~~CM~~

Explaining that their flight wasn't until the next morning, Anna asked Charlie to drop them off at a hotel near the airport. Waving goodbye was bittersweet; she wondered if she would ever see him again.

In the hotel lobby, Anna spotted the two FBI agents. Derek was flirting with the young lady at the front desk as Spencer leaned against the wall, rolling his eyes at his partner.

"Spencer!" Thomas shouted as he rushed across the lobby.

The tall thin man turned, smiling, as Thomas wrapped his arms around his legs.

Nutella let out a happy bark and spun in circles around them until Spencer pet her.

"Nice to see you again," Derek told Anna, shaking her hand.

Thomas loved the hotel room, running from the mini fridge to the room safe before exploring Spencer and Derek's adjoining room. Within the first twenty minutes, he had bounced on all four beds, ordered room service, and locked his beloved shark toy in the safe.

Anna watched Thomas flit from room to room, chattering away to Spencer. Derek commandeered the large tv, flipping channels, as he fondly watched the two messy haired guys.

She didn't know what to do with herself. Unpacking was pointless since they were leaving first thing in the morning. She certainly wasn't in the right state of mind to write. She use to be able to compartmentalize all of her thoughts about Ian Doyle but now just knowing that he was about to be served with an arrest warrant made it difficult to shove those feelings down.

Ian Doyle, she thought to herself, she thought she had loved him. Maybe she had but she was sure that he never loved her or his son. Not in a true sense of the word. Perhaps it was his upbringing, or the war back in Ireland, or his choice to continue leading a life filled with violence; no matter the reason, he did not know what love was.

Her anger at him wasn't about his violent acts towards others, towards her. No, her anger was rooted in his view of his child. His son wasn't an individual in Ian's eyes but rather as an extension of himself.

Had it not been for Declan, no Thomas, she corrected herself, she would have walked away after the first time she saw the dark side of Ian.

She knew it was wrong to compare lovers but she could admit to herself that each moment with Aaron had been filled with love, tenderness, and desire. With Ian, it had been lust and a young girl's idea of romance. Aaron made her feel like she was more than arm candy, more than a sex toy, he treated her like a real person. He respected her and truly cherished her. It was a bonus that he was sexy.

"Are you okay?"

Derek's voice broke through her thoughts and she nodded, "just thinking."

He flashed her a quick smirk, "thinking of Hotch?" Her flushed cheeks provided him with the answer, "He's a good guy, you know."

Derek went on to brag about his unit chief, how he led the team and how he always had their backs. Running his large hand over his shaved head, he leaned forward, "He's been hurt. This job cost him his marriage, and then his ex, well,"

Holding up her hand to stop him, Anna said, "He told me about Haley and Foyet." Noting the surprise on Derek's face, she continued, "and I told him everything from my past. We are both walking into this relationship with open eyes."

"Good. Given both your histories, I am glad you are being honest with each other."

Smiling sadly, Anna shrugged, "there is no point in pursuing a relationship with another person if you can't be honest about where you've been and where you want to go."

~~CM~~

Thomas' quiet breathing and the hum of the air conditioner drowned out her thoughts, pulling her into an uneasy sleep. Turbulent dreams left her groggy as the alarm went off in the morning; she silenced it before it could wake up Thomas.

Debating if she could leave her son alone in the room so she could walk Nutella, her waffling ended when she heard a quiet knock on the adjoining door. Derek offered to take Nutella for a short run while the rest of them got ready.

Showering quickly, Anna dressed and woke Thomas as room service arrived with breakfast for four. Spencer stumbled into the room, half asleep and in pajamas, reaching for the coffee pot as Derek returned with a very tired but happy dog.

After breakfast, Thomas rolled the room service cart into the hallway, giggling as everyone watched him affectionately.

The group finished getting ready before packing their bags. Anna was curious as she watched Derek grab one shoe from under the bed, three different shirts from the top of the dresser, and socks from the bathroom. He stuffed everything into a duffel bag and still missed half his toiletries scattered around the hotel room.

"But he didn't even wear half those clothes," Anna commented to Spencer.

"He tried them on and changed his mind." He shrugged, "at least you don't have to spend hours on a stakeout with him. He can trash a car in under twenty minutes."

At the airport, Derek worked his magic on the ticketing desk and not only was Nutella allowed in the main cabin, they didn't have to check their luggage.

Once they were settled in their seats with extra legroom, Spencer handed Thomas a shark encyclopedia from his messenger bag. Anna smiled at Spencer's thoughtfulness but began to regret ever meeting Spencer as Thomas recounted shark facts for the entirety of the flight to the east coast. A dull headache pounded behind her eyes as Derek asked Thomas questions and dubbing him with a new nickname every twenty minutes. Thomas glowed as he was called The Shark Doctor, Mini-Spencer, Spencer Jr., and Kid Junior.

As the plane began to descend, Anna took a deep breath and held it for several seconds. As she breathed out, she nodded her head and gave herself an internal pep talk, 'This is it! Time to face your past and claim your future. You will be Emily Prentiss again!'

~~CM~~

A/N: Originally when I wrote this story, I was going to have them go on an epic road trip or to some amusement parks but I realized the government wouldn't find it amusing to spend federal funds on a vacation… so alas we have a somewhat boring trip.