Chapter Seven: We'll Always Have Bourbon Street

"No one stays good in this world." –Clark Kent

"Alright, thanks for the help, Tim," JJ heard Will on the phone as she stepped into their hotel room. It was almost midnight, and they had finally wrapped up the case. Carlisle was dead, CPS had taken Tate to a group home for the night, and the Boston police were dealing with the cleanup.

"Who was that?" JJ asked.

Will looked up slightly startled, having not heard JJ come in. He hesitated for a moment and looked sheepishly at the floor before answering, "it was an old college buddy of mine, he's um…he's a lawyer for a firm here".

"And why exactly do you need a lawyer?" JJ pressed.

Will didn't respond, and sat down on the bed, looking back towards JJ. It was only when she sat down next to him that he answered her. "Tim is filing a motion with a judge tomorrow morning for me to get custody of Tate".

JJ was so surprised she would have laughed if she didn't know he was serious. She realized Will had grown fond of Tate in the past few days, but she hadn't had any idea that he was planning on taking her back to New Orleans.

"So…you're adopting Tate?" she asked.

"Well, fostering. I'd already had the paperwork done from when I thought I might have to take Beck's kids in," Will replied.

Will's brother, Beckett, had been in a car wreck two years prior, and Will had looked into taking his nephews in, just in case Beck and his wife didn't make it.

"Will. You do realize you'd actually be raising Tate, right?".

"Really, Jen? I thought we'd just be hanging out, going to some bars in the French Quarter maybe," he snapped sarcastically.

"I didn't mean it like that, okay? It's just, taking care of a kid is a lot of responsibility," JJ responded carefully.

"Christ, I know, Jennifer. It's not like I haven't thought this out," Will grumbled.

JJ sensed he was getting agitated and leaned into his side, kissing his cheek before tucking herself under his arm. Will sighed before pulling her closer, wishing JJ would just support him on this.

"Can I just ask one more question? Why do you wanna do this, huh?" JJ wondered.

"Two reasons, I suppose. One, my daddy swore to Thomas he'd always protect Tate and Theo, and I figure if he can't keep that promise then I should for him. Second…she's a good kid, Jayge. She deserves someone that'll love her and look out for her, not one of those god-awful foster homes she got stuck with last time".

JJ paused, considering what Will had told her. "How do you know what your father promised Thomas? You said up until you got the call about Theo you didn't even know about Tate".

Will stood up from the bed, and walked over to his duffle bag. He searched through it for a moment, before pulling out a thick, leather-bound journal. He sat back down next to JJ, opened the journal up to the bookmarked page, and held it out to her.

"My daddy kept these, he's got dozens. He pretty much wrote about everything, and after he died I went through and read some of 'em. I know I probably shouldn't have but…" Will trailed off. "Anyway, I remembered reading something about someone named Tate, so I asked Beck to mail it out here".

JJ glanced down at the journal, and read through the page Will had marked.

October 2nd, 1997

Everything went south with CD today. Typical of him to need help during one of the worst storms of the year. HT and I met him in Mississippi, and then called TJ to come meet us. CD was in a panic, apparently JB wasn't the man we all thought he was. TJ said not to worry about it, he'd take care of everything. TJ and LJ are planning on bringing the kids up north, Boston, maybe New York. None of us wanna see them go, but we made a promise. I swore to Tate's father I'd keep her safe, and this is the best way for that to happen. TJ's got people after him, but no one will bother looking after they leave the city. It's best for everyone, CD, LJ, and the kids.

"He always used initials in his journals, at least for adults. Guess he liked keeping some things secret. Best I can figure out is HT is Harlan Tibideaux, TJ and LJ are Thomas and Lauren…can't figure out CD but…" Will stopped.

"So you think Theo might've been right? Someone was after Thomas and they finally caught up to him," JJ asked.

"I dunno. Doesn't really matter anymore I guess, what's done is done. But JJ, this is something I gotta do okay? And if you don't wanna be a part of it, I'm not gonna stop you from leavin'," Will told her seriously.

"What? No! Look, I was just surprised is all. But, if you think you can do this, and you want to do this, then you should," JJ insisted.

"And you'll still come to spend the weekends in New Orleans?" Will asked hesitantly.

"Whenever I can," JJ promised. "Now let's get some sleep, it's been a long day".

JJ still wasn't too sure about the whole idea of Will raising a kid, but she knew nothing she said was going to convince him not to do it.

Once JJ had gotten up and gone into the bathroom, Will let out a sigh of relief. He had hoped JJ would be supportive, but he had also known that might not be the case. JJ had a habit of running when it came to commitment. But the hard part was done. Now, all he had to do was tell Tate.

Will stood in front of the mirror, fixing his tie. He was wearing a simple black suit, one he hadn't worn since his own father's funeral. His heart ached slightly, thinking about it, but he shoved the memory aside to focus on the funeral he was about to attend.

"You ready?" JJ asked from behind him.

Will turned around to see JJ wearing a long black dress, her blonde hair falling down her back.

"You look beautiful," he said, giving her a kiss before reaching to help her with her coat.

He paused for a moment, before saying "you know, you guys don't have to come. I'm fine going by myself".

"Of course we're going. For Tate, and for Theo," JJ whispered to him. "I know I never met him, but I'm pretty sure any 20 year old that voluntarily raises his little sister, and does a damn good job of it, is a good kid. He deserves to have people there".

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Will responded, shoving his arms into his own coat.

"Alright, we better get going," JJ said walking towards the door.

"Hey, Cher?" Will asked, still standing by the mirror. JJ turned around and looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"You think I'm doing the right thing?" he wondered, fidgeting with his cufflinks.

JJ walked over, and straightened his crooked tie. "Of course you are. Look, I know I wasn't sure at first, but there's no doubt in my mind that that kid is lucky to have you," she reassured him.

Will walked over to a small table by the bed and snatched the car keys up. He was about to open the door, when JJ spoke up

"He'd be proud of you right now". Will paused for a moment before twisting the door handle.

"Cmon, we're gonna be late," he said quietly.

They buried Theo in a small cemetery in the center of Dover, right under an old oak tree. To his right side lay his father, and to his left, his mother. There had been a storm the previous night, blanketing the earth in eight inches of fresh snow. It was a brilliant blue day, with not a cloud in the sky, and the air was crisp; it was the type of day Theo would have loved. Four of Theo's best friends carried the casket, along with Mr. Miller and Hotch.

Will had wanted to be a pallbearer but had figured he should stay with Tate, so JJ had asked Hotch to take the remaining spot. The coffin was a beautiful, deep mahogany, that gleamed in the sunlight. It turned out that along with boats, Miller was also efficient in making caskets. Roughly 30 people were in attendance, the team, a few cops, including Fitzpatrick, and some people that lived in town. Several boys that had gone to school with Theo wore letterman jackets over their suits, from one of the three sports Theo had been captain of. A priest from the local church completed the service, before looking expectantly at Tate.

Will looked down at the girl, who he'd been standing to the side of the entire service. Like everyone in attendance, she was dressed in all black. She seemed tired and was pale with the exception of her cheeks, red from the cold air and harsh wind.

"Do you wanna say something?" Will asked her quietly. Tate shook her head, still staring straight ahead at the casket.

Tate had never even been to a funeral before. She and Theo hadn't been allowed to go when their parents died, and her grandparents had been dead long before she was born. Besides, she was too numb. Eulogies were supposed to be of happy memories, but right now she couldn't think of a single one. All she could think was that not ten feet from her, her brother lay dead, about to be lowered six feet down into the cold earth, right next to her dead parents. He would never breathe again, laugh again, smile again. Tate's whole world was gone, confined to three wooden boxes, and she suddenly wished there could be a fourth just for her.

Will sighed quietly, and looked over at JJ, who shrugged her shoulders. He knew someone should say something, but he hadn't seen Theo in years, and didn't feel like he was the right person. He was about to motion to the priest to finish up the service when a young man approached Will and Tate.

He looked to be about Theo's age, and was tall, at least three inches taller than Will. He had short, brown curly hair, and a pair of bright green eyes. The boy glanced at Will, before bending over slightly to look Tate in the eye.

"Hey, squirt. Mind if I go up and say something?" the boy asked Tate.

She shook her head; Grant was Theo's best friend, he could say whatever he wanted. And he was certainly in a better mindset to talk than Tate was. Grant slowly approached the open space where the priest had been standing. He paused and took a deep breath before beginning.

"Theo, he was…he was the type of guy everyone liked. And not just because he was smart, or popular, which he was, but because he was honestly a good person. I can remember the first day I met him. We were in the fifth grade, and he'd just moved from New Orleans. I'd gotten into a fight with some other kids and Theo felt the need to come to my defense. Some other kid warned him I was trouble and should stay away from me, which frankly he should've listened to. But he just looked that kid straight in the eye, and said "where's the fun in that?".

Several people let out small chuckles at that, and Will figured this kid had a habit of getting into a fight and Theo of breaking them up.

"And he was always smiling. Seriously, I mean all the time. We'd be skating out on the lake at 5 am in the freezing cold for hockey practice, doing sprints, and he'd be laughing the whole time. That was just Theo, always trying to make everyone else happy. But the most important thing about Theo was how he was always helping everyone,".

For the first time since the service had started, Tate looked up from the ground and over at the boy. She could scarcely breathe as the memories of Theo flooded her brain. Theo would never do any of those things again. Her brother, her best friend in the world, was gone, and all she had left was a few memories. Grant caught her eyes and paused, before continuing.

"Whether it was teaching the little kids to play baseball at the park, helping people pass their finals, or let's not forget, the time he pulled Mr. Lincoln's dog outta the frozen pond. He was always doing things for other people," the boy looked back at Tate one last time. "He was an amazing brother, a damn good person, and the best friend I could've asked for," glancing at the casket, the boy finished his eulogy. "I'm not certain about a lot of things in life, but there is one thing I know for sure. Theo was taken from us far too early, and it's not fair. Because he would've changed the world, and everyone knows it. We'll miss you more than you could ever know, Teddy,".

Tate almost broke at that, and she would've if not for the numbness still eating at her. Theo had always hated being called Teddy, which of course made Grant call him it all the time. But Theo knew Grant was only teasing him, so he had always laughed when being called Teddy. A rich, deep, wonderful laugh that would never be heard again.

After the casket had been lowered into the cold earth, the crowd began to disperse. The boy walked back over to join Will and Tate.

"You doing okay, squirt?" he asked Tate.

"I guess so," she responded, the first words she'd spoken since the day before.

"Listen, I gotta get back to school, but you have my number, right? And you know you can call whenever, okay?" he asked her and waited until she nodded before pulling her into a hug. Will heard him whisper something into her ear, but he didn't know what.

JJ was walking over the group when Will decided to introduce himself to the boy.

"Will LaMontagne," he said, sticking out his hand, "I was a friend of their father's, I suppose".

"Grant Sullivan," the boy responded, firmly shaking Will's hand. "Do, uh, you mind if I talk to you for a second?" the boy said, tilting his head to the side to make it clear that whatever he had to say, he didn't want it said in front of Tate.

Will nodded, and told Tate he'd be right back before walking towards the road that ran through the cemetery with Grant.

"So, is Tate gonna be going with you and your wife?" Grant asked.

"Uh, she isn't my wife but, Tate's gonna be comin' back with me to New Orleans," Will informed the boy.

Grant seemed to consider this a moment, before nodding, and suddenly stopped walking.

"Listen, I made a deal with Theo years ago, that if anything ever happened to him I'd make sure Tate was ok. So if I hear that you've hurt her, in any way, I'll hunt you down myself. Are we clear?" Grant threatened.

"Crystal," Will said. "She'll be taken care of, though, I swear to you".

Will's response seemed to be enough to the boy, who reached into his jacket to unlock his car.

"They've just…been in some not so nice places before, alright. Apparently some of their foster fathers thought it was fun to beat his kids. So just give her some time to adjust," Grant continued

Will nodded silently. It was one thing reading Tate and Theo's CPS file, but it was another thing hearing the truth from one of Theo's closest friends.

"I gotta be getting back to school but make sure Tate knows she can call me," the boy told Will, who confirmed he'd tell Tate.

Will walked back over to Tate and JJ, worrying slightly about how Tate would take the news that she'd be coming back to New Orleans with him. Sure, she trusted him a little, or at least he thought she did, but that might be out of necessity rather than actually wanting to.

"I'll give you two a few minutes," JJ said pointedly looking at Will.

Will watched JJ walk away and join Hotch and Morgan before looking back at Tate. He could see her eyeing Ms. Higgins, who had brought her from the group home and was currently standing in the parking lot, talking to Rossi and Reid.

"How are you feeling?" Will asked Tate, who only shrugged in response.

"Listen, kiddo, I talked to some people and…how would you feel about coming back to New Orleans and staying with me?" he blurted.

She stared at him for a moment, eyes wide. "Really?" she said incredulously.

The man had to be joking. Why on Earth would he want to foster Tate? Bill certainly never had, and he had known Tate and Theo far better than Will. But Tate couldn't help the burst of hope inside that she wouldn't be sent off to live with complete strangers.

Will barely had a chance to confirm her question with a nod before she threw herself into his arms, burying her head into his coat. His arms tightened around her, and they stayed there for a few moments, silently standing in the snow.

"Thank you," Tate whispered, so quietly Will almost missed it. Will held her for a few more seconds before pulling back.

"Why don't you go catch up with JJ, hm? I'll be along in a few minutes," he told her.

Tate nodded, and headed across the cemetery towards JJ. Once Will felt the girl was far enough away, he turned back around to face the three graves that held her entire family.

He knelt down a little in front of Theo's tombstone in the center, fresh brown dirt underneath his feet from the recent burial.

"You can rest now, she's safe with me," he told the three of them. He glanced back down the road at the parking lot to see Tate talking with JJ and the rest of the team.

"She's safe with all of us. I promise you that". Will stood back up, took one last glance at the graves, and walked down the hill to join his family.

"Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light." –Dylan Thomas