Ford and I head back to Quantico that afternoon, after finishing up with Watson. Heading back to Ford's place, which is now our place. As I cook dinner, Ford sits on the opposite side of the breakfast bar in the kitchen, "so have you given any thought on if you're going to sing at Gunn's part?"

"I don't know." I shrug, "not sure what I'd sing, so…" I shake my head.

"Come on, I'm sure that brilliant mind can think of something."

"I kind of have to so I can tell the DJ or it's gonna be really awkward."

"I'm sure everything will be fine." Ford smiles to me, "So anymore thought on having kids?"

I shake my head and sigh, "After we get back from talking to Manson, that's what you wanna ask?"

"Honestly, I'm trying to shut that out of my head."

"That's true." I shrug, "I think we need to talk about how to raise a child more than if we want to have a child."

"Alright." Ford nods. "Baseline of punishment?"

"Sent to their room."

"I agree, what about taking something away from them?"

"Depends. If that's the form of punishment for a few days then yes, if that seems to be causing the problem then no."

"Why not?"

"Because that's probably not even the real issue. I think we should talk to them and see what's really going on."

"Alright." Ford nods. "Seems like we're on the same page on that."

"What about childcare while we're working? Because I don't want to give up this work."

"We'll hire a sitter."

I shake my head, "do you think we could afford that along with everything else?"

"Why not? We both make good money. I don't think it'd be a problem."

"What about when we work cases?" I shrug, "Again, I don't want to give up this work."

"Then we alternate weeks on the case. Filling each other in over the weekends."

"If they let us do that."

"We're both great agents and I don't think they want to lose either of us, so I can't imagine why they wouldn't."

"In theory it works. And if it doesn't work in practice we can alternate cases."

"That works too." Ford nods as he smiles, reaches over the counter and takes my hand, "don't worry, we'll figure it out."

The next morning we head into the office. Since Tench went back before Ford and I, he took back the Manson tape, and the team listened to it yesterday. When we get there, the team decides to listen to the Watson tape, then discuss Manson and Watson. We listen to Watson's tape, I can hear the pain of him reliving what happened that night, until Carr turns the player off, "First Manson and then Jesus. He's just exchanged one belief system for another."

I shake my head, "the contradicting stories don't bother me. I mean, Manson is insane and clearly in denial, so it's no surprise that he would change his story."

"Neither is a completely reliable source." Carr shrugs, "but I'm not so sure that Manson was a total loss. He had influence over his young followers. Much like Corll had over Henley." Carr nods, "He used sex and drugs. But he also had an overt philosophy."

"If you can call it that." Tench looks over to Carr.

"What is Helter Skelter, really? It's borrowed. But how is it useful to him? What if the point of Helter Skelter wasn't a race war?"

"It's about control." I nod.

"Over the family?" Tench looks over to me.

"A cause to forge solidarity." Ford nods.

Carr nods, "What if Tex and Sadie did come up with the idea of a copycat crime? It's proactive, risky, revolutionary. It may not have been what Manson intended, but they called his bluff. They were doing what he only talks about doing."

"Manson would feel threatened." I shrug, "He'd have no choice but to go along with it."

"At the LaBianca house, Manson went in and tied up the victims before sending the killers in." Ford nods, "He wanted to remind them that this was his plan. Not anyone else's."

"He was doing whatever he could to keep authority over his Family." Carr lifts her pin from her paper, "Control, or at least the appearance of it, was worth any cost. Even seven murders."

"When we were leaving, he did a weird thing. He asked for my sunglasses, so I gave them to him. A guard chased me down and said Manson bragged to everyone he stole them from the FBI."

I nod, "He was willing to go to the hole just to look powerful."

Tench shakes his head, "On the one hand, you have a bunch of drugged-out kids. On the other, a practiced, manipulative ex-con. And you're arguing that Manson was forced into it? Tex gave a pretty detailed account of succumbing to brainwashing."

"He didn't dismiss the idea that he would've killed without meeting Manson." I take a deep breath, "Manson found the right people. Young, submissive, alone. But primarily, people with untapped potential."

"People who saw themselves as outliers." Carr nods. "People who only had to have their fear removed to do what they did."

"He simply helped them be who they were."

That evening is the party at Gunn's place, Ford and I arrive together, a bit late, hoping to avoid the large group of people. I have a long sleeve dress, in a vibrate blue, that comes a little above my knee. Ford made the comment that it was a bold choice for an agent, but what fun is a party if you can't push some boundaries, right? I had put on a long necklace with a moon shaped pendant on it, that Ford had gotten me before we moved in together, with some tan block heels. I honestly don't know how Carr walks around in her high stiletto heels everyday. We knock on the door and Gunn answers, "Welcome. Come on in, you two." We hear lounge music playing over speakers. "Everyone's in the living room. AD Wayman's already here, as well as Bill and Wendy. I've been giving him a little warm-up. Saving the best part of your team, of course. Remember, al they want is a good war story."

I shrug, "we've got a few of those."

Ford smiles over to me, "go on it, I'll be right there."

"Of course," I smile and nod, before heading into the living room with Gunn. When I see Tench I walk over to him. "Hey, Bill."

"Nancy." Tench smiles to me, "lovely as always."

"Thank You." i look around, "where's Wendy?"

"Uh… she is over there…" Tench points over to Carr, who is having a very uncomfortable conversation with a man.

"Oh, no." I put a hand to my mouth as Tench and I laugh.

Gunn comes over to the two of us with an older man, "George, this is Special Agent Bill Tench. Founder of our Behavioral Science Unit. And Special Agent Nancy Freeman, one of our youngest and brightest. I was telling George I only know the boring admin side. You are the guys who sit in the room with the serial killers."

"That's us, sir." Tench nods.

"Amazing." Geroge smiles, "Ted says no cuffs on these guys. Is that right?"

I nod, "Makes 'em feel like we really want to hear their side of the story."

"You go with them?"

"Of course." I smile.

"These two have been about to get things out of Speck, Berkowitz, even Manson, that they have never said to anybody else." Gunn looks between Tench and I.

Tench chuckles, "We went into Berkowitz thinking we were just going to hear that same old demon, barking dog story. What could we possibly learn from a guy that crazy? But we got him to admit that the whole demon thing was totally made up."

"He said that?" George tilts his head, all bright eyed.

"A complete crock." I nod and smile, "now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I have to go find Holden."

"Of course." Gunn nods, "did you decide to grace us with your lovely voice?"

"Yes, I did." I chuckle softly before walking off.

Before long I find Ford, "alright. I got the music set up for you and you're all good to go."

I shake my head, "you didn't have to do that."

"It's the least I could do." Ford smiles before leaning in.

I pull away from him, "Holden… we are at a work function."

"Exactly." Ford nods, "so we aren't at work." he leans in again and kisses me. "Knock 'em dead."

I walk up to the bar and ask the bartender and ask for the microphone. Of course, it doesn't take long for all eyes to be on me, I haven't even gotten to the open area of the floor before I feel everyone looking at me. It also doesn't help that the bartender had started the song, when I was about halfway there. I look around and take a deep breath, before I start.

"I know there's something in the wake of your smile.

I get a notion from the look in your eyes,

Yeah.

You've built a love but that love falls apart.

Your little piece of heaven turns to dark.

Listen to your heart.

When he's calling for you."

When I get to the next verse I take a deep breath, but before I can sing, I hear Ford over the speakers.

"Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile.

The precious moments are all lost in the tide,

Yeah."

I smile and chuckle, before I start to sing with him,

"They're swept away and nothing is what it seems.

The feeling of belonging to your dreams."

(Listen to Your Heart, Glee Cast)

Ford and I start to dance as the song goes on. At the end, Ford dips me and I can feel that my hair is brushing the ground. When he pulls me back up, everyone erupts in applause, Tench even whistling. Ford and I bow before Ford pulls me away from the crowd, the two of us escaping to the backyard. When we are there I hug him tightly, "that was amazing."

Ford laughs and hugs me back, "you are amazing."

"How did I not know you could sing like that?"

"No one did, to be fair."

"Still…" I shake my head, taking a deep breath.

"I've been thinking about what Tex said. If we knew there was no tomorrow, what would we do." Ford takes a deep breath, "So I've been thinking about all the things I want to do. I want to live like there is no tomorrow. Within reason."

"Of course." I chuckle.

"On top of that list is… to spend my life with you." Ford reaches into his pocket and gets down on one knee, "so, Nancy Faith Freeman. Will you do me the honor, of not only making me the happiest Agent in the history of the FBI but, the happiest man on Earth, by becoming Mrs. Nancy Faith Ford?"

I put my hands on my mouth and nod, through tears, "yes! Oh, my God! Yes!"