Erin shuddered as she tried to get the images of the latest case David and Aaron had been working on out of her mind. She couldn't even begin to fathom how much cruelty people could put others through in the name of helping out a loved one, and while she could understand a tiny bit of that desperation, she also felt like she would never be able to stoop to something like that. Letting out a frustrated huff of breath, she pushed away from her desk and got to her feet, pacing in order to try and clear her mind of the miasma of thoughts that were tumbling around.

She was interrupted a few minutes later by her office door opening and closing with a loud thud. Startled, Erin jumped and turned to see that Alex had joined her in her office, and the moment their eyes met, Alex's hand flipped the lock on the door, which told Erin that she was in for an interesting conversation. Schooling her features into a cool, flat, mask, she cleared her throat before speaking. "What can I do for you this afternoon, Alex?"

Without waiting for her to answer, Erin made her way back to her desk and took a seat, folding her hands on top of her desk and meeting Alex's eye once more, never looking away or showing her just how unnerved she was by the woman's sudden appearance. She assumed that it had something to do with Elise, and the discussion that she had had with Aaron a little while ago, but she wasn't about to show her hand just yet. Not when she knew that this might lead to the first opening of dialogue between them.

There was a long pause as Alex took her time to approach Erin's desk, taking a seat in the chair closest to the wall, which told Erin that she was planning on being there for a long time. The only thing she didn't know was if that was a good or bad sign, and a part of her wished that Helen would call and interrupt them, if things became too loud. Finally, Alex drew in a sharp breath, and Erin turned her entire focus on her former friend, bracing herself for what was going to come next. "I want to know just how many lies you're telling the team, Erin. It was bad enough when you were lying to just me, but now? Now you're lying to so many people."

Erin felt her brow furrow in confusion and she tried to smooth the expression from her face as she picked up her mug and sipped at her coffee, needing a moment to gather her thoughts. "I'm uncertain of what you mean, Alex. Would you care to explain more in depth? What exactly am I lying about, and to whom?"

"Well, we can start with your husband. Does he know that you cuckolded him with a child that's not his own?"

So that was what Alex thought, and it didn't surprise Erin that it was the absolute worst possible scenario. Shaking her head a little, Erin frowned and licked her lips. "I haven't lied or cuckolded him, Alex. What would give you that impression?"

The woman let out a scoffing laugh as she shook her head. "I saw Elise that day you brought her to the bullpen, and it is obvious that she is Hotch's daughter. She is the spitting image of him, after all! Did you really think that you could get away with a lie that large and not have anyone notice? And is your youngest child really his, or did you sleep with Hotch again to get knocked up?"

Erin flinched at the vitriol in Alex's words, shaking her head mutely as she suddenly felt close to tears. "I don't know how you've managed to get things so twisted around in your head, but if you had just come to me, and asked for the truth, I would have told it to you. Everyone on Alpha team has known that Elise is Aaron's child since Haley was murdered."

"Do you really think I'm going to believe that lie?"

"It's not a lie, Alex. You can ask anyone, and they will tell you the same thing. If you want, I can call Doctor Reid in here, and he can tell you exactly what I just told you. It wouldn't be a lie coming from him, would it?"

Alex rolled her eyes a little. "I don't think…"

"That's right, in this case you aren't thinking. There was an incident that occurred nearly nine years ago now, and Aaron and I made a major mistake, wherein we got drunk and ended up in bed together, resulting in a gorgeous daughter who we both love dearly. Though at the time of her conception, Aaron and I were at odds, and David stepped in to be her father, in order to protect her from the very deserved anger from her real father. But then Foyet cornered Haley and me in that house, and I had to watch one of my closest friends die in front of my eyes before I was shot as well. I nearly lost Catherine as a result, and Foyet took great pleasure in revealing to everyone the fact that he had just killed the mothers of Aaron's children, and he would then be hunting down our babies. Aaron thought I was dead, when he arrived to the house. But through the grace of God, we survived, though I have to live with the weight of Haley's murder around my neck for the rest of my life."

"Erin…"

"No. No. You didn't bother to ask in a respectful manner, and so you get to see this messy side of me. Elise knows Aaron is her father, that Jack is her brother, but she calls him Uncle Aaron, so as not to confuse Catherine. We'll tell our youngest the truth when she reaches an appropriate age to know that families can be so complicated, but also full of love. It has taken us all a long time to create this family that we have, and if you do anything to hurt my children…"

"I won't. I promise."

"Promises are easy to make and easier to break."

Alex blushed a little as she glanced away from Erin. "I know. We both know that. You were shot?"

She reached up and rubbed her shoulder absently as she nodded. "I was. I don't know how Foyet missed his target so egregiously, because he was an evil bastard who knew how to kill people so well. When I woke up in the hospital, I thought that I had lost Catherine because there was a miscommunication between the medical staff and myself. It was a relief to finally have her brought to me so that I could hold her in my arms. And that's more than I thought I'd ever tell you before we had made proper amends. Please, is there anything that I can do to fix this rift between us?"

Alex shifted her eyes over to look at Erin, a tense expression on her face. "I don't know, I don't think I'm ready to take that next step. I'm sorry."

Before Erin could reply, Alex had gotten to her feet and hurried over to the door before unlocking it and fleeing from the room. And while Erin knew that this was progress for them, her entire body ached for the very act of bleeding all over Alex with the truth that was in her heart, hoping that it was enough to soften things between them in order to maybe start the long path of reconciliation between them.