The next several weeks were hectic for the team as they continued traveling throughout the U.S. to work cases. Some days, it seemed like they had no sooner arrived back at Quantico then they were back on the jet traveling to yet another crime scene. As Garcia reminded them, "These Weirdoes may take summer vacations, but they take their problems right along with them."
On several occasions, Hotch thought about phoning The New Life Yoga Center to speak with Christine, but it seemed like there was always something more urgent staring him in the face.
On Father's Day, Reid received a card. It was unsigned and had a smudged postmark. After reading the sentiment, he carefully placed it in the locked drawer of his desk where he kept the notes Christine had written to him during the time they were together, along with the ring he had bought her, and the still unopened envelope addressed to him that had been left with the twins.
Then, late one afternoon, Hotch and Reid each received an individual summons from David Rossi demanding that they put in an appearance early the next morning at a specific hotel room.
The next morning as Reid hurried down the hotel corridor shortly before the appointed time, he wondered why Rossi had insisted that they meet off site this morning before work. However, he assumed the senior agent had a good reason. When he reached the designated room, he knocked.
He wasn't particularly surprised when Rossi opened the door, but he was surprised to see that Hotch was already in the suite, along with a demurely dressed Christine. Curiously, he noted that Christine appeared to be shivering with cold.
"Good, you're here," Rossi greeted him. "Come in and we can get started."
"Started? With what?" Reid suddenly felt uneasy. "Dave, what is going on?"
"Yeah, Dave, what is going on?" Hotch echoed the question. "And, what does anything have to do with Christine?"
"Sit!" Rossi ordered both of the agents. "And, listen!"
"Christine," he spoke her name softly, as if he were coaxing her to speak.
"Before I say anything, I want to make it perfectly clear that I don't expect anything from anyone," Christine was sitting in a stuffed chair, staring at the floor. She raised her head and looked at the two men. "I screwed up. This is all my fault and I wouldn't be here at all except for the fact that Dave convinced me that this is the right thing to do."
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "About six weeks ago, I did something I'm not particularly proud of," she began. "I have no excuse, and I take full responsibility."
"You're pregnant!" Reid interrupted her accusingly.
"Spencer, slow down!" Christine pleaded. "Let me explain."
"You were with him, too?" Hotch demanded, gesturing towards Reid.
"I said I'm not proud of myself!" Christine raised her voice. "Yes, I was with both of you, and within a very short period of time!"
"You did what?" Reid was outraged. "I thought we – us – "
"You thought what?" Christine demanded. "You're the one who never called!"
"Called?" Reid demanded. "What do you mean - called?"
"I left you the information," Christine returned. "In the envelope with your name on it that I left with the twins – And I know you got it!"
Reid stared at her, stunned. "I never read it," he confessed.
"What the F*#%)? You never read it!" Christine was standing up and yelling. "Spencer, you read the ingredients on a tube of toothpaste! And, you couldn't be bothered to read a letter I cried over and rewrote five times? For heaven's sake, why not?"
Reid hung his head. "My father left me a letter," he mumbled. "And Gideon, and even Prentiss wrote me from London. I just couldn't read it. I never even opened it."
"You What?" Christine picked up a book lying on the end table next to her and threw it at Reid. As he ducked to avoid the missile, Hotch quickly picked up her laptop, which was also lying within arm's reach, while Rossi moved to stand between Christine and Reid.
"That's enough, both of you!" he bellowed. "Christine, sit down! You shouldn't be getting upset! And, Reid – Well – Just sit!"
Once Christine was again seated, Rossi took a deep breath. "Now, everyone, calm down!" he instructed. "Aaron – Spencer - You are going both going to be quiet and let Christine finish what she has to say."
He handed Christine a bottle of water and gently put his hand on her arm. "Take a drink and then take your time," he advised her. "No one is going to hurt you!"
Christine looked at the two agents. "You're right, I am pregnant," she told Reid. "But, it's a little more involved than that."
"If you don't know who the father is, we'll just get a DNA test," Hotch declared. "They can do those at – what – six weeks into the pregnancy."
"That's not the whole story," Christine was determined to go on. "When I went to the doctor, he did an initial sonogram, and - it's another set of twins."
As Reid opened his mouth to speak, Rossi held up his hand to stop him so Christine could continue.
"Because I already had one set of fraternal twins, the doctor thinks there is a good possibility that I hyper-ovulate," she continued.
"What?" Hotch questioned.
"Two eggs are released each cycle instead of the usual one," Reid explained. "If both are fertilized, the result is fraternal twins."
"Two eggs and two sperm?" Hotch questioned. "Are you telling us we both could be the father?"
"Actually, about 2.4% of Fraternal or Dizygotic twins have different fathers," Reid recited the facts. "Although, as most of these cases are discovered due to divorce proceedings, it is assumed that the actual number is higher. Technically, it is known as heteropaternal superfecundation."
Hotch continued to stare at Christine.
"As I said before, this is my mistake and I don't expect anything from anyone," Christine spoke decisively. "Also, I don't care who the father or fathers of these children are! They are my children, and this time I intend to do things right and raise them myself. End of discussion! Now, you can both leave!" She stood up in dismissal, but Hotch and Reid both remained sitting, staring at her.