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Emily led the way into their favorite after-work hangout. The small pub, named O'Keeffe's, reminded her of Cheers. The layout, and the fact that the location of the bar, downstairs from a restaurant mirrored the setup of the popular television show. Sometimes, when they walked in, she expected to see Sam, or Diane, or hear the room shout Norm, when the bar's best customer strolled through the door.
"What are you thinking about?" Rossi wondered was they took the table up three steps and beneath the window that faced the outside flight of stairs.
Emily only smiled and shook her head. "It's not important. I'm beyond thrilled that we're all here."
"Me too," JJ said, enthusiastically as they took their favorite seats. "I'm glad you're back in the chief's office, Emily."
"So am I," Reid said, then flushed. "Sorry, Jennifer. I don't mean that you weren't a great boss and –"
"I'd quit now," Tara teased.
"I know what you mean, Spence. My stint as UC only made me realize that I don't want the big chair, yet."
"It's not so bad when you don't have Barnes breathing down your neck."
Matt shook his head and sighed. "I wish he'd fired her on the spot, but I guess that's too much to ask."
"Not gonna happen," Emily said. "She's too well connected. The director did not look happy when he told me he'd instructed her to back off."
"You think we have to worry," Garcia said as a server approached.
After they ordered their drinks, Emily said. "No, I don't think so. The director understands that it's not good form to piss off a senator. Also, I think he has bigger fish to fry."
"Did he say something," Garcia inquired.
"No, just got the impression. Anyway, I don't want to talk about Barnes. We're here to celebrate our return."
"Yes," Luke and Tara said as Penelope high-fived Reid and JJ hugged Emily. Rossi sat back and watched them all like a father and Matt simply leaned forward and smiled.
"Still, I wish we'd found a quicker way to get her off our backs," JJ said. "Twenty-seven people are dead because of Barnes. It sucks that she doesn't have to answer for that."
"You're right," Emily said as they sobered. "She cost us a lot of time and unnecessary loss of life. That's why I want to hit the ground running tomorrow and see if we can salvage anything. We're going to start with the Angel of Death. People need to know we care about their elderly loved ones as much as we do the young and beautiful."
"I'll draw up a list of cases, and you guys can prioritize," Garcia said. "Then I'm doing a deep dive on all the victimology. I'll make the Mariana Trench look like a shallow wading pool in comparison to their lives when I get done."
"Nice reference," Reid said, and Garcia smiled with real pleasure at his words.
"It's going to take a while to get caught up. You all up for some real overtime."
The group nodded as one and Emily said, "Good."
The server brought their drinks and Emily rose to her feet. "I want to toast to you, the best team of profilers in the world. You stuck by me when I needed you and thanks to your willingness to work outside the rules; we're back where we belong."
"Amen," said Rossi.
"Also, I want to toast to the twenty-seven we lost. Let's make a pledge we never let it happen again."
They reached over each other to click glasses as they said in near unison. "To the twenty-seven."
"Now," Emily said seriously. "I expect each of you to adhere to the book, at least until enough time has passed and we know the director won't decide to disregard the explicit orders of a US Senator. Am I clear?"
"Yes," they agreed.
"We do what we have to do to make sure we catch our man, but we need to be careful."
"I'm good with that," Rossi said. "We'll keep each other in line."
"Speak for yourself," Tara added, and they laughed.
"I am, but I have a question for Reid."
Spencer looked up from his beer. He'd been listening to Garcia tell him about her time in Cyber Crimes. "What?"
"Don't look innocent, Spencer. I heard about your classroom full of adoring females."
"They weren't adoring." Reid protested, and his face went pink.
"Then why are you blushing?"
"Emily," Reid turned to his boss.
"Don't look at me," she said. "You're on your own, Spence."
"So," Tara addressed him as they all watched with complete and avid attention. "Tell us all about your class…"