Just then, the door to the lair was cautiously opened. Hearing it, Freddie whirled around to see the unit chief, Aaron Hotchner, standing there.

"What just happened?" the stern-looking man asked.

Freddie looked at the phone in his hand. "My girlfriend broke up with me."

The agent came to stand beside Freddie. He peered at the phone and the two of them noticed the new hairline crack across the screen at the same time.

"I assume you threw your cell, and that's what I heard... besides the screaming?" Agent Hotchner asked.

"Yeah," Freddie murmured.

Hotchner nodded. Was that understanding that Freddie saw in his eyes? This guy understanding teenage breakup problems? No, not likely.

But Hotchner's reply made Freddie wonder. "Stuff like that hurts, doesn't it?"

Freddie shrugged. "We live so far apart that it really was bound to happen at some point. I was even thinking of doing it myself."

"Even so, it can't leave you feeling on top of the world."

"Nah, I'm fine."

Hotchner raised his eyebrows, not buying it. "So why did you throw your phone then?"

Freddie stared at the wall for a second before admitting, "Alright, so maybe it's not entirely okay."

"I thought not." Hotchner nodded before adding, "But take it from someone who knows: you will eventually get over it, maybe you won't get over your girlfriend, but you'll be able to move past her."

"Ex-girlfriend. And thanks for the peppy, uplifting talk."

Hotchner smirked. "I'm only telling you what I know about. Being completely honest, though: I've been your age; we both know that you'll eventually get over her. Besides - and this isn't something that I would usually say, let alone encourage - but I'm really thinking kind of along the same lines as Rossi and Morgan."

"How so? "Freddie asked, confused.

"Alyson."

Freddie shook his head. "That won't happen, believe me. I have more self-preservation than that. If all of these agents have adopted her into their little family, I'm not about to try and date her. I would get way too many guns aimed at me, thanks."

Even though Freddie was deadly serious, he saw a rare smile twitch at the other man's mouth. Then the light in his eyes dimmed and he became serious again as he mulled over Freddie's words.

"You know," Hotch commented. "If you play your cards right here, you might just find yourself being a part of the family too."

Freddie sighed. "That would be nice."

"Alright, then I guess that you have something to aim for, and here's how you do it: do your job and, when the time comes - and I really do think that it will come - step lightly around Alyson when you start trying to get her attention."

"I'm not going to try and get Alyson's attention!" Freddie objected, voice rising.

"Profilers know what they're talking about." Hotchner defended.

Freddie muttered, "Not this time, you don't."

Six months later

But Hotch did know what he was talking about, and he had been right. It hadn't taken long for Freddie to get over Carly, as both men really known that it wouldn't. Freddie had slowly made his way into the heart of the BAU family. And, starting one month ago, he had officially made it into the heart of one Alyson Reid. It had taken a while, but they had gotten to know one another, becoming friends, and then letting it become something more.

Over the space of the past long seven months, Freddie had gone from the emotional agony and anger of his mother's brutal death to the trauma of having to move from Seattle, Washington to Quantico, Virginia, to the high that he was currently riding on.

He was gathered with the others of what he could now call his team around a huge table in David Rossi's house - no, make that mansion. The table was piled high with amazing-smelling Thanksgiving food, and Freddie was indeed feeling thankful. Alyson was sitting on one side of him and Freddie's new best friend, Spencer Reid, was beside her. Penelope Garcia was on the other side of Freddie, newly-married and pregnant though she was, with her husband, Derek Morgan, on the other side of her.

Hotch, Morgan, Will and Dave started in on a bottle of scotch with James Blake, who had showed up for the holiday. Alex and Reid sat discussing some classic novel from the 1500s. JJ and Beth - who had also flown in for Thanksgiving - were discussing the upcoming baby with Penelope. Freddie smiled to himself as he felt Alyson slip her hand into his under the table.

Just because of this holiday scene, in a way, he was glad that those horrible things had happened. Murdered mother, serial killer, move, BAU and all, Freddie had learned to become happy with this new life that he was living. Despite all the things that had happened, and what those things were, they were the things that had led to his new life here. And he was happy.

Well, we have reached the final chapter and the end of this story, because quite frankly, I have run out of steam for it. So I tried to wrap it up nicely rather than drag it on. Please don't be mad at me! Reviews, as always, would be nice. Thanks, everybody!:)