Chapter 8

Pastor left shortly after honoring John's request, promising he would be with Aaron and the boys through the next few days. Dave moved to gather up his bag and follow him out the door to take Mudg home and get ready for his duel with Strauss.

"Daddy, can't Mudgie stay?" Jack asked.

Aaron crouched down to look his youngest son in the eye. "No buddy, we've got too much to do the rest of the day." The three Brooks family members smiled at how close Jack and Mudg were. On cue, Mudg walked up to Jack and gave him a "kiss" on his ear. Jack engulfed Dave's hunting partner in a hug, with Mudgie's tail wagging profusely. After Jack finished with him, he went to Zach, getting his usual monster back rub with a soft rub behind an ear as well. Mudg gave the boys a quiet bark as he headed out the door with Dave.

Aaron looked at Jack. "Buddy, grandma, grandpa and Aunt Jess I have to go. You'll be all right here with Zach?"

"Daddy, where do you have to go?" The question just about broke Aaron's heart.

He pulled his youngest son into his arms. "We've got to go make the arrangements to officially send mommy to heaven." Jack threw his arms around Aaron's neck.

"Make 'em special," he whispered into Aaron's ear. "OK daddy?" Aaron kissed his temple while Hannah rubbed his back. John looked at Zach.

"I know you've got this."

"Yeah, grandpa, I've got this," he softly smiled. Aaron and Haley's family left to meet with the funeral director.

-00CM00-

Dave, like he promised, resisted Erin Strauss' badgering to his last breath. As they finished and Dave rose from his chair to leave, he turned around and looked her square in the eye. "Erin, just a heads up. The bullshit you're doing here today is going to come back and bite you in the ass. And quicker than you can say 'Oh shit'. In the end, this will cost you." Dave turned and walked out of the room.

-00CM00-

True to his word, Dave met the Hotchner's and they left for The Men's Warehouse at 12:15. They entered, receiving the sympathies of the staff on hand. Gino and Dave shared an Italian hug. "Gino, these are my boys; can you fix them up?"

"Imma just the Italian tailor," Gino said with his accent. "But Wally here, he's ta manager. He picks out the right stuff. Then," he smiled, "I maka the boys look good for their mama."

Between Gino and Wally, they did exactly that. Wally's first suggestion to Aaron was that he buy Jack's suit at the retail store next to the place. "He's a straight fit and please don't tell my GM, but it will cost you less. Zach, we can take care of. I've already pulled a couple for you to look at. And while I'm supposed to 'up sale', I won't do it in this case. You can get the same deal for Zach on a dress shirt and tie. Gino will measure him to make sure you get it right."

Between the two stores, the two Hotchner boys were ready for their mother's funeral, complete with dress shirts, ties and shoes in a little over two hours. Gino promised Dave fervently that he would have the tailoring done for Zach's suit by the next afternoon. While they were at the other retail store, Aaron picked out some khaki's and polo shirts for both of the boys to wear for Haley's wake the next night.

-00CM00-

Zach walked into the BAU building with his dad and brother. His stomach was already rolling. As the three of them entered the BAU, Hotch noticed the team was in the Round Table room, minus Morgan. He must be under the gun Hotch thought, as he silently led the boys to his office.

Zach laid down on the couch in his dad's office, still needing sleep from his work weekend and with what transpired after that. Hotch sat down in his desk chair, with Jack quickly climbing up into his lap, while Aaron read his emails.

JJ quietly poked her head in. "Need anything?" she softly smiled. Hotch could see the toll on her face from the previous day's events. At the end of the day, she was still a mother, committed to one man, and her son.

"Yes, one thing," he answered her. "Haley's family is small and not many males. Would Will serve as a pall bearer on Friday? For Haley?"

"Hotch, I normally don't speak for Will but I can tell you out right; he would be honored."

"Thank you JJ. And I know it's not your job, but would you mind asking Derek, Reid, Kevin and Brian?"

"I'm happy to help you out Hotch, but Spence…."

"Already covered, JJ," he sadly smiled. "The associate director will handle his part. I'd just really appreciate all of them being Haley's pall bearers."

JJ softly smiled. "Consider it done; but you're missing one."

Hotch sadly smiled at her again. "I think Dave's already in." JJ nodded at him and quietly shut the door.

Around 3 pm, Hotch led Zach down to the room on the first floor where the investigations were being conducted. Jack was in the BAU Round Table Room, with JJ and Garcia in full charge. Aaron, hearing the rumblings in his oldest son's stomach, looked at him. "There's vending machines around the corner; you want a clear soda or a water?" Zach, pacing in the hallway, shook his head.

Agent Anderson came out. "Sir, they're ready for Zach. And sir, I'm honored that you asked me to be one of Haley's pall bearers." Aaron just smiled at him and rubbed his hand across Brian's upper arm.

Aaron pulled Zach into a hug. "Just tell them the truth son."

"I know dad; I know what I did and you did was right." Aaron looked Zach in the eyes and whisked his hand across Zach's chin.

Zach walked into the room. Captain Murdock greeted him. "Hi Zach; I'm Captain John Murdock of the Virginia State Police. I'm in charge of the official investigation into your mother's death. And Zach, you have my deepest sympathies." He started to reach his hand across the table. That was all Zach let him get out.

"With all due respect Captain, while you may be conducting your 'independent investigation'," Zach said, using his hands, one in a sling and the other with his index finger in a splint to give the quotation marks around two words, "I don't trust you as far as I can throw you."

Murdock raised his eyebrows. "Zach?"

Zach pointed at Chief Strauss with his splintered right finger. "This woman has been after my dad's career for over two years; by anyway necessary. She's got two suits to back her up in here to hang him on whatever I may say. And for the record, Captain Murdock, the other two suits weren't part of the rest of my dad's team interviews." He burrowed a deep look into Murdock's eye. "But that doesn't send a red flag up to you, now does it?" Murdock shot Strauss a look.

"Son, I'm just trying…."

He stared Murdock in the eye. "I'm not your son and I'm not 18. Which means, I have right to have an adult present while I'm being questioned. I know my dad was in on the same thing as me and you and her," Zach said, waving his finger again at Strauss, "can't let him be in with me. We 'might' compare stories," Zach said, waving a finger again at Strauss. He noticed the other two suits sitting up and taking notice. "But I will not talk to you or any of the other suits in here without an adult present to protect me."

Murdock just looked at Zach and having set through Strauss' "sessions" with rest of team, began to see the light. He softly smiled at Zach. "Zach, I'm not part of the FBI, just like you. And if I'm being used as a pawn for some political purposes within the FBI, I'll send an email up the ladder like lightning. I don't like get played any more than you Zach." Zach just stared at him with "No Trust" stamped across his forehead.

"Zach, are you invoking a lawyer?"

"No sir. I'm invoking having an adult present that can protect my interest."

"Do you have someone in mind Zach," Murdock asked, now seeing through the shit that Chief Strauss, with her invitation to BAU, was trying to pull.

"Yes, Agent David Rossi. My brother and I call him Uncle Dave."

Strauss nearly came out her chair. "He's part of this investigation."

Murdock stared her down. "With all due respect ma'am, he's not part of mine." He glared more deeply at her and then looked at Zach. "Until Agent Rossi can join you, I don't ask you a word. Zach, go take a walk and try to relax, knowing," he burrowed into Zach's eyes, "I'm on your side. I just need to know what happened. And I trust you implicitly Zach that you'll be honest with me."

Zach walked out of the room, to see the questioning eyes of his father. He just shook his head and went into the closest bathroom. Aaron followed him in as Zach threw up into the nearest sink. Aaron simply rubbed his back and started cold water running to splash on Zach's face.

As Zach finished getting the bile out of his stomach, Aaron rubbed the back of his head. "Talk to me son; what happened?"

"I told Strauss that I wouldn't be part of her plan to sack you career," he said, pulling a piece of the restroom paper towel to wipe his face. "And I wouldn't let Murdock help her. I'm not 18; I have a right to have an adult present. But I know it can't be you," Zach said, turning again to throw up more. Aaron softly rubbed Zach's shoulders, knowing how hard the retching would be on those muscles later.

Fifteen minutes later, Zach sat across from Murdock recounting the worst day of his life. Dave was sitting next to him. When they walked out, Zach walked straight to his dad, who pulled him into a huge hug. They stood like that for nearly five minutes, no words needed. And no one bothered them. Dave walked around the corner and pulled out his handkerchief to wipe his tears. With what Zach had told him the night before, he had an inkling of what had transpired. To hear the whole story, shook the veteran profiler to his bones.

Finally, Aaron separated from his son, as Dave came back to join them. Hotch looked at Dave. "Can you please get him upstairs?" Dave just simply nodded.

As Zach moved towards the elevator with Dave, he looked over his shoulder at his father. "Give 'em hell dad." Dave smiled, clamped his arm around Zach's shoulder that was now at the same height of his own, and got him on the elevator.

As the car took them up, Zach looked Dave. "Thanks for the $100 Uncle Dave you slipped me. My iPod quit on me about a week later. I hope you don't mind, but I used part of it to get a new one. It's just a shuffle but good enough for me; it cost me fifty bucks."

"What did you do with the rest?"

"I found a used DS for Jack online with a bunch of games," he softly smiled.

Dave looked at him. "I don't mind Zach," he said with a smile.

When they got off on the sixth floor, Dave looked at Zach. "Come on; let's get you down on my couch in my office. I'll get Jack after that. He could probably use a snooze too." Zach just sadly smiled at him.

Dave got him into his office. As Zach stretched out on the couch, after taking his shoes off, Dave drew the blinds. Dave walked down the catwalk to the Round Table room. Morgan saw him coming through the windows and met him outside the door, drawing it gently to a close. Jack didn't need to hear their conversation. "How'd it go?"

"Derek," Rossi said, shaking his head, "Zach knew it was a trap from the get-go and who was calling the shots. And he couldn't get through to Haley."

"Shit Rossi, Foyet had that much control over her?"

Dave nodded his head. "Zach begged her to let him call you or me. She took his cell phone away and threw in a garage can at a McDonald's in southern New Jersey."

"I know that son-of-a-bitch is about power and control, but my God; he had Haley that spooked, even with what Sam had told her."

"When he told her that Aaron was dead, he had her right where he needed her Derek."

Derek sadly shook his head. "How's the kid?" Morgan asked pointing to Dave's office.

"First off Derek, that is not a kid anymore. He became a man yesterday. And to answer your question, he's hurting, physically and emotionally and his guts are eating him up." Derek shook his head. "I've got down on my couch. Jack could use a nap as well."

Derek eyed him. "You take this Uncle Dave thing seriously, don't you?"

"Derek, I would give my life for those boys." Morgan wrapped his long arm around Dave's shoulders and opened the door with a small smile at Rossi.

"Uncle Dave!" Jack shouted the second Rossi stepped into the room. Jack roared at him as JJ, Garcia and Prentiss smiled. Dave pulled him off the floor into a large hug.

"Did you have fun with JJ and Penelope pal?"

Jack smiled. "They know about playing with cars Uncle Dave. It was awesome." Dave smiled at them both while giving Jack a kiss on the forehead.

"Jack," Dave said, looking him in the eye, "Zach is going to take a snooze while your dad talks with some people. I think he needs his brother to help him sleep." Jack threw his arms around Dave's neck. "JJ, can you chase me down a blanket please?"

"I'm on it," she smiled. Dave took Jack into his office. Zach was laying on his right side, using one of the end pillows on Dave's couch to cushion his left arm. Dave gently pulled the pillow up and laid Jack next to Zach. He pulled off Jack's shoes. Zach engulfed his brother and Dave set Zach's arm and the pillow back down. JJ walked in and handed a blanket to Rossi. He took it from her and covered the boys. JJ smiled at Dave and the two walked out, with Dave quietly shutting the door.

They both returned to the Round Table room where Dave recounted to the team everything that Zach had told Captain Murdock. Derek sat calmly, already getting a preview from Dave. Prentiss rose out of her chair, shaking her head.

"That son-of-a-bitch," she spat out, as only Emily could.

Garcia's eye's filled with tears. Spencer Reid summed up the atmosphere. "This man was true evil and on a mission." Looking at Dave, he added, "How did Zach see through it?"

"Hotch gave him the profile in the hospital before the Marshall Service took them away." Dave looked at Morgan and Reid. "You two are in on being pall bearers, right?"

"Rossi," Morgan looked at him. "You know better."

"And so is Kevin," Garcia added.

Dave softly smiled at all of them. "I know how much all of you want to help. Let's just play this by ear, and one day at a time." They sat together, going over some details of the case for their files and Garcia's database.

Forty minutes later, Hotch walked in the door through the break area. "How'd it go?" Dave quickly asked.

Hotch shrugged. "I told them everything I knew and the truth. Where that goes from there is out of my control." He looked around. "Where are the boys?"

"Conked out on the couch in my office," Dave smiled. "I just checked on them 10 minutes ago."

"Thanks Dave."

Emily got out of her chair and rubbed Aaron's arm. "Hotch, is there anything we can do for you and the boys?"

Hotch smiled at her. "Thanks Emily and to all of you. Right now, I think my sons and I just need some down time." They all nodded, with Dave having already filled them in on the Hotchner's afternoon.

An hour later, there was a soft knock on the apartment door. Aaron casually dressed like his sons, moved quickly to look through the peep hole, pulled the chain off and unlocked the dead bolt to open the door to let in Gary and Brenda Thompson. Of all the people in the church coffee klatch group, he was the closest to them. Gary, carrying a grocery bag, pulled Aaron into a hug. Brenda walked into the kitchen to set the dish down she was carrying.

Zach walked down the hallway in a t-shirt and cotton sleep pants from the bathroom. What hadn't come out of his stomach during the afternoon was exiting his body in another way. Brenda took one look at him and pulled him into a soft hug, given his injuries. Aaron looked at Gary. "Pastor gave us Dave's number so we could give him a head's up to get by the McLean police out front." Jack, playing in his bedroom, zoomed down the hall at the sound of the voices. Brenda pulled him into a big hug as well. Gary walked to Zach, pulled him into a hug and whispered his condolences in Zach's ear.

Brenda looked at Hotch, holding Jack. "Like Gary said, we talked to Dave." She nodded at the dish on the counter. "It's cream of chicken soup with wild rice. Eileen made it, with her own recipe," Brenda softly smiled. Eileen was Gary's mother and part of the coffee group. She rubbed Zach's arm. "And we know your stomach." She nodded at the grocery bag Gary had set on the counter. "There's bread sticks in there and another gallon of milk." She looked at Gary and then Hotch. "We've raised our own teenage boy," she smiled.

Gary pulled Jack from Brenda's arms, and looked at Hotch. "The rest of the group has got you covered tomorrow night. The funeral home has a break room. There will be meat, cheese and crackers there for all of you. And Aaron," he said looking him in the eye, "if you need anything at all, please just call. But we know you need down time as family." Gary gave Jack a squeeze and then set him on the floor.

Hotch pulled Gary into a hug as Zach did the same to Brenda. "Thank you Brenda. This means the world to us," Zach whispered in her ear. She pulled him tighter to her, then let him go a bit and looked into his eyes.

"Zach, your church family is here for all of you." Zach kissed her cheek.

"That means a lot to us right now," Zach said, with the tears threatening to show again. Brenda just smiled at him and rubbed his chin. Gary and Brenda said their good-byes with promises that they would see them tomorrow.

None of the three Hotchner's doubted that.

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