A/N: A shout out to HGRHfan35! Through a tweet of hers, I got an idea to make this chapter better. Thank you my Dutch Delight!

Chapter 11

Cait, through the fog of her sleep, trying to get the throbbing in her hip and lower back to stop, had subconsciously heard Jack starting to thrash around with his nightmare. His two syllable cry got her running out of bed towards the steps. While her hip and back barked badly, her athletic training kicked in and she lithely went up the stairs, two at a time.

As she got to Jack's door, Matt was rolling out of his room. "Mom?" he asked, his concern for his youngest brother written across his face.

Cait reached and rubbed Matt's ribs, smiling gently to him as she went in the door. "I've got this." Mudgie stood at the foot of the bed, on guard as Jack's scream had woke him as well. The hair on his back stood straight up. Mudg was in protection mode. Beans sleeping in the next room with Mike, zoomed by Matt's legs to be at the Jack's bedside.

Jack was about to shout out his warning for Haley again when Cait reached him and woke him from his nightmare. "Jack, you're OK. I'm here." As she sat on the side of the bed, she pulled him out from the covers and into her lap. Lovingly rubbing his head with her left hand, she pulled him tightly to her into a deep embrace with her right arm. Jack, as he woke, started to cry, shaking in fear. As Cait wrapped her second arm around him, Matt entered into the room and started to reach for his brother that was breaking his heart.

He was stopped by a strong, yet loving hand on his shoulder. "Matt, mom and I've got this."

Matt, his eyes showing tears, recognizing what his youngest brother was living through, threw his arms around his father's waist. "Dad," he simply questioned. Aaron pulled his oldest son into a tight hug as Cait tried to get Jack settled.

"Son, we love you; so much. You woke up to take care of your brother." Matt looked at Jack, who was clearly in distress.

"Dad, he's my brother."

Aaron kissed his temple. "Thank you Matt. We love you. Please let mom and I handle this," he whispered. "Go back to bed." Cait smiled at him as he left the room, taking one last look at Jack.

Aaron sat down on the bed to the right of Cait, wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close as he tenderly rubbed Jack's leg. Jack stopped sobbing and just sat with arms around Cait. The two of them took a couple of minutes to let him get settled.

Cait kissed him on top of the head as Aaron brushed away some of his tears. Jack two deep gulps of breath. "Why do people have to die? It ain't fair." he whispered, as he softly cried. Cait rocked him in her arms, looking at Aaron with her own tears.

"Jack we've talked before about what happened to mommy. That was a sick, twisted man that made that decision, not God. That's why it so hard to accept. I know it still hurts. It hurts me too."

"Really daddy?"

"Really buddy. Just because I love Cait doesn't mean I've forgotten how much I loved mommy. We'll both carry that in our heart the rest of our life."

"And that's why I love you two so much; that you both love mommy and still love me and the boys just as much." Cait kissed his head again and wrapped him tight in her arms. Jack smiled at that for a second, and then frowned again.

"But what about great-gram?"

"Jack, God called her home," Aaron said. "While it hurts because we miss her, we take comfort in that."

"And Jack, she was ready. She wanted to go to heaven," Cait added.

"How come?" Jack said as he sniffed. Hotch grabbed a tissue from the box on the night stand and got Jack to blow his nose.

"Ever since the doctor told her she couldn't ride horses anymore, she just felt like a part of her way of life was gone," Cait said. "And because of her faith, she knew heaven would be a better place for her. Remember, she died looking at the new foals. God knew that would make her happy."

"But mommy wasn't happy when she died." Cait wrapped him tighter to her as Aaron's strong arm embraced the both of them.

"No Jack, she wasn't. But it wasn't herself she was worrying about. She was worrying about you being safe. She died Jack to protect you," Aaron said with his own eyes showing tears.

"And that's what makes mommy so special to all of us Jack," Cait added, brushing her own tear off her cheek. Jack hugged Cait tighter.

Cait looked up to see Matt and Mike, who Matt had got out of bed, in the doorway of Jack's room, Matt signing for Mike the words he heard. She shook her head at their two oldest sons. Aaron, seeing her reaction, looked as well. He held her tighter, if that was possible, while smiling at his other sons.

Jack took another deep breath of air as Aaron continued to rub his thigh. He looked his father in the eye. "I know I had to work the case. Just like you told me dad." Jack paused, and then the tears began to run again. "Even though I was working the case, I heard three loud bangs." Cait shuddered herself, as Matt signed to Mike their brother's words. He looked at Mike and wrapped an arm his shoulder, as tears formed in Mike's eyes. Matt's eyes glistened as well.

"Jack, not a day goes by that I wish you never had to hear that. I'm so sorry son." Aaron hung his head. "And I'm so sorry son that I didn't get there sooner." Cait looked at Aaron. Their youngest son wasn't the only one exercising a demon.

Cait gently kissed her youngest son's head. "Jack, your dad and the team did everything possible to get to you and mommy."

Jack leaned back from Cait and looked her in the eye. "Mom, I know you will tell me the truth." He gulped for more air, and the tears ran harder. He whispered, "That was mommy getting shot, wasn't it?" Mike didn't need his brother to sign the conversation. By Jack's body language, he just knew, and started to outright cry. Matt pulled his brother to his chest, his own tears running down his cheeks. Cait looked at her husband, his tears of bitterness and doubt finally coming free. She wrapped on arm around Aaron as she rubbed Jack's head. She looked at their other sons.

As she held two of the four men she loved with more than her own life, she knew both of them were finally dealing with what happened to Haley. And Cait knew Jack needed an answer. "Yes Jack, it was." Jack started to sob again. Aaron continued to hang his head.

Cait took the arm she had rubbing Jack's head and embraced him again tightly while she held Aaron. "Jack, I want you listen to me," she said. "Please look at me." Jack wiped his tears as he looked at her.

Cait gave Aaron's shoulder a nudge with the hand she around him. "Both of you," she said, reaching across Aaron's shoulder to lift his chin as well. The boys standing in the doorway moved sit down on each side of the bed next to their parents. "What happened to mommy," she said looking into Jack's eyes, Matt silently signing to Mike, "was George Foyet. And no one else; he knew daddy was coming." She kissed Jack's head. "And he wanted daddy to hear what was going to happen." Jack shook in her arms.

"Jack, that's what your mommy and dad protected you from. That's how bad he wanted to hurt dad," she said. Jack shook more. Cait kissed his head again. "But because you were working the case with dad, and he got there, with the help of the team, you're with us. Thanks to your mommy. And daddy; he finally defeated the bad man."

Cait rubbed his head, looking at the other three on the bed. "Good will always, in the end, triumph over evil. And Jack, dad, Uncle Dave and the team, will always make that promise to you; to all of us. That's why they do the job they do." She kissed Jack again. "What happened to mommy was simply the one time they all didn't get to win. I'm so, so sorry, my son, but you've learned a life lesson too early. The cost of that lesson was your mommy having to die. And you're right. That's not fair. But sometimes Jack, we don't win. And since our God, that we all have faith in," Cait said, rubbing Aaron's chin, "had no hand in this, he couldn't help. With God on our side, we usually win." She smiled at her other two sons softly.

"And Jack, good does win in end. It may be a tough and horrible road, like the one you and mommy traveled. That's where we have to trust God and the good guys."

Jack looked at Cait. "Like daddy, Uncle Dave and the team."

Cait kissed his head. "Exactly; and all the rest that protect us. Our police, firefighters, and our brave soldiers."

"Jack, I want you to listen to my next words." Jack looked at her. "Jack, I wish your mommy was still here and a part of your life. You got robbed of that and that is totally not fair. But that is one person's fault and one person only. However, Jack, that bad man cannot and will not hurt you anymore. Your dad made sure of that." Cait rubbed her husband's shoulder again as he looked her in the eye. Cait just smiled as Jack nestled to her, exhaling a calming breath. Aaron put his arm around Mike on his right and reached from Cait's shoulder to touch Matt. The five of them sat together in silence for over five minutes. Both the dogs sat on the floor next to them with Matt petting Beans.

Jack yawned and wiped a new tear. "But Uncle Dave got shot like mommy. I can't lose Uncle Dave too. Not like that."

"Jack, while Uncle Dave did get shot, he wasn't hurt that bad. Dad and the team were there to help him," Cait said. "Uncle Dave is going to be as good as new in couple of weeks." She kissed his head again, trying to relay to her youngest son that all would be good with Uncle Dave.

"And Jack, trust me son when I say God isn't ready for Uncle Dave to be around heaven yet," Aaron added. "Mommy has enough people to keep her company; great grandma, Carolyn and James…."

Jack looked at his dad, and smiled slightly. "Mom, do you think great grandma and mommy have met?"

Cait brushed away a new tear as she said, "Jack I know for a fact that the first person great grandma looked for was mommy. And she gave her a big hug and thanked her for protecting you. And then she told mommy all about you and the wonderful young man she loved, just as much as mommy." Aaron took his hand off Matt's shoulder to wipe Cait's tear running down her left cheek.

In what seemed like an eternity to Cait and Aaron, Jack clinging to Cait, slowly processed the words.

Jack, starting to settle, smiled as Mudg reached his muzzle into Jack's lap. Beans, knowing her four-legged partner, softly barked her approval. Jack lovingly rubbed Mudg around an ear, smiled at Beans, and quietly asked, "Can I sleep with you two tonight?"

Aaron picked him up out of Cait's arms as he rose off the bed. "Come on buddy." Cait kissed the other boys, and despite their ages, tucked them into bed, sharing a hug with them both. Aaron and Jack stood by both their beds to tell them each good night as well.

As they made their way down the steps, Jack nuzzled into Aaron's neck, yawned, and fell asleep.

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