The following Monday, Dave and J.J went into Jack's school to talk with Miss Anderson, Jack's teacher.
They found her sitting in the empty classroom waiting for class to begin in 15 minutes. Dave knocked on the door. Miss Anderson already knew J.J through Henry her son.
"Miss Anderson, may we have a word with you?"
"Of course Mrs Jareau, what's up? Is Henry okay?"
"Yeah he's fine. Actually this is about Jack. You know my friend here don't you. This FBI agent SSA David Rossi, Aaron Hotchner's best friend and one of our BAU team members."
"Oh yes hi Mr Rossi. Please take a seat both of you. We have at least 10 minutes before any of the kids arrive for class. So what's up with Jack? And why are you here and not his father?"
"I'm not sure if you've noticed he's not been quite himself lately?"
"Actually I have noticed he's been a little distracted and withdrawn and upset about something but I was hoping he'd talk to his dad or aunt about whatever was bothering him. He knows he can always tell me anything and I do care about him. I care about all my kids I teach. So where's his dad?"
"Right now, he should be at work. But the thing is he can't know any of this. Once we tell you you'll understand."
"You see me and fellow Agent Derek Morgan were able to talk with Jack the weekend before last and get him to open up. He admitted to us that, seeing all the other kids having mom's and dad's makes him sad, as he knows he doesn't have that happy family anymore. You probably know that his dad and aunt are doing everything they can to help the little guy but all Jack really wants is a happy family again, like kid in his situation would."
"Poor little guy. I'm sorry about his mom and what happened to her and it's a real shame that she's no longer here with him. His dad and aunt obviously do a great job taking care of him and they all love each other. Most of the time Jack seems such a happy go lucky kid who's extremely smart and very sociable. In fact he's not only the smartest kid in my class but he's friends with everyone, at least with all the boys. Tends to avoid the girls…."
"Like any boy would…"
"But I can't blame him for wanting a happy family. It must tough on him seeing all the other kids with both parents all the time."
"Yeah it is and even though he's got such a great dad and such a great aunt who will always be there for him and be there to help him, it's obviously not the same. So after the talk, all our team got together and, together, we decided to try and help him achieve his family. He thinks that his Aunt Jess would make the perfect mom and make his dad the perfect wife. He already thinks of his aunt as a mom and she already does everything a mom would. He reckons that if his dad and aunt got married he could have that happy little family again. We all agree that his dad and Aunt Jess are perfect for one another but we have to convince them. That where Jack comes in. We've made a lot of plans about getting his dad and aunt together but the thing is they can't know anything about it. So, in order for us to keep in contact with Jack, we've given him a cell phone we can use to keep in contact with. We know he can't charge the phone at home as he has to keep it hidden from his dad and aunt all the time and keep it in his backpack. We've arranged for Henry, J.J's son to bring Jack fresh cell phone batteries for the boys to swop at school where Jack can put a fresh battery into the cell phone so that it always has battery power. This is where you come in. Not only will Jack need to bring the cell phone into school so that he can keep it hidden, keep it with him and also be able to change the cell phone battery. We need you to let him be able to bring the cell phone to school with him. We promise never to contact him during school time and would only contact him outside of school, and even then most times it would be texting. The phone would always be on silent and vibration mode so that his dad and aunt never know he has a cell phone. He does want you to hold onto it during the day for safekeeping from the other kids though."
"I'd love to do anything I could to make any my kids happy. As long as the cell phone stays hidden and never uses it in school, I don't see a problem in him bringing it into school. I'd even happily keep hold of it for him during school hours."
"If you kept hold of it, he would still need to be able to change the battery when Henry and him did the battery swop."
"That's fine with me. I can even help him quickly change the battery. So you guys would charge his cell phone batteries for him?"
"Yeah, we'd always make sure the phone never ran out of battery. Even when we're away on a case, Will will take my place in making sure Jack always has battery power on his cell phone. Not only will we be giving him a fresh battery to put in the cell phone but we'll make sure he has a spare fresh battery every day just in case."
"What about at the weekends when the boys aren't in school?"
"Well on Friday's we'd make sure he had enough spare batteries to last him until I saw him on Sunday's for soccer when I'd do the battery swop and make sure his cell phone had a fresh battery and he had enough battery power until Henry saw him here at school the following Monday. We've numbered all the batteries so no one will get confused during battery changes. Not only will he be able to stay in contact with us via both the phone and by using Henry as a messenger to get word to J.J or Will but every time we set up his dad and aunt, we've of course made sure that one of us will take care of Jack. We all made sure that in every stage of plan that Jack of course came first. We all love him too much. Oh and most plans are for weekdays and weekday nights so that Jack can spend weekends with his dad. So what do you think?"
"I think it's a lovely idea. And I'll do everything I can to help Jack too, especially when it comes to his cell phone in school. I'll talk to him and make sure he knows I'll happily hold onto it for him during school hours and he can pick it up from after school. I think it's a better idea anyway then him keeping it on himself as it's too risky with the other kids. I'd much rather keep safe for him. So I take it you don't want his dad or aunt to know anything about this plan?"
"No and we need you to promise you won't utter a word about the plan, about his cell phone or anything about what we're doing to either his dad or his aunt. We're going to make sure we all do everything we can to prevent his dad and his aunt from suspecting anything and to make them realise how perfect they would be together. And we just want to do everything we can to give Jack his dream of a happy little family."
"I promise I won't say a word to anyone but Jack or Henry. His dad and aunt will NEVER find out from me. I'd really like to see Jack have a happy family again. After losing his mom in such tragic circumstances, he deserves, more than any kid I've ever known, to have such a simple dream as a happy little family, come true and be made real. He's really one special kid. Don't worry I won't say a word, I'll do everything I can to help Jack when he's in school and I'll definitely help with the cell phone issue."
"Thank you Miss Anderson you are really a great teacher. You obviously care about all your kids, I can see that."
"I do care all my kids and, knowing what happened to Jack's family, and the fact that he is so smart, sociable and happy go lucky, makes Jack even more special to me. Like I do for all my kids I've ever taught, I just want for Jack to succeed in life and to be happy. And if this dream would make him happy then I'm all for it and will help in any way I can. So if there's anything I can do to help please let me know, especially if it involves getting messages to and from him. Here…" she wrote her cell phone number on 2 pieces of paper "here's my cell phone number. Please call me or text me at any time if you need to get word to Jack and if one of you gives me your number I can do the same and get a message to you from Jack."
"This is mine…" Dave handed a card on which he'd written his cell phone number on the back.
"And this is mine…" J.J did the same as Dave "And if we're out of town, this is Will's" on the back of a second card she wrote Will's name and his cell phone number "I'll give Will your number so that he too can be a contact if we are out of town. Jack's cell phone has all our numbers already programmed into it any way but thank you Miss Anderson. We'd best leave you before the kids come in."
"I promise I'll do everything I can to help Agent Jareau and Agent Rossi. Jack is too great a kid NOT to want to do this for. He deserves it. I'll talk to him at break time about the cell phone and everything so he knows I'll help him."
"Thank you Miss Anderson. J.J we'd best be off. Don't want Hotch to get suspicious if we're late. You can say you had to talk to the teacher but I can't…."
"Oh yeah, didn't think of that Dave….well thanks Miss Anderson. You really will be a great help and we'll let you if there's anything more you can do to help this work out."
"Even if I don't answer or my phone's off due to class, you can still text me and I'll call you or text you back. I just want to help any way I can."
J.J and Dave said their goodbyes and left.
Later that morning in class the bell rang for break and the kids started hurrying out of the classroom.
"Hey Jack can I have a word?"
"Could I run to the bathroom first Miss Anderson? I really gotta pee!"
"Sure Jack just come back where you're done."
"Thanks Miss."
Jack ran out of the room, returning a couple of minutes later.
"Feel better Jack?"
"Yeah miss. Sorry I just really had to go!"
"No problem Jack. Can you close the door a minute? And sit down on that seat? I just need to talk to you."
"Sure miss. May I eat my apple and drink my juice whilst we talk?"
"Sure Jack. That's fine."
Jack closed the door and sat down on the chair next to Miss Anderson's desk, facing his teacher.
"I had a visit from Henry's mom and your dad's friend before class this morning."
"Am I in trouble for bringing the cell phone into school Miss Anderson? Only I have to hide it from dad and Aunt Jess and I can't leave it at home in case they find it."
"No Jack don't worry. I don't mind about the cell phone. In fact I'm quite happy to hold onto it during school time for safekeeping. The 2 agents explained everything and told me about how you miss your mom, how you always see all your mates with both their parents and it makes you sad, and I'm sorry that you have to feel like that and don't have a mom any more and I wish that you did still have your mom. They also told me of a dream you'd really like to come true which is that you want your dad to marry your Aunt Jess so you can have a happy family again. You, more than most kids deserve that dream and, like I told the agents this morning, I'm willing to do anything I can to help you achieve that dream. Like I do for all my kids, I just want you to be happy and to succeed in life and if this dream coming true will make you the happiest kid in the world then I'm all for it."
"Really Miss Anderson?"
"Yes Jack REALLY. I promised them and I promise you, I won't say anything about any of this or the cell phone to either your dad or your Aunt Jess. I'll not only keep all this a secret from both of them but I'll do everything I can to help you and your dad's team in achieving this dream. I've swopped cell phone numbers with both of them, and Henry's mom has not only given me Henry's dad's cell number but she'll give him my cell number. So even though they told me that you would probably see them quite a bit over this time, if they wanted to get a message to you, they can do it through me. And if you ever needed to get a message to them then just tell me and I'll get the message to them."
"You'd really do that for me? I mean you're just my teacher? Though you are a very good teacher and I like you, well, as my teacher…."
"Yeah Jack I would really do that for you. After everything you've been through you are special to me and I just want you to be happy. And in terms of the cell phone, they told me all about how Henry would be bringing you fresh cell phone batteries as you can't charge the cell phone at home and have to keep it hidden in your back pack all the time at home. Not only will I happily hold on to it for you during school time BUT I'll more than help you with changing the battery and doing your little battery swop with Henry."
"Thank you Miss Anderson, that'd be AWESOME! So do YOU think dad and Aunt Jess are perfect for each other and do you think Aunt Jess would make an awesome mom?"
"From what I know of them, I do think so Jack. But I obviously don't know them as well as you or your dad's team. But if you really want this…"
"I want this more than anything Miss Anderson. I just want to have a mom again SO badly it hurts."
"I do feel for you Jack, I really do so if you obviously really want this dream to come true then I'll do absolutely EVERYTHING I can to help in any way I can. And I promise I won't say anything to your dad or aunt if I ever see them. They won't find out from me. They especially won't find out about the cell phone from me. I promise"
"Thank you Miss Anderson. Can I give you the cell phone to hold on to now and pick it up before I leave after class finishes at the end of the day?"
"Of course Jack. Give it here and I'll keep it safe in my top desk drawer. No one will touch it but me and you. You can get to it any time you need to and I'll help you with the battery changes. If you slip it to me when you come into class in the morning, you can collect it from me when class gets out at the end of the day. If Henry can slip you a fresh battery before class then you can give it to me when you give me the cell phone in the morning and I'll change the battery for you. Then when you pick up the cell phone at the end of the day, you can take the old battery and give to Henry when school gets out and before you guys go home. Would that work for you?"
"Yeah, that'd be awesome Miss Anderson. I can do that. Thank you!"
"No problem Jack. So is the cell phone in your backpack?"
"Yeah I'll get it…"
Jack stood up and ran to his desk where he retrieved the cell phone from inside his back pack, along with the spare battery he'd been given.
"Can you put this fresh battery in today so the phone will last until tomorrow Miss Anderson?"
"Sure Jack. I'll hold to both cell phone and the battery and you can collect both from me when school gets out." She took both the phone and battery from Jack and proceeded to quickly the battery before, as Jack watched, she put both the phone and old battery into her top desk drawer.
"No one except me and you will touch it Jack. It'll be completely safe every day. You still got 10 minutes of break left so why don't you go play with your mates?"
"Thank you Miss Anderson. You're an awesome teacher. I'd hug you but you're my teacher…."
"That's okay Jack. I'm here to help you and you know you can always tell me anything…."
"I know and, like my dad likes to say, I appreciate it…. now can I go out and play?"
"Sure Jack go have fun."
The next morning Aaron was in his BAU office when Dave popped in. It was time for the first set up….