A/N: Final tissue alert.

Thank you again everyone.

Chapter 7

Cait came down the steps the next morning a little after nine, showered and dressed for the morning. She walked into the kitchen. "Good morning mom," she smiled, moving to the coffee pot.

Maggie, sitting at the lunch counter, looking at her laptop, pulled off her reading glasses and looked at her. "Really? Two nights in a row?"

Cait, grabbing a coffee mug, looked at her. "Mom, we spent five nights in a thirty-one foot camper with six other people. Do I really need to explain to you the dynamics of that?"

Maggie grinned, shaking her head. Cait poured her cup of coffee, smiling back at her. "The boys riding with dad?" she asked, pulling the creamer out of the fridge.

"Of course," Maggie said, putting her glasses back on, looking again at her laptop.

Cait added the creamer to her mug and looked at Maggie. "Hot gossip on Facebook?" she asked with a smile, taking a sip from the mug.

Maggie shook her head. "That was all the same ol', same ol'," she said, waving her hand. "Actually, I'm looking at Pinterest. I'm trying to find a new recipe to serve at bridge club this week. I'm hosting."

Bernie came into the kitchen, did her usual I just woke up from my morning nap and need to stretch out as Cait took another sip. "Hey you," Cait smiled, rubbing down Bernie.

Maggie looked up. "Cait, come look at this." Cait came around the counter to stand next to her. "What do you think?" Maggie pointed.

"Let me borrow your reading glasses," Cait said. Maggie pulled them off and handed them to her. Cait put them on and started to read over Maggie's shoulder.

"It's a twist on a Waldorf salad. And I love the ingredients," Cait said, handing Maggie's glasses back to her.

Aaron walked into the kitchen. "Good morning my ladies," he smiled, grabbing a mug, then giving Cait a kiss.

"It could have been good night a bit earlier last night for some of us," Maggie snarked as Sean and Leslie joined them. Cait winked at Aaron with a smile.

"Really?" Sean sarcastically asked, looking at his brother.

"That camper was small. We had lost time to make up for," Aaron said, taking a sip of his coffee. Maggie glared at him. Everyone laughed.

"Did I hear our sons up at seven-thirty?" Leslie asked, going into the kitchen.

"Yes you did," Maggie smiled. "One more trip to Miner's Falls with grandpa." Maggie grinned more and winked at Cait and Aaron as Leslie poured coffee into two mugs. "Rumor has it Uncle Nick and Uncle Heath may tag along." Aaron and Cait deeply smiled.

"I didn't hear them get up," Sean said, smiling his thanks to Leslie for his cup of coffee, sitting down next to Maggie.

"That's because you were snoring your naked butt off," Leslie snarked.

Aaron looked at Sean. "How do you spell busted," in his best Unit Chief voice. Cait roared with laughter.

Sean sadly shook his head as Cait and Leslie shared a high five with Aaron laughing at Sean. "Your atonement," Maggie said, giving Sean's thigh a light fist bump. "Tell me what you think," she said, pointing at the recipe on her laptop.

Sean read, taking a drink of his coffee. "It looks like a spin-off of a Waldorf salad," he said. "I love the ingredients."

Cait shook her head at Aaron. "I just told her that." Aaron laughed. Maggie's cell buzzed with a text. She read it.

"Look at you high-tech grandma," Sean smiled.

"Sean," Maggie said. "We've got twenty-one grandkids and four great-grandkids. It was either learn or get left out in the info cold."

Cait smiled at Sean. "Brian, Luke and Abby's son is the grandparent's tech mentor," she winked.

"With Noah, Adam and Jenny's son warming up in the wings when Brian heads off to college this fall," Maggie said. Cait and Aaron shook their heads, understanding a maturing family.

Leslie looked at Maggie. "Are we making breakfast sliders?"

"Yes you are," Maggie smiled.

-00CM00-

A little after noon, the four boys came out on the patio after gaming together. "Can we go swimming one more time?" Tate asked.

"Yes and no," Cait smiled. "No on swimming in your own suits. They are in the washer along with your jeans and other dark clothes." Leslie already had the load of whites in the dryer. Cait looked at the four boys. "You know the silver bird we have in our future tonight." The boys shook their heads.

"But if you go in the laundry room and open the closet across from the machines, you'll find a plastic bin labeled SSM." The boys looked at her. "Grandma has a large collection that the grandkids before you have grown out of."

"Swimsuits male," Maggie said.

Jack shook his head at Cait. "I get where you got the organized gene."

"Yes you do," Cait smiled. "Just forget your male fasionista color and pattern preferences and find a pair that fits. If you do, you're swimming. If you don't…"

"I'm swimming," Wyatt said, heading to the laundry room. The other three boys followed him.

Three hours later, Aaron and Sean chased the boys out of the pool. Aaron looked at the grumbling crew. "Guys, we have to be out the door by six. The joys off of doing red-eye flights."

"With showers and getting packed up," Sean added. "Including your backpacks."

"Please check and then double-check your rooms for all of your electronics, including charging cords, headphones…" Aaron added.

"Got it Uncle Aaron," Wyatt sadly smiled, trudging off into the house with the other boys following him.

Everyone was enjoying dinner in the kitchen an hour and a half later. Leslie shook her head at Jake and Steph that provide all the fixings for beef and chicken tacos. "After the way you all fed us last night Leslie?" Jake growled back.

Steph smiled at the group. "Mom, dad, Jake and I did the fifty-fifty split," she winked.

An hour later, Aaron and Sean had the all the luggage in the eight passenger Chevrolet Traverse. All the boys shared hugs with Steph and Jake while Cait snuggled with Ellie for a few seconds more and then handed her to Steph. "Keep rocking mom," Cait smiled at Steph.

"Thanks Cait," Steph smiled. "That means a lot," she said hugging Cait with Ellie in her arms. "See you Thanksgiving." Cait kissed Ellie's forehead while Aaron and Jake shared a hug.

"Bye Sis," Jake smiled, hugging Cait. "Thank you for you," he whispered in her ear. Cait hugged him tighter. Aaron hugged Steph and kissed Ellie. Sean, Leslie and their boys were saying good-bye to Maggie and Jarrod.

"Switch," Sean smiled at Aaron.

While Sean, Leslie and their boys said heartfelt thank-yous to Jake and Steph for all they had done, the other Hotchner good-byes were tough. As usual.

Jack and Tate took turns deeply hugging Maggie and Jarrod as the rest watched with smiles. "This was the best," Jack smiled at Maggie. "Like usual."

"With a big trip thrown in," Tate said hugging Jarrod. The boys thanked their grandparents again.

Cait hugged Maggie. "You gonna miss us tonight?" she smiled deeply, hugging her.

"You know better," Maggie softly growled.

Aaron and Jarrod shared a hug. "Thanks dad. Again," Aaron smiled.

Jarrod shook his head. "You all know you have a western home," Jarrod smiled.

Aaron pulled Maggie into a hug as Cait hugged Jarrod. "Thanks dad," she simply said. Jarrod kissed her cheek, hugging her more.

As the Hotchner group started to get into the Traverse, Ethan ran to Maggie and Jarrod. Jarrod pulled him off the ground. "Thanks grandpa," Ethan beamed, hugging him. "This was the best."

Jarrod deeply hugged Ethan. Ethan, still in Jarrod's arms, reached over to hug Maggie. "Thanks grandma," he said, hugging Maggie again. "Kick the girls' butts in bridge on Friday," he grinned.

Maggie smiled. "After that, I'm gonna smoke their butts with your dad's approved recipe," she winked at Ethan.

Ethan kissed her cheek. "Thanks grandma." He hugged Jarrod again. "Thanks grandpa for letting us come here."

Jarrod got Ethan into the second seat of the Traverse between Leslie and Cait. Sean shook Jarrod's hand again. "Thank you again Barkleys," Sean smiled at all of them. "None of us will forget this."

"See you Thanksgiving," Jarrod smiled back.

-00CM00-

The two families were milling around the gate area for their flight to Denver. The gate agent announced they would be starting the boarding process soon. Ethan looked at his mom. Jack smiled. "I gotta go too," he smiled. "Come on Ethan," he added, holding out his hand. Ethan took it and they started walking towards the bathroom. Tate and Wyatt caught up to them.

"Where are your seats?" Aaron asked Sean.

Sean smiled. "You guys aren't the only ones with connections. Leslie's sister Julia is a travel agent. She booked our flights and turned her commission into points to get us the upgrade."

A little under three hours later, the jet pulled up to the gate in Denver. Cait and Aaron were sitting across from Sean and Ethan, who was sound asleep. Aaron got out of his seat. "Sean, hand me Ethan's backpack." Sean did. Aaron gave it to Cait. "Where's yours?"

"In the overhead," Sean quietly said.

"I'll grab it. You take Ethan," Aaron smiled. Sean walked off first with Ethan, sleeping on his shoulder. Aaron got the rest of them onto the jetway and followed them.

Ethan was still sound asleep with his head lying on Sean's shoulder as they looked at the flight info board for their flights home. "We're gate twenty-eight," Tate pointed.

"We're gate twenty-six," Leslie said.

"We can walk together," Cait smiled.

They got to the gate twenty-six waiting area. Cait sat down and smiled at Sean. He put Ethan on her lap. Cait wrapped her arms around him. Wyatt, Tate and Jack walked around a bit to stretch after sleeping through the first leg.

Sean looked at the read out above the gate desk. "We've got an hour to kill. Julia said she didn't want to make our connection tight." He looked at Aaron. "Just in case," he smiled.

"Our flight doesn't leave until two," Aaron replied, "for the same reason." They compared arrival times.

"At least we'll be getting home about the same time," Sean smiled.

"You going to the restaurant later?" Aaron asked.

"I'll go in to touch base," Sean said. "But I won't stick around. After these past days, we'll all need a night together to adjust being back in the big city," he smiled.

Just then, the boys came up to them. "We looked at an airport map," Jack said. "There's an all night kiosk that has water, soda and snacks."

"It's just a little way down," Tate nodded past the gate area.

Ethan rustled in Cait's arm. "I'm thirsty," he said, rubbing his eyes.

Cait smiled. "I could use some water as well."

"So could I," Leslie added.

Sean smiled at Aaron. "Let's go guys," Aaron smiled.

Cait and Leslie were talking together when they came back fifteen minutes later. Tate and Jack were toting two large bags. Cait and Leslie looked at them. "I've got the water," Tate said.

Jack looked at Cait and Leslie. "We took a vote. The good-byes are going to suck soon."

"He's right," Aaron and Sean said together to their wives.

"So why not," Jack grinned, pulling an item out his bag, "do it with ice cream drumsticks."

Leslie smiled at Cait. "It is one in the morning."

Sean winked at the ladies. "We did the fifty-fifty deal."

"I'm in," Cait grinned. The two families, after a wonderful vacation together, sat in the chairs at the gate, enjoying their ice cream.

-00CM00-

The second Sunday after they were all back home, Cait and Aaron had all of their family at the house for a big Sunday dinner. Dave, naturally, was there as well. "Congrats to Matt for passing the first phase of FBI Academy," Dave toasted, holding up his after dinner scotch, sitting at the lunch counter like always.

"Thank you Uncle Dave," Matt said, taking a sip of his Bailey's and scotch. "I'm glad I've got a couple days off before I start phase two." He smiled, holding Sam. "And this is pretty cool too," he grinned. "What are you feeding him?" he asked Mike and Andi.

"We're getting him caught up after his small start," Andi smiled.

"You're doing a good job," Matt grinned, draining his drink. Aaron poured him another one. Dave softly smiled.

Mike shook his head. "You two are staying the night."

"Of course we are," Lauren smiled.

Cait's cell pinged with a text. She read it. "Tate," she said, with him sitting at the counter with Dave, "get my laptop going," she pointed. "Sean, Leslie and the boys are ready for our Skype session," she smiled.

A few minutes later, they all connected, catching up with each other. The NYC Hotchners got to see Sam and congratulated Matt. Laughter and love was shared between the families as they chatted together.

"Cait," Leslie smiled, "we loved the vacation video you posted on Facebook this afternoon."

"It was way cool Aunt Cait," Wyatt smiled.

"We expected all the replies you got from your family and the team. But Nick and Johnny's were the best," Sean grinned.

"Another trip well documented for posterity," Dave smiled.

"Uncle Dave," Ethan said. "I won't need a video. I'll never, ever forget it."

Aaron put his around Cait's shoulder, pulled her close to him and kissed her cheek.

XXXXX

A/N: An ice cream drumstick is a small cone filled with vanilla ice cream. The round ball of ice cream above the cone is covered in frozen chocolate and crushed nuts. If you need visuals, I send you to Goggle.

My thanks again to the OK Teach for doing the proofreading. She's a happy camper with a new teaching gig in her hometown. Her commute went from over an hour to less than ten minutes. That means I can get more of her time during the week and it is greatly appreciated.

Thank you again for the alerts, reviews or just reading. That is appreciated as well. And like I've said, it keeps me going.

I'm gonna take a few weeks off and then start on my October project. *scratches head* Isn't October duck hunting season? Hehehe Yes, that's a hint.