A/N: Thanks for all of the alerts!
*waves at pmp1208
Chapter 2
All of the team enjoyed their Friday morning sleep in before setting off on their plans.
Dave met the Hotchners at the local Perkins, buying brunch before heading to the cabin. Jack smiled at him. "I can always eat pancakes on your tab." Dave glared at Aaron and Cait.
"And who spoiled him with this," Cait zinged back.
"Busted Uncle Dave," Jack whispered, sticking in another forkful of pancake goodness. Aaron and Cait smiled at Dave, eating more of their breakfasts.
"Shit," Dave mumbled.
Cait looked at Jack. "I know mom; just because Uncle Dave says those words because I'm growing up doesn't mean I can say them."
"Thank you," Cait smiled.
Driving to the cabin, Dave looked at Jack as Max snored in the backseat of Dave's SUV. The closer they got, the more sullen his mood became. "What's up Jack?" Jack shook his head. "Hey kid, you know you can talk to me."
"I know Uncle Dave," Jack said.
"So talk," Dave retorted.
Jack shook his head. "We're going to the cabin. And I get to spend a long weekend with two girls. Sorry if I'm not excited about this."
Dave laughed. "Give it a year or two." Jack gave Dave the Hotchner glare.
Cait smiled at Aaron in their vehicle, following Dave. "Uncle Dave just got the 'oh shit, there's gonna be girls around' rant from our son."
"And you have a problem with that?" Aaron asked.
"Not really Aaron. And he does need the break with us. But he's not at the age to really think about girls. Yet."
"Give that a year."
"Tell me about it."
"Cait, I think once he figures out that Mat and Tess' oldest daughter, Mel, is an athlete, he'll come around."
Cait smiled. "And if I read Jamie right, she's gonna do her own thing being the youngest and very independent daughter."
Aaron briefly took his eyes off the road to smile at Cait. "You picked up on that as well?"
"Yupppp," Cait smiled, rubbing Aaron's shoulder. "But he still might need a butt kicking being around girls." Aaron looked at her. "They're girls Aaron; and sisters. Patty, Tom's wife has told unbelievable stories about her and her three sisters. If the girls get into a squabble, Jack will get upset."
Aaron looked at her. "You or me"
Cait smiled. "Me." She looked at Aaron. "Trust me."
"I always trust you," Aaron smiled back.
"Except yesterday," Cait said with a smile.
"When am I going to get a break on that one? I'll admit it; you were right. Jack was fine."
Cait smiled, rubbing Aaron's shoulder. "I hated it too. But we have to trust him. He's growing up."
"That's the part that sucks Doc."
"Tell me about it."
A soundly sleeping Bella in the backseat of their vehicle let go of a fart bomb. Cait shook her head at her husband, rolling down the windows.
"We're almost there Doc," he smiled.
"Please hurry."
"Send Dave a text. I'm sure he's letting Jack play with his phone."
Cait just shook her head. "You know what he'll want for Christmas?"
Hotch smiled. "With Matt and Mike off our cell plan, I think we can afford it Doc." Cait looked at him. "I know Cait; we agreed at fourteen. But he's literally the only one in his class that doesn't have one."
"And that's a bad thing," Cait asked, sending Dave a text.
Aaron smiled. "I know; I don't like it either. They get heads down into their phones."
"And run into lamp posts; or get run over by Metro trains."
"Doc, I get it. We'll talk to him. And lay down rules." Cait looked at him. "Deep parameters; I get it Doc."
Jack, tell Uncle Dave to step on it. Fart bombs for dad and I.
Jack read the text. "Step on it Uncle Dave," Jack smiled. "Bella is fumigating dad and mom with her farts."
Dave looked at Jack. "Fumigating? Really? Can you even spell that? Far less know what the word means?"
"Yup Uncle Dave," Jack smiled, rattling off the spelling of the word.
"Damn, you are the champion speller. Got it Champino," Dave smiled.
Fifteen minutes later, the two vehicles pulled into the driveway of Dave's cabin as Dave hit the garage door opener. Jack let Max out as Cait did the same with Bella. The two dogs bolted to grass alongside the garage.
"Geez I think they have to go," Dave smiled.
"They're not the only ones Uncle Dave," Jack said. Dave handed Jack his keys. Jack sprinted to cabin door in the garage, putting in the security code and unlocking the door.
Dave looked at the couple. "I'm not far behind that."
"TMI," Cait said.
"Go," Aaron added, shaking his head. "We've got this. You know my wife and her groceries."
"Thanks Aaron," Dave smiled. Finished with their jobs, the two dogs took off for the lakeside yard to terrorize the birds and squirrels.
Dave and Jack came down the hall together five minutes later to Cait and Aaron laughing in the kitchen. "What gives?" Dave asked.
Aaron pointed out the windows Cait had opened. It was a beautiful fall day. "Max treed one of your huge ass squirrels. He's getting an earful," he laughed. The squirrel, on a limb ten feet up was still chattering at Max who barked back. Dave and Jack both laughed.
Cait looked at Dave. "They are huge; ours in our yard are half that size."
Dave smiled. "Tina and Cory have a huge black walnut tree in their yard. Cory brings over an ice cream pail full every other day to give them a treat."
"And fatten them up for winter," Jack smiled.
Dave shook his head at his favorite couple. "He's getting too damn smart." Aaron and Cait laughed, returning to the kitchen with Dave to get the last of their groceries put away. Jack went to the garage and brought in the suitcases.
"Dave please try on the language," Cait said.
"He's probably heard worse on the playground," Dave retorted.
"I don't doubt that. But he looks up to you. So that could give the impression that it's OK to use those words," Cait responded.
"I'll try," Dave said. Cait kissed his cheek. "But no promises." Aaron and Cait smiled.
The four of them were sitting at the patio table watching the lake and wildlife. "Jack look," Dave pointed. A bald eagle swooped down and grabbed a fish from the lake. He made two mighty sweeps of his large wingspan and circled back to glide down to Dave's beach to enjoy his early dinner.
Jack looked at Dave. "What will we find later Uncle Dave?"
"A pile of bones," Dave smiled.
"The circle of life," Cait said, rubbing Jack's shoulder. Just then, both the dogs sprung to their feet, the hair on their back standing straight up.
"Down," Aaron commanded, getting out of his chair. The four of them along with the dogs walked through the garage to welcome the Cruz family.
Mat got out, smiling at them. "This is too rough for me," he said looking around.
"Yeah, it's pretty tough," Cait smiled, welcoming Tess.
"The entire team has been here?" she asked looking at Cait.
"And our two oldest boys," Cait smiled. "Let's get the groceries put away and then Dave can give you the tour."
Mat, Tess and the girls looked around the den. Mat looked at Dave. "The five of them all slept in here?"
Dave smiled, pointing at a wall next to the bathroom. "There's a Murphy bed behind those closets doors. Aaron and Cait swear it's very comfortable for them; even back in the day when Cait was having her hip issues. Matt slept on the couch," Dave pointed across the den. "Mike and Jack shared an air mattress by the patio doors. But honestly," Dave smiled, "back then, Jack ended up in bed with Cait and Aaron. And they have their own bathroom," he smiled. "I'm sure Jack will be on the couch tonight." Cruz noticed a pillow on the couch.
"Jack brought his own pillow," he smiled.
"Yup," Dave smiled.
He took the Cruz family upstairs, showing them to their bedrooms. Mat and Tess got the bedroom above the kitchen with the half bath that JJ and Will usually took. Dave led the girls down the hall to the room with the double bed that Garcia and Kevin usually shared. "But," he smiled at the girls, "if you don't want to sleep together," he said, opening a door, "take your pick of a bunk bed."
"Wow," Tess smiled.
"Mom, can I?" Mel asked.
Tess smiled. "You two work it out." The Cruz family settled in as Dave came down the steps. Jack blew by him.
"Jack?"
"Dad got the cover off the pool that Cory cleaned this morning. And the temp is 84 degrees," he shouted racing into the den.
Dave smiled and went to the bottom of the steps, looking up. "Pool's open!" he yelled.
Cait came out through the patio doors as Tess was keeping an eye on the kids. Aaron handed her a bottle of beer in a cooler cup. "Thanks luvs," she smiled, taking it.
"What do I need to help you with dinner tonight," Tess nodded at Dave and Aaron getting the Weber ready with Mat hanging around, enjoying his beer, yet watching the kids in the pool.
Cait smiled. "Grab a beer or there is wine in the fridge while I peel a bunch of potatoes. You're on dicing onion patrol and helping me slice potatoes."
"I'm in," Tess smiled. "What's the menu?"
"Aaron and Dave are grilling some pork chops; along with my version of picnic fries." Tess looked at her. "You'll catch on," Cait smiled with a wink. "Throw in a green bean casserole, your cole slaw recipe that I and my husband love and some garlic bread? It's dinner," she smiled.
"Sounds like a plan," Tess smiled.
After dinner, with the kids helping with clean-up, their parents allowed them to go to the living room. Jack looked at the girls. "Uncle Dave has Netflix. Wanna watch a movie?"
"Is Rogue One available?" Melanie asked.
"Totally," Jack smiled. He looked at her. "You're a Star Wars fan?"
Mel shook her head. "Totally not; but Jamie is," she smiled. "You two enjoy. I'm going upstairs for me time."
"Enjoy," Jack said. Jack started the movie with him and Jamie sharing Star Wars favorite moments while the opening scenes of the movie appeared.
The five adults were still in the kitchen. "And for us," Mat smiled at Dave, knowing the answer.
"Cards, Bailey's and scotch," Dave smiled.
"But there's five of us," Tess said.
"Profiler in the making Mat," Aaron smiled.
Tess shook her head. "I don't want in that world. It scares me."
"Welcome to ours sweetheart," Dave smiled. "What do you want in your glass?" he asked. He moved to pour her a Bailey's.
"Tess, sit down," Cait smiled. "I'm going to make our traditional Saturday morning egg bake. It needs to refrigerate overnight. You and your husband kick Dave and my husband's butt to the curb and then we'll kick our husbands butt in Cribbage."
"Damn Cait," Tess smiled. "I like you more and more."
Cait smiled. "Part of my Bureau job that I don't get paid enough for." Dave and Mat pointed at her with smiles.
"But I have to live with," Aaron said.
"Suck it up Big Dog," Dave smiled. "Why you make the big bucks."
"Mat makes more Big Dog," Aaron shot back at Dave.
Aaron and Dave squeaked out a third game win as Cait finished their morning breakfast prep and washed her prep dishes. The ladies sat down with their husbands with Dave kibitzing. They made fast work of the first game. "Ouch," Dave smiled. "You two let me down," he smiled at Aaron and Mat.
The second game didn't go much better. But the movie was ending and the two set of parents got their kids settled for the night.
Mat and Tess came down the steps ten minutes later. They couldn't find anyone until they walked into the kitchen and heard soft voices in the pool area. They walked out the door, following the sound.
Dave, Aaron and Cait were in the bubbling hot tub next to the pool, enjoying another drink. "The girls tucked in?" Cait asked.
"They're settled," Mat smiled. "But our night owl might still be up for a while."
"Jack?" Tess asked.
"Conked," Aaron smiled.
"Another male hormone growth spurt," Cait smiled shaking her head. "He'll eat like a carnivore tomorrow."
Tess shook her head as well. "There are days I'd rather face that." Cait smiled at her with a knowing finger point of being female and a doctor, taking another sip of her Bailey's and scotch.
Mat looked at them. "Mind if we join you?"
"Hell no," Dave smiled, taking a tug on his cigar. "That's why we invited you. Go change into your suits and then pour yourselves another drink before you do."
Ten minutes later, Tess, enjoying the soothing comfort of the warm water, looked at the Hotchner's, taking a sip of her drink. "Mat has told me about Haley. I'm so sorry Aaron."
"Thank you," he said.
"How do you handle that with Jack?" she asked, looking at the couple.
Cait smiled at her. "His older brothers and I are proud to keep Haley alive in Jack's world. She died to protect him. We honor that as a family."
Aaron hung his head a bit and then looked at Tess. "The last words Haley said to me were to show Jack love. She had been to Cait's home. She knew what he would have there." Aaron smiled. "Both of us."
Cait, Aaron and Dave shared the story of Haley dropping off Jack. The same time Dave finally knew about his two friends' relationship. The three of them laughed at the memory with Mat and Tess joining them.
"I had been a profiler for over twenty years," Dave said, taking a sip of his scotch and a tug on his cigar. "I never saw that one coming."
"But you tried to set us up," Cait said, pointing at him.
"Yes I did," Dave smiled. "But I never knew the big dummy took the bait."
Aaron kissed Cait's temple. "We were good back then."
"We still are," Cait smiled. "And you totally bush wacked him."
Aaron smiled. "We both did. Remember our first night together?"
Dave shook his head. "Dave be a dear and help me out." Aaron and Cait supplied the rest of the detail as Mat and Tess giggled.
Mat shook his head at Dave. "You fell for all that?" The two couples laughed at Dave.
Dave looked at the Hotchner's. "Do I need to pull Jack into my bed tonight?"
Cait just shook her head at him. "God damn you Dave."
Aaron smiled, climbing out of the hot tub. "With the amount of alcohol I'm going to drink tonight? That ain't happening. Doc? You ready?" Cait held up her glass to him. "Big Dog?"
"You know better," Dave smiled.
Aaron walked towards the kitchen with five glasses. He turned and looked at Dave. "With the butt kicking the team has taken the last five weeks, we need this night. Tomorrow night Dave?" he devilishly smiled. "You just might have a bunk mate."
Dave smiled at the Cruz's and then looked at Hotch. "Atta boy Aaron." The Cruz's roared with laughter. Cait smiled.
"I hope you live up to that promise honey," she said as Aaron walked into the kitchen.
"No worries Doc."
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