Hotch and the team stirred restlessly in their seats waiting for Paige's warm-up group to take the ice.
"Is it always this nerve racking?" Joel asked his sister.
"Sometimes it's worse," Laurel confided. "At least this is all in English so we can tell what's going on around us."
"It is really kind of weird in other countries where they don't speak English," Jack explained. "Aunt Alex and Uncle Spencer can tell what is happening and can understand most of the comments, but the rest of us have to kind of guess."
"Which warm-up group is Paige in?" Garcia was squinting nearsightedly at her program.
"The next-to-last one," JJ reached over to point. "And, after the warm-up is over, she is the first to skate."
"Is that good or bad?" Lois asked.
"That depends," Hotch explained. "It means that she needs to leave the ice early in order to catch her breath and compose herself. However, it also means that her muscles don't have an opportunity to 'cool down' before she skates."
"And, the ice isn't as torn up as it is for some of the later skaters," Morgan added knowledgeably.
"Oh Boy!" Joel groaned. "I had no idea it was that complicated!"
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Paige's warm-up group had finished and she was heading out to take her opening pose when Garcia groaned.
"I should have made that dress in red," she declared as everyone got a good look at the white 'flapper' style dress with silver trim that Paige was wearing, accented by a headband with white feathers attached.
"She looks fine, Penelope," Laurel assured her. "As I told you when you were making that dress, red would look too harsh for this number."
"The white and silver looks great," JJ spoke up. "The sparkles certainly catch the light as she skates."
As Paige reached her starting spot and assumed her beginning pose, 'Go Paige' echoed across the ice as her music began.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"That was a really great skate!" Ian congratulated Paige later as they stood in the lobby waiting for the team to join them.
"Paige, I loved your Charleston!" Blake exclaimed as lead the group across the lobby.
"You picked music you could dance to," Lois added. "You looked like you were having fun out there."
"I was," Paige admitted shyly. "I really like that music. And - Mom picked it out."
"Joan helped," Laurel gave her friend credit. "We originally had it narrowed down to either that or a Glen Miller piece. It's too bad she couldn't be here to see you skate."
"Jade has been having problems with her roommate in the dorm, as well as with one of her profs who is a real pain," Jack explained. "Her mother is trying to get things straightened out at the dorm. Unfortunately, she can't do much about the prof."
"I'm keeping them updated," Rossi held up his cell phone. "And, I suspect Paige will be hearing from them shortly with congratulations."
"Hopefully they will be arriving late this evening or early tomorrow morning," he continued. "They are planning on driving up just as soon as they can get away."
"Second place after the short program – That's Great Young Lady!" Morgan and Garcia walked over to congratulate Paige. "And, I must say, you looked like you were having fun out there!"
"Miss Hotchner?," a young woman dressed in a navy blue jacket rushed over followed by a man holding a television camera. "Paige?"
"Yes?" Paige replied cautiously.
"Bonnie Martinez of Blue Ice Network," the woman introduced herself. "And, I have a few questions for you."
"Okay," Paige looked over at Laurel and then at JJ.
"And the madness begins," Rossi muttered as JJ maneuvered herself so she could oversee the interview.