I've been thinking long and hard about this... I don't want this to end in two more chapters. It may well end at 31 chapter but it may well end at 36 instead because there are so many things that I want to address regarding changes to Spencer, JJ and their family or changes to their friends, which ultimately affects them. I will think long and hard but just to know you guys' opinions, would you like 30 chapters and 1 epilogue or 34 chapters and 1 epilogue? I still have so much direction for this story and it may even become a trilogy because I have a sequel name in mind. Anyway, onto the story.


To say that he was excited would be the least. Spencer held onto Henry's hand as they waited in the long queue to listen to an up and coming magician talk about his career as well as perform a few magic tricks before getting the crowd to perform some of their own.

Spencer's phone buzzed and he looked at the message from his wife.

JJ (Wife): How's he doing? Is he excited?

The stepfather looked down at his disinterested stepson and sighed. He never liked lying, honesty was the best policy but JJ was worrying too much about the young blonde child.

Me: Henry's excited. He's very enthused about our surroundings right now.

JJ (Wife): Let me talk to him. I'll call you now.

Spencer almost resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he sent a quick text to tell her not to. Henry was fine and this was their bonding time. He slipped his phone back into his pocket and spotted a sweet vendor in the convention.

"Hey, Henry?"

"Yes, Dad?" Henry mumbled, kicking a piece of litter with his foot.

"Would you like some sweets after the talk? Before we visit the stalls?"

Henry's eyes lit up. "Mom didn't let me have sweets at all this week."

"Then, it's our-"

"Magic secret." The child grinned.

Spencer laughed, finally relieved to find the gates opening into the stage performance. His legs had been hurting for standing for forty-seven minutes and he guessed that his stepson's legs were aching too.

"Finally!" He heard the young child yell out.

He laughed, lifting his stepson into his arms as they walked into the audience seats. He found two seats right at the front and placed Henry in one, sitting beside him.

"Mind if we take these seats?"

Spencer looked up to find Aaron Hotchner and Jack staring right at them.

"Hotch! Jack! Hey, of course, take them." Spencer smiled, switching seats with Henry so he could be seated next to his friend. "I didn't know you guys liked magic?"

Hotch scoffed with a smile. "Jack's been begging to go ever since they put up a flyer in his school. Not that I mind because it's more time that we get to spend together lately."

It hadn't been that long since the great Aaron Hotchner requested for an early retirement due to both personal and professional issues. Spencer had a feeling that it wasn't the only bombshell that the Hotchners were going to drop soon.

"That's really good! Same here, with Henry." He grinned, ruffling the child's hair.

He was shocked to find that for once, Henry didn't complain about the misfortune his hair was suffering. He seemed to warm to it and hugged his stepfather before settling into casual conversation with Jack.

"So... How's Emily doing?"

Aaron leaving meant Emily's permanent return but she had only just gotten into a relationship. A distant cousin of JJ's who lived in England, perfect when Emily was at Interpol.

"She's really getting into the role but she's still hesitant. Her and Mark seem to be quite serious and she's suddenly here and not with him."

"I hope that she finds the happiness that she seeks. Mark seems good for her and this role also seems good for her."

"I'm worried she can't have both."

Hotch nodded, tapping his chin. "How does JJ feel about this?"

"She's talking to Mark about this but she has to be careful when trying to coax him to spend his life here because even though they are family, they aren't exactly close."

His good friend nodded. "But they are influential."

"You're right," Spencer said just as the lights dimmed and a man appeared suddenly on stage. "Oh, Henry! Look, it's starting."

...

"That was awesome!" Henry said as he carried the many mementoes that he forced his stepfather to buy.

Spencer laughed, opening the door to their car as Hotch and Jack coincidently found theirs next to it.

"I thought that it was your car." Hotch smiled as he unlocked it for Jack to get in.

Spencer laughed again. "A lot of coincidences, today."

"Yes. There are. Look, Reid... If JJ wants my honest opinion about Henry then I'll give it to her. From today, Henry seems like the normal happy child that he always is. It's been years since Will's death and as the years go on, Henry will be less affected by it, as horrible as it sounds. Jack still thinks about Haley every day and he will always love and remember her but he wouldn't let her death be the restriction on his happiness. Henry's fine. He's coping with it in his own way."

"Thank you, Hotch. I didn't know how to tell her that other than, he's fine."

Hotch nodded. "I understand. Mothers are always the most worriers. Fathers keep it in, protect their child by removing the memory but mothers, they force it and in doing so, think that their children are suffering most when they are in fact, fine. Whenever the anniversary comes up don't try and put him in different environments like today. Just treat it like a normal day. He will cope with it better that way."

"You're very right."

"DAD! Let's go see Grandpa!"

The men laughed at Henry and got into their cars, waving at each other as their focuses turned mainly onto the road before them in their lives and their sons beside them in the journeys.

...

JJ woke up, her tired eyes finding Henry and Spencer in the kitchen.

She sat up, gently manoeuvring the twins from her chest onto the sofa bed, placing a blanket on top of them.

"Shh, it's their second nap today." She whispered when she entered the kitchen to find her eldest son and husband baking magic cookies.

"Sorry!" Spencer whispered, putting a wipe of icing on her nose making their son giggle.

JJ wiped her nose and placed the icing on Henry's cheek before kissing it off with a smile. He seems so much happier!, she thought. Maybe a day out was what he needed.

"How are my boys?"

"Good! We saw this magician who was new and he was really good and we had sweets and prizes and toys and sets!"

JJ laughed at her son's eagerness, remembering to shush his loudness. "How about you have some ice cream and hot chocolate with those cookies, hmm?"

"Yeah!"

She looked up at her husband and mouthed a thank you before kissing his lips.

"You're welcome."