Chapter 06

Unfortunately history did not respect the news cycle either.

Take The Little Rover that Could, for example.

Curiosity, NASA's rover on Mars, traveled at a top speed of 0.09 miles or 0.14 kilometers per hour. That meant that to get the rover to where they needed it to be took nearly a month.

During that month the aliens returned to the UN four times. After the second time, and much discussion it was decided that Governors Island, an island between Red Hook and the tip of Manhattan, that was half historical monument and half becoming a city park, would be leased to the Intergalactic Federation of Planets, or IGFP, to be used as a combination embassy compound and space port. The IGFP felt that they could develop the island while maintaining the historic nature of the island and the natural beauty, and were willing to trade and sell technology and so work got underway.

But that was not the only place where the IGFP was working.

A month after she set out, nine weeks after the armada was first spotted, Curiosity crested a ridge and looked out over the Martian valley below. True to their word the IGFP had been quite busy. The armada, minus the now two ships that were working on the compound on Earth, had been steadily working on building a base camp on Mars.

The aliens were moving in to the neighborhood.


Past that there wasn't a lot of news out there. There was a constant slow trickle of this bit or that bit of technology sold or traded, and New Yorkers got used to alien ships coming and going from the island in the harbor. Reporters tried to pick on ferry operators or drivers or the construction workers who were moving items to and from the island, but they said that they dealt with solders most of the time. And the military was notoriously tight lipped.

The unfortunate part of lots of aliens and little news was that rumors ran rampant. And those rumors triggered people a vast number of people who's hold on reality was tenuous at best.

And some of them started killing.


BAU Headquarters
Quantico, VA

After five back-to-back cases Emily put her foot down. Dave and Tara had other work to do. JJ and Matt needed to see their kids and spouses. Everyone needed to do laundry. She told the Chief that they were taking a long week-end, see you Tuesday.

But she stopped Spencer before he left. "CODIS wants you." She said. He groaned. "Go. If its not fixed by Tuesday I'll step in."

Good enough. "Thank you."

"Sure. Any plans for the week-end?"

"Not really, once I visit Mom." She gave him one of those looks. "Umm, I can't really say…"

"Okay."

"Because you're the boss now."

"Spencer, I'm not always the boss."

"I think for this you kind of have to be."

"I'm going to find out now."

"That's all right."

"Don't forget to do your laundry."

"Yes Ma'am."


Spencer made Mom his first stop. "How is she?" He asked the nurse.

"Much quieter, although she has been asking for you again."

Spencer nodded and moved to Diana's side. "Hi Mom."

She looked up at him and tears filled her eyes. "Spencer." She pulled him into a big hug.

Hugs were always wonderful. Spencer was smiling when she finally pulled back. "How are you feeling."

"Better now."

"Not afraid the aliens are going to hunt me down?"

"Not anymore." She reached out to cup his face in her hands. "Oh, it's going to be so wonderful."

"What is?"

"You'll see. If I try to explain you'll think I'm crazy."

Spencer really couldn't answer that.


After he left his mother Spencer had a very quiet week-end. He had dinner one night with Derek, Savannah and his godson. He went to Henry's soccer game and out for pizza after. He played chess in Dupont Circle. He caught a movie at his favorite art house theater. He picked up groceries and did all of his laundry and picked up a library order. He spent one raining morning curled up with several books.

Monday night he went to JJ and Will's for dinner. He did not expect them to have a house full of people. Derek and Savannah were there, as was Emily and Penelope, and Alex Blake had come down from Boston. And there was an unexpected face. "Hotch!"

"Spencer." Not only was their old boss there but he collected a hug.

"I thought you moved away from DC?"

"I moved back. I'm working again. DOJ, very classified."

"Understandable." Whoever had hired him they couldn't do better. "So what's going on tonight?"

"We're here to celebrate the thing you never talk about." JJ said. "Let's see it."

"I…I…". Spencer felt himself turning bright red.

"Hey." Derek said. "We're here because we love you, all right. This deserves celebrating. Give it up."

Spencer took a deep breath, reached in his pocket, and put his brand-new ten year coin on the table.

Hugs all around.


BAU Headquarters
Quantico, VA

Rested and refreshed he went back to work on Monday.

And walked into what could only be called a shit storm in the bullpen

The office was half full of people with their credentials out from a dozen agencies or more, and half full of soldiers. Armed ones. All of whom were eying him as if he was about to go off.

And Emily was standing right in the middle of it, rubbing her hands together, a tell that she was nervous and trying not to bite her nails. "Spencer, is there something you want to tell me?"

Her voice had that nervous quaver as well. Something serious was going on. "Excuse me?" It couldn't be the meeting he went to, the Director himself had been there to celebrate with him, not that he could tell anyone.

"Is there something you want to tell me? Something you haven't disclosed?"

This was so strange. "I…did laundry like you told me?" What was he supposed to say? She knew he was clean, knew that whole story. He'd once come this close to sleeping with Gideon's son Stephen but that never actually happened. Past that he didn't have any secrets. And neither of those were worth this response.

One of the men standing there, one wearing DIA credentials cleared his throat. "This information has not been disclosed to the general public." He said.

"We all have top level clearances." Emily said.

"For now." Another man said

Spencer looked around. "Excuse me?" Threatening someone's security clearance was something to take seriously.

DIA took back the floor. "As I'm sure you all know delegations from the Intergalactic Federation of Planets have taken up residence in New York City. As a security precaution we decided to enter the DNA of of one particular delegation into CODIS. When we went to verify the results it came back with one extra entry. You."

Spencer's mental train of thought slammed into itself. "Are you saying I'm an alien?"

"Yes."