In honor of the fall weather, or whatever.
Gosh. It's been a while since I've written for this fandom.
Alex remembers.
The leaves crunch under her feet as more fall from the trees, red and orange and yellow and brown - a multitude of rustic colors. Ethan runs ahead of her on the path, kicking the leaves so they fly into the air all around him. She smiles, thinking about the other day when James had raked up the leaves into piles. They had all jumped into them and messed them all up and he hadn't complained even though he'd have to start all over again.
Ethan had been laughing, giggling, his tiny body just barely containing his joy. Fall is his favorite season, after all.
Fall was his favorite season, after all.
A leaf falls onto her head. She picks it out of her hair and holds it delicately in her right hand, tracing its veins with a careful finger. The leaf is mostly red, but it blends into orange near its tip.
It's a nice blend of colors. Ever changing.
(It used to be green.)
Yes, Alex remembers.
She remembers how Ethan would run into the store, chattering on and on to her about a possible new Halloween costume, or all the decorations and candies on display. Halloween always made him vibrate with excitement, but Thanksgiving even more so.
Thanksgiving, with its turkeys and hearty food, with the wishbone tradition and the gratitude it sows.
As it got colder, she would have to remind Ethan to put on his jacket, and he'd pout but he'd listen eventually. They'd walk in the park whenever she and James were both home, holding hands with Ethan swinging in between them.
She remembers his smile.
She remembers many things, but some things fade, like the precise color of his hair, or the way his two front teeth fought for space. His laughter and his cries still ring in her ears but not his gasps of excitement nor his coughs.
Sometimes it still feels as if a space in her chest is missing.
But it gets easier.
Garcia bakes cookies to bring in to work, making sure all of them are fed. Reid wears his ridiculous Halloween costumes and constantly tries to scare the rest of the team. Morgan smirks and teases and manages to make everyone laugh effortlessly.
It's not a linear progression. Sometimes things are harder.
Hotch smiles softly outside the window, a photograph of Jack on the desk in front of him. Rossi cooks and sings and fills his home with smells and sounds and love. JJ brings in Henry, who manages to charm every single person who sees him.
Alex remembers a round face with light in his eyes and dimples on his cheeks.
Alex sees a team that's become like family.
Maybe they fill the void. It's certainly not complete, but maybe it's enough.
Another year passes. She remembers less.
Yet the leaves still fall, the branches becoming bare. In the spring, they'll regrow, green and fresh.