Erin sighed as she looked over at Tabitha. Her daughter had decided to stop by after her classes, and she had welcomed her visit, even if she didn't want her to feel obligated to stay with her. That was what the visiting nurse was for, after all. "What is it, Mom?"

"Can't I look at my child's face and smile in wonder?" she asked as she reached down for her coffee. It was so nice to have a child who stopped to get her usual order without her asking.

"I suppose that you can, I just want to know why."

She felt another sigh slip from her lips as she shrugged. "There's something that I have to tell you. Well, you and your brother and sister, and I'm trying to find the right way to do it. And I know that that's cryptic, and that you'll want to know exactly what I'm talking about, but I can't until I get permission to tell you three. You know that when I got sober, I could never keep a secret from you all, but this time, it's not just me that the secret is about. So, when I finally get around to asking this favour of you three, will you promise me to be kind? You're my baby, so I take what you think about me a little more to heart."

Tabitha nodded as she reached out and rubbed her arm softly. "I will try, Mom. Can you at least promise me that you're not dying? Or Dave? Because when you're cryptic like that, my mind goes to the worst possible scenario."

She shook her head as Tabitha scooted closer to her side, resting her head on Erin's shoulder. "No one is dying, honey. Well, not of any disease, at least. There could be an accident at any moment, you know."

"I don't like thinking about that, Mom. I know you see that every day with your job, but it's so morbid! I want to just imagine that nothing worse than your attempted murder will ever happen to our family. Okay?"

Erin sighed as she wrapped her arm around Tabitha's shoulders, pulling her even closer. "I will try to allow you to keep that sunny optimism, but I hope that you can keep a realistic foundation for your feet."

"I'll try," Tabitha said as the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!"

Tabitha was in her feet so quickly, and Erin envied her that speed, wondering if she'd be that limber once the walking cast came off and her doctor declared her ankle fully healed. Shaking her head a little, she picked up her tablet and began to scroll through the news, trying to find something that would keep her attention as she waited for her daughter to bring their visitor to the living room.

"Mom! It's one of the people you work with!"

From the way Tabitha said that, she knew that it wasn't Penelope or Alex, which left three people who Tabitha wasn't familiar with. "Bring them in here!" she called out as she set aside her tablet and prepared for who was about to join them. "Spencer!" she exclaimed as her son stepped into the room, a shy smile on his lips.

"Hey, Erin. I hope that you don't mind my dropping in without calling. Is this your daughter?"

"Yes, this is my youngest, Tabitha. She's in her freshman year of college." Erin watched them shake hands before her daughter met her eye. "What?"

"I'm going to start supper for us all. Are you staying, Spencer?"

"I'd like to, if that's all right, Erin?"

She smiled as she nodded. "We always have more than enough, Spencer. But please, have a seat. Tabitha won't accept any help in the kitchen. She says that she needs her full concentration to make the best possible meal." She gave her daughter a small wink before turning her attention back to Spencer. "But I can't complain about the results, since she does quite well. I keep hoping that she's going into business so that she knows how to run her own restaurant someday."

"Mom, I'm not that good," Tabitha said as she gave her a radiant smile. "But I suppose that Spencer can be the judge of that tonight. I'll send Dave your way when he gets home."

"Sounds good, sweetheart." Tabitha nodded as she left the room, and once they were alone, Erin focused on her son. "What brings you by tonight?" she asked as she grabbed her stress ball and started doing the exercises the visiting nurse had said would help her keep her hand and lower arm healthy while her upper arm healed.

"I wanted to ask something, and I don't know how you'll take it."

Erin took a deep breath before answering. "I deserve anything that you ask of me, Spencer, after what you've learned in the last few weeks. What would you like to ask?"

Spencer gave her a quick look before returning his gaze to his lap. "I want to meet my siblings. I mean, I've already met Tabitha, but she doesn't know who I am. I want to meet them as your son."

"Funny that you would ask that, I've been wanting to ask you the same thing. Even if it might change the way that my other kids see me. I've done a lot to disrupt their lives in the last few years. But if we both want the same thing? Then we'll do it. When would you like to come over? Saturday evenings are best, because then I'll have Sunday to recuperate before getting back to work on Monday."

He nodded before turning his face to look at her once more. "Then the next Saturday we're home will be fine?"

"Perfectly so."

"Good. And speaking of work, when are you planning on being back in the office? I don't know if Dave's told you much, but…Derek is seriously pushing Hotch's buttons, knowing that you aren't there to keep a tight rein on things."

She let out a startled laugh as she shook her head. "That does not surprise me in the slightest, knowing how Agent Morgan is. I'll put a bug in David's ear to remind him that I can crack the whip just as effectively from home, if I'm told about the issue." She gave her son a quick wink before letting out a long breath. "And I have five more weeks with the walking cast. Then I'll be back in the office, and things will start to get back to normal."

"I know that I'll be looking forward to that, bella."

They both turned their heads to look up at David, and he smiled at them before coming over to Erin's side and bending down to kiss her softly. "I'm glad you're home, darling. We have some news. The next Saturday that you're home, we're going to have a small supper here. Us three, and the children. We're going to tell them, and let the chips fall where they may. Because I'll have your support, and Spencer's, no matter what happens. And Tabby seems to like him, right now, at least. I'm hoping that's the inroad with Karen and Bruce."

"I hope that, too, Erin. But even if it's not, you have me, and this might help bond us three even more. Now, Tabby said that she'd have supper ready in about an hour, so what would you like to do to fill that time?"

Erin glanced over at Spencer before back at her partner. "I heard through the grapevine that Spencer is a pretty good pianist. Maybe we could head into the study and he could play for us?"

"I'd like that, Erin," he replied as he got to his feet and then held out his hand to her, helping her to her feet. She went to draw her hand back, knowing that David would help her into the other room, so she didn't have to use her cane, but to her pleasant surprise, Spencer tightened his hold, and together, they followed David into the study.