Chris Larabee sat in his office, chair leaned back and feet propped up on his desk. It felt good to relax after a hard case. He could see through the open window most of his team relaxing and smiling.

He took a long look at Ezra, whose last two undercover assignments had taxed him to the point of exhaustion and was surprised to see Ezra watching, but without disapproval, the antics of his youngest agent, the Kid, as everyone called him.

After going through several temp techs, most of who quit after one week; Travis was fed up until he met and recommended one John Daniel Dunne. JD, as the cocky kid asked to be called, quickly proved his technical acumen and his cherubic face, cheery nature and youthful appearance; his smaller size invoked a feeling of protectiveness among most of the agents. JD had been firm with both Chris and Travis that he wanted not to always be a tech but a full field agent. After a few weeks of brilliance in his computer expertise and his charm, Travis realized the team would not gel with any of the other techs and had agreed to Agent-In-Training status for the nineteen-year-old. The fact that JD, as the youngest, was the obvious choice for checking on the compliance of cigarette and alcohol laws didn't hurt JD's request. In fact, the other teams, after expressing their derision for JD's hire and Travis' mind, suddenly wanted to "borrow" the Kid for their undercover tasks; something Chris put his foot down on when the requests became too frequent.

Buck Wilmington, the first one to "adopt" the Kid was watching with amusement JD's chewing on bubblegum and seeing how big he could make his bubbles without popping. He was jiggling his right leg to the music in his IPOD. Buck would try to knock JD's hat off, and JD would shoot rubber bands at him.

Chris was relieved and happy to see Buck so light-hearted after the years Buck had devoted to saving Chris from himself. 'You deserve happiness, my good friend,' Chris thought and if having a teenager for Buck to nag and bicker with did that, Chris would keep his doubts about JD's youth to himself for now.

Josiah and Nathan, shaking their heads, were nevertheless amused with JD's antics. Vin, also, was more relaxed since JD came abroad though Buck's moniker of "Junior" for Vin stuck, he was several years older than JD and enjoyed the youth's enthusiasm for life.

JD found a fan in Vin almost immediately as he noticed that Vin's dyslexia hampered him in getting his reports done quickly. JD would quickly scan and fix errors and with bringing in chocolate for snacks, won Vin over immediately.

Josiah looked up to catch Chris' eye and a quick motion and left his desk to come into the office and shut the door.

"He's just a teenager, Chris, and he's been working hard," Josiah started to defend JD.

Chris actually smiled. "Not JD I'm concerned about. It's Ezra."

Josiah turned his chair to study Ezra. "Hmmm."

"I don't understand Ezra's reaction to JD's, ahem, childishness. He seems almost to be drinking it in."

Josiah put his finger to his chin thoughtfully. "While I was profiling serial killers and the evil they inflicted on their victims and felt myself getting cynical, I would go to a park and watch the innocent children play."

"So Ezra is soaking in the innocence and enthusiasm of JD to cope with the evil of his last two cases."

"Yes."

"Thanks, Josiah."

"Nice to see you relaxed, too, Chris," Josiah smiled as he left the office. "Oh, don't worry, I'll keep your secret."

Chris wadded up a piece of paper and threw it at a retreating Josiah. He went back to the report when Susan, one of the secretarial pool, stuck her blonde head in the door. "Chris?" Her southern accent was always pleasing to him. "This package just

special delivery, along with this vase with the red rose."

"You sure it isn't for me, Miss Susan?" Buck grinned, while Susan flushed slightly and then left the office.

Buck, true to form, watched her exit. "What a looker."

"She's been warned about you, Buck. All the women have been."

"Just makes it more of a challenge, Stud. Hey!" He yelped as another rubber band hit home. "JD!" He left to try to corner his young partner.

"Damn!" The curse and the sound of breaking glass stopped each man.

"Chris?" Buck was the first to reach the office, seeing a light in Chris' eyes he had not seen in years.

Chris growled, holding up a small blue bootie and Buck took the note accompanying it.

Buck read in disbelief, "It's time for us to be the family we were meant to be. You, my love, and our son. Ella."

TBC