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

New story, wooooo!

You guys voted for this and I was super happy to write it. Updates will be weekly.

Enjoy.

Aaron got to work ten minutes before he needed to and he saw that half his team were in already, Morgan surprisingly being a member of their early party.

"Morning, Hotch," Morgan said as he lifted his mug from his desk and followed Aaron up the stairs.

Aaron pulled a key from his pocket and opened his office, leaving his briefcase just inside the door. Morgan waited behind him, midway through a gulp when Aaron muttered, "You're in early?"

"I went for an early morning run. I was ready way before I needed to be and baby girl got me out the door."

"As in through text format, sir... n-not... I wasn't with him... or at his or anything." Garcia, who was stood waiting in the entrance of the conference room, smiled sheepishly at Aaron while Derek sent a mischievous wink her way.

Aaron walked by the flustered tech analyst, waving her explanation off as he did. "I understand, Garcia."

"Oh... awesome, awesome, that's... that's cool. Um... I think this is almost everyone."

Aaron took his seat and raised his gaze to finally take in who was there.

Spencer gave his usual awkward nod as Aaron's walked passed him. JJ was looking down at her phone, her other other hand drumming against the table. Morgan whispered something to Garcia as he flopped into his seat and Garcia saw Aaron looking and blushed deeply, giving Morgan a hard smack.

"Ah, babygirl! Hands hurt!"

"I'll hit you somewhere else you-you delicious slab of muscle. Remember what happened with Strauss? I don't want that..."

Morgan rolled his eyes and leant back in his chair. "That ain't gonna happen. Besides, you said it."

"You encourage me!"

Rossi walked in then and Aaron looked up from the table as the elder sat beside him.

"Get enough sleep, Aaron? You look like crap," he said and Aaron raised his eyebrows.

"Thanks," Aaron deadpanned. "You don't look so bad yourself. And I slept fine."

Dave shrugged and shifted his chair for Emily to get to hers as she dropped her coat on the table.

"Just an observation," Rossi mumbled.

"Are we all here? Yes, can I... I'm gonna go ahead and start then, yep, doing that..." Garcia rambled as she fiddled with the remote. She composed herself quickly and turned the screen on, pulling photos onto it with rapid clicks.

"I thought you were visiting your mom this week, Reid?" Morgan frowned at Spencer as he pulled his bag over his head.

Spencer shrugged. "The case is close to Vegas. I can at least be there today and visit my mom tomorrow. I've already looked through the bus times."

"Oh come on, Spence. You probably knew those bus times by heart," JJ said with a smirk when Spencer opened his mouth to protest.

Emily cut in before Spencer could start his protest. "He's probably just stoked to get a free jet and cover most of the distance."

Spencer frowned and pressed his lips together defensively.

JJ and Garcia laughed while Dave chuckled softly. Morgan on the other hand was also frowning at Emily.

"Since when do you say 'stoked'?" he asked.

"Since when do you care?"

"Oh, I see, you're trying to be 'hip' and 'cool' like the kids nowadays. You should have said, if I'd have know you were chasing your lost youth I wouldn't have brought it up."

"Shut up," Emily retorted, barking out a laugh as she did.

"No fighting," Garcia said and she pinched Derek's arm, which was a difficult task considering he was nearly all muscle.

"Ah! Why do you always target me! Hit her!"

"I'm just looking for an excuse to touch you."

"Enough. Garcia, the case." Aaron pointed to the screen and set his face with a hard look that had Penelope stuttering.

"Y-yes, of course. Okay, so four victims over the past three weeks..."

Aaron half-heartedly listened you the case until Dave's eyes fell on him and the room began to fall quiet.

Aaron sat up in his chair.

"Wheels up in half an hour," he muttered and he stood up quickly. "I'll meet you all there."

He walked out before the team could question him.

Aaron got to his car. Thankfully he'd be travelling to the jet alone. He turned the car's engine on and connected his phone to the car. He scrolled through his contacts and found his brother, tapping on it before clicking his seatbelt into place.

He pulled out of the parking lot when Sean picked up.

"What's up?"

"You realise what day it is?" Hotch asked, pulling up to the first junction.

There was a pause on Sean's end of the phone and Aaron glanced down with a frown.

"Sean?"

"Yea! I'm thinking. It's not Jack's birthday right. That's like at the end of October?"

Hotch looked back at the road and shook his head incredulously.

"Aaron? Oh come on, you know my memory sucks. Just tell me."

"It's mom's birthday," Aaron said and Sean was quiet for a moment.

"Oh."

Aaron turned left, waiting for Sean to continue.

"Did you... go see her?"

"Not yet, I've got a case so I'm heading there now otherwise I won't be able to visit for a few days."

"You get flowers?"

"Yea," Hotch said and he nodded slowly, speeding up to try and get to his mother before they had to be at the jet. "Two bunches," he said.

"Good. Uh, you okay?"

"I'm fine, are you?"

"I kinda forgot... I feel so bad."

"You forget everything, Sean. There's no point feeling bad."

Hotch smirked to himself as his brother spluttered out a retort. He got to his destination just as Sean started to defend himself.

"I'm there."

"Okay, tell her I love her."

"Alright. I'll speak to you soon."

"Yea, you better. I need to come up to see you guys soon, I haven't seen Jack in ages."

Hotch hung up on his brother and glanced at the flowers on the passenger seat. He didn't have long until the rest of the team would be at the jet. So Hotch grabbed the flowers and got out of the car. He hurried through the front gate and made his way down the rows, turning right at the end of one and heading for the far right corner.

He got to the graves and all need to rush seemed to leave him like a sudden sigh. He knelt down and gently replaced the flowers he'd put there before with the new ones.

Aaron adjusted his tie after laying the flowers down. They were orange, a dark orange close to the stem, feathering out into a pale peach that flourished with the petals. He smiled softly at the absorbing orange and felt the urge to press his fingers against the petals to see if the colour bled.

The headstone had some moss creeping up the back and Aaron burrowed his nails into it and peeled it back. The front was still clean and Aaron could read his brother's name clearly. Myles Hotchner. The stone next to it was much newer, still fifteen years old, but the stone wasn't chipped or of the same variety.

His mother's name was carved neatly into that one. The plot had been selected so their mother could someday rest with her youngest child.

The older stone offered just a few sentences since when Myles died they hadn't had the money. Their mother had asked for his middle name to be put on but she also insisted on having a sentence to underwhelmingly sum him up and there just wasn't enough money. The man they purchased it from had also already written the name and having Myles' middle name added would cost them another headstone.

So before Mary Hotchner died she instructed her sons to have a stone with not a word more than Myles had.

Aaron felt himself smile wider. He ran a finger up the stem of the white lilies he brought before carefully setting them in the pot, replacing the old ones he'd left a fortnight before.

He stood looking down at his family when his phone buzzed. He pulled it partway from his pocket to see the name and sighed, slipping the device back into the warmth of his pants. A message from Garcia only meant one thing. Aaron leaned over and touched each headstone, closing his eyes momentarily as he imagined saying goodbye in person.

He gave up on the imaginary hug from Myles and turned away.

Spencer and Morgan got to the jet before the rest of the team and they chose their seats, stowing their go-bags in the overhead. Morgan watched Spencer as the young man picked his book up from the table and started to read. He watched, unaware that Spencer could feel his gaze, until Spencer hit his fourth page before he decided to talk.

"What happened to the week you were taking off?"

Spenecr looked up from his book and across at Morgan. He didn't say anything for a few seconds, enough time for Morgan to unfold his arms and become suspicious.

"I-I didn't feel like it," spenecr said and he shrugged, looking back down at his book quickly. His eyes didn't skim across the page though and he kept glancing over at Morgan until the older agent stood up and took the seat opposite Spencer.

"Reid?"

"Yea?"

"Hey, why you been suspicious man?"

Spencer sat up defesnsively and scowled. "I'm not!"

"Really? You were supposed to be taking a break this week and instead you're on this case, why?"

"I didn't need a break."

"We all need a break, kid," Morgan said and Spencer nodded slowly.

"I know that," he mumbled.

"Then why not take it?"

Spenecr looked down at his book and then slowly back up at Morgan. Derek sat patiently, waiting to hear an explanation. Finally, Spencer closed his book and sighed.

"My dad called me," he said and Morgan's eyebrows shot up.

"What did he say?"

Spencer looked down at his hands and frowned. "Well, that's what confused me. He doesn't call in years and then suddenly... he calls me." Spencer shrugged. "He asked about mom and then me. And I didn't feel like answering but I did."

Spencer's frown deepened. "He told me... uh..." Spenecr paused and looked up at Morgan. "He said I wasn't his son."

Morgan shot up from his seat with a sudden look of contempt. "What!"

"Mor-"

"I'm sorry, Spencer, but your dad is a bastard! That's why he called? To tell you that?"

Morgan looked down at Reid who was looking away, looking extremely embarrassed. Morgan sat down again and willed himself to calm down. "What else did he say?" he asked in a softer voice.

Spencer shrugged as if it didn't upset him when clearly it did. "He said it was time I knew. He said he wanted to tell me in person but with him there it's not easy..." Spencer bit his lip.

"Reid?"

"Yea?"

"Is that's why you've taken this case? * is close to Vegas. Is that why you're not taking your week off?"

Spencer sighed and fiddled with the corner of his book. "I would have gotten a flight to Vegas anyway, it's more convenient this way. When we finish the case I can take a few days, go meet William and he can explain properly."

Morgan winced a little when Spencer avoided the word 'dad.'

Morgan didn't really know what to say. "I'm sorry, kid," he said finally after they'd sat in silence for several minutes. Spencer shrugged and glanced out of the window.

"He was never much of a dad anyway," Spencer mumbled, continuing to avoid Derek's gaze. He sniffed. "It's my mom I... she's always been there for me and now I know she's not really my mom-" he shrugged again. "I just feels different."

"She's still your mom, Reid."

"Not really."

"Come on, man. Who cares if she is biologically your mom, the only thing that matters is that she loves you. None of the team are remotely related but we're still family. "

Spencer lifted his gaze a little and the corner of his mouth rose slightly. "Not technically," he muttered but he smiled and Morgan laughed.

"Thank god!"

"I get it," Spencer said with a snort and he flashed Morgan a genuine smile. "Thanks."

Morgan winked. He was about to say something when he caught sight of someone pulling up outside of the jet.

"You know where to find me," Morgan said and he raised his headphones and flicked his head toward the corner he had been sat in. Spencer waved and glanced at the back of the jet to see JJ. He smiled at her and glanced through the window. He could see Aaron pull up. The unit chief got out hurriedly, pulling his go-bag with him. Spencer watched with a frown as Aaron straightened his suit out and took a deep breath. He looked up at the jet and Spencer ducked away. When he looked back Aaron was making his way towards them.

Spencer sat back in his seat, looking off into space and wondering what he was going to have to tell his mother.

Thanks for reading! Updates every Thursday. Next chapter will be more exciting. This one is just setting up the story.

Please review.

See you soon and keep yourselves safe.