I know I said I was going to end it but when I gave it some thought. I decided to continue on with this story but this will take place from Season 12 going forward. There has also been a three month time leap.

Chapter 21- Unsteady

"Look, son–"

"I'm not your son."

The doctor, he mentioned his name earlier except Alex can't remember it now, his eyes flash. If Alex cared he'd be a little amused by the fact that he struck a nerve. Somehow the doctor…Alex glances at his chest, Dr. Tilden, takes a deep breath before calmly declaring. "You need to calm down."

"Calm down? You want me to calm down when no one's telling me dick about my sister? Fuck you." Alex has the sudden urge to begin smoking. His mother used to smoke. She always got this relaxed look on her face when she took a drag of that cig, like she had been waiting to light up all day. And in doing so, gave her a sense of freedom; at the time, Alex had been curious about his mother. Growing up, she was constantly around him yet weirdly enough she seemed far away. Dad didn't like it when mom smoked and made her quit. Sometimes dad pumped him for information about whether mom was being honest or not, one time when Alex was seven, he told him the truth and mom barely spoke to him for a week. That was when Alex learned to pretend not to see anything when all he did was observe to decipher between what he could and couldn't say.

A hand clamps down on his shoulder, not roughly, more like a resting stop. He looks up to see Agent Reid with an unreadable expression creasing his forehead. If this makes any sense, he looks older somehow. Alex had never thought of Agent Reid being old before this moment. He seems more world-weary, like there's a storm brewing in his head that he can't control.

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked, surprised.

"I'm here to make sure nothing bad happens to you." Reid inwardly cringes a second after saying that idiotic statement. Alex squints up at him feeling a throbbing pain in his shoulder. He means to say nothing else, but he means well. Spencer's gaze falls downward. "I uh I heard about Sophia. I am so sorry. We'll find your father and whoever helped him." The moment he looks back up is when Reid realizes that Alex is only just learning about Sophia's death. That would explain why Dr. Tilden came in here and why the good doctor currently looks slightly relieved.

"Sophia…S-S-Sophia's…but I made sure to keep my hands over the blood." Alex said trying to rub his head only to find his good arm is trapped in a sling. He uses his other hand, but it feels different. The itch is still there and he needs his right arm to get rid of it. "There was a lot of blood, but I kept a shit ton of it in. What'd I do wrong?"

This time, Dr. Tilden does speak. "You didn't do anything wrong Alexander. Sophia's body couldn't handle the…it's like this, her body went into a state of shock and she died on the way here. We did everything we could to…" Alex stops listening after that. He tunes Tilden out and rubs the wound in his shoulder. He'll have an interesting scar they say, they being the nurses. That's their way of trying to cheer him up since girls like guys with scars, but not the kind of chicks Alex is into. After a second or two, he presses on it lightly and his eyes widen. This may sound crazy, but feeling that reminded Alex he's alive. It reminded him he wasn't dreaming. And right now, he doesn't really know if that's a good thing or bad thing.

"Hey, don't do that. You'll cause an internal bleed that could result in surgery." Spencer ordered holding the boy's palm and much to his surprise, Alex doesn't try to yank his away. He just sits there, frozen. Like, there's nothing left to keep him alive anymore. Of course he has Nicholas and Jacob, but Reid doubts he was as close with them. The twins are almost three. Sophia was the only reminder of a childhood Alex remembers enjoying and with her dying, his childhood perishes with her.

Callie's eyes flutter open. The silhouette of her mother standing above her bed is almost haunting. The hum of machines beeping has Callie flashing back to when she was small and basically lived in a hospital. Her then social worker, Simon Lundy, had been handsome. He was kind too. But, who isn't nice to a sick toddler? Whenever Simon visited which was often, he brought candies too and his own daughter's discarded coloring books – ones he felt she would not miss. Before Callie knows it, JJ catches her staring and goes over to her.

"Please don't be mad."

Tears shove against the walls of JJ's eyes, but she holds them back. She has to. After Ross died, Sandy cried almost every day and at the time, eleven year old JJ had been scared. Her mother was considered the family rock. Every Jareau child was raised with a healthy fear of mom whereas dad was the light touch. So it shook JJ's world when she witnessed her mother sobbing uncontrollably. JJ takes Callie's face in her hands feeling enraged and relieved all at once. "Oh baby, I'm – I'm just glad you're okay." Her daughter relaxes leaning into her touch. "Anyway, I'm too worried to be mad. I can be mad and lecture you later."

"I'm sorry, momma." Callie whispered unknowingly using that word for the first time.

"I know you are."

"You're up." A voice boomed, surprised. He'd been expecting Callie to stay unconscious for at least one more day, but here she is, awake. She'd only been unconscious for a day. That's good. That means she's strong. Dr. Fletcher walks in with four interns following. "I'm Dr. Russell Fletcher, the cardiothoracic specialist around here. You've been unconscious for almost two days." He pauses letting that resonate before introducing the rest of his staff, Callie doesn't pay them much mind. Dr. Fletcher goes on to explain how she had a mild heart attack as a result from undue stress and more specifically failing to take her heart meds. JJ has an urge to smack her kid when she hear Callie nonchalantly state that she forgot. "We'll start her on a more aggressive form on medication for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy." Dr. Fletcher stated as JJ nods wordlessly. "Oh and I'm told by her father that Callie is a vegetarian."

JJ's brow furrows. "Yes, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, people with HCM need a more structured diet. They need a healthy diet which I'm sure you supply for her, but reintroducing meat like fish or chicken would serve to help in the long run." Dr. Fletcher explained keeping his eyes on the real person in charge, Callie's mother.

"Hold up, don't I get a say in this?" Callie demanded. "What if I don't wanna eat Bambi?"

"That's not up to you." JJ clipped ignoring the look Dr. Fletcher tosses their way. The mother can tell he thinks she's saying the wrong thing, but this is her daughter. He didn't get a call from the police saying her kid had been in the hospital after witnessing a shooting. Luckily, Callie didn't see Frank turn the gun on his family but still. She and Will couldn't even think straight so Garcia drove them to the hospital where Callie was hooked up to machines. Imagine for a minute seeing your little girl being kept alive by machines. She looked so small, Will stayed by her side all night. The only reason he left was because Henry had been asking or rather demanding for one of them.

The teenager glares silently and crosses her arms before frowning in thought. She blinks up at JJ as she suddenly recalls the reason she's here right now. "Hey wait, where are Alex and Sophia?" They came in with her. Or at least Callie thinks they did. JJ half considers scolding her daughter for swearing, but Callie looks so disheartened. "Where are they? Are they okay?"

Dr. Fletcher shares an awkward look with his staff. "I'll uh give you two a minute." He vanishes out of the room with his staff following close behind.

"No," Callie shakes her head. She may not be a profiler, but she's no idiot. "Mom, no! Tell me they're okay. Please, you hafta tell me they're okay. I-I did my best to help a-and they can't be dead."

"Calm down, sweets. Don't get so worked up." JJ isn't sure how to tell Callie this. The mother in her wants to shield Callie from all the bad things in the world, but she deserves the truth. JJ waits until Callie is calm before reluctantly deciding to continue. "Alex is okay, but Sophia didn't make it." Callie's head collapses into the pillow and she closes her eyes. Sophia was just a kid. "Hey, baby, none of what happened is your or Alex's fault okay?" JJ gives her daughter a tight hug letting Callie decide when it's over. The teenager stares off into space with that Jareau squint flickering. JJ sends Will a quick text all while watching her kid. He replies in a matter of seconds. Hopefully, this will cheer Callie up or give her something to look forward to. "Oh hey, I just texted your dad and he's coming with Henry and Mike. He wants to know if it's okay to bring them. They all really want to see you."

Callie rubs her eyes, shoving her fingers in deep. She doesn't want to cry. If she pushes the tears in far enough then maybe she won't. "Yeah sure…but can I see Alex first? I have to know he's okay." Even though, Callie knows Alex is anything but. In all honesty, Callie isn't sure he ever will be.

Three Months Later

Grief is a series of forgetting and remembering. It comes in waves, you can feel happy one minute and forget that everything isn't a complete shit storm then all of a sudden; you remember. You remember how they crinkled their nose when they laughed or how they liked their macaroni with bacon bits. Then a wave of grief crashes against you rocking you to the core, making you feel grief and guilt in one swoop. It leaves a twisted bitterness in your gut, like when you tell your parents a lie for the first time.

Only, this is different.

Fibbing about getting a note sent home is one thing, but forgetting your sister died is another. To be fair, Alex can never forget. But, he has brief slivers of happiness. Like, when Jack burps the alphabet during breakfast. He laughs. And then he hates himself for laughing at all. Sophia was everything to him. She was his real sister, it isn't that Nicholas and Jacob aren't his brothers; they are. But, he and Sophia came from the same stock. Sometimes when Alex looked at her, he could remember their mom again. The mom that abandoned them to find anything better, Alex abruptly wonders if anyone told her. He doesn't know how they'd reach her, but Victoria has a right to know.

"What's with your face? Are you constipated?" Callie's half-teasing, half-worried voice brings Alex out of his trance. He should've heard her coming from across the room. Since the incident, Callie's had a heart monitor strapped to her waist. It makes this light, practically inaudible to beeping sound. Callie hates it. She liked being able to tiptoe into a room without being heard; it was a practice she refined in years of foster care and now she's reduced to being heard. Well, heard by people with very good hearing. And her entire family has especially amazing ears. In Alex and pretty much everyone's opinion, the device looks more like a PSP or Gameboy than what he pictured a heart monitor.

"Screw you." Alex quipped. There's a hint of blue beneath his eyes. He hasn't been sleeping. How can he when all he sees is Sophia's soft hazel eyes looking at him? No, staying awake and avoiding his dick subconscious makes more sense. The brunette understands what happened wasn't his fault, but understanding and believing are two very different animals. His eyes meet Callie's. She's waiting. "I was thinking of finding my mom."

Callie smirked. She's done something like that before. "Do you need any help?" At Alex's look, Callie folds her arms over her chest. His time with her family has taught him, it's best to work in fewer numbers to avoid getting into trouble. Not that any of her relatives would punish him, he's staying partially with Spencer Reid and partially with Aaron Hotchner; neither has tried to assert their dad-ness yet. "What? I know a thing about finding parents."

"It was just a thought." Alex swallows. He leans against the wall. His good arm is in a sling. Spencer's way of making him feel better about it is to tell him how rare it is to learn how to be ambidextrous at a later age increases life longevity. But, Alex doesn't care so much about living a long life anymore except he can't tell Agent Reid that without hurting his feelings. "Hey, wait, aren't you supposed to be resting?" He's trying hard to distract Callie now and hopefully it works.

Her grin sours into a glare. "I swear if someone tells me to rest one more time I'll…" she trailed off, uneasy with the heart monitor on. They, being Dr. Fletcher, said what happened was a mini heart attack brought on by a panic attack from extreme stress and forgetting to take her pill. Callie is now on a stronger dose of heart meds, she's required to wear the monitor for another week and has to eat more protein-based foods. Because, Dr. Fletcher isn't certain taking her heart meds and the protein pills wasn't the direct cause of the heart riot. "I got released like two months ago and everyone thinks I'm made of glass, but I'm fucking fine so just shut up about me resting. I'm so done with resting okay?" Callie snapped without meaning to.

"Are you on your period or something?" Alex commented, his eyes twinkling in the same way they did before this mess imploded. Callie watches him a moment longer than she should. There are rare moments, like this one, where Alex is the guy he was before. And then, just like that, he changes back into the ghost. His thoughts trace back to Victoria. "I feel like she ought to know, my uh Victoria I mean, Sophia was her kid. Agent Reid said they're trying to find her, but I think…I should be the one to tell her. Don't you think?"

"Yeah," Callie sees where he's coming from. He thinks that finding Victoria will help him. And maybe it will, finding JJ helped her. Except JJ didn't get lost on purpose. "I'll help you. Whatever you need me to do; I'll do it."

"You're just being nice because my sister's dead." The way he says that so callously sheds a light on how empty Alex feels. He looks just as stunned with himself for having said that. He blinks at her appearing almost afraid, of what Callie isn't sure. "I'm sorry." Alex said licking his lips. He doesn't know where that came from.

Worry burns bright red on her cheeks. "You have nothing to be sorry for." By the grimace that wasn't the right thing to say, so Callie decides to add. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure there are laws against slapping cripples." The normalcy returns leaving Alex grateful Callie isn't giving him a pass. There have been so many fucking people who've given him a pass about shit lately that it's starting to get to him. But, he also gets pissed off when people don't give him a pass either. Right now, Callie's catching him at a favorable time – when he's ambivalent.

Alex looks up at the ceiling a moment longer than usual. There's something that's been nagging at him since the funeral. Frank was never religious and as far as he knows Victoria was allergic to church. So when, the priest at Sophia's service said she's with angels. That stuck with him. Alex hopes she's someplace better than what their life was. They used to pretend it wasn't so crappy, but that game is only fun when you have enough swiped candies to believe it is. His gaze falls onto a concerned looking Callie. Out of all their friends, she's the only one who hasn't given him the pity face. Their teachers did it too. By the last day of school, Alex thought about skipping just to avoid looking at everyone. He didn't. But, he really thought about it.

Right now, her face is a cross between trying to read him and being worried when she can't. Alex is getting used to gauging when people are trying to read what he's not saying. Agent Hotchner and Agent Reid are nice guys, but Alex can't stand it when they try to profile him. Callie's told him to grow his hair out because eyes are their strongest targets. She's trying to look into his right now but Alex took her advice.

His brown hair flops against the fronts of his deep green eyes. "So uh do you believe in uh Heaven? I know you don't believe in God, but Heaven's different." Before Callie has a chance to respond; Alex answers himself first. "I want to, but its bullshit. It's like something people say to make themselves feel better and I don't want to feel better." That's a lie. He does, but not like that. "I want to know she's okay and I can't so…so I just – I wish I did believe in Heaven, but I don't."

Callie is honestly at a loss. She doesn't know everything about God or the Bible. The Dalton's tried to force religion down her, Tasha, and Bug's throats but they each rebelled in their own way. Not in front of them of course; Tasha listened to music during religious education while acting like she was paying attention, Bug read books in his Bible during church, and Callie made up stories about the characters. The blonde girl gives Alex a minute before jogging to catch up with him. There's a comfortable silence that forms among the teens. The kind of stillness that takes years to be born, but Alex and Callie are bonded for life.

"Maybe feeling pain is better than feeling nothing at all. Cause with pain you know it'll fade and then maybe you'll be able to feel something else instead." Callie offered her piece. Alex considers this. She could be right. The silence lasts another moment before the blonde breaks it. "When are Jake and Nicky coming back again?" Since Sophia's death, they'd been with their maternal grandparents; Ellen and Mark Jacobs. But, that's all about to change. According to Ellen, Mark's been forgetting more and according to Mark, Ellen's arthritis has acted up again. In a sense, they're relinquishing the rights of their only kin into the FBI's capable care.

"Tomorrow, I think they'll stay with Agent Hotchner." Alex can see them staying with Agent Hotchner, but he has a kid too so that could complicate things. "I'm gonna crash with Agent Reid." Staying with Spencer is fine with the teenager; he has a huge ass collection of books Alex is attempting to get through and Reid never looks at him weird.

"Who told you that?" Personally, Callie hadn't thought much about where Alex would be staying. She was under the impression all three of the Karvelle brothers would be together.

"Nobody, but can you imagine Agent Reid with my brothers?" It is a funny thing to imagine, they're both at the age where they're way too busy for their own good. Jake tends to get into more than Nicky, but the pair of them happens to be partners in crime. Alex smirks at her expression and starts on his way out the back door.

Callie questioned. "Where're you going?"

"Out," Alex responded carefully. All he wants is to be able to breathe and he can't do that with people tracking his every move. Hell, he can't do that with even Callie hanging around. Right now all Alexander Paul Karvelle wants is to visit his sister and be there without anyone watching him. That can't be too much to ask. And yet, Alex turns to her with a strange almost desperate expression. "You wanna come?" It's like sharing the experience of trauma has allowed them to form a familial bond of sorts. Callie is the only one who went through everything he did; she's the only one who gets it.

"Uncle Aaron isn't going to let you leave." His friend is quick to follow after him. Callie runs a hand through her curls, her parents would kill her if she left but it's not like she has a choice. Alex needs her. "Your dad is still…well you know how my family is."

Alex crosses his arms. "I do know how your family is, but that's not what you were gonna say. You were gonna say that since my dad's still missing your parents think once I'm alone; he's gonna finish the job. But, the thing is; if he ever tries, I'll kill him first." There it is again, the flare of his temper rising deep in his chest. This time, however, Alex doesn't blink. He holds it back gauging to see whether Callie will say anything.

"Alex, you don't mean that."

"Yeah, I do. He killed them." Jade had died that night too. She, Sophia, and Callie presumes what was left of Alex's childhood. "He killed Sophia." Alex's voice is brimming with vengeance. So, Callie decides not to mention how Frank was under another guy's voodoo. Frank Karvelle killed Sophia yes but he wasn't himself. Alex seems to be forgetting that part or choosing to forget. "I left a note so I should be fine." Alex said as Callie shoots him a look, that won't fly. He huffs. "Look, Agent Hotchner probably doesn't even care. I'm not his kid. I'm just part of his paycheck. He didn't notice those other times I slipped out."

In this family, they appear at the perfect time. "What other times Alexander?" Aaron demanded wishing he had taken Garcia up on her offer to put trackers in their phones. Maybe Reid will decide that's what is best, although he sincerely doubts it.

"That's just a saying we kids say, Uncle Aaron." Callie lied as Alex raises his eyebrows as though he wants to hear her explanation as well. She glares at him. "You know; those times I went shopping o uh those times I…" Hotch's face tells Callie he isn't buying what she's trying to sell. "I decided to stop talking."

"Good plan, sweets." JJ smiles at her daughter and then adds. "I've been looking for you, you know."

"Yeah and I've been avoiding you." The teenager answered a little too sassily for her father's liking.

Will nudges her lightly yet warningly. "Hey, don't talk like that to your momma."

"If you want, I could have Garcia keep tabs on her whereabouts." Aaron said as Will and JJ exchange looks not even considering it but wanting to instill a sense of fear. Neither had the heart to ground her after what happened that night. They figured she'd gone through enough and didn't need to put an overemphasis on it. On his part, Reid understands why Alex felt the need to wander off. No one has let Alex be alone and that had likely irked the grieving boy. Not to mention, having to leave his home to move into two homes with people he hardly knows.

"I'm pretty sure that's illegal, Uncle Aaron." Callie shakes her head shuddering dramatically.

JJ gently steers the fifteen year old over. "How're you feeling?" She presses her palm against Callie's forehead, gauging her temperature. The smaller blonde doesn't feel warm. Then again, she didn't look any worse for wear the day she forgot to take her pills either.

"I'm fine," Callie pushes her mom's hand away and takes a step back. "I just hate this thing." She points to the piece, hidden by her shirt. The monitor itself is a small machine with two wires covered by plastic rubber attached to her chest. The end pieces stick sort of like stickers, but with a stronger stick to them. Dr. Fletcher promised them that it would never cause any discomfort unless someone played with it.

"That thing is important, so don't play with it." Her father ordered in his firm voice.

The constant beeps, though, are setting Callie's teeth on edge. She isn't sure why. That Gameboy-like machine is the one thing that tells her she's still alive. That her heart is still working as it should. Well, if Callie's being honest this thing in her chest isn't even her heart. It belonged to Juliette Wallace. Callie's got taken out when she was two and replaced with Juliette's. When she sifted through her file last year, Callie found that strange. Until they located a heart she was connected to machines that kept her alive. Her social worker, Simon Lundy, and doctors had hoped to find a heart that would be suitable for her but Callie wondered if they really thought about what that meant. For her to get a heart would mean a healthy toddler would have to die. And that happened. Juliette died and Callie stole her heart. Stole is the wrong word, she received Juliette's heart. Everyone says it was a good heart – one that would last a lifetime. Now Callie ponders if her lifetime is up or is it the heart's lifetime. They hope this was an isolated incident and with aggressive meds then everything will sort out, but it might not.

With everything that's been happening, Callie feels like she's in a race car that's going around and around and around the track. It isn't spinning so much as, well picture it like this, the fast forward button is going but Callie can't find the remote to press play. In other areas of her life, things are in slow motion. Sophia's dead. Mr. Karvelle is missing. They're saying since he worked at the prison where all those felons escaped that he was involved. Callie's heard her family talking about Frank being influenced by some guy named Mr. Scratch.

The summer in general went by fast. Sophia died. School ended. Belle went to Spain. Wyatt visited his relatives in Oklahoma. Aviva, Grace, and Mason found summer jobs. Sean's working at the diner. Callie and Alex got released from the hospital. Garcia had to move into the FBI. Alex went to live part-time with both Uncle Aaron and Uncle Spencer. Callie's almost glad school is starting up again. At least that way, she'll see her friends. She fiddles with the machine trying to find the heart monitor's volume switch or something.

"Didn't you hear your dad? This isn't a toy." A hand slips into hers and Callie frowns at her mother, she looks more worried than usual. There must be a difficult case going on that's making her mom act so weird. JJ continues holding Callie's hand tapping her fingers against the teenager's palm. "It measures your heartbeat to make sure we know if there's something wrong."

"I know that." Callie rolls her eyes. "I just wanted to turn the volume down; it was annoying." JJ bites her lip; the teen hadn't been paying attention when Dr. Fletcher explained how to use it. She was more concerned with Alex and his reaction to hearing about Sophia. "I know it's supposed to help, but all its doing right now is giving me a huge headache…isn't there like a thing where it goes off for the serious stuff?"

JJ nods tightly. "There is." She sits down at the table and motions the fifteen year old over. The mother then stands her daughter between her legs and Callie lifts up her shirt. "You know, it's important for you know how to use this yourself, Callie."

"I do know how to use it, mom. I just couldn't find the volume button."

"There is no volume button. See, you have to go settings. Then you click into sound, then under the manual tab there's emergency use only and here we go. Now this will only go off if it measures irregularities with your heart and an ambulance will be sent to your location." JJ finishes in a matter of minutes. Over the past few months, she and Will have become adept at manipulating that machine. Callie knows how to use it too, but she gets sick of it easily and resorts to try other methods of destruction on it.

Callie shuddered. "That's so weird that random people can know where I am."

"Not random people, only 911 operators." Garcia added a few modifications to it making it so no one other than the proper authorities could trace it. "It's for your safety." Her kid still looks hesitant, not worried or scared, just annoyed that people can find her. JJ rolls her eyes. "Anyway, your dad and I are supposed to know where you are at all times. Is that creepy?"

"Uh yeah about that, I don't like it. None of my friend's parents act like you guys." The teenager retorted folding her arms over her chest grimacing at the lack of freedom.

JJ doesn't miss a beat. "None of your friend's parents work for the FBI."

"Yeah, I know." The way Callie says that causes JJ to pull a face. She briefly wonders whether her work at the FBI has hampered her children's happiness. Callie is dramatic for sure, but Henry has never really...besides that one incident. But, they're all happy enough kids. "They let their kids have fun." She added, playing tit for tat as well as testing the waters. Callie finds the prospect of winding either one of her parents up kind of enjoyable.

"And you don't get to have any fun? Is that it?" JJ asked rolling her eyes. They've tightened the reins to ensure none of their own gets hurt and that may feel unfair but it's their job to keep them out of harm's way. Henry hasn't complained but in hind sight, Callie's more perceptive; she notices when JJ gets a trim at the salon or when Will forgets to shave. "Sweets, you're still able to do everything you could before. You can go swimming, ride your bike, kick the soccer ball around…"

"Hey yeah," Callie interrupted. "Dr. Fletcher emailed me back saying I can play soccer this season."

Forcing a smile she doesn't feel, JJ pastes one onto her face. "That's great baby." Although in the back of her mind all JJ can think about is whether or not she has it in her to give Callie permission to play. Just because Dr. Fletcher said she could doesn't mean Jennifer Jareau is going to let her.

Hotch crosses his arms. He's been under so much stress in both fronts; home and work. Jack's still giving him the cold shoulder, but it's beginning to become lukewarm. Alex had a lot to do with Jack warming back up. Having a big brother figure around has actually helped. It's also caused Aaron to wonder what life would've been like if he and Haley had more kids. He wanted to start a family in the early 2000s, but Haley wasn't ready. After Jack was born, she even pushed to have another baby when he was eleven months. But, Aaron's job got in the way then the prospect of having a second child became further and further from their minds.

Alex is a good kid, amazing even. But, right now, Hotch needs a break; not from Alex just from everything that has to do with the BAU. Jack needs him. Glancing down at his ward, Aaron's gaze softens. "Alex, you know your brothers are coming tomorrow."

"Yeah," the young man responded before changing his answer. "I uh mean yes sir." He may have been born into a fucked up family, but he knows the meaning of respect.

Hotch keeps his eyes on Alex, studying him. He needs a haircut. "So it's been decided they'll stay with Agent Lewis and you'll stay with Agent Reid." The agent declared gauging his reaction and sees a flicker of shock grace Alex's features. Jack is definitely going to miss having him around, Alex is an easy kid though. He does as he's told and stays out of everyone's way. He even distracts Jack when he senses Hotch needs him to. But, that's what is so worrying too. Alex is too good. He's been acting with his shield up and maybe with Spencer, he'll bring it down. The only time he acts like a real kid is when he's with Callie.

"Why can't you take them?" Alex asked.

"You don't trust Tara." Hotch observed with raised eyebrows. Alex returns the look. It isn't that, but he knows Agent Hotchner better. Aaron seems to interpret and at the very least understand his reasoning behind this. "There are things that need to be worked out."

His ward pressed. "What things?" That sounds way too fucking vague. When he was four, his mom would say they were going on a trip and when he asked where, she wouldn't say. The vagueness used to bother him and everyday he'd ask when they were going on their trip. Until one day, mom stopped even talking about going at all and then he stopped asking. He just stopped. There was no rhyme or reason to it; he just knew their trip would never happen.

"Just things," Aaron stares down at his ward with a firm expression. He knows just how easy-going Reid can be sometimes. "No more sneaking out, given everything that's happened; it's too dangerous. I expect you to be on your best behavior for Agent Reid." That tone. It's the tone all parents use when they know their kids will mind. Parents use it along with the patent raised eyebrow or squint of the eyes. Alex waits for Hotch to employ either of the additional crap his dad and Jade used to do and seems oddly impressed when all the agent does is level him with a firm look.

Alex knows an order when he hears one. "Yes sir."

Hotch nods, satisfied. He gears to leave the kitchen and pauses at the door. "You mean more to me than a number, Alex." With that, he leaves the bemused boy to his thoughts.

"Why're you looking at me like that?"

Callie plops down beside Henry on the couch, handing him an ice-cream drumstick. Alex is probably getting a lecture in the kitchen about now and she managed to tiptoe out of there before she got an extra one from her uncle. But, not before she got some ice cream. Henry likes the chocolate filled ones best whereas Callie prefers the caramel ones. Henry thinks they taste okay, but he loves anything related to chocolate.

"It's like you're like a real superhero now." Henry gushed ignoring her tone. His eyes are bright with admiration only a little brother can possess. Callie resists the urge to ruffle his hair; it's getting long again, she wonders if their parent's plans on making him get a trim. Poor kid, he doesn't even realize that mom and dad only do that so they can read them better. Henry is quick to add. "Like a Transformer, but you're just a girl."

"And you're asking to get tied to a chair." Callie smirked. Henry shrugs turning back to his show. He has the remote therefore control of whatever they watch which happens to be Jessie. Callie used to take it off him, but then he'd tattle on her. Callie figures it's easier to wait until he either gets bored or has to go to bed. She's actually starting to get into the show when suddenly Henry eyes her unnervingly. "Quit looking at me like a stalker and ask what you wanna ask, Hen."

Henry pauses the show he's watching and turns to look at his sister. "Are you gonna die?" That question almost makes Callie chock on her dessert. She whips the remote out of his hand to pause the show. Henry swallows feeling scared. "I heard mom and dad talking. They said they were scared you were gonna die. So are you?" He asked, he doesn't want Callie to die. She only just started being his real sister.

"I-I-I don't know. My heart isn't…I don't know if my heart's so good anymore." Callie answered sitting down beside him on the couch. She's never outright lied to Henry before.

"But, you're nice. How can your heart not be good if you're nice?" Henry demanded innocently.

Callie purses her lips. How do you explain this to an almost eight year old? "Hearts don't really work the way you think. People can be nice, but have hearts that aren't working the way they're supposed to. You don't understand what I'm saying, do you?" Henry shakes his head. The teenager sighs, doing her best to come up with a sufficient yet honest answer. "Think of it like this, you know how the Wii broke a few months ago."

"Cause Finley's rabbit Midnight chewed one of the wires when she brought him over." Her brother said a bit happy to have something to add. He recalls mom and dad getting upset though. Fin wasn't supposed to bring Midnight to their house. They didn't let him watch T.V. for a week.

"Yeah and remember how the wire shocked a little when we tried to stick them back together?" Their parents weren't pleased when they learned about those things; sometimes Callie wonders if they know how annoyingly overprotective they are. Callie waits for him to nod before continuing. "Well, that's sort of what happened to my heart. I uh it got a shock of its own and stopped working for a few seconds."

Henry glances up and down at his Callie. The boy reaches over and touches her heart monitor, not in any kind of inappropriate way but the curious way children do. He sees the light beep. Mom, dad, and Callie all said that if there are beeps then it's doing what it's supposed to. "But, it's working now."

"Yeah that's because I take my special heart vitamin every morning like you take your vitamin and this thing here tells me how I'm doing and if I need to go to the hospital again." Callie reaches over and patting his cheek. This act alone is something JJ does when any one of her children are scared and Callie doing so gives Henry some comfort.

"Why can't you do what dad did and buy a new Wii only just buy a new heart that'll work?"

"Because, we gotta see first if the special heart vitamins will help first." She explained and at his confused squint matched with a tilt of the head, Callie expands. "It's kinda like we're putting tape on the chewed up piece of wire and it's working right now." Not to mention the fact that what Henry had proposed is illegal, but that's getting into a whole giant jar of worms.

His eyes widen fearfully. He reminded her. "But, that didn't fix the old Wii for good. It's still broke."

Yeah, just like how I'm still broke but sort of together too. "Hey, I'm not gonna die for a long, long, long, long time okay?" Callie is left with a bitter taste in her mouth, but she doesn't care. Reassuring her baby brother that everything is going to be fine is an easier thing to contend with than telling him the truth…being that she doesn't know.

"You promise?" Henry looks into her eyes.

"I promise." This is the first time Callie has ever lied to him.