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

Looks like we finally got there. The finale!

If anyone is curious about what's next for my account, I am planning on completing 'Like a Family' this year and a few smaller stories I started and didn't finish.

After that, it's up to you! On my profile you will find a list of future story ideas, I'll be setting up a poll and you guys can vote for what you want to read next!

Bear in mind I will be updating stories before then so I may not be uploading anything new for a while. But that means you have plenty of time to vote.

The poll will be up after this chapter is posted. If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the reviews or a pm.

Thanks for everything you guys have given to this story! I would've quit a long t8me ago without you all.

Enjoy.

Previously:

Spencer's vision blurred and turned to blackness so suddenly that he didn't realise that his body had pitched forward and that he was falling.

He never felt the ground meet him... He didn't feel much more at all.

Dave was at the hospital to pick Spencer up much too early. He walked in to see his son on his side, sleeping lightly, his arm wrapped around his middle. Dave smiled and took a seat. He adjusted his sling, ignoring the throbbing that it sparked in his shoulder and watched Spencer to make sure he was still breathing. He still couldn't comprehend the crazy reality of their situation.

When Spencer woke up he looked around in confusion for a moment before he saw Dave and an impulsive smile came to his face.

"Hey, Dave," he mumbled and he sat up, stretching out his arms. As he did, Dave dropped a bundle of neatly folded clothes on the bed. He'd already removed the tags but, as Spencer looked down at the weight on his legs, he knew the clothes were brand new. And probably expensive at that.

"You didn't-"

"We got your important things from that house but you're not keeping those clothes," Dave said and he folded his arms. Spencer scowled but he picked up the shirt Dave had picked out for him.

"Why?"

"I don't want to remind you of ever being there, Spencer. You got your phone, wallet and gun. I did look for your books but..." Dave paused, his eyes squinting as he thought of a way to gently tell his son that Diana had personally found each of his books and torn every page out. She had done the task so painstakingly that there was blood on many pages where she had gotten paper cuts. She had also burnt all his clothes outside, probably to hide any evidence. Dave looked up and smiled at his son who was admiring the expensive fabric that was knitted into the navy cardigan.

"You just don't want to be reminded of any of that, son," Dave said.

Spencer seemed to relent as he unfolded the grey pants. "These are much too expensive," he mumbled, trying his best not to sound ungrateful. He really liked the clothes but he wasn't sure he could accept them. He hadn't known Rossi as his father until now so he didn't want him to feel like he had to make up for their lost years with his money.

Dave chuckled, picking at the hem of the shirt. "I didn't look at the receipt."

"Can I?" Spencer asked nervously and Dave laughed and he wagged his finger.

"No. You will not worry about this. I couldn't have you travelling home in that hospital stuff now could I?"

Spencer looked down at himself and grimaced.

"I got you socks too." Dave one-handedly pulled out a multi-pack of colourful socks and Spencer's face lit up. He accepted them eagerly, looking over them before pulling out one orange and one purple.

"Don't you like them matching?" Dave asked, wondering is his son had an OCD disorder he was unaware of. Spencer shrugged, pulling on the socks with a grin.

"It's good luck," he said. "Mom always hated it... used to buy me only black ones and-" Spencer trailed off and his eyes dropped low. He pulled on the other sock and stretched out his feet.

"Why is it good luck?"

Spencer shrugged. "There's no reason. It's not possible for articles of clothing to give any luck, it's just a myth. Someone told me."

Dave frowned thoughtfully as an image of his two year old son pulling his socks off filled his mind.

"Keep them on, Spencer."

Erin picked up Spencer and forced the sock back on. Spencer proceeded to grab a different sock from the wash-basket and when Erin pulled the other one back on his foot they didn't match. She laughed and shook her head.

"You know what," she said, bopping Spencer on the nose and making him giggle. Dave smiled from where he was watching them on the couch. "If that's the only way you'll keep it on then okay. We'll just say it's for good luck."

Erin picked on Spencer's foot and blew a raspberry into the sock sending Spencer into a fit of giggles.

Dave looked down at his son's mismatched socks and smiled. He wondered how he hadn't realised this was his boy.

He turned away to let Spencer change into his new clothes and he forced himself not to turn back around when Spencer grunted in pain. He asked if Spencer needed help and the young man was quick to decline.

Dave turned around once Spencer was changed and had started slowly putting his shoes on. The bent position was probably painful but Dave held back from offering help, knowing Spencer was stubbornly capable. Besides, he was getting the feeling that he'd been babying the kid too much during his two night hospital stay.

Spencer finally finished and he sat back. "Okay. Shall we go?"

"Yea. I'll just text Aaron."

While Dave pulled out his phone Spencer pulled himself up out of bed, grimacing. Dave put his phone in his sling which was starting to become a very convenient place to store it. When he saw Spencer struggle, he reached out to help him straighten up.

As soon as Spencer stood up Dave couldn't help himself. He stepped closer and embraced his kid.

When Dave's good arm went around his son, it all fit together. He closed his eyes and the worst day of his life played before him.

They were waiting for the boys to come out, Dave and Erin holding back tears, praying their son was one of the kids to come out.

Then they came and they waited. Six boys ran to their parents and Dave felt a sob start to break the surface. Then there was that sound. Little feet on tile, like the sound of a three-year-old rolling off the couch that Dave had grown so familiar with. He knew these little feet. He fell to his knees when Spencer walked through the door. He had no shoes and his clothes were torn but he was alive. Erin laughed and cried and opened her arms. Spencer spotted them and his dirty feet broke into a run. The parents caught their boy and they held an embrace, crying in each other's arms.

It wasn't like that, Dave wished it had been. But this felt something like that, rewriting a broken history.

Dave opened his eyes, his vision blurry with tears as he pulled away and looked at his twenty-six-year-old son. The young man smiled and Dave saw the three-year-old face appear behind his maturity.

"My piccolo," Dave muttered, holding the young man against him.

The team were waiting for them at the jet and Morgan hurried over and forced Spencer into a hug. Derek kept it gentle and patted Spencer's shoulder.

"It's good to see you properly," he said. "Next time you want in on a case you just have to ask."

He laughed and Spencer rolled his eyes. He did smile though and he glanced at Aaron who was watching him with a smile of his own.

Spencer noticed that Hotch seemed different: relieved. It was as if something had been holding him back for as long as he'd known him. His eyes seemed clearer and he seemed happier. Spencer remembered some of his time in the basement, his mind still, thankfully, kept a good deal of it hidden, but Spencer remembered Aaron, and he remembered Aaron's kindness. Looking at Aaron he realised how much he'd been haunted by that experience.

As Dave ushered him onto the jet, Spencer thought about William Reid for a moment. The first thing that came to his head was the burning desire to have his name changed. He shivered as he stepped into the jet, realising that he had exactly the same name as the monster who had kidnapped him. Finally he wouldn't have the awkwardness of someone calling him William.

Spenecr took his seat and smiled across at JJ. He thought of William and what he'd be doing at that moment. He wasn't dead. Spencer supposed that was better, he could suffer behind bars and face justice for what he did.

What had once been the looming terror of a man that haunted Rossi, Hotch, Erin, and Spencer (and not to mention the other young men kidnapped by William,) had been diminished to a frail and weak man who couldn't move his pinky finger, let alone kill another child.

Hotch's bullet had damaged William's spinal cord irreversibly. The man had been paralysed from the moment the bullet had hit him, and to the smug relief of their team, he would never walk again. In fact, he couldn't do anything, he was simply a spiteful head with a venemous tongue, but that was about all the damage the man could do.

Not only would he face unending prison time, he'd do so without even the freedom of his own motor skills. Spencer wondered how the other prisoners would treat a paralysed child killer.

He barely noticed the jet taking off as his mind wandered more.

"Spencer?"

Spencer lifted his head up from where he had it rested on the window. He looked across at Dave who was smiling softly. He had been thinking of Diana but as he looked into his father's face he wiped the thoughts from his mind.

"Yea?"

Dave's smile grew sheepishly. He rubbed at his sleeve as he cleared his throat. "Erin will be at the airstrip," he said.

Spencer frowned but nodded slowly. Dave stared back at him before he said, "she wants to see you."

"Oh," Spencer said and he smiled and nodded again. "That's fine... great actually."

"Are you sure it's not too soon? I can take her home and have Morgan take you to your apartment."

"It's okay, honestly, Dave."

"Spencer, if you're not ready-"

"I-I want to see her... now I know she's my actual mother and everything..." Spencer trailed off and glanced out of the window, blinking quickly and squinting at the ground below as if suddenly interested by it.

Dave sighed and leaned forward in his seat. He put his hand on Spencer's wrist, making the young-man look up at him.

"It's okay," he said.

Spenecr looked at him and a tear ran down his cheek. He wiped it away angrily. "It's not," he whispered.

"She was the lesser of two evils, Spencer, and you had no idea what she'd done. You thought she was your mum, and you loved her because of it."

Spencer sniffed hard, wiping his face again. "But after everything she's done... I hate her." Spencer shook his head and sucked in a deep breath before looking at Dave seriously. "Why does it hurt so bad?"

Dave grabbed Spencer's hand and squeezed it. "Because to you she was the only person you could love growing up."

Spencer wiped his nose as he listened quietly.

"You are allowed to grieve her. And you have Erin and I now. I know she wants to be in your life, and I sure as hell do too." Dave smiled and held Spencer's other hand in his. "You'll always be our son, and we'll always be here for you."

Spencer played a pleasant game of chess with Rossi which he had nearly won when the jet landed. Spencer glanced around and then looked out the window. He saw Erin's car and he shrank back, feeling suddenly shy.

Dave, who was pulling their go-bags down, saw the way Spencer paled and he stepped aside to let the others off before going over to his son.

"You okay?" he asked. "If you don't want-"

"I'm ready," Spencer said and he stole himself with a quick intake of breath. He stood up. "I'm ready," he repeated and he started toward the rear of the jet.

Erin stood up straighter when she saw Dave and Spencer coming down the jet ramp. She stared at Spencer, her eyes already brimming with tears.

His collar was pulled up but she could still see the livid bruises, clustered together where cruel fingers had gripped him. Erin looked away from his neck, looking to his face. His eyes were dark, bruises fading while new cuts brought colour to his pale face.

She looked over at Dave and laughed, a tear falling from her eye. He was smiling awkwardly, his arm up in a sling and the image of him was so relieving and funny that Erin just shook her head at the two of them.

When they got to her Dave stepped forward and kissed her cheek but he quickly moved back and pushed Spencer forward. He smirked. "I told you I wasn't good for nothing," he said.

Erin rolled her eyes. Spencer snorted and rubbed the back of his neck, glancing up at Erin nervously.

"Um... Ma'am," Spencer said awkwardly and Erin laughed again, tears falling from both eyes.

"I thought I lost you," she whispered and without another word she stepped forward and put her arms around Spencer's neck. She nearly laughed at the fact that the son she remembered only as being waist-height was now taller than her and Dave.

"I told him he's not allowed to call me sir," Dave said and he patted Spencer on the shoulder. "That includes calling Erin Ma'am. At least not out of work."

Spencer chuckled, pulling away from Erin and smiling at her teary face. "Maybe mom is better?"

Erin took Spencer's face gently into her hands and nodded.

Thank you so much for reading. If you haven't read the top note on what's next for me, go check that out. The poll is up!

Thanks again. Let me know your thoughts in the reviews.

Stay safe.