Chapter 03
6 pm Thursday

"So where is everyone going for the week?" Garcia asked later. "I never had a chance to ask, we've been so busy. Ten days of vacation, am I the only one staying home?"

"Jack and I are heading up to New York to visit Beth." Hotch said.

"And I'm heading to Montreal. James has a conference." Blake said.

"Book tour," Rossi said. "I'll be in the Seattle and Vancouver area the whole time."

Morgan took a deep breath. "Eva and I are going to Chicago for the first few days." He said.

"You're introducing her to your family?" JJ asked.

He hesitated, but finally nodded, "Yeah."

"Oh wow. That's serious."

"She's worth it. What about you?"

"Disney." JJ said. "Henry is finally old enough."

"Awww," Garcia turned to Spencer. "Are you going too?"

He shook his head. "Nope, Sarah and I are going up to the cabin. Ten days of peace and quiet."

"And romantic nights by the fire," Morgan said.

"I am so not responding to that."

Hotch looked around as the pilot signaled him, "Looks like we're almost there. It's late, file your preliminary reports electronically, we'll complete the paper versions when we get back. Let's all go have a good vacation."

10 pm Thursday

They got back in ample time. Alex Blake left the FBI building, stopped at home to change clothes and bags and headed for the airport.

At midnight she walked out of the airport in Montreal and in to her husband's arms.

8 am Friday

The next morning dawned clear and crisp; the kind of morning that promised a lovely Indian summer kind of day.

By 8 am Dave Rossi was in the airport, boarding a flight out to Seattle. Seven hours later he had fully switched over to author mode, and was looking forward to a week of good food, pleasant company and time off from being a cop for a while.

10 am Friday

"You're nervous." Morgan said. It wasn't a question.

Eva Shepherd broke off from trying to look at every single thing they were passing to look over at him as they slowly made their way through the security line at the airport. "Of course I am. What did you expect?"

"Please tell me this isn't about meeting my Momma." He was shuffling himself, for some reason he could not stand still.

"No. Well, not entirely." She turned her head as a long string of luggage carts went by. "What are those?"

"Carts you can rent to help with luggage. Is it about leaving your girl?" He knew she took her job as Companion seriously, this was the first time she and her friend Sarah had ever spent this much time apart. He stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

"No, this planet is safe. And that girl is better at taking care of herself than you might think." She turned to look at the checkpoint again. "I can get out of going through that thing, right?"

The last thing they needed was for her to go anywhere near an x-ray machine. "Yeah, just ask for a pat down. Okay, then what is bothering you?"

"You're going to think it's silly."

"Fair warning, now lay it on me." Some expert trained profiler he was. If the TSA guys were paying any attention to his microexpressions right now they'd never be allowed on the plane.

"Flying. It's just…I'm nervous about it."

He had to laugh at that. "Oh no. No. I saw that tin can you came here in. No one flies as far as you did in one of those and gets away with saying she's afraid of flying."

"Yeah, but I was the one doing the flying. I don't like being on a ship when I don't know the pilot."

Morgan laughed all the way to the checkpoint.

12 noon Friday

"You ready?" Aaron Hotchner asked his companion as they got to the airport.

"'Course I am, Dad." Jack replied.

Hotch smiled. Jack was ten now, not yet at the age of rolling his eyes and huffing at his father's lack of understanding. That time was coming; he could feel it on the horizon, but not yet. Not yet. For now he was enjoying being Superman while he could. "Right then, let's go explore some more of New York."

1 pm Friday

Spencer turned off the engine of the SUV and smiled.

There was no sound

None.

It was completely quiet.

"You can relax now." Sarah Star told him.

He turned to look at the woman in the seat beside him. "Sure?"

In response she closed her eyes and concentrated for a good thirty seconds. Then she smiled and he felt the connection between them open and flow, a warm heat that soothed and comforted even as it aroused. Yes. She thought to him. There's no one else in range. Go ahead.

Spencer leaned his head back against the seat and let his shields drop.

Imagine, he had once said to Morgan, having your neighbor playing his stereo at full volume. A wide ranging mix of music, some you liked, much you didn't, some that left you anxious or even scared. Only it was like that constantly, it ebbed sometimes but it never went away and you couldn't get away. Your only defense was to hold up a sound barrier, kind of pin it against the wall with your arms. Only it didn't block the sound, it just muffled it. You could still tell it was there, could kind of feel the beat, you just couldn't make out the lyrics. That was the best you could do and in the meantime your arms got real tired.

That was what it was like to be a fledgling telepath in the city.

It was easier for Sarah. She had naturally stronger powers and years of practice on top of it. But even she had done too much for the longest time and now tended to wear out if left there too long. Respites at the cabin had become essential; the only other mind for miles was the gentle, nurturing presence of your lover.

Soon to be lover, he thought, and hopefully soon to be wife. As their emotions gentle mingled, the joy of being together, gratitude at having this time, the feeling of stress ebbing away, it was only natural to tug her into his arms. Soon, he thought. Maybe this will be the time we finally dance.

Quite possible. She thought, as her lips found his.

4 pm Friday

This was the one problem with two working adults; they couldn't leave until Will got off work. But he was supposed to be getting off early, he should he home at any time. JJ flew around the bedroom, making sure they had everything for a week with the mouse.

"Can I take this, Mom?" Henry came in holding up…something.

"If you want to, honey." Whatever it was it was at least small enough to fit. "But if it's something you don't want to lose you might not want to bring it with you. It might be better to leave it safely at home."

"Hum, okay." He wandered off again.

JJ smiled to herself. She had this working mom thing down to a science. Her work never, ever came home anymore. She kept it all compartmentalized as well as Emily used to, and kept her family safe from it all. I can even get beat the crap out of an Unsub, come home and be perfectly organized for Disney in under twenty-four house, she thought. Damn I'm good.

Just then they heard the back door open. "Dad!" Henry called out as he ran toward the stairs.

JJ just chuckled as he ran off. "Hey Will. Welcome home." No answer. Maybe he didn't hear her. "We're ready to go when you are." No answer. Uh oh. "Do not tell me they want you to work this week-end." Still no answer. Damn it. They must, that's why the guilty silence. "Will?"

"Mommy?" Henry called up, his voice quavering, almost too quiet.

JJ stopped in her tracks, her hackles rising. That wasn't Henry's excited voice. That was his scared voice, his too scared to scream voice. She dropped what she was doing and went to the nightstand, pulling her spare weapon out, but keeping it low as she headed down to the kitchen.