"Five eighty six, seven fifty one, and seven sixty five!" The greetings rang out as the weekly supply boat pulled up to the newly expanded wooden dock at Farm #3 on Hutchens Island.
"Mistress – and Commander, too!" Lynn exclaimed. "You're here!" She began sobbing.
"Where else would we be?" Commander asked gruffly as he reached over to help her climb out of the boat.
"Besides, I had to oversee the weekly supply delivery," he added, nodding towards the back of the boat.
"As if my men and I couldn't handle that," 433, followed by two other men, had appeared on the dock.
"Seven fifty one, it's good to see you!" he declared as Hotch, after handing baby Lilly to Lynn, climbed onto the dock. "I have really missed you." The two men exchanged hugs accompanied by backslaps.
"It's good to be back," Hotch assured him. "Even if it is only for a short time."
"And this has got to be Baby Lilly," Mistress cooed as she peered over Lynn's shoulder. "Such a beautiful child – You are so lucky!"
"What about me?" Jacob piped up plaintively. "Is anyone glad to see me?" Four thirty three's men had helped him, Jack, and Garcia onto the dock and were now busily retrieving everyone's luggage from where it was stacked in the stern of the boat.
"Of course we are, Young Fellow," 433 assured him. "And let me tell you that my wife, in particular, is looking forward to seeing you again."
"Now, everyone," Hotch called to get the group's attention. "I would like you to meet our computer tech, Penelope Garcia. She is going to be working at Farm #2. And," he smiled proudly. "My son, Jack." He put his arm around the teenager's shoulders.
"Welcome to Hutchens Island," Mistress smiled at the two newcomers. "I hope you'll enjoy your visit here."
"Yeah – Right," Jack huffed as he shrugged off his father's arm. "Six weeks," he groaned. "Just show me where to put my suitcase."
"Jack!" Hotch exclaimed, and then caught a look from 433.
"Why don't you pick up your suitcase and come with me?" 433 told the teenager. "I'll show you which cot you have been assigned in the men's dorm." He began walking down the road towards the farm.
"And, you, men," he called out over his shoulder. "Why don't you give pretty Ms. Garcia there a hand with her luggage? I'm sure she could use one; particularly with that cage she appears to be carrying." He squinted curiously at the pet carrier Garcia was grasping tightly.
"Cot – Dorm?" Jack grumbled. "I don't even get a room of my own?" He picked up his suitcase, swung his backpack over his shoulder, and began trudging after the older man.
"I am so sorry – " Hotch began apologizing to Mistress. "He's been like that ever since we left Virginia."
"He's a teenager who, if I remember rightly, takes after his father," Mistress smiled at him. "Don't worry. He'll come around."
"Now," she said. "Let's get the rest of you and your belongings up to the farm."
She led the way towards the shed that Hotch remembered as being used for weighting and sorting produce prior to its being shipping to the mainland. However, when she reached the building she went around to the back where there were several electric carts parked, recharging their batteries via some solar panels that were set up there.
"We can ride now?" he questioned with a smile. "While Jack and 433 - ?"
"It will give him some time to think."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
When they arrived at the farm, Hotch, Lynn, Jacob, and Lilly were quickly escorted to Lynn's old room in the women's dorm.
"We kept it just for you," Mistress told her. "We knew you'd be back."
"And your friend is in the room next door," 464 added. "Even though I understand she isn't going to be here for long?"
"That's right," Lynn put Lilly down in the crib that had been set up for her. "Tomorrow Penelope will be going over to Farm #2. She's here to work on the communications system and, since The Professor seems to be the person using it the most, she's going to be using him to try out some new ideas."
"That sounds good," Mistress commented. "However, I doubt that any of you have eaten since breakfast and the kitchen staff has been holding a late lunch for you. Why don't we all head over to the dining hall and get everyone fed and then, afterwards, you and I can have a talk."
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"I can't choose what I want to eat, I have to eat what I am given?" Jack grumbled later as everyone sat around a table in the dining hall.
"You can choose not to eat at all," Lynn pointed out. "If you don't like the food – "
"Well, I like it," Garcia declared. "This plant-based diet is definitely healthier for all of us."
"I knew you would approve of it, Penelope." A familiar voice echoed across the room as the front door swung shut. "And, if you like, I can get you some herb tea to go with it."
"Blake!" Garcia sprang up to run over and hug the linguist. "It is so good to see you! And, I assume that means that the package of teas I sent you arrived intact?"
"It's good to see you, too," Blake returned the hug. "And yes they did – Thank You."
"Hotch," she walked over to where he was sitting. "It is so good to see you. You know, I never got the opportunity to thank you and Matt Cruz for recommending James and his students to work on this island. Not only are they carrying out extensive research on diet's influence on health and hereditary conditions, but this place is a linguist's dream come true. A dialect that has been relatively uninfluenced by outside factors as it has developed over the past hundred years – Incredible!"
"Alex Blake," Hotch exclaimed as he stood up to hug her. "It is good to see you, too."
"Now, you already know Jack," he gave his son a warning look. "I would like you to meet my wife, Lynn, and her son ,Jacob, as well as the newest member of our family, Lilly."
"Hi, Aunt Alex," Jack mumbled, his mouth full of food.
"Hello, Jack," Blake replied. "It's good to see you again. And, Lynn, I have heard so much about you. It's great to finally meet you - As well as Jacob and this beautiful baby girl."
"It's good to finally met you, too," Lynn smiled at the woman. "Spencer speaks of you often."
"Well, he and Professor Chastain certainly talk about you and Jacob all the time," Blake returned her smile. "I saw them yesterday and they were looking forward to seeing both of you, as well as Penelope. The Professor, in particular, was looking forward to finally meeting her."
Hotch moved a chair over to make room for Blake at the table. "Sit," he told her. "And tell us all about how your and James' work has been going."
"Well, as you know," Blake began once she was seated. "Our first objective was to get everyone on the island vaccinated. With the increased contact with the outside world, there was concern about the possibility of an epidemic. Everyone has gotten their initial injections and we are now working on the second round of vaccinations for those diseases that need multiple inoculations. We have also been working on collecting DNA in order to see if we can identify those who were brought to the island at a young age."
"How is that going?" Hotch asked. "Have you been able to reunite any families?"
"Seven fifty one - You're back!" A body charged across the dining hall towards Hotch. "I am so glad to see you!"
"Six oh three," Hotch rose to greet the young man with a hug followed by backslapping. "I am glad to see you, too! How have you been and what are you working on?"
"I'm fine," was the immediate response. "However, - " he took a step back and shook his head sadly.
"I know," Hotch told him. "I heard about Cat. It's not your fault."
"He just didn't come back one day," there was a sob in the young man's voice. "And two days later 615 found him in the vegetable gardens, just lying there."
"Well, no one was ever sure exactly how old he was or where he came from," Lynn spoke up. "I'm sure he had a long and happy life - Especially at the end with you taking care of him."
"I think this is where I come in," Garcia smiled at the young man. "I think I have something that might make you feel a little better."
"You do?"
"On our way to the island we stopped at the animal shelter in San Juan," Garcia explained. "And Aaron helped me pick out another cat for you. He's exploring my room right now, if you would like to meet him." She stood up and looked over expectantly.
"Another cat?" 603 looked over at Hotch, who smiled encouragingly. "Yes - Yes, I think I would," he concluded.
"Well, then, let's go." Garcia began leading the way.
"Apparently, he was a ship's cat on one of the small boats that runs packages between some of the islands," she explained as the two walked across the dining hall. "And then the boat's owner got really sick and sold the boat. For whatever reason, the new owner didn't want a cat on board, and Moby, that's his name, ended up at the shelter."
"Moby, like Moby Dick?" 603 was questioning as the door closed behind them.
"Well, that should go a ways towards solving one problem," Mistress let out a deep sigh.
"It can't be a very big problem if it can be solved by a cat," Jack snorted derisively.
"Jack," Blake began patiently. "Did you by any chance notice the scars on 603's arms and neck?"
"Yeah?" Jack replied.
"As I understand it, those were raw and bleeding where he came here as a toddler," Blake continued. "He had apparently been repeatedly burned with cigarettes. When we started collecting DNA, he insisted on being one of the first people sampled. I think he was hoping he could find out who he is, what was done to him, and why it had been done. However – "
"There hasn't been any match," Hotch guessed. "So, he still doesn't know."
"I'm afraid not," Blake sighed. "We tried the National Database on Missing and Exploited Children, and several others as well. We haven't even been able to come up with a familiar match."
"So, he just disappeared and no one noticed?" Jack was shocked. "I know if I disappeared there are people who would be looking for me."
"And not only would we look for you, we would find you," his father stated definitively.
"However, that's not the case for 603," Mistress pointed out sadly. "That's why I am hoping that having a cat to care for will take his mind off it."