Happy 4th, everybody!
It was almost ten o'clock when six worn-out faces made their way into the bullpen. The team had been hard at work in Southern Nebraska, where they'd managed to find a dueling pair of serial killers that fed off of each other's work. It had taken the better part of a week, and a couple of the agents were walking in with new white bandages around various parts of their limbs.
"Who would have thought farm fields could be so dangerous?" Rossi said, the only one not injured during the course of the week.
"Farm fields full of livestock?" said Morgan, nursing a sprained arm he'd gotten trying to save Reid from a charging bull. The youngest profiler hobbled inside on a brand-new pair of crutches, a 'gift' from the unsub as he'd shoved Reid into a veritable stampede while trying to escape.
"Hey, I just wanna go home and look at the fireworks from my window," said Emily. "Anyone interested?"
"Fireworks?" asked JJ, rubbing a large bruise she'd gotten on her shoulder after nearly getting trampled by the press as they'd cornered the unsub in the middle of the pasture. "I'm in."
"Me too," said Morgan. "I could do with something not work-related to cheer me up."
"I should really go home…" Reid started, but no one paid him any attention. Emily was gently steering the hesitating genius towards the elevator.
"You get to ride in the front seat," she said warmly. "Hotch, Rossi, you coming?"
"Yeah, why not?" said Rossi. "I'll make a quick stop for snacks."
"Hotch?"
"Um…"
"You can bring Jack—the show doesn't start for about two hours…"
"I'll call Haley."
Morgan hobbled the five feet to Garcia's door, tapping loudly on it. "Garcia? Hey, baby girl, you want to go see the fireworks?"
There was no answer. A piece of notebook paper floated down towards Morgan's feet. He picked it up, scanning the few words scribbled on it.
"Garcia's on her way," Morgan said, waving the note. "Seems she wanted to get a head start…"
"Penelope, are you sure this is okay?"
"Absolutely. Emily wouldn't have given me a spare key for no reason. Besides, two-thirds of them are laid up—it'll just be her, I bet. She said we could stop by to catch the fireworks, and here we are."
A slow smile grew a certain technical analyst's face. He could imagine it—fireworks during the fireworks…
Just as the two settled into the newly repositioned couch, the sound of a key turning in the lock stopped them form settling further.
"Garcia? That you?"
Blushing, Garcia straightened up instantly. "The one and only," she squeaked.
"Hey, baby girl, nice seats!" Morgan said, obviously taking in the spectacular view from Emily's picture window.
"Oh, my God…"
"Hey, Garcia…" JJ began, gingerly making her way to an overstuffed arm chair. It took the agent a few minutes to realize that Garcia had company with her. "Kevin! Hi!"
"H-hi there," replied Kevin, his voice strangling in his throat.
"Oh, there we go," said Emily, placing Reid on the other end of the couch, leaving a space for herself next to Garcia. "Hope Hotch and Rossi hurry, the show's about to start!"
The two lovebirds looked at each other forlornly. Their own 'fireworks' had been postponed…hopefully temporarily.
Just a the first white puffball illuminated the night sky, the sounds of an enthralled three year-old filled the room. "Look, Daddy—fireworks!" he squealed happily.
"Whoa, there," Hotch called out, his good arm reaching out for the racing figure in front of him. "Slow down, Jack. Indoor speed, remember?"
"Okay. Look, look—blue ones!"
The deafening booms resonated throughout the building, making even the glass shake. The little group 'oohed' and 'ahhed' as streaks of red, gold, and purple filled the night sky.
"What'd I miss?" Rossi asked, shuffling a few plastic bags onto a counter.
"Fireworks!" a little voice replied happily.
"Fireworks, eh?" Rossi chuckled. "Wow…" he said as three white puffballs ignited all at once.
The senior profiler looked on at the little group gathered in front of the window, watching the show. And it's times like this that make it all worth it, he thought as he pulled up a chair to watch a large purple explosion light up the sky.