Author's Note: I know I'm not supposed to have favorites. But this chapter is. I had a whole lot of fun writing it. I hope you have fun reading it. There are surprises all around. Enjoy!

PS: Thanks again for all the reviews/favorites! I'm overwhelmed by the response!

Chapter 10 - …. And Games

It was a delightful Saturday afternoon in early May when the phone rang. Cait was making a pan of Seven Layer bars when she answered.

"Hello Cait? It's Haley."

"Hi Haley."

"Cait, I need a favor please."

"Anything," Cait said, still a little puzzled why Haley was calling her.

"A couple of college friends are in town by chance and want to get together. I haven't seen them in years. But my sister is busy and its prom weekend…"

Cait interrupted her. "Say no more Haley. We'd love to have Jack stay." Haley knew Aaron was spending the weekends there when he had Jack. And the two of them had met a couple of weeks ago, when Aaron was called out on a case before he could take Jack home.

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely. Aaron is outside mowing the yard with the boys. It will be our surprise." They worked out some details and Cait gave her directions.

"We'll be there in about 30 minutes. See you then," Haley said and hung up.

Cait went back to her bars. She smiled as she put them in to the oven. That Haley had called was clearly a major hurdle. The timing was perfect since Aaron had decided to spend all his weekends there. Since things were now "official", she was sure the news would spread very quickly.

Actually, it took about twenty minutes, with another phone call.

"Cait, I need a favor."

"What's that Dave?"

"Something just came up at the last minute and the shirt I want to wear needs to be pressed and my laundry service is already closed. Do you mind?"

"Not at all Dave. Bring it over and I'll take care of it. Just remember to bring a hanger. I know my wire hangers won't satisfy you."

"I'm that much of a peacock, aren't I?" Dave laughed.

"Yes, you are." Cait laughed as well. "See you in a bit."

A little later, Aaron and the boys were sitting at the lunch bar, enjoying some ice tea after their hard work when they heard Jack's voice. "Mommy, you don't need to knock." A surprised look ran across Aaron's face as the screen swung open. Beans raced to the door. She must have licked Jack's face because he said, "Look mommy, Beans gave me a kiss!"

Jack came bouncing in with Beans at his side. "Hi daddy! Surprise!" he beamed.

"Hey buddy," he said as he pulled him up on his lap as Haley walked in, reaching down to give Beans a rub. "Haley, what's going on?"

"You remember Sara and Monica, my college friends?" Aaron nodded. "They were on their way to Europe and they had to change flights at Dulles. But their plane had mechanical problems, so they're stuck here tonight and called and asked if we could get together. Jess has plans and its prom weekend in McLean. Sorry, Hi Cait."

Cait smiled. "Hi Haley, not a problem. These are my sons Matt and Mike."

"Hi Haley; nice to meet you," Mike said.

"Pleasure to meet you Haley," Matt intoned, trying to sound like the perfect gentleman.

"Hi boys. I've heard a lot about you," she said as she smiled at them and then Jack.

"Well, this is a great surprise," Aaron said. "And, I'm glad it worked out for you Haley."

"Something smells good, Cait," Jack said.

"I just took a pan of Seven Layer bars out of the oven. You and the boys can have some before you go to bed with a glass of milk."

Haley winced, "I don't know if he'll eat….."

"The 'white stuff'," Cait said referring to the coconut flakes. "I had that battle with this one," Cait said as she pointed to Mike. "But when he saw his brother devour his third, he changed his tune." They exchanged smiles as only two mothers that knew their sons would.

"Cait," Jack asked. "Can I show mommy my room?"

"I think that's a great idea Jack!" Aaron pulled him out of his lap and set him on the floor.

"Show mom where it is buddy!"

Jack grabbed his mother's hand. "Come on mommy," he said as he tugged. "It's this way." Beans took off in front of the two of them.

Aaron got up from the counter and started to head to the bedroom. "I think I better get out of this smelly t-shirt."

Thirty seconds later, Dave walked in the door off the nook with Mudgie, without knocking of course. While he technically lived around the corner, it was still a little over a quarter mile away. Cait was surprised he walked.

"Hey guys," he commented. "You did a great job mowing the lawn." The boys exchanged secret grins while Dave greeted Cait and laid his shirt on the back of the chair.

"You walked over Dave?"

"With all the work I've been doing starting to outline my new book, I needed the exercise. You still in on helping me."

"You know it," Cait replied.

"Where's Beans?" Dave asked. The boys snickered.

Cait shrugged. "She's around here someplace." Mike got up to look out the nook window at the pool so Dave wouldn't read his really bad poker face.

About that time, Aaron rounded the corner into the nook. "What are you doing here?" he said, looking at Dave, mildly shocked.

Dave was even more shocked. "What the hell are you doing here? And dressed like that?" Dave had never seen Aaron in a pair of cargo shorts, t-shirt and barefoot. Just then Haley and Jack returned to the nook, along with Beans. "What the hell is going on here?" Dave demanded. Mudgie walked over to nuzzle Jack, which of course, did not go unnoticed by Dave.

"Will you two alpha males go to your respective corners please," Cait laughed from the kitchen.

"Mom, what's an alpha male?" Matt asked.

"An alpha male is a boy dog who thinks he can pee the highest in the tall weeds. Get two of them together and you have a peeing match." The boys looked at Aaron and Dave and roared. Haley even laughed.

"Really Cait?" Jack asked innocently.

"Um hum," Cait nodded in the affirmative. She looked at her sons and said, "That's why I've raised you two to be lovers, not fighters."

Before Dave could get a word in, Matt said, "Mom can we going swimming? It's almost 80 outside and I checked the pool temp; it's 87"

"Can we Cait?" Jack pleaded.

Cait looked at Aaron and he nodded yes. "OK."

Haley said, "I didn't put a swimsuit in Jack's bag." Dave raised his eyebrows.

"That's OK. When I was buying new ones for the boys, I picked one up for Jack. Do you remember where it is Jack?" He bobbed his head up and down.

"Let's get changed," Matt said and the three of them headed for the steps.

"Whoa," Aaron ordered as Cait said, "Hang on a sec." The boys stopped in their tracks.

"Jack say good bye to your mom," Aaron reminded.

"Matt, you help Jack get his suit on. And all of you remember to bring shorts and your underwear down with you so you can change in the laundry room. You're not dripping all over my clean kitchen floor."

"I really should get going," Haley said. She leaned down and gave Jack a hug and a kiss. "You be good and have fun." She looked around. "I don't think that last part will be a problem."

"Bye mommy. I love you."

"I love you too, baby."

Haley grabbed her purse off the counter. "Good to see you again Dave. Thanks you two. Nice meeting you boys."

"You too, Haley," Mike said.

"Have a great time Haley," Matt added.

"Tell Sara and Monica hello for me," Aaron said. "Have a good time. I'll bring Jack back tomorrow."

"Sounds good. Have a great time guys! See you Cait." The boys took off for upstairs.

"Have fun Haley." Cait replied, as she and Haley walked towards the garage. Haley raised an eyebrow. "I've got to get the ironing board from the laundry room. Dave needs a shirt ironed."

"You don't have enough testosterone in your life?" Haley wondered, smiling broadly.

"Apparently not," Cait laughed. "Drive safe."

"Thanks."

Cait headed back to the kitchen with the iron and board as Dave was glaring at Hotch. "Just what the hell is going on around here?"

"What do you think?" Hotch answered coyly. "Want a beer while you wait?"

Cait set up the board, plugged in the iron and turned it on, while Aaron went to the fridge in the garage to grab some beers. "Cait, is someone going to give me an answer?"

"Dave, come on. You haven't figured it out?"

"Oh yes, I've more than figured it out. Just how in the hell did you two pull it off without me knowing about it?"

"Some ingenious planning and a very smart lady," Hotch said as he took the cap off the beer bottle and handed to Dave. He did the same for Cait and himself and took a tug.

Looking at Hotch, Dave said, "What I can't figure out is that I didn't notice you were getting some…"

"Dave!" Cait said, cutting him off and nodding at the boys returning.

"And you two! You lied to me!" Dave said, pointing at Matt and Mike.

"No we didn't, Uncle Dave," Matt defended. "You asked us if mom was dating. We said 'yes'. You asked where she met the guy, and we said 'on campus'. You asked if mom had brought him to house yet and we said 'no'."

Mike chimed in with a big smile. "Aaron drives himself."

"Tomatoes, tomahtoes," Dave replied. Matt motioned for Mike and Jack's clothes and took them to the laundry room. He grabbed three towels and headed back to the kitchen.

"So Mudgie is yours?" Jack asked. "He's really cool."

"Thanks Jack," Dave said off-handedly, still wanting to get the whole story.

The boys headed for pool, before Cait stopped them once more. "You keep an eye on Jack. Matt, he's your responsibility. And Mike, your hearing aids."

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Sorry mom." The last time he "forgot" cost Cait nearly $3,000. He laid them on the counter and the boys went out the door.

"I'll be out in bit guys," Aaron said.

"Not so fast. I still want to know why my two best friends have been keeping this from me."

"Because I didn't need you coming into my office every day playing matchmaker."

"And I already have a meddler trying to run my life. I call her mom. I didn't need an Italian aunt who lives next door."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Since February," Hotch answered.

"So how did you pull it off? I can see into your garage."

"It's called a garage door opener, Dave. It makes the door go up and down," Cait teased. He flipped her off.

"And you, my friend," Aaron added, "are a creature of habit. You stop every Friday at the Woodbridge Inn bar. All I had to do was drive by and see if your SUV was there. And you go to 12:00 mass on Sundays."

Dave was starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together. "So the no interest when you got back from Georgetown…"

Hotch interrupted him. "I had just met the woman, for God's sake Dave. When's the last time I dove at something without thinking about it?"

"1947," Dave said, "But the fake interest in the cookies?"

"I told him when we met for a drink that I was making Christmas cookies during my break."

"Oh, so you couldn't go have a drink with me but you could with her?" Dave was now playing the situation to the hilt. Aaron just smiled.

Turning to Cait, he said, "And the 'can you be a dear and let Beans out, I'm going to stay in town' was …"

"I had a lot of fun that night," Cait said as she winked at Aaron.

"Oh God, now I think I need a scotch."

Cait and Aaron just laughed.

### ""