A/N: I told a few of my faithful readers a little Matt Taylor story would be next. I also told them I would have it up by the Fourth of July. But I enjoyed a little break from writing and the holiday weekend so it's a little late.

For those of you that don't know, I established from Day 1 that Matt is the younger brother of Mac Taylor from CSI: NY. Other than Mac, Stella Bonasera and Mac's stepson Reed Garrett being present, this is not a crossover. For those of you that haven't read Brothers, you'll figure out how they are here.

Disclaimer: All rights to scripted characters belong to the entities that produce Criminal Minds and CSI: NY.

As always, this is a completely written FF. You will get a chapter a day.

*Knightly bow*

Chapter 1

Matt and Abbey Taylor woke the Friday of the Fourth of July to giggles from their daughter Casee's room. It was obvious to them that the kids were already up, yet trying desperately to let their parents and houseguests sleep in. Casee shushed her brothers while Matt rolled over and spooned next to his wife, kissing her shoulder. They all slept with the doors open in the upstairs bedroom suite of the Taylor home so even two eight year olds and their rambunctious six year old brother trying to be quiet didn't escape either of their parents.

Cameron, the oldest and in stealth mode, snuck by his parent's open door with Wilma, the family Golden Lab down the steps to be let out and fed. He hit the loose floor board under the carpet that squeaked as he hit the second step. Matt silently laughed. Abbey rolled a bit and looked over her shoulder at him. "Ten years from now, when he's trying to sneak in late past curfew, I'll nail him on that." Abbey silently giggled with a huge smile.

"Oh God, I don't want to think about that," she whispered back.

Colin whispered to his sister, "I'm cold Case." Matt and Abbey smiled at hearing her pull him under her bed covers with her. Yet thirty seconds later, the parents fell into a light slumber until Cam came up the steps and hit the same board.

"Busted again," Abbey giggled with a whisper.

Cam, now old enough to ask his dad questions about his military service and get very honest answers from his dad that he could process, was no slouch at recon. He stuck his head in his sister's door. "Hey guy; they're awake," he whispered with a smile, putting his finger to his lips for silence as the three silently made their way for their "attack" on their parents. Matt and Abbey shook with laughter while trying to feign sleep for their kids on the prowl.

The queen size bed in the master bedroom of the Taylor home exploded into a melee that soon had the three kids all laughing from the tickles they got from their parents. When it finally settled and they all said good morning to each other, getting kisses from their parents, Abbey got out of bed and tucked her sons underneath the covers she just vacated. Matt, with Casee curled up with him, reached to the nightstand on his side of the bed and clinked on the TV in the room. He turned on the Animal Planet channel and the kids watched another treehouse renovation while Abbey took her shower in peace. Wilma burped her entrance from finishing her breakfast, drawing giggles from the kids and hopped onto the bed as well.

When Abbey finished, Matt got up as well, leaving the kids in bed. They respected their parent's privacy in the bathroom until the door opened. When that happened, the three of them scrambled out of bed to join them. Casee, sitting on the counter, once again watched her mom put her light touch of make-up for the day as the boys watched Matt shave, bare-chested and in his boxers.

They both finished and chased the kids to the bedroom in the basement where Matt's brother Mac and his wife Stella slept to get them up. Matt and Abbey dressed for the casual at home day. Reed Garrett, Mac's stepson, walked into the kitchen wearing a pair of athletic shorts as Abbey started the coffee pot. "Good morning," she smiled at him. "How'd you sleep?"

Reed rubbed his chest hair with a yawn like she had seen her husband do a thousand times. "Too good," he smiled, "until I heard the attack downstairs." They both laughed as the kids rumbled up the steps.

"We got the same," Abbey smiled.

Reed looked at his cousins. He loved the annual Fourth of July visit to his uncle and aunt's home in the DC area he shared with Mac and Stella. He was no longer writing his blog. He had accepted a position with the New York Times as a staff writer. While he still enjoyed a wonderful relationship with his adoptive parents, the bond of being with the family of his birth mother, who later became Mac's first wife, meant as much to him. He looked at Cam. "How'd the mission go," he asked with a broad smile.

Cam gave him a Marine Corps salute that made his father proud as he walked into the kitchen with the morning paper. "Mission accomplished sir," Cam reported.

Reed looked at Matt and Abbey. "Which shower," he simply asked.

"Use ours Reed, please," Abbey said. Reed looked at her with a question.

"When two boys get up in the middle of the night half asleep, their aim isn't that good. Please don't use the kid's bathroom."

Casee looked at him. "It stinks in there," she said, rolling her eyes. The brothers shrugged at each other with smiles and Matt shook his head.

"I know, Uncle Matt," Reed smiled. "Make myself at home. I know where to find the towels after two years." He took off for Matt's den to get his shower stuff. Abbey poured Matt a cup of coffee as Reed glided up the steps.

Thirty minutes later, the NYC version of the Taylor family walked into the kitchen/dining area of the DC Taylor home, showered and ready for the day. The kids were already powering down French toast and bacon at the table. Mac looked around. "Where's Matt?"

Abbey smiled. "Matt said when he brought in the paper it was beautiful outside. The thunderstorm last night took out the humidity. He shut the AC off and is opening up the house." The three visitors felt the wonderful breeze that exited the horrible DC humidity that greeted them yesterday when Matt picked them up at Union Station from their train ride down from Manhattan. The boys wondered into the living room to watch SportsCenter as Casee played with her DS on the couch. Matt helped Abbey finish breakfast for the adults and they all sat down together, enjoying the food, the wonderful cool breeze blowing through the windows and simply being together again.

As they ate, Mac looked at his brother. "The usual happening here later today," he asked with a large smile.

Matt smiled back. "You know it bro." It was now a firmly placed BAU tradition that the Fourth of July was spent at the Taylor home. And even with the Fourth falling on a Friday, when the team had a chance to spend the long weekend elsewhere, they all had chosen to stay in town for the gathering.

The team usually scattered on Memorial Day weekend. That weekend was always just Dave, the Hotchner's, along with Haley's family in town to visit her gravesite, along with Matt, Abbey and the kids at Dave's mansion.

This one was the big one they all looked forward to. While Dave pleaded and bugged to have it at his place, with everything from the kitchen, Weber grill and pool being bigger, the team wanted to go to the Taylor's. Reid always told him the same thing. "Sorry Rossi, but that's a home for kids."

Dave understood his feelings. The team needed all the young off-springs of the BAU together. They were their sanity; why they did the crazy job they did chasing across the country for each case. The middle of the year holiday gave them that respite. And the Taylor home was much more equipped to handle those kids than his mansion.

-00CM00-

The kids wandered off to their playroom downstairs on the other side of the home theatre. They were finally old enough to do things on their own. Their spacious playroom included Casee's kitchen she still played in, a "Pop a Shot" basketball game set up for the boys and a work area for them to do arts, crafts and put puzzles together. All three were puzzle masters.

Stella shook her head at Abbey. "They are growing up so fast," she smiled.

"Yeah, they are," Abbey smiled back with pride. "And they're usually pretty good down there; just the occasional dust up." Stella laughed.

Outside, the guys were getting ready for the picnic. Reed was cleaning the pool while Mac helped Matt get the patio area cleaned up. Wilma, enjoying the cooler weather, wandered around the backyard, chasing off a squirrel that tried to get into the bird feeders. "Good girl," Matt praised as a pair of Goldfinches perched on the thistle seed feeder. Mac smiled as well.

By noon, Team Taylor, including the kids, was a lean, mean fruit salad making machine. Matt and Mac worked on getting the whole watermelon ready to be the "boat" for the fruit salad. Reed and the kids were on fruit washing duty while Abbey and Stella started cutting the fruit. After their big breakfast, the kids nibbled on some of the fruit for their lunch.

An hour and half later, the fruit salad was made and the kitchen was completely cleaned. Mac and Matt looked at their stained t-shirts. "I don't know about you little brother, but I need to clean up," Mac smiled.

"Oh I don't bro; I say we greet guests like this." Casee giggled as Matt got Abbey's version of the Hotchner glare. The brothers laughed and went to get cleaned up.

Matt was coming down the steps in a clean t-shirt and cargo shorts for the festivities when he heard the doorbell ring. Wilma, dozing in the formal dining room under the breeze coming through the window, lifted her head. Matt looked through the peephole in the front door; shook his head and opened it as Mac was coming up the steps from downstairs.

"Doc, you know better by now to ring the bell."

Spencer Reid walked in. "I know; but I'm early. I didn't want to barge in." Matt immediately read that something was up. Mac greeted the young genius and sensed the same thing as his brother. He moved into the kitchen.

Reid looked at Matt. "Can we talk?"

Matt smiled. "Sure Doc." Reid put his ever present messenger bag on the steps. They walked into the kitchen together with the young genius greeting the ladies. The kids were out in the pool area with Reed.

"Let's use my office," Matt smiled, nodding down the hall.

They walked down the hallway as Abbey and Stella looked at Mac.

"That kid has something on his mind."

###

A/N: Animal Planet is a channel on the cable networks in this country. The show is called Treehouse Masters. It's pretty cool.

A Pop a Shot basketball game is an arcade game. There's one hoop, with netting around the sides, with a smaller version of a basketball. Each player tries to make as many baskets as possible in a specific amount of time with three basketballs.

Guess how I know both of these things? :D