Past
They were ushered out to wait in the waiting area and whilst swallowing a lump in his throat Spencer called all the team back in plus Jessica and Jack. He was the only one left with their numbers so he knew he had to be the one no matter how scared and panicked he felt right now.
While he waited for them to come Valarie rubbed his back trying to comfort him. "It's all my fault," he said.
"You did what you had to. If you hadn't shot him Aaron would most certainly have been dead," she replied looking down.
"But he fell on Aaron's stomach."
"You didn't know where he was going to land. If you hadn't shot him Aaron would be in an even more critical position than he is now. He was holding me hostage and wouldn't let go of me if Aaron pressed the panic button. It was a lose lose situation but you made it a win. I know he's going to make it. He's always been a fighter from the moment he was born."
He nodded. "But..."
"I'm going to tell you something he's probably never told you..." she added swallowing a lump in her throat and biting back tears. Her chest hurt but she had to let it out. "Aaron didn't have a happy childhood. John used to beat him whenever he did something that annoyed him not even when he was naughty. He'd use his fists and his feet..." she added collapsing into tears. "It didn't end until Aaron was fifteen...I know John was going through his own battle but that doesn't excuse him taking it out on Aaron..."
Spencer looked at her pityingly. Even though it was clear to him John was the man she'd been it was also patent how guilty she felt over how she'd treated a son when she was living her lie. He didn't have any doubt that she loved her son but living life as a man had been a falsehood to her hence her here living as a woman.
"Yes he didn't deserve that treatment as a child but it made him the man he is today. I will never condone child abuse but if it weren't for what he suffered as a child he wouldn't be hunting monsters right now and such a loving, caring father to Jack," Spencer comforted.
"I don't deserve him," she answered. "After how I used to treat him I don't deserve his forgiveness. Why didn't he let Petersman kill me? Why did he protect me? I must have been a monster to him as he grew up."
"You're a completely different person now. You're not that man anymore. You're a much better person as a woman and I know Aaron can see that. Yes Aaron will never condone child abuse either and in fact I've seen he gets affected by those cases more than others even before he had Jack but I'm sure he just wants to leave that in the past where it belongs. He wants to move forward and get to know the woman you are today and I advise you let him," he answered hugging her.
"I want to. I want to so badly," she cried."I want him to know how sorry I am for how I treated him when I was a man."
"You will get the chance and I'm sure he already knows," he answered resolving to be the strong one this time.
She nodded and they heard footsteps coming from in front of and behind them. They saw the team and their family run in and the doctor approaching with a chart that they hoped was Aaron's.