A week later

"Cameron what can I do for you?" Safina asked, after answering the doorbell. She hadn't expected to see her brother in a million years, because as far she was aware Cameron wasn't even in town.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sis," Cameron said. "Can I come in?"

"Of course, brother," Safina agreed.

Cameron entered the house and looked around. This was the first time he had been here and he thought that it looked nice. He envied his sister just a little. She had found the perfect mate for her and so young too. If only their father had lived to meet Spencer, Cameron just knew that he would've loved him.

He had met his niece and nephews at the hospital, but he knew they had grown a lot just in the year or so since they had been born.

"What did you want to talk about?" Safina asked, even as she continued to prepare dinner, just for herself and Mandy, as Spencer was out of town. Luckily, she always prepared extra, so there was enough for Cameron as well.

"I met someone," Cameron began.

"An alpha?" Safina asked Cameron nodded.

"So what's her name?"

"Maranda Simmons," Cameron said.

Safina stopped what she was doing and turned to stared at her brother in shock.

"Did you say Maranda Simmons?" asked Safina.

"Yeah why?" Cameron asked confused.

"Because Spencer dated her in college and it just didn't work out. I knew she was in town, as she came to see Spencer at work," Safina explained vaguely.

Safina didn't bother to go into any details, because that was Spencer's secret to reveal, not hers and Cameron didn't need to know. He wasn't trustworthy enough to be told such a painful secret. Of course, if he was really involved with Maranda that might change, but she would wait and see.

"Well, that's certainly a coincidence," Cameron said, knowing there was more to the explanation, but his sister was very good at keeping secrets.

"Yes, it is," Safina said. "Just make sure her intentions are good Cameron. I don't need her to try anything with Spencer. He very firmly warned her about trying to restart their relationship, but you never know what people are thinking."

Cameron considered that then nodded. He wasn't stupid, just a tad lazy.

"I will, though I have no idea if it's going to turn serious or not. I just met her a few days ago," Cameron agreed.

"Keep me informed and I'll tell Spencer when he gets home from his case," Safina said.

"I will," Cameron promised. "I'm surprised you allowed to Spencer keep his job."

"It's not a matter of allow, Cameron," Safina chastised him gently. "Omegas have had more freedom for over 200 years now and if you really think I could control what Spencer did with this life then you definitely need to have your head examined and your attitude readjusted. Spencer never would've mated with me if I had forced him give up his job and he made that perfectly clear before we mated. You know your history and you know what happens when an alpha forces an Omega to do what they want, not bothering to think of their partner's health and well-being. Spencer would've walked away, I promise you. He swore, years ago, that he'd never become a House Omega."

Safina didn't bother to tell her brother the reason Spencer had sworn that, as it wasn't any of his business

Cameron considered that then nodded.

"Also, you have to consider his team. He's very close to them and they would never allow him to get into a bad situation, especially if it was forced. I could very well have three alphas and three betas after my hide if I had commanded him, demanded he stay home, that he gives up a job he loves. Penelope who is our half brother's mate could find us anywhere in the world, even if we moved overseas, as she's an excellent hacker.

"Besides, I could never force Spencer to do something he didn't want to do, as he's the strongest Omega mentally and emotionally in Washington or Virginia. He's way too intelligent to follow any command that goes against his conscious or his ethics and he knows the law backwards and forwards. He'd go to Council before he allowed himself to be controlled or used.

"I see," Cameron said thoughtfully.

"He made me promise that I would allow him to keep a job and that I'd never force him to become a House Omega. He said he would never agree to become a House Omega where his desires were ignored and he was only allowed to look after the children and take them on outings. He'd go insane in the very short amount of time, you see," Safina explained.

"That makes sense," Cameron said. "I suppose I misspoke."

"Yes, you did, because alphas with those kind of ideas, well, they're supposed mate often kill themselves, because they are so abused they see no other way out. They often don't think about going to the Council, even if they have a way and the money to get there. Spencer might not kill himself, but he's so intelligent he could easily escape and go off the grid if he had too. He knows how to live without all the modern conveniences."

"I suppose I shouldn't have said anything," Cameron admitted. "It's a good thing Spencer, is not here to overhear me and I would prefer you don't mention this conversation to him. I guess I was just thinking that your instincts are so strong to protect those you love, that you'd just want to protect him as much as possible."

"I still have those feelings Cameron, but I had to learn how to control them. Aaron helped me with that. Spencer is too strong minded to be controlled like that, even if it's gently worded as a request. Spencer's worked to hard to get where he is. For me to take that away from him would be heartless and cruel. He would only hate and resent me if I tried and that would break up our relationship I'm sure or at least cause bad feelings."

"I hadn't thought of that," Cameron admitted.

"You had better start thinking if you want your relationship with Maranda to last," Safina told him sternly. "I know very well she's the alpha, but she probably won't want anyone that makes demands or whines and complains all the time. That kind of thing will drive most people crazy in no time at all. Remember what happened with Haley after all."

Cameron hadn't actually been there to witness what was happening with his half-brother's mate, but he had certainly heard about it from his sister. Safina had been outraged at Haley's actions on Aaron's behalf, as the two were close. Aaron had just mated again and this time the relationship seemed to be working, but he supposed he'd see.

That his sister liked this Penelope Garcia said a lot about her, as Safina had never liked Haley, but from what he understood Haley had made it clear that she didn't like his sister either. Cameron thought there was some jealousy there between the two women. Competition for Aaron's time and attention, which was just ridiculous.

"You've given me a lot of think about, sis," Cameron said.

"Good, you better start thinking," Safina told her brother firmly. "I would like to see you settle down with a good mate and actually doing something with your life, instead of sponging off me."

Cameron knew that his sister thought he was lazy, but really, he just wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life. He had yet to find a career that truly inspired him. He had to admit that he was a tad lazy and also a procrastinator, which was also part of the problem, he knew.

"I'll get out of the way, sis," Cameron said.

"At least stay for lunch," Safina offered. "I always make extra to put in the freezer."

"Alright," Cameron agreed, happy to at least stay for lunch.

~~~Aaron and Penelope~~~

While Cameron, Safina and Mandy were enjoying lunch, Spencer was deeply involved in a case.

He was excellent at geographical profiling and the team knew it. He was certainly the best, on the team at it.

"That's certainly very good, pretty boy," Morgan said as he studied the map.

"Yes, it should narrow the search considerably," Dave agreed, as he to studied the map that Spencer had created. The map was covered in colorful pushpins narrowing the area where their suspect likely lived and worked.

"This should narrow our search considerably, but I think that can wait until tomorrow. It's late. I'm sure we're all hungry for some dinner," Anderson said.

"That's a good idea," Emily agreed. "I know we don't want to stop until this unsub is caught, but we also need to rest our brains and refuel."

"You won't get any argument from me," JJ said thankfully. "I'm ready for some dinner and then some sleep."

"I think we are all are," Spencer said.

The team trooped out of the police station, after saying goodnight to the cops and headed for the nearest Denny's.

It wasn't long before they were enjoying dinner at the 24 hour Denny's, shelving any discussion about the case for once, as they talked about more casual things.

"So any luck getting Will to agree to have more children, JJ?" Emily asked

"Some, I think he's about to give in," JJ said. "Henry and Lauren are helping, as they want some siblings to. Henry wants a little brother to play with as he thinks his sister has cooties."

Everybody the table laughed at that, but it wasn't like that was uncommon at Henry age, though it was usually boys of 7 through 12 or so who believed such a thing. Still, the supposed disease did affect younger children as well.

"And Lauren wants a sister to play with, so as I said, them wanting siblings is helping my cause a great deal," JJ added. "Will, can't resist the pleading looks both of them send him whenever the subject is brought up or their begging.

"So your kids are helping your cause," Dave chuckled.

"Yes, they are," JJ agreed chuckling as well. "I never expected to have even one ally in my quest to have a couple more before I get myself fixed, so I won't go into heat anymore."

"Will really can't resist his children," Spencer said, smiling. "He's a big softy when it comes to his kids. I doubt he'll be able to resist their begging for much longer."

"I know, that's why I said I've almost got Will to agree. I have Henry and Lauren on my side, so Will is the only hold out," JJ said

The team laughed and changed the subject and simply enjoyed dinner before heading back to the hotel to get some sleep.

~~~Aaron and Penelope~~~

Several days later, Spencer walked in the door his home. He was feeling somewhat tired, but it wasn't too bad really, as he was used to working on very little sleep.

"Welcome home," Mandy greeted him.

"Thanks," Spencer said, as he plopped himself down in his favorite chair in the den. "Where is Safina?"

"She's having dinner with her brother, Cameron," Mandy said Spencer nodded. "She should be home in another hour."

"I didn't know Cameron was in town," was all Spencer said, as he enjoyed the cup of tea that Mandy handed him. Mandy knew his likes and dislikes by now. She knew he liked tea in the evening to give him a break from coffee. He had to drink a lot of coffee in order to stay awake doing their late nights, but he switched to tea when he was able.

"Yes, apparently he came to talk to his sister about something and stayed for lunch, several days ago. I have no idea what they talked about, as I was looking after the children and changing diapers."

"That's okay, I'm sure Safina will tell me when she gets home," Spencer said. "I doubt that Cameron or Safina would've allowed you to stay in the room if what they were discussing was private."

"Probably," Mandy agreed.

"This is just what I needed to relax," Spencer told Mandy, holding up his cup of tea with a smile. "So thanks, you're a treasure."

"You're quite welcome," Mandy said smiling. She really liked the Reids as both were nice and polite, even to her, who was an employee and not technically, a member of the family. Still, the Reids were always kind and certainly much better then some of the people she had worked with over the years.

It was clear that the two of them loved each other very much, as Safina didn't complain when Spencer had to be gone for work and that was pretty unusual in an alpha, especially a strong one. Mandy figured that the two had worked out any details in advance. Really, Spencer was too strong mentally and emotionally to be controlled by any alpha and while he would likely follow a lot of commands, he would do so out of love, not fear of reprisals. Mandy had often wondered over the last few months what Spencer had gone through to make him so strong mentally and emotionally. She was well aware that there were some types of situations that would change you forever, ones that would either break you or make you stronger. Mandy knew that Spencer was very intelligent, a genius from what she had learned from Safina, so she supposed that a mind like his needed to be stimulated constantly. Mandy could see Spencer simply walking away if Safina tried to force him to do something that went against his conscience or his ethics. However, the two got along really well, so she didn't see that happening. They appeared to be well matched, both intelligent, not prone to lose their tempers or get into pointless argument.

She was sure they would argue some over the years they were married, but it probably wouldn't be a regular occurrence. Mandy thanked god for that several times a day, as she had once been part of a household, where the alpha and the beta had butted heads constantly. Of course, they made up afterwards, but they hadn't, exactly set a good example for their kids. Every relationship was different though and Mandy well knew it.

"I drink so much coffee when I'm at work that I really like a nice cup of tea sometimes, my mother's influence," Spencer said smiling. "Don't get me wrong I love my coffee, as it helps me get through all those long night when we're trying to catch a killer, and it also makes me feel more human, especially first thing in the morning."
"But you also enjoy a good cup of tea," Mandy said.
"Helps me wind down from being on the go for several days. The team does sleep of course, but sometime we only get four or five hours depending. It really depends on how fast the killer is moving. My mom doesn't approve of how much coffee I drink, but I'd fall asleep with my head on some conference room table if I didn't drink it, I promise you. While I love my job, I know how hard it can be, especially on somebody's sleep patterns."
"We all do what we have to do," Mandy said. "But only a small percentage of people are lucky to have jobs that they really love."
"Now, that's the truth," Spencer agreed calmly, finishing his tea.

~~~Aaron and Penelope~~~

Spencer's stared at Safina in shock, as she told him who he had met in some club.

"Now that's an odd coincidence," was all Spencer said, after he had mostly gotten over his shock. It was a few days later.

"I thought so too," Safina agreed. "Normally, I don't believe in coincidences..."

"Neither do I," Spencer agreed. "But I don't see how this could be any type of plot. It's quite possible that they just happened to run into each other in the club Cameron was at, so it could be pure chance. Maranda did like to go to clubs when we were younger, though I didn't, as it was never my scene. Besides, I know very well the statistics of doctored drinks in a place like that. Whenever I go with the team I always make sure I keep an eye on our drinks. It's just stupid to leave a drink or a bunch of them unattended. Whoever puts some kind of drug in it won't care if we're FBI, they likely won't even know. Someone always stays behind, watches our drinks while the rest go out to the dance floor or to the restroom. That's usually me, because to be honest I don't dance well and I wouldn't dance anyway without you."

Safina snuggled into he mate's arms, kissing his cheek.

"The Maranda and I know would never have been involved in anything that would hurt another, unless they hurt her or someone she cared about first. I'm well aware that people change, but I just don't see her coming after me for revenge, not unless, she's totally changed from the person I knew," Spencer added.

"It doesn't hurt to be cautious until we are sure though," Safina said.

"No, it doesn't," Spencer agreed calmly. "Maranda and I only talked for maybe half an hour, so it wasn't a long meeting at all, really."

"While I agree that Cameron would never hurt anyone that didn't threaten someone he loved, he's also not the most careful person and doesn't think a lot of times," Safina said. "I won't say he's easy to fool, but it wouldn't be impossible. I warned him to make sure of Maranda's intentions before he made any irreversible decisions."
"Them meeting might not mean anything," Spencer said. "Right now, they're only dating not courting.

"And if they do mate?" Safina asked.

"Well, so long as we are sure of Maranda's intentions, I would welcome her to the family, though it's probably going to be a little awkward considering that we were romantically involved over a decade ago," Spencer said.

"Well, hopefully, they won't live anywhere close to us. Maybe they will go back to Dakota where we're from," Safina said.

"Or go live in Denver where Maranda is from," Spencer said. "They could come and visit and it wouldn't be so awkward, because they wouldn't be here permanently hanging around all the time. Visits always come to an end after all."

"Well, that's for the future," Safina said a little practically. "There's no point of discussing it unless they actually mate."

"I hope they do, because I like to see your brother settle down with someone who thinks the world of him," Spencer said. "I know you'll worry less about him if he does. Also Maranda deserves to find someone that she can love and have a family with. They could be good for each other."

"Yeah, I will," Safina admitted. "Cameron isn't stupid just a little immature."

"Well, women mature faster than men, if you go by statistics," Spencer said.

"Yes, but the man is the same age I am, which means he's nearly 30," Safina said exasperation clear in her tone.

"People mature at their own speeds," Spencer said wisely. "Cameron just hasn't had any experiences bad enough that he matured from it. As a child, I matured relatively fast because of my experiences, but it also had to do with my personality as well. I was one of those that matured from my experiences, while others aren't. Cameron just happens to be one of those."

"So was I," Safina agreed.

"If he's really in love though and they do start to court, that's often enough to change someone like Cameron. He'll likely start to mature, so he can keep Maranda's attention, but only if it's really love and not just infatuation or lust," Spencer added.

"That's true," Safina agreed having seen it happen at least a couple of times, once while she was in college and once after she had started working for her brother in his physics lab.

"Here's to hoping it works out," Spencer said, raising his glass of wine that Safina had poured him as soon as he had walked in the door.

"Here's to hoping," Safina agreed clinking glasses with that of her mate's

~~~Aaron and Penelope~~~