A/N: Yup! It's my annual birthday present to my OK Teacher aka proofreader. That said, any boo-boo's are completely on me. She's offered many times to read this in advance. But, for once, she gets the chance to be a reader instead of a proofreader. So I don't have my safety net. I hate flying solo.
This is my birthday present to my dear friend.
The best thing about this birthday surprise is I get to spring it when I want. I'm sure my proofreader expected the first chapter on her birthday. Sorry loves. Rockie curveball.
To those of you that don't know this verse, I'll say it again. This is my take on Aaron and Dave being married, with Jack very happy with that arrangement. Please look at the rating. This is a straight up story about a family with no smut. If it is still not your cup of tea, please walk away. I make my choice to write it. You make your choice not to read it. It's that simple.
And if I haven't got a significant character back into this verse, let's just say it happened and leave it at that. ;)
That said…All rights to the Criminal Minds characters belong to Mark Gordon Studios, CBS and ABC Studios. I still hate doing that. But I won't rant anymore. That's why I'm on Twitter. Still going strong with #NoHotchNoWatch . And I have twenty new and dear Twitter friends. My holiday card list has grown significantly over the past few years.
*Knightly bow*
Chapter 1
The team just took off from Des Moines, Iowa on their way to another case in Albuquerque, New Mexico on a Thursday night. Garcia appeared on the laptop sitting on the table of the four top of seats as well as the monitors on the jet.
"Time out," Morgan said, waving his hands. "I don't want to hear case details right now." He looked at Dave, sitting in the four top with him, Hotch and Emily. "I know this is typical. I mean man; this is now how many years in a row that we get buried in January. But I gotta ask why?"
Dave looked at Reid. "Go Doc," he sadly smiled, shaking his head.
"According to a recent survey, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the NAMI," Reid said, "reported that twenty-four percent of people with a diagnosed mental illness find that the holidays make their condition 'a lot worse' and forty percent 'somewhat worse'."
Dave looked at Morgan. "How do you think that affects our wackadoodles with their issues?" Morgan shook his head. "But they still respect the holidays even with their psychological problems. After that, they need to vent for lack of a better technical term."
JJ shook her head. "Why my mom spends the month of January with Will and me." JJ smiled. "And the boys do love having her bring Sophie with her."
"Sophie?" Tara asked.
JJ smiled. "Mom's border collie. They are bred to be herders." Tara looked at her. "They were originally bred to herd sheep," JJ smiled more.
"There are great videos about them on YouTube from a working sheep farm in England," Reid smiled.
"Since when Brainiac do you watch videos on YouTube?" Emily snarked. Aaron and Dave shared a look with a shake of their heads.
"Garcia," Morgan said. "I saw that look on the vid cam. Give it up mama."
"I don't tell secrets on team members my chocolate…" Hotch loudly cleared his throat to snickers from Emily, JJ and Tara.
"Busted," Dave smiled.
"Okay," Reid said. "I might have finally broke down and got a laptop at home. And Garcia hooked up my place with Wi-Fi."
"The world is ending tomorrow at midnight," Dave said, waving his hand around. "The hell with the case Aaron. Turn the jet around so we can be home with loved ones to enjoy our last hours together."
The team all laughed.
"I'll have you all know," Reid said in defensive mode, "I do not have Google bookmarked. I still look up things the old fashioned way."
"Didn't doubt that for a second," Emily snarked.
"Me either," Morgan smiled, pointing at her.
"Time out," Dave said. He looked at Reid. "You know what a bookmark is?" He looked at Aaron. "Now I know the world is ending. Press that magic button and turn this plane around." The team all laughed more.
"Can we go back to Sophie," Tara smiled.
"Sophie loves chasing the boys around the backyard when they both get home from school. She's got her herd to gather," JJ smiled. "And the boys wear off a lot of steam as Will calls it; energy in mom and Brenda's world." They all knew that Brenda was the LaMontagne nanny and smiled.
"Why Jack has Max," Hotch smiled. "Rosa and Jessica need that as well."
Dave looked at JJ. "Adopt; don't shop," he smiled.
"We're thinking about that Dave," JJ said. "Will is starting to win an argument." She looked at the team. "Just don't tell him that," she smiled.
Tara smiled. "Why I currently have no significant other, children or pets. I get a night in my bed at home. Alone. I sleep."
"That's sad," Emily said. "But I get it. My kid is old enough and has the funds to enjoy the time with friends while he's on college break. Declan is currently in Scotland, hanging out with some friends there. And away from Sergio."
"Em," Garcia said. "They still have issues?"
Emily shook her head. "My son is a dog person. And Serg knows that. They are oil and water."
"That's not good," Garcia said.
Morgan smiled. "It's gave my mom an excuse to burn up some vacation time from last year before she loses it at the end of the month to be here and help Savannah and me out with Hank."
Reid looked at Morgan. "You two thinking about getting a replacement for Clooney?"
"God rest his soul," Garcia said into the screens.
Morgan shook his head. "We want to get a rescue dog. It's just finding the time together, as a family, to find the right one."
"You are forever my champion my …" Hotch deeply growled at Garcia. "Got it sir," she said. The team laughed more. "I thought we were sharing personal time," Garcia said.
"We are," Hotch said. "And to the surprise of all of you, I'm enjoying it as much as the rest of you. But you got my butt kicked again last week. Thank you Derek for not responding. On the elevator," he said directly into the laptop camera. Garcia swallowed. " Need I say more?" The rest snickered more as Emily looked at Morgan.
"No sir," Garcia said. Dave winked at Emily with a smile.
Tara looked at Dave and Hotch. "And Jack?"
Aaron smiled. "During the week, it's Rosa, her grandson Joaquin and Jessica. They make it work." He looked at Morgan. "Adopt don't shop is great Derek," Aaron smiled. The team looked at him. "OK, pop is a lab snob." The team laughed. He looked at JJ. "Maybe do a shop together with Derek and Savannah," he smiled.
"Jake," Dave said. JJ raised an eyebrow at him. "Joaquin," Dave smiled at her, "has stepped up lately. He's a junior in college. He loves Rosa. But he's getting old enough that some time away from living with grandma is not a bad thing. And he gets paid for it and likes the extra money."
Aaron smiled. "Jack loves having him around."
"He's got another gaming buddy," Dave said.
"And Declan is another back-up," Aaron smiled at Emily. She smiled back. "The first weekend in January, Jack spent the weekend with his bud Keegan at his folks. Last weekend, he was at Carter's with his family," Aaron added.
"The gang of five," Morgan smiled at Rossi. Rossi pointed back at him with his usual smile.
"What about this coming weekend with the King Holiday?" JJ asked.
Hotch smiled. "It's Uncle Sean time and going to the cabin."
"But Jack doesn't know that yet," Dave said, leaning into the laptop camera. "Let's keep it that way," Rossi growled.
"My lips are sealed sir," Garcia said. The team all smiled.
"Case details Garcia," Hotch said.
"On it my liege. I direct you all to your tablets."
-00CM00-
Jack was on the bus home Friday feeling a bit down. After talking to Aaron and Dave last night, he knew it was another weekend of being shuttled off to someone's home. His iPod pinged with a text. Jack pulled it out from his book bag and looked at the sender. He brightly smiled.
Boo! Guess where you, Max and I are going this weekend?
Jo, the bus driver stopped in front of the mansion driveway. "Have a good weekend everyone," Jack said to the rest on the bus, nearly running up the bus aisle. "Thanks Jo," he smiled at the driver getting off the bus. "You too."
"Have a good weekend Jack," she smiled. Jack raced up the driveway. Sean smiled, watching Jack through the front window.
Max barked at Sean. "Yup Max," Sean smiled. "It's a guy's weekend." Max ran off to the back door to welcome home Jack as Sean waved at Jo through the window with a smile. He turned and went into the kitchen to hug his nephew. He needs me. And this is how I support Aaron and Dave. Sean thought for a second. Hell I need this too, he smiled.
-00CM00-
Jack was a bundle of energy on the drive back from the cabin Sunday night. Sean looked at him and smiled. "Jack, you do know that dad and pop will just be getting home. They are going to be worn out."
"I know Uncle Sean." Jack shook his head. "The team got their butts pounded. I'm just glad they're all finally going to be home and have down time thanks to Chief Cruz." Jack looked at Sean. "You got a plan tomorrow for breakfast?" Jack asked with his Haley smile.
"Made to order omelets work?" Sean smiled.
Jack smiled back. "That's what I was thinking. And I can help you Uncle Sean."
Sean smiled. "You can help me with the getting the ingredients. I'm the cook."
"The master cook," Jack smiled. "That pasta dish we had last night was primo."
Sean shook his head with a smile. "Primo. You've been hanging out with your pop too much."
"And that's a bad thing?" Jack asked with a smile, as his stomach rumbled for dinner. Sean smiled at his nephew.
With them nearing the city, Sean pulled off the freeway and drove into the McDonald's drive through near the exit ramp. Jack smiled. "Primo Uncle Sean." Sean laughed as he and Jack made their order.
Sean and Jack made their way back onto the freeway towards home. Max, already eaten his kibble in the back seat of Dave's Land Rover, scored a few French fries from Sean and Jack. Sean and Jack laughed about it. And then Jack shook his head. "Jackster?" Sean asked.
"Max will be a pooping machine tomorrow morning that will wake me up at the crack of dawn with his kibble combined with grease."
Sean shook his head. "You're a teenager. Don't tell me you can't conk back out."
Jack looked at him. "Do you, dad and pop compare notes?"
"Nope Jack," Sean smiled. "They just sends me texts to buy into you becoming a teenager." Jack smiled. "And for the record kid, dad, pop and I aren't handling that well."
"I'll be driving in three and half years," Jack smiled.
"Don't give me that shit," Sean growled.
Jack smiled. "Great imitation of pop." Sean and Jack laughed together.
It was happy reunion at the Hotchner/Rossi home with Sean and Jack carrying in the groceries for brunch the next morning.
Sean and Jack enjoyed Return of the Jedi that night as Aaron and Dave fell into bed, completely exhausted. Jack looked at Sean. "I get it. I'm glad you're here."
"Me too," Sean smiled putting his arm around Jack, watching the movie with him, taking another bite from the popcorn bowl.
The next morning, Dave looked at Sean. "I could get used to these made to order omelets," he smiled. Dave pointed to his griddle on his range top. "And those cooked to perfection hash browns."
"This is all fantastic," Aaron added. "And just what we need."
Jack winked at Sean. "Wait for it," he broadly smiled.
"It's primo Aaron," Dave smiled.
Sean and Jack shared a huge high five together. Aaron and Dave looked at them. Sean smiled. "Your son, the mini profiler called the primo."
"Yup," Jack said. "I've got profilers creds." He looked at his parents. "And that's not a bad thing guys. It's my support of you two and the team. But I'm really, really glad you're home," he smiled, sitting in the middle of the three chairs at the breakfast counter between his dad and pop.
Max, "supervising" Sean in the kitchen and getting a bit of sausage and bacon that Sean tossed to him, loudly barked his support.
Jack looked at his dad and pop. "I'm glad you're home. I need this today."
Sean beaded an eye at Aaron and Dave. "Yes he does."
"Message delivered brother," Aaron smiled. "We both know that."
"Thank you Sean," Dave sincerely smiled. "For everything."
Sean smiled. "Jack, what do you want in your omelet?"
###
A/N: That's how I'm going to run with this one.
But this is just Chapter 1.
The email later this morning from someone should be interesting. *giggles*