"Hello?" I breathed reluctantly into the receiver of my cell phone. I hadn't wanted to answer the call.

"Huntah? Is this a bad time, honey?" Marcia's voice wavered on the other side.

"No," I gulped, hoping her news wasn't what I thought it was going to be. "No, I'm just doing a report. Is everything okay?"

"Ted, um… It was his time…"

I sighed, rubbing at my temple. "I'm so sorry, Marcia."

"He went in his sleep. We had the kids come ovah and say their goodbyes this week. I, um, I hope you don't mind, but I spoke for you."

"No, of course I don't mind. Thank you," I said, noticing Morgan looking over at me from his desk. "When is the service?"

"Day after tomorrow. Saturday. I've already talked to your parents about when and where. Will you be able to make it? I know you're awful busy."

"I'll be there," I assured her.

"That's good to hear, honey. That's real good to hear. Ted would like that."

I smiled. "I'll see you in a couple days, then."

"I'll see you, dahlin'."

I hung up and felt a lump form in my throat. Emily, Morgan, and Reid had all been listening. I took a deep breath.

"Everything okay?" Reid asked.

"Yeah," I nodded. "A family friend just passed away."

"I'm sorry," Emily frowned empathetically.

"My condolences to the family," Morgan bowed his head.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to call," Emily said.

"Thank you," I attempted a smile.

"You going back to Boston, then?" Morgan asked.

"As soon as possible," I gulped, looking up plane tickets on my computer. Once I'd booked a flight, I stood from my desk, feeling Emily's mournful eyes on my back as I walked up the stairs to approach Hotch's office. I took another deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Come in," Hotch called.

I opened the door and saw him looking at a case file. "Hi, sorry to bother you. Um, I need to request some time off."

"Starting when?" he asked, not looking up.

"My flight leaves in four hours."

His eyes finally raised up from below his dark brows.

"I'm so sorry for the last minute notice, but Ted Holmsby just died," I added quickly. Hotch's face softened ever-so slightly. "I told Marcia that I'd be there for the funeral. I'll only be gone for a couple days, I promise."

"Stay as long as you need to," Hotch said quietly.

"Thank you," I whispered, feeling a tear brim in my eye. I wasn't sure if it was because of Ted's death or because of how touchingly nice Hotch was being. It was probably both, to be honest.

I stepped out of the office and looked down towards Rossi's, but the door was closed. I suddenly felt compelled to tell him I was leaving and why. I slowly walked along the hallway, glancing through the window shades as I went by. He was talking on his phone to someone who was making him smile. I felt a twinge of jealously in my stomach, even though he was probably just talking to an old buddy or something. I gulped and walked down the stairs.

I pulled into the driveway of my parents' house in Lexington that night. Getting out of my rental car, I took my go-bag and rang the doorbell. They'd tried to call me when I was on the plane, leaving me a message to find out when to pick me up from the airport. But instead of calling them back, I'd decided to surprise them.

The front door opened and I saw my mother. Her green eyes were wide, her gray hair tied in a braid over her shoulder. I hoped that I'd be as beautiful as her when I was sixty.

"Hunter," she breathed, pulling me into her arms. "We were afraid we wouldn't be able to get a hold of you."

"Sorry, I didn't want to inconvenience you," I told her.

"Andrew!" my mother called over her shoulder once she let me go. She held the door open and let me in. "Look who's here!"

"Do my eyes deceive me?" grinned my tall father as he poked his head out of the kitchen.

"Hi, Dad," I put my bag down and headed towards him.

"Do they feed you people down in Quantico?" he asked while he enveloped me in his arms. I rested my head against his chest. "She's skin and bones, isn't she, Liz?"

"We can solve that problem," Mom folded her arms across her chest. "Have you eaten yet? Your father was just about to whip up some chicken parmesan."

"I'd love some," I smiled, my arms still around my father.

"Why don't we go put your stuff up in your room? I'll get you some new sheets and we can make your bed while we wait, okay?" Mom grabbed my go-bag.

I squeezed Dad one more time and followed her up the stairs. I took in all of the details of my childhood home as I walked through the house. It was just as it had been the last time I'd come to Lexington. Of course, that was Christmastime, and it was only early April now.

"Got any big plans for your birthday coming up?" Mom asked, opening the door to my old bedroom, turning the light on.

"Um…" I looked up at the ceiling, trying to think about what I was doing. Then I realized that my twenty-ninth birthday was shortly before Owen Kim's visit. "No, nothing really. I'll probably just get dinner with the girls on the team."

"What about the hunky one?" Mom winked.

"Who, Morgan?" I furrowed my brow. "Sure, if he wants to come along. We're friends."

"Just friends?"

"Oh my God, Mom, stop," I snickered as we set about stripping the queen-sized bed. "Even if inter-unit fraternization were allowed—"

I had turned around and saw something that made me sweat like a pregnant nun. There, displayed on my bedside table, was the framed picture of an early forties David Rossi I'd had in my college dorm.

"Oh, I found that in your closet when I was cleaning a few weeks ago," Mom elbowed me as she came up beside me. "He's quite a looker, isn't he?"

My mouth went dry.

"He was one of your 'boyfriends', wasn't he?"

"What?" I chirped.

"You know, one of those famous people you used to pretend you weren't in love with?" she smirked.

You have no idea, Mom, I thought.

"He was the FBI agent you looked up to, right?"

"Um, yeah, he was," I said nervously. "D-Did I tell you that he actually came back to the Bureau?"

"No, you didn't. You never call me enough. You know I worry about you, Hunter."

"Sorry," I said sheepishly.

"So, he's back? You ever see him around the office?"

"He's on my team."

"So, that's why you haven't gone after the hunky one. I see," Mom winked again. She clapped my shoulder and started to walk away. "I'll go get you some new sheets."

As soon as she left, I found another framed picture, only this one was hung on the wall. There were two girls: One with long blonde curls, the other with brown hair. They had their arms around each other and they were frozen in the midst of a shared laugh. Three months later, one of those girls would be murdered. Thirteen years later, one of them would never be able to forget it.

"So, how's Jamie doing?" I asked, sipping from the glass of wine my father had poured for me.

"He's good. He's only got one more year at Tufts," Mom nodded, leaning back from her almost empty plate. "I think he's got a secret girlfriend he won't tell us about. He came over a few weeks ago and kept getting up to call someone."

"As if he doesn't know you have the nosiest mother in the Boston area," Dad bounced his eyebrows.

"I'm allowed to know the goings-on of my children, especially when they occur in my house," Mom threw a hand up in the air.

I chuckled, crossing my legs. "And Mike's restaurant is doing well?"

"Flourishing," Mom said.

"Rick hasn't killed any students yet?"

"Only because he knows you would catch him in a heartbeat."

"And Eddie?"

"Did you hear about, uh, Bridget?" Dad said quietly, as if my oldest brother were eavesdropping from the other room.

"No, what happened?" I asked. Bridget was my sister-in-law. I liked her a lot, but I had a sinking feeling she did something that I wouldn't be able to forgive.

"She had an affair. They're trying to work it out, but I don't think it's going to end well," Mom hummed.

"Why am I always the last to find out about these things?" I furrowed my brow.

"You're so far away, honey," Mom covered my hand on the table. "And you're so busy. It's hard to tie you down."

"Eddie's coming tomorrow anyway, so maybe you'll be able to talk to him then," Dad added. "He'll probably give you more details than us."

"He's coming?" I raised my brow.

"All of your brothers are coming to pay their respects to Ted," Mom said, her eyes glassy. My heart felt warm at that.

"You and Eddie are staying over since you're the only ones who left the state," Dad explained.

"We all owe Ted and Marcia so much," Mom shook her head, squeezing my hand.

"I know," I nodded. My chest felt heavy. A tear brimmed in my eye. I glanced over at my father, who was smiling at me.

"We're so glad you're here, Hunter," he said.

I could sense that phrase had two meanings: Glad I was here at their house, but also glad I was still alive. And that was all thanks to the Holmsbys.

A lot of people turned up at Ted's funeral. Family members, friends, Ted and Marcia's long-lost acquaintances from school. Their children, all around my brother Eddie's age, were given roses by their mother. Marcia was fumbling around the cemetery, wringing her weathered hands together, another rose tucked under her arm. She seemed to be looking around for something before the service started, tears in her eyes.

"Where's Jamie?" Mom asked, distracting me.

I turned around, staring at the wall of suited McCarthy men behind us. Eddie, Rick, and Mike were all as tall as my father, whereas Jamie and I were shorter, like my mother.

"Mike, where's your brother?" Mom snapped her head towards my thirty-one year-old brother.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" Mike held his arms in a W-shape. His long, sleek brown hair was tied back behind his head.

"Does anyone know?" Mom muttered. "He said he was going to be here."

"He's probably busy with school," I told her, grabbing her hand.

"Huntah, theyah you ah."

I looked around and saw Marcia hurrying over to me. I held my arms open, hugging her when she got close enough.

"I was lookin'… I was afraid you weren't…"

"I told you I'd be here," I reminded her as she wiped away a tear.

"You look so beautiful," she eyed the black, lacy, long-sleeved cocktail dress I'd donned that morning. "And your hair. So beautiful." She reached up and tenderly stroked the waves I'd worked hard to create that morning.

"How are you doing, Marcia?" I asked softly.

"I'm good, honey. This is a good turn-out," she said quickly, glancing at my three older brothers. "It's what he wanted. The sun is shining, weathah's good…and you're he-ah." Marcia gulped and took the rose from under her arm. "For you."

I took the de-thorned flower, feeling the tears prick at my eye. "Thank you."

"He always thought a' you as one a' his daughtahs. We both did," she mumbled.

"Thank you," I repeated, unsure of what else to say.

"Thank you all for coming, McCahthys," Marcia nodded at my family.

She started talking to my mother, but I chose not to eavesdrop. I felt a big hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw that it belonged to Eddie, my thirty-nine year-old brother. His flight from Maine had been delayed, so he didn't get in until late the night before. I didn't get to say much other than, "Hello," before he went straight to bed. He had looked tired. Tired and sad.

I stepped back so I could be between him and Rick. I put my arms around their waists. Rick, who was thirty-five, tugged on a strand of my hair. Of all my brothers, he was the one I was the least close with growing up, even though Eddie was almost exactly ten years older than me. As we matured, though, Rick and I started talking more. And when he got married and had kids, he opened up to me completely.

By the time the service began, Jamie was still MIA. I gulped, hoping he would show up. Being the two youngest, Jamie and I spent a lot of time together growing up. He was four years younger than me, but we were very close. I wanted to see him.

Watching Ted and Marcia's two daughters and one son speak about their father was absolutely heartbreaking. My mother had handed me a packet of tissues, and believe me, I needed it once Marcia stood up to talk.

"He was so proud a' our kids. The happiest fathah you evah did see," she'd said, glancing back at me.

I started bawling, holding the rose she'd given to me close to my chest. I felt someone pull me into their arms. He felt too short to be any of my older brothers or my father. I turned my head and saw Jamie cradling me to his body.

He held me in his arms until it was time for me to put my rose on the coffin. Most of the guests stared at me, wondering who I was and why I had been given the flower. But I ignored them, murmuring both a thank-you and a goodbye to Ted.

"What do you want? I'm buying?"

"Eddie, no."

"I'll have a large, hot coffee, black. My little sister will have a—"

"Come on, Eddie."

"—medium, iced coffee, with a bunch of cream and sugar. That right?" he smirked down at me.

"Yeah," I sighed. I dug through my wallet as Eddie paid the cashier at the small café in Boston. I handed him some bills, but he wouldn't take them.

"I'm allergic to your Virginia money," he said. "Go find us a table."

I sighed, tucking the money back in my clutch wallet before taking a seat at a small table for two. The café was no Dunkin' Donuts, but for once I felt overdressed. Eddie and I were still clad in our funeral garb. After the service, Jamie had to run back to school, Rick had to go home because one of his kids was running a fever, and Mike had to leave for some undisclosed reason. My mother protested when Eddie asked me to get coffee with him, just the two of us, but my father reminded her that we'd be back home for dinner, and the McCarthy clan split up.

"Here you go," Eddie sat across from me, handing me my iced coffee.

"Thanks, Edwin," I smirked.

He shook his head. He always acted like he hated it when I called him that, but I knew he loved it. "How's the, uh, Federal Bureau of Investigation?"

"I'd tell you, but it's classified," I winked. "How's the Pine Tree State?"

"Muddy," he bounced his eyebrows.

"And the kids?"

"They're adolescents. How do you think they are?"

"…And Bridget?"

Eddie sighed. I could see the wrinkles on his face. They looked more defined than they did at Christmas. "How much do you know?"

"I just heard that she cheated. Mom said you guys were trying to work it out…" I trailed off. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"It's fine," he shrugged, but his demeanor told me he was feeling otherwise. "He was a co-worker. She said it only happened for a month, but I don't know just how true that is. We've been separated since she came clean. I'm filing for divorce as soon as I get back home."

"How much do Kristen and Jake know?" I sipped on my coffee.

"They just think I'm an asshole. But as much as I fucking hate Bridget right now, she's their mother. Even though she didn't love me enough to stay faithful, she loves those kids more than anything in the world. I won't turn them against her."

"You're an all right guy, Eddie Mac," I raised my cup to him in salute.

He bounced his eyebrows again. "So, can you tell me anything about the last case you went on, or is that classified?"

"Oh, just your run-of-the-mill angel of death, prowling support groups and forcing people to commit suicide. You know, the usual," I said as the bell at the front door jingled. I didn't mind changing the subject at all. I could tell the situation between Eddie and his wife was wearing down on him.

"Your life must be so boring," Eddie grinned.

"McCarthy?"

We both turned towards the voice. My face heated up when I saw who was coming towards our table.

"Hi, Rossi," I gave him an awkward wave, not unlike the one I gave him when I'd officially met him several months ago.

"You know her, Dave?" asked the beautiful woman behind him. I hadn't noticed her at first. She was around his age with long, caramel-colored hair. I started to feel my heart sink.

"Oh, yes, Carolyn, this is one of my teammates, Hunter McCarthy. Hunter, this is Carolyn—"

"The friendly ex-wife," she smiled down at me. I appreciated that she was unperturbed by my name.

"Number one," Rossi sighed. His eyes traveled to my table mate. I thought I might have seen his Adam's apple bob in his throat.

"Nice to meet you," I said, feeling relieved for God knows what reason. "Um, Rossi, this is my brother, Ed—"

"The other Agent McCarthy," Eddie smirked, reaching up to shake Rossi's hand. I rolled my eyes. He loved using that line whenever he met one of my teammates.

"Eddie the realtor, right?" Rossi smiled. "I've heard about you."

"Horrible things, I'm sure," Eddie glanced at me. "Are you the David Rossi I've been subjected to hearing about all my life?"

My eyes widened and I rubbed at my neck. I could feel Rossi's looking at me, but I refused to look back at him.

"I must be," he said with a chuckle.

"It's nice to put a body to the book jacket covers," Eddie kicked me under the table.

"What brings you guys to Boston?" I asked, finally looking up.

"Oh, we catch up with each other every few years," Carolyn told me. "I live in San Francisco, but my heart remains on the East Coast. Dave agreed to come up and say hi."

"I, uh, suppose your trip hasn't exactly been for pleasure," Rossi said, gesturing to my black dress.

"Oh, Hotch didn't tell you?" I asked.

"He just said you went home. I didn't want to pry."

"Um, Ted died," I gulped.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Carolyn frowned.

"Sorry to hear that," Rossi reached down briefly and squeezed my shoulder.

"Thanks," I nodded at them. "I hope you guys are having a good weekend."

"So far so good," Carolyn smiled, then looked back at her ex-husband. "But I think we need some caffeine."

"Don't let us stop you," Eddie flashed his pearly whites.

"It was very nice to meet you two. Have a good one," Carolyn stepped over towards the counter, but Rossi lingered.

"I'll see you later," he squeezed my shoulder one more time, then extended his hand to Eddie. "Good to meet you, Agent."

"Take care," Eddie beamed. His eyes followed Rossi's retreating figure. "He's now become my favorite of your co-workers."

"I've never seen anyone acknowledge that stupid joke before. You look so happy," I chuckled.

"I resent that statement. That joke is gold and you know it," Eddie narrowed his eyes at me. It was remarkable how a decade divided us, but he and I had the same sense of humor.

"Fool's gold," I said under my breath, glancing up at the ceiling.

"So, um, he knows about…Ted?" Eddie took a deep breath.

"Yeah," I sighed. "We had a case that kinda…reminded me a lot of that…incident. I had a minor meltdown and he sought me out and…listened."

"Do you think he thought I was your boyfriend?" Eddie asked.

"Huh?"

"Rossi, just now. He was kinda giving me a weird look until you said I was your brother. I think he thought we were on a date."

I grimaced. "Ew."

"He looked kinda jealous for a second there. Do you guys have a thing going on?" Eddie cocked a brow.

"He's on my team. Even if he wanted to have a thing, we couldn't," I gulped.

"Yeah, I'm sure a guy like that really cares about fraternizing rules."

"Don't even go there, man." Don't get my hopes up.

"And maybe if you'd stop acting like a twelve year-old schoolgirl with a crush on her teacher around him, he'd ask you out."

"First of all, I don't know what you're talking about. Second: there's no way he's remotely into me," I said.

"Au contraire," Eddie wagged a finger. It was hard to believe he was pushing forty, the way he acted sometimes. "He was giving you The Look—so much so that I almost had to beat him up, as per my older-brotherly duty."

"I'd pay to see you try and beat someone up," I snorted.

"How old is he?" Eddie asked.

"Almost fifty-three," I said sheepishly.

"Really?" Eddie raised his eyebrows. "Okay."

"You think it's weird."

"No, I get it.

"Don't look now, but he's staring at you," he said quietly.

I started to feel warm and fuzzy inside. I tightened my hold on myself, hoping my face wasn't too red.

"You really like him, don't you?" Eddie scrutinized me.

"I dunno. I really hate you, though, that's for sure," I mumbled, looking away.

"Love you too, baby sister."