A/N: Thank you everyone for your support via reviews, favorite or following alerts; or those of you just reading. Once again, you have totally humbled me.

Sorry: second box of tissues.

Chapter 4

Dave, dressed in his camouflage and heavy boots, raced ahead of Aaron to reach their son as he flew off the deck steps. Jack stopped in tracks as he got to end of the concrete away from the stairs and Dave pulled him into his arms. Jack looked into Dave's red eyes. "Papa, no," he begged. "He can't be." Dave pulled him tightly to his chest and took Jack towards the cabin.

"I'm so sorry Jack," he said into Jack's neck, crying with his son.

By the time Dave got to the door, Jack was sobbing. "It not fair Papa."

Aaron shook his head as he entered the garage and laid Mudgie's lifeless body gently on the concrete floor. He looked towards the heavens. A little help here mom, he thought. Haley, a lot of help if you can.

He walked into the cabin and entered the living room. Dave had Jack tightly in his arms, telling him everything. Dave didn't believe in glossing over the truth to a child; a point they had argued about a bit. Aaron let him finish and then walked up to couch where they huddled together. He looked at Dave. "You need to get out of those clothes," he softly noted.

Dave and Jack stayed for another two minutes, their embrace strong, silently remembering Mudg. Dave finally relaxed. "Papa," Jack protested.

"Champino, your dad is right; I need to get out of my gear." Aaron pulled Jack out of Dave's lap and hugged him deeply. Dave moved off the couch to the laundry room as Aaron sat down with Jack.

"Dad, it's not fair," Jack gulped for air. Aaron rubbed his back, settling him a bit. Dave took heart in that, as Jack might deal with his own ghost as he pulled his hunting clothes off. Then he noticed Mudg's food and water dish. "Dad, it's almost like mom," Jack choked for air. Dave cried again as he pulled off all the rest of his hunting clothes. Shit he thought to himself.

Aaron, holding his son in his arms, felt a warm presence come over him. Just back to the team for three weeks, before the family's weekend off, he had battled his issues with the scar tissues of George Foyet's attack. He kissed Jack's forehead. "I know it sucks buddy."

"It more than sucks big time dad," Jack sniffled.

Aaron kissed his head again as Dave walked into the living room. "Look at it this way son; mom, Aunt Carolyn and your brother Jimmy have some good company right now." He kissed Jack again. "And he's making them all happy while being there to watch over them, just like he did for you."

Jack lifted his head off his dad's shoulder, wiped a tear away and looked at his father. "He's helping my brother Jimmy?"

"Yup bud; he is," Aaron said, kissing Jack again. "And Jack, Mudg died doing one of his favorite things. He was your buddy and he loved you, but in his world, hunting with Papa was what he was bred to do." Dave curled up on the couch with them.

"That's right champino. And I know Jimmy will make sure he gets to do that in heaven." The three of them stayed together like that for minutes until Aaron heard a soft wrap on the kitchen nook windows. He put Jack into Dave's lap, got up and walked into the room.

Cory pointed to Dave's shotgun in its case that he had laid on the picnic table of the deck, along with the thermos and bagged lunch from the boat and started to move off. "Cory," Aaron stopped him, stepping out. "I know you're well connected around here." Cory smiled. "We can't bury Mudgie in the woods; the animals will dig his body up."

"Aaron, if you don't mind, I've already made some calls to friends. I'll have Mudgie's ashes here tomorrow before you need to get back home."

Aaron smiled his thanks and they moved silently to the garage to put Mudgie in the back of Cory's pickup. Just then, Dave and Jack walked out the front door.

Jack looked at Aaron. "I need to say good-bye dad." He bowed his head. "I didn't get to do that with mommy; I was too young and didn't understand." Aaron shook his head at Dave, his own eyes welling with tears.

"Aaron; we both need it," he sadly smiled, rubbing his arm. Cory pulled the blanket off Mudgie and walked away as Aaron sat their son on the truck bed door.

Jack laid his head on Mudgie's chest, rubbing his head. The tears ran again and Aaron wiped his own. "Take good care of them in heaven Mudg; I'm counting on you and I know you won't let me down. You never did." Cory walked around the back of the garage to hide his own tears.

Dave, rubbing his own tears away, rubbed Jack's head and Mudgie's back. "Thank you my faithful companion; I know you'll take care of our family; just like you did for us."

Aaron pulled Jack off the truck bed door and pulled him into a hug. With his other arm, he did the same to Dave and led them into the cabin.

Jack, still in his p.j.'s, shivered in his dad's arms as they entered. Aaron handed him to Dave and nodded towards the couch. Dave sat down and cuddled Jack in his arms. They silently grieved together. Within minutes, Aaron had a roaring fire going and moved into the kitchen as Dave heard Cory slowly backing out of the driveway. Dave got up and sat Jack on the kitchen counter as he moved to use the bathroom. Jack looked at his dad.

Aaron looked at his son and pulled him off the counter, shooing him into the bathroom with Papa. They both resumed their positions on the couch.

Fifteen minutes later, Aaron prodded the two of them into the kitchen. "Jack, like I said when your mom died, she wouldn't want us to mourn her death. She wanted us to celebrate her life." Jack looked at him, wiping away a tear. "Don't ya think Mudg would want the same?"

Through his grief, Jack's stomach grumbled for food. Dave's matched it. He kissed Jack's head. "We still gotta eat champino." Jack looked at him. "And dad's right; that's would mom and Mudg would want," he smiled, kissing his head. The three of them went into the kitchen and enjoyed a comfort food breakfast of oatmeal, juice and English muffins with jelly.

Dave led the parade of telling Mudgie stories as they ate. Graveside humor Aaron sadly thought to himself as Papa and Jack laughed through the tears.

-00CM00-

As afternoon came into the cabin, the reality of what had happened hit Jack hard. He raced up the steps, shouting at his parents "You don't understand." He slammed the door shut on his bedroom door.

Dave reached for Aaron, wanting to run after his son and comfort him. Dave held Aaron's wrist in a tight hold. "Aaron, let him grieve." Aaron flashed a look of anger at Dave. Dave slightly smiled at his partner and lover. "He's not you; he knows how to do it." They heard Jack crying in his bedroom. "I'm hurting like hell right now; but maybe you should learn a lesson from that." He stared his partner, the love of his life in the eyes. "The one Haley told you," he softly added.

Aaron looked at him. "How'd you know?"

Dave softly smiled. "Because I saw a calm come over you I'd never saw before with you when you first came out of the anesthesia." Aaron kissed him and Dave released his grip.

"Where is Cory taking Mudg?"

"To get him cremated; he said he'll have Mudg back here before we leave tomorrow."

"Good," Dave nodded. "It'll be some closure," Dave sadly smiled, "for all of us."

Aaron gave Jack an hour and then went upstairs. He quietly knocked on the door, respecting Jack's privacy. "Come in," his soft voice said.

"Hey buddy," Aaron softly smiled, entering in. "You OK?" Jack, playing with his DS, didn't look up. Aaron sat down on the bed. "Jack, look at me," he said, rubbing his hair around his ear. Jack looked up. "Talk to me son."

Jack paused his DS and set in on his thigh, sitting with his legs crossed. "Why does it hurt so bad dad?"

Aaron pulled him into his lap. "Because we love them so much; and losing them means we've lost that love. The same love they had for us." He rubbed Jack's bangs over his forehead. "But Jack, just because we don't have that physical contact that tells us we're loved by that person, be it mom giving you a hug or Mudgie licking your cheek, their love still lives in us forever." Jack looked at him. Aaron rubbed his chest. "In our hearts son; and death cannot take that away from us."

Jack thought long before saying something. "So like mom, I won't miss Mudg so much after a while."

Aaron pulled him closer. "Jack we will miss those special people the rest of our lives. That's because we love them." He felt Dave's presence and looked over his shoulder to see him leaning in the doorway. Dave softly smiled and nodded at him. "And we don't forget; we never forget; we just honor what they would want us to do because they loved us so much."

"What's that dad?"

"To keep living our lives son; and in those special, or tough times, pull their love out of our hearts; we take strength in it, remember it and let it make us feel better." He kissed Jack's head.

Dave sat down next to them and kissed Jack. "That's their love for us champino. We keep living our lives to honor their special love."

Jack looked at his parents. "I love you both."

"And that's another thing Jack," Dave softly said. "A loss like this reminds us that we say that every day to those we love and still have with us. We never know when it will be the last time."

Jack looked at Dave. "Papa, did Mudgie know that? I got to hug mommy and tell her," his eyes welling with tears again. "Did he," he softly asked, as another tear ran down his face.

"Champino," Dave smiled. "I got Mudg off you bed this morning to go hunting. He slept, curled up next to you; his best bud." Dave kissed his head. "He knew."

Jack wiped his tear. "Where's Cory taking Mudgie?" Aaron and Dave carefully answered his question.

The rest of the day was subdued; they just bonded as a family. As expected, Jack had trouble sleeping that night without Mudg next to him; he spent the night sleeping between his parents.

-00CM00-

They all slept in Sunday, had a big breakfast and then spent the rest of the morning doing their usual Sunday going home ritual. They went through the fridge to clean out any items that wouldn't last until they came again and started packing.

Aaron was helping Jack pack. "Dad, when is Cory bringing Mudg back?"

"He said he would have Mudg here before we left; other than that son, I don't know."

"His ashes will be a special container?"

Aaron smiled. "It's called an urn Jack."

Dave appeared and sat down on Jack's bed. "Which means champino, you and I have to make a decision." Jack looked at him. "Do we take Mudg home or do we leave him here?"

Jack thought for a second and then smiled. "Here Papa; it was where Mudg was the happiest."

"I agree," Dave smiled.

"Dad?"

Aaron smiled. "I think Mudg would love that."

An hour later Aaron got a text. I'm on way; B there in 40m. Dave looked at him as they were both carrying the family's bags down the steps. "Cory will be here in under an hour." Dave nodded.

Cory pulled in as they were loading up Aaron's SUV. He got out of his truck, holding the urn. Jack wrapped his arms around his dad. Dave walked to Cory. "Thank you; we really appreciate it; you know where to send the bill." Cory nodded and handed the urn to Dave, shaking his hand.

Dave looked at Jack as Cory got in his truck. "Where do we put him champino?" Aaron waved a thankful good-bye to Cory as he pulled out and turned to head down the driveway.

"Some place special Papa." The three of them entered into the cabin with Jack hunting around for the right spot.

Aaron pointed to the mantle above the fireplace. "How 'bout there buddy?"

Jack thought for a second and then shook his head. "Mudg didn't take that long to get warmed up like us and then he move away." He looked at Dave, with a smile. "What did you always say 'bout that Papa?"

Dave smiled. "Mudg had his own fur coat."

Jack eyes brightened and he grabbed Dave's hand. "In there Papa," he pointed, pulling him towards his study. Aaron followed behind the two of them in and looked around. Dave had some shelves along one of the side walls of the study. A few held books; but mostly it was filled with pictures of duck hunts past with his friends. He pointed at the pictures. "There Papa."

"Hey Jack," Aaron said, pulling a picture from the top shelf, "how 'bout up here?"

Jack smiled. "That's perfect dad." Dave took the picture from Aaron and found another spot for it. He handed the urn to Jack. Aaron lifted him up and Jack gently placed it on the shelf.

"I agree champino; it's perfect," Dave smiled as Aaron handed Jack to him and they shared a hug.

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A/N: Sorry, no Monday two for one special. This story is pretty short: by my standards. ;)