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

Thanks for reviewing the last chapter. There's no Spencer in this chapter but for good reason. And since it's not a long chapter your having two this week. So be sure to catch up on Friday.

Enjoy

Rossi shook his head at the file. It sat on the table as if it were any other case but inside was information that could and may have blown their team apart. JJ looked nervously at the door again, trying to see anyone coming in the precinct through the glass.

"You'll hear them when they're here," Rossi muttered.

"I still can't believe it. Spence is... its just... how!?"

JJ shook her head and stood up.

"Just sit down. They'll be here when they're here."

"Spence isn't replying," JJ said, pausing beside the conference room door and glancing at her phone. "I don't blame him but I just want him to know he's okay."

"Stop torturing yourself over it," Rossi mumbled as he thumbed through Spencer's file.

JJ crossed her arms and watched Rossi as he flicked back a few pages and paused. He picked up the photo of Ed and turned it to show JJ.

"Who's that?"

"Aaron's dad. And Spencer's too now," Rossi said with a sigh and he set the photo down. JJ sat down slowly in the chair opposite Rossi and she picked up the photo. She held it gingerly and looked back at Rossi.

"He looks a lot like Spence," she said and Rossi nodded.

"Very much so."

"This is the guy who killed those women then? This one?"

"Yea and until today it was assumed he killed his own son. I imagine Aaron's childhood was rough."

"No wonder he's so sensitive over this all."

Rossi's phone started to vibrate and JJ took the file while he answered it. She thumbed over the pages and felt tears come to her eyes again. The handwriting was shaky and she could only imagine how anxious Spencer was when he put it together.

Rossi came back to the table and he let out a long huff of air.

"The team are on their way back."

JJ glanced up at him.

"That was Emily. They got Carl, he gave himself up quickly."

"We're going to have to explain this now," JJ said and she groaned.

"It'll be okay." Rossi turned away, unable to look convincing enough to believe his own words.

They only had to wait twenty minutes before a flurry of activity could be seen at the entrance.

Morgan was the first to come into the conference room. He was grinning and he looked at Emily and shot back a joke.

When he turned back he saw the severe looks on JJ and Dave's face and he stopped smiling. He stopped walking too and Emily nearly walked into him.

"What's up?" he said, glancing between the two. Emily side-stepped around Morgan and walked right up to the table.

"Rossi you should have seen the stash of- what's that?"

Rossi looked to where Emily was gazing and saw the file. They'd left it open on the table.

"Is Hotch coming?" JJ looked past Morgan and Emily and she bit her lip when she saw Aaron making his way over. She stepped back and glanced at Rossi.

"What's wrong?" Morgan said, looking more concerned. He looked at JJ with a furrowed brow. "Is it Reid?" he said lowly and JJ swallowed thickly and looked down. "Shit."

Morgan turned and quickly moved out of the way to let Aaron through.

The unit chief raised his head to find his team staring at him. He self-consciously touched his sore knuckles before straightening up.

He saw the file that Emily was scowling at and he raised his gaze to look at Rossi.

"Is that another case?" he asked calmly, aware of the way JJ flinched.

Rossi folded his arms. "No, Aaron," he said and he reached down and took the file. He pulled out the last piece of paper from the file and held it out to Aaron. The unit chief just stared at the offered paper.

"What's this?"

"Just take it," Rossi said and he held his arm stiffly, waiting for Aaron. Finally, Aaron took the paper. He shook it out a little as he watched Rossi. He glanced at JJ who was staring at the paper. Emily and Morgan looked as bewildered as he felt.

Aaron sighed and looked down at the paper. His stomach dropped when, as he read some of the clauses, he realised what it was. He looked up with a frown but Rossi pointed back at the paper.

"Read it," he hissed, anger seeping through his voice.

Aaron clenched his jaw but looked back down at the paper. He skimmed some of the words until he found his name and then Spencer's name and then a short statement confirming them both as kin.

Aaron froze.

'Biological sibling.' The paper shook as Aaron went back over that sentence. It wasn't possible.

"What's it say?" Morgan was looking to Rossi for an answer but when he didn't he looked at JJ who just shook her head, flustered by the situation.

"Have you read it, Aaron?" Rossi asked and Morgan turned and stared at the paper in Aaron's hand.

"Hotch?"

Aaron lifted his head slowly. "Where did you get this from?" he asked, his voice dangerously low.

Rossi tapped the file. "Maybe if we'd let Reid explain you wouldn't have found out this way."

"Found out what?" Emily strained to see the paper before something seemed to click and she gasped, turning to Rossi as she did. "It's true?!"

"What? Wait... Reid..." it dawned on Morgan too and his mouth fell open.

"Who did this?" Aaron said, looking sharply at JJ who was looking back wide-eyes. Rossi rolled his eyes. He sighed and took a seat.

"Reid did. And I don't blame the kid."

"This is... its... its-"

"Against the rules?" Rossi asked and he scoffed. His eyes fell to Aaron's knuckles. "I agree, and unprofessional, but you punched him. I'd say you're even."

"So Reid and Hotch," Morgan said, breaking the tension a little. Aaron seemed to realise his anger was unwarranted and he slowly walked to an empty chair and sat in it. Emily keenly stepped out of the way to let him by. "You're brothers?"

Aaron blinked hard and looked down at the paper for a moment. He looked back at Rossi and then down at the file.

"Can I?"

Rossi, surprised by Aaron's request, handed the file over. The unit chief opened it and looked over the pages. He paused on the photo of Myles and then the one of his father and he rubbed at his face.

"Is it true?"

"Look for yourself, Emily," JJ said, pointing to the blood test on the table. She picked it up and examined it before passing it to Morgan. Rossi watched Aaron as he stared at the photos.

"See the resemblance?"

"I just don't understand," Aaron muttered.

"What do we do about Reid?" Emily asked as she accepted the paper back from Morgan who looked dumb-founded.

"I've text him," JJ said quietly and that prompted Morgan to pull out his phone.

"I messaged him a few nights ago and he told me to leave him alone," Morgan muttered, sending a new text. He paused before pressing on his screen and holding the phone up to his ear. JJ and Emily watched anxiously. Aaron was rubbing his jaw as he looked over Spencer's writing.

Morgan pulled his phone away and shook his head.

"Should we give him time?" JJ asked, looking around at the team who still didn't know how to process the news.

"That's not the first time I've tried to call him," Morgan said and he sighed. "He's probably angry."

"I can visit him when we're back," JJ said, looking around again with an eager look.

Emily made a face. "Maybe not," she muttered and she lifted her hands up in defence when JJ frowned at her. "You're right, he needs time. We handled the situation poorly. I still feel like crap over it all."

"Aaron, you should call him," Rossi said and Hotch finally looked up from the file.

"What?"

"You should call him. You're his brother."

"Don't say that," Aaron muttered and he rubbed his jaw as he tried to think.

"Why?" Morgan said, his voice sharp. "It's true. Or do you still want to call him a liar?"

Rossi put a hand on Morgan's shoulder and shook his head when Derek looked at him. "Aaron is still processing it. I think he should call Spencer to tell him he is still a member of the team. Or text him."

"Shit... that probably tore the kid up," Morgan said and he sighed, annoyed at himself for not standing up for Spencer.

"This job means everything to him," Rossi added and he watched Aaron as he continued to rub at his chin anxiously.

"Fine," Aaron said. He reached for his phone and unlocked it.

"Do you think he'll forgive us?" JJ asked as she watched Aaron typing slowly. She glanced at Emily who just shot her a sad smile.

Thanks for reading. This chapter was mostly a filler.

Like last time, you guys will still have a chapter Friday but I didn't think this was a good enough update for you guys to wait a week for. I understand how annoying it must be to wait for updates.

Please let me know your thoughts in the reviews.

See you all soon. Stay safe.