The silence that descended on the office the moment Aaron shut the door was thick, oppressive, but Erin knew that breaking that silence would just lead to something worse. Still, as she took a seat on the low couch that was there, Dave next to her, she dared to give Spencer a soft, fleeting, smile. The only thing she received in return was a dark scowl as he and Aaron pulled two chairs over to the couch and taking a seat across from them.

Dave cleared his throat after a few moments, the sound way too loud for the room, or so it seemed to her ears. "Erin, it's okay. You can do this."

Spencer stared at her, and it was then that she realized just how much he was starting to look like her father. The familiarity of his visage both set her mind a little more at ease and caused her heart to constrict with tension. It was a curious sensation, and she opened her mouth to speak, only to find her throat too dry to make any noise come out.

"Chief Strauss? What is it that you have to say to me?"

She met Spencer's gaze as steadily as she could, still finding words escaping her. Aaron took pity on her in that moment, and he got up and poured her a glass of water from the carafe behind his desk. "Take as much time as you need, Erin, but realise that this has to be taken care of today." He gave her an almost understanding look as he took a seat once more, and she nodded before sipping at the water.

"This has been weighing heavily on my heart ever since I returned to work, after Curtis tried to destroy my life. I tried to tell myself that I shouldn't rock the boat, that I should just let things run smoothly since everything was going so well. But then I remembered that the reason why Curtis hated me so much was for the secrets and lies that I had allowed to rule my life. And so, I realized that the truth had to be told."

"What truth?" he interrupted, looking between her and Dave, as if putting together pieces of a puzzle that he didn't have the picture for.

"The truth that you are our child."

Spencer recoiled as if she had struck him, a look of disgust on his face. "You're lying."

She shook her head, unable to hold her tears inside any longer. "Would we all be here if I was?"

He glared at her, the black look on his face enough to scare her, and she shrank against Dave, welcoming his arm around her shoulders as he held her close. "You really haven't changed, not one bit. You're still a snake in the grass, looking to strike out and poison whoever you can reach. It's no wonder John Curtis wanted you dead." Each word was like a blow to her body, and she struggled to keep from letting out the hysterical sobs that tore at her throat. "And do not even begin to think that your crocodile tears will get you out of a lie so heinous."

"She's not lying. We are your parents."

Dave's soft words seemed to break through the haze of Spencer's anger, and he fixed his gaze on her lover, a sneer curling his lips upwards. "If you're really my parents, that means Strauss would have been about fifteen when you knocked her up. There are so many holes in this story, and I can't believe that you fell for it, Hotch! Look at them! They can't even speak, since they're trying to spin the next lie."

"She's not lying, and if it would make you feel better, we can get a DNA test to say as much," Dave bit out, his fingers digging almost painfully into her shoulder. Spencer just gave them a disgusted look and got up from his chair, storming from the office. The moment the door struck the wall, Erin broke down sobbing, curling up into as small of a ball she could make. "Erin, bella," she heard Dave murmur, and she shook her head, pulling away from him as she allowed her sorrow to take over her body.

"Hey, Erin. Can I sit next to you?"

Those soft words broke through her sobs, and she looked up to see Penelope smiling at her sweetly. Shrugging a little, she scooted over and made room for the woman, almost welcoming the warmth that radiated off her. "I'm going to make certain that everything is okay with Reid," Aaron said lowly as he got out of his chair, sparing a tiny, encouraging, smile for her.

He left the door open, and Erin wished that he had closed it. She didn't want anyone walking by to see her like this. She didn't want to be seen as losing control so badly. But then, Penelope was reaching out and taking hold of her hand, threading their fingers together. "Can you tell me why you're so upset? Or why Reid stormed out of here?"

She shook her head, finally allowing her body to stretch out normally as she stared down at their entwined hands. "I'm a liar, through and through, and my lies have finally caught up to me."

"I'm sorry?"

She shook her head, a fresh burst of tears falling down her face as her diaphragm started to shift oddly, letting her know that if she wasn't careful, she'd throw up soon. Penelope just tugged her closer, allowing her to sob on her shoulder as Dave rubbed her arm comfortingly. "Did she tell you what she's done now, Baby Girl?"

The derision in Derek's voice cut her to the quick, and she pursed her lips together, trying to calm down. Glancing up, she could see the way he reviled her, and a part of Erin knew that she deserved that. She deserved everything thrown at her for the magnitude of the lie she had been telling for so many years. "Erin is obviously upset, Der. Why do you seem to think this is a good thing?"

"Because she actually told Reid that she's his mother, and Rossi is his father. Come on, you have to be able to see that this is just some weird attempt to divide us, and after everything we've been through in the last year, it comes off as pretty cold and calculating."

"It's hard to fake tears like this, Derek Morgan! And even if this is some scheme, maybe there's a reason for it. And maybe you could hear Erin's side of things before you decide that she's a liar. Remember, there are always two sides to every story."

He sneered at her, and Erin knew that any good will she might have found with him after her return from rehab was now gone. "I think that I've already heard the only side of the story that I need to, Garcia. You'll need to get your priorities in check here, because Reid still needs us, as he deals with getting past the grief of missing Maeve."

Erin closed her eyes and pulled away from Penelope, not wanting her to have to choose between the person who was so obviously her best friend or her. And then Penelope tugged her back, and Erin could hear the rough breaths that escaped her throat, as if she was trying to hold herself back from screaming. "Derek Morgan, I think you'll find that my priorities are completely in line with my heart. I know true sorrow when I see it, and I'll thank you to trust me enough to know that as well. Now, please leave, and close the door on your way out. Give Erin some privacy as she tries to get control of herself."

Derek let out a huff of impatience, but Erin listened as he did what Penelope had said. Pulling away from the woman once more, she looked into her eyes and gave her a tender smile. "You are not to lose your best friend because of me."

"Well, my best friend can also stop being an ass. Now, tell me, are you truly Reid's mother?"

She had just drawn in a long breath when the door opened once more, revealing Alex, who was wearing an inscrutable look on her face. "Yes, Erin. Do tell us."