Well, with a heavy heart, I must conclude this story. On the suggestion of a close and dear friend, I have decided to end this story totally different from anything else I've read on the site. Variety is the spice of life, and I want my stories to live up to that saying. Many thanks to all who have read a reviewed the story---you could never know how much it all means to me. I don't own Criminal Minds---but if I did, I would try to work in an office romance without jumping the shark.

A Time For Letting Go

Silently and with heavy hearts, the BAU team filed on to the FBI jet and took their seats. Not a word was spoken, nor were any needed. The two empty seats were grim reminders of what had transpired. They had wanted to stay behind, but once their reports were filed with headquarters, there wasn't anything left for them to do.

Aaron Hotchner cast a glance at Rossi's seat, and heaved a heavy sigh. There were no words to describe the hell all of them had been put thru. And he would never understand what force or power had allowed Dave to hold on up to the last moment. He would like to think that the same force that had driven Dave to return to the FBI was the same power that gave him strength to see that Emily was safe and in good hands. He wished he could get the image of Dave's body being handed up out of his mind. To see the once strong, fearless founding father of the BAU unresponsive and lying on a stretcher was too much even for the stoic Aaron Hotchner. David Rossi was the reason he had left the prosecutor's office and pursued the BAU field. David Rossi had been the reason he had gotten thru the loss of Hailey and came back to work. And never once had he said 'Thank you'. Feeling tears prick his eyes, Hotch turned to look out the window so no one could see the fearless leader cry. Jack. Oh how his arms ached to feel Jack. If nothing else, he was going home to hold his son.

JJ vaguely touched her cast---a souvenir of how precious life really is. Hesitantly she looked at Emily's empty seat. Had it only been thirty six hours ago they had both laughed at something so asinine that they had tears in their eyes? JJ could no longer remember what it was that had had her friend doubled over, but Emily's breathless laughter still rang in her ears. She didn't want to leave Emily behind, but there was nothing they could do. Their work was done, reports written, and they had to leave. Once they got back to Quantico, JJ would set aside her distrust of Strauss and work with the director to do what she could to get her friends back home to their families. JJ shook her head. Except for the BAU, Emily and David had no family. Well, Emily had her mother who was stationed somewhere around the world, but it would take time to notify Ambassador Prentiss. Emily had no lover. No spouse. No children. And as far as she knew, David was in the same boat. Except for the BAU, neither one had an immediate emergency point of contact. How sad and lonely. With an emotional heart, JJ wished the plane would take off so she could get home to Henry. And then she felt the tears fall.

Morgan slumped down in his seat and fastened his seat belt. He didn't look at the empty seats; he didn't have to. He could still feel Emily in his arms…her slight weight, her broken legs, her breathing so light he thought she was gone before he could hand her to the S&R personnel. Her blood was on his shirt. And he could still feel where her head had rested against his shoulder. Lying back against the head rest, Morgan tried to extinguish the memory of Rossi---bruised, bloody, and white as a ghost--his last words were about Emily. And a Danish. Morgan had wracked his brains trying to figure out what the hell a Danish had to do with anything…and then it hit him: that last day they were all together at headquarters and Emily was ribbing him about taking a bite out of her pastry. Damn right what you did ranks above a Danish, Dave, Morgan thought to himself. Gently, he rubbed his forehead---careful of the stitches he had finally agreed to. He had had much worse that a cut on his forehead in his career, but regs stated that he had to follow doctor's orders. The dull throb reminded him that it was nearly time to take his painkiller, but Morgan wanted to wait. A little head pain was nothing compared to what Emily and Rossi had endured. He could only hope that son of a bitch Delaney more than felt his share of pain when he blew himself up.

Spencer Reid was in shock. He knew everything about everything. He knew things that made intelligent people sit up and take notice. His ability to dissect even the most complicated matter could give a professor a migraine. His degrees were evidence and testament to his knowledge. Logic, odds, and facts were how Reid lived his life. He knew no other way. There was nothing in this world that he couldn't make sense of---except for the past day's events. He would never know why he survived. Or why the people next to him survived. And Emily and Rossi had been trapped. His brain tried to find a logical explanation but came up empty. For once in his life, nothing made sense to Spencer Reid child prodigy. And it hurt. Hurt worse than when he realized that his mother was gone and never coming back. But she had always been gone to him; it had come as no real surprise when she finally failed to recognize him. However, this was different: David Rossi was like the father Reid had never had---patient, encouraging, comforting in all the little ways that counted. Emily was the sister he had wished for all his life: funny, beautiful, smart, and protective. They were his family. All of the BAU was his family. And now they were leaving two of the most important people in his life behind. And it made no sense. None whatsoever. But everything had to make sense; it was the only reason life could continue on.

Deep in their own private thoughts, no one really noticed Reid standing up and walking over to Rossi's chair. He just stood, frozen, unmoving, and staring intently at God only knew what, but whatever it was, it was strong enough to cause the rest of the team to snap out of their reverie and watch him.

Morgan glanced at JJ, who glanced at Hotch. Uneasily, Hotch watched the youngest member of the team stand silent and perfectly still over David Rossi's seat. He almost started to speak when he noticed Reid's brow furrow. Whatever had caught his attention had him perplexed. Hotch knew from experience that it was best to let Reid work out the problem.

Bewildered, they all watched as Reid began moving something, then turn it, move it, and turn it once again. Pausing, Reid stared intently for a long minute. Then the pilot's voice came over the intercom. It was time to leave. Hotch started to call out, when Reid made one last gesture and then stepped back.

It took a second for Reid to understand why his teammates were looking at him in utter and complete confusion. Drawing his lips in a tight line, he gave them a slight shrug and replied: "Checkmate."