Early the next morning, Aaron Hotchner looked around the gate area at the Anchorage airport to make sure the entire team was present. "It appears our plane is here and the pilot is cleared for takeoff," he told them. "If everyone is ready – "

Morgan took a step towards him and spoke up. "Sorry, man. But I won't be going with you."

Hotchner stared at him. "Excuse me?"

Garcia moved to stand next to him. "Me either. I need a break!" she declared emphatically.

Hotch stared at both of them. "You're going to be staying here?" he asked, shocked. He looked at the rest of the team. "Anyone else?"

Reid moved to join Morgan and Garcia. "I'm staying, too," he told Hotch. "We have been working cases and doing consults without a break for three months, two weeks, and four days. Enough is enough. I need a break!"

Rossi joined the rebellion. "Count me in," he declared. "I need to clear my head with some sea air."

Hotchner was stunned. "I can relate to needing a break," he told them. "But, here and now?"

Morgan smiled. "We have contacted the cruise line," he explained. "The Lady Elizabeth is currently docked here in Anchorage, and the line is willing to let us back on as paying passengers. Our cabins are ready and waiting for us."

"With the storms having moved though," Reid continued. "The prediction is for clear sailing all the way back to Seattle." He smiled blissfully as he remembered the coffee bar on board the ship.

Garcia hesitated a moment before asking. "You wouldn't want to join us, would you, Sir?"

Hotch briefly considered it. "As tempting as it sounds," he told her. "I need to get home to Jack. And, someone will have to deal with Strauss."

"We all e-mailed our case reports and our vacation requests to her early this morning," Rossi informed him. "If she doesn't like it – Well – I will deal with her when I get back!" he ended with a smirk.

Hotch looked around at the rest of the team. "JJ? Blake?"

JJ smiled sadly. "As much as I would like to, I'm like you, Hotch. I have to get back to Henry and Will."

"As tempting as it sounds, I have a series of lectures scheduled and I need time to prepare. Maybe next time," Blake told him.

"Well, it seems the three of us are leaving by ourselves," Hotch conceded. "I'll see everyone else in Quantico in a week."

For any cruise addicts that may be reading this - I know that most cruise ships don't dock in Anchorage because of the tides. However, the HAL Amsterdam is the exception and I have based the Princess Elizabeth on that ship.