A/N: This is a "Family" story. And it is about lessons. You all know me too well. I had to include this chapter.
Chapter 2
Bella rumbled down the steps to the sound of Aaron's SUV pulling into the garage at four-thirty in the afternoon. Jack was playing a video game on his iPad (that he got from Grandma and Grandpa Barkley for Christmas. Uncle Jake, Lauren and Andi had padded Jack's Apple store account for the games) with his headphones on and didn't hear her leave.
Aaron walked into the kitchen and nearly got tackled by Bella. He deeply smiled at their new beloved pet, giving Bella a huge rubdown of loves, pulling his tie loose. Cait smiled at the scene doing dinner prep already dressed down from her day.
Aaron walked up to Cait, still rubbing Bella behind the ear and kissed Cait's cheek. "Is Jack all done with homework?"
Cait smiled at him, mixing together the hamburger, raw egg and diced onions. "Aaron, we've talked about this before. He's the oldest kid in his class. He's going to be ahead of the rest of them. He blew through his math and geography assignment. The rest he finished at school."
"Geography thanks to our amazing trip," Aaron smiled, nuzzling up to Cait.
"Save it for later," Cait sensuously smiled at him. "But he did leave, with my blessing, a history chapter to read with you later."
"Thank you Doc," Aaron smiled, kissing her again. "I'm sorry I missed him this morning. The new Associate Director and his early morning meetings are a pain in the ass." Cait looked at him and rolled her eyes. "Yeah; that," he smiled.
"But it got you home early," Cait smiled, kissing Aaron again. "I sorta like that."
"Me too," Aaron smiled back. "What's the full menu tonight?"
"Western burgers, French fries and baked beans per Jack," Cait smiled.
"Where's Mike?"
"Where do you think Aaron?"
He smiled. "We're gonna have two sons living in sin soon."
"Think they'll kick us out of the church?"
"We did Doc and they still let us come in the door," Aaron smiled. "I'm gonna change." He looked at her. "I'm assuming I'm cooking the burgers on the grill?"
Cait smiled. "You assume correctly," she said as she made the first burger patty.
It was a beautiful spring day in northern Virginia. Cait was sitting in one of the deck chairs around the pool with a cold bottle of beer in her hand while Aaron got the Weber ready. He was dressed down like his wife and took a drink of his own beer. "Five-thirty dinner Doc?" Bella was off hunting around the backyard, nose down, smelling for the perfect, in her world, spot to squat and take a whiz.
"Our youngest growing eating machine will be hungry by then," Cait smiled.
"Got it," Aaron smiled.
Jack blew out onto the patio and powered into his dad. "Hey you!"
"Hi buddy," Aaron smiled, kissing his head. Cait broadly smiled at the scene. "How was school today?"
"The only saving grace was phy-ed class with an awesome kickball game." Cait shook her head at Aaron, rolling her eyes. Jack noticed. "Mom, I'm totally bored."
"We know Jack," Cait smiled. "And dad and I have talked to you before about this. Do you want to be the smartest in the class? Or be the shrimp that's moved up a year ahead of your current class you're in and struggling?"
"I wouldn't be bored," Jack said.
"Buddy," Aaron said, rubbing his back. "Mom is an educator and we all talked. Mom and I believe we made the right decision to not let you jump up a grade. You agreed with us when we talked."
"It still sucks," Jack said.
Cait smiled at him. "I could email your teacher some wonderful research projects for you to use your iPad for in my full teacher mode that would keep you busy for the rest of the year."
Jack looked at her as Cait drained her beer, eyeing him. Aaron laughed doing the same. "Jack, I'll let you skate on saying 'busted' if you get mom and me another beer."
Cait handed her bottle to Jack. "Take dad's as well to the recycling bin please," she smiled. Aaron handed his to Jack.
"You guys don't play fair," Jack grumbled heading towards the garage.
"It's called being parents Jack," Cait smiled.
"It still sucks." Jack went into the garage. Aaron shook his head at Cait.
"Well, he's definitely male," Cait smiled at Aaron.
"Doc?"
"He's gotta have the last word," Cait smiled at Aaron.
"No my love," Aaron smiled, starting the charcoal, "you ladies always have the last word."
Cait smiled. "Good answer," she mischievously smiled. "It might even get you laid tonight."
Aaron looked at her. "I'm a profiler; who you're going to exploit tomorrow." He smiled at Cait. "I already figured that out," he winked. "And why I said it."
"Bravo Aaron," Cait smiled.
The three of them, working together, made quick work of the kitchen clean-up after dinner. When it was done, Aaron looked at Jack. "Ready to tackle that history reading?"
Jack looked at him. "Not really dad."
"Jack," Cait asked.
"Buddy?"
"It's about 9/11," Jack said. "I've heard you and mom talk about it."
Cait rubbed Jack's back. "It was a horrible day for our country Jack." She looked at him. "That makes it a teachable lesson for dad," she smiled.
"That mom might have some prospective on," Aaron smiled. "Let's do it together."
Jack looked at Cait. "Do you want one on one time with dad? Or the truth?"
"Both," Jack smiled, racing for the steps to his room. Cait smiled at Aaron.
Cait mixed up a pan of Brownies to bake as Jack read the history lesson to his dad on the couch in the Great Room. Cait smiled at them together. When he finished, Jack looked at Aaron. "I've got an assignment question form to fill out," he said, moving to the lunch counter. Aaron sat down next to him as Jack read off the first question.
"Buddy, you know what happened. You just read it." Jack wrote out his answer. He and Aaron quickly filled out the assignment page. Jack looked at his dad and then Cait. Aaron read his son. "Buddy?"
"Dad, how did this happen? The US is the biggest country in the world."
"Honestly Jack," Cait said, pulling out the pan of brownies, "that honor belongs to Russia; at least by geographical size."
"Did they have something to do with this? I remember my earlier history lessons about the Cold War."
"No they didn't Jack," Aaron said.
"Think you can explain down to your youngest son's level the profile of a Jihadi terrorist," Cait looked at Aaron.
"Please try dad."
Aaron looked at Cait. "In broad terms dad; but yes, I buy in. He's learning history." Aaron gave Jack his profile at a level that Jack could understand.
"Whoa; really dad?"
"Yes son," he smiled. "Now cue in your mom," he smiled as Cait set in front of both of them a bowl of ice cream with a warm Brownie on top.
"So mom," Jack said, taking a huge bite.
"Jack, the number one enemy of the 9/11 attack were the terrorists that did it. But enemy number two was our own country's intelligent services."
Jack gulped down a bite. "Intelligence services?"
"Jack," Aaron said, "The BAU had profiled these terrorists. And that was shared with those agencies."
Jack looked at Cait. "The agencies that are tasked to spy on people like this."
"Got it," Jack smiled, taking another bite.
"But the problem was Jack," Cait said, "even with the BAU's profile, those agencies didn't talk to each other. They had the clues; all of them. They just didn't share them with each other to put it all together that this attack was about to happen."
"This could have been stopped," Jack innocently asked.
"If the intel had been shared Jack," Aaron said, "it would have never happened." Jack just shook his head, finishing his dessert.
He looked at his parents. "Please tell me that isn't happening anymore?"
Aaron and Cait smiled at him. "We're working on that buddy."
Jack put his bowl on the floor to let Bella lick it clean. Aaron did the same. Cait smiled at the two of them. "Mister, get your butt into the shower. You reek from your kickball game. Dad will be around to help you if you need it. I'll clean up after Bella," she smiled.
Aaron chased Jack up the stairs. Bella looked at Cait. Cait smiled. "Yes loves, you get your own scoop of ice cream," she said, putting it into Bella's food dish.
Tucking in a clean Jack into bed, he looked at Cait and Aaron. "You gonna be home tomorrow night?"
Aaron smiled at him. "Uncle Dave and I, along with the team, are lecturing in mom's class tomorrow. We'll be around."
Jack yawned. "I think it's time for Uncle Dave to buy Sal's pizza again."
"I like that plan," Cait smiled, kissing Jack goodnight and tucking him in. Bella hopped up on his bed.
Aaron kissed his youngest son goodnight.
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