Part 4

"It's really nice to meet you," James said shaking Spencer's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too," Spencer said smiling. "I can guess you were rather shocked when Dave told you that you had a brother."

"That's probably the understatement of the decade," James laughed easily.

James David Rossi looked much more like his father then Spencer did with his black hair and deep brown eyes and also shared his father's more muscular frame. It was obvious that the two of them were father and son while Spencer knew he looked more like his real mother who was now deceased. Since he had seen photos of her he had to agree that he did look much more like Dave's late wife, though really, he was more a combination of the two.

"Dad promised to tell me the whole story once I got here," James added. "Said he didn't want to talk about it over the phone."

"So I did," Dave agreed, as he handed his oldest son a drink. "Why don't you sit down, and Spencer and I will tell you the whole story."

James sat down in one of the comfortable chairs that were in the living room while Spencer did the same on the couch.

"So?" James asked once everyone was comfortable.

Dave and Spencer took turns telling James all about what it happened in recent months.

"So you're saying that all these years you believed that my brother was dead," James said, as calmly as possible, though it was clear he was furious, "but you discovered that you were father and son, because of the unique birthmark and that's what started you investigating the man that kidnapped my brother in the first place William Reid. You found enough evidence that he's in prison now and will be there for the rest of his life."

"More or less," Spencer said.

"I can understand why you didn't contact me before now because you knew what my reaction would be," James told his father who nodded.

"That was only one reason," Dave told his son calmly, but with an understanding look. "Spencer needed to get used to the fact that he had a father, a real father not the pale approximation of one that he had with William Reid, not to mention a brother. It was a big shock to both of us, but mostly to him, because his childhood, well, let's just say it wasn't very happy and leave it at that. It's not really my place to tell you all about it, as that will be up to Spencer if he wants to."

"Alright, I can understand that," James said finally. "I was certainly shocked to find out I had a brother in the first place when I believed I was an only child."

"I'm really sorry that Caroline and I never told you that you did have a brother because it was painful for us to talk about because we believed he had died," Dave explained and James nodded. "Really, we didn't see the point of mentioning it since our marriage broke up soon afterwards. It was already on the rocks, because I was gone so much for work and because I tended to forget anniversaries and things. I just got so absorbed in building in the BAU that I forgot that marriage was work. Who knows if we would've been able to save it if we had known that Peter survived, even if he's Spencer's now."

"So you're not going to change your name to the one you were born with then," James said looking at his brother.

"Not my first name because the woman I believed was my mother gave it to me and she was in no way involved with my supposed father's stupid decision. She never would have allowed him to get away with it if she had known. She really believed I was her son and treated me well, so I'm going to keep the name she gave me. I'm also going to keep the Reid because that's my professional name and it would be rather difficult to change it at this point unless I left the FBI and made a fresh start elsewhere. However, I have agreed to change my middle name, because it's William for one thing and this is a way of honoring the man that really is my father. I'm just going to have to have two middle names, as that's what I decided on, so I'll be Spencer Peter Daniel Reid. Other people have two middle names, even if it's rather unusual, so that's the route I'm going to take. As for my last name I agreed that I'd keep the Reid, but I'd use one of those double-barrelled surnames, so I'll be Reid Rossi."

"It was a compromise that I was happy to accept, because the situation is not one that comes up to often. It's rather unusual for a mother or father to find out that the child they thought was dead is actually alive, but it has been known to happen," Dave added.

"Alright, I can see that and I think it's a good compromise," James decided, as he sipped his drink.

"Yes, it's a very reasonable compromise," Spencer said. "I've finally absorbed the news that William Reid wasn't my real father at all and I truly wish I had grown up with you and your parents, but since we can't change the past there's no point of dwelling on it either."

"Well, welcome to the family," James said smiling. "Hopefully, we'll get to know each other better soon, although I'm still furious that we didn't grow up together, because we definitely should have."

"Yes, we should have," Spencer agreed. "I always knew William Reid was a selfish, uncaring bastard, but I never believed that he had committed any kind of major crime, as there are a lot of people like him in the world and most of them don't commit such a major crime in their lives. I mean he didn't commit a crime like littering, but a major federal offense, which was very stupid of him, because there were other ways to have children, even back in the 80s and early 90s. I mean, he could've had one illegitimately for example, although if anybody had found out about it likely would have ruined his career or at least damaged it in the early 80s, but then again maybe not since it happened all the time."

"Why wouldn't have ruined his career?" James asked puzzled.

"Because he was an attorney and attorney's back then were supposed to be upstanding citizens, unless you were one of those sleazy ones that got some criminal off with just a slap on the wrist. We were just coming off the 70s when I was born, and people's values, morals and ethics were different back then, but by the middle 80s that had changed."

"Yes, I see what you mean," James agreed.

"Still, he could've divorced his wife like he did in the early 90s and then perhaps had another child after getting married again, instead of kidnapping a child from another family," Spencer said.

"So why do you believe he did so? Switched the babies in the nursery?" asked James.

"Well, I don't know for sure, but I suspect he probably panicked, as he knew his own son was going to die in a day or two, because of a bad heart, which wasn't fixable back at the time I was born. I don't think he thought about his actions at all when he did it or if he did I don't think he thought through the consequences. Of course, it's quite possible, that he believed that it was nearly the perfect crime, as who was to know? Neonatal units weren't watched closely back in the 80s as they are today, because the kind of crime that happened to me wasn't as common. It still happened, just not as much as it does today, if you don't have the nursery watched constantly. I mean really what were the odds that I would really run into the man that had fathered me?"

"Yes, I see what you mean," James agreed. "Odds must be astronomical, considering that the world is a big place and you really don't look that much like dad at all."

"No, he looks more like his mother, but really, he's the perfect combination of both of us," Dave said speaking for the first time in a long while. "If he looked just like Caroline with a few differences of course, then I would've recognized him right away, but while I had noticed some similarities, not only in looks to me and Caroline, but also in certain habits and gestures, the kind of thing that is genetic, so I just put all that down to coincidence. Then I saw the birthmark and that was what clinched it in my mind, made me sure that he was my son."

"Which is why we had the blood test done at the first possible opportunity," Spencer said smiling.

"Which just confirmed what both of us already knew," Dave added smiling in return.

"I've seen pictures of my late mother and I have to agree that I look more like her then I do Dave," Spencer said. "Still, that doesn't mean that he's not my father, as genetics are really a rather tricky area of science and you never know who a child is going to end up looking like. Some children come out looking so much like one parent you would believe that they were twins, except for the age difference, while others hardly look like either of their parents at all, but that doesn't mean they don't share the same DNA."

"And some turn out to be a perfect blend of both parents, which is what happened in Spencer's case," Dave added.

"Alright, I understand that," James said finally.

The three continued to talk for sometime until James stomach growled hungrily.

"Well, someone's hungry," Dave smiled looking at his watch, "and no wonder, it's way past dinnertime as we've been talking for hours. I think we'll just order take out for tonight as I'm too tired to cook. So what kind of take out do you boys want?"

"It doesn't really matter to me as I'm not too picky," Spencer said who was hungry as well.

"What about French?" James asked. "I really love French food, although I have to exercise, even more whenever I eat it, because it's really fattening."

"I know just the place," Dave said, as he took out his cell phone. "I'll just order a variety and we can always put what's not eaten in the fridge."

Dave called the French place that was programmed into his contact list and ordered a whole bunch of different things.

"It'll be here in half an hour," Dave finally said after he had hung up.

"Good because I'm starving," James said grinning.

"I'm hungry too," Spencer admitted.

"And so am I, but then we have every right to be, as it's after 8:30 and I had no idea we'd been talking for so long," Dave said.

"Yeah, I should be getting home after we eat, as both Dave and I have to work tomorrow," said Spencer.

The three of them continued talking until the doorbell rang, which meant the food was here so Dave went to answer it. He was back less then five minutes later with several bags of food that he took into the kitchen.

"Dinner is served boys come and get it," Dave said.

James obeyed with alacrity for he was starving with Spencer following behind at a slower pace.

~~~Criminal Minds~~~

Several months later

"It's really good to see you James," Spencer greeted his older brother, as the two of them met at the front entrance of the restaurant they had chosen. Both young men liked to be on time instead of early or late like some people so in that way they were the same.

"Good to see you to, little brother," James grinned causing Spencer to simply roll his eyes in pretended exasperation. Secretly though, he really enjoyed being the little brother to someone as it gave him a warm fuzzy feeling. He would never allow anyone to ever know it though, not even his older brother or his father. As for his fake father, William Reid, had been here, he would have thought that the two grown men were acting childishly and that they should be serious all the time. Spencer had often wondered over the last few months what his father did for fun as no one could be serious all the time, even if they pretended to, which was something he had learned after he had discovered that his father was not William Reid, but David Rossi instead. Spencer strongly suspected that the façade William Reid had always put up, an uncaring, serious façade, that had no time for joy, laughter or fun wasn't the way he was away from the son he hated so much. William Reid, who had been something of an enigma to Spencer as a child, was still, just as much of one nearly 30 years later, not that he really mattered anymore, since he would be in prison for the rest of his life.

"We need to go in before we miss our reservation," Spencer said.

"Are you always so serious?" James asked, as soon as the waiter had escorted the two of them to a semiprivate table.

"It's the way I grew up," Spencer shrugged. "I learned to conceal my emotions at a very early age I'm afraid. The man, I thought was my father, had a nasty habit of jumping on me any time I showed the least emotion, especially if it was negative. Like I came home in tears once because the bullies had beaten me up and given me a black eye and sore muscles. I think he'd rather me have been an android rather then a human being from the way he acted. I learned to conceal my emotions at a very early age and it just became habit over time. Now I doubt I could change even if I wanted to."

"People like that shouldn't have procreated," James said.

"Well, technically, his son died which is why he kidnapped me in the first place," Spencer pointed out logically. "He knew that it was unlikely that the woman I thought was my mother would be able to have anymore children due to the schizophrenia. She couldn't stay on her medications when she got pregnant with her son due to the possibility of major defects in the fetus. Of course, now, they're better medications and there were back when I was born, as it's been nearly 30 years after all."

"It's sad that her son died, although I'm almost glad he did considering what the father's like," James said. "There's no doubt that it's a tragedy, but at least that little boy didn't have to grow up with such a monster for a father. I mean, this William Reid denied me from getting to know my brother and caused my parents to mourn for a long time. Dad has admitted your supposed death is at least partially responsible for the break up of our parents marriage, even it's not the whole cause. It's a good thing he's in prison or I'd likely go after him."

"Believe me, I agree with you about the fact that I'm happy he's in prison, but if you would've gone after him and say beat him up that would only gotten you in trouble and your father and I might not be able to get out of it. Besides, for all we know he might been a different person if his son had lived. It might have been the death of his son that caused him to be like he was for all we know."

James nodded that because his brother was very right.

"That's not to say, I won't hate him until my dying day, it just means that he's out of our lives permanently, so there's no point of dwelling on the fact that we lost the opportunity to grow up together due to one man. People like William Reid don't do very well in prison James, especially a federal one where the worst of the worst are housed. I won't be surprised at all if somebody uses him as kind of a toy because he's a handsome man, even if he's pretty old or he could tick someone off and get himself a shiv in the gut. Alright, I admit, that he didn't know that he was kidnapping the baby of the federal officer as dad was a member of the FBI back when both of us were born. The charges would've been less serious if he had picked another child, although he still likely would've ended up in prison for the rest of his life, just not a federal one. I always knew that William Reid never cared about me and expected me to be perfect, but since no child is, I failed his unrealistic expectations. I suspect that he wanted me to be exactly like he was as a child and the likelihood of that was..."

"Astronomical," James finished.

"I wouldn't go that far, because sometimes children do turn out more like one parent than the other, but that's mostly because one parent forges a close bond with their child, which William Reid never did with me for obvious reasons. For all we know he could have suffered a psychotic break at the death of his son, which happens all the time for various reasons. Tragedy is often a trigger for such things as a psychotic break. It's certainly possible if his real son had lived he would've been more like William Reid wanted, but there's no guarantees of course."

"You sound like you're excusing his actions," James sputtered.

"I'm not," Spencer promised. "I'm just saying that there're could be multiple reasons why he was like he was that's all. It could be he was a genuinely uncaring individual before his son died or something could've caused it."

"I suppose," James conceded. "I don't really know much about psychology or the human mind."

"Me and Dave and the rest of the team do because that's basically what we do," Spencer said. "Trying to understand why humans do what they do and a lot of times it's because some tragedy happen that causes that psychotic break I mentioned. Understanding how they think, is how we catch them James and it our father that started the whole unit, that I am proud to work for. At one point people said profiling serial killers couldn't be done and yet our father figured out a way to do it. I've always admired David Rossi and at that point in time I didn't know that he was actually my father, as I was just a child at the time. I was always interested in going into law enforcement and Jason Gideon convinced me to join the FBI. I won't say it was easy, since a great many agents resent me, but considering it led me to the fact that William Reid isn't really my father and I have a family that supports me now I would say it's worth it."

"Mom used to always say that if it was too easy it wouldn't be worth it in the end," James said.

"Well, mom was right," Spencer smiled. "The woman I believed was my mother said something similar."

"Perhaps all good moms say something similar," James said also smiling.

"It's certainly possible," Spencer conceded. "I never had a chance to meet my real mother, but the one I had was good enough for me. It was never my mother, the one I grew up with, that was the problem. Despite the schizophrenia I knew she loved me. She proved it again and again before the disease really took her away from me emotionally. It's those happy childhood memories that sustained me after William Reid left and even before that happened."

"So why don't you tell me some of them," James suggested as he took a drink of his beer.

"Well," Spencer said, as he brought the few happy childhood memories he had to the front of his mind. "It was her that taught me how to play chess, though I was never able to beat Gideon as he was a truly unconventional thinker. I was around five when that happened, as mom, knew how intelligent I was, even if William Reid didn't want to acknowledge it. It wasn't long before I was beating her as I had all the moves memorized and understood the game better than she did."

Spencer told his brother about some of his few happy childhood memories about helping his mother bake cookies in the kitchen, how his mother had also taught him how to play poker at a young age. "I was so good at poker that when it was legal for me to gamble at the casinos in Vegas I won a bundle and I was told to never come back, because the management of such places was sure I was cheating, even though I wasn't. Since I had made what I wanted, which would keep my mother in Bennington Sanitarium until I could get myself a job I was happy to never gamble again."

"So did you tell your mother about the fact that you aren't really her son?" James asked Spencer shook his head.

"It would devastate her and although the medicine she takes helps with the schizophrenia it might send her into another episode. Such episodes tend to be very violent, where she doesn't remember the doctors and nurses or where she is. Sometimes, she doesn't even remember me, her own son. It's just better that she continues to believe that I am her son. I will take that secret to my grave."

"I understand," James said and he did. He didn't really know much about schizophrenia other then it caused delusions and sometimes hallucinations, but apparently that could be violent episodes as well. He was sure his little brother knew all about it considering he had lived with a woman who had a severe case of it. James had nothing but admiration for his younger brother, who he hadn't even known existed until a few months previously. To be able to handle a woman with violent hallucinations, go to school get good grades and go to college at a really young age with no help whatsoever absolutely amazed James as he knew he wouldn't even have done half is well at the same age. He had been intelligent certainly, more intelligent than most other boys his age, but he certainly wouldn't have known what to do if something had happened to one of his parents and the other one had just walked away. James was amazed that Spencer had not only managed to survive but thrive.

James would never understand human nature the way his father and apparently younger brother did. How can a man abandon his family just because his wife was sick. How could a man treat his son so shabbily, especially considering that it turned out Spencer had been kidnapped to replace a man's son that was going to die anyway. James would never understand why a man would kidnap another man's son to replace one he was about to lose, only to treat him like he was an object with no feelings. He supposed that's why he had never become a cop or a FBI agent like his father and little brother.

"I would love to tell her about you and Dave," Spencer said, "but it's just not wise. She doesn't even know that William Reid is in prison and as far as I know she doesn't know about the trial either. Dr. Norman tries his best to shield her, though my mother wouldn't appreciate it if she was aware of it. If she wasn't so sick in her mind I wouldn't mind her finding out."

James nodded and changed the subject.

"So any girlfriends in your life that I need to know about?" James asked.

Spencer tried his best not to blush, but he couldn't help when it overtook his face.

"Oh so there is someone," James said teasing his brother. "So are you dating or does she know of your feelings."

"She isn't aware of my feelings," Spencer answered, still blushing.

"So who is she?" James asked.

"Why do you ask?" Spencer countered trying desperately to change the subject, as he did want to discuss the woman he had fallen in love with. He would never let her know, as he just knew that she would not return his feelings.

"Because I'm your big brother," James answered with a grin. "Big brothers are supposed to interfere in their younger siblings lives. It's part of the siblings code."

Spencer wanted to protest there was no such code, but who knew, there might be. Besides, he knew very well that a lot of times big brothers did interfere in their younger siblings lives and so did big sisters for that matter. He had just never expected it to happen to him, because he hadn't had a brother until just a few short months ago or at least he hadn't known he had.

"So are you going to tell me her name?" James wheedled and Spencer shook his head stubbornly. "Come on, tell me her name," James begged. "Is it someone that lives in your neighborhood? Your apartment building? Or is it someone at work?"

Spencer kept shaking his head stubbornly refusing to divulge who he had fallen in love with several years ago.

"You know I'll just go to dad if you don't tell me, as I'm sure he knows who you're in love with and if that's the case, why he hasn't interfered is beyond me."

"Because he knows how to stay out of people's private lives, even someone's where he found out was his son," Spencer suggested in a sharp tone. "It's possible that he knows, because the team tends to profile each other, even if we're not supposed to, but they won't interfere and try to play matchmaker. Profiling each other is just one of the risks of the job."

"Hey! There's no need to get angry, Spence," James said and didn't notice when Spencer drew in a sharp breath.

The only person that ever called him Spence was JJ the woman he had loved for several years already or at least that was when he realized he loved her. It had been right before Dave had come back to the BAU, but since he knew that there was no way JJ would return his feelings he had said nothing and never would. He was sure that JJ would find someone much better then himself to marry eventually if she wanted to.

Spencer didn't think for a second that the love of his life may also have feelings for him, because he still considered himself unworthy of being loved in that way, which was all due to his childhood upbringing by one William Reid who was now in prison or life.

Spencer might know that he was loved by his brother and father and he appreciated it, but one couldn't shake their childhood so easily. His fake father had often harped on the fact how Spencer would never marry when he was grown, because he was too strange, to intelligent and as plain as a block of wood. William Reid had simply loved pointing out every single fault Spencer possessed and quite a few that he didn't. It had never occurred to Spencer that a lot of those faults had simply been ones that any child had, but outgrew with time and maturity. For someone who saw people so clearly, it was amazing that Spencer couldn't see that most of the things William Reid had harped on were not true now and never had been. Convincing him that one William Reid had often told him was not true at all would be a difficult if not impossible task, since Spencer had grown up believing the things his fake father had said, just like any child would.

That none of these things were true had not occurred to Spencer, because as a child he had loved his father, even if now he hated his guts and hoped that William Reid got what was coming to him.

James dropped the subject for now, but he would be talking to his dad to see if he knew who his brother was in love with. He was sure that his father did know or at least suspected, but whether or not he would tell his oldest son was a question. James knew his father would likely be hurting for his youngest son, because he had experienced his marriage breaking up after all. He was sure that his father had been rejected by at least one girl before he had met his mother Caroline, which Spencer likely feared most of all.

What Spencer really needed was years of seeing a psychologist to fully understand his own self and realize that his childhood had affected him deeply, but he knew his brother well enough to know that Spencer would never agree to it, so James wasn't even going to bother to suggest it. His brother could be extremely stubborn and would just dig in his heels.

The two brothers parted amiably after lunch, but James knew that if Spencer had any idea what he planned to do, his brother would stop him, so he made sure he acted normally and asked nothing farther about the girl that James knew his brother loved.

~~~Criminal Minds~~~