The origins of Labor Day trace back to the Chicago workers' strike on May 1, 1886. While over 80 countries around the world recognize some form of Labor Day, it isn't always on May 1st.
Ironically, in the U.S.—where the movement began—unions deliberately distanced themselves from the date due to ideological concerns, instead establishing the holiday on the first Monday of September.
Regardless of its origins, having a rare long weekend in September was still a welcome break. However, perhaps because it was Labor Day, Jack found himself busier than usual during the three-day weekend.
First, Alexis got into an argument with her father, Richard Castle. The dispute arose when Castle adamantly refused to let his daughter travel alone to Paris to visit her mother—his ex-wife.
Normally, whenever these two butted heads, Jack sided with the more mature Alexis. But this time, he stood with Castle.
Though the details varied slightly between worlds, Paris—long steeped in revolutionary history—remained equally problematic in both. Petty theft was one thing, but outright robberies were just as rampant.
Jack's approach differed from Castle's, though. Instead of outright forbidding her, he made a deal: he'd personally take her to Paris for a visit during Christmas. This not only got Castle off the hook but also gave Jack a convenient excuse for his holiday plans.
Ever since he had entangled himself with four women, Thanksgiving had been manageable, but Christmas and Valentine's Day had turned into logistical nightmares. Gifts alone were no longer enough to appease everyone.
JJ and Hannah were usually considerate enough not to put him in a difficult position, but the occasional melancholic glances they threw his way, coupled with the teasing remarks from the two older women, made things awkward.
Spending time with all of them was impossible; getting torn apart might have been more likely.
So, pre-booking his Christmas vacation seemed like a smart move. Worst case, he'd bring the two women along as well. As for Valentine's Day… well, he could only hope a major case would conveniently come up.
Just as he finished dealing with the younger generation, the older one showed up—Rossi had returned to New York, looking quite pleased with himself. The moment he saw Jack, he hit him with a strange question.
"Do you know how many Americans travel and work abroad each year?"
Jack frowned, unsure what the old man was getting at, but he answered anyway.
"Over 68 million. Why?"
Rossi visibly faltered, clearly not expecting him to know the number offhand. His lips pursed in slight frustration—almost childlike in his disappointment. Maybe there was some truth to the saying that people became more like kids as they aged.
"I'm a writer, just like you," Jack said with a shrug, pouring Rossi a glass of whiskey. "I go through a ton of random information that may or may not be useful someday. Besides, that statistic isn't hard to find. I'm not Reid—I don't have a computer for a brain."
They were sitting in the fugitive task force's office on Long Island, where the first-floor kitchen had practically become Jack's personal office.
The well-organized counter faced a long dining table, where his laptop sat. If Jack wasn't handling a case, he could usually be found either here or in the backyard, which was accessible through a nearby door.
"This is exactly the kind of retirement life I've always wanted," Rossi sighed, swirling his whiskey. The clinking of ice against the glass was crisp and pleasant. "I thought your new task force would be busier."
Jack's eyes twitched slightly—something about Rossi's tone felt off. He didn't respond, instead waiting to see where the old man was going with this.
Rossi, unbothered by the silence, found himself a seat and began admiring his glass as if he could divine the secrets of the universe from the amber liquid inside.
However, as he observed the glass more closely, his expression shifted slightly. It wasn't the whiskey that caught his attention—it was the glass itself.
The design was a bit too ornate, with intricate patterns layered upon each other. And beneath those patterns, the material seemed less pure than typical glass.
"This is quartz crystal?" Rossi raised an eyebrow. He wasn't exactly old money, but he prided himself on having a decent eye for craftsmanship.
"Picked up some local souvenirs in Arkansas," Jack replied casually. "I had a full set of six made—this one's not for you." He cut off Rossi's thoughts before they could go any further but left him a sliver of hope.
"If you want one, I can carve you a set when I have free time. But you'll have to provide your own materials."
Rossi clicked his tongue in mild disappointment, then downed the remaining whiskey in his glass. He tossed the ice into the trash and held the glass up to the light, examining the patterns more closely.
Under the white light, the snowflake-like designs at the base of the glass refracted into a dazzling array of rainbow colors. The old profiler let out a long sigh, growing increasingly mystified by his "final disciple."
Jack was young, yet he lived like an old man—dabbling in obscure, intricate crafts that required patience and focus.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Rossi finally got to the reason for his visit.
"Here's something you'll find interesting—Mac Taylor has joined the FBI."
Jack blinked in surprise.
Why would Uncle Baozi—the round-faced, baggy-eyed head of the NYPD's CSI lab—leave his position to join the Bureau?
Rossi continued, "I recruited him to lead the BAU's International Response Team. Stella Bonasera has taken over his role as lab director."
Ah.
Now it made sense why Rossi had asked such a strange question earlier. It also explained why Jack had recently overheard Hannah complaining that Stella had been too busy to go shopping with her lately.
But what did this have to do with him?
There was also one other issue—
"Isn't Mac Taylor's expertise in forensic science? Does he have a background in criminal profiling?" Jack asked, puzzled. He hadn't picked up on that during their past collaborations.
Rossi set the quartz glass on the table and tapped it, signaling for Jack to refill his drink.
"He does—to an extent. But Mac will be focusing on his specialty while his team is composed of members from the BAU. His group falls under the BAU's field operations division."
"Congratulations." Jack smirked, now understanding why Rossi had looked so pleased when he walked in. This meant his vision of merging forensic science with criminal profiling had taken another step forward.
Rossi's smug smile disappeared almost instantly. He let out a deep sigh and furrowed his brows.
"But there's a problem—Mac's team is still new and understaffed, while embassies keep flooding us with cases. So…"
"Helping is fine. But giving you my people? Not happening." Jack immediately shut it down.
He had just gotten his team properly settled—was Rossi already trying to poach them?
He may have joked earlier about kicking Aubrey out if necessary, but that was just to keep the guy from getting too reckless in his pursuit of Alice.
Jack had encountered plenty of "familiar faces" since arriving in this world, but finding ones that actually made good teammates was another story.
This wasn't some gacha game where you could just spend money and eventually pull the right character.
(End of Chapter)
[Unlock +20 Advanced Chapters on Patreon.com/Mutter]
[For every 100 Power Stones, 1 Bonus Chapter will be released]
[Thank you for reading!]