Chapter 15
Dave smiled at Jack. "OK, I give up. Hoist the surrender flag matey, Captain Dave is staying at your house."
Jack sat up and saluted. "Aye, aye Skipper." They all laughed. Cait pulled out her cell and did some checking. "Mom and dad's flight is going to be twenty minutes early. They arrive at 3:40."
"Of course, there's an app for that," Dave noted.
Aaron smiled at him. "We might as well stay here and swing in and get them on the way home. We go right by Reagan."
"And with gas nearly four dollars a gallon, makes more sense," Dave added.
"But your SUV only seats five. What about Jack," Cait asked.
"He can buckle in with Jake."
"And if you get stopped by the Virginia State Police?" Aaron smiled broadly at Dave.
"Why they make FBI credentials, my dear," Dave snarked. Aaron laughed as Cait shook her head and rolled her eyes. Dave and Jack shared a smile.
They spent the afternoon visiting with Dave. Cait pulled out a deck of cards and her traveling cribbage board from her handbag. Dave taught Jack, still setting next to him in the hospital bed, how to keep score for him as he, Cait, and Aaron played two games. As usual, Cait trounced them both games. Cait called the boys and asked them to do a bit of dinner prep for her so she wouldn't have to do so much when they got home.
While the kitchen was Cait's kingdom, she had raised her sons to know their way around it also. Matt could hold his own. Mike loved being in there, often looking over Cait's shoulder when she made dinners or baked. Aaron and the boys were a well-honed team the nights they cooked. It helped that Aaron was no slouch himself and they also had Dave as an excellent mentor. Aaron growled a reminder for Matt to shave, as Jack colored a picture for Dave to add to the room's collection. Dave helped. He smiled widely at Jack sticking his tongue out the side of his mouth as he colored a detailed part of the picture. When they finished, Jack curled up with him again and they played a game together on his DS.
As they got ready to leave, Dave looked at Cait. "What's for dinner?" he hinted.
Cait smiled. "Something quick and easy; hamburger hotdish, and yes, I'll get you some. The boys can run it up after dinner. They want to see you anyway."
Dave smiled contently. "Finally: a real meal today."
"I'll pick you up in the morning Dave. We'll call you later about what clothes you want. Or maybe, make a list of what you need and give to the boys tonight."
"Thanks Aaron. That sounds like a plan; and something to keep me occupied until my dinner shows up," he winked. Cait handed him a piece of paper from an always present note pad and an extra pen she had in her handbag. Dave smiled. "See you both tomorrow."
Dave got a huge hug from Jack, which made him beam. Cait kissed his temple and Aaron, squeezing his foot said, "We'll check in on you before you go to sleep."
Less than an hour later, a scene that had played out millions of times in baggage areas around the world was repeated as Jack slipped out of Cait's hand and ran towards his grandparents and uncle, shouting a greeting to them that made the other weary travelers around them smile.
Jake Barkley scooped up his nephew, and with his football physique, tossed him in the air like a feather. Jack roared as Jake caught him and pulled him into a hug. Jack reached over and hugged Maggie and Jarrod as well. Jarrod pulled his only daughter into a deep hug and Aaron gave Maggie a sweet kiss and hug. He shook Jake's hand as Maggie and Cait shared a hug as well. Jake set Jack down and pulled Cait into a bear hug. "Hi sis, you look beautiful as always," he said as he kissed her cheek.
Cait pulled back and gave Jake her mischievous look. "Don't practice your pick-up lines on me Jake. I'm taken, remember."
"What? A little brother can't pay his big sister a compliment." Jarrod warmly shook Aaron's hand, his pride showing in his son-in-law. Jack had to show off his missing tooth to them all as they moved toward the baggage carousel.
The guys went to grab the luggage, with Jack helping of course, as Maggie and Cait stayed back a bit. "So how does it feel to be going through the tooth thing again after all these years?
"I love it and you know I do." Maggie just smiled widely at her and rubbed her shoulder as they stood arm in arm.
They got to Aaron's SUV, loaded the luggage and got in. Jack beamed, getting to sit on his Uncle Jake's lap. They all happily chatted about the flight and made the usual jokes about changing planes in Denver.
Matt and Mike were waiting for them to pull into the garage and another round of hugs were shared. The boys helped Jake get the luggage out as the rest went into the house. Maggie and Jarrod were greeted by Beans, furiously wagging her tail and Mudgie happily barking his greeting. As the boys came in with the luggage, they all moved into the kitchen, the oldest five opening beers that Aaron had grabbed from the fridge in the garage.
Jarrod, giving Mudgie some love as he took a sig of his beer, asked, "Where's Dave? I thought for sure he would be around this weekend." Cait and Aaron filled them in on what had happened, and his aftercare in the Hotchner home, including the sleeping arrangements. They all laughed at Dave's "sensitive issue".
Jarrod looked at Cait and Aaron. "Speaking of that, Jack is going to sleep with you two the whole weekend?" His uncharacteristic mischievous smile caught them all off guard.
Cait's mouth gaped open a second, as Jake smiled broadly and Maggie gave her husband's arm a rap. Cait looked at her dad and said, "You're just like Dave."
Smiling, Jarrod replied, "You mean extremely intelligent and keenly humorous?"
Cait shook her head. "No," she said looking around to see where Jack was. "A dirty old man," she mouthed as Jack was in the mix of things.
Jake standing next to Cait shrugged, as he loped an arm across her shoulder. "Hey if ya got it, use it." The two oldest Hotchner boys roared.
"Which by the way, you two," Jarrod said looking at his daughter and son-in-law, "a practice," he said, waving his index finger at the two of them, "you two don't seem to mind using when you're home and mom and I are across the hall."
"If you got it," Aaron started smiling.
"Us it," Cait finished beaming.
Jake looked at the two of them. "Really? With mom and dad…..." Aaron and Cait just smiled. "Sis as usual, you've got more guts than I do." He gave Aaron a high five. Matt and Mike laughed harder, while Jarrod and Maggie simply shook their heads.
Jack, monitoring the conversation, but not really understanding, looked at his parents. "Does this mean you two don't sleep with pj's at grandma and grandpa's too?" They all laughed, as Maggie pulled her youngest grandson into a hug. They all moved to get everyone settled in as Cait started dinner.
When they finished eating, Cait rose out of her chair to get a plate ready for Dave. The boys stood up to start their usual clean-up. "Guys, you're off hook tonight. Uncle Dave is chomping at the bit to get his dinner," Aaron smiled.
"Mind if I come along," Jake asked. "I gotta check out Matt's sweet ride." Matt beamed at the prospect of being able to drive with his Uncle Jake.
"Dad, can I go along? Please, please, pretty please," Jack begged.
"Jack, you were just there this afternoon."
"But dad, this is a guy's run," Jake said as he winked at Aaron. Jack beamed at his uncle. Jake scooped him up into his arms.
Aaron leaned back in his chair and waved his arms like an unsub surrendering. "Go, get out of here. Matt, just make sure you've got Jack's chair in the backseat." In less than five minutes, the four of them were out the door.
The four adults spent the next couple of hours cleaning up from dinner and going over plans for the open house. Cait and Maggie got the first round of turkey breasts baking so they could start to mix up the turkey sandwiches tomorrow for the open house. The boys walked in a couple hours later to see the four of them engaged in their usual nightly cribbage match, all of them enjoying a scotch, Maggie's mixed with Bailey's. Matt handed Dave's list to his dad.
After they finished, Cait and Aaron got Jack ready for bed, with grandma and grandpa getting the honors of tucking him into his parent's bed. He was still smiling from the round of hugs he got from his brothers and uncle. And more importantly, the money the tooth fairy would have waiting for him in the glass in the kitchen tomorrow in replacement of the tooth. Cait and Aaron gave him his final send off for the night, giving him their kiss goodnight. Jack curled up in his usual spot on Cait's side of the bed.
As they came out of the master bedroom, Jake was tucking a one dollar bill into the glass holding Jack's first tooth. Aaron crossed into the kitchen and added another dollar bill, pulling the tooth out of the glass and handed it to Cait. He knew she would put that in Jack's scrap book. "Jake," Jarrod said, handing him a five dollar bill.
Matt and Mike looked at each other. "Told ya he would score," Matt noted.
"Aww, come on Matt. He's the little guy. Give him a break." Matt just smiled and pushed in his own dollar bill, as Mike pushed in the ten that Dave have gave him in the hospital, having his personal effects around him.
Soon after that Aaron looked at Cait. "Doc, your hip is barking again, isn't it?"
Cait smiled at him. "A little," she said. Aaron eyed her closer.
"We promised each other that we would always tell each other the truth," he smiled slightly, knowing he would get a straight answer.
"It's barking like Mudg; but I just need some sleep." Aaron smiled.
Matt and Mike looked at her with concern, which Jake immediately matched. She shook her head. "Thanks you guys, but I'm fine. I just need some sleep, curled up next to someone so he can support my hip."
Jake looked Aaron in eye. "You got her bro?"
"I got her bro," he smiled.
Maggie looked at Aaron. "You look as if you could use about ten hours as well." Aaron just nodded his head. Two sons shared sincerely hugs with their parents, while Jake hugged Cait and looked at Aaron.
"Bro, get some sleep, and take care of my sister."
"Deal Jake," Aaron said as he rubbed his shoulder.
"And Maggie, I don't know about you," Jarrod said looking at his wife, "but getting up at 4 am this morning, time zones be damned, has this old guy getting tired as well."
Maggie smiled at her husband. "I'm right behind you." Cait and Aaron shared hugs with the two of them as well.
They said their good nights to the Jake and boys, who they all knew would spend some time playing video games. Aaron looked at his two oldest sons. "Just don't be up too late guys. Have fun. But know this; we expect the three of you up before noon." The three of them smiled as they got the dogs out for the evening.
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A/N: Reagan is Ronald Reagan National Airport in the heart of Washington DC. "Hotdish" to even some of my fellow America readers, may sound like a foreign word. It is an upper Midwest term. To those of you in the rest of the US, think casserole dish. *scratches head* Jeez, I really don't how to explain it to all of you, except to give you the basics of my recipe. Its browned hamburger, onion and celery, elbow macaroni and tomato juice. Think of it as spaghetti with different noodles. Just know my family loves it! The "chair" for Jack is him growing out of the protective car seat, required by all US states until children reach a certain height and weight. The chair is simply another safety measure that gets a child of Jack's age higher in the car's original seat so the seatbelt can safely do its job protecting the child.