A/N: I keep my promises, especially to an educator. This is something short, sweet and back to my "baby". I just luvs this family and no matter how hard I try, I can't let them go. However a certain peep fueled this. ;)
The Friday of Labor Day weekend, Matt drove his car to the campus of the University of Virginia. Aaron, Cait, Mike and Jack followed in Cait's car with the back seat pulled out of the three rows of seats of the upscale mini-van. The two vehicles held all of the things Matt wanted in his dorm room. Cait had cooked a huge breakfast before they left.
The family worked together to get Matt settled into his dorm room, Pete's family doing the same. The good-byes were tough for both families. It was especially tough on the Hotchner's.
Matt pulled Jack into a huge hug. "I love you bro."
Jack looked him in the eye. "I know Mattie, but I'm still going to miss you." He threw his arms around his oldest brother's neck. "A lot," he whispered into Matt's ear as he brushed a tear away. Matt hugged him tighter, as Cait rubbed her youngest son's back. Aaron rubbed Cait's shoulder, knowing how difficult this was on her. She was letting go of one of her children. They were her cubs: cubs that Mama Bear had nurtured, loved and protected.
Yet, Cait was strong as usual, giving Matt a big hug next. "Please just don't get arrested for underage drinking your first night," she smiled at him as she pulled out of her embrace of her oldest son.
Matt just smiled. "So I'm good to go the second night," he devilishly smiled at her. Cait smacked him in the bicep and they all laughed.
Matt pulled Mike into a huge hug. While all three of the boys were a bonded brotherhood that no one dared to mess with, Mike and Matt, having been through that time with a single mother raising them, had an extra bond. They needed no words. As they pulled out, Matt signed to Mike (even with his ocular implants firmly in place) I love you my brother.
Mike signed the same thing back to him. Jack, picking up more and more of sign language every day, between what he learned in school and Cait helping him, signed to Matt I love you as well.
Aaron pulled Matt into a hug. "I love you my son and you will never know how deeply proud I am of you," he said in his ear.
That brought the tears to Matt's eyes as he pulled out and looked his father in the eye. "And you will never, ever know how proud I am that you call me son; and you are my father." Aaron's eyes matched Matt's and he pulled him into another hug. Cait struggled with her emotions, looking away for a few seconds, taking a deep breath to calm herself.
As Matt left Aaron's embrace, he grabbed his mother once more. "I love you mom. Thank you for everything. For giving Mike and I the loving home you raised us in, for always being there for me and most importantly, finding us a dad and brother." He kissed her cheek. "Ya done good mom and I'll make you all proud. I promise." Cait lingered a bit in her oldest son's arms and then let go.
She rubbed his cheek. "You make your family proud every day Matt." Matt ruffled Jack's hair, gave Mike a fist bump and shook Aaron's hand. The family left the room.
They all got into Cait's vehicle and began the drive back to Woodbridge. Jack, still growing like a weed and now in a booster seat and Mike both conked out, the trek of carrying Matt's things up three floors of the dorm steps, plus the early morning start, had caught up to them.
Cait looked out the passenger door window, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to flow. Aaron reached his right hand across the console that separated them to rub her shoulder as he drove. Of course, how she was feeling would not escape her husband. "You know, it's OK? I miss him too; already. And Matt was right; you are an amazing mother."
Cait looked at him, brushing her tears away. "I'm supposed to be strong and not let this get to me," she smiled at him.
"No Cait and why I love you so much. I'm supposed to be strong. You're just supposed to be mom," he smiled, giving her shoulder a tug back and forth.
"That's a bit 1950's retro Aaron. The male is strong but the woman can't be?"
He smiled broadly at her as he drove down the freeway. "Gotcha ya," he smiled broadly. She gave him a slap on the bicep as well and then pulled his hand off her shoulder and squeezed it. They chatted the rest of the way, listening to the songs on the radio.
As Aaron drove down Deer Valley Road towards their driveway, his cell phone pinged in the console. Cait immediately recognized the tone. It was an urgent call from the BAU. Aaron grabbed it, knowing it had to be huge for him to get called in on a scheduled vacation day and made the connection. "Chief Strauss?"
"Aaron, I know what you've got going on today but I need you and the team in here ASAP. We have a situation." The whole team had taken the day off as well, hoping for a four day holiday weekend after being out on the road for almost three weeks straight.
"Ma'am, I'm thirty seconds from pulling into the driveway. I'll be there in less than an hour." He pulled the car in the driveway and the garage. He sprinted out. Cait got the boys awake.
"Thank you Aaron. Just get here and don't worry about what you are wearing." Aaron looked at Cait, who just shook her head as she walked into the house with the boys.
"Don't; just stay safe; you and all the team."
Aaron kissed Cait. "It's local, because Strauss told me not to change or bring a go bag. Hopefully, I'll be home later." Aaron blew out of the house fifteen minutes later dressed in his polo shirt and jeans, with both of his Glocks pulled out of the gun locker in he and Cait's bedroom firmly in place.
The two younger boys walked over to Dave's to get Mudgie while Cait prepared the comfort dinner they had requested. Who knew when the team would be back?
After their meatloaf and mashed potatoes dinner, Cait spent some time with the two boys. She taught Jack a new song on the piano, with Mike joining them on the piano bench, smiling at Jack's abilities. Cait was brilliant at playing the piano. Mike remembered many nights when he was young, after he got his implants with Cait playing the piano downstairs while he and Matt played upstairs before heading to bed. It was soothing.
He drifted off upstairs as Cait played Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata with Jack sitting in her lap. He knew exactly what his mom was doing. They were all hurting, missing Matt greatly, and she was simply being mom, trying to help the hurt.
When she finished, Jack smiled at her. "That was great, mom." She kissed his head, pulled him into a hug and carried him up the steps to his bath. Normally, Jack would have balked at that, now being a "big boy" but for this night, he needed the closeness of his mom as much she needed it as well.
With the boys safely tucked into bed and sound asleep, Beans taking care of Mike and Mudg sleeping with Jack, the dogs having taken their nightly exit, Cait watched TV a bit and then headed to bed as well, yawning deeply. The long day was beginning to wear on her body as well.
She woke a little after eleven to feel the bed she shared with Aaron moving. Jack curled up next to her as she slept facing the side that Aaron normally slept on. She kissed his head. "You OK?"
"I miss Mattie mom," he said curling against her.
"I know; so do I." She pulled Jack into her arms, giving him a safe cocoon. As he settled, Mudg jumped on the bed and wrapped himself around Jack's legs. Cait fell asleep with her head on the left side of her pillow, with Jack's resting on the far right side of the pillow his dad used, wrapped in Cait's arms.
Less than forty minutes later, Cait woke to the bed moving again. She opened her eyes and through the moonlight coming in the patio door, watched Mike as he silently crawled in the bed as well, nestling into the left side of the bed that Aaron normally slept on. She reached her arm, holding Jack's head underneath the pillow and rubbed his hair getting him back to sleep as well.
As Mike conked out, Beans jumped up on the bed. If it's good enough for Mudg, it's good enough for me. Cait just smiled and fell asleep.
Aaron and Dave walked into the home a little after two in the morning. Cait had texted Dave that Mudg was with her and the boys. Since Mudg was there, Dave had not reason to go home. Hotch and Dave both shared a rather large scotch, given the situation they had dealt with, as they worked together to get the bed made up in the den. Dave, remembering his days recovering in the home, had no problem sleeping there.
As Dave started stripping out of his clothes, Aaron looked at him, taking another sip of his scotch. "Ya know this would have been a lot easier if you just took Matt's bed upstairs."
Dave, already out of his shirt, pulled his Italian made jeans down and sat down on the pullout bed to pull his equally made boots off. He smiled at Aaron, taking a long drink himself, as he slipped his socks off. "I've got a Ben Franklin in my wallet that says if I did that, I'd be the only person sleeping upstairs." He drained his scotch and handed the glass to Aaron. "Put that in the dishwasher so your wife doesn't chew your ass or mine in the morning," he smiled.
Aaron, smiling, took the glass, walked into the kitchen and drained his scotch as well, putting both glasses into the dishwasher. He walked to him and Cait's bedroom. As he entered the door and looked in, he shook his head. As usual, and point on, Dave had correctly profiled the family. He looked in to see his two youngest sons sharing a bed with their mom. He smiled broadly and moved to the bathroom.
Five minutes later, he spooned up next to his wife in his boxers, sharing her pillow. Pushing the hair down from her neck to kiss her exposed skin, Cait woke. She rolled a bit, while still keeping Jack close and looked him in the eye. "I really don't think this is time for you to get horny," she smiled in a whisper.
Aaron just looked at her and shook his head. He lovingly planted another kiss on her exposed skin. "Me neither mom," he smiled as he kissed her cheek. Cait rolled back on her side to hold Jack close, as Aaron spooned in around her, wrapping his left arm around her waist and rubbing Jack's arm. As he drifted off to sleep, he noticed Cait still gently rubbing Mike's hair every now and then. He smiled. A mother's love for her son. He had some experience with that.
Dave woke with Mudg putting his cold nose up against his arm. He smiled, rubbing the head of his hunting partner as he pulled his cell phone off the end table that Cait had next to the pull out bed. 8:03. Holy shit. He climbed out of bed, moved to the French doors to the patio of the Hotchner house, shut the alarm off and let Mudg out in this boxers and Italian made undershirt. He silently made his way to the Aaron and Cait's bedroom.
Looking in the door, he smiled deeply at the sight. Aaron, snuggled next to his wife was soundly sleeping as was Cait and the two boys. Beans lifted her head off the bed and Dave smiled, gesturing to her to join him. Beans didn't have to think twice and Dave let her out as well. He went into the laundry room, got the dogs some fresh water and put food into both their bowls.
He headed back into the great room and let the dogs in. They made a beeline to the laundry room. Dave smiled and returned back to his comfy bed.
Dave woke an hour and a half later to Jack literally jumping on him. "Hi Uncle Dave," he enthused, giving Dave a deep hug as he lay on his chest with Dave in the bed. "Mom says you're cooking breakfast." Before he could answer, Mike tackled him as well with both the dogs loudly barking, jumping on the bed as well. He smelt the coffee brewing. Damn I love this family, he smiled to himself. But I sorta miss a kid. Like them.
Dave smiled. As long as Cait and Hotch were up, he could be as well. He grabbed Jack and rubbed Mike's head. "Let's get at it guys."
As they shared Dave's breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast, with Cait hovering and helping, her cell phone rang. She looked at it, smiled, and answered, putting it on speaker phone.
"Hey mom and dad! Pete and I didn't get arrested last night!"
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A/N: As I said in my opening, I keep my promises.
My usual shout outs to the CMRev crew and my Tweeters!
Thn0715: You babe, and you alone, created this monster! *Padawan bows*