A/N: Thank you all for your initial love and support with your favorite and following alerts. And the reviews. It is all deeply appreciated.

One teeny, tiny warning about language. Why the story is rated "T".

Buckle up.

Chapter 2

Jack watched his best friend sobbing in his mom's arms. So much so that he didn't hear his dad come in the door. Aaron rubbed his shoulder with his coat still on and nodded Jack into the Great Room as Cait got Tate settled a bit.

He looked at Jack. "Buddy, do you have an idea what's going on with him?"

"Yeah dad," Jack said. "And with you and mom being here, I guessing you two do as well."

"Yes we do buddy," Aaron said, rubbing his shoulder. "Please start doing your homework." Jack noticed Cait and Tate moving towards the study/office. "Mom is going to check it out. I'll help you with your homework until mom is finished." He looked at Jack. "Then mom and I may need you to step up while we do follow-up on this."

Jack smiled at his dad. "I'm in dad. You and mom just take care of Tate."

"That's the plan buddy," Aaron smiled, pulling off his coat.

Cait got Tate into the study and looked at him. "Tate, you know I'm a mom first. And a doctor second." He nodded his head. "But right now pal, I need you to let me be a doctor first. And trust me as a mom."

He studied her for a couple of seconds. And then turned his back to her and lifted up his shirt and undershirt. Cait shook her head at the welts on his back. "What did she use Tate?" Cait softly asked.

"Her belt from her jeans."

Cait shook her head. "But with your shirt on." Tate nodded.

"Why there are no scars." Cait turned him around and looked at him. "Why are you limping?"

Tate shook his head. "Tate, Aaron and I are on your side. We're going to take care of this. But pal, I need to see what it is hurting. And for you to be honest with me."

"She kicked me," Tate said. "Right here," he gestured turning again, pointing to the bottom of his butt where the hamstring met the hip.

Cait moved to look at him. "Pal, I need to see it." Tate balked. Cait looked at him. "Tate, I've raised three sons and had two husbands. And did a two year stint in ER trauma. I know what a guy's junk looks like. Trust me. And you can stay in your boxer briefs." Tate looked at her. "Who do you think washes Jack's?" she softly smiled.

Tate pulled down his Under Armor athletic pants and let them drop to his ankles. Cait gently pulled up the one side of the boxer and shook her head at the bruise that was already present at the top of his hamstring. Cait rubbed his head. "Here's the tough part pal. I need to take pictures of all of this. For proof against Sarah. I know it's violating you. But I've got to do it so Aaron and I can get help to stop her."

"Get help?" Tate challenged.

"We're FBI agents Tate," Cait softly said. "We have to report this to the local authorities. And they have to involve social services." Tate shook his head and started to cry again. Cait rubbed his shoulder. "Tate, we are going to do everything in our power to get social services to let you stay here. If they can get your parent's permission, it's all taken care of."

Tate looked over his shoulder. "I'm gonna stay here?"

Cait smiled. "Promise pal."

"Take your pictures if it gets me away from her," he sniffled, about to cry again. Cait went to the desk and drew out a Kleenex from the box on her desk, handing it to him. Tate blew his nose as Cait sadly shook her head and took the pictures.

When she finished, Tate started to reach for his pants. "Don't pal," Cait stopped him. "Bending over will make your hamstring hurt worse." Cait gently pulled up the pants until Tate could comfortably take them and put them around his waist.

Dave came into the kitchen and looked at Aaron and Jack. "You left work early," he challenged Aaron.

"Hi Uncle Dave," Jack said.

"Hi Champino," Dave said. He looked at Aaron. "Now I know something is wrong. I'm worried. And so is the team."

Aaron shook his head. "It's not what you think Dave." Cait came out of the study with Tate and shook her head at Aaron. "But we could use some back-up." Dave looked at him. "Dave please," Aaron said. His tone got Dave's attention. "Can you hang out with the boys and help them with their homework while Cait and I take care of something?" He looked Dave in the eye. "Please."

Dave looked at Tate with his swollen eyes from crying and limping. He looked at Aaron and Cait. Cait slightly nodded at him. "I've got this. You take of care of your end."

Cait and Aaron headed towards the entryway. "Dave, I'll text you," Cait said.

"Got it," he smiled, looking at the boys. "What about dinner?"

"We'll text you to get your McD's dinner order on our way home," Cait said.

Dave looked at the boys. "Ooo goody. Chicken McNuggets in my future. Again." The boys both giggled.

"And Dave, you do not equate an algebra problem to a poker hand," Aaron growled heading out the door.

Jack giggled. "Busted Uncle Dave." Tate laughed as well.

Dave winked at Jack. Uncle Dave knows as well Jack thought. And then exhaled a bit more.

Dave looked at him and then Tate. "They'll get this done guys," he said. "Let's get at some homework." His cell pinged with a message from Cait.

Please get an ice pack on Tate's hamstring. Dave looked at the picture Cait sent him. He shook his head, heading to the fridge's icemaker, pulling out a Zip lock bag from the kitchen island drawer because he knew where it was even with Cait's usual "my kitchen" lockdown. He grabbed the towel for drying dishes off the oven handle to wrap around the ice pack.

-00CM00-

Aaron pulled into the driveway of the Emerson home. A Prince William County sheriff's car followed. Aaron and Cait got out and looked at the two getting out of the county vehicle. "Hi Aaron," the man said.

"Hi Trace," Aaron said shaking his hand. "Cait, you remember Trace Coffey."

Cait smiled. "Pleasure to see you again Sheriff Coffey," she said, shaking his hand. "I wish it was under better circumstances."

"Likewise Dr. Barkley." He turned and introduced the woman with him. "This is Julia Mulhouse, the director of child services for Prince William County. I have her up to speed on the special circumstances of this situation. Julia," he said, "Aaron and Cait Hotchner."

Julia shook their hands. "Forgive me if I'm a bit confused," she said looking at Cait. "Is it Dr. Barkley or Mrs. Hotchner?"

Cait smiled. "Both." Julia looked at her. "Remember the school bus accident a couple months ago near Dale City?" Julia nodded her head. "While I'm not a practicing medical doctor, I keep my license current. I'm an on call trauma doctor for major emergencies at area hospitals. I was rushing to Logan hospital when I came upon the accident. Trace got me into the accident site to do triage on scene. Together, we saved an eight year old's life."

"And Cait saved his leg as well," Trace said.

Julia softly smiled. It quickly faded. "Can I see the pictures?" Cait handed Julia her cellphone, pulling up the pictures of Tate's injuries. Julia shook her head as Sheriff Coffey looked at them as well.

"How do you want to play this Aaron?" Coffey asked.

"It's your jurisdiction Trace," Aaron said. "We're just here to see if we can keep Tate at our home."

"He's scared he'll get put into the foster system when he'd rather stay with us." Cait explained. She looked at Julia. "Our middle son has the same hearing disability as Tate. He's comfortable with us."

Julia shook her head. "You get me in contact with his parents and they approve it, he's welcome to stay with you. But I need their approval for the record."

"Trust us Ms. Mulhouse," Aaron said. "We want this done by the book as well. We're both FBI agents. If we don't, we'll hear about it from our boss."

Julia looked at Cait. "How many hats do you wear?"

Cait smiled. "The biggest ones are wife and mother." Julia nodded with a small smile.

Coffey looked at Aaron. "You armed?"

Aaron nodded. "But Cait isn't."

Coffey looked at her. "I'm a consultant not a field agent. I'm only armed when our family and home are threatened." Trace winked at her with a small smile. Mulhouse looked at him.

"First time I met the Hotchners."

"Don't ask," Cait said.

"I won't," Julia answered. Aaron and the Sheriff worked out their game plan.

Aaron loudly knocked on the door of the Emerson home, stepping aside for the Sheriff to be in the opening. Cait stood back from the door with Julia. A young woman swung open the door. "Who the hell are you and what do you want?"

"I'm Sheriff Trace Coffey of the Prince William Sheriff's Department. I'm here to question you of about the physical abuse of Tate Emerson."

Sarah Patterson looked at the four people at the door. "You're investigating the wrong people," she said. "They," she said, waving a finger at Aaron and Cait, "took Tate from my custody. Investigate them," she said, grabbing the door to slam it shut. Aaron put his foot into the door as Coffey stopped the door from shutting, taking a step in.

"They are FBI Agents ma'am. An alleged abuse was brought to their attention by a child in your care. They are required to get local law enforcement and child services involved."

"Good for you," Sarah snapped at Aaron and Cait. "That doesn't mean you can take Tate from my care."

"To the contrary Sarah," Julia said, "We all have every right when a child is possibly being physically abused. And I've seen the pictures," she added. "Sheriff Coffey has every right to question you."

"Come back with a search warrant," Sarah said, trying to shut the door again. Coffey pushed his way into the home with Aaron following him. Cait and Julia went up the steps.

"He deserved that," Sarah snarled. "He got in trouble at school yesterday."

"No child deserves to be physically abused for getting in trouble at school," Aaron growled.

"And gee Sarah, what do you think caused that outburst from a normally low-key boy?" Cait challenged.

"Not me," Sarah stammered back.

Cait pulled up one of the pictures of Tate's back. "That's a week old bruise healing." Cait studied Sarah more. "Just coming down?"

"What the hell?" Sarah said.

Cait looked at her. "By your eyes and the scabs on your arms my best medical opinion is meth."

Sarah tried to grab the cell, taking a closed fist swing at Cait. Cait blocked the punch and Aaron grabbed her, pinning Sarah's arms behind her.

Sheriff Coffey shook his head, putting his handcuffs on her. "That was the wrong move Sarah. Assaulting a federal agent gives me and these two FBI agents the right to search the house. Specifically, your room."

Cait and Aaron looked around. "Cellphone," Cait said, pointing to the coffee table in front of the TV. She walked over, pulled on a pair of latex gloves and picked it up. She looked more closely at the coffee table. "Powder residue."

Coffey handed Sarah off to Aaron. "I'll call our crime lab."

Sarah struggled in the handcuffs. Aaron wrapped his arm gently around her waist. "Don't fight this. It will hurt worse."

"Fuck you all!" Sarah barked.

Coffey looked at Aaron and then Cait. "Definitely been tweaking." They both nodded.

Cait scrolled through the cell phone and found the numbers she needed, adding them to her cell. "Sheriff, you might want to look at this." Coffey walked to Cait who pointed at the call history. He pulled out an evidence bag from his uniform pants. Cait slipped Sarah's phone into the bag.

"If you're calling your dealer, maybe you should wipe your call history," Cait said to Sarah. "Marco is about to get busted as well," she said, pulling out her cellphone.

She hit a speed dial number on her cell. "Office of greatness Cait. How may I help?"

"Garcia, I hope I'm not catching you heading out the door."

"I'm fifteen minutes away from doing that." Cait could hear her smiling over the phone line.

"Aaron and I need a favor. Actually, two things Garcia. It will take you three minutes more."

"Name it," Garcia said.

"Number one, please do a check on this number," Cait said, giving Garcia the digits. "And then forward what you find to the Prince William County Sheriff's department. Tomorrow Garcia. But I do need a huge favor and Aaron and I are in a bit of a situation right now. Nothing major. I just need some quick info."

"Whatca need?"

"The current time in Manila," Cait said.

"That's easy." Cait heard her keystrokes on her computer. "Current time in Manila is seven-thirty am."

"Thank you Penelope. Go home and relax."

"I'm out. Luvs ya back," Garcia smiled.

Julia looked at Cait. "I don't have international calling on my cell Doctor," Julia said. Cait smiled, dialing the number.

"This should be a helluva a wakeup call," Cait said, handing the phone to Julia.

An hour later, Cait looked at Aaron after he placed the huge dinner order at the local McDonald's drive-up. "We are doing the right thing."

Aaron smiled. "Yes we are Doc," he said, rubbing her shoulder.

###

A/N: Another writer bucket list item checked off. I've always wanted to write Cait and Aaron doing a takedown. But in context to their relationship and jobs.

I've wrote Cait using her Bureau issued service weapon once. Note the italic word. I like to keep you readers engaged. :D Name the story. There's a huge door prize for the winner. *wink wink*