A/N: Did you really doubt this verse would not be my 100th story? Really? And I think y'all know pretty much what it's going to be about. Did you not anticipate that as well give the date on the calendar?

*smiles* I didn't think that either of you my loyal readers. I luvs ya all! Thank you for making this milestone possible.

I've got to do it again; as badly as it hurts given the absolutely horrible exit they gave TG after 11 years. All rights to the Criminal Minds characters belong to Mark Gordon Productions, CBS and ABC Studios.

I have to admit one thing to you, my loyal readers. This is not a fully written story. I took too much down time after writing my last one and forgot that writing chapters can take eight hours or more of my time. That said, I'm writing away and far enough ahead that I can start posting. So much so, I keep my promises; you will get a chapter a day.

*Knightly bow*

I'll get to you at the end my luvs.

Chapter 1

After their trip to the ranch, Matt and Lauren had found a very small but cozy one bedroom apartment in the Georgetown district to move in to. To their credit, which made Cait and Aaron very proud, they had scoured garage sales around the area to furnish it with Matt using his sizeable trust funds between what Cait and Dave had established for the boys. The items they collected had taken over Matt's parking spot in the garage.

The weekend before Labor Day, the whole family pitched in getting them moved in along with two of Matt's buddies and their pickup trucks; Pete being one. Cait eyed them, taking a drink of her beer, sitting on the second hand couch in the tiny living room.

Matt looked at her. "Really mom? The living in sin look? You and dad lived together how long before you two got married."

"And I didn't get pregnant," Cait fired back.

"You can't," Matt countered.

"True that," Cait smiled.

"But do you see where your mother is heading this conversation," Aaron asked.

Matt smiled. "Yes dad. We have no room in our lives right now for a child." Cait eyed him deeply. "Trust me mom – we have full buy in."

"Live up to that," Cait, Aaron and Dave growled together.

Matt and Lauren looked at the three of them with smiles as Matt kissed Lauren's cheek. Cait and Aaron clinked their long neck beer bottles together.

Jack looked at Mike. "I know what they're talking about now," he smiled. Mike shook his head, giving Jack's head a gentle push.

Dave looked at Cait and Aaron. "The no pajama's code is gone?" The boys and Lauren all laughed. Dave looked at Jack. "When did you grow up on me?" Jack just proudly smiled back at him.

"It's called fifth grade Dave," Cait said. "They get the video. We explain it to him better than that."

"Before he sees it," Aaron added. "It's called being parents Dave."

"Wise choice," Dave intoned. Cait and Aaron rolled their eyes at each other. The boys and Lauren laughed more.

-00CM00-

The week before Thanksgiving the team was out in the bay area of California, working a major case. An unsub was dropping bodies, alternating between the San Francisco and Oakland areas. While Cait didn't join them on the trip, because of the alternate dump sites and no link in victimology, the case had proved to be tough one. Cait was consulting from Quantico on her days there; and from home every night, given the cross country time change after she had got Jack to bed. But there was one problem.

When the team left for the case, Cait was battling a huge fall head cold, due to her seasonal allergies. The DC area had a beautiful and long fall season. The weather didn't play well with those allergies. And Cait was also working on a major consult for Jack Garrett's team as well with them in Europe. The time difference between the two teams, resulting in eighteen hour days, plus prepping for teaching, were wearing her down more.

With the week moving on, the team, especially Aaron and Dave could hear her getting sicker. While Aaron was in the shower Thursday morning in their shared hotel room, Dave secretly called Garcia.

"OMG my Italian Stallion, you are good," Garcia said. "I was about to send you a covert text."

"Good morning to you Penelope," Dave said. "What would have that covert text said?"

"That I just got an email from Chief Cruz he sent to the office staff. Cait called in sick today. She's working from home on your and Jack's cases."

Dave frowned. "Aaron is worried; so am I. Thanks for the heads-up Penelope."

"Any time Sir Rossi."

"And Garcia – Aaron does not know this."

Garcia hit a button on her keyboard, which Rossi heard. "Email already sent sir. But I'm so, so worried about her."

"Garcia, Cait is like you; damned determined. And we both know the old adage. Doctors make the worst patients." Dave smiled. "You're the best Garcia."

"Rossi, just make her take care of herself."

Dave smiled. "I won't be that gentle. I know how to argue with her." He paused. "And Penelope, I know how to win this argument with her. I'll admit that will be a first. And I'll have to play dirty to win the argument. I need your help."

"Tell me what you need Sir Rossi."

-00CM00-

The team was sitting around the conference room the SFPD had provided them, eating their quick breakfasts. Morgan was pacing around as he ate. "Why can't we get a handle on this SOB? We know he's connected somehow to the BART system. He's dumping his victims in alleys near stations connecting the two cities. We got two more victims and are still behind this bastard."

"Because the victimology is all over the map," Emily said, taking a bite.

"And add in the alternate dump zones that are all over the map. He hasn't used the same one twice," JJ said.

"He's taunting us," Dave said. Morgan pointed at him.

"The link is obviously the BART system," Reid said. "That's the quickest way to get between the two cities. But I agree with Emily; until we can narrow down our search, based on victimology, that doesn't help us. And Garcia has already searched BART employees for our limited profile and has come up with nothing."

"The police have extra presence on all BART platforms between the two cities," Tara said.

Just then, Hotch's cellphone rang. He looked at it. "It's Cait," he said. "Hi Doc; got something for us?"

"Yes, I think," she started to say and then had a horrible coughing spell. The team shook their heads.

"Damnit Doc," Aaron growled. "Are you OK?"

"Aaron, I'm fine. It's just been a long week. I just got Jack's team current case off my plate. They're on their way home."

"You don't sound like it."

"Aaron do you want a possible lead or not?"

"What ya got Cait," Morgan asked.

"Following your initial profile, I've dug a bit deeper into my research and studies. And I'm just throwing this out. What we do know is the kill method. It's quick, easy and no hesitation - one quick, deep slash across the carotid artery in the neck. We've looked at everything but medical workers with the family background we profiled with a blood lust complex in their background as well that uses the BART. It's all electronic pay now. They don't accept cash."

Dave shook his head. "It's worth a shot."

"I've already got Garcia working on it," Cait said, coughing more. The cough was a deep, congested one.

Hotch looked at his phone that pinged. "Doc, I've to go. It's Garcia; I think she may have a hit on your lead."

"Go; and stay safe all of you," Cait said, coughing more.

Three hours later, Aaron and Dave stared down their unsub in an alley off an Oakland stop of the BART with their guns drawn. "I'll kill him!" John Jacobs hollered at them, holding a knife to the victim's throat.

"You move that knife, I plant a bullet in your brain," Aaron growled.

Jacobs started to draw the knife across his latest victim's throat. He didn't get far.

-00CM00-

An hour later with the scene starting to calm, Aaron got in the Bureau SUV and rapidly sent a text to Mike. The case is done. Please call me ASAP. I want an update on your mom. He and Dave were shaking hands with the lead detectives from Oakland and San Francisco PD when his phone rang. They headed to the SUV as Aaron answered the call. "Hi son – what's up with mom?"

"She's got bronchitis dad. Janice came by the house on a stealth mission instigated by Uncle Dave. She prescribed a strong inhaler that I picked up on the way home from school. Mom is already on it and just conked out on the couch. And she's not coughing as much. Jack's homework is done and I'm making mac and cheese for us for dinner. It's what Jack wanted and I ran with it."

Aaron smiled. "Thanks son; I appreciate you being the back-up."

"I'll always back you dad. Just thank Uncle Dave for kicking mom's butt without really kicking her butt," he smiled. "She needed it. And Jack wants to talk to you," Mike said, handing his phone to Jack.

Aaron walked to the SUV that Dave was already in, talking with Jack. He opened the door and sat down in the driver's seat. "I love you too buddy. I'll be home sometime tomorrow." He listened and smiled. "Enjoy the mac and cheese and sleep well. I'll see you then." He listened a bit more. "Good night sons; I love you both," and ended the call.

He looked at Dave. "What the hell did you do?"

Dave smiled. "Garcia gave me the 4-1-1 on Cait's condition. She didn't go into the office today."

"Damnit Dave, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because your team needed you head down in this case. And I had a plan."

"A plan?"

"I can't win an argument with your wife so I went around her back and Garcia got me Janice's phone number. I called and told Janice what was going on. She told me she'd take care of it." He looked at Hotch. "I'm assuming she did," he smiled.

Hotch shook his head and gave him the update; and then smiled at him. "Thanks Dave," he said, buckling his seatbelt and starting the engine.

As they drove to the SFPD, Dave looked at him. "We need to talk a bit more."

"Dave?"

"Aaron, we can catch a meal on the fly while we pack up to head home at the PD. But we all need sleep; or we'll be in the same shape as Cait. And since it's now past three, our hotel rooms for tonight are on the bill. How 'bout we head to the hotel after we're done packing up, grab some sleep and leave at three am? We're flying by four; with the time difference back to the east coast, we're home by noon. And since we're in the office all next week, we can do our reports for the case on Monday." Hotch looked at him. "First thing - scout's honor. I'll put the team's feet to the fire for seven hours of sleep in a bed."

Aaron smiled at him. "You just keep thinking Dave."

"Why you pay me the big bucks Aaron," Dave smugly said.

The two of them entered the conference room to the team already starting to pack up everything. Hotch laid out Dave's plan. Emily smiled. "The Chinese is already ordered. How's Cait?"

"She's got bronchitis," Hotch said. "And on meds that Mike said are already working. When I talked to him, he said she was soundly sleeping on the couch and not coughing. Jack told me he woke up a couple times last night to her horribly coughing."

Reid frowned. "What about Thanksgiving? My parents are coming."

Hotch looked at him. "She's got the weekend to get better. Her folks are coming Tuesday. Sean, Leslie and the boys will be there Wednesday morning. I think we'll be good Reid," he smiled.

Tara looked at Hotch. "I'm not coming if it means Cait is pushing herself to cook for all of us over her getting better."

"I agree," JJ said. The rest of the team nodded their heads.

Hotch looked at them. "Let's just get some sleep tonight, get home tomorrow and get into the office on Monday to wrap this case up. I should know more by then."

-00CM00-

A little after one-thirty the next afternoon, Aaron and Dave quietly walked into the home. Cait was peacefully sleeping on the couch with Max curled around the back of her legs and Bella sleeping next to her chest, her head under Cait's neck.

Dave shook his head. "I'm not disturbing that," he whispered with a smile. "I'm gonna head home, take care of a few things and come back to make spaghetti for dinner for all of us. Get some burger thawed out."

"Thanks Dave," Aaron smiled. "Mike and I will make some lettuce salads and garlic bread for all of us."

###

A/N: I'm sure I said it last year, but I'll say it again. Coming up with a new twist on this story every year is a challenge. I like challenges. :D

Btw, Janice is Janice Marshall, one of Cait's dear doctor friends. She appeared in my story Family Scares. BART is Bay Area Rapid Transit.