After making sure that Chief Cruz arrived safely at the bar that had been set up in the dining room, Christine rejoined Rossi as he continued to greet their arriving guests.

"Did I miss anything?" she asked him with a smile, as she put her arm through his.

"Eleanor and Robert DuValle just arrived," he reported. "And, besides their grandsons they also brought Phillipa Bigelow with them. She immediately asked about Reid and the twins, and then went with Eleanor to the 'Kids' Room' to deliver the grandkids."

"I assume David and Diana are down there?" Christine asked.

"Yes, and Reid is probably still there as well, performing magic tricks for the kids," Rossi responded with a worried look.

"No problem!" Christine seemed unperturbed.

"You're sure?" Rossi questioned. "You don't want to go down there?"

"Dave," Christine took a deep breath as she looked at him. "Spencer needs to be free to meet other people and explore other avenues. He has to make up his own mind, and I have to believe that everything will work out right in the end."

Rossi gave Christine a quick hug as they turned to welcome the next group of guests, which included JJ and Henry.

"Hey there, young man!" Rossi greeted the child with a high-five. "We've been waiting for you!"

"Really?" Henry's eyes grew big.

"Of course," Christine joined in. "We have a whole room set up for the kids, and the only thing that's missing is you!"

"What have you got?" Henry got right down to business.

"Video games and lots of good eats," Rossi assured him. "And, if you'll head right down this hall to the sunroom, you'll find that Jack and the twins are already there."

The adults laughed as they watched Henry charge down the hall. JJ then turned to Christine. "I need to talk with you," she stated simply. "Someplace private, if you don't mind."

"Of course," Christine replied. "Why don't we go into Dave' study? It's private and I can sit down and put my feet up. I strongly suspect they are starting to swell."

She looked at Rossi. "Can you hold down the fort without me?" she asked.

"Go," Rossi told her. "I think the two of you need to talk."

Christine led the way into Rossi's study and, once there, promptly sat down on the leather couch, took her shoes off, and propped her feet up.

"I thought these shoes would be comfortable for the evening," she complained. "Guess I was wrong!"

JJ perched on the coffee table in front of the couch. "I need to apologize to you," she began.

"No – Don't say anything!" she said as Christine opened her mouth to reply. "I was horrible to you that day in the conference room. My only excuse is that my own life wasn't going very well, and then, when you came back, I was afraid you were going to ruin what little good I had left. I saw you as a threat – And I shouldn't have. I am truly sorry, and I hope you can forgive me."

"JJ," Christine chose her words carefully. "I understand – Really I do. I ran away because I couldn't see anything good in my life – You lashed out. There really isn't that much difference between us."

"Except I had an audience," JJ laughed shakily. "I am so sorry, Christine! So very, very sorry! And, the worst part of it is that I dragged Penelope into it!"

"Don't worry about her," Christine assured the agent. "She and I have already discussed everything and we are good. Just worry about yourself. How are you doing?"

"You're doing it again!" JJ asserted. "Worrying about someone else when you need help just as much as the rest of us."

"Well, in that case, let me ask you something else," Christine said. "When are you going to tell Aaron?"

"Tell Hotch?" JJ asked innocently. "What is there to tell?"

"How you feel about him," Christine declared. "JJ, all the time I have known you, the two of you have been dancing around each other. You two need to sit down and talk."

"There's nothing to talk about," JJ insisted. "He wants to marry you."

"He wants to marry me because he thinks that's the right thing to do," Christine corrected her. "He isn't in love with me, he's in love with you. He just won't admit it! Why do you think I keep turning him down?"

"Who won't admit what?" Garcia stuck her head in the door. "I hope you don't mind. The door wasn't closed or anything." She walked hesitantly into the study and stood looking at them.

"No, no problem!" JJ assured her as she stood up to leave. "Christine – Thanks! And, now, I have to track down Eleanor DuValle and speak with her."

"The last I saw, she and Phillipa were taking her twin grandsons back to the 'Kids Room'," Garcia told the blond agent.