A/N: No more tissues needed. Rosa, if you haven't read my previous stories in this universe is David Rossi's housekeeper.
Chapter 5
After he and Dave got Jack into his bed at home for his Monday school day, Aaron called Jessica and told her what happened. "Aaron, I appreciate the heads up. Rosa and I work together; she's fantastic. We'll take care of it if you and Dave get a case."
And for the next three weeks, the team was basically out on the road. Aaron smiled at the picture Jess texted him of Jack with Grandpa and Grandma Brooks spending the weekend at the mansion. Dave had got his own as well and shared it with JJ and Emily. Alex leaned in for a look as well, smiling. The Hotchner/Rossi family went to Richmond for Thanksgiving with Haley's family.
The weekend between Christmas and New Year's, the family went to the cabin. They had a wonderful time skating on the ice and playing hockey. Yet, one time, when the puck got buried in the snow behind the net from Papa's wayward slap shot, they were all digging to find it. Jack absent-mindedly said, "We could sure use Mudg now." Aaron looked at Dave. They both nodded at each other. He's healing.
The whole team gathered at the Rossi mansion for the BAU traditional New Years' Eve party. Henry would bunk in with Jack; JJ and Will would spend the night as well. They weren't the only ones.
The next morning, Dave was up to fix the boys breakfast while the rest slept off their hangovers. Both of them were allowed to ring in the New Year with everyone else and Dave had special drinks for them to join the team toast. Yet, the late night hour, plus the boys super sleuthing around the mansion most of the evening, had the boys sleep in until almost ten. Derek, sleeping on the couch in Rossi's den, stumbled in to the smell of coffee. The two boys giggled at him as Dave poured him a cup of the brown elixir that the team lived on. Derek growled at Dave and went to the nearest bathroom with his coffee cup. The boys laughed at the BAU muscle man, reduced to a mere mortal as Aunt Penny would say.
"I don't think Derek feels good," Henry observed.
Jack snickered. "Papa can get like that," he eyed Dave, "every now and then." Henry looked at Dave.
"Yup Henry, I'm busted," he smiled. Both the boys laughed as Dave made silver dollar sized pancakes for the boys. "How'd you sleep Henry," Dave sincerely asked.
"Really good Uncle Dave; but I missed Mudgie sleeping with me and Jack." The second the words spilled out of his mouth, Henry got a horrified look on his face and looked at the other two in the kitchen. He eyed his best friend. "I'm really sorry Jack. Mommy and daddy have been telling me for a long time not to mention Mudgie. It just slipped out."
Jack looked at Henry, considering him his best friend as well and rubbed his shoulder. "It's OK Henry; it's all good. Me, dad and Papa have Mudg in our hearts; where it counts the most." Dave nodded at Henry with a loving smile.
"Really Uncle Dave?"
"Yup kiddo; really." He flipped the pancakes over and grabbed the sausages he had browned for the boys from the oven. The boys polished off their apple juice and looked over Dave's cooking counter, waiting for their pancakes as they both took a bite of their breakfast sausages.
As usual, the unsubs took the holidays off. "I'll never figured that one out as long as I live," Dave groused in the Round Table room as Garcia gave them the details of their first case in many with the unsubs catching up.
Yet, the family found the time to get the cabin twice on a weekend during that hellish time. Cory always had the skating rink ready, along with the warming house waiting for them. Tina didn't disappoint the family with a large thermos of hot chocolate there as well.
By the time late February arrived, the unsub parade had died down a bit. Dave, Aaron and Jack made a quick trip to the cabin, but the skating wasn't the best. The spring thaw in Virginia was setting in. Like usual, as they gathered up to leave, Jack would go into Papa's study and say his quiet good-bye to his friend.
-00CM00-
Two weeks before Easter, with the team in the office, Dave answered the phone on his desk. "Agent Rossi."
"Good morning Agent Rossi; I'm Brain Lattimer; you don't know me and this has nothing to do with the work you do. I'm not in law enforcement. But I know you through some friends who passed along your phone number to me. I know about the loss you and your son had last fall. I'd like to talk to you about that if you're willing to hear me out."
"Connect the dots Mr. Lattimer and I'll hear you out."
"Agent Rossi, I know the vet that cremated Mudgie."
"I'm listening," Dave said skeptically.
"That vet knows my situation and hooked me up with Cory. He told me the whole story. I'm so, so sorry for you and your son's loss."
"Go on," Dave said.
"Agent Rossi, I'm a breeder of Labradors; specifically Goldie's; I provide the sires. And I live in the next county over from your cabin. I get to pick one male from each litter my dogs sire that I think will be the best breeding stock. And Agent Rossi, I run a legitimate business. Cory gave me your address to your FBI email. I've sent you three years' worth of state inspections as well as my breeders' association inspections in a pdf format. I assure you again Agent Rossi; I am legit. I breed Goldie's that will number one, be excellent duck retrievers; number two; an even better family pet. Feel free to check me out if you like; you have my permission." Dave pulled up the emails as he listened and forwarded them to Garcia.
"You've got my attention," Dave softly said.
"I've got two young males right now; one that was in the litter before and one that was in the last litter; he's seven months old and special. Agent Rossi, he has all the gifts of the two things I ask of my pups."
"But…," Dave asked.
"I pegged him to be my star; my next sire. He's beyond smart and already half trained to be a retriever. And he loves the water. But, as you've guessed, he had an issue. He developed a horrible urinary tract infection two months ago. Doc Palmer, Cory's contact and the vet I trust with my dog's lives, and btw cremated Mudg, tried to treat him with drugs. But in the end, he had to do surgery to save the dog's life. And Agent Rossi, Doc Palmer and I will guarantee he'll live a long life. However, that surgery required him to neuter the pup." Dave heard a pause on the phone. "He's completely housebroken and has only two more puppy teeth to lose. He needs a home that he'll be loved in, with a young boy that will share the bond of unconditional love and be one helluva a duck retriever."
"Mr. Lattimer," Dave started.
"Brian to you Agent Rossi and I know the job you do and understand your family situation. Cory and I have talked. If you don't check me out, I'll rescind my offer immediately."
Dave smiled. "I don't have to by what you've said; but I will anyway. Your offer sounds interesting but I'll need some more details. And I'll need to talk this all over with my partner." He paused for second. "And please, I'm Dave."
He heard Brian smile over the phone. "Cory told me if I laid it all out that would be your response. Check away Dave; and please talk it over with Aaron. The pup is outstanding and Doc Palmer thought of your family right away when I told him I'd be looking for someone to take the dog. That's why he got me in touch with Cory. Dave; you'll be getting a great hunting partner and your son, if he's ready will have a new buddy. Obviously, you'll need to work with the dog more to hone his retrieving skills, but that will make him your partner in the hunt. And that's something you and your son can do together."
They talked for a few more minutes, and Dave wrote down his telephone number. "Oh, Brian; can you email a picture of the dog?"
"Sure thing Dave; call me later in the week."
Dave and Aaron spent the next two evenings talking about getting the dog. They even discussed it with Rosa, who would be around the puppy as much as they would, if not much more. Being around the home during the day, she had let Mudg out and missed her four legged friend. "I wouldn't mind. I don't like not having some company during the day," she said sadly and then smiled. "And if it would make my Niño happy, all the better."
Even Jessica was in on thought process and asked the biggest question. "Will Jack accept a new puppy? He and Mudgie were very close."
"That's the thing we keep bumping into," Aaron admitted.
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