He knew that he had checked his watch three times in the last twenty minutes, but Aaron couldn't help himself as he waited for the jet to taxi to the end of the runway. They were early enough where he could be the one to pick Erin up from the facility, and he wanted to be able to just go. Even if that meant the others would ask questions about his anxiousness to leave them behind. Looking up, he saw that Dave was watching him, a knowing smirk on his face.

"So, Aaron, do you have any important plans this weekend?" his best friend asked, and Aaron glared at him as every eye on the jet turned to look at him expectantly.

Continuing to glare at Dave, he gave a curt nod. "I am looking forward to being home, as my partner and I will be spending the entire weekend together with Jack. If we hurry, I'll be able to reach her place before supper."

"I didn't know you were seeing anyone, Hotch," JJ said, the expression on her face almost mirroring Dave's in terms of mischievousness. "Care to let us know who she might be?"

"No, it is enough that you know I am seeing a woman, and that we are currently quite happy with our situation. If things change, I might let you all know more, but until that time comes, I'll thank you to not pry into my private affairs."

"Oh, now that sounds like a challenge, Hotch," Emily quipped, and he raised an eyebrow as he fixed a look on her. "That does not work on me, as well you know. My mother, and Strauss, have made that look ineffective. Though you do happen to look like our boss when you do that!"

The others laughed a little, and he rolled his eyes before pulling his phone out of his pocket, seeing that Jessica had just messaged him to let him know that she had already picked Jack and Erin up, so that they could do a little grocery shopping for the weekend. His shoulders sagged a little, since he was disappointed at missing this opportunity to be with her. Dave must have noticed the change in his expression, as he got up and took a seat next to him. "Is everything all right? Or did plans change?"

"Scenario two is in play, and I'm just a little disappointed that I won't get to pick her up, and will instead be heading straight to her house. Jessica and Jack are taking her grocery shopping."

"And I bet that's something you forgot about, isn't it?"

He nodded sheepishly. "It didn't even cross my mind. I know that we need food to eat for the next two and a half days, but you know."

"I do. And if you arrive at her home before they get there, the spare key is hidden in the second hanging plant from the left-hand side of the front door as you're looking at it. If she hasn't changed things up in the last few decades. But seeing as how she's a creature of habit, I would hazard a guess that it's still there."

Aaron nodded as he gave him a small smile, grateful for the fact that he kept his voice low, so the others wouldn't overhear. "Thanks, that will help a lot, since I think that I'll arrive before they do."

"You know, Kitten would say that it's cute you're acting so in love. You'll have to think about where things are headed, because you're going to slip up one of these days, and the team will pounce on you."

He chuckled as he shrugged. "I suppose that I'll have to cross that bridge when we get there. For now, I'm going to keep this close to my chest, because I want to protect her as much as I can." Dave patted his knee affectionately as the jet came to a stop, and Aaron tried not to instantly stand up, knowing that he would just draw more attention to himself than he already had. "I think this goes without saying, Dave, but only call me if absolutely necessary. I want this weekend to be entirely about our families and the opportunity to bond."

"I will keep that in mind, and try to make certain that all calls are directed towards me." His best friend gave him a warm smile before he got up and followed JJ off the jet, which allowed Aaron to grab his bag and follow them off. Thankfully, he had driven himself to the airfield, so after he had stowed his go bag in the back seat, he was able to take off in the direction of Erin's home. Even though it was out of the way, he stopped by Patti Jo's shop and picked up a potted flower this time, so that she would have something living to take back to the facility with her at the end of the weekend.

As he pulled into the drive of Erin's home, he noticed that he was the first to arrive, which meant that he hoped Dave's remembrance of where the spare key was proved true. Grabbing the plant, he hugged it tightly to his chest as he approached the porch, going to the hanging plant that Dave had specifically mentioned, smiling when he felt the key beneath his fingers. Pulling it out, he unlocked the front door before returning the key and then heading inside, setting the plant on the table in the foyer before heading back out for his go bag.

A part of him hoped that Erin wouldn't mind him looking for the laundry room, since he wanted to get a load of wash done before it got too late. He wasn't too surprised that the laundry room was just beyond the pantry, and it was easy enough to dump all the dirty clothes in the washer before adding soap and turning it on.

"Aaron! You forgot to lock the front door!"

His head shot up to hear the now familiar voice of Karen, and he peeked out the laundry room to see Erin's children coming into the kitchen, their own bags on their backs. "Did your dad drop you off?" he asked as he took a seat at the kitchen table, smiling to see Tabitha and Bruce follow suit, Karen making glasses of water for them all before she also took a seat.

"He did, I told him that you were here, and he seemed to be a lot more comfortable with the idea of leaving us. I guess that you're playing chaperone this weekend?"

He gave Tabitha a look, listening to her giggle happily as he sipped at his water. "I didn't particularly want to be saddled with that moniker, but if the shoe fits, in this case I am more than willing to wear it. Especially since it means that I'll get to spend more time with you three this weekend."

"Mum mentioned that your son would be here, too. He's young, right? Or younger than us, at least."

"He's six, though I sometimes think he's going on sixteen. And I bet your mom has said that same about all of you?" They all nodded, and he smiled indulgently at them. "I think that you all know by now that your mother and I are exploring a relationship, and this is our next step. I don't want to force anything on you three, since you have a mother and a father, Jack only has me. If this feels too odd, I already told your mother that I wouldn't force the issue."

"Aaron, Mom is happy with you, she lights up when she talks about you. I think that alone means we'll make the effort to get to know your son, and make him part of our family." Bruce gave him a serious look, and in that moment, he could finally see Erin in him. He was just about to reply when he heard a door open nearby, and he looked over in the direction of the noise, hearing his son's voice chattering animatedly with someone. A smile spread across his lips as heard Erin answering back, and the overwhelming feeling of family spread across his heart as he waited to see them all appear.