Chapter 2
It was lunch time for the four agents in the Bullpen and they were eating theirs at their desks, sharing the time with each other. JJ pointed at Alex as she smiled into her desk phone. "I think the Blake's are in," she smiled. Alex gave her a thumb up. Reid added them to the list.
"We now have 15 confirmed from the BAU. My job is done," he smiled. He ripped his hand-written list off the yellow legal pad. "I've just got to get this to Garcia," he proudly said.
"Or you could just send her an email Dr. No Tech like the rest of the human world," Emily snarked.
Alex, hanging up her phone, looked at Reid. "Spencer, what is your hang up with that?"
"It's not a hang up Alex. I just find it cold and impersonal. It goes back to the ancient ages where communication between kingdoms and tribes were sent by runners. More wars started over wrongly relayed messages…"
Emily cut him off. "He's horrible on keyboard typing," she smiled.
"Who the hell arranges a keyboard to type text in that manner," he defended. They all laughed. Gina LaSalle and Brian Anderson slipped over to stand by the profilers' desks. They both had already got an email from Hotch inviting them as well to Thanksgiving dinner along with Reid stopping by their desks.
"Is it just me, but I don't want to walk in there again empty handed," Gina asked. "But I can't cook to Cait's standards." Brian held up the half of white bread with bologna and slice of cheese sandwich he was eating as a testament to his cooking skills.
"I know I wouldn't try either," Prentiss lamented.
"Well my mom will do her thing with a Jell-O and dessert; but I'm a dry well too," JJ added.
"Guess where that leaves me," Reid said.
The profilers all looked at Alex deep in thought. "Cruz used the word tradition," she said, pointing like she was lecturing. "Maybe we can work off that." Reid nodded at her.
Emily snapped her fingers. "I've got just the idea. And we all can chip in on it." She smiled wickedly. "But it would involve a girls' night out shopping expedition."
"Will shoots league pool on Tuesday nights. Monday is my night to play," she smiled.
"James isn't going to be home until Wednesday night," Alex smiled.
Gina smiled. "Can I be in on that?" Emily pointed at her.
JJ turned to her keyboard, firing up her email. Garcia, it's a girls' night shopping.
-00CM00-
Hotch and Dave were already sitting next to each other at the Round Table, discussing a case Tuesday morning when Morgan walked in. "Hotch, we may have a problem." Hotch looked at him. "I just checked in on my Baby Girl this morning and she is anything but fine."
Hotch shook his head. "Not the flu already; Agent LaSalle called in sick this morning."
Morgan shook his head with a smile. "This type of flu comes in an 80 proof bottle."
Hotch looked at him and then noticed Emily and JJ trudging in. They both had large coffees and generally looked like hell. They plopped into chairs at the other end of the table. Blake came in a few seconds later with a mega cup of coffee, even by her standards. She groaned as she sat down next to Dave.
"Et tu Brute?" Rossi said.
"Shut up Rossi," she growled. Dave looked at Hotch and then back at Blake.
"And how'd the lecture go this morning at Georgetown?"
She looked at him. "That is why God invented teacher assistants."
Reid came in last, taking a large swallow of his coffee. He sat down next to Derek and yawned. "Pretty boy," Morgan asked.
"Anderson and I were the designated drivers."
Hotch shook his head. "Thank you for that. Let's get started."
-00CM00-
Aaron walked into the home he shared with Cait and the boys smiling. He could hear Cait talking with her parents that she had picked up at the airport on her way home from work that afternoon. He had barely got the door shut when Beans flew at him, with her tail wagging. "Hi you," he smiled. Beans barked and Aaron reached down to give her his daily dose of love when dad's home. Beans nearly moaned when Aaron rubbed her behind her ear. Aaron shook his head with a smile. I lucked out even with the dog.
Beans raced him into the kitchen to announce his presence. Cait was already smiling, waiting on him. Aaron tugged at his tie and loosed his collar, after unbuttoning his knee-length winter coat and opening the scarf she had gave him when they were dating. Northern Virginia was having an uncharacteristic cold snap for Thanksgiving. He pulled her into a hug, giving her a kiss. Jarrod and Maggie smiled at each other. The scene of only their daughter finally being so happy didn't grow old with them. Jarrod rubbed Maggie's shoulder with a smile.
When they finished their hug, Aaron pointed a finger at her. "You, my love, got most of my team in trouble last night," he wickedly smiled.
"Aaron?" is all Cait could get out.
He laughed. "The girls, apparently trying to find something together to contribute to dinner Thursday had a shopping night that involved more than enough to drink. Reid and Anderson were the designated drivers. Gina called in sick and the rest of the ladies looked like hell. Reid and Anderson were just robots with the lack of sleep."
Cait laughed. "Hey Big Dog, that's on your team members, not me. What did Matt tell Morgan after Sandy Hook and those three weeks of hell? 'I didn't put the gun to your head'," she smiled.
Aaron kissed her again. "I agree; I just had to give you some shit," he smiled, and then laughed at bit. Maggie and Jarrod laughed along with Cait.
Aaron moved to his in-laws, taking off his coat. The hugs and loved shared was sincere. Aaron went towards the den he and Cait shared, put his briefcase down and then went into the foyer to hang up his coat. When he finished, he whistled up the steps and he waited.
It literally took two seconds for the growing feet of Jack Hotchner to come flying down the steps. He and his grandparents had worked on his homework together when they all had got home. Yet as a growing eight year old, he could comfortably keep himself busy in his own room. Cait had explained to Aaron that was the first sign of becoming independent. Shit; growing up Aaron thought to himself as he waited for his youngest son.
Jack flew into his arms, jumping from the second to the bottom step. Aaron used that force to swing him up into a hug. Another six months and this will throw my back out Aaron thought. "Hey buddy, how was school?"
Aaron knew it was it loaded question. Jack went into Zazu mode, recounting his school day. Yet he knew how to manage his time. He carried Jack to the bedroom and threw him on the bed, to Jack's laughter. As Aaron changed from SAC Hotchner into dad, Jack sat on the bed and told his dad everything he had already told mom. It had become part of Aaron's just home from work routine. Cait winked at her parents.
"Damn," Jarrod said. "He's just growing up too fast. I miss my little boy."
Cait softly smiled. "You and me both dad; I really missed that with the boys. And then I get another chance. And poof, it's gone again," she sadly shook her head. Maggie looked at her. "I know mom; welcome to being a mother." Maggie smiled with a nod. "It's still not fair," Cait groaned.
"You had three boys to deal with that," Maggie smiled. "I had four; and I still miss it; Tommy snuggling with me as I reviewed cases." Tom was their oldest son, the next after Cait that Maggie had not called by that name in years. Cait just shook her head at her mother, sharing the feeling.
Jack roared out of the master bedroom in front of his dad, now dressed in a long sleeve polo shirt, jeans and the same kind of wool socks that Jack had on. The rubber grips on the bottom worked well on Cait's hardwood floors. Yet, in the carpeted great room of the home, with a large fire resistant rug in front of the fireplace to catch any sparks that might come out, Aaron added logs to the fire that Jarrod had already built.
Jack powered in the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Cait's waist. "Mom, I'm getting hungry."
Cait kissed his head and rubbed the back of his golden hair he had inherited from Haley, while drawing him into a hug. "Jack, were just waiting on Mike. You know he has AP course assignments to review with his advisor on Tuesdays." Thankfully, in Cait and Hotch's world, Mike did not play a winter sport. For the last two years, it was football and baseball. But his intelligent mind still kept him busy.
"Hey buddy," Aaron said, walking into the kitchen. "Can you run out to the beer fridge and get two for mom and me?"
Jack smiled. "You got it dad."
"Hey Jackster, draw three," Jarrod said, pushing his first bottle of beer across the lunch counter. Aaron grabbed the empty, depositing it into the recycle bin that was next to the garbage bin, carefully hidden in a cupboard of Cait's cooking island.
"Got it Grandpa," he shouted, heading out the door. Beans followed him to the doorway and barked loudly. Maggie was still working on her glass of Chardonnay.
Jack came back in the door. "I know girl," he smiled. "You're next." Beans barked her approval. Jack handed the three beers to his dad with a smile and headed to the laundry room to feed his four footed best friend. When he finished, he went to the lunch counter and climbed into Maggie's lap. She smiled, kissing his head.
"I'm glad you're here again Grandma; I miss you guys." Aaron and Cait shared as smile as they took a drink of their beers.
Cait looked at Aaron, lightly slapping his arm. "So what the heck is going on with the girls that you blamed me for?"
Aaron smiled. "Rumor has it all of them that don't cook want to be able to contribute something." He bowed his head and slightly laughed. "They took that as an excuse for girls' night out." He shook his head. "They were a pile," he smiled.
Cait looked at him with wide eyes. "Even Alex?"
Aaron laughed. "She got her indoctrination into the BAU girls club last night," he laughed more, and then looked at his wife, pointing a finger at her. "Don't even think about it Cait. I know how you can power shop," he smiled, kissing her. "And then drink them all under the table." Jarrod roared. They all heard the entry door from the garage open.
Cait looked at Maggie with her bright smile, snapping her fingers. "Damn." She looked at Jack.
"Yeah mom; I know; I got it; I don't repeat Uncle Dave's language."
"What the hell is wrong with my language," Dave asked, pulling his coat off, setting his uncapped beer on one Cait's kitchen counters.
Cait just shook her head with an eye roll at her husband.
Aaron winked at Jack and the three at lunch counter shared a large laugh.
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A/N: To all of my US followers, I hope you had a special day with your families and had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
To all the rest of you readers, I just want to give thanks for your support.
It's greatly appreciated.