again. "Thank you," he said.

Lacey beamed back at him and linked her arm with Caroline's. "Thank you!" she retorted and she pinched Caroline until she also mumbled her thanks.


JJ and Aaron took the rest of the day off. They sat in the kitchen, the box in the middle of the table and the focus of their attention.

JJ finally broke the silence and she looked up into Aaron's stern eyes imploringly.

"We have to tell him," she mumbled but it sounded like a question. Aaron wished it was just a question rather than a statement because she was right, they had to tell Spencer. If he remembered and agreed then they wouldn't sop him. They weren't sure what to do if he didn't remember. It was selfish, but Aaron really hoped he didn't remember.

He looked up at at JJ and nodded slowly.

"We'll tell him tonight. It might take some time to get him to remember."

JJ's gaze fell quickly. Aaron watched her with his eyebrows turned up sadly.

"He could say no."

"Not tonight, Aaron."

Aaron frowned and leaned forward. "What?"

JJ looked up and Aaron noticed her eyes were wet. She wiped them quickly. "Can we have one more night. The five of us? One last time?" she whispered and Aaron felt his heart clench. "Please," JJ went on. "Just tonight then we tell him tomorrow."

Aaron looked at the box for a moment before he nodded. He stood up and picked up the box, flashing JJ a smile. "We'll have tonight," he promised and he leaned down and gave her a kiss before moving away to store the box somewhere safe.

He paused in the threshold and glanced back. "Shall we pick him up early?" He looked at his watch and looked back at JJ who was smiling.

"Yes. We can go get pizza a-and watch a movie."

Aaron grinned. "Maybe Star Wars."


Spenecr was grinning as he held JJ's hand into the store. His eyes were met with a huge array of nerf guns which just so happened to be having a sale on.

"Look!" he cried and he was about to let go of JJ's hand to get to the toys but she pulled him back. He pouted up at her, his eyes round and sad. "Jack and Henry likes those," he mumbled.

"We're here for pizza and snacks, not toys, Spencer," said Aaron and he grabbed Spencer under the arms and picked him up. Spencer gave him the stink-eye for a moment before conceding.

"Five pizzas?" Spencer asked and Aaron laughed, hoisting Spencer onto his side and shaking his head.

"Do you think you'll eat a whole pizza to yourself?" he asked and Spencer frowned thoughtfully.

"No, but Wosie can have the west," Spencer suggested with a smile and JJ laughed too.

"Your dog is spoiled enough already," she said. "She's not having pizza too."

"Okay, can we get candy then?"

"What sort of candy?"

Spencer shrugged.

Aaron set the boy down again and took his little hand. "He'll be happy with anything that has high sugar," he said, pulling Spencer down an aisle before the boy got distracted again. Spencer trotted after them quickly, looking down at his purple converse which he made squeak on the way to the pizzas.

They picked four pizzas, with a little bit of Spencer's help. Aaron knew there'd be leftover pizza for lunch the next day and he thought suddenly that they wouldn't be a family of five the next day. The thought shocked him so much that he didn't notice JJ calling him down the aisle.

He joined them again, trying to shake himself of the fact that their family would most likely be depleted by one in a day. He needed to enjoy little Spencer while he was still with them.

They got to the candy and Aaron watched as Spencer ran back and forth, scrutinising each shelf.

Spencer pointed at the red vines and gave a shy smile, his hands behind his back as he swayed. Aaron sighed and pulled the candy off its hook, throwing it into the cart.

"Yes," Spencer hissed triumphantly, running after Aaron and grabbing his leg.

Aaron looked down and pointed to a pack of Hershey kisses. "Chocolate, buddy?"

Spencer nodded eagerly. "Yep, Yep, Yep," he said.

"Anything else you're highness?" JJ asked and Spencer pressed a finger to his lip thoughtfully before turning his persuasive gaze onto JJ.

"What snacks do you want, mummy?"

"I hadn't really thought-"

"I have an idea," Aaron said and he looked across at Spencer who reflected his smile.

"Me too," he said.

"Beat you to them."

"That's not fair! Your legs are too long!"

Spencer paused, watching Aaron before turning and sprinting to the chips at the end of the aisle. "Hey," Aaron called, laughing as he chased Spencer who pulled out a big bag of Cheetos before Aaron. Spencer hurried back to the cart and JJ and he held them up to her as he panted.

"Hewe, mummy, snacks for you!"

"Thank you!" JJ said and she took the Cheetos and picked Spencer up with her other arm, planting a kiss on his cheek. Spencer giggled, rubbing at his face as his cheeks flooded red. "What would I do without you," JJ mumbled and her eyes strayed to Aaron who's smile fell. JJ shook herself of her sad look because Spencer had started to frown and he reached forward and cupped JJ's cheeks in his palms.

"You okay?" he whispered and JJ laughed and nodded quickly.

"Course I am, sweetie." She blinked fast to stop herself from crying and Aaron took Spencer when he saw JJ struggle.

"Come on," Aaron said and he heaved Spencer up onto his shoulders. The little boy looked scared for a moment but he wrapped his arms around Aaron's head as Aaron kept a hand on him to keep him steady. "Why don't we go pick a new movie for tonight?"

JJ nodded, forcing a smile to her face. "Sounds great."


"Wosie!"

"Slow down, buddy, she's in the back-room."

"Come on, daddy! We have to walk her first."

Aaron's eyes followed Spencer fondly as the little boy ran to the back door and hopped up to try and pull the handle down. Aaron looked back at JJ who had set her bags down in the doorway.

JJ smiled and shook her head. "Take him. I'll go get Henry and Jack."

"You sure?"

"Yes, now hurry, we can put the pizzas on when we're all home."

Aaron leaned over and kissed JJ's cheek before he turned and grabbed Spencer, lifting him into his arms. Spencer put his arms around Aaron's neck as they opened the door and their little dog dashed out, looping around their feet before sprinting to JJ and doing the same to her.

"Wosie!" Spencer cried, reaching his hands out to the dog.

"Come on then, Spencer, boots first." Aaron set Spencer on his feet and the boy rushed after Rosie, rubbing her ears and patting his knees to make her follow.

"Let's get our boots, Wosie," Spencer said, padding toward the shoe box and pulling out his boots. He sat down heavily on the floor and pulled on the boots while Rosie jumped on and off him, trying to lick Spencer's face.

"Stop," Spencer said and he giggled, batting gently at the dog as he pulled on his second shoe. He hopped to his feet, letting Rosie jump up at his knees again. Spencer held out one of the little hands and beamed up at Aaron.

"Weady, daddy!"


"Henry!" Spenecr yelled, hurrying out of his bedroom and across the Henry's. He nearly collided with the other boy but he stopped himself and stood up straight, grinning happily. "Look, Henwy!"

"What?"

"My slippers! Look!"

Henry looked down to where Spencer was pointing and he laughed.

"Awesome, Spence."

"You like them?"

Spencer shuffled his feet shyly, his bangs falling into his eyes.

"Yea! They look great on you. They're too small for my feet."

"Mummy said I could bowwow them... is it okay?"

Spencer felt suddenly guilty. These had been Henry's shoes and he hadn't even asked. Henry laughed again, stepping forward and pulling the shorter boy (only by a foot) into a hug.

He pulled back and looked down at the fluffy monster shoes with crazy goggly eyes.

"It's fine. Wanna go play?"

"Play what?" Spencer asked, taking Henry's hand, his pyjama sleeve drowning his little fingers.

Henry shrugged and tugged Spencer down the hall. "Could play knights?"

"Do you think Jack will be the Pwincess?"

Spencer giggled.

"He can be the dragon. Or dad can."

"Daddy's too fast."

"Not faster than me, Spence."

Henry hopped down a few steps and held Spencer's hand as the boy cautiously stepped down.

"You can be the princess."

Spencer joined Henry on the fourth step down and made a face of adorable disgust. "Nu-uh."

"Rosie can be the princess then?"

"Rosie's too smelly to be a princess."

Henry and Spencer turned and quickly pressed themselves to the wall as Jack charged down the stairs.

"Wosie doesn't smell," Spencer said indignantly, sticking his bottom lip out.

"Sure does," Jack said, turning at the bottom of the stairs. "Nearly as bad as you two!" And he was off, running away into the front room just as Henry and Spencer chased after him.


Once they ate they all climbed onto one couch, Henry draped over JJ and the arm of the couch, Jack in the middle and Spencer curled up under a blanket on Aaron's lap.

Aaron wasn't sure what movie they were watching in the end, he was busy holding Spencer close to him and ruffling Jack's hair every once in a while. He would smile widely each time Spencer turned to whisper to him.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"Why'd they eat that stuff?"

"Comedic value, son."

"Oh."

And later.

"What does l-o-l mean?"

"Laugh out loud."

"Okay, thanks."

Each time Spencer seemed to curl up tighter and press closer to him.

"What's a selfie, daddy?"

"It's when you take a photo of yourself. Sometimes with people too."

Spencer looked surprised and he glanced at Aaron's phone then back up at him. "Can I try?"

"Sure."

Aaron chuckled to himself as he grabbed his phone and opened the camera. "Just press that when you want to take it. Hold it like- yea, you got it."

Spencer stuck his tongue out in concentration as he made sure he could see his face before he pressed the button.

"Did I do it wight?"

"Yea, here, let's do one together."

Aaron took the phone and wrapped his arm around Spencer. "Smile," he said and Spencer did, looking at himself and Aaron in the phone screen.

"Perfect," Aaron mumbled as he looked at the little photo of them in his gallery. Spencer was about to take another when Jack grabbed the phone.

"I wanna take photos too, smile, dad!"

Aaron hadn't got his phone back for a good half an hour. When the movie finally finished all three boys had fallen asleep. JJ took Spencer from him after a quick kiss and went to tuck him in. Aaron was about to take Jack when he remembered his phone. He unlocked it and opened the photos and laughed when he saw that the boys had taken 117 photos of themselves making funny faces. He scrolled up and clicked on the second photo taken that night and he felt tears well up in his eyes as he looked at the picture of himself and his little boy.

He looked at Henry and Jack and then at the photo and he pressed his lips together. He was going to miss this.


Aaron had hated going to bed that night. He had hated not being able to sleep and when he woke up, he hated himself for going to sleep and crawling the end of their final day with their third son.

He hadn't said much at breakfast or when he dropped the kids off at school. The team knew what was happening so their phones had stayed quiet from work.

It was just as Aaron got home and saw that JJ had put the box on the kitchen table that he knew it was time. Aaron closed his eyes. JJ stood by the kitchen table watching. She closed her own eyes when Aaron turned toward the sound of the tv.

"Buddy?"

Aaron stepped into the front room and Spencer turned on the couch, beaming up at Aaron.

"Daddy! You're not at wowk! Awe we doin' something?"

Spencer got up on his knees and crawled to the arm of the couch so he could look up at Aaron with big innocent eyes. That made Aaron hate himself more.

"Spencer, I need to tell you something."

Spencer's smile fell a little at Aaron's serious tone. He glanced back at the TV where an old rerun was playing. He looked back at Aaron who slowly picked up the remote and turned the tv off.

"Daddy?"

I'm not daddy anymore, Aaron thought but he didn't have the heart to say it. He just held his hand out and it coaxed the boy off the couch. Spencer gingerly took his hand, continuing to look up at him with a mix of trust and confusion.

Aaron sat Spencer in a kitchen chair and he took a seat beside him, glancing at JJ as she brushed past and briefly put a hand on his shoulder.

Aaron talked for an hour, trying to explain every detail to Spencer and imploring him to remember. Spencer looked innocently bewildered but after the mention of his mother his eyebrows fell and his face lost its softness.

"-Caroline said-"

"Hotch," Spencer said, holding his hand up before looking down at the box. "I undewstand."

"You remember?"

Spencer nodded slowly and he offered Aaron a sad smile when he noticed the way the man's face dropped.

Aaron tried to cover it up quickly. "T-that's great."

Aaron paused, looking back at Spencer before he reached toward the box.

"Thanks for evewything you've done," Spencer mumbled. Aaron blinked, looking down at the box and back at Spencer. He nodded.

Aaron opened the box and revealed the test tube.

"This dose," he said, his voice quiet as Spencer watched him removed the tube. "Will put you back at your original age."

"I-I'll be twenty-eight next week," Spencer mumbled and Aaron nodded, smiling softly.

"And if you take this you'll be that age again within a few hours."

Spencer stared at the liquid. He wet his lips slowly, his hands clamping and unclamping together. "And if I don't," he whispered, looking back up at Aaron. "I'll forget again?"

"The original dose you were given, deteriorates memory. You'll remember us, but not your old life."

"But I remembered now," Spencer mumbled and he frowned at the liquid. He realised then how much of a struggle it was to try and remember and he understood what Aaron meant. "Oh..." he said. "It's difficult to wemembew. If I take this I'll automatically wemembew evewything?"

"Caroline seems to think so."

They fell into silence. They both stared at the test tube in Aaron's hand.

"Thanks," Spencer mumbled. He met Aaron's eyes again. "Fow giving me a choice," he added and Aaron smiled.

Spencer's eyes fell back on the test tube and he took a deep breath and took it from Aaron's hand.


I'm leaving it there... sorry! I promise I won't leave you too long without an ending. It's nearly written, you'll have your answer to this long ass story soon.

This story is three years old and it'll be ending this year. It's a big promise but I will stick to it.

Please let me know what you think in the reviews.

Stay safe and see you soon.