~Nightmare~

"Mommy, one more kiss, one more hug!"

Henry's little whisper cut through the darkness as JJ finished settling Michael down in his crib. She looked over her shoulder, seeing Henry smiling cheekily up at her from his bed. Breaking into a grin, she carefully pulled away from Michael's crib so as not to wake him, before sitting on the edge of Henry's bed. After more swimming and an early dinner, she knew Henry was exhausted, but he was also exuberant from being on holiday, and the last couple of nights, getting him to go to bed had been a mission.

"Time to go to sleep little man," she said softly, leaning down and pressing a loving kiss to his forehead. Henry giggled, lifting his little arms and wrapping them around his mom's neck. Her heart swelling with love, JJ wrapped her arms around his little body, giving him a warm cuddle as he pressed a kiss of his own to her cheek. JJ smiled, pulling back and tugging the covers up to his shoulders as he wriggled further beneath them.

"Mommy, we go swimming in the morning?"

JJ smiled, stroking the top of his head and nodding. "Of course buddy. But first, you have to go to sleep. Ok? You've had a big day"

"Ok," Henry whispered, closing his eyes tightly. JJ chuckled, placing his teddy bear beneath the covers with him as she stood up from the bed.

"I love you Henry," she said softly as she began to walk to the door.

"Love you Mommy," Henry replied sweetly. Smiling, JJ glanced over to the window, checking once more that the shutters were closed, before pulling the door closed behind her until it was just resting on the frame.

Letting out a breath, she turned and checked that the front door was firmly locked. They had only used that door once upon arriving in Spain, when they had first been shown to their apartment, but out of habit, JJ had still checked it every night after they had put the boys to bed.

Walking silently through the dining and lounge area, JJ slipped out onto the patio where Will was waiting with two glasses of wine.

"They go down ok?" he asked as she slid the door half closed so they could still hear if either of the boys woke up.

"Yeah," JJ sighed, dropping down beside him on the couch and leaning into his side. "Michael didn't eat much, so he'll probably be up again in the next couple of hours wanting to be fed"

"It's probably just the change in climate and time-zone. He'll be alright in a couple of days," Will replies, draping an arm around JJ's shoulders and giving her a little squeeze. JJ sat forward, taking her glass of wine from the table and leaning back into Will's side as she took a sip.

"Oh, that hits the spot," she said softly, making Will chuckle as he sipped his own.

JJ's phone buzzed where she had left it on the table. Leaning forward again, she switched it out with her glass of wine, opening it up to find a message from Emily.

The Facebook photos are killing me. I hate you just a little bit, Spain looks gorgeous. Hope you guys are having the best time, you deserve to relax a little. Also Henry looked adorable in his new swimmers!

Smiling, JJ tapped out a quick reply.

Thanks Em, we're having a great time. Haven't really left the resort much, but sitting by the pool all day certainly isn't a bad way to spend the time. Hoping to get down to the beach tomorrow, but if you know of anything else we should do while we're here, let me know!

"That Emily?" Will asked, watching as she set her phone down again.

"Yeah. She's jealous," JJ laughed. Will grinned, shaking his head as JJ snuggled up beside him again.

They sat in comfortable silence for some time, listening as the breeze rustled through the leaves in the trees. There were still a few people hanging around the pool area, and even more were dining at the poolside restaurant on the opposite side of the complex. There was a low hum of conversation and laughter that hung around the resort, making them feel relaxed and content as they sat there.

"Maybe we should both quit our jobs. Move here and live the good life," JJ said softly. Will chuckled.

"And what, Jennifer Jareau, would you do with yourself without serial killers to chase?"

"I'm sure Spain has serial killers"

Will laughed. "You certainly know how to make a guy relax on holiday"

"I try my hardest," JJ said with a grin, tipping her face up towards Will's and allowing him to peck her on the lips.

"You couldn't quit your job," Will murmured as he pulled back. "You'd go nuts"

"Maybe I already am… I mean, how many mothers with two kids under four make a living out of chasing psychos?"

"Probably just you," Will chuckled. "But it's ok. You married a guy who totally gets it"

They stayed like that, cuddled together, working their way through the glasses of wine as they talked softly about the past, the present, and the future.

It was nearly an hour later when they heard Henry let out a little cry from the bedroom, snapping them back to reality.

"I'll check on him," Will said softly, pulling himself up. "Probably bad dreams. Or his teddy fell out of bed"

JJ laughed, swatting at his butt as he stepped over her legs and headed inside.

When he walked into the kids' room, he found Henry curled up on his bed, his lower lip out in an impressive pout as his little eyes shone with tears.

"What's the matter buddy?" Will asked gently, kneeling down at the edge of his son's bed.

"There was… a man. Trying to get me," Henry said tearfully.

"Oh hey now, it's alright," Will said gently, brushing Henry's hair back. "You just had a bad dream. Mommy and I let you have too much sugar before bed, hey?"

Henry let out a watery little giggle, nodding as Will stood up and tucked him back in.

"It's alright Henry. You're safe. Mommy and I are right outside," he said softly, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah," Henry whispered. "Daddy, cuddle?"

Will smiled, leaning down and wrapping his little boy in a warm hug.

"Ohhh, I love you Henry"

Henry giggled softly, his tears mostly dried. "Love you Daddy"

"Try and get to sleep, ok? Otherwise we won't be able to go swimming," Will said quietly. Henry's eyes widened, and then he immediately closed them, making Will laugh.

"Goodnight little man"

"Night Daddy"

After checking on Michael again, finding the baby sleeping peacefully in his little starfish position he had come to favour, Will walked back outside to where JJ was waiting for him.

"He ok?" she asked as soon as he stepped outside.

"Yeah, he's fine," Will said softly. "Just a little bad dream. He's going back to sleep now"

JJ smiled as Will sank back down beside her, leaning back into his embrace as a warm summer breeze blew across the patio.

"You look so happy here," he said as he held her close, nuzzling his nose against her cheek. "So relaxed"

"I feel relaxed," JJ said simply, closing her eyes for just a moment and letting out a little giggle as his stubble tickled her jaw.

Rather than continuing to talk, they simply enjoyed each other's company, reveling in the serenity and relaxation that being so far away from home offered.

It was nearly 9:30 when another couple came walking along the terrace, chatting easily between themselves. As Will made to stand up and stretch out his back after being seated for over an hour, the man noticed them, and smiled.

"Evening," he said in a thick Scottish accent. "Lovely night, isn't it?"

"Very," Will replied.

"This is our first night here, how about you guys?"

"Fourth," Will said warmly, leaning against the pillar at the top of the steps. "It's been pretty great so far, can't complain about this kind of weather"

"Tell me about it. We're from Scotland, and it's rained almost every day this year when it wasn't snowing," the man chuckled. "I'm David, David Whyte, and this is my wife Catherine. We're staying in the apartment next door"

"Nice to meet you," Will said genuinely, making his way down the steps and extending his hand to David. "I'm Will LaMontagne, and this is my wife, JJ"

JJ smiled as she came down to stand beside Will. "Hi"

"How long are you staying in Spain?" David asked.

"Two weeks all up," Will replied. "Then it's back to work, I guess"

"Do you guys have any kids?" Catherine asked warmly.

"Two little boys," JJ replied with a smile. "Henry's nearly four, and Michael's six months"

"Oh sweet, I think we saw you coming back from the pool earlier today as we were checking in," Catherine gushed. "Our kids are all grown now, so we finally get a holiday to ourselves. I know it can be a lot of work with young children, but try and enjoy it all the same"

"It's been ok so far," Will said, sliding his arm around JJ's waist. "They've both been really good"

The summer breeze that had been blowing on and off all night blew a particularly strong gust of wind across where the four adults were standing. Moments later, the faint sound of Michael's cries rang out from the apartment.

"Here, I'll go," Will said quickly.

"It's fine. He's probably hungry," JJ said softly, placing a hand against Will's chest. "I did say so before, didn't I?"

Without another word, she turned and headed up the stone steps to the apartment door, leaving Will standing chatting easily with the two Scots. Sliding it fully open, she left it like that behind her, the breeze following her through the lounge room and to the room where the boys were sleeping.

As she reached the door, she noticed that the door was open wider than she had remembered leaving it. Almost immediately, she remembered that Will had been in after her, and had probably forgotten to close it on his way out. She pushed it open all the way and quickly crossed the darkened room to Michael's cot.

"Hey," she said softly, reaching down to rub the baby's belly. "You're ok buddy"

Spying his pacifier discarded beside him, she picked it up and gently prised it past his little lips. A few moments later, his cries diminished, his little eyes drifting back closed as he sucked happily on the pacifier. JJ waited a minute or so, making sure he really was asleep, before silently turning back towards the door.

It was then that her eyes landed on Henry's bed.

Empty. Covers rumpled at the end of the bed. His soft toy lying on the floor.

Furrowing her brow, she wondered if he was in the bathroom. Quietly, she made her way out of the room and into the little bathroom next door, which she found empty and dark. She checked behind the shower curtain, finding nothing.

"Henry?" she called softly, turning back on herself and re-entering the boys' room. She quickly dropped to her knees, checking under the bed; maybe Henry had had another nightmare and taken refuge under the bed.

When that turned up nothing but dust bunnies, she leapt up, reaching over and wrenching open the closet. Her heart rate seemed to increase tenfold when she found that empty as well.

"Henry?" she called a little louder, leaving the boys' room. As panic began to flood through her, she doubled back, reaching into Michael's cot and lifting the sleeping baby into her arms. Clutching him to her chest as he let out a little whine, she moved faster than she thought possible as she checked the rest of the little apartment. But after a few minutes, it was apparent that Henry wasn't there, and it was all she could do to not scream in panic. She made to turn and go back outside, when something caught her eye through the open door of the boys' bedroom.

The window was wide open. The window that she had shuttered and locked before putting the boys to bed. The shutters were now thrown open, the yellow light from the street lamp filtering in as the curtains waved lazily in the breeze.

"Oh my god," she breathed, physically feeling the colour draining from her face as she headed quickly for the open patio door.

"Will!" she yelled as she flew back through the door and down the steps. "Will, Henry's gone!"

"What?" Will asked as he turned around, clearly not believing what JJ was saying. David and Catherine's faces turned to shock.

"Henry's gone, he's not in his bed, I've checked the whole apartment, he's not there!" JJ cried, her eyes burning with tears. Will immediately leapt into action, pulling away from the terrace gate and running into the apartment. JJ followed him, unable to process everything as she listened to her husband yell for their son. Michael slept on on her shoulder, and she clutched him tightly, wanting something to ground her away from this unfolding nightmare.

Soon two more bodies had joined them. David aided Will in searching the apartment from top to bottom, while Catherine guided JJ back outside to sit on the sofa, fearing that the young woman was going to pass out with Michael clutched in her arms. People from neighbouring apartments, having heard JJ's cries and come to see what the commotion was about, were soon walking the area around the complex, calling Henry's name and shining torches into darkened alleyways.

It felt like an eternity. But when Will re-emerged from the apartment, his face whiter than JJ had ever seen it, she wanted to scream.

"We need to call the police," he said weakly, his voice cracking under strain. "He's not here"