Josie’s P.O.V

“Lexie, Lexie, Lexie,” I said as I poked my older sister’s face. She hadn’t woken during the night which was a good thing. She had been waking up screaming almost every night for the past month if she didn’t wake up screaming she would wake with a fright and she wouldn’t go back to sleep. But the thing that worried me most is that she won’t tell me what happened to her. All I know is that she was kidnapped by a man who did bad things to young girls and Alex was not an exception.

“Go away Jose,” she mumbled as she rolled over hiding her face from me. Alex has never been a morning person. She has a rule for David ‘don’t talk to me about work until I have finished my first cup of coffee,’

“Dave sent me up here, look at the time,” I said pushing my watch into her face. It was 11:30 on a Tuesday I should be at school but David bought me home early because he and Alex had the day off. Uncle Aaron had given Dave a career’s leave day and said Alex could take a sick leave day. Meaning we are all able to spend the day together, something that we haven’t been able to do in a long time.

She opened her eyes and sat up, “shouldn’t you be at school?” she asked rubbing her eyes and poking me in the stomach.
“Nope, Dave brang me home early so we can spend the day together, that is if you get out of bed,” I smiled poking her back 
“It’s brought, not brang,” she corrected me as always. “And I’m getting there,”

Alex dragged herself out of bed, and we walked down the stairs together. Dave greeted us with a smile, “there are some croissants in the fridge and I just made coffee,” he told Alex looking up from his laptop “I guess those pills work,” he added with a joking tone
“what pills?” I asked planting myself into a seat
“I needed help sleeping so I took a couple of sleeping pills,” Alex explained placing a croissant in the microwave.

We let Alex change thankfully she wanted to wear her maxi dress and jacket meaning I didn’t have to help her change. Everyone got into David’s Audi Coupe. Some people at my school are always jealous   because David is quite wealthy but he doesn’t care about money that much that’s why he and Alex still continue to work they do it because they enjoy the work they do putting bad people in places where they can’t hurt anyone else.

“Alex, I rescheduled your ultrasound for Thursday. It’s ok with Hotch if you take the day off, so that means you can’t weasel yourself out of it,” David explained  Alex has a skill of getting herself out of doctors appointments and other things like going to the optometrist.
“Oh joy,” she replied sarcastically “anyway what’s the plan for today?”
“there isn’t a plan really we might catch a movie but we go out to dinner tonight,”   

We spent the day in the park walking around. We had lunch in a small café and later that afternoon after we returned home David said “girls go get ready but remember it’s a casual dinner so don’t wear any formal dresses,” he emphasized the word formal because Alex had been wearing dresses or skirts when she could so that she didn’t have to ask for help to get changed.

“Are you planning on telling us where we are going?”  I asked walking towards the stair well.
“You’ll know when we get there,” he smiled as he walked the opposite way to his study.

David’s P.O.V
Alex and Josie went up stairs to get changed and I walked to my study. I pulled the cooler out from underneath the table where I had hidden it this morning. And walked to the kitchen I could hear the girls upstairs. Our home was full of the noises of an average morning getting ready, “Josie have you seen my Converses?” Alex called
“which ones? You have about seven pairs,” Josie called back
“my black ones, oh never mind I found them,” I could hear her door open and I walked down the hallway so that I could see the railing outside her room “Dave do I have time for a shower?” she asked she had a removable cast now so she didn’t have to worry so much about having showers and stuff but she still had some coordination issues when it came to getting changed without help

“Yes, just don’t hurt yourself,” I replied she glared at me and stuck her tongue out before turning and going back to her own room. Almost every bedroom in our house has an ensuite we also have a communal bathroom downstairs. Eight bathrooms and seven bedrooms I’m surprised that we even know enough people to have all rooms filled at one time. But it has happened on more than one occasion even before Alex and Josie lived here when Caroline did.

Alex got along with Caroline the best out of my three ex-wives she pretty much ignored Kaitlin and in-between Kaitlin and Caroline was Martha. Martha had a rule for all children even Josie and Alex only speak when spoken to something Alex took very seriously except she did the exact opposite and Martha did not like her one bit. She asked me one question before she applied for the divorce ‘you will have to choose David, those little brats or me? The choice is completely up to you but I will warn you I’m not easy to replace.’ now that I think about it I’m glad Martha and I got a divorce. I no longer remember why I married her in the first place.

 Maybe to give the girls a motherly figure? I still regret not spending more time with Anastasia before she died she had been my best friend since we were little but after I got back from Vietnam. She had changed she was pregnant at the age of 18 I had always cared for her like a little sister. And I was upset that she would become pregnant with someone who always had distinct odor of cocaine and had more tattoos than he did bare skin plus he was almost as old as I was and I was in my mid 20’s. When that scumbag didn’t stick around Stacie turned to the one person she knew would be real with her. Me. It was too late for an abortion she was already heavily pregnant. I helped her she kept in college and when the child was born I asked her if she wanted me to raise him as my own but she place her only son parker into an adoption family. I have had Garcia try to find him but a first name isn’t much to go on especially when it was the 70’s not very much vital information was going digital. Hell the internet didn’t explode until 1992. And then there is always chance that his name changed when he was adopted. I still don’t know how to tell Alex that she and Josie have an older brother.

I finished packing and carried the cooler out to the car and placed it in the trunk of the S.U.V that should be used for work purposes only but I still drive it in other situations such as going out to dinner. Alex came hoping down the stairs as I came back through the front door again, she gave me an inquisitive look. “I had to put something in the car,” I said it wasn’t a lie but it wasn’t the complete truth either, “Is Josie ready?” I asked just as she came bounding down the stairs I had a look at the two girls. They were complete opposites Josie had dark hair Alex has light. Josie has imperfect skin with freckles and pimples Alex is flawless except for the scar that is covered by her glasses. Josie has perfect eyesight and needs braces Alex is the opposite needs glasses and has perfect teeth. But they both look like her. Like Anastasia.

“You ready David?” Alex questioned
“What’s with the full names Alexandra, just check to see if the back door is locked,” I walked to the door as the two girls went outside to the car.

They went to the S.U.V because I had parked the Audi in the garage and locked the door Josie was helping Alex into the car. I had never realized how uncoordinated she was but she truly is. Almost to rival Reid, no wait that’s and over statement. Nobody could ever be as uncoordinated as Reid.

I pulled the two blindfolds out of my pocket and covered Josie’s eyes. “What the hell? David,” she exclaimed I had scarred her
“I told you it’s a surprise where we are going, so I can’t have you seeing the way we came,” I replied tying the blindfold under her ponytail. I did the same to Alex who was less squeamish but she shuddered at every move I made. I helped the two girls with their seatbelts.

“This isn’t the point where you take use to your torture chamber is it,” Alex joked as I started the engine. I guess I hoped I didn’t get pulled over by the police department for a random breath test. Two blindfolded young girls in the car with a middle age man would be hard to explain even if I knew the officers. 

I pulled into the parking lot of the national park I could see the cars of the rest of the team. Hotch’s black sedan, Garcia’s pink bug, Morgan’s silver Mazda and Will’s and JJ’s BMW. Reid was standing with the others he had probably gotten a lift either with hotch or JJ. They waved as I pulled up Morgan helped me get Alex out of the car I grabbed her crutches as he pretended to stagger under her weight as I would of done Josie was clinging onto my arm Morgan reached the seats and hotch took Josie’s blind fold off and she automatically new where we were I rushed up to where Morgan was. “Sit here Alex I’ll be back in a second,” I said in a calm voice everyone gathered around Alex. We pressed our faces close to hers and I said “ok Alex you can take the blindfold off.” She pulled the blindfold off her face and jumped with a start. Everyone was laughing. Hotch, Jack, Kevin, Garcia, JJ, Will, Hennery, Reid, Morgan, Emily, Josie and I were all laughing as if we hadn’t laughed in years, Alex on the other hand was blushing bright red.

“it’s not that funny,”  she was almost yelling with embarrassment
“oh come on Alex this is just payback for the so many times you’ve done it to us,”  Emily said trying to stop her giggles.

Alex had started to laugh as well. She looked around in a wistful harmony. It was a place that meant a lot to her. We used to come here when she was younger. We used to come here with her mother.

Alex’s P.O.V

David Josie and I used to spend every Sunday morning here but it has been ages since we came last. I have so many fond memories. Even before Josie was born this place was special. It was the place I first met David. I looked to Josie and smiled that crazy smile I get when I have an idea only Josie will understand. I grabbed my crutches and Josie started running. I was soon hobbling as fast as I could behind her. We reached the swings and sat down on our designated swings. It wasn’t like we had names on them or anything but they were the swings we used and other regulars knew that we would soon claim them.  Emily and Reid came up to the swings and took the swings either side of Josie and I. JJ came as well carrying hennery and holding jacks hand. Jack took the remaining single swing and hennery took one of the three kiddy swings. JJ was pushing him. He was only just younger than 2 years old but he was still a little cutie and I was glad JJ had him she often asks me to baby sit when she and will wanted a night for just the two of them.

The other’s chatted as David lit the electric barbeque and started cooking. The smell of his burgers wafted up to the playground. I took a deep breath and inhaled the wonderful aroma. I had missed this place; I had never realized how much it actually meant to me. We all spent about an hour swinging and talking and laughing. Everybody took turns jumping of the swings and sailing through the air. Well everyone except hennery and I. even JJ had a go at jumping. I laughed as I watched my colleges and friends jumping of the swings like they were little kids again.  “Kids, dinner’s ready,” Morgan called up to us he meant all of us but we were acting like kids. I guess maybe we all want something to remind us of the innocence that was so rudely taken away from us.

Emily never settled down as a kid never had a support base apart from her mother whom of which was always working. She tried her hardest to fit in as a child in Italy she feel pregnant meaning she could either run away and raise the child, her mother would never accept her pregnancy, or she could get an abortion. Hard decision for a 15 year old girl in a new town to make.

JJ’s sister committed suicide when JJ was only eleven. To this day a day does not go bye where JJ doesn’t think of her.

Then there’s Reid his mother has schizophrenia but still managed to raise Reid into the genius we know today. When he was 18 he placed his mother into a mental institution. But still writes to her because he feels guilty for leaving her there. Every time we are in Las Vegas he goes to visit her.

 We all have had our innocence taken from us every member of this team. Hotch, David, Emily, JJ, Reid, Garcia and even me.

We all sat around the picnic tables and passed around salads burgers bread and shrimps. Everyone was laughing and talking. We laughed at Reid as he took a bight out of his burger and all the meat and other fillings fell out the other side. He really was uncoordinated. It was almost  10pm by the time everyone was ready to go home jack and hennery were curled up on a blanket JJ had found in the back of her car and Josie was leaning against David in an attempt to stay awake

“You don’t have to come in to work until 9 tomorrow,” hotch said with a yawn but waking Jack
“Lucky, I have to start at 7:30 tomorrow,” will replied picking up hennery his southern accent was even more prominent when he was tired or stressed.

On the ride home Josie had fallen asleep in the backseat. Everything was quiet except for her deep breathing. But I still dared to break the silence and ask the Question that had been on my mind since we arrived at the park “David?”  I asked “why did you organize this?”
he was quiet for a while but he answered “because I didn’t want a repeat of what happened after your mother’s death,” he paused for a long time “or Stephanie’s.”

My 5th year of elementary school my best friend, Stephanie, and I were kidnapped Steph did as she was told by the kidnapper. But I didn’t. And because no amount of money Steph’s parents could offer would not even make a dint in the ransom, the kidnapper killed her. And I had watched a second person I cared about murdered.

After my mother’s death I didn’t speak to anyone. I got so low I cut myself hoping I would bleed out like she did but I got scared after one cut that I didn’t attempt it again. When David found out he was furious not with me but at himself because he didn’t see the signs. The same process happened after Steph’s death. Grievance, numbness then cuts. But the second time around I wasn’t scared and I cut myself three times before David realized what had happened.

I now where a chunky watch and bracelet to hid the four scars. The only four scars I regret. All my other scars I hide but I do not regret.