Chapter 3

With the bait in the back of the truck, Matt put his weapon back in the map pocket of the door and pulled out the receipt from his pocket as he got in, handing the paper to Abbey. Abbey grabbed her purse, reaching in for her case that held her credit cards and money while Matt buckled up. "Are we going to Uncle Dave's cabin or not," Colin chimed up from the backseat.

Total dickweed Matt mouthed to Abbey. She laughed as Matt started the truck. Casee, resuming reading her book, rolled her eyes at her younger brother's statement.

Fifteen minutes later, Dave heard a vehicle honk its horn coming up the driveway. He smiled, walked into the garage and pushed the button to open the double wide door. As the single lane driveway widened to a large paved area in front of the garages, the two families saw Dave happily smiling at their arrival. Mudgie was standing next to them, wagging his tail.

Matt pulled in front of the separate third side door and Aaron parked his vehicle behind the open door. Dave heartily smiled as the kids tumbled out, ready to rumble.

"Hi Uncle Dave," Casee smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Thanks for inviting us," lifting her head to smile at him.

Dave kissed her cheek. "I'm glad you're here," he beamed.

Jack and Cam rolled up and shared the "Morgan handshake" with him; the three laughed. Aaron winked at Matt.

"I can't wait to go fishing Uncle Dave," Jack enthused.

"Let's hope they're still biting Champino," Dave smiled.

Cam looked around. "I like it here already Uncle Dave," he smiled at him.

Dave pulled the boys to each side. "I like having you here." Dave noticed a blur coming at him around Matt's truck out of the corner of his eye. "Look out guys," he smiled.

"Get ready Uncle Dave," Jack warned as he and Cam moved away.

Jack's warning was too late. Colin powered into him for hug, nearly knocking him over. Umphhh Dave let out as he put his arms around Colin. Abbey shook her head at Beth who was smiling. "Thanks Uncle Dave," Colin said. Dave looked at him with a smile. "Can we go swimming now?" Dave laughed.

"Nobody is getting into the pool until there is an adult to watch you," Matt said.

"And that's not happening until both of the vehicles are unloaded and everything is put away," Aaron added. The kids collectively moaned. Dave shared a kiss on the cheek with Beth and Abbey and then shook hands with his protégés.

While Dave resisted the temptation to call them both killjoys, he couldn't resist throwing Aaron a barb. "I see you've finally learned to dress down," he smiled. Matt and Aaron were wearing cargo shorts, t-shirts and flipflops like the kids. He looked at Matt. "And you just had to wear a Packer one," he growled at Matt.

Matt smiled. "Solely in your honor," he laughed.

"Neither one of us can afford your Italian made white cotton t-shirts," Aaron fired back, nodding at the shirt Dave was wearing.

Dave looked at his shirt. "Actually this one is Egyptian made," he smiled. "They wash better." Aaron and Matt just shook their heads. Wilma loudly barked. Dave looked at Mudg. "Show her where to go Mudgie." Mudg barked at Wilma, taking off around the garage. Wilma followed him.

The dogs re-appeared as the kids tossed around a Frisbee in the yard on the lake side of the cabin while the adults settled in with Dave helping. Mudg disappeared into the garage and come back out with another one, scarred by his teeth marks. He dropped it a Jack's feet. Jack sent it soaring into the air with Mudg chasing after it. Wilma got in on that act as well.

Setting the last box of groceries on the floor in the kitchen, Dave looked out and smiled at the scene. Aaron looked at him, rubbing his shoulder. "You OK?"

Dave smiled. "I am now."

-00CM00-

Aaron and Dave watched over the kids in the pool as Matt carried the last two items from the back of his truck to the concrete patio looking over the lake. Matt set down the bottle of lighter fluid and pulled down the twenty pound bag of charcoal off his shoulder. Aaron went into the garage. Matt put some charcoal in Dave's Weber, looking at his watch. He whistled towards the kitchen as Abbey and Beth put the last of the groceries into the cupboards. "What time do we want to eat?" The ladies came out and accepted a beer that Aaron, returning, handed them. He gave the third he carried to Matt. He gave one to Dave, slid his own into a cooler cup and opened it.

"What time is it," Abbey asked.

"Twenty to four," Matt responded. He pulled a cooler cup from his pocket, put the can of beer in and pulled the tab, opening it. "Ahhh," he smiled. "The sound that refreshes," he said, taking a drink. He looked around. "There's nothing better than cracking open a beer at the lake," he smiled.

"I'll drink to that," Dave said, taking a swig of his own.

"Does five-thirty work for everyone," Abbey asked.

"Perfect," Beth smiled. "The kids can get a swim in after dinner and then hit the showers."

"What's on the menu," Dave asked.

"Matt and I are cooking chicken while you keep an eye on the kids," Aaron smiled at Dave.

"I like that," Dave said with a smile from his chair, watching the kids.

Jack swam to the pool edge. "Uncle Matt, does that include BBQ sauce on the chicken?" Matt pointed at him with a smile. "Yes!" Jack said, sinking underneath the waterline. Aaron and Beth beamed.

They ate dinner on the patio with the kids sitting at Dave's picnic table and the adults around his glass topped patio table with wrought iron chairs with seat and back pads. Dave shook his head at the how much the kids all ate including eating half of the huge bowl of cut watermelon Beth had done that morning. The boys had BBQ sauce half way up their lower arms and around their mouths from all the chicken they ate.

Dave got the kids inside and cleaned up. He chased them into the living room of the cabin, turning the large plasma TV on. He handed the remote to Jack. "It's all yours," he smiled. The parents cleared the tables, with Aaron bringing out Dave's trash can for the paper plates.

"Thanks Uncle Dave," Jack smiled back. Mudgie and Wilma, who ate their dinners while the others did, were already taking a snooze.

Walking into the kitchen, Dave smiled at the quick work the two couples made of clean-up. Matt finished washing the last pan that held the chicken. He rinsed it, shook the extra water off and handed it to Aaron to dry.

Abbey looked at Dave. "Give us the lay of the land so Beth and I can cook breakfast tomorrow when you all come in from fishing."

Dave looked at her. "What do you need?"

As the ladies ticked off the pans and utensils they needed, Dave showed them where they were. Aaron and Matt walked out to the patio and looked over the serenity of the calm lake. Aaron looked at Matt. "So you've fished before?" Matt looked at him. "You said something about having a tackle box that da would approve of?" With the windows open in the kitchen, Dave and the ladies could hear them talking. Dave gave Abbey and Beth a wink.

"Right," Matt smiled. "On the farm, once you got the corn and soy beans planted in the spring, it was basically pray for the right mixture of rain and sunshine to make them grow." Aaron nodded with a smile. "The biggest thing you had to take care of was the garden and milking the cows."

Matt paused, remembering back. "Our neighbors up the road had a son the same age as me. Johnny and I went to school and played sports together," he smiled. Aaron looked at him. "His mom Julie inherited a lake front cabin with a pontoon boat from her parents when they got killed in a car accident." Aaron shook his head at the loss of two lives. "So in the summertime, other than when it was hay baling time, grandma, da and I switched weekends with them all summer, going to the cabin." Aaron looked at him closer.

"They ran a small dairy operation like da; just twenty to thirty cows to milk. Like him, they relied more on the cash crop income. One weekend, we'd milk their cows as well as our own and look after their garden. The next weekend was their turn," Matt smiled, looking out over the lake.

He turned to look at Hotch again. "Aaron, I learned more from them two sitting on that pontoon fishing than I ever did the rest of the year." Matt laughed. "And oh my god, the hand me down stories they told about their ancestors that lived in Ireland." Matt laughed more.

Aaron rubbed his shoulder. "Good memories," he smiled.

Matt smiled back. "The best."

Forty minutes later, they all were in the pool, laughing and having fun together.

With the sun setting a little before nine, the five adults sat around the patio table. They heard the kids, showered and tucked in, quickly winding down on the porch that was lakeside just outside of Dave's bedroom and study at the opposite end of the cabin. They were still talking a bit. The guys were enjoying some scotch as Abbey and Beth had a glass of wine.

Matt listened a bit closer, which they all noticed. He winked at them. "Motor mouth," he got out.

"The dickweed," Aaron added with a soft laugh and a point.

Matt pointed at him. "Has conked," he smiled. "The rest won't be far behind."

Less than five minutes later, all they heard were the loons calling to their mates, doing their late night feeding on the lake. "That sound will never grow old in my world," Matt smiled, putting his arm around Abbey.

Beth snuggled into Aaron's shoulder smiling. "This is perfect relaxation."

Dave took a pull on his cigar. "Yes it is," he smiled at her, lifting his scotch glass.

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A/N: Just a refresher: Matt is a huge fan of the NFL team Green Bay Packers. Dave is the same with the Packer's arch rival Chicago Bears.

Thank you all for the reviews and alerts. The FF gremlins are kicking up again so email alerts are not coming through on a regular basis. I'm not avoiding you; I'm just not getting them promptly. *pulls out Jedi Knight light saber*