When In Doubt Bribe
The sound of children laughing would have once made David Rossi cringe then run in the opposite direction, but he now found himself enjoying it. He glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled as Jack, 8, and Henry, 5, laughed at the movie that was playing on the pull down flat screen located on the ceiling hovering over the console between the front bucket seats. He could not remember the name of the cartoon, but he knew it had talking zoo animals. As he slowed down then stopped at the red traffic light, he glanced over to the passenger in the front seat.
"Ellie," He said bringing her attention from the landscape to him. "How do you like living with Morgan and Garcia?"
"Fine." She replied quietly as she looked down to her folded hands resting on her lap.
He should have known not to ask her a question such as that, his years of a profiler should have told him that she would withdrawal even more, if reminded about the horrific incident. After watching both her father and aunt murdered, running from the foster system, and reunited with her mother three years ago, Ellie had once again found herself confronted with tragedy. Her mother had died of complications from malaria, which she had contracted during a work trip. That had been four months ago. The poor child was only eleven and had seen more death than many adults had.
He was about to ask her another question when he realized that the light had changed from red to green. The next ten minutes were filled with sounds from the movie and the laughter of Henry and Jack. He pulled into the large parking lot of the grocery store and found a parking space a moderate length away from the entrance. He unbuckled, looked into the rearview mirror, and asked. "Boys, what are the rules?"
"No running."
"No jumping."
"No grabbing stuff."
"No crying."
"No temper tantrums."
"No yelling."
"No talking to strangers."
"No walking off."
"No arguments about the shopping cart."
"You got it!" Dave exclaimed exuberantly before opening the door, getting out, and unbuckling Henry from his booster seat. Once Ellie had jumped down from the front passenger side, he stated. "Let's go."
Rossi grabbed Henry's left hand, took Jack's right hand, and Jack offered his left to Ellie, who hesitantly took it. The foursome walked to the entrance of the store and once inside Dave placed Henry on his feet in the shopping cart. Henry quickly sat down and crossed his legs Indian style as his Kindergarten teacher had taught him. Dave lifted the right side of his black suit jacket and pulled out the list that JJ and Penelope had created.
They started in the produce section and Jack helped pick out tomatoes while Henry asked for grapes. Dave marked off all produce items from the list and looked at Ellie who was shuffling her feet with her hands behind her back. He asked. "Is there any fruit of vegetable that you like that we haven't gotten yet?"
"Celery." She replied demurely. "I like celery."
Dave grabbed a bushel of celery stalks and the foursome found their way to the meat department. Ellie saw a small puddle of blood and stopped walking. She became immobilized, her skin paled, and her breathing first slowed then sped up. The group had gotten seven feet ahead of her before Dave realized that Ellie was no longer with them. He opened his mouth about to chastise her for not sticking with the group when he realized why she had not. Her body language screamed fear and her eyes transfixed upon a puddle of blood six inches from her sneaker clad feet. He pushed the shopping cart to the side of the aisle and looked and Jack.
"Stay right here and watch Henry." Dave ordered.
Jack shook his head affirmative, in understanding.
Dave cautiously walked toward her. On the right side of her, he bent his knees and squatted down so that their eyes were at the same level. He slowly began to talk. "Ellie, you are safe. Do not be afraid. Look at me."
She slowly looked away and met his gaze although he could tell that she struggled to do so. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. You are safe. You are as safe with me as you are with Derek or Penelope, understand me? I will not let anything happen to you." He offered her his hand.
Without a word, she took his hand.
They walked toward an awaiting Jack and Henry. Henry was confused, but Jack understood. He had lost his Mommy too. He could not play Cowboys and Indians for a long time after his Mommy had died. He felt sorry for her, because she did not have a Mommy or a Daddy. She had Uncle Derek and Aunt Penelope and the rest of 'em, but it was not the same, much like his Aunt Jessica, was not his mommy, even though she took care of him like a Mommy would. He would have been her friend anyway, but now he knew that he would be her friend, perhaps even her best friend. He had wanted one of those after his Mommy died, but the kids at school were afraid to talk to him. Jack smiled at Ellie and offered his hand. She glanced at it then at Dave then back at Jack's small hand. She withdrew her hand from Dave's and took Jack's. They held hands through the rest of the shopping trip until they got to the bakery, the last stop before finding an available checkout lane. The two placed their hands on the glass and got close, almost to the point of placing their noses against the glass yet not quite, to better see the display of cupcakes, doughnuts, cakes, and other yummy goodness.
Dave picked the thickest, roundest, largest gourmet cheesecake, and placed it in the shopping cart.
For the first time, since the incident in the meat department, Ellie spoke. "JJ said for you not to buy cheesecake, Mr. Rossi."
"What JJ doesn't know won't kill Mr. Rossi." Dave replied sweetly with a large grin.
"Mommy won't like it." Henry stated.
"Uncle Dave, Aunt JJ said that you'd say that." Jack retorted.
Dave glanced from Henry who was sitting Indian style in the shopping cart to Jack and the grin on Dave's face faltered. Jack had narrowed his eyes and firmly set his mouth in a stern line, either the eight-year-old had practised Aaron's stoic, I am not impressed look, or it was a genetic tick.
"Hmm," Dave hummed as he thought of a way out of this predicament that ended with him still getting his beloved cheesecake. His eyes twinkled as he remembered one of the oldest tricks in the book, bribery. "Kids, how would you like a dollar?"
"Puh-lease, Da," Henry rolled his eyes. Dave's eyes always brightened when Henry called him 'Da,' a combination or compromise between his name and the term dad. "It got to be more than a dollar."
Dave shook his head, he knew that this would cost him; he was not dealing with a bunch of amateurs. He was dealing with kids that realized that a dollar would not get them anything. Oh how it did when he was a youngster; a handful of candy, soda pop, and a gallon of gas.
"Uncle Dave, bribery and lying are wrong!" Jack retorted as his previous stare hardened.
Trust Aaron's child to be the conscious of the group, Dave thought as he looked up to the heavens before he looked down to Jack who now had his hands on his hips, an act that reminded him of Haley.
"Bribery, lying?" Dave sputtered. "I said no such thing. I asked whether you kids would like a dollar. I never said for you to lie."
"I am not stupid." Jack stated offended. "You want to give us dollar so we don't tell JJ about you buying cheesecake!"
Dave rolled his eyes. "Okay, you caught me. I want a piece of cheesecake and JJ won't let me have any." He paused as he considered his next words. "Isn't there ever a time when you want something really, really, really bad, but your dad or Jessica won't let you have it?"
Jack's stern gaze softened as he worried his bottom lip with his teeth, before he replied. "Yes."
"See, this is the same thing. I don't want something bad, something that will hurt me." Dave stated as he mentally noted that he would have to confess to Father Jimmy for lying to the child. Cheesecake, for some unknown reason, always made him sick to his stomach, but it was so good, he would deal with the consequences. JJ, on the other hand, did not share that same philosophy, hers was if it made you sick, you did not ever need it. He added. "Do we have a deal?"
"Da, make it ten and we have a deal." Henry retorted as he unknowingly negotiated the terms. Dave smiled, proud of him.
"I'll give you each ten dollars and we do not tell JJ that I bought any cheesecake. Deal?"
"Deal!" Henry exclaimed as he clapped.
"Whatever you say, Mr. Rossi." Ellie replied.
Jack eyed him for several seconds before he finally spoke. "Deal, Uncle Dave. I will not tell Aunt JJ."
If Dave had paid attention, he would have realized his error in telling the kids not to tell JJ, because as they finished retrieving items on the list and some not, Jack Hotchner was plotting away.
He would tell his Daddy.
As they went through the checkout line, Dave prompted them to each pick a candy bar for later. Once the items were paid and bagged, the foursome left the store. Once in the parking lot, they safely crossed the road, and walked to the car. Dave insured that each of the kids were properly buckled before placing the items in the back of the Suburban, closing the double doors, and placing the shopping cart in the corral two parking spaces over. Dave opened the driver door, slid the double-bagged cheesecake under his front seat, and made sure that it would not slide from its place. Jack eyed the cheesecake and quickly looked away as Dave climbed in and sat.
Dave opened his wallet and offered Ellie her ten-dollar bill. "Remember no telling JJ."
She shook her head affirmative and he let her silently agree instead of vocally like he would the boys.
He turned around and offered Jack his ten-dollar bill. "Remember, no telling JJ."
Jack stared at it for a long moment and Dave started to worry that Jack was backing out. Jack sighed and said. "Okay, I promise not to tell Aunt JJ about your cheesecake."
"Good boy." Dave encouraged as Jack took the ten-dollar bill.
Dave looked at his stepson and said. "Henry, no telling Mama about the cheesecake. She asks about the ten dollars, what do you say?"
"You gave it to me, 'cause you loves me."
"Exactly." Dave grinned and winked.
Jack rolled his eyes as he looked out the window. He could not understand why his Uncle Dave wanted them to lie. He hated lying, because lies hurt people; George had lied.
Forty-five minutes later, the foursome was back at the Jareau-Rossi abode. Once out of the Suburban, Henry and Jack ran inside while Ellie walked. Dave was arranging the grocery bags so that he could take them all in one trip when his blood ran cold as he heard his name.
"David Angelus Rossi!" Jennifer Jareau shrilled as she closed the front door and walked toward him.
He froze with the plastic bags full of food for the barbecue in hand. He knew the tone of voice that she had just used. He was in trouble. He was busted, but uncertain as to what, until she spoke again.
"What is this about you hiding cheesecake under the front seat and giving the kids money not to tell?"
He groaned all he wanted was a piece of cheesecake was that too much to ask for? Apparently his wife thought so. As he listened to JJ sprout all the reason why he should not eat cheesecake, Dave decided that the next time he used bribery, the bribe would be too good of an incentive for any of the kids to rat him out or even better Jack Hotchner would not be going anywhere let alone the grocery store with him.
The loveable brat had found a loophole.
After all, Jack Hotchner was Aaron Hotchner's son.