Present Day

Suddenly, Hotch realized that the five minute warm-up was over and that he had been thinking so hard that he hadn't seen a thing. As he watched dazedly, the first skater in the group moved to center ice, took her opening pose, and waited for her music to begin.

As the music started, Hotch again thought back through the years -

Fifteen Years Ago

Following his team's departure from Houston, he had called Laurel at irregular intervals over the next several months to check on how she and Paige were doing. She told him about the young female lawyer by the name of Aretha Jackson who was handling her lawsuits against the charity that ran the shelter, the police department, and the officers who had picked her and Paige up. She also kept him updated on how Paige was growing and what she was learning. He, on his end, told her about the various members of the team, what they were doing and what they were involved in and, also, what he and Jack were doing. However, as time went by, the calls became less and less frequent.

It was almost two years later, when he saw a short piece on one of the national news shows about her lawsuits, that Hotch realized how much he really wanted see Laurel and Paige again. So, after verifying Jack's school schedule, he opened up his cell phone and dialed the familiar number for the Sleepaway Inn and Suites in Houston.

"Good morning, Sleepaway Inn and Suites, Houston, Texas. How may I direct your call?" the woman answered the phone.

"Laurel Mercer, please," Hotch asked.

"I am sorry but Ms. Mercer no longer works here. Is there someone else who could assist you?" was the response.

"She's not there?" Hotch was stunned. "Where did she go?"

"I am sorry, but I am unable to give you that information," the woman replied.

"What about your manager, Allison Hamilton?" Hotch asked. "May I speak with her?"

"Ms. Hamilton is no longer here either," the woman informed him.

"Can you tell me where she went?" Hotch was getting frustrated.

"Ms. Hamilton is now managing our newest location out near Intercontinental Airport," the operator replied.

"May I have that number?" Hotch asked, relieved that he had a lead on Laurel and Paige's whereabouts.

Ten minutes later, he had an excited Laurel on the phone.

"Aaron!" she thrilled at him. "It is so-o-o good to hear from you! How are you?"

As if by magic, a smile appeared on his face as he leaned back in his desk chair. "I'm just fine," he assured her. "And, it sounds like you have received a promotion."

"Yes!" she enthused. "I'm now Head of Housekeeping at a brand new Inn location. It is so cool!"

"This place is twice as big as the old one," she continued. "And, it's out near the airport so we deal mainly with business travelers. Plus, Paige and I now have a suite instead of just a double room. I wish you could see it."

"Well, there is a chance I may be able to," Hotch was smiling widely. "I just checked and Jack has a long weekend coming up. I can arrange to get off work, so how would you like some company?"

"Just tell me the date!" Laurel's voice floated over the phone. "And, I'll make sure you two get the best room in the house!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"I'm sorry, but I really can't accept your generosity." It was several weeks later and Hotch was standing in the Inn's lobby, speaking with the manager. "I am a government employee and that is strictly forbidden."

"You're responsible for saving Laurel and Paige's lives, and I insist you allow me to show my gratitude," Allison Hamilton replied.

"Aaron – Aaron Hotchner?" Laurel's voice came from across the room. "Oh My Gosh - You are really here!" She hurried over to give him a hug. "It is so good to see you!"

Hotch could see Paige following behind her mother, giving him a shy smile.

"Okay, what about if we make a deal?" Allison suggested. "We will charge you one dollar, plus a donation of a stuffed animal to our charity."

"A stuffed animal to your charity?" he questioned, mystified.

"Yes," Laurel smiled at him. "You probably didn't hear about it because you are in Quantico, but Paige and I had the opportunity to help some children."

"After Penelope determined that – Paige's father – is working on the North Slope in Alaska and unlikely to know anything about what is happening in Houston, I gave several press interviews telling about what had happened to Paige and I, and about our lawsuits," Laurel explained. "And, in the first interview, I told how the two men who picked us up took the stuffed rabbit that Paige had had since she was born and that she never got it back. I pointed out that every child needs some stability and security in their life and that by taking that stuffed toy they had stolen my daughter's security."

"The interview had no sooner aired than all the news stations in town began to be inundated by stuffed animals and baby blankets and cash donations," she continued. "It was amazing!"

"People can be very generous," Hotch said thoughtfully. "Particularly when there are young children involved."

"Well, the people around here were definitely generous," Allison told him. "We honestly didn't believe it."

"So, after consulting with several people, my lawyer helped me set up a program that provides stuffed animals and blankets to be carried in the city's police cars to be given to children in distress," Laurel concluded. "It is being coordinated by a women's group that also supports the city police's K-nine unit."

"That is a good idea," Hotch agreed thoughtfully. "Some of those kids have seen their entire life destroyed in the matter of a few seconds. They need something to hang on to and a stuffed animal at a time like that can make a big difference."

He smiled at Laurel and Paige. "It's good to see both of you," he told them.

"And, that does sound like a good compromise," he told Allison. "I'll have a couple of stuffed animals here for you before I leave."

"Now, I have someone here I would like you to meet," he motioned for Jack to join them.

"This is my son, Jack," he said proudly. "Jack, this is Ms. Allison and Ms. Laurel and her daughter, Paige."

"Aaron Hotchner," Laurel exclaimed. "You never told me what a handsome young man you have for a son! It is a pleasure to meet you, Jack." She held out her hand to shake while Paige came cautiously closer.

Jack was staring Paige. "Dad, she's pretty!" he burst out, looking over at his dad for confirmation.

"She certainly is," his dad agreed as he looked at Paige's mother. "She certainly is!"