Spencer woke the next morning to the sound of someone knocking on the door of Aaron's apartment. He debated for a moment whether or not to bother getting up as he listened to his boss hurry to answer the door. Currently he was rather comfortable. Sometime during the night he and his brother had swapped places so that now Gabriel was the one pressed up against the back of the couch and Spencer was on the outside. His brother's head was still buried against his chest, though. Spencer was lying on his side, facing in towards the back of the couch, and his right arm was curled up and currently being used as Gabriel's pillow. Gabriel's face was almost squished where it was pressing up against Spencer's collarbone and his arms were pressed tight between them, one hand gripping at Spencer's shirt. One of his legs was pressed up between Spencer's as well. The couch didn't exactly have a lot of room, definitely not enough for two people to lay like this normally, but they'd made it work. It helped when you didn't worry about physical boundaries with the other person. Or when you didn't have to worry about things that might dislodge you; like breathing.

The sound of voices near the door told Spencer just who was out there. Hayley's sister, come to pick Jack up and take him to school. Spencer acknowledged and then dismissed the sound in favor of burrowing a little more under the blankets. He almost laughed when he let his eyes open to slits and saw that only the top of Gabriel's head was appearing outside the blankets. The rest of him was hidden under there like he was in some kind of cocoon.

When he looked up a little more, he saw Aaron standing down near where their feet were, looking at the two of them with a slightly confused expression on his face. Ah, well, so much for just going back to sleep. Smothering a sigh, he turned his head just a little more and offered his friend a small smile. "Morning, Hotch."

"Morning, Reid."

"Sorry about this." Spencer nodded his head in the direction of Gabriel, not quite sure he'd be able to get an arm free to gesture with. "He came to check on me last and stuck around. Our graces recover better with exposure to each other." It was how all angels worked. In fact—Spencer gave a small testing touch of his grace and let out a happy little hum when he felt how much better it was. Sleeping wrapped up with Gabriel last night had done them both wonders.

The hand against Spencer's chest wiggled, drawing his attention away from Aaron and back to his brother. "Shh." Gabriel grumbled against him. "Sleepin'."

Humor lit Spencer's eyes and curved his lips. "Don't be rude. The guy whose couch you're sleeping on is right here. Show you at least know what manners are and come say hello."

"Feeeeeel."

The whine only served to make Spencer's smile grow. "Be nice, or no pancakes."

That got him moving. The blankets shifted and one golden eye peeked up at him through a fringe of sleep-messy hair. "Bully." Still, he started to move. The two slowly untangled from one another and shifted around until they were both sitting up on the couch. Seeing Gabriel in the light of day, Spencer noticed what he hadn't last night. A low laugh slipped from him as his eyes took in his brother's clothes. "You slipped into the house of someone you didn't know, hunting for me, in your pajamas?" His laughter grew a little when he checked and found that he wasn't wearing shoes, either. The only word that Spencer could think of to describe his brother in that moment was adorable. Gabriel was in red fuzzy socks, candy cane striped pajama pants, and a long sleeved red shirt with a picture of a big candy cane and some mistletoe on the front, and his hair was all pressed up on one side and messy on the other. Really, adorable.

Gabriel must've picked the thought up from him because he stuck his tongue out at him. "Shut up."

"Yeah, that's not really helping." Spencer fired back. He was grinning as he turned to look up at Aaron, who was staring down at Gabriel with a look that Spencer had seen turned his brother's way plenty of times. It was a look that clearly said he had absolutely no idea what to think of the insane looking person in front of him. "Hotch, I'd like you to meet my brother, Gabriel. Bree, this is my friend and my boss, Aaron Hotchner—also known as Hotch."

A brat though he could be, when it came to things or people that mattered Gabriel knew how to behave. Spencer was definitely someone that mattered to him. Because of that, the archangel turned to smile at Aaron. "Nice to meet you. Sorry for just crashing on your couch last night."

It was the first time that Spencer could honestly say he'd seen Aaron look so dumbstruck by something. He stared at Gabriel for one long beat as he obviously tried to find his voice. "I, it's fine." He finally managed to say. Not perfect, but it was at least words, and Spencer could tell he was already starting to recover a little more. No matter how flustered or off balance Aaron felt, nothing ever threw him for too long, and it never prevented him from reacting. That was part of what made him a great agent and a great unit chief. Even when something happened that came from all the way out in left field, something that no one expected, he could be stunned while still managing to react to it. He recovered quickly, too. When he spoke again his voice was just a bit steadier. "I didn't even realize you were there at first. The blankets hid most of you."

Aaron probably meant those words sincerely. It didn't stop Spencer from grinning at them, though. Gabriel shot him a glare before he could even open his mouth to speak. "Don't even think about it, 'Feel. I give as good as I get, remember that."

"Oh, look." Spencer said, grinning. "I feel the others coming up. It must be breakfast time!"

The look that Aaron gave the two of them had quickly changed from dumbstruck to amused. It was the same sort of look that he gave Spencer and Derek when they started picking on one another, or Derek and Emily. That look he wore that said that the 'children' were amusing. He and Dave often looked to each other and shared that look. Aaron wore it now as he shook his head at them. "I have a feeling this is going to be interesting."

"Everything worth doing is!" Gabriel said cheerfully.

While Aaron turned to go to the door in anticipation of the others arrival, shaking his head all the while at them, Spencer and Gabriel both rose from the couch. A snap of Spencer's fingers had the blankets put away and another snap had Aaron's table a little bit bigger and laden down with everything one could possibly need for a pancake breakfast. Pancakes, syrups of all flavors, fresh berries, whip cream, plus a pot of coffee and a pitcher of orange juice. Spencer surveyed it all before giving a small nod. Perfect. When he turned, he found Gabriel grinning at him and shaking his head. "What?" Spencer demanded, slightly defensive.

Gabriel's grin grew a little wider. "Nothing." Reaching out with his primary wing, he bumped it against Spencer's in a sign of affection. "I'm just so damn glad to see you."

"Oh." Warmth lit up Spencer, body and grace, and he pushed his wing back against Gabriel's. "I'm glad to see you too." He slipped into Enochian, the language falling off his tongue with ease. "I've missed you."

Expression softening, Gabriel moved in and gave Spencer a quick hug. "I've missed you too, brother."

The sound of Enochian spoken in a tongue other than his was a beautiful sound indeed. It washed over Spencer and soothed a few more of those raw patches deep inside his grace in the place that missed Heaven constantly. The two shared a smile that spoke more than words. Then, with Spencer's arm around Gabriel's shoulder and Gabriel's arm around his waist, they both turned to greet the group that was making their way inside the apartment. Spencer watched the curious and confused faces as his friends looked over at them and he wanted to chuckle. This was going to be entertaining. Beside him, he could see the amused smirk that was curving Gabriel's lips.

Spencer waited for the door to close before he said anything. Everyone was here now. They'd all come as a group, it appeared. That made it easier. It meant he'd only have to do this once. He gave Gabriel a small squeeze and pulled him forward a step. "Bree, I'd like you to meet the rest of my team. This is David Rossi," He gestured with his free hand, pointing each one out as he listed them. "Emily Prentiss, Derek Morgan, Jennifer Jareau, and Penelope Garcia." He paused and gave just a second, watching the way that their eyes ran over the still pajama clad man at Spencer's side. The only concession that Gabriel had made for company was to use one hand to smooth down his hair so it looked a little less sleep mussed. He was still dressed in his Christmas candy cane pajamas looking nothing like what any of them probably assumed the archangel Gabriel should look like. Grinning, Spencer finished his introductions with a simple "Guys, this is my brother—Gabriel."

Stunned was a pretty good word to describe the expressions of everyone. Derek almost looked like someone had slapped him. Penelope's eyes were wide but her expression was more excited than anything else. Emily and JJ were openly gaping at him. And for the first time in, well, ever, David Rossi looked like he was at a complete loss for words.

It was Derek who found his words first. "You're shitting me. Him. Him?"

Laughter bubbled up from the shorter archangel. He vanished from Spencer's side and reappeared right in front of Derek, who'd been towards the back of the group. Hands on his hips, he tipped his head back to look up at the profiler. "That's right, Rambo. Me." Lifting one hand, he held it at the ready like he was going to snap and his grin turned awfully mischievous. "I can do something awesome to prove it if you want."

Derek looked up over his head towards Spencer. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm really not." Spencer answered. His smile grew. "Remember, Morgan, that's just his vessel."

"The real me is much bigger." Gabriel chimed in. The eyebrow wiggle he gave turned that sentence a lot dirtier than it was.

It was more than amusing to watch everyone's reactions as Gabriel hugged each one of them in turn like they were all old friends. None of them seemed to know quite what to do with him. Derek froze under the hug. Emily and JJ were both stunned yet gracious in their hugs. Penelope had been the one that Spencer had been sure Gabriel would love and he was happy to see that he was right. Gabriel stopped right in front of her and just outright beamed at her. "Has anyone ever told you that you've got one of the brightest and most beautiful souls?" He asked her.

Her cheeks turned pink even as she beamed right back at him. "No. But that's got to be one of the nicest compliments I've ever gotten."

The two embraced and Spencer laughed when he saw that she was hugging him just as tightly as he was hugging her. When they pulled apart, he cupped her face in his hands and stunned the whole room by planting a loud and quick kiss on her lips and loudly declaring "I like you."

Spencer couldn't help himself. Between his brother's smugness, his friends' stunned looks, and just the whole damn situation, there was no holding back. The archangel had to brace himself against a nearby chair as a delighted peal of laughter slipped from him. Every face in the room turned his way and the looks they gave him only fueled his laughter. It was true, honest laughter, given from a joy he felt within his grace, and so it carried just a hint of his true voice to it. Not enough to hurt any of the human ears in the room. Quite the opposite, in fact. There was a resonance to it that left the humans both stunned and awed.

They all found it so easy sometimes to forget just what exactly Spencer truly was. To them, he would always be first and foremost, Dr. Spencer Reid. They didn't see Jophiel when they looked at him. But then there were moments like this where the archangel inside peeked through. Where they got a glimpse of why exactly Jophiel was known as the archangel of beauty. Beauty wasn't just in looks; it was in so much more. The sound of his laughter filled the room and brought a beauty of its own that was unlike anything they'd ever known.

Gabriel was smiling warmly and openly when Spencer's laughter faded. There was so much love in his face. "I've missed that sound."

A hint of a blush touched Spencer's cheeks when he finally saw how everyone was staring. A bit flustered, he turned away, clearing his throat and gesturing towards the table. "Breakfast is ready. Why don't we all sit down before things start to get cold?"

It was an obvious distraction ploy and the profilers around him let him get away with it. Gabriel didn't, of course. He bumped up against Spencer as he came to join him and deliberately scoffed at him. "As if you'd let the food get cold. Come on now, 'Feel. What kind of archangel are you?"

Spencer rolled his eyes and slid down into one of the chairs. "I'm most definitely not the patron of warm breakfasts. That's never been something attributed to me." Looking up, he noticed the slight hesitance on his friends and knew that they were still unsure, still not quite settled. He sighed and then offered them all a smile. "Please, guys, have a seat. I promise, Gabriel is mostly harmless, and he's not so full of himself that he's going to smite a few humans for daring to eat breakfast with him."

"Well…" Gabriel drawled the word out as he dropped down into the chair at Spencer's side.

Rolling his eyes, Spencer smiled. "Well, so long as no one touches his plate. He's very protective of pancakes."

That broke the ice enough that the group of profilers finally made their way to the table with them. They all looked a bit hesitant, still, but no one could ever claim any of them were cowards. The team joined them at the table and Spencer smiled happily at them. "Help yourselves, please."

It had to be one of the strangest, most awkward breakfasts that the group had ever sat down together for. Spencer watched his friends as they made themselves comfortable around Aaron's table and as they slowly served themselves food. The serving of food was enough to break a bit of the tension. Especially when Gabriel took a bite of one of the pancakes and made a sound that was slightly more pornographic than breakfast food required. Spencer arched an eyebrow at him as the other archangel closed his eyes and moaned around the bite of food. "Are you all right?" Spencer asked him dryly. "Would you perhaps like a little alone time with your meal?"

"'M good, t'anks." Gabriel said around his mouthful of food.

Spencer scowled at him. "Don't be disgusting."

Immediately, Gabriel turned towards him and opened his mouth, clearly showing the partially chewed food inside.

That, more than anything else, seemed to break up the tension at the table, which Spencer found odd. But there were more than a few laughs and even slightly paternal looks of amusement from Dave and Aaron. It was Penelope, though, who grinned widely at them and said "You two really are brothers."

"Of course we are." Spencer gave her a surprised look. "Did you think I was lying?"

She hurried to reassure him. "No, no! It's just, I mean it's one thing knowing that you have them, it's another thing entirely to see you sitting here acting all brotherly with one. I mean, you guys act like any pair of regular human brothers, picking on one another and teasing each other."

Oh, that made a little more sense. Spencer supposed he could understand where she was coming from. When people thought of angels, he knew they didn't exactly picture something like what he and Gabriel looked like right now, or what they were really like up in Heaven. Turning, Spencer smirked at his brother. "Yeah, he's got that bratty little brother part down pretty well."

"Little brother?" Derek repeated.

Spencer nodded. "Mm hm. I'm older than he is."

"Not by much!" Gabriel protested immediately.

A hint of a smile ghosted over Spencer's lips. The look he gave Gabriel could only be described as fond. "You're right, not by much." Turning back to the others, he settled back in his chair and cradled his mug of coffee between his hands. He wasn't all that interested in the food right now, to be honest, but the coffee was delicious, and it left him free to be able to talk while everyone else ate. Maybe he could get a few things explained and out of the way. "Our Father didn't create us all at once. He made Michael first…"

"The good son." Gabriel interjected.

"…and Lucifer next." Spencer ignored the interruption, as well as his own little tremor at thinking of this particular brother. He moved on from that quickly. "After them, I was made. Not long after me came Gabriel, then Chamuel, Zadkiel, Uriel and Raphael."

"That's eight." Emily pointed out, surprising him. She was looking at him curiously across the table. "When we talked before…I thought there were seven archangels?"

It was Gabriel who answered that with an uncharacteristically serious voice. "We don't count Lucy."

That effectively silenced the table for the moment. Not for long, though. Nothing ever really silenced Gabriel for long. He recovered quickly and was once more flashing a grin their direction. "Basically, what it means is that aside from Dad, Jophiel over here is pretty much the oldest living thing in Heaven and Earth. Dad created us before he created anything else."

"Shit." Derek breathed out, looking over at Spencer with a slightly stunned expression.

He wasn't the only one, either. Spencer shifted uncomfortably under the stares of his friends. With one of his wings he reached out, invisible to the humans, and thumped the back of Gabriel's head with it, glaring at him the whole time. "Can you try to keep from making me look even more like a freak to my friends here, little brother? If I'd known this was how you'd behave, I wouldn't have asked you to stay for breakfast."

"Oh, calm down, Feel." Gabriel said, rolling his eyes. He gestured to the others with one hand. "Give them a little credit! They're just processing. They're not gonna freak out on you."

"He's right." Dave interjected. He leaned forward a little to better be able to look at Spencer. There was still a bit of shock on his face, but that usual calm that he was known for, with just a hint of amusement at the edges, settled Spencer a little more. "No matter what, you're still you, and we're still a family here. Nothing we hear is going to change that."

"Though we'd love to hear some stories." Emily said. She grinned broadly as she looked at Gabriel. "I imagine you've got plenty of those."

The way that Gabriel was grinning would've been enough to frighten anyone. It was way too devious for his own good. Spencer immediately let go of his cup with one hand so that he could point a finger at his brother. "Do it at your own peril, little brother."

"Aww, c'mon Reid!" Derek called out. It was echoed by those around him, all of his friends—even Aaron!—wanting to hear stories. Gabriel grinned even more and added "Yeah, Reid, c'mon!"

"Don't call me that." Spencer said immediately. It sounded so damn wrong coming from Gabriel's lips.

"What?" Gabriel asked with mock innocence in his tone. "Reid?"

"Yes. It doesn't sound right coming from you."

"But they call you that!"

Spencer rolled his eyes. "That's different. That's who I've always been to them. And no matter what else changes, it's who I'll always be."

"It's smarter, anyways. Saves on confusion when you guys are out in public and it helps keep you undercover here." Turning, he looked at the table once more. "You should probably do the same with me, too, to help keep covers in place."

"What should we call you?" Dave asked.

"I'm also known as Loki, but I doubt that'd go over well if you brought me up around anyone. They'd get weirded out." A smirk flashed over his face, showing that he was amused by that prospect. Then his eyes flickered briefly over to Spencer and his whole expression softened. "Gabe or Bree works."

Spencer felt his grace warm inside of him. His team didn't have any idea about the meaning behind what Gabriel had just said. They had no idea that 'Bree' was a nickname only family used. Really, only the other archangels had ever used it. For him to offer it up for the others to use was a form of acceptance. A way of showing that he was accepting this little family that Spencer was a part of here. He was accepting them, and adding himself into the mix.

I saw your memories, Gabriel sent to him, that internal voice rich with love and warmth and the apple crisp feel of his happy humor. You love them and they love you. Why wouldn't I love them as well?

Warmth filled Spencer's grace. He spread one of his wings out and let it curl over his brother, let it wrap him up in an embrace only angels could share, and he let his other wings rise in a gesture of love and protection over the rest of the table and the little family here that was more precious to him than anything else.