Diclaimer: I dont own Criminal Minds
One Shot – Emily and Jack
Hotch was at the office doing paperwork when his cell rang the caller i.d. said it was Jess, Hotch got a little worried Jess never called him this early Jack should have just gotten home from school. He hesitantly picked up hoping that nothing had happened to Jack.
"Jess! Is everything ok?"
"Well Kind of" Jess replied cautiously and proceeded to tell him the story of how when she went to pick Jack up from school this afternoon he was crying and he won't tell Jess why.
"I'll be right there" Hotch replied, thankful that Jack wasn't physically hurt.
As Hotch left the office he stopped in at Dave's office telling him what was going on and that he was in charge then left Dave's office half running to the elevator leaving a wake of concerned BAU members behind him. The rest of the BAU team ran to Rossi's office were left feeling slightly better but still concerned for Jack.
Jess's House
When Hotch got to Jess's house he found a very concerned Aunt holding his crying son, who obviously still hadn't told Jess anything. Hotch went over to his son who immediately went to him and started crying harder into his chest.
"Jack, what's wrong?"
Jack just shook his head.
"Buddy I can't help if you don't tell me what the problem is…"
Jack just shook his head again.
"Is someone hurting you" Hotch said, now in interrogator/ dad mode.
Once again Jack shook his head and Hotch and Jess both let out a small sigh of relief, but what had gotten Jack so upset?
"If you won't talk to me about it Jack, Would you like to talk to someone else maybe one of the team?"
Much to Jess and Hotch's surprise he agreed to this it broke Hotch's heart. How much have I failed as a Father if Jack can't even trust me? Hotch was pretty sure that Jess was feeling the same way given the look on her face. But he had to suck it up and continue to help Jack in the only way he would let him.
"Okay, Jack who would you like to talk to Aunty JJ or Aunty Penelope."
Hotch knew that both of these women would know what to say to Jack but he didn't seem eager to talk to either.
"How about Aunty Emily?"
At the sound of Emily's name Jack turned to face Hotch and he knew she was the one that they would be calling and he had no doubt she could handle it, I mean it was Emily Prentiss she was perfect but he knew she would have her doubts.
"Okay Jack I'm going to go into the kitchen and start making some Mac and Cheese for dinner and I'll call Emily maybe she can even stay for dinner okay, you stay her with Aunt Jess"
Jack nodded and crawled over to Jess who just held him while Hotch went into the kitchen. After putting the water onto boil he called Emily.
In the bull pen
Emily was sitting at her desk when her cell went off; when she saw it was Hotch her stomach did a back flip.
"Hotch is everything okay?" she almost yelled and Derek and Reid looked at her with worried faces while JJ went to go get Rossi and Garcia.
Her face went blank as Hotch started to say that nothing was ok and she interrupted
"Is anybody hurt?" she asked in a much smaller voice.
She let out a sigh of relief as he told her that no one was hurt, but Jack was very upset and wouldn't talk to him or jess about it. Her heart broke at the sound of this she knew that Hotch must be feeling terrible right now; however she also wondered why he was calling her. As she felt the tears spring to her eyes she realised where she was and that the rest of her team were staring at her and trying to figure out was going on. She quickly excused herself and went up into Hotch's office where the explanation was nearing the end.
"So the I said to Jack, would he like to speak to one of the team? And he agreed so I suggested JJ or Garcia but he didn't want to talk to them so then I suggested you and he agreed he wants to speak to you…"
There was silence at both ends of the phone as Emily processed the information.
"Me..." she stammered "Not Garcia or JJ, I mean they're both maternal why me?"
She heard Hotch breathe deeply " honestly have no idea, but at this moment I really don't care why because I just want him to feel better and I know that it's a huge favo-"
Emily interrupted him "I'll be there in 15" and hung up the phone before Hotch could say another word. She took a deep breath and headed out into the bullpen where everyone was waiting for her. However before they could get a single word out she started to talk
" Nobody is hurt that's the good news but Jack is really upset for some unknown reason and won't speak to Hotch or Jess about it so Hotch suggested one of us (pointing at the team) and for a reason that only Jack knows he want to talk to me, I mean me of all peop-"
She cut herself off when she saw the amused looks on her teammate's faces, she had been rambling.
"I have to go" was all she said as she grabbed her bag and proceeded towards the elevator.
The rest of the team shot amused looks to each other trying to hold in the laughter as JJ ran to catch Emily.
"Hey Em!" JJ called catching up to her at the elevators. "You will do fine just be yourself Jack loves you and obviously trusts you so run with it but I for one know you will do great."
Emily hugged her best friend as the elevator arrived after flashing her an 'it will be ok smile' the doors closed and Emily couldn't help but wonder if her best friend was right.
Jess's House
Emily knocked on the door and heard footsteps; the door open and she saw a very worried Hotch open the door. Before either of them could say anything they heard little feet running, they turned around to see Jack running straight for Emily with tears pouring down his cheeks. She scooped him up in her arms and soothed the distressed boy, while looking at the pain in her boss's and friends eyes.
"Why don't we go and talk in your room Jack-Jack?" Emily asked and the boy just nodded into her shoulder. Hotch led the way to his bedroom then left the two of them to talk.
"So Jack what's the problem?" Emily asked
"At school, we talking bout family trees, and the teacher say that everyone has a mummy and a daddy, but I only have my angel mummy so I say that, but no-one else has angel mummy only real mummy cept' Jack" The small boy clung to Emily and sobbed so hard, she was fighting her own tears while holding him.
"Oh Jack-Jack listen to me okay?" Jack looked up cheeks streaked with tears and she continued "you had a wonderful Mummy, and you still do in heaven as an angel, and even though she not here like I am, she still watches over you no matter what ok?" the little boy nodded. "And do know what else? you are so, so, so lucky because you also have your Daddy and Your Aunt Jess, Aunt Penelope and Aunt JJ and do know what else?" the little boy shook his head "you also have me and I will, always be here if you need to talk about anything ok Jack?" The little boy snuggled into her chest even more. However Emily still had one more question for Jack.
"Hey Jack, Why didn't you want to tell Daddy or Aunt Jess what was wrong?"
Jack looked down as he said "cos they always get sad when I talk about mummy and I didn't want to make them sad."
Emily didn't know what to say so she just pulled the boy closer to her and started rocking in the chair ad soon enough she heard tiny snores coming from him. She stood up and laid him down on the bed and started to walk out when Jack woke up and asked her to stay with him just a little bit longer, and really who could say no to that. So she climbed over him and cuddled him, slowly he fell back asleep. Emily found herself fighting to keep her eyes open.
An Hour had passed and Hotch was getting increasingly agitated, "what could be taking so long?" He finally persuaded Jess to let him go check on them. As he approached the door her couldn't hear any talking so he slowly opened the door and what he saw made him so very, very happy his little boy with a smile on his face clinging onto Emily's shirt with Emily asleep beside him with her arms protectively around Jack. He slowly backed out and couldn't help but to go get Jess, who was just as worried as he was and he knew that this would make her happy as well. The sight of those two did make Jess immensely happy as well as the look she saw on her brother-in-laws face as her watched the two sleep. He was so in love with her.
Emily awoke to find a small person kicking her. She was extremely confused for a few minutes until she remembered the events of that evening. She was astonished when she looked at the clock on the bedside table to see that it was 8:45 they had slept for three and a half hours! She carefully extracted herself from Jack and his bad which was much harder than it looks and went to find Hotch and Jess. She made her way out into the living room where the smell of Mac and Cheese hit her, she smiled as she say the two adults dozing on the couch, and she didn't want to wake them so she went in hunt of some Mac and Cheese.
After finding everything and helping herself, making sure to keep enough for Jack she went and sat in an armchair watching the TV. The renewed smell of Mac and Cheese woke Hotch and Jess. Who both smiled at the sight of Emily having made herself at home (not that either of the cared in the slightest) Emily turned to face them when she heard movement and saw the anxious expressions on their faces, and after finishing her mouthful she began to speak.
"In Jack's class at school, they are doing family trees, and some thoughtless teacher said that everyone has a mummy and a daddy. Jack said that he has an angel mummy. It sounds like there are no divorced or single parents in this class; anyway another child said that everyone has a mummy and a daddy."
Emily looked back to see comprehension and understanding on Jess's face but on Hotch's face you could still see the hurt.
"You wanna know the best part?" she asked smiling. Both of them looked at her as if she might be mental but she continued anyway knowing what this would mean to them both.
"When I asked them WHY he didn't want to tell either of you he said and I quote 'cos they always get sad when I talk about mummy and I didn't want to make them sad.'"
Both of their faces relaxed immensely at this bit of news knowing that Jack was in his own way just trying to protect was very relieving. She smiled and went back to her Mac and Cheese.
"Whoever made this made this it is amazing" she said. "I left some for Jack in case he wakes up and one of you might want to talk to Jacks teacher about explaining the fact that not everyone has a Mummy and a Daddy so this doesn't happen again but I don't think you will have a problem with jack now. I set him straight"
Both Jess and Aaron were staring at her mouths open.
"What did I say something wrong." suddenly very concerned until they both started laughing and Jess answered.
"No, you did nothing wrong you said everything right in fact. You just sounded quite the opposite from strong, independent, hard assed Emily. You sounded like a motherly Emily. A thought suddenly occurred to Hotch.
"What did you tell Jack?"
"Oh, I told him that both his Mother and angel Mother loved him very much and even though she wasn't here right know she was always looking over him. Also I said that he was lucky to have you guys, JJ, Garcia and me who all loved him, and that if he ever needed to talk again I was always here."
Hotch wanted to kiss her so badly, he couldn't speak or move the drive was that powerful. He was awoken out of his trance by Jess.
"Thank you so much Emily, I don't think I could have come up with anything as good as that."
Hotch nodded in agreement with Jess and the three of them continued to talk and watch a movie until Emily feel asleep and the other two decided it was time to, got to bed as well both feeling so grateful towards Emily.