Chapter 25

The entire third row was taken by Noreen's family. Penelope held her phone between the people in the second row, and Scarlett could see she had a video chat open, conferencing JJ in to watch the play.

She leaned over, waving quickly at her friend via the stream and saw JJ wink at her. Scarlett looked down as her phone vibrated.

'Congrats, *Mom*…' JJ had texted with a smiley emoticon.

Looking over at Penny's feed, she saw JJ typing another message. She noticed Spencer check his phone also and grin at the text.

The lights flashed and everyone settled in to watch their children perform. Scarlett leaned closer to Spencer, resting her head on his shoulder as he took her hand in his.

The kids pulled off a cute rendition of the Broadway version of the play, doing the best they could at varying ages of twelve to fifteen year olds. Even the stage was handled by students, and you could hear some nervous chuckles now and then as something went slightly wrong.

When the curtain closed, everyone stood, giving the kids applause. Scarlett saw Spencer sneak over to the stage, handing off a bouquet of pink roses to an advisor, who took them over to Noreen as she stood center stage. Taking her bow along with the others, Norie looked over to where her family sat and gave them a wave. A smile lit her face, as she chatted to the other kids alongside her.

The drama teacher went on stage, presenting each of the students and giving each of them credit for a job well done, as parents took pictures. As everyone began filing off the stage, Scarlett felt her phone vibrate again.

She was going to ignore it for the moment, thinking it was JJ, but then she saw Spencer, Derek and Penny each reach for their phones.

Shit.

Scarlett pulled the phone from her pocket with a sigh. She saw Hotch's number and opened the text.

'Chicago PD asking for assist. Three bodies found in the last three days. Escalation of poss serial- ongoing investigation. We will meet with you at their station by midnight. Detective has sent case files to Garcia for distribution. See you there.'

"Well, at least it's close," she commented, looking up at Spencer.

He squeezed her shoulder lightly. "We still have a few hours to give Norie, and time to play a round or two of 'Trouble' with the boys," he offered.

Scarlett sighed. "I know. Up side- by midnight, they will probably all be asleep and won't even realize we are gone…"

She looked over at her mom. "Down side- I have to ask Mama to cover for me, yet again..."

Spencer heard the sadness in her voice. "Hey, come on crazy girl. Focus on the positive," he kissed her cheek. "We are taking our daughter out for cake and ice cream to celebrate her acting debut," he squeezed her hand as they headed through the doors to wait for Norie.

"Then we get a few hours of insanity with sugar hyped nephews and a classic board game; in which I will kick everyone's butt, by the way," he teased, tweaking her nose as she wrinkled it at him in mirth.

"And to wrap it all up, we get to tuck them safely into bed, before we have to go back to hunting down unsubs…" he told her. "All in all, it's not that bad…"

Scarlett shook her head, laughing at his reasoning. "Well, yes, I guess I could be more grateful, since you put it that way…" she bumped her hip to his. "It's going to be a late night…" she stated as Morgan and Garcia moved up through the crowded lobby to stand next to them.

"Let's not read the files yet, please," Penelope begged, looking at the three of them. "Can we just keep it closed until after?" she asked.

Scarlett nodded. They'd have the case files memorized in a matter of minutes between her and Reid. There was no reason they couldn't wait a little longer.

"We'll look it over later," she agreed with Penny. "Right now is Norie's time… We still have now and board games," she joked with them. "Enough time for the other, later."

Frannie joined up with them by the main doors. She saw the looks of concern mixed in their faces and sighed.

"You guys got a case…" she stated rather than asked.

Scarlett looked into her mother's eyes. "It's right here, in Chicago," she told her. "We don't have to leave, yet…"

Fran nodded, watching her daughter's face pinch slightly.

"We don't have to meet the others until midnight," Scarlett worried out loud. "But I promised the kids a sleep over," she said, meeting her mom's face again.

"So they'll get their sleepover," Frannie tugged Scarlett's hair over her shoulder. "Don't you dare think you are imposing on me, little girl," she warned her.

Scarlett rolled her eyes slightly at her words and thinly veiled threat. "Mama…"

"Don't roll your eyes at your mother, Katy Scarlett," Fran's tone became slightly indignant. "My grandbabies aren't any sort of an imposition… and I won't have you even thinking that way…" she scowled slightly, tweaking her daughter's chin.

"Understood?!" she asked, lightening the words with her slight smile.

"Yes, ma'am," Scarlett allowed, reaching over to kiss Frannie's cheek. "I love you, Mama," she added with a smile of her own.

Fran patted her back as she hugged her. "Then it's settled, and we are ending this conversation now, because here comes your daughter…" she stated, looking over at the others.

Spencer nodded in quiet agreement just as Norie bounded up to them, her arms full of flowers.

"Look!" she danced around them happily. "Look at all of these!" she grinned over the pile. "I've got ones from Mom and Dad, Uncle Derek and Auntie Penny- even Aunt JJ and Uncle Dave all the way from DC had a bouquet delivered!" she said in awe. Scarlett saw her look around quickly; dropping her voice so only they could hear.

"I think some of the others were a little jealous," she said.

"And my friend Judy… the girl who played one of the townspeople? She didn't get flowers," she commented a bit sadly. "I gave her one of mine… Is that okay?" she asked Scarlett.

"Of course it's okay, little one!" she wrapped her arm around Norie's shoulders. "You ready to celebrate? You were all so wonderful up there!" she hugged her daughter closer, giving her a quick kiss on her forehead.

"My turn!" Penny tugged Norie into her embrace, careful not to crush the flowers. "You were wonderful, sweetheart!"

They all headed out to the parking lot, meeting up with Desi, Tony and the boys. Norie set her flowers carefully in the back of Fran's car on top of the boys' overnight bags.

Desi hugged and congratulated Noreen as the boys ran around her, chasing each other in a circle.

"Okay, troops," Scarlett opened the back door to her mom's SUV. "Saddle up- your mom and dad have reservations to keep," she told her nephews.

Tony winked at his sister-in-law and mouthed the words 'thank you' to her as the boys whooped and hollered. Scarlett laughed.

"No problem… Enjoy yourselves," she told them both. "See you guys tomorrow…"

Frannie headed over with Derek and Penny to where Sarah waited in her car.

"We will meet up at Riley's," she told Spencer, naming a family restaurant a few blocks away. "I had them set aside a table- and a cake," she said with a grin.

Spencer opened the passenger door for Scarlett, and smiled slightly when he saw little Anthony do the same for Norie. He ran his hand over the child's head, shutting the back door as the boy buckled himself in. Sliding into the drivers' side, he started the car and followed Sarah to the restaurant.

The restaurant was crowded with other attendants from the play, and Norie met up with a few more friends, introducing Scarlett and Spencer to several new faces. They watched her move from table to table, talking to her friends, laughing and joking around with everyone.

"She's found her niche," Spencer commented, watching how easily Norie interacted with everyone.

Scarlett smiled up at him, leaning her head against his arm as she watched also.

"She's happy," she agreed, her heart light with joy. "I am too…"

Spencer leaned over slightly to give her a quick kiss.

"I'm still going to kick your butt in 'Trouble'," he teased.

Scarlett giggled slightly, shaking her head. "You can try, but I am the reigning Queen of all board games," she laughed.

Anthony looked up from his piece of cake. "Na-ah, Aunt Katy- I won last time," he reminded her. "That's why I get to pick tonight's game…" he told her.

"Oh, you are right," Scarlett grinned, winking over the boy's head at Derek. "How could I have forgotten?" she giggled. "So which one are we playing tonight, kiddo?"

Anthony thought for a moment. "Trouble sounds good to me," he grinned around his fork. "I can win again…"

"Na-ah…" Jacob chimed in. "It's my turn to win…" the little boy told his older brother.

"It doesn't work like that," Anthony said in an exasperated tone. "You don't get a turn to win," he shook his head.

Scarlett tuned out the boys' chatter as she felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck. Turning slowly, she scanned the room, casually looking to see what could be causing her wariness. Nothing seemed out of place…

Spencer noticed her slight change and lowered his voice.

"What?" he asked her.

Scarlett shook her head slightly. She couldn't figure it out, but she'd felt like someone had been watching her…

Shaking it off, she turned back to her family. Catching Spencer's concern, she just shrugged.

"I don't know," she told him honestly. He took her hand under the table, giving it a squeeze. Scarlett threaded her fingers through his, holding it tighter.

"I guess it's nothing," she stated, giving her attention back to Norie as she rejoined them, scooping up some of her ice cream.

"Mom- my friend Katelyn's mom wants to know if I can go shopping with her this Saturday. Katelyn is the girl who helped with the costumes, remember?" Scarlett's memory brought up a blond girl, blue eyes about Norie's height and the darker blond mother that Noreen introduced them to when they'd first arrived.

"Her mom sewed most of them herself, she's really great at it… and Kaitlyn's in her aunt's wedding too, just like I'm going to be in Auntie Penelope's… I want to go so I can check out some dress styles too, even though it's early… just to see… Katie's mom might even just look at the styles and make Katie's herself, she is soooo talented…" she rattled on rapidly as she shoveled ice cream in her mouth.

Scarlett was just getting ready to warn her when…

"Oh, oww," Norie pinched the bridge of her nose as a brain freeze hit from eating the cold dessert too fast.

"Push your tongue against the roof of your mouth… it helps," Scarlett told her, trying to keep the laugh out of her voice at the face Norie had made.

"And don't eat it so fast," Spencer added, covering his own grin behind his hand. He pushed his coffee over at her.

"Here," he said. "The warm drink will help faster…"

Norie took a small sip of the coffee, her face signaling relief.

She sighed. "Sorry," she apologized.

"For what?" Spencer asked. Scarlett looked confused also.

"I was going too fast again," Norie looked around the table, blushing slightly. "My friends call it 'Norese' when I start babbling and they can't understand me…"

Scarlett grinned, seeing that the girl wasn't upset by the teasing name.

"You get over-excited," she offered. "It happens. But luckily your dad and I think as quickly as you and I understand 'norese'- so…" she winked at Spencer…

"If you want to go with Katie, that's fine. Styles for gowns change a lot between seasons, so, of course, you won't want to pick anything out just yet- and you know we'll be going shopping with Aunt Penny so she can show us what she wants in her wedding. But looking and maybe trying something on this Saturday to get an idea with your friend sounds great… Katelyn is lucky to have such a talented mother… the costumes were absolutely terrific tonight," she told her, chattering back just as fast as Noreen had delivered the words, making the girl smile.

Spencer laughed out loud, listening to them banter some more conversation back and forth. Scarlett nudged him, smiling into his eyes.

"It's like our own language," Norie teased, finishing off her dessert, more carefully this time.