Three Weeks Later
Veronica glanced at the message she'd just received on her phone. "They almost found him."
Logan set a plate down in front of her. "Are we headed to DC?"
"We won't make it there in time." She stared at the small screen on her cell.
He could tell from her expression that that fact wouldn't stop her. "I'll have the jet fueled."
She smiled at him and looked down at her sleeping daughter, cradled in her arms. "Get ready. You're going on your first plane ride, Ella."
00
Hotchner hopped into the back of the ambulance with Sam. The US Marshal was on the brink of death, but he was holding on long enough to let Aaron know – his family was no longer safe. Foyet was luring them right to him.
When he finally reunited with his team by phone, he responded desperately, "I'm hoping that she's just gonna call me, at least to check."
"Foyet posed as a marshal, even called from a number that Haley recognized," Morgan argued.
"And then he did what gets him off. He scared her." Rossi knew if Hotch was thinking clearly, he'd already know all this.
"No," Prentiss corrected, "He paralyzed her. He overwhelmed her."
Reid stared at the phone as he thought out loud. "And now she trusts him. Where do you think he would take her?"
"Witness protection had her living in New Jersey."
"He has a head start. He could be there now."
"Garcia's got a trace," JJ announced. "And there's someone on the line that I think you'll want to hear."
"Aaron?"
Everyone's eyebrows shot up.
"Veronica?" The confusion could be heard clearly in his voice.
"Haley and Jack are safe. I'm taking care of them. You worry about Foyet."
"You're sure?"
"I wouldn't joke about something this important." Veronica repeated clearly, "Haley and Jack are safe. Foyet can't touch them. He can't even breathe the same air as them. They're safe."
00
Foyet went down shooting. When he realized his plan was foiled, he withdrew his gun and aimed at the row of SWAT team members that surrounded him.
He managed to get off three harmless shots before he was gunned down.
The Reaper would never hurt another family again.
00
When he saw her, he went to her side and pulled her into his arms. "You're okay."
Haley clutched at her ex-husband. "You're okay." The tears started pouring down her cheeks. "When he told me you were dead… I couldn't think. I couldn't believe it. He told me Jack and I weren't safe; toss the phone, buy a disposable… I believed him. I was so scared."
"I know," Aaron said soothingly. "I know. And you're safe now. You and Jack are safe; and it's all over now."
She pulled away and looked up at him. "I remembered what Veronica once told me. If I ever needed help and I didn't know who to call or where to go, to call this number." She showed him a business card that she'd been holding on to with a death grip since she pulled it out to call what felt like a lifetime ago.
He gently removed the card from her hand and stared at the familiar number on the back of the card. "Logan's shelter."
"They came and got us. They handed me a phone and Veronica was on the other line. She promised me that she'd keep me safe; that she'd keep Jack safe; that you were alive…" She dropped her forehead to his chest.
"And now you're here. Jack's safe and we can put all this behind us and get on with our lives."
Her hold tightened on him. "I can't lose you again."
"I'm not going anywhere."
00
Veronica cradled Ella in her lap as they played together with Jack. She pulled the toy soldier from her daughter's mouth. "That's not tasty at all."
Jack shook his head in agreement. "No toys in your mouth, Ella."
Baby Ella squealed and smiled, before clutching at her mommy's shirt.
Veronica gave her the favorite green pacifier. "Daddy's girl likes green, right, Ella? No girly pink pacifier for you today."
"Where's Daddy's girl?" Logan arrived with the baby bottle warmed. "Let's get her fed before her tummy becomes empty." He sat down on the other side of Jack, reaching over him, so he could watch Ella eat.
"She's tiny." Jack patted the small hand that lay against the bottle. He stared with awe at the little baby. "Was I this tiny?"
"When you were a baby," Logan patted the boy's head. "But you're grown up now."
"Daddy and Mommy keep me safe and make me eat vegetables to help me grow," he announced proudly. He said to Ella, "My daddy will keep you safe too. Daddy keeps all the bad guys away."
"Yes, he does," Veronica smiled at him softly. "You better go give your daddy a hug. It looks like he needs a kiss from his little man."
Jack's head whipped around. When he spotted his father, he ducked under Logan's arms and slid off his chair. He was running and ended being lifted in the air, his arms wrapping about his father's neck. "Daddy!"
"What's with all the ruckus?" Hotch teased. "Jack, did you have fun with little Ella?"
"Aunt Ronnie said that Ella likes me because I don't make her cry."
Haley chuckled softly, remembering the time when Jack was that age and cried when anyone new came around to visit. He'd only felt safe with his parents.
Veronica shifted Ella into Logan's arms when she spotted the white haired, Chief Strauss enter the room. She stood, eyeing the woman wearily. They'd never met, but she'd heard enough stories.
"Chief Mars, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard many great things."
She shook the older woman's hand. "Likewise, Chief Strauss. If you're here to debrief the team, I believe I'll get out of your way. My husband and I can visit another day."
"I'd like to have your statement as part of the final report."
Veronica's head tilted. "My statement? With regard to what?"
"Why, your part in apprehending George Foyet."
"I believe Acting Unit Chief Morgan and his team are responsible for that achievement. My husband and I were on a plane when the operation went down."
The team were witness to the sight of a five-one blond, probably half the age of the older woman, stare down Chief Strauss. They had known that the petite blond was formidable, but they didn't realize just how formidable she was.
Flustered, Chief Strauss turned to Morgan, "I'll expect your report on my desk by noon tomorrow." She gave her farewells and scampered out of the room.
Logan tsked, glancing at his watch. "Forty-five seconds. Thought she'd last longer."
"Logan," Veronica said warning.
He smirked, "What? Little Ella and I had a bet going."
"And you bet against me?" Her eyebrow lifted.
"Of course not. Just thought she'd make it at least a minute before you scared her off. She is a Section Chief Director with the FBI."
"So am I," she reminded.
"She's got years of experience behind her. One minute didn't seem unreasonable."
"What'd you lose?" Morgan asked curiously.
"I have to deposit another million into her trust fund." He place a smacking kiss on the baby's cheek.
Jack looked up at his dad. "Daddy, can I have a million too?"
Hotch gave him a wry smile. "Unfortunately, Daddy doesn't have a million. Maybe if you ask Uncle Logan nicely, he'll set you up with a trust fund."
"No worries, Jack. Already done," Logan replied absently.
"Logan," Haley protested. She turned to Veronica for help.
"I've said it before. Ignore him. Indulging him will only cause you more grief." Veronica took her baby back and started bouncing her.
"Hey, give her back." Logan's arms reached for the baby, but she turned her back to him. He crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. "This is the thanks I get."
JJ took a seat beside him. "Did you really set up a trust fund for Jack?"
"Of course. Why would I lie?" He smirked and patted her knee. "Don't worry, I didn't forget about Henry."
"That's really not necessary," Hotch remarked.
Logan shrugged, "What else would I do with my money? Veronica won't let me buy anymore houses. My charities of choice are well funded. It'll just be sitting their doing nothing anyway."
"We really can't accept it."
"Well, good thing it's not for you then." His cell phone rang at this point. With a smirk, he said, "Saved by the bell," before answering the call. "I'm gonna take this call outside." Pressing a kiss to Veronica's cheek and Ella's head, he stepped out of the conference room.
JJ glanced at Veronica. "He's not serious about the trust funds, is he?"
"I'm sure he is. I wouldn't be too concerned about it. Can't be more than a couple million in each. He's very generous, but he understands that's a lot of money… to most people anyway." She swayed with Ella in her arms. "Best not to argue. He'll just threaten to deposit more money."
"More?" Morgan said incredulously.
"Logan's always been rich," she explained. "When we were in high school, spending ten grand meant nothing to him. Back then, he was the son of a millionaire movie star. Do you really think becoming a billionaire would curb his spending?"
"You can't convince him that it's a little too much for us to accept?" Hotch asked.
"I married Logan in spite of the fact that he's rich. It's taken me ten years to convince him that he should think twice about spending a million dollars on a piece of jewelry. I've still got closets full of stuff that I'm never going to wear. It's obscene." She shrugged, "Unfortunately, a million here or there is peanuts to him. I'll speak to his accountants, but I'm pretty sure there's going to be a trust fund there for all our friends' kids."
"That is completely… ridiculous," JJ stated, before sighing, "and completely Logan."
"He loves kids," Veronica smiled. "If it were possible, I'm pretty sure he'd adopt a few every year." She smirked, "Luckily, he knows that's definitely not possible."
00
Hotch and his team were sitting around a conference table discussing a new case, when they were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Sorry to interrupt," Veronica said softly. "Just wanted to say my goodbyes before taking off." Since she was in Virginia, she stopped by to see the Director and a few other VIPs. Her eyes skimmed the images on screen quickly. "No rest for the wicked, I guess."
Hotch quirked an eyebrow. "Do you mean us or you?"
Her eyes crinkled in a smile. "The answer is murky at best."
JJ stood to hug Veronica. "I can't believe you're leaving already. It feels like you just got here."
"A week is a lifetime… especially when locked in a room with bureaucrats."
"Do I have to remind you that you're a bureaucrat now?"
"Hotch, don't forget, I can have you reassigned if I want… or worse, promoted." She hugged him next, kissing him on the cheek. "Keep Haley and Jack safe."
"Always."
Handing him a file, Veronica waved to the others. "It was nice meeting all of you."
"Don't be a stranger," Morgan added.
"Well, as Hotch pointed out that I am in fact a bureaucrat, I'll be making regular trips to Virginia now. I'll make sure to stop in." She pointed up at the screen. "Check the valet at whatever events those women attended. Guy's ex-society; probably recently dumped – dumper/dumpee, whichever." She headed for the door. "Enjoy the new plane."
"Plane?" Morgan asked, when she exited the conference room.
"Hotch?" Rossi looked curiously as Aaron shook his head, while reading the file.
"Logan got his new jet, so he gave us his old one."
"He gave us a plane?" Spence sat up straighter. "Can he do that?"
"'Ronnie's not the only one with friends in high places. Enjoy.'" Aaron read the post-it attached to the file.
"I guess so," JJ answered.
Prentiss was busy looking through the files on the Nashville killer they were working on. "I'm more curious to know whether she just solved our case for us."
"She can't be that good," Morgan remarked, before looking up at Aaron and Rossi. "Can she?"
Penelope looked up from her computer. "Culpepper Valet Company has contracts with the hotel lounge frequented by victim number one; and the country club victim two was a member of."
"She's that good." Aaron said over his shoulder as he headed out the door, "Let's go."
The End
AN: The CM 100th - it was a spectacular episode, but it needed a potential happier ending...
