A/N: You got a happy chapter for a reason. *sets out tissue box*

Chapter 3

The Hotchner's spent a quiet Sunday together as a family, like they always tried to do. They attended church, had family time and dinner, and then prepared for the week ahead. Jack was in bed by eight and Mike by ten. Cait and Aaron weren't far behind.

Aaron spooned behind Cait, sleeping once again on her left hip. In her fitful sleep, she curled up closer to him, laying her sore hip against him. She's trying to get some support for it Aaron thought. He pulled her closer and tried to sleep. When he noticed her finally relaxing, he fell into a deep sleep as well.

It was a blissfully quiet week in the office for the BAU. Each and every one of them cherished it, even having to do paperwork. Aaron the most; he could be home every night and keep an eye on his wife.

Heads down in paperwork, Hotch heard the soft knock at his open door on Tuesday morning. Before he even looked up, he knew who it was and what he wanted. Just like yesterday. "How's Cait," Dave asked.

Hotch looked up from his paperwork and sighed. "The same; she's not getting better Dave, but she won't let up."

Dave, with his coffee cup in hand, sat down in one of the chairs facing Aaron's desk. "That surprises you?"

"No; I just thought my wife would be honest with me."

"Aaron, you can't be questioning her about…." Aaron had confided to Dave when he and Haley had split up that he suspicioned that Haley may have had someone else in her life.

Hotch took his coffee cup off his desk. He cut Rossi off mid-sentence. "Of course not Dave; I know Cait and trust her. It just sorta feels the same way. She's holding back something."

Dave sadly smiled, taking a sip of his coffee. "She doesn't want you to worry. She's a big support to you and this team with the job we do. Aaron, this may throw you, but Caitlyn Victoria Barkley Hotchner is not above being vulnerable; especially to pain. But supporting you, she, being the woman that she is, will do everything in her power, and with Barkley genes, to not let you notice. She's Victoria; her grandmother. She's the rock of the family."

Aaron looked at him and had full buy-in. "What do I do Dave?"

"Put your foot down and chase her ass and that hip into a doctor's office. It's obviously not getting better."

Hotch smiled at Dave. "Thank you."

Dave smiled back. "I owe; Cait, you and the boys." He thought back to how they all took care of him when he got wounded on the job and stayed with the family nine months ago.

Aaron walked into the home on Deer Valley Run to see Cait in the kitchen getting dinner ready with Jack, as usual, sitting at the lunch counter, doing his homework. With his tie and shirt collar already undone, he closed in on Cait and gave her a kiss. "How was your day," he asked, pulling her into a hug.

"It was great. My senior class," she said pulling away to look him in eye, "that all of you lectured in last fall, were on fire. They were amazing and the discussion matched it. I may have a recommendation or two for you." Aaron knew how much she loved when her students excelled. And when Aaron first met her, she had made two recommendations of students in her senior criminal psychology class for possible placement in the FBI and eventually into the BAU. One of the two, after graduating from Georgetown had joined the Bureau. She had graduated from the FBI Academy and was now serving as a Field Agent, honing her skills to possibly join the team.

"How's the hip?"

Cait looked him in the eye. "It's fine. Please Aaron, don't worry. It's getting better." He kissed her cheek and headed for Jack, formulating a plan to get Cait to a doctor.

He rubbed Jack's shoulder as he worked on his math assignment. "Dad, how am I doing so far," he asked, gently pushing the paper so that Aaron could see.

Aaron quickly reviewed his subtraction. "You got it buddy," he said, rubbing his shoulder. "Just check one three."

"Dad?"

"Jack, your usual mistake." Jack, the lefty, once in a while still transpose his three's. Jack scoured the page to find the three he hadn't made right. Aaron moved to him and Cait's bedroom to get changed.

Jack found the mistake and started erasing it. Aaron was just about changed when he heard Jack scream. "DAD-DY! COME QUICK!"

Aaron, racing out of the bedroom, pulled on his long-sleeved polo shirt. He was in jeans and socks. Jack was standing in the kitchen, with tears gushing. Beans was standing next to him, barking her alarm.

And then Aaron noticed Cait. She was slumped on the floor between the island and the sink in the kitchen. Blood was pouring from a large cut over her right eye. She was unconscious. Yet Aaron noticed she was breathing. He quickly checked her pulse any way and hollered for Mike as he pulled Jack into his arms and grabbed the phone.

He dialed 911 as Mike sailed down the steps and rushed into the kitchen. "Get everything shut down," he waved his hand to Mike with the stove and oven. Mike did as he asked. As Aaron connected with the emergency operator, he handed Jack to Mike. "Call Uncle Dave; get him here; now. Take Beans with you."

Mike grabbed Jack, chased Beans into the living room and made the call. Dave, seeing the caller ID, answered on the second ring. "Mike, what's up?"

"Uncle Dave; we need you here now. Something has happened to mom."

Dave could hear Jack crying. "Michael, I'm on the way." He hung up, grabbed his coat and car keys and sped for the garage.

While Aaron gave the emergency operator all the details he could, he ran some cold water on a dish towel, rung it out and knelt down next to Cait to use the towel as a compress on the cut. Mike came back into the kitchen area after getting Jack settled down a bit. He heard his dad tell the operator, "Please advise the emergency crew that they'll be taking her to Georgetown University hospital."

The operator must have said something because he heard his dad heatedly say, "She's going to Georgetown and there will be no arguments. My wife is on staff there."

Since the operator wouldn't let Aaron off the line, and him trying to help Cait, Jack started crying again. Mike walked him back into the living room to try and soothe him to get him settled.

"Mike, what's wrong with mom," Jack asked through his tears. Mike pulled him into his arms again.

"I don't know Jack. Please bro, just settle down. I'm upset too. But if dad hears you crying, he has more to worry about. Right now, he just has to take care of mom." He rubbed Jack's back. "Come on bro, just settle down. Uncle Dave is on his way over here." Jack took a deep breath and hugged Mike's neck. Mike continued to rub his back. Beans stood next to the two of them, on guard.

Less than three minutes later, Dave blew in the garage door. He looked into the kitchen to see Cait lying on the floor unconscious, with Aaron tending her while talking on the phone. He rubbed Aaron's shoulder. "What do you need?"

"Jack is the only one that saw what happened."

"That's not going to be easy but I'll get it done." Dave immediately knew what Aaron was saying. Jack was the only one that was going to be able to tell the first responders and EMT crew what happened. Just then an Annandale cruiser sped up the driveway. Dave, taking Jack into his arms, noticed the flashing lights. He motioned at Mike to get the officer in the front door.

Mike immediately recognized the person running up the sidewalk. He was Jim Moreland; his son Jake and Mike were on the high school lacrosse team. He flew in the door. "Mike, what's going on?"

"Its mom; she's in the kitchen; dad is with her." Jim headed into the kitchen.

"Aaron," he said. Hotch looked at him and recognized the face. "What happened?"

Aaron into the phone said, "Yes, a first responder is here now." He put the phone on the counter. "Jim, I don't know." Moreland knelt down next to him to assess things. "She was fixing dinner and I went into change. Jack was sitting at the counter. He hollered for me." Aaron looked him in the eye. "Jack will have to tell us what happened. That's why Dave is here. He'll get through to him."

Moreland looked around. "Aaron, where's another towel? That cut needs ice on it." Hotch, with his free hand grabbed another from the drawer within his reach and gave it to Moreland. He took it and quickly moved to the fridge with its ice maker in the door. He loaded some cubes into the towel, wrapped the towel around them and moved to Aaron. "Here put that on." Hotch pulled off the blood soaked towel and put the new one on. Moreland took the other towel and threw it in the sink.

Dave was working on Jack in the living room. "Champino," with Jack in his arms, rubbing his back, said, "you are the only one that saw what happened to mom. You got to help us Jack. Take a deep breath."

Jack leaned back and looked Dave in the eyes. Dave leaned his forehead against Jack's. "Jack, we do this together. I will help you. But we need to do this." He looked Jack in the eye. "Right now Jack, you are the only one that can help mom."

In the house next door, Jamaal and Lisa heard the siren in the neighborhood and then saw the squad car enter the Hotchner driveway. They then heard another siren, quickly approaching. Jamaal looked at his wife. "Let's go." They flew out their front door, down their driveway and up the street to reach the Hotchner home.

They came in the front door and Mike approached them. "It's mom."

"What happened," Lisa asked.

"We don't know," Mike said. "Jack is the only one that was in the kitchen with her. Uncle Dave is trying to work with him so he can tell us."

Jamaal wrapped his arm around Mike as Lisa rubbed his chest. They heard Jim Moreland in the kitchen with Aaron. His walkie barked the news. He rubbed Aaron's back. "The EMT's are coming up the driveway. It'd be easier getting them in through the garage. Aaron, I need your permission to open the door." Aaron nodded.

"Tell them to do it quietly." Jim moved to get the door opened, walked out and briefed the crew.

Dave looked at the little boy in his arms. And he knew what he had to do. "Jack, what happened after dad came home?"

Jack looked at him. "Jack, please think. This is how you can help mom." Dave pulled him to him tightly, got him to lay his head on his shoulders and rubbed his back. "Take a deep breath Jack and then let it out." Jack complied. Dave kept rubbing his back. "Now shut your eyes and think about riding horses with grandpa for a bit." Dave felt him relax.

Jack pulled out of the embrace, wiped the tears away from his face and looked Dave in the eye. "You'll help me? And be with me?"

"Every step champino." Dave hugged him.

Jack gulped for air. "I was doin' my homework while mom was starting dinner; just like always Uncle Dave."

"That's good Jack; you've got a start; keep going." Dave rubbed his back some more as the two EMT's quietly entered the house with Jim Moreland following them.

Hotch looked at them as they entered the kitchen, whispering. "Our seven year old son is the only one that saw what happened. Agent Rossi is trying to get you the information that you need. Please be quiet and listen to them." The two EMT's nodded, while going to work.

One of them looked at Aaron. "Agent Hotchner, please let me take over that ice bag," she whispered. Aaron let go and moved to rub Cait's legs. He wouldn't get in the way of the professionals trying to help his wife. But he was not leaving her side. And the EMT's knew that immediately.

The house got eerily quiet. Moreland and the EMT's even turned down their walkies. They all needed to hear Jack's words, while working on Cait.

Dave noticed Jack focusing on the EMT's. "Jack, you gotta stay with me. You were doing your homework."

"Yeah; dad came home, kissed mom and then checked my math. It's subtraction Uncle Dave."

"Not your favorite; I know champino." Jack nodded. "But champino, ya gotta keep going. Let's help mom."

"Dad told me I had all of them right, but I had one three backwards." He looked at Dave. "I still do that."

"That's OK champino." The first EMT took a round of Cait's vitals. "Keep talking to me champino."

Jack took a deep breath. Dave inwardly smiled. I've got him. "I started to look for the one three that was backwards." Dave noticed Jack's assignment still on the counter.

"Jack, you were sitting here?"

"Yup Uncle Dave; I know it's your chair. I just sorta like using it to do my homework. Hope you don't mind."

"No problem champion; I'm glad you do. But what happened next Jack?" Dave was determined to keep the young man that he loved so much stay on point. "Think Jack."

Jack looked at him. "I found the bad three and started to erase it. Mom asked if I found it."

"Jack, did you look at mom when she asked you that?"

"Yup, Uncle Dave, I did."

Dave sat down on the end stool that he held court on in the home for too many years. He had Jack in his lap and noticed his assignment paper. The "bad three" was half erased. "Jack, you were sitting right here, looking at mom in the kitchen. You had started to erase the bad three when mom asked." Jack nodded his head. The house was dead silent.

"Jack, shut your eyes," Dave gently said, rubbing his back as Jack complied. "Do you see it in your mind?" Jack nodded. "Jack tell us; what happened next?"

Jack, with his eyes still shut, took a breath. "I looked up at mom while I was erasing."

"And then what Jack?"

Jack, like a seven year old would and with so much on the line, squeezed his eyes shut tight. "Jack, listen to me, you have to relax," Dave said rubbing his back. "Don't think hard; just let the moment come back to you. Take your time." The lead EMT finished his round of vitals and nodded at Hotch with a small smile, while the second got her into a neck collar.

"OK Uncle Dave." He took another deep breath and relaxed. He snuggled into Dave's chest for a couple of seconds, and then perked up, with his eyes still closed. "Mom was reaching into the cupboard next to the stove." Aaron looked up and saw the open door. "She had to get up on her tippy toes to reach what she wanted."

Dave continued to rub his back. "Keep going Jack."

Jack thought for a second. "She sorta fell over Uncle Dave."

"Jack?"

Jack took another deep breath as Dave rubbed his back. "Mom was reaching for something; in the cupboard with her hand." He nodded.

"Which hand Jack?" He shrugged. "Jack three o'clock side or nine o'clock side?" Dave knew that Jack knew right from left. But he also realized that Jack wasn't thinking straight at the moment. He knew; he saw it all. Dave just had to get it out of him.

"Three o'clock side Uncle Dave," Jack said confidently. Then he stopped, and tensed.

Dave rubbed his back. "Jack, stay with me." Jack took another breath and pursed his eyes tighter. And the tears began again while he kept his eyes shut.

Before Dave could say anything, the rest rolled out of Jack's mouth. "She grabbed her hip Uncle Dave. The one that has been hurting all weekend." Aaron quietly filled in the EMT's. And then Jack's tears came in buckets. He gulped as he finished the story. "Mom fell backwards."

Dave continued to rub his back. "Jack, you're sure?"

"Uh huh Uncle Dave," Jack said with his eyes still closed, wiping his tears.

"Did mom lose her balance Jack?" He nodded and then he sat bolt right up in Dave's lap.

"Uncle Dave, when mom went down, she went to the three o'clock side. The hip that hurts." The tears continued to run from his small eyes. "Uncle Dave, when she fell backwards, her bad hip hit the corner of the kitchen island. Uncle Dave! Almost in that spot! And then her head hit the edge …" Jack struggled for the right words.

Dave rubbed his back. "We got it champino. The EMT's got it." He pulled Jack into a hug and moved into the living room with Jack.

Aaron looked at the EMT's. They both nodded at him.

Moreland looked at Aaron. "What the hell was that?"

"Jim, it's called a cognitive interview. And David Rossi is the only one that could pull it off with worried, stressed seven year old."

###