Seven weeks later, on a Saturday morning, Christine was sitting on a bench at the far end of a neighborhood park in Quantico, intently watching parents pushing their children on the swings. She could barely make out the features of the man and the woman she was determinedly watching. The two of them were busy splitting their time between three children. She sensed, rather than saw, someone settle onto the bench next to her.
"I assume you will still drink a soy latte?" Hotch's voice interrupted her revere.
Christine turned her head to look at him. "I was wondering who would show up," she said quietly. "And, it has been quite a while, but a soy latte sounds wonderful."
"Dave and I have been taking turns," Hotch told her. "I was lucky enough to get today."
"Thanks," Christine accepted the drink. She continued to watch the swings.
"They're great kids. Reid's doing a good job with them," he said quietly.
"Better than I ever would have," Christine replied. "I knew he would be able to handle things."
"It couldn't have been easy," Hotch commented.
"The hardest thing I ever did," Christine admitted. "But, I knew it had to be done. I was a wreck, my life was a wreck, and there was no way I was going to drag the two of them down with me. Plus, Spencer has spent his entire life dealing with someone who has mental problems. I couldn't burden him with me, too."
"Would you like to meet them?" Hotch offered.
"NO!" Christine seemed to shrink two sizes as she drew inside herself. "NO!"
"I just want to know one thing," she continued, closing her eyes and drawing a calming breath. "Are they – normal?"
"As far as I can tell, they're normal," Hotch replied. "But, who can really define normal? What exactly - ?"
Christine turned to face him. "Aaron, I spent my entire pregnancy in a state of total panic," she reminded him. "There were days when I thought every breath I drew was going to be my last. That had to have affected the twins. It has been my greatest fear that I somehow damaged them for life. So, are they normal?"
"They're Reid's kids," he reminded her. "Let's just say they are abnormally normal. Other than that, I can definitely say that I've not seen any permanent damage that could be attributed to your 'situation' while you were pregnant with them."
"Are you sure you don't want to meet them?" he persisted.
"I'm not here to interfere with anyone's life," she told him gently. "I just wanted to reassure myself that they are alright. I'll sit here for a minute or two more, and then head back to my room at the motel and write. And, tomorrow morning, I'll drive back to my cabin at The Yoga Center."
Hotch reached over and put his hand on top of hers as they lay in her lap. "If you're sure," he said. He looked down at her hand and began rubbing it. "You're freezing!" he exclaimed.
Christine took her hand back and tucked it into her pocket. "It's one of the side-effects of my – adventure," she told him. "Whenever I get worried or upset or scared, I get terribly cold. I start shivering and shaking and my lips literally turn blue. I should be getting back to my room so I can wrap myself up in a comforter and get warm."
She started to stand up, but Hotch put his arm out to stop her. "My car's right here," he pointed. "Why don't we get in it and I can start the heater up? If I remember right, there's a 24-hour diner not too far from here. We can go there and get you some hot coffee or tea, and maybe some hot soup."
Christine hesitated a minute before replying thoughtfully, "That would be nice."
Hotch helped her up, then took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders. As the two of them walked down the sidewalk towards his car neither noticed that the man at the swings had stopped pushing and was squinting in their direction.