Christmas is a nationally celebrated day. Some people are blessed with the day off others don't. Nurses report for their duties, kissing their children's heads and promising that next year will be different. Doctors seat on edge with that pager. Just daring it to sound itself and call them away. Bakers watch as the lonely pool off of the streets seeking some food and comfort. High squels sound as the universal signs of the early hours. Some tear through the papers quickly crying, clapping, and yelling at what they find underneath.
But that's not how BAU Christmas' work. Christmas begins the day that the federal building is decorsted for the Christmas ball. It's a very important day for the BAU children.
This year's ball would be little Hank's first and it has everyone gushing at just how quickly the time passes. Just because Morgan no longer works with them doesn't mean that Hotch isn't gonna put him down the on the list to be there.
Cruz sees Derek's name down on the list and smirks. He leaves it.
Every year, without fail, something happens that puts them all on edge.
One year it was Haley's death still so fresh and painful.
Another year it was JJ's mother expressing, to the entire team, that Reid, Hotch or Morgan would have made much better men to lay down with than Will. JJ couldn't make eye contact with them the entire party.
This year it's yet another unexpected death.
"Aaron Hotchner." His attention is pulled from his paperwork, paperwork that he's vigorously working on for hours.
"Hello, Mr. Hotchner, I've been unable to reach Agent Prentiss, one of your agents. Do you think you could give me an alternative number that I could to reach her?" He doesn't give a single fuck as to who this man is. He doesn't just give his agents numbers out willy nilly.
"I'd rather like to know why you're trying to contact my agent." His tone is even with a tinge of impatience.
The man breaths a deep sigh. "Mr. Hotchner, it's a very personal matter."
Hotch's eyes harden but his voice stays the same. "I assure you that whatever personal matter that you're attempting to disclose to her she'd much rather hear from someone she knows rather than some stranger over the phone."
The man hesitates, weighs his cards, and finds Hotch's words true. "I need to inform Agent Prentiss that her mother past shorty yesterday afternoon."
Hotch's heart sinks. He's gotten himself in and he can't just leave now. Not knowing this. Not when he know how much this gonna hurt Prentiss. "Thank you. I'll inform her." He doesn't give the other man a chance to answer before he puts the phone down.
He takes a deep breath, he has from here to the door to prepare what to say.
Setting his jaw he opens his office door. "Prentiss?"
Her eyes snap up, she'd been smiling," sir?"
He's about to hurt her. He's gonna be the one to wipe that smile from her face for days.
"I need to see you in my office." As if they work in a high school instead of a federal building 'ooooo's fill the air.
Once he's turned his back, he can still see their reflections, Emily throws her pen and hits Derek in the chest with it.
He calms himself and tries to force the guilt down.
"You wanted to see me?"
He hadn't realized he'd stopped by the windows, looking out over chilly Quantico.
"P- Emily. Um, have a seat."
Funeral Day
She didn't come in for the rest of the week. Understandable.
They settled for the funeral to be two days before Christmas Eve.
Emily didn't tell Hotch, he found out when JJ came in teary eyed and informed him: "She needs you."
He didn't know what to do. Hell his father's death is nothing like he mother's. He has an idea about how she feels but their losses are different.
There's a small flower shop just down the street from the parking garage. There a lovely older women who owns a little flower shop. She knows Hotch well, he likes her, he's prone to buying roses for Haley's grave there. For some reason he trust this woman and after three months and soon this little Korean woman, no bigger than 5'0, knows all about Hotch and refers to him as her adopted son to her friends.
She also encourages Hotch and Emily's friendship.
He takes one red tulip and Ms. T sends him off with a wink.
"Hotch?" She can't manage to fake a smile as she greets him. "What are you doing here?"
He hands her the simple red tulip," wanted to make sure my Christmas Ball date was okay." He'd practiced that over and over in the car.
Emily gives a simple soft smile," well she's doing fine."
He follows her to the kitchen where she smells the tulip and wraps it in a wet paper towel. "It's a beautiful flower, Hotch."
"Aaron," he corrects softy. "Just call me, Aaron."
She nods and holds the flower gently between her hands. He watches the single tear fall down her cheek. He finds his hand raising to gently sweep it aside. "I'm so sorry about your mother."
She nods and breaks into a sob. He's there in a second to gather her up in his arms. The tulip is stuck between them.
"It's okay," he rocks them gently. This must be how she felt when Haley died. She had never had a spouse die but Matthew had died just shorty before. She knew what that felt like but he wasn't Haley just like his father isn't the same as her mother. "I've got you. You're okay. I'm not going anywhere." His mouth is moving faster than his mind can filter," you're okay."
Under her fingers she can feel his heart thumping through his shirt. She tries to pull herself back by using him as a life line. He must know it because he flattens her hand to his chest and mutters. "It's okay. You feel that? You're gonna be just fine."
She looks up, tears pooled in her eyes, and sobs. "She's dead, Aaron. My mother's dead."
He nods," I'm sorry."
They lock eyes and he brushes a strand of her hair out of her face. "Emily..."
She rocks on to her toes and he leans down to capture her lips.
"That was a little unplanned," Hotch mutters.
Emily cups his cheek and smiles sadly," sometimes going away form the plan is good."
He agrees with a smile," sometimes."
Next is "Competing"
Drop a challenge if you want!
-SH
