Chapter 7
They all shared hugs and headed back downstairs to watch the game. The timer went off on the oven and Cait pulled out her pie, set it on her cooling racks and joined them. Matt handed her a beer, which she accepted with a smile. The mother's club was at the lunch counter, sharing a glass of wine that Mike had poured for them. Maggie, still keeping an eye on the game, had settled down to talk with her friends.
Jack and Henry came out of the playroom with no shirts on. No shirts, no undershirts, nothing. Cait and JJ looked at them. The boys looked at their mothers. "We got hot," they said in unison.
"And Jack said it was OK; Matt and Mike do it when they get hot," Henry defended. Cait rolled her eyes at her oldest sons, with Hotch smiling, kissing her cheek.
"I do it too Doc," he smiled.
Will smiled at JJ. They had bought a house that summer. "So do I," he smiled at JJ.
"'Specially when you're mowing the lawn daddy," Henry smiled.
"That's right buddy," Will drawled.
Mike went to the bar frig and got out a bottle of water for both of them. The boys thirstily sucked it down as Jake led the Packers down the field. "At least put your t-shirts back on boys so you don't catch cold," Cait said. They went in and got their shirts and came back in to watch the game.
Derek looked at Reid, pointing to the TV. "They made some adjustments over halftime. Watch Pretty Boy,' he smiled. On a passing play, with Jake being extremely mobile, they would roll him out in the backfield, away from the pass rush of the Lions. The third quarter ended with the Packers up 20-10.
Cait went upstairs to check on things. The three moms were busy talking and laughing. Cait looked at her mother. "Sorry to interrupt, I think we can make a four o'clock dinner time."
Maggie looked at the clock on the oven and smiled. "I don't see why not." Cait was about to head back downstairs when she heard Wyatt on the baby monitor. She went upstairs, pulled him out of the playpen, changed his diaper and took him downstairs to the den.
Wyatt looked at all the new faces and clung to Cait for dear life. She kissed his cheek. "I've got some things to do upstairs," she said handing him to Aaron. Aaron sat him in his lap and Wyatt cuddled to his chest, checking out all the new people. Dave, sitting next to Aaron on one of the couches, tickled him and Wyatt giggled. Wyatt still hadn't made up his mind about the man he had seen around before and kept studying Dave. During a commercial, JJ had come over to talk to him; Wyatt clung to Aaron tighter.
Leslie looked at JJ. "He just got up from a nap and it always takes him a while to get used to new people."
After a few minutes, Wyatt's curiosity got the best of him, and he reached out his hands to Dave. Dave smiled, set his beer down on the coffee table and took him from Aaron. He tried to set him down but Wyatt wouldn't have any of that. So Dave got him standing in his lap, holding him by the waist with both hands on his still wobbly legs. Wyatt took one look at him, smiled, and rubbed Dave's goatee. He giggled with delight.
"At least someone likes that goat of yours," Aaron teased. Wyatt did it again but his fingers too close to Dave's mouth. He gently captured the little fingers in his lips. Wyatt's eyes flew wide open and then he laughed. There was a second game on in the den as they all laughed at Wyatt and Dave playing together, Penelope recording the moment for posterity with her digital camera.
Wyatt soon tired of the game and Matt standing behind his dad and Dave, grabbed Wyatt and put him on the floor with Jack and Henry who playing with their cars. Jack gave Wyatt a plastic one and he happily played with the boys.
In the kitchen, Cait stirred together the green bean casserole and got the frozen corn in the pan with water, ready for them to be boiled at the appointed time. Mike had come upstairs to grab a soda for himself from the garage. Cait had him bringing the potato pan and he set it on the stove for her with a smile. "Can I say I'm getting hungry?" he smiled.
"When aren't you," Cait said with a smile, shooing him back downstairs to the game. Maggie shot a look at the TV and glared at Cait. "Why didn't you tell me Detroit tied it up?"
"Because we have company and you need to keep your blood pressure down." Maggie grabbed her wine glass and smiled her apologies at Sandy and Fran.
Fran shook her head. "I understand completely," she smiled. Sandy nodded her head as well.
The Packers got the ball with a little over three minutes left on their own twenty. Jake efficiently got them down the field and with ten seconds left, hit Jordy Nelson in the corner of the end zone for a game winning touchdown. The crowd downstairs whooped it up as did the ladies upstairs.
The noise startled Wyatt and he started to cry. Jack slid next to him and held him close. "It's OK Wyatt," he soothed. Henry silently came over and sat down on Wyatt's other side. The two boys sat with their arms around their little buddy, each wiping a tear as Wyatt smiled. Penelope Garcia did not miss the picture.
They all filtered about. Alex went upstairs and walked into Cait's kitchen. "Do you mind if I watch the master cook at work?" she smiled.
"Not at all," Cait smiled back. "But its cooks; plural. I have help."
"Just don't get in her way," Emily said, coming to stand by Alex.
"Emily, can you do me a favor?"
"Sure Cait; what do you need."
Cait smiled. "Please take Fran and Sandy in the dining room and show them your centerpiece."
"Ummm Cait; that's your centerpiece. We just loved getting it for you," she smiled as Sandy and Fran followed her to the dining room. Fran and Sandy greatly admired the beautiful centerpiece.
Sandy looked at her. "I'd say that was worth a hangover," she smiled evilly.
"Good God; does JJ tell you everything?"
Sandy slightly smiled and put her arm around Emily's waist. "Not quite everything."
Emily pulled her into a hug. "She was my godsend during that time." Sandy rubbed her back and Fran smiled.
"Was my Derek in on this escapade?" Fran asked.
"Oh hell no Fran; none of us would have made it to work the next day." They all laughed and went back into the kitchen.
Cait was pulling out the turkey to baste it as they did. It smelt wonderful and was just starting to turn a soft golden brown. "That looks wonderful Cait," Alex said.
Cait looked at her. "Thank you; but if you say you're getting hungry, I'm throwing you out of my kitchen. I hear that forty times a day with the males I've got around here." The ladies all laughed.
Precisely at three, Cait and Maggie became the organized, almost choreographed team that they were in Cait's kitchen. Cait salted the potatoes and Maggie got the heat turned on to get them boiling. Cait put the green bean casserole in the lower oven on the bottom shelf. The top shelf would bake the buns.
Cait put in the two pans of stuffing on the bottom shelf of the top oven with the turkey. She looked at Fran. "Tell us when you need to start your sweet potatoes," she smiled.
"You got it Cait," she smiled.
Jack and Henry walked into the kitchen. "Mom, we're hungry." Cait just rolled her eyes and shook her head as the rest of them laughed. Maggie and Sandy gently chased their grandsons out, telling to them to find something to do for an hour.
Cait looked at the group. "At least they've got their shirts back on." Cait stopped and thought. "Jack," she bellowed. "Please get on a different shirt for dinner besides your jersey."
"Got it mom," he hollered back.
Aaron coming up the steps from the den added, "And tell you brothers to do the same please Jack. They don't wear football jerseys to the Thanksgiving table."
"Got it dad," he said as he and Henry sped up the steps to his room. Matt and Mike were gaming again. Leslie was already in the kitchen. Dave carried Wyatt up the steps, talking with Sean. Dave sat down with Wyatt in his usual chair, joining Sandy and Fran. Wyatt lasted all of ten seconds. Sandy took him from Dave and set him down on the floor. He took off for the Great Room as the dogs, their afternoon nap finished, let him chase them around the Great Room. The rest of the group laughed at the scene.
Derek turned the TV to second holiday football game on CBS. After fifteen minutes, Beans looked at Sean. "Got it girl," he smiled, giving her a rub. He whistled for Mudg and took them to the garage to let them out.
Wyatt plopped down on his butt in the middle of the Great Room and looked around with a frown. JJ sat down next to him. "You're mine now," she smiled. She pulled the toy to get him to match symbols off the wood box and they played together.
Leslie looked at Cait. "Tell me what I can do."
Cait smiled. "Find a strong man to get the centerpiece off the table and put it on our bed. Then you can get the two butter dishes on the table."
Dave got of his chair. "I'm your man Leslie," he brightly smiled. Jarrod followed him in to help. Leslie pulled the already prepped butter dishes out of the fridge, pulled the plastic wrap off and followed them in. She took the two butter knives that Cait had laying on the table from her silver service and put them on the plates.
As Jarrod shut the lights off on the centerpiece, Dave looked at Leslie and Jarrod, smiling. "Cait knows how to set a table." He looked at Jarrod. "Something I think she learned from her mom and grandma."
Jarrod smiled. "Mom was a stickler for how a holiday table looked," he smiled, nodding his head. "She learned."
"Jarrod, she learned from one of the best. And you will never know how much this means to some people around here."
Jarrod smiled at him, nodding at the centerpiece. "Dave, with all due respect, I think I do."
Dave looked at him. "You're probably right," he broadly smiled, taking the piece to Cait and Aaron's bedroom.
When he returned, Fran was in the kitchen as well, gently working the sweet potatoes into their browned goodness on the stove top. She kept on eye on the corn that was starting to boil as well. Reid, standing next to Derek in the Great Room, shrugged as his stomach rumbled at the smells. James, Kevin and Will added their agreement. "Right with ya pretty boy," he smiled. Sean was standing in a corner of the kitchen, out of way, but ready to mash the potatoes.
Cait pulled the bird out, basting it one more time. "Five more minutes honey," she smiled as she put it back in. She stuck the rolls in the bottom oven. Alex just looked at Sandy and shook her head. Leslie pulled Maggie's Doughboy salad from the fridge and mixed in the dressing. When she finished, she put the plastic wrap back over it and stuck the bowl back in the appliance.
Cait took the turkey from the oven and set it on the hot pads on the island. Dave came in and using two of Cait's large cooking forks, got the bird out of the pan, setting it on a jelly pan. Cait pushed the top of the roasting pan over the turkey and Dave added the towels to keep it warm. Maggie nodded at Sean and he grabbed the large pan of potatoes and moved to the sink, getting the water drained off. Cait put the pan with the cooked off fat of the turkey that would be the base to her gravy on the same burner of the stove.
After Sean got the potatoes drained, he set them on the island as well with another set of hot pads already placed. Maggie added a stick of butter and she and Sean shared a smile. "You got the rest?"
"All over it Maggie," he smiled, grabbing Cait's potato masher from one of her many ceramic cooking utensil holders she had around the kitchen.
Aaron stuck his head in the kitchen. "Now Doc?"
"Now." Aaron went to the steps and let out a whistle. The two older boys shook the house again coming down the steps as the younger boys followed. Jarrod, Aaron and the boys got the water and milk poured, with Mike's help on Jack and Henry's data from the group. Spencer helped a bit on that with a wink at the younger boys. Matt came in from the garage with the already partially opened wine bottles and expertly poured like his uncles had taught him. Alex and James just shook their heads at the precision of the family. Leslie started handing the salads and Jell-O's to the ladies gathered and they took them to the table, putting in the silver spoon that Leslie told them. Mike went to the garage and got the relish tray.
Dave entered the kitchen to carve the turkey as Sean mashed the potatoes. Cait pulled the rolls out and buttered the tops. Emily broke them down and got them into the two baskets Cait had waiting for them. Sandy took them into the dining room and set them on the table. JJ stood off to the side, holding Wyatt. He eyed JJ's necklace she got from her sister, Roslyn, but knew not to touch it.
Once everything was on the table, Hotch looked around. "Please everyone find you place and sit down."
"Thanks Hotch," Will smiled. "I'm starving."
"Me too daddy," Henry said. They all found their places and sat down. The boys did the prayers with proud smiles from their parents. Even Wyatt, in his highchair between Leslie and Aaron at the head of the table stayed quiet through them.
Before anyone could start to grab a dish to pass, Dave gently clinked his spoon on his wine glass, and then raised it. "To the family gathered at the table and to the family that hosts this tradition." They all raised their glasses in a toast.
"Now start passing," Dave said. "To the left correct Mrs. Hotchner?"
"Exactly Mr. Rossi," Cait smiled. They all stated to fill their plates, talking and laughing; enjoying their time together.
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