The room quickly filled as Morgan, Lewis, and Reid burst through the doorway behind Hotch.
"Hotch, is that you, Man?" Morgan demanded.
"You charged right past us on the porch," Reid added.
"Hotch – Is it really you?" JJ hesitated a moment before throwing herself at him and enveloping him in a hug as she began weeping. "Oh Hotch!"
Lewis, with tears in her eyes, quickly joined JJ in the hug.
"Aaron Hotchner!" Rossi's voice boomed out. "As I live and breathe – After all this time." He tried to grab Hotch to kiss him on the cheek, but discovered that JJ and Lewis were in his way.
"This is your missing agent?" George Hughes guessed.
"The very one," Cruz assured him. "And, he appears to be in extremely good shape for having gone missing for so long."
"He certainly doesn't appear to have been starved or beaten," he added thoughtfully.
"Okay, now, Hotch," JJ pulled back and looked him over. "What is going on here? To look at you, you look like you have been at a spa or a resort or something – All tan and lean and everything."
"Yes, Hotch," Reid began his analysis. "You appear to have lost at least 15% of your body fat, as well as gaining significant muscle mass."
"Not that you needed to," he quickly added.
"Definitely muscle," JJ grabbed his bicep. "And well-toned, too," she added with a knowing smirk.
"Man, you are about to put me to shame," Morgan grinned at him.
"I've been working outside," Hotch managed to choke out. "A lot."
"Well, it looks good on you," Lewis told him. "And, before we go any further, someone needs to call Garcia and tell her that we finally found you safe and sound."
"I can handle that," Rossi took out is cell phone. "Assuming we have service out here." He looked over at Mistress.
"Service?" she questioned, confused. "And, what is that thing?" She was looking at the instrument in his hand.
"Let me step outside and find out." Rossi remembered a time before the existence of cell phones, but he didn't want to push the issue at the moment. As he walked towards the door, he wondered what other technology the residents of Hutchens Island were unfamiliar with. Then, he suddenly discovered that his progress through the door was being blocked by a young woman rushing into the room.
Rossi had to smile as he got a good look at the newcomer. She appeared to be in her early to mid-twenties, with masses of dark hair piled casually on top of her head and intelligent grey eyes. Although not conventionally pretty, she radiated a healthy self-assurance that he found attractive. And, through the lightweight cotton print dress she was wearing, he could tell that she was pregnant. Maybe about five months, he estimated.
"Excuse me, Mistress?" the newcomer exclaimed. "Five thirty nine says we have guests. Do you need any help?" She looked around the room.
"Seven fifty one - What is going on?" she asked as she realized that there was a group gathered around Hotch.
"Everyone," Hotch was wearing a wide grin as he walked over to put his arm around the young woman. "I would like you to meet 586 – My Wife."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
The ensuring silence was broken by Rossi. "Bella," he exclaimed as he rushed towards the young woman, grabbing her and kissing her on both cheeks. "I should have known that Aaron would manage to find himself the most attractive woman on the island! And, you are going to have a baby – How wonderful!"
"Congratulations!" JJ chimed in as she walked over to join him. "I am so happy for you!"
"I'm JJ, by the way," she added. "And I know Hotch from when I worked with him." She glanced over at Hotch for his confirmation.
"That's right," Hotch was still breathless from all the excited greetings. "Most of these people are ones I worked with before I came to the island."
"The man holding you is David Rossi," he continued. "You'll have to excuse him – He's Italian." Rossi just grinned at him.
"And over there," he gestured towards the rest of the team. "We have Derek Morgan, Tara Lewis, and Spencer Reid."
"This is a pleasure," Lewis sensed the young woman's discomfort as she walked over and offered her hand to shake. "I look forward to becoming better acquainted."
"Thank you, me too," 586 replied as she shook the agent's hand.
"As Hotch said, Derek Morgan." Morgan had recovered from his initial shock and walked over to flash his famous megawatt smile at 586. "And any friend of Hotch's is a friend of mine – Particularly if he is married to her."
"Doctor Spencer Reid," Reid had finally found his voice as he followed Morgan across the room. "You can call me Spencer or you can call me Reid or you can – " He trailed off confused by the unexpected turn of events.
"These other gentlemen?" 586's natural curiosity reasserted itself as she surveyed the other three men. "Did you work with them too?"
"These are the owners of the island," Mistress explained. "Ron Hartnell, Wayne Hayward, and George Hughes. I assume they have come for an inspection visit." She glanced over at them for confirmation.
"Actually, it's more than that," Ron Hartnell began. "But, first, a question – Do the other three farms have farm managers such as yourself or do you oversee all four farms?"
"Each farm has its own manager who has one assistant who oversees the workers and another who oversees the accounting," Mistress replied slowly. "But I thought you knew that."
"There are several things we need to clear up," George Hughes told her. "And it probably is better done if everyone is here to hear what we have to say."
"Nothing's wrong!" Wayne Hayward hastened to assure Mistress and Commander. "It's just that we are going to have to make some changes – nothing major – and we would like to tell everyone about them at the same time."
"I can send out some messengers," Commander offered. "And we can have everyone here first thing tomorrow morning. Will that be satisfactory?"
"That will be great!" George Hughes replied. "That will give us time to tour your farm and speak with some of the people who live here."
"You might want to invite The Professor from Farm #2 as well," Hotch spoke up. "I think he could be a big help with some of this. Plus, he's a big fan of Reid's." He smiled at the agent, who looked even more confused.
"Good!" Mistress was back in command of the situation. "Commander will get the messages sent out immediately. Now, how about lunch?"
"Five thirty nine," she called out.
"Yes Mistress?" the man appeared in the doorway.
"If you can let 502 know that we'll be having guests for lunch," Mistress told him. "And, then, have someone come over here to freshen up the bedrooms. I suspect our guests will be spending the night here in the house."
"Lunch has already been handled," came the immediate assurance. "The question is whether you would prefer to eat here in the dining room or in the dining hall."
"The dining hall," was George Hughes' quick decision. "That way we can meet and speak with some of the farm's residents while they eat lunch."
"Not a problem," 539 replied. "I'll let the kitchen staff know and then I'll get someone started on the bedrooms."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"You call everyone here by numbers," Lewis observed to Commander a short time later as the group walked over to the dining hall.
"That's the way it has always been done," Commander explained. "Some people acquire another name, mostly due to their responsibilities, but most are known by the name they were originally given, which is a number."
"Who determines the number?" JJ asked curiously.
"There is a master registry for the entire island," Commander told her. "And, when someone joins us they get the next number on the list."
"What number are you up to now?" Lewis asked.
"We are in the upper 700's," was the reply. "There was a baby born on Farm #1 just recently, and he was named 789."