A/N: I'm tired of writing sad. I wanna see smiles from my readers!

Chapter 14

Aaron stuck his head into Dave's office late in the afternoon the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. "What are you doing tonight after work?"

"Chasing broads and drinking scotch," he grinned evilly. Aaron just shook his head. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you could check something out with me after we're done."

"Sure." They worked out the details.

After they left Quantico, Dave followed Aaron up I-95 and into Annandale after they took an exit. Five minutes later, Aaron pulled up to the curb in a housing development about 10 minutes away from Dave's home. As Dave parked behind Aaron, he noticed the For Sale sign in the yard. A woman, obviously the real estate agent, got out of her car parked in the driveway. Aaron introduced her to Dave. They walked up the sidewalk to the front door. The agent entered the code into the key lockbox, pulled the key out and unlocked the front door. She walked in, turned on the lights and looked at the two of them. "Take your time. I'll be out in my car, making some phone calls," she smiled.

Dave looked around the empty home and then at Aaron. "You're finally thinking about taking my advice?"

"No, I'm tired of my oldest son snoring on the couch," Aaron said with a straight face. Dave just looked at him. Aaron broke out into a smile. "Will you look around and give me your honest opinion?"

"Sure Aaron," Dave smiled, patting him on the shoulder. Aaron led him around the main level portion of the split level home. The dining room to the left off the entry way wasn't huge, but it was adequate. Dave thought to himself, how many dinner parties in Aaron going to host? The kitchen was well set up with the appliances including two ovens; it had an eating bar and the nook off the kitchen had a sliding glass door that opened to a comfy deck that had a set of steps that led to a concrete patio area to the ground level facing the southeast. It would be perfect in the evenings. The great room had a fireplace, albeit a gas one. Hey, saves on cutting wood. But a fireplace always makes a home feel warm. In each room, Dave used his flashlight to check the ceilings for cracks and signs of bugs.

He asked Aaron questions that he would ask if buying a house, such as insulation in the ceiling, a test for heat loss around the windows, the type of heat, etc. making sure that Aaron had asked all the right questions. Aaron hadn't missed a one. The two of them walked up the five steps in the main sleeping floor. It had three bedrooms. The master bedroom wasn't huge, especially by Dave's standards, but he knew Hotch would have no problem with it. It had its own half bath. Dave continued his inspection with his flashlight. The other two bedrooms were quite comfortable as well and there was a bath at the end of the hall.

"Which one would be Jack's?" Dave asked looking at him.

"The one next to my bedroom is a little bigger, but the other one is closer to the bathroom." Dave looked at him and Aaron shrugged. "But I'd rather have Jack close."

"So you're going to stick a six foot kid in the smaller bedroom?"

"That six foot kid, if haven't noticed, just about looks at me eye to eye." Hotch just smiled broadly at Dave and led him back down the hall and steps, doing a 180 around the wall, and descending another set of steps. He led him into a huge rec room that had a sliding glass door to the patio and into the fourth bedroom off the rec room. The bedroom was nearly the size of the master bedroom upstairs in square footage.

Aaron smiled even wider at Dave. "Think Zach can make a man cave down here for himself between the two rooms?"

Dave just shook his head, looked around and beamed. Aaron showed him the other bathroom. And the laundry room was next door. Dave knew that Zach was in charge of the laundry most of the time. And with what he was doing, plus taking care of Jack, Aaron was paying him.

He smiled at Aaron. "It's perfect." They took the time to check out the furnace, water heater and water softener in the huge storage area down a few steps off the rec room.

They talked financing a bit, with Dave offering to help. "Thanks Dave, that means a lot and I know it's from the goodness of your heart. But Haley's house sold three days ago. At more than I thought I would get, which really is the boys' money. They get every cent of her estate, including the $50,000 life insurance policy that has already been paid. The estate judge signs off on all of it tomorrow. It's that cut and dried. However, being their sole parent, I can spend that money for them. I've got 90% of the cost covered. And like you said my house payment, even with a few extras, is going to be much cheaper than paying rent."

"Have you made an offer?"

"That's why you're here," he smiled. They talked strategy.

As they walked up the steps into the entry way, Dave stopped Aaron. "You know you're missing one thing that you could roll into your house payment and make things much better?"

"I'm working on that as well Dave. Are you getting old? I just said a few extras," Aaron smiled.

"Asshole," Dave sniped at him.

Aaron laughed and then stuck his hand out. "Thank you my friend."

"Anytime Aaron," Dave smiled, shaking his hand. "Btw, do the boys know?"

Aaron Hotchner, if he could smile bigger, just looked at Dave and shook his head to the negative.

"Damn kid, I knew the first time I met you you were good," Dave said, matching Aaron's huge smile.

-00CM00-

Ten days later, the team was flying home from a case in Mississippi. Aaron, sitting with Dave to his right, with Morgan and JJ across the table of the four top of seats, pulled his cell phone out to look at a message. He studied it closely, and then re-read it. Morgan gestured to Dave to say what's the hell? Hotch never had to re-read a message. Dave just smiled.

Hotch looked at Dave and broke out into a huge smile. "I sign the paperwork tomorrow morning at 8:30."

"That's great news Aaron," Dave said, slapping him on the thigh and then tightly gripping his shoulder, giving it a shake. "You and the boys will truly be home for Christmas."

Emily, sitting across from Dave in the long seat, looked at him. "What's up?"

Dave smiled at her. "Morgan, get Garcia." Derek pinged the laptop.

"Why are you calling? You're on your way home. Did something happen?" Garcia was on alert.

"Yeah kitten, something huge just happened. The big dog just bought a home for him and the boys." The team on the Gulf Stream broke out in huge smiles. Garcia's smile matched.

"OMG Rossi! That's just way too cool," Garcia gushed.

Derek looked at Hotch. "It's about time."

"Morgan, if you talk to me again like Dave, I'll fire your ass," he sternly said pointing his left index finger at him, then breaking out into a huge grin. The rest of team roared with laughter.

Reid, leaning against the wooden counter next to Emily, looked at Aaron. "Congratulations Hotch; I take it the boys don't know?"

"No they don't," Aaron smiled. "They have no clue."

"Oh my liege, that's even sweeter," Garcia smiled. "When are you going to spring it on them?"

"Tomorrow night. I want to move in next weekend, if possible. I've purposely been putting off getting the Christmas tree up that Haley and I bought in the apartment. It's in storage. Zach hasn't questioned it, but he's getting suspicious that something is up; but I want that for my sons." He smiled at Dave. "We are gonna be home for Christmas." Dave gave Aaron's shoulder another tug, his eyes filling with a bit with tears. He, more than any one on the team, knew the struggle the three Hotchner's had been through. The highly trained team of profilers didn't miss that.

JJ smiled at Hotch with a tear forming in her eye. As a mother, she could relate. "That's perfect Hotch."

Morgan smiled at Hotch. "Need some help moving in?"

Hotch looked at him. "I've got Dave and Zach.

Dave interrupted him. "When the hell did I volunteer for helping you move? I'm an old man." The team laughed more as Dave always lovingly groused when one of them called him the old man, especially Derek.

"Since you've been pounding me over the head to get a home for the boys," he said smiling, then looking back at Morgan. "Plus Pete, Zach's best friend, has a pick-up and he's built like Zach, only bigger; it's just getting the stuff out of storage to fill the place and getting it there, plus what's in my apartment that needs to be packed up. But Derek, if you want to lend your muscles, I'll take them," he smiled.

Emily looked at Hotch. "Please, let us help." Reid nodded his head as well.

JJ smiled. "I can take of Jack. He and Henry could have a play day together, while I send over Will to help." Aaron smiled at his team.

Derek noticed that Garcia, before she blinked her laptop off, was furiously starting to write notes. "I think Mama is already on it," he smiled.

When the team got back, Dave sent Erin Strauss a priority email. The team needs next weekend off. He explained the reasons. Five minutes later, his email pinged with a reply message from Strauss. The first line had one simple word: Done. The next line read It's about damn time.

###

A/N: I need visuals to help with some of my writing. If you would like to see the floor plan for the home I've described, go to and enter 73097 into the box for a specific plan. It's to the right, just below the homepage banner.