Title: New Beginnings
By: LoraLee2
Pairing: gen
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Usual disclaimers, I do not own any CM characters, I'm just borrowing them and will return them in the same condition as I found them.
Note: AU - Haley is still alive.

***

"Thanks, Haley." It galled to have to thank his soon-to-be-ex-wife for letting him spend time with his child, but he could live with it. "I'll have him at your mother's house at quarter to ten tomorrow for Easter brunch."

"Do you have plans?"

He took Jack from her arms, "We're going to color Easter eggs; read some Easter books; and I got an Easter Bunny DVD for bedtime, don't worry, it's only twenty minutes long; and in the morning we're going to have a treasure hunt."

"How are you going to do a treasure hunt, he can't read?"

"Believe it or not, it was Reid's idea - I used pictures clues in the eggs,

"You remembered nothing he can swallow."

"Of course. It's a B-U-N-N-Y about" he juggled Jack to hold his hands about a foot apart, "this big."

&&&&&&

Morgan instinctively looked up at the overhead speakers as pre-boarding for his flight was called. Since FBI agents flew armed, they had an extra security step to go through, "See you Monday, Reid. I hope your mom's having one of her good days." He was looking forward to seeing his family again, there really is no place like home.

"Yeah, tell your mom and sisters I said 'hi.'" His flight wouldn't board for close to an hour, but not having to deal with airport traffic made the wait worth it. He hoped his mom would recognize him and be glad to see him, but he'd learned that even if that wasn't the case, it was worth it to make the time to see her. He'd finally released the guilt he felt over putting her in an institution and realized in his heart that she was far better off than if he'd tried to take care of her himself. He smiled to himself as he headed off to the gift shop to see if they had any novels he hadn't read yet, he hadn't gotten to any of this month's best-sellers yet.

&&&&&&

JJ opened the door to her mom's house and called out, "Hey, where is everybody? The prodigal daughter has returned. She 'oomphed' as her brother grabbed her in a bear hug and lifted her off her feet. She saw her mom smiling at her over his shoulder, her niece and nephew waiting their turns for a chance to hug Aunt JJ. They rushed her as soon as their father put her down, "Did you bring us anything?"

Go get the blue suitcase from my car, there might be something in there for you guys."

"You know you don't have to bring them gifts every time you come home, JJ." Her brother worried about her spoiling them.

"I know, but what's the use of having an aunt who travels the world, if you don't get souvenirs. Really, I don't get them any more than if I was living next door, they just get them all at once. Of course, if you don't like my bringing presents home, you could return the last one I brought you." She thought about the autographed Redskins jersey she had scored for him when she and Spencer had gone to the game, he really couldn't complain too much.

Her mother embraced her and she asked, "Where's Daddy?"

"That fool is out in the backyard, standing in the snow, barbequing." JJ silently calculated the number of extra crunches she was going to have to do and decided that her father's barbequed steaks were just about worth it.

&&&&&&

"Hello, Emily."

"Hello, Father, thanks for coming today." She took his coat and hung it in the closet. She thought about her improved relationship with her mother - who had made dinner reservations for them for tomorrow night - and hugged him when she turned around. She held him for an agonized moment before she felt his arms come around her. She'd been going through puberty the last time she'd gotten a real hug from one of her parents, it felt wonderful.

She'd spent a week planning a menu her mother's chef would be proud of - an appetizer of warm artichoke dip on melba rounds, spinach-bacon salad, honey-apple glazed ham, garlic mashed potatoes, white asparagus and thyme, cheese biscuits and lemon-orange sponge cake for dessert - there were times when a youth spent hiding out in the kitchens came in handy, but the hug was far better than any praise she would ever garner for her cooking skills.

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Princess."

&&&&&&

Penelope laughed at the antics of her brothers and the kids, somehow a friendly argument over the proper way to eat a chocolate bunny had turned into team wrestling in the middle of the floor. Not that it was anything unusual. In fact she had helped her sister-in-law had remove all the lamps from the room the night before.

She watched her youngest nephew standing to the side, yearning to get in on the fun, but too small to do so without getting hurt. She crooked her finger to him, signaling him to stand next to her. She whispered in his ear. It was time to teach him that being the smallest meant needing to be sneaky. She waited until the pile on the floor became nearly motionless, panting the only activity left and scooped up four-year-old Johnny and planted him on top of the pile where he yelled out, "I win."

&&&&&&

Dave knocked on his daughter's door and enveloped her I a warm hug when she answered. "You made it. Now that you're back with the Bureau, I was worried you'd be called away."

They stepped inside, "I know, Honey, but it's something I needed to do."

"I understand. I finally do. She led him to the living room, where her husband and a woman he'd never met before were waiting. You probably heard about the baby that was kidnapped from the hospital last month?"

"Yeah. I did an emergency phone consult on the case. They found him two days later with a woman who'd just miscarried for the third time."

"Dad, I want you to meet Sophia." The woman stooped to pick up a small blue bundle from a bassinet by her chair.

"Thank you, Agent Rossi." The woman stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, she held the bundle so he could see the sleeping child inside, "His name is David, and I can never thank you enough."

&&&&&&

"So, Dad, how's retirement treating you?"

Gideon moved the knight across the board, "It's been peaceful, I think I can get used to being a man without a mission."

"You look good. Less stressed."

He smiled, "Thanks, I'm getting a lot of fresh air. I went skiing in Lake Placid last week. It's beautiful up there."

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask away."

"We're taking the kids to Disney next month and we wondered if you'd like to come along."

Gideon let himself absorb the feeling, two years ago he'd been afraid to pick up the phone and call his son, now he was being asked to go on vacation with him and his family. Life really could be beautiful sometimes. He smiled at his son and said, "I'd love to come with you."

***