A/N: I think it's time for a little of my original Hotchner family. I miss writing my spitfire.

All rights to the original Criminal Minds characters belong to Mark Gordon Studios, CBS and ABC Studios. I still hate doing that; even though I have to.

Sorry; this should have been up earlier. This Game 5 World Series game is cooking my grits.

*Knightly bow*

Chapter 1

Cait Hotchner walked into the BAU Round Table Room the Thursday before the Labor Day weekend fifteen minutes early to sit in on the team bullshit session before their usual morning briefing. She put her cup of coffee on the table, smiling at the conversation that was happening. Morgan, as usual, was giving Reid his usual ration of garbage.

Cait rubbed Morgan's shoulder sitting down next to him. "Give the kid a break," she smiled.

"Why?" Morgan challenged.

Cait looked at him, picking up her cup of coffee, while sitting down. "Gee Derek, I don't know. He's the closest male to you that will match having a brother. And your son has his middle name," she deeply eyed Morgan, taking a sip of coffee.

"You are so busted," Tara smiled at him.

Dave blew into the room and looked at Cait. "Have you touched base with Jack yet?" Cait shook her head at JJ, sitting on the other side of her. "God damnit Cait; it's the first time he's been home alone."

Cait smiled at him. "You mean with Bella and Max around."

"Damnit Cait," Dave said.

"Damnit Dave," Cait fired back. "He's eleven; going on twelve. He can handle being alone for the day; with the dogs."

"Time out," Emily said. "What's going on?"

Cait looked at her. "Mike and Andi, god bless our next daughter-in-law to be have made a concerted effort to be around for Jack all summer on the days I work here. But Andi, supporting my position," Dave shot her a look that the assembled group noticed, "has worked with him all summer. Every now and then Jack likes a fried egg on top of a piece of toast with a slice of cheese in between. Andi has taught him how to make that. And then," Caleigh emphasized, "clean up after that."

JJ smiled at Cait. "Your two oldest sons did strike gold," she said, rubbing Cait's shoulder.

Cait smiled. "Aaron and I both know that." She looked at Dave. "But Mr. Worry Wart is concerned because Mike and Andi are heading for the Jersey shore to share a huge ass condo with four other couples for the holiday weekend. Matt and Lauren are doing the same with two other couples in the Smokey Mountains. Jack is home alone today."

Garcia looked at Cait. "I'm starting to side with Sir Rossi."

Cait looked at her and shook her head. "While my husband and I last night were discussing the situation in the Great Room, rather loudly I might add Jack came down the steps from his room with Bella, whistled loudly…."

"Something he learned from his mother," Reid smiled.

Cait pointed at him with her own smile. "And looked at the two of us, with Bella sitting next to him. 'We've got this'. I've been through this two other times with the older boys. I hate it; I really do. But you gotta let them go and grow up." She paused. "And pray like hell." JJ and Emily gave her the knowing mother laugh.

"So you haven't called him yet to check in," Dave growled.

"Dave, if I called right now," Cait immediately volleyed back, "I would wake up Jack with Bella and Max sleeping with him." Dave glared at her. Cait looked at him. "I've got a twenty in my purse to back up that bet."

"I'm in on that," Emily fiendishly smiled at Dave.

"Count me in," JJ smiled.

"I'm in," Tara added.

"Can I add a hundred for my contribution," Reid smiled at Dave.

Morgan shook his head, looking at Dave. "I'm in with the betting pool. And I know Mother Goose." He stared at Rossi, sitting on the other side of him. "Get with the program," he smiled. "He's not the little kid in the house with Foyet." Derek looked at Rossi. "Did you hear Cait? It sucks. For all of us: including his parents. But Jack isn't four any more man. He's long past that. Let it go. I see it in Hank every day. My little man is growing up too fast in front my own eyes."

Cait rubbed Morgan's shoulder with her soft smile of motherly knowledge. "OK," Garcia said, "I'm in on the betting pool for ten bucks."

Dave just shook his head as the rest looked at him. "Sometimes I hate when you all use what I've taught you against me." The team smiled.

"We all will be forever in your debt Dave," Cait smiled, "for the profiling skills you've taught us. But when it comes to parenting, you're outranked. Sorry," she thoughtfully added.

Dave looked at her. "And you know me too well to use my ego."

"Enormous ego," Cait corrected.

"That too," Dave said. The group all shared a hearty laugh.

Hotch and Cruz blew in the door. "Rut roh," Emily said to Garcia.

"I don't have anything on my radar," Garcia whispered back.

Cruz smiled sitting down next to Aaron. "There is no case. It's just the end of the third quarter is coming up. I have to report to JEdgar the status of the outstanding cases." He pulled out a sheet. "You've got seven. The first being the case in Portland, Maine."

"That's mine," Emily said. "And I've given my profile to the detective. Rossi has even reviewed it with the pressure the detective is putting on me to join the case along with his COD."

"Emily's profile is spot on Mat. All this detective wants is for the BAU to swoop in and solve his case so he can get all the publicity without doing a goddamn thing. We both know the budget cuts the Bureau is facing. This isn't a BAU case. The detective and the COD needs their butts kicked. Emily wouldn't let me do that with my usual fine political finesse," Dave said. The group all snickered.

"Thank you Dave," Cruz smiled, "for that. I'll take care of that political mess," he smiled at Hotch, "and send it up the food chain."

"Mat," JJ said, "I know the next case you're going to bring up is mine in Durango, Colorado. Same song: different verse. Hotch approved my profile two weeks ago." Hotch nodded at Cruz.

Cruz looked at the team, pushing his list out from JEdgar on the table. "Am I going to get that from all of you?" Most of the team nodded with them reporting on each of the cases they were working on. Cruz shook his head.

"Mat," Dave said, "the one in Flagstaff Cait and I have tabbed as possible serial. And the cases have crossed state lines so it can be ours. But right now, we only have two bodies."

"That we know of," Cait added.

"I'm all over that one like a honey badger sir," Garcia said, looking at Cruz. "But right now, my binary systems aren't finding a match to a possible third case."

"So it remains local," Cruz smiled.

"For now," Dave said. "But this guy isn't done."

"I agree," Cait said. "His kill method and pathology screams serial."

Cruz smiled at the two of them. "I'm glad you two agree on something this morning."

The team all looked at Garcia. "What? I'd never rat you guys out to the higher ups."

Cruz smiled. "I've took the profiling classes and noticed your illustrious leader was a little on edge this morning. And he didn't say hello to his wife when we came in like his usually does."

Cait looked at Aaron. "You say busted…" he growled.

Cait smiled. "He's fine Aaron."

"Yes he is Hotch," JJ smiled. "Let Jack grow up." She looked at him. "I hate it as much as you and Cait. But he is. Henry is right behind him by a year or two. Will and I struggle with that too."

Emily shook her head. "I got the grown up teen in my life that the first thing I had to deal with is him getting a driver's license. Hello parenthood kick in the ass. Not to mention the car, insurance, and most importantly, me trusting him with said car."

"My girls scare me," Cruz smiled, shaking his head. "Mel starts middle school next week."

"Jack does the same thing as well," Cait smiled at Cruz. She looked at Aaron. "Thank God the two oldest are using their trust funds," she said, shaking her head. "And Aaron," she smiled, "Jack is fine."

Dave looked at Aaron. "You two argued last night?"

"Shut up Dave," Aaron and Cait said together. The team snickered.

Mateo Cruz knew his team too well. He quickly changed the subject. "So what are you all doing this holiday weekend?"

"Me and my chicas are having a girls weekend in Atlantic City," Tara smiled. Cait pointed at her with a smile.

"Stay away from the Roulette table," Dave said. "Crappiest odds in the house." Reid looked at him. "Don't start on me kid. I've lost thirty times more money than casinos that have banned you." Morgan laughed, pushing Reid's head.

Reid smiled. "Speaking of gambling, I'm going to spend the weekend with mom and dad." Everyone smiled.

"Good for you kid," Rossi said.

"Please tell them 'hello' from all of us," Aaron added. Cait nodded as well with her bright smile.

Reid softly smiled. "They'll both love that."

"And remind them the Thanksgiving invitation is always there," Cait said.

Reid smiled. "They won't miss it."

Garcia shook her head. "Something wrong Mama?"

"I get the flying to Akron, Ohio to attend the Lynch family reunion."

Cait smiled. "It's all good Penelope in your world."

"How so good Doctor?"

Aaron and Cait smiled together. And then looked at each other. "We gonna flip a coin Doc?" Aaron asked.

"Nope," Cait said, shaking her head with a smile. "It's all you boss man; just do it easy."

Aaron smiled and then gave Garcia his serious look. "That bad?" Garcia said.

Hotch smiled. "Or maybe final family assessment."

Dave pointed at him. "I agree with this profile," he smiled.

"Sir," Garcia stammered. "Are you saying?"

Cait shook her head. "Just profiling hun," she smiled.

"Crap; I've so gotta re-pack," Garcia muttered. She looked around the table. The team all laughed.

"Be you Penelope," Cait smiled. "And then dazzle them."

"Morgan?" Cruz asked with a smile.

"Savannah, me and the growing dude have mom coming in from Chicago for some major grandma spoiling," he smiled. Emily rubbed his shoulder.

"What about you and Declan?" Morgan asked.

Emily smiled. "He wants to go back to NYC. Again. But he wants to take Amtrak this time," she said, shaking her head. "But honestly? He's looking at Columbia for college and wants to check it out."

"Columbia University is huge," Aaron said.

"My son has lofty goals," Emily answered. "My part, I don't know about."

Dave smiled. "I take care of my kids. I believe there might be a Declan Prentiss trust fund around somewhere to help with that," he winked at her with a smile. Cait, Aaron and Cruz smiled. Emily just shook her head.

Cruz smiled at JJ. "And the LaMontagne's?"

JJ smiled. "Both the boys want to go to the farm and see grandma," she said, shaking her head. "And very honestly; my husband wants to as well to check out his deer hunting stand for later this fall."

"How 'bout you Mat," Morgan asked.

"My wife and our girls are just going to hang out." He looked at Hotch.

"Jack has requested a weekend at Uncle Dave's cabin."

"Boom," Dave smiled.

"And he wants to ride up to the cabin with Uncle Dave," Cait added. The team all looked at Cruz with a soft smile.

"So Jack can ride in front passenger side seat; further expounding on him growing up," Cruz accurately profiled.

"Boom," Dave smiled. "You, Tess and the girls are more than welcome. There's plenty of room there."

"You mean that?"

"Mat, trust us," JJ said nodding around the table. "We've all been there before. Henry got his first scar there. That Aunt Cait took of," she smiled.

"The whole team?" Cruz asked.

Cait smiled. "It's just everyone knowing that we juggle bathrooms and help out with cooking, dishes and laundry loads." Cruz looked at her. "Yes, he has that much room at the cabin," she smiled.

"You'll have the second floor all to yourselves Mat," Dave smiled.

"What do we have to do?" Cruz asked.

"Have Tess call me so we can talk out groceries and menus," Cait smiled.

"Have fun Mat," Derek smiled, getting out of his chair.

"Derek, hang on," Cruz said. Morgan stopped and looked at him.

Cruz smiled. "I don't want to see any of you in this office tomorrow. You put in enough hours on cases. Just get your reports done or updated."

Morgan smiled. "I like that," he said moving out of the room.

###

A/N: Yup, that's how this one is going to go. I've always wanted to explore Cruz's relationship with Hotch and Rossi. I'm gonna. Something CM failed to do.

COD is Chief of Detectives.