Chapter 11
Maggie and Jarrod worked quickly to get the breakfast going. Jack flew down the steps five minutes later, dressed in jeans, a long sleeve polo shirt and socks. He climbed into Aaron's lap sitting at the lunch counter as Jake handed him a glass of apple juice.
Aaron looked at his brother-in-law. "You look pretty fresh for flying across country."
Jarrod, mixing up the pancake mix said, "He snored the whole way." Jake just winked at Aaron and shrugged his big shoulders at his dad. Matt cut some cantaloupe for Dave, grapefruit for himself and the rest. Mike, showered and ready for school, came down the steps and added a leaf to the nook table. The three boys worked to get it quickly set. Dave and Aaron took Jarrod's first batch of pancakes to the school boys and got glasses of milk poured. Jake refilled Dave's coffee cup. They all took the time to say the table prayer and Mike and Jack started in on the fruit.
Aaron, putting some syrup on Jack's pancakes, noticed the tear forming in his eye. He quickly handed the syrup to Mike and moved to kneel next to Jack. As the tear started to fall, Aaron rubbed it away. "Jack, what's the matter?"
"It's not right without mom here." A tear rolled out of the other eye. Aaron brushed that one away too.
"I know Jack; we all miss here. She'll be home sooner than you think and will be better once she gets healed. Son, that's what you have to think about today. Mom will be better when this is all done." Jack smiled at his dad as Matt sitting down next to him with his pancakes, rubbed his back.
"But Jack, you have to eat before you go to school," Maggie said bringing the boys some of the sausages.
"I know grandma. I just miss mom." Maggie kissed his head, giving him a sausage. "Two grandma please," he said, wiping another tear. Maggie just shook her head as she gave him another and passed the plate to Mike.
"Aaron, you sit down and eat as well. You've got to get Jack to school."
As they started to finish, Aaron looked at his watch and then Mike and Jack. "You two need to get rolling."
"Dad, I can drop off Jack on my way to school so you can get some sleep."
"Thanks Mike, but I'll take Jack to school." He looked at his youngest sons. "You two done?" They both nodded their heads. "Then get your teeth brushed and grab you book bags. Matt and I will take care of your plates." The boys went to the stairs. Dave and Jake sat down with their plates of the latest batch of pancakes Jarrod had made. Maggie moved to the table and grabbed the sausage plate to replenish it.
"Dad, I can take Jack….."
"Thanks Matt, but Mrs. Bjurquist needs to know what is going on with him. I don't think he'll be too focused today. And knowing her," he smiled, "I'm sure she'll find a way to keep his eye on the ball."
Jake looked at Aaron, nearly inhaling four pancakes and three sausages. "Mind if I ride along?" Aaron looked at him. "Aaron, Cait and I talk; about three times a week." Aaron smiled, knowing that fact. "Last fall you were out on a case and Jack came home from school all upset. He told his friends on the playground about me and they didn't believe him. I know they all go out and play before school starts. I'm backing my little man," Jake smiled, with his blue eye's sparkling that matched his mother's.
Matt held out his fist to his uncle for a bump. "That would be huge for him Uncle Jake on a day he really could use something like that," he smiled.
Jake smiled at his nephew. "Sorta what I was thinking Mattie," he winked. Maggie and Jarrod smiled, having joined the group at the table as well as Aaron started to clear the boys' plates from the table. Dave gave Jake a high five.
"Kid, I think you have potential," he wryly commented. They all laughed and Aaron marveled at the family that he had been blessed to marry into.
The boys came back down the stairs and Aaron moved to Jack's homework folder on the lunch counter to sign off on him doing his assignments. He noticed the sheet was signed for all of the assignments with the Rossi flair. He looked at Dave, still eating with Maggie and Jarrod. "Dave?" Matt moved into the kitchen to start the clean-up.
"I helped him with him with his homework," he smiled. "Jack said I had to be the one that signed off on it," he winked with a smile.
Aaron shook his head at his best friend and partner and smiled. "Thanks Dave."
"I didn't mind. I could understand the math and spelling. The reading was pretty easy. But Aaron, when he's in fourth grade, all bets are off on the math." The group laughed, understanding what Dave was saying.
Jack didn't. "Dad?"
"I'll explain in the car Jack. Let's get rolling. Give everyone a hug, especially Uncle Dave." He did, as well as Mike. Jack got to Uncle Jake last.
Jake pulled him off the floor. "Let's get your coat. We gotta rumble."
"Uncle Jake?"
"I'm gonna ride with you and your dad to get you to school. Your dad has had a long night." Matt winked at Dave at how Jake got that one past Jack.
Mike kissed his grandmother again, and hugged his grandfather. "Thanks for coming," he sincerely smiled. Maggie gave him a kiss on the cheek and Jarrod rubbed his shoulder.
"Have a good day at school Mike. See you this afternoon."
The four of them disappeared out the garage door. Matt looked at his grandparents. "You like being here don't you?"
Maggie nodded as Jarrod spoke up. "Matt, we worry a lot less about you mom now that she has you dad in her life. But it's tough living at the other end of the country and not seeing all of you more often."
"Grandpa, with all due respect, I asked mom about that a couple of years ago. Her answer to me: 'sometimes Matt you have to make tough choices in your life'. It was a tough choice for her, especially being a single mom." He smiled. "But that's mom."
"Yes it is," Dave added. He looked at the group. "I need to head to home and get Mudgie there, get a few things done and then get to the office." He looked at all of them. "Get some sleep and for god's sake, especially Aaron." Maggie hugged him and Jarrod shook his hand.
Matt looked at him. "Thanks Uncle Dave for being here. I love you," he said pulling Dave into a huge hug.
"I love you Matt. Kick dad's ass into bed."
"Promise Uncle Dave," Matt smiled.
Dave said his good-byes and headed out the door with Mudg. Matt looked at his grandparents. "Head to bed you to and get some sleep. I slept enough with dad holding me. I'll get the dishes done and him and Jake into bed and then join them. Come on, I'll help you get your bed ready." The three of them moved to Cait and Aaron's study.
Jack looked at Jake as Aaron pulled out of the driveway. "Uncle Jake, do you suppose you could come in with me for a second at school?" Jake looked at Aaron and winked at him.
"I suppose I could for a minute or two Jack."
"Sweet," Jack beamed.
Aaron pulled into the school and found a parking space by the door where Jack went in. Off to the side was the playground. Jack grabbed Jake hand. "Come on Uncle Jake, there's something you need to see."
"Whoa buddy, give me you book bag and a hug." Jack rushed to Aaron, handed him his book bag and gave his father a hug. "See you after school and we'll all go and see mom."
"Sounds good dad," he smiled. He turned to Jake and pulled his hand.
"Have fun Uncle Jake," Aaron smiled.
"Thanks bro." Aaron walked into the school, smiled and waved at the teacher's aide who was monitoring the entrance in the office and went down the hall to Jack's classroom. He found Mrs. Bjurquist writing math problems on the blackboard. Her back was to him, so he lightly knocked on the doorframe.
"Good morning Aaron, what brings you here?" Aaron filled her in on the details of what happened last night. "Is Cait going to be alright?"
Aaron nodded his head. "She'll be home in a couple of days."
She smiled. "I'll keep an eye on Jack, and keep him a little extra busy to keep his mind off things."
"Thank you, we appreciate that. I hung his book bag on his hook in the hallway. Have a good day," Aaron said
"I will; give my best to Cait." Aaron smiled and left. He went back down the hallway and out the door. He immediately found Jake. He had two first graders each hanging from his bicep, holding them off the ground.
As he approached, he heard Jack proudly boost, "That's my Uncle Jake." Aaron smiling at the sight, "rescued" Jake from the kids and they headed home.
When they walked into the kitchen, Aaron couldn't stifle a yawn. "Go to bed Aaron. I'm going to pile into Mike's."
"You don't have to tell me twice. See you later." Aaron walked into him and Cait's bedroom. As he started to undress, he quickly called the hospital to see how Cait was doing.
"She hasn't moved a muscle," the duty nurse reported.
-00CM00-
Penelope Garcia was lying in wait to pounce on David Rossi the second he walked off the elevator. As he strode off, he was nearly tackled by her. "How dare you send an email like that, not give up any details and then make us wait for another hour after you got here for answers?"
"Because Kitten, I don't want to have to tell the story 14 times. I'll see you at 10 am." He walked around her and pulled the glass door open to the BAU. Luckily, Reid, Emily and JJ weren't at their desks and he sped through the bullpen to his office and shut the door. The three of them were in the break area and JJ moved to catch up to him.
She stopped in her tracks when he shut the door and looked at Garcia walking in the door. She returned to the break room. "What'd he say to you?"
"That he didn't want to tell the story 14 times."
Emily looked at Reid. "You owe me $5 Dr. Genius." She smiled and walked back to her desk with her re-filled coffee cup. The other three shook their heads and walked back to their mountain of paperwork.
At 10:01, Dave walked into the Round Table Room, with all of them waiting including Erin Strauss. He looked around. "Good morning."
"Is it," Morgan asked.
"It's a helluva lot better than it was last night." He filled them in on all the details.
Strauss looked at him. "So the surgery should take care of Cait's hip problems?"
"Erin, that's what the ortho surgeon told Aaron. And let me fill all of you in on a little tidbit. Cait hasn't worked in that hospital for…, well since Michael was born, so sixteen years, going on seventeen. Yet her attending ER physician is head of ER. The Chief of Neurology came in off hours to read the CAT scan, and her ortho surgeon is number two in that department. That's how much they all care about her. Believe me; she's getting the absolute best care possible. And I don't doubt that she's got every senior RN taking care of her. So yes Erin, I've got to believe that."
"When can we see her?" Garcia asked.
Dave smiled. He knew she would be the one to ask that question. "Tomorrow Kitten."
JJ eyed him. "But Dave, you look tired."
"Jayje, I've never slept with a seven year old before, far less one that was worrying about his mother. He attached to my back like a leech when I climbed in with him last night." She smiled at him, understanding every word.
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A/N: I think I've mentioned Sam's Club before but I give y'all a reminder. They are a supersized food market with deep discounts on items packaged in large quantities. A leech is an aquatic parasite that is a bloodsucker, found in most freshwater rivers and lakes.
