A/N: Thank you all for the alerts and reviews. They are truly appreciated.
And I'm making up for the first two chapters being so "short" by my standards. ;)
Chapter 3
Maggie was in the kitchen chopping celery, onions and mushrooms for Cait for the dressing she would make tomorrow morning. Jarrod and Beans were out for a walk around the neighborhood, both needing to get out and do something. While it was still chilly temperature wise, the day was filled with bright sunshine. The doorbell rang; Maggie rinsed her hands off, dried them and headed to the front door.
She looked out first through the window next to the large front door to see a FedEx truck in the driveway. She knew that security of the Hotchner home was a priority. She looked through the peephole to see the uniformed driver standing on the porch. Maggie silently slid the safety chain of the door in place, unlatched the deadbolt lock and then opened the door to the chain's length. "Can I help you?" she smiled.
"Good afternoon ma'am. I have a package for Caitlyn Hotchner." Maggie looked around and did not see a package. The delivery driver picked up on that. "It's rather large ma'am. I thought we could get the signing process out of the way first and then I'd bring it up." Maggie noted that his ID was clipped to the front chest pocket of his FedEx issued winter coat. The picture matched the person standing in front of her.
"Who's it from?"
The driver looked at his handheld computer. "Sami's Decorations in Georgetown ma'am; however, there is an extra note on my bill of lading that the individual shipper is Emily Prentiss."
Maggie quickly put two and two together of the girls' night shopping spree and smiled at the delivery man. "One second Jonas," she smiled, noting the name on his ID. She shut the door, took the security chain off and opened the door. "Come in Jonas," she said. "You don't have to stand out there in the cold," she said.
He walked in, smiling his appreciation and Maggie shut the door. He handed his handheld to her, pointing. "If you could just sign there please." Maggie took the stylus that worked with the computer and signed her name. Jonas took the handheld and looked at her name. "Could you verify the last name for me please ma'am.
Maggie spelled it out. "I'm Cait's mother," she smiled.
Jonas broadly smiled back. "Thank you Mrs. Barkley; I'll be right back with the package." He let himself out the door as Jarrod and Beans came up the driveway. Jonas went to the back of the truck and started to pull out the package.
"Need a hand son," Jarrod asked, seeing the size of the box.
"No thank you sir; I've got it," he said, putting the long box in one arm and shutting the door. "I've had worse ones," he smiled. He let Jarrod go ahead of him so he could open the door.
Jarrod walked in and handed Beans' leash to Maggie. "You take her; I'll take the package." Maggie unclipped Beans from the leash as Jarrod took the package from the young man once he got it in the door. "Happy Thanksgiving," Jarrod smiled.
"Same to you and your family sir," Jonas smiled. "I'll shut the door."
Jarrod took it to the table in the nook and set it down. He looked at Maggie with a question. "It's from Emily. I trusted it; the girls' night out shopping?" Jarrod smiled.
-00CM00-
Three of the four agents in the Bullpen smiled to see Hotch leaving early on Wednesday. Chief Cruz, along with Dave descended the steps from Rossi's office. Alex looked around. JJ smiled. "He's going to Union Station to pick up Sean, Leslie and Wyatt." Alex smiled.
"Some clarity for the new kid on the block please," Cruz said.
Dave smiled. "Mat, they're Aaron's brother, sister-in-law and nephew. They live in NYC; Sean and Leslie own a restaurant. Wyatt was born earlier this year. That's the only family Aaron has on his side."
"How old is Wyatt now?" Emily asked, finishing a phone call.
JJ pointed at Reid. "Nine months; five days."
Cruz shook his head, looking at Rossi, who smiled. "That's our boy."
"How many is Cait having for dinner tomorrow," Cruz inquired.
"Twenty-five sir," Reid smiled. "That's including Wyatt; however, I don't think he will sit at the table with us; at least not exactly. They'll probably have a high chair for him." Alex just looked at Rossi, with a small head shake.
Cruz smiled. "Well, I need to head out as well. We're all taking the same Acela the other way later tonight," he beamed. He looked at the group. "Have a wonderful Thanksgiving all of you."
"You too Mat," Dave smiled, shaking his hand. Cruz said his good-byes and headed out the glass doors.
Dave looked at them. "The two boss men are out the door; so am I."
Just then Emily's email pinged on her computer. She pulled it up and smiled at the group. "Delivery confirmation from FedEx; I'm out the door as well."
Fifteen minutes later, there was not a profiler to be found in the building.
-00CM00-
Cait waited in her vehicle as usual, looking through her rearview mirror as the kids started to tumble out of the school building. The teachers and support staff got the kids all gently herded onto their appointed yellow school busses. Cait looked at a few texts on her cell and then noticed the busses pulling out. She wrapped her scarf a little tighter around her neck, got out and headed to the sidewalk of the school. Jack bounded out less than a minute later, engulfing her in his usual power hug.
He looked at her. "Have you heard from dad? Is he there?"
Cait smiled. "He just texted me; he's at Union Station."
"Yes, yes, yes," Jack skipped as he held her gloved hand going to the car.
Derek Morgan stood in the baggage claim area of Reagan National, scanning the people coming down the escalator to the area. He beamed as he finally spotted the one person he was looking for. The security Plexiglas doors opened and he pulled Fran into his usual huge hug.
"I've missed ya momma," he smiled, kissing her forehead.
"I've missed you too," Fran smiled.
Aaron stood in Union Station, waiting like Derek for his family to finally appear through the security gates. The up escalator finally revealed them. He smiled and then shook his head. Sean was pulling a large luggage bag, with Wyatt's car seat in his other hand. Leslie pulled another bag with one hand and Wyatt in her other arm. They both looked frazzled. Aaron walked to them as they exited the security doors. "What do you want me to take?"
Leslie held out her arm with Wyatt in it. "Him," is all she said.
Wyatt babbled at seeing his uncle with a large smile and held out his arms. The two families had stayed connected through the miles. Sean and Leslie had been down in early August for a week of vacation, enjoying the family and their home, including the pool. Wyatt first crawled in their home, trying to chase after Beans. Cait, with the beautiful weather, spent many hours in the pool with him. Next summer kiddo, I make you into a fish she smiled. Aaron, Cait, Mike and Jack went up for a long weekend in October when the boys' school had teacher's convention instead of Dave's cabin. Uncle Dave fully supported the decision. "It's family," he warmly smiled.
Yet, as Wyatt's eyes matured, the whole Hotchner family had stayed in touch via Skype for the times they couldn't be together. Wyatt grew to understand the images on the screen. Matt did his part from college, hooking up with them regularly. Wyatt would babble and coo through the conversations, especially with Jack.
Aaron warmly took his nephew, kissing his cheek. "Hey you," he smiled, tossing him into the air and then catching him. Wyatt giggled with delight. Aaron pulled him securely to his shoulder and looked at his parents. "Rough trip?" he asked, pulling Sean into a hug.
"He slept like a lamb the first two and half hours like we planned. The last half hour was rough. He's a man on a mission and he likes to move. He wasn't the happiest of campers," Sean sighed.
Aaron shook his head, remembering trips to Haley's parents when Jack was the same age and smiled. "Little brother, I told you; welcome to parenthood." Sean just shook his head as Aaron gave Leslie a big huge, kissing her cheek. Aaron pulled up the hood to Wyatt's jacket and secured it as they headed towards the door.
The three of them went out the door. Wyatt burrowed his head into his uncle's scarf from the cold. They got to Aaron's SUV. Sean put the car set in the back as Aaron, handing Wyatt to Leslie, got the luggage in the back. Aaron took his nephew back and got him into his seat as Leslie got in the backseat and Sean in the front next to Aaron. By the time they got to the booth for Aaron to pay for the parking, Wyatt conked out again. Leslie just rolled her eyes. Sean looked at Aaron. Taking the receipt from the booth clerk and pulling out of the parking lot, Aaron looked at his younger brother and laughed. "You're just getting started bro," he said, rubbing Sean's shoulder. "Deal with two sons dating; one in college." Sean just moaned and Aaron laughed louder. "Do me a favor bro." Sean looked at him. "Please text Cait and tell her we're on our way home."
Sean smiled and pulled out his cell.
Cait, driving towards Deer Valley Road, heard her cell ring in her coat pocket. She took it out and underhanded, gave it to Jack in the backseat, keeping her eye on the road. Jack pushed the button and looked at the text, with a huge smile developing. "It's Uncle Sean; they're on their way home." Cait walked Jack through the process of forwarding the message to her folks. Jack didn't need much help, watching his brothers using theirs.
"Done," he smiled. "Mom, when do I get my own cell?"
"Talk to dad and me when you're twelve."
"Mom that's four years; and Billy already has one," Jack reasoned.
"Very impressive Mr. Hotchner on the math," Cait smiled in the rearview mirror. Jack beamed. "And dad and I are not Billy's parents." That got the Jack scowl as Cait turned into the driveway. As she got to the bottom of the small hill of the driveway, she noticed Matt lightly jogging up the back path from Dave's. When he was home and the weather wasn't the best, he would put his car in one of the extra stalls that Dave had at his house.
Cait smiled. He has full buy-in on that because he's got an excuse to drive mine or Aaron's. They both had laughed in bed that night about it when Dave made the offer last year over Christmas break.
She hit the button to get the garage door open and pulled in, noticing Mike's car already in his portion of the garage. She and Jack got out, with Jack handing Cait her cell phone. Matt sprinted in, nearly tackling Jack as Cait put the door down. The brothers wrestled around as Cait went in the door; Matt followed with Jack lying prone on his shoulder, laughing. Maggie, standing in the kitchen, smiled at the sound. Matt put Jack on his feet and gave his mother a huge hug, lifting her off her feet. "Matthew," she scolded with a smile.
Matt, after pulling off his jacket and putting it on one the hooks, gave her a kiss and helped his mother out of her winter coat while slipping out of his tennis shoes and Cait grabbing her cell. He took it and her scarf to the foyer closet and hung it up. Jack took his jacket off, pulled his stocking cap off, shoved into one of the sleeves of the jacket and hung it on the hook by the door, taking his tennis shoes off. Mike, playing a game of cribbage with grandpa at the lunch counter, went to Cait, gave her a kiss and took her purse and briefcase to her and dad's study.
Beans bounded into the entryway to welcome them home. She got her first dose of love from mom, her sturdy tail banging against the wall as it wagged back and forth. Jack roared and got a Bean's lick across the face. The buddies got their time together as Cait moved into the kitchen.
She looked at Maggie. "What's for dinner?" she smiled, as she gave her mother a hug.
Maggie smiled back. "We're cooking tomorrow; I took your advice and raided your freezer. There's chicken tetrazzini, chili and your hotdish. They all can deal with it."
"Works for me," Cait smiled. She moved to the lunch counter and looked at the cribbage board. Someone was losing; badly. She looked at her dad.
"Your middle son is scorching my butt at the moment; he cheats."
Mike, sliding back into his chair, looked at him. "I do not Grandpa," he smiled. "I've just inherited mom's rabbit foot in my back pocket." Jarrod rolled his eyes and accepted Cait's kiss to his cheek with a warm smile. She rubbed his shoulder as Jack blew into the kitchen for some grandma love.
As she started towards her and Aaron's bedroom to use the bathroom, Cait noticed the large, oblong box on the nook table. "Dad, what's up with this?"
He turned in his chair. "You got a delivery a bit ago." Cait looked at him with concern.
Jarrod smiled. "It's from Emily; no doubt the fruits of the girls' night out shopping spree."
Cait laughed. "Don't forget the hangovers," she smiled, moving to bedroom.
By the time she returned, Beans in the kitchen with Maggie, barked her announcement of the garage door going up again, wagging her tail. Maggie rubbed her head. "You know the sounds of dad's car, don't you girl?" Beans barked her answer and headed for the door.
Matt, watching the card game, gave Mike's ribs a gentle hit and nodded towards the door. The brothers went to help with the luggage. Jack, sitting in Jarrod's lap, beamed at him. "Wyatt's here Grandpa." Jarrod smiled as well, letting Jack slide out of his lap.
The two older boys buzzed by their dad, saying their hellos, went to the back of his vehicle and pulled out the luggage. Aaron gently got a sleeping Wyatt out of his car seat. He stirred in Aaron's arm as he put his nephew to his shoulder.
Leslie and Sean walked in the house to Cait's waiting arms. They shared hugs, with the boys scooting past them to get their luggage upstairs. Jarrod and Jack came next, with Jarrod greeting them and taking their coats and Jack giving his usual power hugs. Sean lifted his youngest nephew off his feet. "Jack, you're getting to be a load," he smiled as Jack threw his arms around his neck.
Aaron walked in, gave Cait a kiss and handed the stirring little boy in his arms to her with a smile. Cait took Wyatt into the kitchen as the rest entered. Maggie looked at Wyatt. "Oh good lord," she smiled, "he's growing like a weed."
Cait held him for a few seconds and then gently rubbed his stomach. Wyatt's blue eyes, matching his mother's flew open and looked at her. He rubbed them a bit and then looked again as Cait pulled his hood off of his head from the winter jacket she and Aaron had bought for him.
He smiled and started babbling. Sean looked at Aaron and rolled his eyes. "Get ready big brother."
Cait sat him on the kitchen island and got him out of his coat. Beans walked in and happily barked at Wyatt. He smiled widely and immediately got antsy. Cait put him down on the floor. "Go," she smiled. Beans softly barked again and took off for the great room. Wyatt quickly crawled after her.
"Thanks sis," Sean said, pulling her into a hug. Cait looked at the frazzled parents and smiled.
"Been there, done that."
Leslie shook her head, sharing a hug with Maggie. "Good; he's yours the rest of the night."
The family all caught up as Wyatt chased Beans around the great room with Beans gently barking at him to keep him moving. The three Hotchner boys joined into the fray, laughing at Wyatt and their beloved dog.
Aaron moving to their bedroom, stopped at the package on the nook table. Cait shook her head. "I forgot all about that." Aaron looked at her. "It's from the team; the girls' night out shopping spree?"
Aaron kissed her, pulling his tie loose as he unbuttoned his collar shirt. Cait smiled. "Mom and dad figured it out before me."
Mike, laughing at Wyatt being chased around, looked at his parents. "Why don't you open it?"
"What's this about a girls' hangover," Matt asked with a smile.
Mike filled him in on the story as Jarrod approached and pulled his pocket knife out. He cut the brown packing tape on the top of the box and opened it. He smiled and pointed at Cait.
On top was a greeting card with her name on it. Cait pulled it out and looked at it. It was a Hallmark card. Jarrod with his knife still out, took it from her, opened the top and handed it back to her. Cait pulled the card out and read the front. For a Special Person this Thanksgiving Season headed the card. A beautiful picture of a Thanksgiving table graced the front as well. Cait opened the card. Dear Cait, she read on the left side. Here's a little something for our Thanksgiving tradition. She looked to the right side as Aaron looked over her shoulder. He rubbed her back with a smile. Henry, Will, JJ, Emily, Spencer, Alex, James, Penelope, Kevin, Gina and Brian she saw in each of their own handwriting, except for James'. Jack started to pull out the inflated protective packages, setting them on the table.
"Grandpa," Jack said. "Start popping them with you knife."
Cait gently shook her head. "Jack, I think I'll need them again to keep this safe." While the boys all helped her get them cleared, Wyatt crawled up to Aaron and pulled himself up on his feet, grabbing Aaron's suit pant legs to do it. Aaron pulled him into his arms as Cait looked in the box.
Her eyes filled with tears as Aaron looked in as well. He pulled Cait into his other arm and hugged her with Wyatt smiling.
-00CM00-
They all enjoyed the leftovers dinner, with Wyatt banging on the table top of his highchair for more of the chicken and noodles from the tetrazzini. Leslie looked at her. "I'm a new school mother Leslie. That kind of food is the same thing in those jars of baby food," she said, putting more small pieces of chicken and cut up noodles on his tray. Wyatt shoveled them in a fast as she could put them on his tray.
They went to the Thanksgiving Eve service at the Hotchner's church that Wednesday night as a family. Wyatt, after walking from leg to leg of the Hotchner family, hanging on for dear life as he started to test out his walking legs for the first part of the service, snuggled into Cait's arms, sitting on her lap as Pastor Jon started his sermon. He went to sandman land less than a minute later, with Aaron rubbing his head, as Cait rubbed his back.
By ten-thirty, the house on Deer Valley Road went dark. They all had a big day ahead of them.
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A/N: Yes I know I'm a sentimental sap, and Hallmark cares to send the very best. You don't think Cait noticed? :D
Thanks again for all the luvs folks.