A/N: Tissue alert for all of you. Hotch's Kevlar vest for me.

Don't worry! It's not sad. I'm just bad. *Insert Rockie's evil grin*

Chapter 6

Zach smiled at everyone. "Thank you all so much. I appreciate your love. More than you all will know." He walked to the grills, waving his hand over the coals. "But I think this cooking party needs to get its game on and I need a beer."

"I've got the chicken," Caleb said, heading to the kitchen, followed by his mother.

"I'm on the beer run," Jack smiled.

"Touch them all Jack Hotchner," Dave smiled.

Zach smiled at Dave. "You've been a beer low for how long?"

Dave shook his head. "Some dummy has a birthday today. I survived." He looked at Zach. "But now we catch up," Dave smiled.

"Please stay away from his scotch bottle," Aaron said to Zach.

Zach shook his head. "I'm a beer behind as well dad. And I intend to make that up in a hurry," he smiled. "Plus a few more. But no liquor for me tonight. I've gotta work tomorrow."

Dave shook his head. "Work? You get to be a grown up kid playing a game you love for millions of dollars."

"Yuppp," Zach smiled, taking a drink of the beer Jack handed him as Caleb brought out the pan overflowing with chicken.

While Zach and Aaron grilled the chicken, the talk with the family obviously turned to babies. But it took a sideway turn. Rachel laughed at Caleb. "I'll never forget your weekend in high school with you having the pretend baby." Tom and Caleigh snickered.

Caleb shook his head. "That was the worst weekend in my life. But I sure learned a lesson." He looked around. "And got an 'A' on that paper," he proudly smiled. He looked at Zach. "How'd you do?"

Zach winked at Jack and smiled at his dad. "I never had to write the paper. And I got an 'A' in the class," he smiled at Caleb.

"Bro?"

Zach smiled, shaking his head. "Bub, I never had a weekend with the battery operated baby."

"Why not?" Caleb challenged.

Zach smiled. "You sound like a lot of my classmates back then. It got ugly when I wasn't included in the draw for which weekend. Ms. Hughes, our teacher, knew better. The next day I gave a live demonstration."

"Featuring me," Jack smiled. Aaron smiled as well, winking at Beth.

Zach looked at Caleb. "Dad was home. He picked up Jack at preschool and they came and had lunch with me and Pete. My human learning class was after lunch. I sat down in front of the class and pulled Jack up on my thigh. I looked at them and said 'this is my live one. I don't need the fake one'."

Jack giggled. "Zach even pulled my shirt up in the back to show I wasn't battery operated." Beth smiled at Aaron.

"He did," Aaron smiled. "Zach did a great job explaining what his life was like when I was out with the team. And Zach soon looking at baseball season starting." Beth looked at him. "Doc Shaw, the principal, along with Ms. Hughes had full buy-in on Zach's plan for his presentation with my support. He and I sat in on it."

Caleb smiled. "It wasn't a crying baby. But it wasn't just a weekend. It was fulltime and real. I get it."

Tom smiled at Zach and Aaron. "Stuck the landing for a perfect 10?" Zach smiled.

Aaron proudly nodded at Tom. "He got his point across."

"And three telephone numbers," Zach wickedly smiled at Caleigh. That earned him an arm whack from his wife. And laughter from the rest.

Dave laughed. "I remember you telling me about that Aaron on the jet to the next case."

Rachel smiled at Zach. "Why you are going to be an amazing father."

"Thanks Grandma," Zach smiled.

Later, sitting around the table in the large dining area, Caleb took a look around the table. "Hey we're breaking in another dining room table," he smiled.

"Which you will do quite well," Caleigh volleyed back, "leaving BBQ sauce on it. But for the record, it's the same table. It made it through the fire." The rest smiled.

Zach looked around the table, polishing off the last of a chicken thigh. He forked up some more cheesy potatoes. "So what's your plan this week?"

Tom shook his head with a smile. "Zach, I can't speak for your family, but ours intends to relax and enjoy your new home."

"There may be a shopping spree involved with Caleigh for maternity clothes later in the week," Rachel smiled.

Zach looked at his dad and then Tom. "Rut roh," he smiled. They all laughed.

"I have a hot date with your wife tomorrow afternoon," Dave smiled. Zach hiked an eyebrow at him. "To Sam's Club to get pork chops for you to cook Wednesday night after your day game with the Mets." Zach smiled.

"Twice backed potatoes might be involved with that," Beth smiled.

"I don't get home until after five from a day game," Zach said.

"That's alright," Aaron smiled. "We're all going to that game. It's going to be a late dinner."

"Dad?"

Aaron smiled. "I talked to Schuerholz about it weeks ago. We've got his suite. Rashad and Miguel are coming with us."

Zach looked at Jack. "When do you want to do the batboy thing?"

"Not this week," Jack smiled, taking a drink of his milk. "I wanna spend some time with dad and Uncle Dave with them being on AL."

Zach looked at him. "You want dad and Uncle Dave to supervise you three boys in the pool."

"Something like that," Jack smiled, sticking in another bite.

"Honestly Zach," Beth smiled. "We all just want the down time. This new home of yours and Caleigh's gives us that."

"When are you heading back home?" Zach asked.

"Not until Monday morning," Tom said.

"You're gonna make the nine hour trip Monday?" Zach asked.

Tom shook his head. "Your dad and Dave have four weeks of AL. I've got five weeks of vacation this year. Bub is riding home with your dad and Beth. Rachel and I going to head to Charleston, South Carolina for a couple of days."

"I can't wait to see it," Rachel smiled. "And it's the first time in how many years we get to take some time to ourselves without kids along."

"You two deserve that," Caleigh smiled.

"Yes they do," Caleb said, rubbing Caleigh's shoulder with a smile at their parents. "And I've already promised Aaron and Beth I'll be a good boy in Gastonia. All they have to do is feed me." The group laughed.

Zach looked at his dad and Beth. "We promised grandma and grandpa we'd spend a weekend with them," Aaron said.

"And the next weekend is the Fourth at Dave's cabin," Beth smiled.

Zach looked at Dave. "The whole team?"

Dave shook his head. "Just one surprise," he smiled.

"Uncle Dave?"

"A certain agent that lives across the pond and her soon to be junior at Harvard son," Dave smiled.

"Emily and Declan?" Zach asked, looking at his dad. "When the hell did that all come about?"

"How do you know about Declan?"

Zach smiled. "Dad, who knows the two motor mouths of the BAU the best?"

"As in Agents Rossi and Garcia," Aaron said shaking his head.

"Bingo. Spill it dad."

"While Emily was in Paris, she had JJ use her connections with the State Department to let Declan stay in the country legally. Then Emily took the job in London with Clyde Easter. Declan wanted to stay in the States. But they've gotten close."

Rachel and Tom looked at Caleigh. "It's best not to ask because I don't know any more than you do. And I'm married to the man that knows the mouth pieces."

Aaron smiled at them. "The information I just shared is need to know; but it's not classified. I trust you all enough that it will stay like that." Tom looked at him. Aaron smiled. "I won't get in trouble Tom."

"That's pretty easy," Caleb smiled, "when we don't have a clue what you're talking about."

Dave pointed at him with a smile. "Why I shared. The big dummy knew a bit more about the situation," he nodded at Zach. He looked at Aaron. "And had figured out too much. He asked; I shared minimum info."

"I figured out the rest," Zach said, looking at his dad.

Aaron shook his head. "You've always known more than you should. I'll say it again son….."

"No thanks dad," Zach smiled. "Like Uncle Dave said to me this afternoon, I'm a grown up kid playing baseball for a living."

"And making lots of money doing it," Bub smiled.

"Bingo," Dave smiled.

Zach pointed at Caleb with a smile. "It's a tough life bro." Zach laughed at the insults hurled his way.

The kitchen clean up, with everyone helping was nearly completed when a din rose outside the front door. Mudg and Lexie, enjoying a post dinner nap, quickly woke and rose to their feet. Dave smiled. "That's my girl."

"Uncle Dave?" Jack asked as Zach went to the door.

"Lover Lexie has her hair up on her back like her grandfather," Dave smiled.

That quickly dissipated as Dani bounded in the door with Rashad and Miguel. Their parents along with Andy, Victoria and a crying AJ followed the boys in.

"What's the matter with her?" Zach asked, taking the car seat from Victoria.

"She hasn't burped from her dinner," Victoria exasperatedly said.

Zach sat the car seat down on the floor. Caleigh smiled at Vic. "Uncle Zach to the rescue. He's the burp master." Beth came out of the kitchen with the dish towel she had just used to dry the last dish as Zach pulled AJ out.

She put it over Zach's shoulder. "Go Uncle Zach. I'm on chunk patrol."

Rachel came with her dish towel. "I've got back-up." Zach needed both of them two minutes later. Caleigh took the two towels to the laundry room, putting them to soak as AJ, still on Zach's shoulder nuzzled up to his neck.

Zach looked at Dave, rubbing AJ's back. "Think you can work your magic?" he smiled.

"You did the tough job," Dave smiled. "I can take it from here." Two minutes later, AJ cuddled in Dave's arms fell blissfully asleep. Miguel, Rashad and Jack smiled at each other, watching AJ snuggle into Dave's chest. While that was happening, Caleb took the canister of homemade ice cream wrapped in a towel from Josh and Beth took the cake pan Alec brought from her. Bub and Beth headed to the kitchen.

Rashad hugged Zach. "Happy Birthday Cob," he smiled.

"Thanks Rashad," Zach said, hugging him back.

"Happy Birthday," Miguel said, sharing a fist bump with Zach.

"Thank you Miguel," Zach smiled. He greeted the rest with Josh and Pedro giving him some good-natured teasing about being a year older.

A half hour later, AJ was quietly sleeping on Jack's bed snuggled up with Mudgie. The graying dog happily enjoyed the duty. Everyone else was enjoying the patio area of the home watching the boys frolicking in the pool. Zach, Caleb and Andy joined them, having fun with the boys. Lexie and Dani were perfectly content to sleep on the floor in the living room of the home off the kitchen.

With the pool being on the east side of the home, by eight-thirty the pool area was starting to get dark and the mosquitoes began their nightly attack. The group all headed inside. Beth, Alec and Moesha looked at the boys. Caleigh smiled. "Come on guys. You can use Zach's and my shower," getting them towards the steps. "Quiet please; AJ is sleeping." Getting them upstairs, she got towels out for them and smiled. "No farting around though guys. There's birthday cake and ice cream waiting for Zach."

Miguel started to drop his swim trunks and then looked at Caleigh. "OK, I'm out," she smiled. She looked at Jack. "Get it done."

"Got it Caleigh," he smiled. Caleigh walked out and the three boys dove into the massive shower.

Less than fifteen minutes later, the boys came down the steps. Zach looked at them, shaking his head. "That fast?"

Jack and Rashad smiled at him. "We heard a rumor about homemade ice cream and birthday cake," Jack said, smiling at Beth and Caleigh.

Miguel smiled. "I helped. Ice cream."

Zach looked around. Pedro smiled. "We know the lefty is pitching the day game Wednesday," he nodded at Andy. "He did the first churns with help from the boys. I did the middle one. Josh did the big push at the end."

Alec smiled. "I might have gotten a recipe from Caleigh that belongs to your grandma and mom."

Zach shook his head at Jack and looked at Alec. "Not the homemade," Alec smiled more, "chocolate," Alec smiled deeper. Zach looked at Jack. "There's a win for a birthday," Zach smiled. The brothers shared their traditional home run high five to the laughter of everyone.

Everyone was sitting around, enjoying their cake and ice cream. Jack looked at Beth. "What's for breakfast tomorrow?" Everyone stopped eating.

"Really Jack?" Caleigh asked.

"Cereal and fruit for me," Zach said, putting another bite in.

Dave looked at him. "Welcome to old man world," he smiled. "I'm in on that action."

"So no pancakes, waffles or eggs?" Jack questioned.

"Jack!" Jack looked around at all the people that called him out.

"Busted," Miguel quietly said. Rashad roared with laughter sharing a fist bump with Miguel.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Dude!" Rashad smiled at him.

Dave thumped Jack's shoulder. "You're out-numbered by the older than you gang that can't burn off calories on a whim like you."

"That sucks," Jack smiled. Zach shook his head at his brother.

"So does your language," Aaron growled.

"Busted," Zach smiled.

-00CM00-

Zach came out of the bathroom and looked at Caleigh sitting on their bed. She smiled at him and held out a card. Zach sat down next to her. "You weren't kidding about this being just between us," he smiled, opening the envelope.

He read the wonderful, funny yet sentimental card that he knew Caleigh had spent over an hour in a Hallmark card shop to find. And then looked at what she wrote on the left side of the opened card.

My dear, loving husband…

Happy Birthday. I love you so much.

Dr. Laura did my second trimester ultrasound while you were away last week.

It's …

#####

A/N: Thank you my OK Teacher for your usual job.

*whispers* There's gonna be one more in this saga before the big one.

I'm gonna run and hide with Hotch's Kevlar vest on. Bye all! Thanks for the reviews and alerts! *dives for cover*

*Knightly bow*