A/N: Thank you everyone for the favorite/following alerts!

Chapter 2

Cait woke the next morning to her cell alarm clock pinging at 5:55am. She grabbed it off the nightstand as Aaron stirred. "God, I hate time zones," she grumbled with a whisper. Aaron pulled her to him as she laid back down.

Aaron softly laughed. "I'm sure your dad is saying the same thing right now," he whispered.

Cait looked at him and smiled. "That coast to coast one is rough." Aaron smiled, kissing her. Dave quietly snored in the other bed. "Did you threaten him to sleep on his side?"

Aaron smiled and shook his head. "I think the comment in the elevator at the BAU got his attention," he whispered. "Call the boys."

Cait hit the speed dial to Mike's number. Jack answered on the first ring with a "Hello," followed by a large yawn.

"You up?"

"My alarm just went off mom."

"You get dressed buddy and then get Mike up to help you with your breakfast."

"I heard Andi's cell going off dad. They're already up."

"Sounds good Jack," Cait whispered. "We love you. Have a good day at school."

"Thanks mom; love you. You too dad."

"Thanks buddy." Cait ended the call.

Cait looked at Aaron. "What's the possibility of getting a real breakfast this morning?"

Aaron smiled. "You get in the shower. I'll get the old fart up." Cait grabbed the extra-long t-shirt she had off the bottom of the bed and pulled it on to cover up the bra and panties she wore to bed. She headed for her suitcase to get her toilet kit and some clothes and went in the bathroom.

Aaron rolled out of his side of the bed and shook Dave awake. "Extra sleep or real breakfast?"

"Get that coffee pot going," Dave yawned as he pointed at the machine on the room credenza.

An hour later, the three of them got off the elevator in the lobby. Cruz and Emily were waiting on them. "There's an IHOP two blocks down," Cruz smiled.

Cait's cell pinged with a text as the five of them walked towards the restaurant. Jack fed, teeth brushed, out the door and on the bus. Dusting of snow. Text from Jake. They're in air. Stay safe today. Luv you both. Same to Uncle Dave.

Thanks Mike Cait texted back. Have a good day. We miss you; luv ya more. Cait shook her head. "Damn Mother Nature."

"Cait," Dave asked.

"Doc," Aaron asked as the warm Dallas morning basked the five of them in sunshine.

"Mike said they got a dusting of snow last night."

"That's one fickle woman I would never marry," Dave smiled.

Emily looked at Cait. "Do we even want to touch that line?"

"And live?" Cait smiled at her.

"Right."

"Wise decision ladies," Dave smiled, pulling the restaurant door open for them. Aaron shook his head at Cruz who was smiling.

Forty-five minutes later, the five of them walked into the hotel lobby and looked into the breakfast area of the hotel. The rest were all there, finishing their hotel breakfasts. "Where'd you five go," Morgan asked.

"Real breakfast," Dave smiled.

JJ looked at Emily. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Jayje, you were so conked out, I didn't have the heart to do it. And I was only up to get Declan out of bed."

Cait looked at Aaron. "I know Doc; damn time zone changes."

The team walked into the Dallas Field Office at 8am. At the same time in the DC time zone, Jack buzzed through his spelling test with ease.

By eleven, the team was giving their profile. Jack, Henry and Declan were eating their school lunches in DC at noon time.

-00CM00-

Mike waved at Jake inside the Metro platform as he pulled into a front parking stall at the Huntington stop. Jake came out, pulling his bag and his parents. Jarrod and Maggie followed him. Mike jumped out of his vehicle to get the hatchback open on his small SUV. Jake stuck the bags in as Mike hugged Maggie. "You three are a sight for sore eyes. Mom and dad are both out on a priority case. Jack needs the stability. Matt and I can only do so much."

Maggie looked at him. "Have you heard anything from them?"

"Other than this morning grandma? Nothing. That tells me they've got a lead and are heads down on the case."

"This is the sniper shooting in Dallas," Jarrod asked, pulling Mike into a hug. Mike nodded at his grandfather. "They're the best. And your mom along can help."

"Why Jack and I have been totally supportive grandpa," Mike smiled and then hugged Jake. "Can you believe it? We had a dusting of snow on the ground this morning and now it's nearly fifty degrees."

The three shook their heads. "Michael," Maggie said. "Dinner tonight?"

Mike smiled. "I've got three pounds of burger out. Jack wants red hotdish. You know me grandma; I'm your slicer and dicer on the onion and celery."

"I think I can handle the rest," Maggie smiled.

"Then let's head home son," Jarrod said, rubbing Mike's shoulder.

"You need your nap," Mike smiled.

"Actually Mike," Jarrod said, getting into the backseat of Mike's car with Maggie while Jake took the front passenger seat, "I slept most of the flight."

"You snored through most of the flight dad," Jake said.

"Shuddup." Jake winked at Mike.

"How's Jack with this," Maggie asked Mike.

"Grandma; he's eleven He understands all of this more now and is very supportive. And honestly; when mom goes out with the team, he knows it's a major case. He's good; but just like me," Mike smiled at her in the backseat as he drove onto the freeway home, "we need a good home cooked meal tonight."

"Grandma to the rescue," Jake smiled, turning to smile at her. "We get to support the team as well."

"I know; but I just don't like Cait being in the line of fire."

Mike shook his head. "Grandma, she's not; dad and Uncle Dave would never let that happen."

"She's carrying a gun now Michael."

"Only because she's an Agent Grandma. And honestly? Unless she's at the BAU or in the field with the team, she doesn't carry her weapon with her the way dad does."

Mike looked at his passenger up front. "You got it Uncle Jake?"

Jake smiled, typing in a text. "Got it kid." Your back-up is here Sis.

-00CM00-

Matt and Lauren pulled into the driveway just ahead of the school bus. Matt stopped the car to let Jack get in after he got off the bus. Jack blew in. "Hi guys!"

"Hey bro," Matt smiled. "How was school?"

"Drilled it as usual," Jack triumphantly smiled. Matt shook his head at Lauren with a smile. "Any word from mom and dad?"

"Sorry bro; not a peep. Even after Uncle Jake texted mom."

"Then they're heads down after their unsub."

"That's what Mike and I am thinking Jack."

"I hope they're home in time for church tomorrow night."

"Jack?"

"I know Maundy Thursday service means a lot to them. We talked about it after I went to my first one with us as a family. It's so sad and it's still special. Just like the Good Friday darkness service." Matt looked at Lauren as he parked the car and shut it off.

-00CM00-

The reunion of the Barkley family with the Hotchner boys and their ladies was a happy one. Dinner with the three boys, and Jake egging them on was raucous and filled with laughter. The crew, doing dishes was at it more with Jack laughing along as Jarrod and Maggie deeply smiled at it all, sitting at the lunch counter.

Yet, as the evening wore on, Jack became quieter. Coming down from his shower in his p.j.'s to enjoy some of Maggie's strawberries and ice cream, he sat down at the lunch counter with Jarrod, barely getting out his thanks for his dessert.

Jake looked at a text his cellphone pinged. He smiled at Maggie in the kitchen and moved to the lunch counter, pulling the laptop sitting there towards him, opening it and typing in some keystrokes. He put the laptop back on the lunch counter in front of Jack as Skype opened. "Hi buddy," Aaron smiled.

"Ooooo I want some of that," Cait smiled as Jack put in a bite.

"Mom and dad!" The kids all gathered around Jack. Cait and Aaron talked with each of them for a few minutes along with Jake.

"Where's mom and dad," Cait asked.

"Right here my daughter," Jarrod said, swinging the laptop towards him. "Since I'm the elder statesman around here, I'll ask. How's it going?"

"Hi dad," Cait brightly smiled. "I'm glad you and mom are there; you too Jake."

"Hi Jarrod," Aaron smiled. "We've got a solid lead; we need tomorrow to follow it up."

Jarrod pulled Jack onto his lap. "You two and the team do what you have to. Mom and I have got the home front with lots of back-up."

"We appreciate that dad," Cait smiled as the rest of the team headed to the hotel.

Dave stuck his head in between Cait and Aaron. "Hi you all! Love you champino! And all the rest of you. But I'm gonna make this quick. We've got a chance to get some major sleep and then follow a huge lead tomorrow morning. Please help me chase two butts to bed."

"I'm in Uncle Dave," Jack smiled. "Love you."

"Back at you Champino," Dave smiled. "I love you too Jack."

Aaron pushed their laptop out and Cait pulled in a chair so Dave could join into the conversation. Like the earlier evening at the home on Deer Valley Road, it was filled with laughter and love.

Fifteen minutes later, Cait and Jack yawned together. "That's it," Jarrod said. "You three head back to your hotel and get some sleep. We'll tuck in Jack," he smiled.

"I get to sleep in tomorrow," Jack smiled, yawning again.

"You do that buddy," Aaron smiled.

"Dad, you and mom gonna be home for church tomorrow night?"

"Buddy, we don't know. But we're really hoping."

###

A/N: IHOP is the International House of Pancakes. You all should know by now my love for Perkins and their pancakes and breakfast. I consider IHOP a bad second cousin. But there are not many IHOP's around my area. Likewise, many of my US readers, especially in the southeast and northeast would be hard pressed to find a Perkins. But IHOP is just about on every corner in their world. It's a regional thing in the US. Go figure; I can't explain it.

Red hotdish is a casserole dish made with browned hamburger, elbow macaroni, the mentioned diced vegetables fried with the burger and tomato juice. It's a US upper Midwest dish.

Maundy Thursday is a Christian faith holy day leading up to Easter. I'll get into that more in the next chapter.