"I am so glad that you chose a place like this for our honeymoon, Aaron. It still amazes me that something this tranquil exists. I feel like we've stepped back in time to when I'm from, even if there are cars everywhere."

He nodded as he tugged on a piece of her hair that had escaped the tight braid she had made that morning. "That's why I wanted us to get away to the forest today. Because I wanted these two weeks to be about us relaxing, without Jack. Even if he's going to bug us to take him on his own trip soon. Maybe for Christmas, we could head down to Disney for a week, even if it will be busier than New York City that week."

"He does deserve a trip with us, yes." She paused on the trail and gave him a cheeky grin. "Take a picture of me and send it to Penelope? She said that she wanted proof we were enjoying our time here."

"That sounds like her," he muttered through a chuckle as he pulled out his phone and took a few pictures of Erin before going over to her, slinging an arm around her waist and holding the phone so that he could grab a few shots of them together. Before he moved away, Erin kissed him, holding him close as she deepened the embrace, pulling him backwards until her back hit a tree and they were breathing heavily. "You do realise that there are too many people milling around to continue to fan this flame, yes?"

"I know, but I still want you to kiss me again. There's nothing wrong with kissing so long as we stay clothed and you keep your hands on my waist. Yes?"

"Yes," he agreed as he leaned in and gave her another kiss, slipping his phone back into his pocket as their kiss became heated once more. There was something so lovely about being outside, the sun dappling their skin through the leaves, as they allowed their passion to flow between them. Finally, though, he knew that they were getting a little too close to crossing that unspoken boundary, and he reluctantly ended the kiss before stepping away from Erin. As he looked at his wife, Aaron felt his breath taken away by how lovely she looked with her face softened and relaxed, a soft flush to her cheeks as she breathed heavily, tucking a few pieces of stray hair behind her ears as she bit her lip. "Are you ready to walk a little more?"

"Yes. I want to see the ocean, Aaron."

He nodded as he bent and picked up the hat she had brought with her to protect her face from the sun, setting it carefully on her head before taking hold of her hand and guiding her back to the carpark. Stopping by the vehicle he had rented for their time there, Aaron grabbed the cooler that contained their lunch, along with the blanket Erin had bought. "There should be enough time to dip your toes in the water, too, if you want."

"Maybe. At least with these shoes, it won't take forever to take them off and put them back on. That is one thing that I truly love about this era. The ease of the clothing, even if I'm not fully on board with wearing all things modern. Yet."

"Well, I love your style, so don't change unless you want to. I know, I keep telling you that, but it remains true."

Erin nodded as she snuggled in close to his side. "I don't think that anyone could tell me what to do, Aaron. Even Mark knew that I have a stubborn streak a mile long." He couldn't help but laugh at that comment, and Erin sharply dug her elbow into his side. "Don't laugh!"

"Yes, Erin. But I think that I knew you had a stubborn streak from the moment you and I first started our relationship. You're just a tiny bit bolder about it now, because we're more comfortable with each other. And I rather like the easy banter that we have developed here, because you just seem to understand what I need after a long case. As much as I loved Haley, she just didn't get that side of me that wants to bring every single unsub I can to justice. That desire has only grown since her murder, and you seem to understand that inherently."

"Because Mark had that same burning desire to do what was right, no matter the cost. The rest of his family fought for the South, but he couldn't. He knew that slavery was a vile institution, and wanted to see its end. I just wish that he had lived long enough to see that it was abolished. The fact that you have a black man on your team would have made him so overjoyed. And because I see that part of him in you, it's made it that much easier to support you."

He nodded and led her to a secluded section of the beach before handing her the basket so that he could spread the blanket out on the sand before reaching up for her hand, helping her to sit down before they broke into the food that she had packed. As they ate, they kept up a light conversation, and he asked her more about her family, about the ones she had lost. It was a subject they had danced around until this point, but the fact that she had opened up about her first husband seemed to be a signal that it would be all right to ask her for more. She, in turn, asked him more about Haley, and for the first time since her murder, Aaron found it easy to talk about her. The ache was still there in his heart, but it had lessened since their marriage.

"All right, I'm going to test the waters now." Erin leaned over and pecked his cheek before slipping out of her shoes and stockings, setting them on the blanket before picking up her skirts and delicately walked down to the beach, stepping into the water. Aaron could tell by her posture that she loved the sensation, and he pulled out his phone to take a few more pictures of her.

"Erin, look at me!"

She turned, one hand holding onto her hat as she grinned at him, and he took a few shots of her as she continued to smile, heading back towards him. "Are you going to join me in the ocean? The water is a bit cool, but there's something so invigorating about the way the waves lapped at my ankles. I know that the hem of my skirt is a little wet now, but you at least can roll up the legs of your trousers."

Nodding, he hurriedly pulled off his shoes and socks, managing to get trousers rolled up to mid-calf before he clambered to his feet and took hold of Erin's outstretched hand. Together, they walked into the water, and he chuckled a little as Erin took hold of his phone, snapping a few pictures of him before tucking the device back into his pocket and turning to look out at the horizon once more. "What are you looking at?" he asked lowly as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

Erin rested her head on his chest, flattening the brim of her hat a little. "Nothing and everything. It's so vast and beautiful and it feels like the promise of the future, of our future together. The distance between us should have been just as vast, and yet here we are, together, committed to finding our way in a world that sometimes makes no sense to me and sometimes feels so familiar that I expect to see my children come around the corner and greet me. I love you, I love this life, and I look forward to what we build together." He nodded before squeezing her waist gently, his heart filled to bursting with love for Erin and the family they were creating together.