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

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. And everyone who has been following this story. My next story is going to have a lot more planning so the endings will be better, I both rushed and prolonged this ending and o still don't like it, that's why my next stories (and there will be more) will be regular and planned and hopefully better than this.

But this is it, folks. Buckle up, it's the last chapter. I say buckle up but this is tame in comparison to the last few chapters.

Enjoy

Aaron slowly packed his go-bag, allowing himself the time to fold each clean article of clothing and arrange it between clean and dirty, intending to throw the left side in the laundry when he got home. Aaron zipped up the duffel bag, leaving it on the end of his bed before sitting beside it.

He checked his watch and glanced up at the ceiling. Their flight wasn't for a few hours which suited him fine. He had things to do before then.

After a few minutes of staring up Aaron's phone began to ring. Aaron jumped from the bed to grab it off the dark hotel table. A smile drew his lips upward and he answered the call quickly.

"Jack?"

"Dad! Are you flying yet?" Aaron chuckled at the excited tone squealing through the phone. He stepped back, leaning against the bed again.

"Not yet, buddy. I'll be home tonight."

"Before bed?"

Aaron's smile fell a little when his son' excited voice waned into disappointment. "I hope so. And even if it is after bedtime you can stay up late, alright? Tomorrow's Saturday anyway, so I'm sure a late night won't hurt."

"Really!? A-and tomorrow, can we do something?"

"Sure can, bud. How about uncle Sean joins us?"

There was a pause and Aaron could hear his son whisper excitedly to Jessica. His son's happy voice came back just as loud to say, "Yea! Can he stay all weekend?!"

"We'll see," Aaron said with a laugh. "And Reid from my work might join us too if that's okay?"

"Uncle Spence?"

Aaron smiled thoughtfully. Jack had no idea yet that Spencer was biologically related to him. "Yea. Does that sound good?"

"It sounds really really cool! Jessica wants to talk to you but you promise I'll see you later?"

"I promise, Jack."

Aaron said goodbye to his son and thanked Jessica for looking after him. He hung up the phone and dropped it on the bed beside him as he inhaled deeply.

He stood up and glanced at his watch.

He released his breath. He couldn't postpone it any longer. Aaron lifted his duffle and snatched up his phone and without looking back, he left the room.

Aaron met his brothers in the hotel lobby. Sean had his arm in a sling but was mostly unscathed. Spencer, despite trying to appear the least bit sorry for himself, was a desperate sight. He had a new cast on his leg, the white a good match to his paleness which hadn't shied away since his getting out the hospital.

The bruises on his face had lightened significant, and the cuts eased from their vibrant redness but he still looked unwell. His face brightened a little upon seeing Aaron.

"You ready?" Sean asked, glancing up from Aaron's bag and into his face, scrutinising him for a moment. Aaron nodded and they both looked at Spencer who shifted nervously on his crutches.

"We don't have to-"

"No, I'm fine," Spencer said, straightening the crutches and looking up, his mouth set in a determined line. "I can do this."

Neither Aaron or Sean argued.

They made their way silently back to the hospital. Spencer was hesitant to get out the car. He gazed through the tinted windows at the large hospital entrance, painfully aware of Aaron and Sean getting out of the car while his hand remained frozen on the seatbelt.

They gave him a moment, which Spencer composed himself in. He took up his crutches as he exited the vehicle, his head low.

"We won't stay long," Aaron said quietly. Spencer didn't reply.

"There's no stay about it," Sean muttered. "Just a simple 'fuck you' and we're out of here."

Aaron rolled his eyes but didn't look away from Spencer.

"We're not staying," he said again and this roused the younger man.

"I know." Spencer's voice was quiet and he didn't look up.

"You don't have to come in."

"I do."

Aaron took a deep breath and nodded. He wasn't going to deny Spencer any longer. His whole life had been a cycle of truths withheld and Aaron wouldn't stand in his way now.

They entered the hospital, pausing at the reception to retrieve visitor badges. Sean pinned his on with a scathing look.

The nurse who had offered to take them to the room they were visiting was short and round, her legs taking two steps for every one of theirs and every clink of Spencer's crutches. Aaron was thankful for her slowness, his own legs shaking, desperate not to take him further.

"He's here, lovelies. I'll leave you to it but just give his button a little buzz if you need me." The nurse gave a bubbly nod, her loose bun bouncing against her head.

"Thank you."

"No worries at all. Say hi from me, sugar."

Aaron watched the nurse waddle away before he saw Sean staring at him.

"Aaron?"

"Yes?"

Sean let out a long breath of air. "After this I don't want to ever hear about him again," he said.

"I understand."

"Do you? He would have rathered me and Myl- Spencer didn't exist. He loved you."

"And I despised him."

"If I never existed for him then he no longer exists for me. I have no father. Spencer has William, and you, Aaron your hatred made him exist in our lives. Stop allowing him to exist in your mind. You have no father."

Aaron stared at Sean. His younger brother's face was twisted but not in anger. He looked desperate.

Aaron looked at Spencer who glanced at the door.

"He's an unsub not a father."

"Failing to acknowledge his existence is denying everything we had to endure," Aaron said. "You can't gloss over our trauma, Sean."

"Alright, see it this way: look at how Jack views you. That is a father, Aaron. Do not put yourself on the same pedestal as him. He is not a dad."

A ghost of a smile came to Aaron's lips and he turned his back on the door, forcing Spencer's gaze away from it.

"He is just an unsub," Aaron said slowly and Sean grinned.

"That's it!"

"And after this we will try to forget him."

Sean looked at the door nervously.

"We're all the family we need," Aaron mumbled, stepping back from the door, making way for sean. Sean sucked in a deep breath and finally stepped toward the door, his brow low and his jaw locked fiercely. Aaron felt his own body rise at his brother's bravery. His chest puffed more when Spencer's crutches tapped on the ground, stepping in place behind Sean.

Sean led the way into the room, followed by Spencer who tried his best not to limp, and Aaron.

Sean stopped beside the bed and folded his arms, making sure that Spencer could get no closer. Aaron walked around them so he could glare down at the man in the bed.

Ed looked up slowly at them, his jaw slack and his eyes wide.

"Ed," Aaron said, spitting the name out like a bad taste on his tongue.

A strangled sound came from Ed's slack jaw. His mouth moved mechanically but no legible words came out. Aaron only understood the sounds to be 'whuuf,' which he determined to be a slurred variation of 'what.'

There was only one chair in the room but Spencer moved away from it, standing on his crutches just behind Sean. He glared at Ed, the ache in his arms spurring his hatred.

"We've come to say goodbye," Aaron said. "For the last time."

"Not that you deserve it," Sean said, coughing as he did.

Ed turned his head away from Aaron, looking up at Sean, his jaw hanging open like a broken marionette.

"I don't know if they've told you this, but-" Aaron dropped his hand on Ed's leg and both men looked down at it. When Ed looked back at Aaron he saw his face flat and emotionless, while Sean was smirking. "The second bullet damaged your spinal cord. Irreversibly. From the neck down you're paralysed." Aaron pressed a finger to one of Ed's exposed arm, pushing hard and releasing, staring at the white indent slowly turning from white to red. Ed stared at it with wide eyes, clearly having felt no pressure.

Aaron pulled back. He felt remorseful for others with paralysis, people unlike his father, people who didn't deserve this fate. But as Aaron met his fathers eyes he felt triumphant, hopeful that his father's new fate would make him suffer.

"You've also been arrested. Another four counts of murder to be tried for and in your condition, there will be no defence. That's your more life sentences on your other two, not to mention kidnap and attempted murder of a federal agent."

Spencer shifted uncomfortably when Ed's steely eyes looked at him dully.

"In your state you'll carry your sentences out in a secure hospital. And you'll be in a bed for all that time, until you die."

Sean was vibrating with every hateful argument he'd imagined having with his father over the years. He remembered every hypothetical come-back he'd come up with in his youth but looking down at his father he felt appeased without any of those carefully crafted sentences.

"It's a miracle you survived," Sean said and he moved around the bed to look his father up and down. He nodded slowly. "I like it like this," he said. "No more control." Sean spoke the last sentence methodically, as if finally understanding what it meant to him. No more weakness or shame.

Ed's watery eyes flicked from Sean to Aaron. The three brothers could see fear in the wet, bloodshot eyes. Within them was a yearning to speak or move to disprove Sean.

"Killing you would have been too merciful," Aaron said quietly. "With nothing else to do you'll have plenty of time to think of the people you killed. Each life you snuffed out."

Aaron drew back, his hands shaking at his sides. He unclenched his fists and blew out a breath.

Ed's mouth moved but again, no words came out. His mouth was too slack to even smile.

Aaron nodded to Sean and they both moved away from the bed, ignoring the frantic darting of Ed's eyes. Sean turned and saw Spencer watching the bed. He gently placed his hand on Spencer's shoulder but the younger man didn't move.

"The thing about nearly drowning," Spencer said slowly, not meeting Ed's eyes. "Is that at some point you feel peace. It overwhelms the fear and you just feel calm despite how close to death you are. You took away all of my control and I still found a way to make peace with it. I hope you find peace, I really do. You may as well make peace because this is your life from now on. There is no changing it. The peace I feel from knowing you will never be able to move again, touch anyone again...is..." Spencer inhaled deeply and he smiled thinly at his father. "It's awesome."

Spencer gripped his crutches, a triumphant look on his face as he turned his back on Ed. Their father stared at them as they walked out, his eyes twitching. Aaron stepped aside to let Spencer through, letting the younger man carry himself on his crutches, knowing he needed no help.

Aaron looked back at Ed whose lips were twitching in an attempt to speak back. Aaron shook his head, his hand still keeping the door open.

"Don't say anything," Aaron said. "We're done listening."

Aaron sucked in a deep breath when he saw his fathers mouth open and he stepped out of the room, dropping his hand from the door and allowing it to fall closed on his father.

Spencer and Sean were looking at him and Aaron couldn't help but smirk at their younger brother.

"What?" Spencer frowned across at him.

"Nothing it's just... you said awesome," he said and he chuckled.

Spencer smiled as Sean started to laugh too. "I don't tend to be so cynical but what I saw in there... that was awesome."

They took a smaller jet home, the rest of the team having travelled back a few days prior to them. Aaron had made sure his brothers stayed in the hospital as long as they were advised this time.

When they landed, Aaron saw Jessica's car waiting for them on the airstrip, parked beside his own. Aaron began climbing down the steps when one of the back doors opened and a small, dark-haired boy, with a big smile and fidgety feet jumped out.

Aaron felt an overwhelming feeling of relief when he saw his son. He also felt guilt for thinking he could ever leave his son without a father. A good father.

Aaron hurried down the steps as Jack ran over. Jess got out of the car and smiled at the sight.

"Dad!"

Aaron got down the last step and fell to his knees to embrace his son.

"Ah, I missed you buddy," Aaron said, pressing his smile into his sons neck.

Jack pulled back from Aaron's grip and grinned back at him. "I got an A in my math!"

"Did you! That's amazing!"

"Yea, and I've got a soccer match this weekend! And I'm striker!"

Aaron ruffled his sons hair. He could hear Spencer's crutches tapping on the metal steps and he saw Jack beam.

"Uncle Sean!"

"Hey, kiddo."

"What were you doing on dads plane?"

Aaron glanced back at his brother who was smirking.

"It's not his plane, otherwise I'd be using it more," Sean said. He moved back, offering Spencer a hand down the last steps.

"But dad was working, why were you with him?"

"I was helping out, Jacko."

Spencer nodded his thanks as Sean let him go and he steadied himself on solid ground.

"Jack. There's a reason why Sean and Spencer are here. And it's something you should know."

Aaron turned and stood slowly. He stepped aside so Jack could see Spencer.

"Jack," he said, looking at Spencer with a smile. "This is my brother."

Jack looked back at Spencer inquisitively, pulling away from his father to frown intensely. Spencer could have laughed because the frown was identical to Aaron's.

"Like Sean?" Jack asked finally.

"Yea, like Sean. Me and him are brothers and Spencer is our little brother."

"He's not so little," Jack said with a scowl and the three men laughed.

"Aaron is letting down the team, kiddo. Being the oldest and the shortest is quite disappointing," Sean said and Aaron glared at him playfully.

"I don't understand, dad."

"It's hard to explain. Uh… Spencer stopped living with us when he was little. Younger than you."

"Why?"

"Well… he went missing."

"Like aunt Jess's cat?"

"Yes... kind of. The people who found him, raised him and because Spencer was so young, he thought they were his parents and he forgot we existed."

"Basically, Jacko, we're all related," Sean said motioning to himself, Aaron and Spencer. He glanced up at Jess who was staring at them all in wonder. "Not Jess though, no offence... unless... god don't tell me we're related too." Spencer snorted and Jess's wide eyes softened with humour. Sean grinned at Aaron who was just shaking his head. "That would be too weird."

"She's related to me," Jack said.

"Keep it that way, Jacko, I have enough strange family members." Sean pointed at Jack. "Especially you!"

Jack laughed but insisted Sean was the 'weirdo' and not him. Jack calmed down after a minute and looked back at Spencer, slowly taking in the crutches and the cast.

"How did you hurt your leg?"

Jack pointed to Spencer's leg, bunged up in a heavy cast. Spencer looked down at it, as did Sean and Aaron, the latter of which grimacing and rubbing the back of his neck.

Spencer looked up slowly at Jack, a pained smile on his lips.

"It's a long story," he said, intending to end the conversation there. Jack, ever the inquisitive child narrowed his eyes and looked up into Spencer's bruised face. Spencer felt the self-conscious need to hide his face when Jack looked from stitch to stitch.

"Was that the bad guy?" Jack asked.

Spencer nodded and before he could speak, Jack was talking again.

"Did you catch him?"

Spencer met Aaron's gaze, catching the going in his older brother's eyes.

"Yea, Jack," Aaron said.

"Did ya give him hell?" Jack asked, motioning quickly to Spencer's leg. "For what he did to uncle Spencer?"

Aaron smirked, sharing his amusement with Sean and Spencer for a moment before nodding at his son. He winked at Jack. "We gave him hell alright."

Thanks for reading. A little revenge is okay, I had to give the guys that at least.

I hope you guys enjoyed this story. I can't wait to share the next. See you then.