RUNAWAY
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE...!

❝ VACATION , SEASON EIGHT ❞

       A NEW WEEKEND, and a new case on the briefing table. A majority of the Quantico profilers sat around it, as Jennie sat on the couch in the back.

The room was in a comfortable silence, before Penelope and Rossi entered the door, while everyone's head turned at their bickering.

"I don't even understand you. It's a vacation!" Penelope told him, only seeing him brush off the news casually, "Rossi, everyone likes vacation!"

"Vacations are overrated."

Spencer pinched his eyebrows together,
"Didn't you take a vacation two years ago?"

"Yeah, and now he's got 31 days!"

Jennie's head shot up at the number Penelope told the group, quickly clearing her throat before speaking in response.

"Hey, Rossi. If those days off are carrying too much weight on your shoulders, I'd be happy to use them for you." She grinned at him, in a falsely innocent manner.

Rossi only sighed as he looked at her, shaking his head, as Spencer continued speaking, "You know, sunshine is an essential source of vitamin D. You should go to Florida and get some sunshine."

"That's for old guys."

Jennie immediately laughed at Rossi's response, finding irony in it.

Heads turned to her, quickly making her realize that she had done that aloud, making her almost clap her hand over her mouth. Her widened eyes swiftly met David's, who shot her a glare.

She soon cleared her throat, trying to act as if she wasn't the one laughing two seconds ago, "That's not funny, guys."

The profilers tried stifling their chuckles, before Derek turned to the Italian man, continuing to question him about taking a vacation, "What about a safari in Africa?"

"Too hot."

"What about Italy?"

"Too many relatives."

Alex looked at the man, "You sound hermetic."

"No, Rossi just likes his wine and stogies." JJ added to the group's discussion, before the Italian sighed.

"And I go crazy if I have nothing to do."

"You know, Rossi— if you don't use them, you loose them." Derek told him, causing Penelope to nod vigorously in agreement.

"Thank you! This is what i've been telling him!"

"You see this? This is my I don't care face." Rossi gestures towards his expression, his words causing Jennie to giggle.

"No, that's your normal face."

"You know, if I were you," Alex began, playing with the pen in her hands, "I'd give your vacation days away to a colleague in need."

"Or—" Jennie grinned somewhat puckishly, standing up from her spot, walking behind JJ and Alex's chairs, "A teen girl in need. Exchange your FBI Vacation days to College Vacation days somehow. It will really make a difference in the community."

Surprisingly, Rossi snapped his fingers, "That's it."

Jennie's face dropped, not expecting him to agree with her, "Wait, really? You'll do that?"

"No— not your thing. Blake's thing." Rossi brushed off Jennie's excitement, causing the girl to frown. JJ laughed in response to the girl's disappointed look, patting her shoulder comfortingly, "Garcia, see how many people in the bureau have spouses in the military serving overseas."

"I am on it." Garcia smiled, flipping the pink cover on IPad, "Altruism is sexy."

Jennie scrunched her nose, but didn't react as much as she thought she would. As she got older, she noticed the team being more comfortable with using words that they would be cautious using when she was younger. She hadn't even realized Spencer was capable of cursing, until after her 18th birthday.

"Yes it is. Let's get started."

Jennie's lips formed into a thin line at her father's response, as he walked up to the group, "That's my cue to leave."

"Your cue to leave is your dad entering the room?" JJ raised a brow, with a jesting tone, as Jennie slung her tote bag over her shoulder.

"No, my cue to leave is hearing my dad agree that Altruism is sexy." Jennie shuddered at her own words, "Plus, I have to get back home, and drive Jack to soccer practice. We can't be late, or else all the moms will stand there staring at me, while shaking their heads. It's actually terrifying. I've had several nightmares."

"Me too." Aaron admitted, causing a few profilers to chuckle. The man then wrapped an arm around his daughter once she walked up to him, pressing a kiss on her head, "Bye, honey. I'll see you later."

"Bye dad." She smiled softly at him, hugging her book to her chest, before turning to the rest of the team, "Bye guys."

The table gave their goodbye's and waves to the girl, as the exited the room, allowing them to then start discussing their newest case. She had a small smile on her face as she left the building, feeling the breeze gently hitting her face.

Jennie couldn't wait for the day that she'd be able to fight crime with them.

—

IT WAS later that afternoon, as Jennie watched Jack practice Soccer, with a proud grin on her face. She occasionally would read a few more pages of her book, or take sips of the Caprisun she packed — but majority of the time, she was just watching her little brother have fun.

"Wow, he's really getting better."

The voice behind made Jennie spin around, meeting the kind face of Beth. The girl's pink lips immediately broke out into a smile at the sight.

"Beth, hey!" She pulled the woman into a hug, "What are you doing here?"

"I have an hour to kill before I need to head back to work." Beth informed her. There was a small pause, before she continued speaking, her tone a bit different, "And, actually. . . there's something I needed to talk to you about."

Jennie's eyebrows furrowed, taking another sip of her Caprisun, before inquiring, "What is it?"

"Um," Beth sighed, somewhat nervously, "Well, to rip the bandaid off quickly. . . I got a job offer in New York."

Jennie's eyes widened slightly, the news almost making her choke on her drink.

"Beth— are you kidding? That's great! Congrats!"

Beth chuckled softly, shaking her head. She paused for a minute, her pinching the skin of her fingers, "I was actually kinda hopping you'd be against it. That would help me fight the urge to take it."

"Fight the urge to take it?"

"Well, I mean— your dad and I. . . things have been going so great between us, you know?"

"Okay, Beth—" Jennie chuckled at the woman's nervousness, "If you're scared that this job will ruin all of that, don't be. My dad likes you. He really likes you. A little distance isn't going to change that."

Blush spread across Beth's cheeks.

"Also— in case you're forgetting, I still have a couple months to spend in New York before I graduate. That means we'll be closer!" Jennie's smile widened, "And that means you can come to my graduation!"

The happiness that made Jennie grin from ear to ear was genuine. It was pure. Beth definitely didn't expect her to be this joyous. And she definitely didn't expect Jennie to openly invite her to her graduation. However Jennie, on the other hand, couldn't think of any reason she wouldn't want Beth at her Graduation ceremony.

Because really. . . in just a short period of time, Beth had earned something of Jennie's. Something no one had ever earned as quickly as her.

She earned Jennie Hotchner's trust.

And that is one hell of an accomplishment.

—

AUTHOR'S NOTE |

criminal minds reboot: november 24. mark your calendars guys 😋

this is another short filler chapter, but i have ( at least ) two more big chapters before we close out season 8!!! i'll try to get one of them out next weekend 😁

OKOK see u guys soon :)

word count.
1291.