"We didn't get to sleep late last night, and I am still exhausted," Erin mumbled as she followed Spencer and Alex down the jetway to get to their plane.

"Yes, well, did you happen to do anything that might tire you out?" Alex glanced back over her shoulder to give her a small wink and she rolled her eyes a little. "That's all the answer I need." Erin quickly glared at her a little, working to keep from sticking her tongue out, not wanting to appear childish. Spencer tightened his hold on her hand, and she glanced up at her partner, seeing that there was a faint flush to his cheeks.

"She teases because she loves," he whispered as they stepped onto the plane, and she nodded in return, letting go of his hand to follow Alex to their pair of seats. Business class definitely had its perks, she thought as she stowed her carry on bag beneath the seat in front of her before sitting down and fastening her seatbelt.

"Aren't you going to pull out headphones?" Alex asked as she plugged hers into the jack, and she shook her head. "Why?"

"I'll either be talking to you or sleeping, and I could never sleep with headphones on. Though it feels like a spot of sleep will be first, since I truly am exhausted. If I fall asleep before takeoff, will you wake me when they come by with snacks?"

"Of course."

Erin gave Alex a small smile as she unfolded the blanket that had been on her seat, spreading it over her lap as she tried to make herself comfortable. The buzz of people around her soon lulled her into a light sleep, and the last thing she felt was Alex adjusting her blanket, bringing it up around her shoulders as she slipped into oblivion.

She came to with a start some time later, and looked around to see that Alex was giving her a bemused smile, and the flight attendant looking patiently at her. "Oh, could I have some ginger ale?" she asked as she let the blanket drop into her lap and tried not to stretch, knowing that she might knock her arm into the attendant. The woman gave her a small nod before moving towards the galley, and once it was safe, Erin cracked her back and sat up a little more fully, smiling at Alex. "How long was I asleep for?"

"Only about forty-five minutes. There was a bit of a delay in taking off, so we've only been in the air for fifteen minutes or so. You look a lot more rested."

"Thanks, I feel a lot better. So, what are you listening to?" she asked gesturing towards the screen in front of Alex.

"You know, you always know."

"Even though you're not working on that paper any longer?"

Alex blushed a little as the attendant returned with their drinks and snacks, setting them down on the trays in front of them before going to the next row of people. "It's a coping mechanism now. I find that if I can get into a flow, my mind clears, and I'm better able to focus on the cases we need to solve. Don't worry, Spence has caught me doing it, too."

She laughed a little as she nodded. "We all need something that keeps us sane out in the field. My coping mechanism was much less healthy than yours, Lex. I wish that I had woken up to how large a problem I had before I hit rock bottom. Derek was the one who took me to the IAB approved rehab, and that was a huge blow to my sense of pride. But I learned so much about myself there, and how I had treated people, and how to be a better person. That was why I reached out to make amends, because I knew that I had treated you so badly. I'm so glad that we've had this opportunity to get to know each other again. I know that we can't wipe out our past, but can we begin again?"

"I would like that, Rin. It's been difficult to try and act aloof as I watched you and Spencer fall in love. You know, I am used to you being calculating, slow to make decisions, planning. This whirlwind romance has been rather shocking."

"I feel the same way, honestly. I never expected something like this to happen to me. But I've learned to grab happiness by the horns and make it mine. And Spencer kisses really well," she said before picking up her ginger ale and taking a quick sip, needed a small buffer.

"I…am trying not to think about that, Rin. He is the same age Ethan would have been, and that's just a little too weird for me. But I will be happy for you. I can't help but notice that you're still wearing the ring."

She nodded as she stretched out her hand and looked at the silver band. "We've decided that wearing them is the best thing for us right now. Because we're ready to make that commitment to each other. The first hurdle is going to be the children, though. I've written them as much as I can, and hinted at the fact that I've met someone, and that it's serious. I know that things will work out, with time, but I'm just so impatient these days, because I feel like time is running out. Even before we assumed that John was the one hunting us, I've felt that in the back of my mind. I don't want to reach the end of my thread in the tapestry without making things right, and I am so glad that you're willing to allow me this, Lex." She reached across the seat and curled her hand around Alex's wrist, a tremulous smile on her lips. "I wish that he had had a chance at life. I remember the pictures you brought in of him, and thinking how much he looked like you."

"Really? I thought he looked more like James."

Erin nodded. "He had your nose, and your eyes. And that beautiful smile." Tears gathered in the corner of her eyes. "When I started my family, I always hoped that I'd end up with a child that took after me. The closest I got was Tabitha, and that's just my hair and smile."

"Oh, no, Rin. Bruce is your clone, I swear. Even if he inherited Alan's hair color." Erin let out a watery little chuckle as she shrugged. "Garcia actually showed me a few pictures of your family, she claimed it was by accident, but I think that she's been trying to get us back together ever since she realized there was bad blood between us."

"She truly views us as a family, Lex. She would do anything to keep us safe and bring harmony between us. I wish that I had realised that earlier, but I was still so worried that the team's actions would reflect poorly on me. It's hard to be under that much pressure all the time, even if a lot of it was self-imposed."

"We're good at making more trouble for ourselves, aren't we?" She nodded as they finished their snacks, and then Erin let out a soft sound of surprise when Alex put up the armrest between them and gestured for her to get in her space. "We can watch a movie together while we're waiting for our meal?"

"How am I going to listen?"

"Use the right earphone," she replied, handing it over, and Erin nodded as she scooted in close, resting her head against Alex's as she inserted the earbud and let out a soft sigh. "I'm thinking a comedy?"

"You would be right. I find myself needing something light after all the darkness I see at work." Alex nodded and went to the right tab and began to flip through the offerings. Glancing across the aisle, she saw Spencer looking at her, and she gave him a soft grin, watching him nod in return before he returned to his conversation with Derek. A sense of peace filled her heart as she realised that her life was so perfect in that moment, even if the specter of John Curtis was looming over her homecoming. They would deal with that when they were home, even though she had left her heart in Tangier.