A/N: Yes, I'm being the writing machine again. But I love it. And there's a reason behind it that I'll explain later this month. That said I had to go back to this verse and do a follow-up to my Memorial Day story.
That was my original opening paragraph when I started this story. Since then, the sad news about TG broke. I will admit to all of you that I struggled deeply to dive back into FF writing. My heart was and is still breaking. However, another conversation with my mentor Thn0715 got me back here. I promise you that I will continue with my stories and keep Aaron Hotchner in his rightful place. Here.
All rights to the Criminal Minds characters belong to Mark Gordon Productions, CBS and ABC Studios. If the FF monitors weren't looking over my shoulder, I'd add some not so gracious words about those bottom feeding, scum sucking…...errrr, I think you get my drift. ;)
*Knightly bow*
Chapter 1
The BAU team's annual leave around the Fourth of July had been cancelled more times than they all wanted to count. Hotch getting arrested in early June and the aftermath of that large conspiracy had them chasing down thirteen serial killers that escaped due to the elaborate plan. That meant the team's annual leave around the Fourth of July holiday had been set back. They all had lost track of how many after the third.
The US Marshalls and the FBI's Fugitive Response team had captured nine of the thirteen. The BAU quickly nabbed three more profiling their unsubs. The thirteenth proved elusive – Peter Lewis. He had the team catching up with him as Lewis racked up nine more victims across the eastern part of the US. Matt called it a "merry fuckin' goose chase".
However, by taunting Hotch with cellphone texts as his body count rose, the team was able to profile him better; with Garcia's help of course. The middle of August, it all ended in a small southern Indiana town when the team stopped Lewis cold before he could spread his death inducing drug on another family. Being wanted, Lewis was now armed with a .45 pistol. When he pulled it out and pointed it at Emily and JJ that confronted him, Prentiss buried her shot in Lewis' forehead.
The Gulf Stream jet that Tuesday night, heading home passed ten thousand feet. Chuck and Angie, their also overworked pilots, flipped off the seatbelt sign as the sun was setting outside the windows of the jet. The team dived for the first available spot to sleep. Matt got up from the four top and headed to the bathroom.
Coming back, he placed two glasses of scotch in front of Hotch and Rossi and sat down, taking a sip of his. "Thanks kid," Rossi softly smiled, raising his glass to take a drink as well. Hotch joined them. Hotch's cell buzzed with a text and he looked.
"It's Cruz. We've got new orders." Rossi hiked an eyebrow.
"God damnit Hotch," Matt softly said to not wake the sleeping members of the team.
Hotch read the text, put his cell face down on the table and looked at the two of them. "We all are to go into the office tomorrow, finishes our reports and then vacate the building. He's giving us leave the rest of the week. Our AL starts on Sunday. We're done until the Tuesday after Labor Day. Coop and Jack's team will be covering for us," he smiled, raising his glass. Matt drained his glass and got up. He reappeared with the Scotch bottle and a large coffee cup filled with ice cubes.
Dave drained his glass, choosing alcohol over enjoyment of the fine liquor. "You are good Cob," Rossi smiled, raising his glass for a refill grabbing a few more cubes. Hotch joined them, draining his glass and doing the same. Matt poured the remaining ice cubes into his glass and poured for himself.
Returning to his seat, he looked at the other two. "Any plans," he asked, taking another sip.
"Matt," Hotch asked. "We just got the word."
Matt smiled at them both. "Exactly Aaron."
-00CM00-
Morgan and Garcia walked into the Bullpen through the side door at lunchtime the next day, carrying their food. Garcia climbed onto the end of JJ's desk to eat her lunch while Morgan did the same at Emily's desk. Trying to pound out their last reports, Prentiss, Reid, JJ and Tara were eating at their desks as well. "So what are everybody's plans," Morgan asked.
"I'm crawling into bed and I don't care if I wake up two days from now," Tara said.
Garcia pointed at her with her fork. "Ditto," she smiled.
Reid raised his hand to add a third vote to sleeping, taking a bite out of his PBJ and shaking his head. "My reading list is temporarily suspended."
Morgan looked at him, waving his finger. "A PBJ? Really kid?" Reid nodded with a smile.
JJ smiled. "Luck has it Will and his partner just cracked a major case. He's getting a long weekend as well. And the commander of the detective squad has been very supportive of Will pushing back his vacation. We're heading to the farm tomorrow morning," she smiled. "And then its beach time in South Carolina."
"Most awesome," Garcia said. She looked at JJ. "Lots of pics please," she smiled.
"You got it," JJ smiled backed. She looked at Prentiss. "Em?"
Emily shook her head. "I'd love to do the sleep in thing; and Declan will have some buy-in with that. But only to a point," she smiled. "So we'll just do some things around the area while Morgan's sister in law, the travel agent, gets our trip planned to LA. But I believe there's some mini-golf in my immediate future," she smiled. The team looked at her. "Declan wants to go there and do it all; he's never been there," she smiled. "The Hollywood tours, Disneyland and the beach."
"That sounds amazing," Tara smiled, pointing at her.
"Get in the queue partner," Morgan smiled. "Sheila is getting me, Savannah and Hank booked on a flight to Chicago to spend the weekend with my mom."
Emily mischievously eyed him. "Sheila told me your booking is easy. She's doing my and Declan's trip first."
"You just got shot out of the water," Reid smiled at Morgan. The rest laughed.
"And you Pretty Boy have been a comedian since when," Morgan asked. Reid just smiled more at him, taking another bite of his sandwich.
Just then, the Three Musketeers opened their offices doors, shutting off the lights. They shut the doors in almost synchronized fashion and taped a white letter size piece of paper to their doors. Matt and Dave followed Hotch down the steps with the team looking at them.
"Have a good leave," Aaron said to the team.
Reid looked at the paper on Rossi's door and smiled at the rest. "I think Uncle Dave's cabin is about to get a workout."
The team all looked. Each piece of paper said the same thing.
Gone fishing.
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A/N: Yup; gonna roll with this again. But remember, there's an added component in Rossi's life to this. :D
Sorry hurricanehorse. *runs*