Tuesday morning, the team was assigned a case in the Great Lakes region. Unidentified bodies were washing up on the shores of Lake Erie in the area surrounding Toledo, Ohio, and there was a question of whether they were originating in the U.S. or Canada. The team had been working with the Ohio State Police as well as the Michigan State Police and the RCMP for almost to two weeks when, during a telephone call with Hotch, Christine suggested they look into local Native American land and mineral rights claims. After that, it was only a matter of hours before the two unsubs were identified, located, and taken into custody. Hotch just shook his head as he thought of the months and probably years of legal wrangling that would ensue as both countries vied to try the murderers.
It was late evening when Rossi completed his paperwork and headed for home. When he arrived, he found that Christine was still awake and sitting in his study waiting for him.
"You didn't have to wait up for me!" he protested.
"I wanted to," Christine told him. "I have really missed you! Now, go take a shower, and get ready to crash. I'll fix you something to eat. How hungry are you?"
"Not very," Rossi confessed. "Looking at waterlogged dead bodies kind of kills the appetite."
"Okay, one light snack will be waiting for you when you come out of the shower," Christine promised, giving him a push towards the stairs.
When Rossi came out of the shower, he found Christine waiting in his sitting room with a variety of foods for him to choose from. He could smell his favorite pasta sauce on at least one of the dishes she had heated up.
"Thank you, you've put a smile on this old man's face," he told her as he sank down onto the couch next to her. "Now that I smell this, I realize I am hungrier than I thought."
"Well, I wasn't sure what you would like, so I brought up a little bit of everything," Christine smiled at him. "And, I brought up some munchies for me, too."
"You're starting to get hungry at night?" Rossi questioned with a smile.
"Well, I do seem to be requiring more calories these days," Christine confessed as she picked up a mug of hot cocoa. "So, I have been eating a snack before I go to bed. It saves me getting up at three a.m. because I'm starving to death."
"Sounds like we will have to start adding an evening snack to our daily schedule," Rossi suggested cheerfully.
It wasn't long before Christine was yawning, and Rossi noticed that she was obviously fighting to keep her eyes open.
"Well, Kiddo, it looks like you're ready for bed," he commented.
"In just a minute – I want to finish my cocoa."
A short time later, Rossi noticed that Christine's eyes were closed and that, judging from her breathing, she was asleep.
"Well, Sleeping Beauty, do I wake you?" he murmured. "I certainly can't leave you here on my couch; you'll wake up with a stiff neck."
Moving carefully, he picked up the sleeping mother-to-be and placed her in his bed.
"I'm beyond the point where I could carry you down the hall and into your room," he told the slumbering woman as he covered her with a light blanket. "But, this worked the last time. With a king-sized bed, we each have our own side for the night. Sweet Dreams, Princess!"
When Rossi awoke the next morning, the first thing he did was check the far side of the bed where he saw that Christine was still fast asleep. Watching her, all he could think of was that, despite her flaws, she deserved a special someone to love her and watch over her, and take care of her and her babies. "Someone other than a beat-up old man like me," he concluded to himself.
He knew that Aaron had been actively courting Christine and that she had been smiling and saying all the right things, but his gut told him that she was just going through the motions; although, she did seem genuinely fond of Jack. Upon further reflection, he realized that it had been awhile since Reid had put in an appearance. Maybe, just maybe, Christine still had feelings for him. Perhaps it was time Reid had an opportunity to make things right with her.