Chapter 56

The week-end was a safe and good one, but by Monday morning the city was shoveling out. And everyone except Spencer and Laura had to go to work. "Are you sure?" Spencer asked as he trailed along behind Dave.

"Yes, I trust you." Dave replied. "Just stay clear of my office. I have book notes set out and if they get jumbled I'm going to be hours putting them back in order."

"What if you go out on a case?'

"Then feed the dogs for us. Morgan still can't get back to his place. If we don't go out on a case we'll bring back more files tonight."

And with that they were alone. They landed at coffee pot. "You're not going to let me make cookies, are you?" Laura asked.

"Given that neither of us should be lifting the mixing bowl, no." Spencer replied. "After tomorrow."

She sighed.

They spent a comfortable morning in the family room, watching more snow fall (Thankfully not that much), listening to music and working on getting their lives in order, filed electronically and synched. But sometime before noon Spencer's phone rang. "Can you two come in?" Hotch asked.

"Sure, what's going on?"

"A settlement?" Laura asked.

"Yes." Mr. Jameson, her conservator/attorney said. "While GlobalTech assumes no liability in this case they feel that some kind of restitution is in order."

"You mean they want to pay us off." Spencer replied. When the GlobalTech lawyers didn't know how to reach them they contacted Hotch, who in turn called in Laura's attorney and contacted HR for legal assistance for him. Now it was the four of them sitting there looking over the…offer.

"Pretty much," Blair, the lawyer from HR said.

"I don't see why though. It's not their fault that their CEO went Unsub, why would we sue them?"

"Because no matter how many times it's said that corporations are people, they really aren't, or so I learned from Dad." Laura replied. "A gentleman's agreement won't do it for them, they want something legally binding."

"Yeah. But why?"

"Hmmm…I'm guessing because a reporter has been sniffing around and they're afraid this story will go public and drag down their stock price. If they already had a settlement in hand it wouldn't be as much of an issue, and they could stipulate that we not talk to the press."

"We wouldn't!" Spencer insisted. He so did not want the press in his private life.

"Again, not people." Laura gently reminded him. "Personally I never did plan to sue, but if playing their game keeps this from spreading pain to their employees or any retirees who are holding on to their stock then I'm willing to play along. What are they offering?"

The lawyers placed open files in front of each of them, with a number on them that made Spencer swallow a few times. It looked like he wasn't going to have to worry about looking after Mom while supporting a family, or if the increasingly unlikely chance of needing Bennington, or retirement, or…

But Laura looked less than pleased, even though her papers held the same number. "Wait a minute, what's this clause here?"

"That clause stipulates that you will not discuss or disclose any part of what happened in public." Mr. Jameson said.

Laura's eyes flashed. "No." She replied. "Our daughter died. Talking about that to a reporter is one thing, but if I want to shout that from the rooftops I will." She handed the file back over. "Looks like they're going to have to accept a gentleman's agreement after all."

Spencer agreed.

"The question is," Laura said that night over supper, "Did I just shoot us in the foot? I mean granted I do have money set aside to buy a house, maybe not the best house…"

"For what we're willing to pay, more like an apartment." Spencer replied. He still had Bennington to pay for, and he wanted Laura to be able to stay home with the kids. That meant everything would be tight but they could manage, he thought.

"So what kind of a house are you looking for?" Morgan asked as the food started going around.

Spencer shook his head and deferred to Laura. It wasn't just that he trusted her, it was that her degree made her somewhat of an expert in turning a building into a home. "If I could do anything, something older, I think." She said. "I've always dreamed of restoring an older home."

"You're speaking his language." Dave said as Morgan's grin grew wider and wider. "He's restored about a dozen in the area so far."

Laura's eyes got all sparkly, "Seriously?" She turned to Morgan. "You'll help, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm gonna make you both get hands-on. Have you considered a row house?" Laura gave him a confused look and shook her head. "If you can manage the initial investment and put some serious sweat equity in you can come out with a nice, small home with a yard and a couple of apartments to boot to pay for the utilities and mortgage."

"Really?" Now she was grinning. "Awesome!"

Spencer looked over at Dave. "What just happened?"

"You just got voluntold." Dave chuckled.

Oh boy.