At Thanksgiving eve, Alex texted Mabel with a picture of their dinner table at home.
I don't think I'll be hungry anytime soon! How was your day? Have you've guys eaten yet?
- A
Nope, but we're about to set the dinner table so I'm counting the minutes until my hunger will be satisfied.
- M
Cool. Talk to you later. Have a great holiday, Mabel.
Oh, and I'm heading to Wilson on Saturday, but I'm guessing you're still in our neighbor state, aye?
- A
Yeah, I'm sorry, but yeah, I think I will. But you have fun! Say hi to them from me. Oh, and tell Kaitlyn I said hi.
- M
Will do.
- A
At Saturday, Alex enters the psychiatric ward, this time alone. He gets his ID badge and walks straight to the group room in the library where today's sessions going to be held. Two other volunteers are already in the group room, talking with the teenagers.
"Alex, come here!" a voice squeals and Alex locates Kaitlyn. He goes over to sit down beside her.
"Hi, how's going? Mabel said I should say hi from her."
A glimpse of triumph flashes in Kaitlyn's eyes, but it disappeared as soon as it came. She smiles shortly and nods.
"Cool. And yeah, I'm okay. I think I'm getting out within two months," she adds and swallows. "God, I'm not even sure why I'm so God damn nervous about it! I mean, I've been way too long and every day, even now as I'm better, I've been looking forward to the day when I hear I can get out. But now, now they've told me, and I just feel like I'm losing. Like losing myself or something." She groans. "Does that even make sense to you? Because it certainly doesn't make any sense to me, Alex."
Alex studies the teenager. Turning his upper body toward her to make her know that she has his full attention, he speaks up quietly.
"Well… As you said, you've been here for a long time which means you have had to adapt yourself to many things and after a while, you've gotten used to this new daily schedule – you've actually gotten comfortable. And that is good! It really is, Kaitlyn. Considering the fact that you're better now than a year ago, shows that being here is working: you are better, you have more self-confidence, you have gotten real friends in here who can somehow relate so much to you. So upon leaving, you're leaving both bad and good memories, people who love you and people you'll miss. And that's scary only the thought of it, and what's more is that you're leaving a safe place. This has been your safe heaven after you let it be, and now you have to leave it and face the real world again. A place that made you as you were before entering this ward."
Kaitlyn stares at Alex without blinking. Then, her jaw lines shows and she sniffles before standing up and heading out of the library. Alex lets her go. She probably needs some time to understand what he said and think about it.
"Alex, I need your help with that thing."
Alex looks quizzical at his aunt. What does she means?
"The proposal," she whispers instantly. He gasps in understanding. "Now, I will propose the second day of the year," she explains, "but as you know, we're both coming over to you to celebrate. So…I'd like to you to hang up some decorations and lights in the backyard while we to head up to dinner. I hope your mom will help you too, but I also want someone to record everything."
"Really?" Alex asks, impressed. "Not to be rude, Aunt Olive, but what if she says 'no' and that I will film. Would you really like that?"
"Of course not, Alex. But I know she'll say yes. We'll talk about this sometimes soon and I already got a feeling that she's willing to marry me, that we've said to each other multiple times, but no one's ever asked the other. I think Diana's scared I've changed my mind because now I try to avoid talking about that subject."
"Why?"
"Because I'm a terrible liar and if she asks too much, I won't be able to keep a neutral mask. I'll blow it all."
"Wow…okay, I get that. So yeah, sure, I'll help you. What kinds of decoration and lights do you wish for? I don't have anything else to record with than my cellphone. The same goes for mom too."
"Well…we could borrow one? Or loan one from a shop," Aunt Olive suggests.
"Ah, I don't think so, Aunt Olive. It will be too expensive to use for just one time. But I will ask around for a video camera and I'll text you later when I got one. Okay?"
"Okay. And thank you, Alex. You're the best." She hugs him before leaving him in the lobby of the hospital. He just smiles and waves after her, then he turns and heads for the doors while checking his phone.
Two new SMS's, one from his mom and one from Omar, he reads them both.
When you're done for today, take a tour into my office. And if it's after four, please, bring some food will you?
- Mom
Hey bro, what you're up to?
- O-man
Alex hits them back by texting Omar first and then calling his mom.
"Hey, mom. You okay?"
"Hey, sweetie. Yes, I am, thanks. Where are you?"
"I'm on my way to the bus stop. What shall I bring with you tonight?"
Jennifer sighs in delight. She has been so busy the last few hours hence the feeling of starvation. What would she have done without Alexander?
"Hmm… Some Chinese food sounds extremely tempting now. You've eaten?"
"Yeah, okay. I did. We had lunch there before I left."
"When was that?"
"Around noon, I think."
Alex goes on the bus and presses his bus pass on the machine until it beeps only a second later. He finds an empty seat while still talking to his mom.
"You have to eat now."
Easy and clear. No room for discussion. Alex rolls his eyes, though his mom isn't there to see it. That is probably good for his well-being.
"Okay. I'll eat with you. You're doing paperwork?"
"I am. Boring, but necessary. Oh, and Emily says hi. She wants you to come over and shoot with her sometime soon. She still holds the team's record for melee hits, you know."
"Oh, I am definitely going to take that title from her," Alex promises. "But cool, tell her I said hi too. How are my godson and goddaughter?"
"They're fine," Emily's voice suddenly supplies. Alex smiles. His mom must have had him on speaker.
"Hi, Emily," he greets her. "How are you doing?"
"I'm bored as hell in here, Alex. When you're coming to train with me? Or, should I say, when do you come to get humiliated?" Both women chuckles.
"Nice, Emily, real nice. Remember," Alex says dryly, "I'm your kids' godfather, and I have to say that the way you're treating me now, will make me a bit annoyed. And when I get annoyed, I have no problems with using my charm and my charisma to my own benefits. And you and I know that Hillary and Henry listen more to me than you when it comes to denying their parents."
"You wouldn't!" Emily shouts, half throatily and half threateningly. Alex is silent. "Okay, okay! Fine, I'm just missing you, that's all. Not because you're a horrible melee attacker, but because I love you."
When he enters the BAU's bullpen, several people turn to see who's arriving at this time. It is four-twenty-two and many are on their way home.
"Alexander, hey!" Spencer says surprised.
"Mr. Reid," Alex says back. It's a private joke between the two of them: Spencer is one of few who's always says Alex's whole first name, so Alex always calls Spencer for 'Mr. Reid' to equally annoy him. Since Spencer has several PhDs, two masters and now also a bachelor in sign language, his title is in reality Doctor, though he's an agent too. By miss-pronouncing his title, Alex gains a sour look, and then a smile from the young doctor, agent, and genius.
"You're here to see some cases?" Derek's voice comes from behind Alex. He comes up on Alex's side, putting his left hand in his pocket as the other hand is gripping tight around a thermos mug. Alex can smell the coffee.
"Always," he says instantly, sounding eagerly. He's seen some old cases or freshly solved cases up in his years, but his mom doesn't like it when he asks to see one of the files the team's solved. It has some quite graphic and brutal description and information – information that he technically isn't allowed to read.
"Dream on!" an icy and stern voice echoes through the room. Everyone freezes and stops with what they're doing. They all hear Jennifer Jareau's footsteps coming closer before stopping right behind Alex.
"Uh… I was just joking, mom," he says. Then he gets an idea. He hurries with open the paper bag, grabbing the food for his mom and holding it up to her. "I got you the food you wanted. It is Chinese, as you said you wanted." His voice tunes out. Derek coughs and silently slowly steps away from momma Jareau's vision before sprinting towards his office.
"Don't think I will not find you, Morgan!" Jennifer yells warningly after his back the same moment as the door to his office shuts close. "And you, young man," she hisses and turns her steel eyes on her son's shaking hands. "I will not hear you say that ever again. You know that what we do isn't pretty, what we have to see and hear and discover – none of that's pleasant, even though we do get the Unsub, we know that there are victims and other horrible people like the one just caught who are still out there. You will not be seeing your PS4 until next year if I hear you say something like that again. Do we understand each other?"
"Yes," Alex says fast. "We do. Totally."
"Good. Now, come one, I'm hungry and you got to eat too."
They head for her office in total silence as the life in bullpen goes back to normal. Everyone avoids Ms. Jareau eyes when she walks up the ten stairs divided into two staircases.