Erin let her shoulders slump, knowing that she was about to face a haranguing from Alex. She was closest with Spencer, save for Derek, and from the little she had watched them interact, she knew that Alex had acted as a sort of surrogate mother for him. Which had never really made sense, since she had never viewed Alex as being particularly maternal. Even when they had been close, it had appeared that she held children at arm's length, preferring to interact with adults.

But still, she looked up at Alex, taking in the soft, open, look on her face, and she gave a small nod as she motioned towards the open chairs. The woman came over and took a seat, pulling the chair closer to Erin before leaning forward and staring at her. Alex's gaze had always been unnerving, like she could see through to a person's soul, and Erin tried not to shiver as she nodded once more. "I don't like to talk about this time in my life. I built up a wall of lies that I thought I would take to the grave. And even when John Curtis did his level best to destroy me, I still didn't speak the truth right away. It took ages for my conscience to work on my heart and speak the truth to light."

"If you're really his mother, you would have been sixteen, like me, when you gave birth."

Erin found her eyes locked with Alex's as she let those words wash over her mind. "Like you?"

Her eyes darted towards Penelope, and Erin watched Alex take a deep breath before nodding. "James and I, we had a son, Ethan. He, he had multiple issues that were not compatible with a long life. Which is why I always felt an affinity for Spence, since Ethan would have been the same age as him."

"Oh," Penelope and Erin breathed out at the same time, and she prodded Dave with her elbow, knowing that Alex might feel a little freer to talk if he wasn't there. He seemed to get the hint, as he leaned over and kissed her cheek before getting up and leaving the office.

"So, tell us your story?" Alex asked, truly sounding concerned.

Erin nodded a little as she rubbed her hands against her cheeks, clearing them of tears. "When I was young, so young, David and Carolyn moved into our neighborhood, which was really his old neighborhood, since his parents were also living there. Things were rocky between him and Carolyn, since they had recently lost James."

"Erin! He's twelve years older than you!"

She gave Penelope a look, which quickly quieted her. "I know that. I know that it was an inappropriate relationship, even if things didn't turn physical until after they had separated. And it felt so good to be wanted by someone as handsome and smart as David. I fell in schoolgirl love with him. And then, he went away and I ended up pregnant. I knew that I had to do something drastic, since there was no way I was going to be a typical teenage, unwed, mother. Diana had already married William by this point, and it seemed like an obvious solution. I gave Spencer to her so that she could raise him in a family unit and so I could make something of my life."

"That still doesn't explain how he knew nothing about this," Alex gently said as she reached out and touched Erin's knee. "How did that come about?"

"I knew that if I were to hold on to him, in any way, I would never want to let him go. And we both needed the chance to make the most out of our lives. I think he did quite well for himself, in the end, even if Diana did inherit the family illness." Erin blinked back tears before drawing in a deep breath.

"You did do what you thought was best at the time. And while we can't say what would have happened had you kept him, I have no doubt that he would have been as strong as you are." The fact that there was very little censure in Alex's voice tore her heart to shreds, and she nodded a little.

"I don't know if I can handle you being so nice to me. I know that we were trying to make inroads, to get back to our former friendship, but this is just too big a lie. I don't deserve kindness from either of you, or for David to so readily stick by my side. I deserve to be alone because of this. Right?"

"No, not right, Erin. Yes, this is quite a large lie. Yes, we're going to have to get adjusted to this new reality. But you both are going to need support if we're to still work as a cohesive team. That is what you want, yes?"

Erin nodded a little as she stood up and walked over to the door, peeking out the window to see if the others were still down there. She didn't see any of them, and she released a long, slow, breath. "I really would like to go home now. I know that makes me a coward, but I don't think that I can be here right now. The dust has to settle a little first."

"Did Dave drive today?" Erin nodded as she turned and looked at Alex, still seeing the sweet concern shining in her gaze. "Well, if Garcia will cover for me, I think that I could run you home. Somehow, I don't think Hotch or Rossi will mind."

She pursed her lips together before taking hold of the doorknob, suddenly grateful for the fact that they hadn't stopped by her office first, since she didn't think that she could stand one more stop before they escaped. "All right Thank you." Opening the door, she hurried down the stairs, knowing that Alex would follow after her.

Still, she couldn't help but notice that there were whispers that hushed the moment she passed by desks, and Erin knew that they were gossiping about her. Drawing herself up to her full height, she tried to seem unaffected by the whispers as she stepped out of the bullpen and made her way over to the stairwell. Thankfully, there was no one there, and Erin slumped against the wall a little as she waited for Alex to catch up with her.

"Sorry, Erin, I had to grab my purse." She nodded a little before stiffening when Alex pulled her into a quick hug. "If you tell anyone that I just hugged you, I will disavow any knowledge of it."

That pulled a laugh out of her, and she nodded as they walked down to the parking garage. "Alex, do you think that Spencer will ever be able to forgive me?"

"I don't know, Erin. But even if he doesn't, you know that the truth is out there, and it is his decision on how he deals with that." They climbed into Alex's car, and as she pulled out of the garage, Erin watched the streets pass by. "Are you still at Rossi's?"

"Yes. After everything that happened, we decided life was too short to be apart." Turning her head to look at Alex, she watched a knowing grin spread across her lips, and before she could think, she reached out and smacked her shoulder lightly. "Hush!"

"I didn't say a word, Erin." Alex raised one eyebrow at her before turning back to focus on the road ahead of her, and Erin settled back in her seat, trying to find a spot of peace in her heart.