A/N: Gee, it's Monday. Wonder what that means? :D Happy Monday everyone! Thank you for all of the reviews/favs/following. You peeps are just THE best!

Chapter 22

After their blowout and the blizzard, the boys were a seamless team. When baseball practice started the first week in March, both the Hotchner's were warmly welcomed into the Central Cardinals baseball program. The whole team, whom Zach had met and became fast friends with by now, smiled. The coaching staff, knowing what Zach was doing, was even better. Zach had help.

The phrase, "it takes a village", was part of their life. Zach would run home after getting out a school. He would get groceries, or dinner started, and then change for practice. Jack, being the first on the bus in the morning, was the first off in the afternoon. He would race into the house and get changed. Jack wanted the same kind of clothes his big brother wore to practice. Zach used his slush fund from Dave to get him some, knowing the coach required his team to wear long pants at practice. Yet, he and Jack were at the ball field for practice long before the 4 pm start. Jack wore the same exact kind of clothes as his big brother.

The first day of practice, Head Coach Bock pulled Jack aside. The first thing he did was put a batting helmet on his head. He checked the fit, and put another on. Liking that fit better, he said smiling, "Jack this is your helmet. I'm going to write your name on the back. When you get on the field, the first thing you do is go into the dugout and put the helmet on. And you don't take it off until practice is done. And then you help the team; chance down balls, help me and Coach Johnson with batting practice. And Jack, when the season starts, you're our batboy." Jack just beamed. The first week of practice, with Aaron and the team out, of course, went smoothly and Jack simply had a blast, already adopted by the rest of the team. He loved the guys and the guys loved him. He even got Zach, with some major nudging by Pete, to send a text to Uncle Dave, approving that he could get some baseball cleats like his big brother, now that he was officially the batboy. Dave heartily agreed to purchase.

The next Monday, as the team sat together at lunch in school, Assistant Coach Rogers, also a math teacher at the high school approached the two tables the team was assembled at. "Hey guys, with the rain last night, the field is washed out. We're practicing in the gym today over at the elementary school." All the team nodded. The gym there had the netting setting up for indoor practices for the team as well as the girls' softball team. The ladies would take the late shift.

Zach looked at Pete. "What's that like?"

"Cob?"

"Stan, I'm thinking a bunch of balls bouncing around a small space and I have to think of Jack. Is it safe?"

"Honestly Cob," Pete said, shaking his head, "You're right. I wouldn't put him into that situation, even with his helmet."

Zach thought hard and fast. Aunt Jess was always option number one, but Zach knew she was on her annual cruise with her college friends.

Pete looked at Zach. "I can call mom; she'll watch him."

"Stan, she has a restaurant to run, not look after a four year old." Zach thought for a moment longer and then dug his cell out of his pocket, smiling. He pulled up his call list and then hit the speed dial to certain number.

"Oracle of Quantico; how may I be of service?"

"Princess P, its Zach and I need a huge favor."

"Speak to me my Hotchner hottie. And btw, the team just cracked the case. They should be in the air in two hours."

Zach laid out what he needed. "Bring my young golden boy to me Zach. I'll keep him more than entertained. And by the time you get done with practice, your dad and the team should be here. My liege will love having Jack waiting for him."

Zach smiled as did Pete, with Zach having his cell on speaker. The team sitting at the tables did as well. "Pen, our secret; don't tell dad."

"Loose lips sink ships kiddo. Give me a call when you're close so I can get Jack hustled through security and you on your way." Zach zipped off a text to Tami and Marci at Jack's preschool. He would have to get him out of class early to make the run to Quantico and back and get to practice on time. As Zach walked into his class after lunch, his cell pinged. It was from Marci.

Give me a heads up when you're close; I'll have him waiting.

Zach swung into the Bureau parking lot and grabbed Jack out of his car seat and sprinted up the steps. True to her word, Garcia was waiting. "Zach, you just need to sign some paperwork, but I've got the security gang all in. You'll be out in less than two minutes."

He wrapped his long arm around her shoulder as Garcia opened the door. Zach kissed her cheek. "Thanks P; this is huge for me."

Garcia rubbed his bicep as they approached the security check-in. "Any time luvs; I'm here for you boys." She gave his arm another rub. "I'm just really glad you thought of me."

Zach gave her the big Hotchner smile. "Who else would I call?"

"Ghostbusters," Garcia joked. The security guards all laughed, and had Zach out the door in less than a minute and Jack cleared to go with Garcia. Jack proudly beamed at his security badge pinned to his shirt, just like his dad.

About forty minutes later, Chief Strauss walked into Garcia's lair. "Ma'am?" Garcia said, swinging in her chair, with Jack sitting on her lap.

"Relax Agent Garcia," she smiled. "I heard a rumor our little agent was here and I just stopped in to check on our young friend. How's it going?"

Garcia smiled. "We're having fun with Photo Shop. Jack is doing a job on Agent Rossi."

Strauss looked at the screen, laughed, and rubbed Jack's shoulder. "You two have fun Jack. But make sure you show Uncle Dave your creation," she smiled, nodding at Garcia.

"You bet ma'am," Jack happily smiled at her. Strauss tussled his hair and headed out. Garcia and Jack returned to their fun. When Jack was satisfied, laughing loudly, Garcia hit the print button. Her phone rang an hour later, with Jack doing some more work on Penelope and Kevin, who had joined them. Garcia put her finger to her lips to get Jack quieted. He nodded, smiling.

"Hey, sugar lips; what's happenin'?"

"We just landed and are on our way home mama. And we need hugs." Garcia looked at Jack and smiled.

"Think I can arrange that stud muffin." Derek ended the phone call.

Kevin kissed Penelope on the cheek. "See you later. I had fun Jack," he smiled.

"So did I Kevin," he said with the large Hotchner smile and held out his hand for a fist bump. Penelope nodded at Kevin to match it.

"Sorry Jack, I'm a total nerd."

"That's OK Kevin," Jack smiled. "Thanks; I had a lot of fun with you and Penelope."

Kevin smiled. "So did I Jack," he said, ruffling Jack's hair as well.

As he left, Jack looked Garcia in the eye. "Why do people do that?"

"'Cause you, my precious sweet, are exactly that. And that's us big peeps way of telling you that."

Jack smiled. "You're the bomb P."

Garcia smiled. "And you my young friend have been hangin' too much with your brother's baseball team." She pulled him into a tight hug. "Let's go surprise dad."

"Penny, do I have time to go potty first? I really have to go." Garcia smiled and led him down the hall from her lair to the bathrooms beside the elevators and helped him open the door to the Men's Room.

"Jack, I'll be right here so just holler if you can't get the door pulled open." He nodded and rushed in.

As she was waiting for Jack, the elevator doors opened, and the team appeared. They looked totally beat. Reid, the first off, just nodded at her. Prentiss smiled at her and joined Reid to head in the glass doors of the BAU. JJ walked off with Morgan, who gave Garcia a kiss on the cheek.

Garcia rubbed Morgan's chest. "You OK?"

"It was a tough one baby girl."

Rossi and Hotch walked off last.

Just then, Jack came out of the bathroom. "Daddy!" he shouted. Reid and Prentiss, hearing the sound of that young voice, stopped in their tracks, as did JJ and Morgan. The four of them turned around to see Hotch scoop his youngest son up into a tight hug. Dave simply smiled, and looked at Garcia.

"Just what we needed kitten," he smiled. "How did you know?"

"I didn't; the forces of nature were all over this one," she smiled at him. Jack explained why he was there to his dad.

He put his forehead against his dad's. "That's how Zach, Pete and everybody else takes care of us daddy. We're all part of a team so you don't have to worry daddy. You, Uncle Dave and the team just get the monsters to keep us all safe; we're good here at home and love you all."

As Aaron Hotchner pulled his youngest son into a large hug, he looked at his team. His son's words had registered with them. Given the butt kicking that they had just taken, the smiles were huge, deep and sincere.

"But daddy, ya gotta see the picture Penny and I made of Uncle Dave." He reached into his jeans back pocket to pull the folded up picture out. He opened it. Hotch took one look, and roared with laughter. That was gold to his team. The Hotchner boys were healing.

As they all looked at the picture, they burst out laughing. Jack, with Penelope's software, had created Dave with a large mullet and a scraggily beard.

Dave growled at Jack with a smile, "I thought you loved me."

Jack reached for him from his father's arms. "Always and forever Uncle Dave." He kissed Dave's cheek.

Dave pulled him into a deep embrace. "Thanks kiddo. I love you too. And that's forever too."

The team smiled as they entered the BAU. The simple, little pleasures and treasures in life just made their job manageable.

###

A/N: Baseball cleats or spikes are the special shoes they wear, much like soccer players.