The first snow storm of the season had just hit the DC area. Aaron was thankful that the worst of it was passing through on a weekend that found the team at home, rather than on the road. Breakfast was over, and Jack had parked himself in the middle of the couch with a bag of popcorn and the remote in his hand. Hotch smiled to himself, before realizing that he hadn't seen Spencer for at least an hour.
While most adults weren't able to get into much trouble in a mere 60 minutes, his experience had taught him that a quiet Spencer could be worrisome.
Searching the house methodically, Hotch found the young genius sitting cross-legged on the floor in the formal living room, staring up at the fully decorated Christmas tree. The smell of the fresh pine brought a smile to his face. He leaned against the door jam, watching Spencer carefully. He was amazed at the breadth of emotion he was seeing reflected in the man's eyes, as they watched the tree lights twinkle.
Moving soundlessly, Aaron sat behind Spencer, straddling him between his legs, pulling his lover tight against his chest. "You're thinking about something…care to share?"
Spencer turned and smiled at Aaron, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "It's beautiful, isn't it." Stated the young man with the sound of wonder in his voice.
"You did a fantastic job decorating it…Jack will be excited."
"I'm excited too…is the first Christmas tree that I've had since I was 12."
The look of confusion on Aaron's face caused Spencer to sigh before relaxing into the older man's arms. "Before my Dad left, we did the Christmas thing…to a point, I guess. I figured out that there was no Santa Claus by the time I was three…the physics just didn't add up."
Aaron chuckled as his mind imagined a bespectacled toddler calculating the acceleration necessary to propel the cumulative weight of a jolly old man, his magical reindeer and a bottomless sleigh around the entire world in one night.
Spencer gave him an embarrassed smile before continuing. "That first Christmas after he was gone, Mom tried hard to make the holiday special, but by that time, her illness had become more pervasive. She had a few good days…good, bordering on frantic, I guess you could say. I came home from school one day, and she had decorated the house and the tree, shopped for presents, wrapped them, and had them waiting for me. I was so happy…it felt so normal…normal is good."
Aaron tightened his grip on the younger man. "…there's a but coming…"
"You could say that. A few days later, she had a bad day. When I got home, everything was a mess. The Christmas tree and all the decorations were shredded…she had ripped open all of the presents, and destroyed everything inside. Her hands and feet were cut to ribbons from the broken Christmas tree ornaments, and the holly wreaths. When I asked her what happened, she looked at me with these wild eyes. Apparently, at some point in the morning the phone rang...she never answered the phone on her bad days. Anyway, she became convinced that the call had been from the government, and that it had activated cameras and assorted listening devices which had been cleverly hidden somewhere within the Christmas tree."
Hotch rested his chin on Spencer's shoulder, as he squeezed the young man tightly.
"Well, we don't have to worry this year, Babe...I swept for bugs and cameras before we brought the tree into the house. Besides...we ARE the government."
Spencer began to giggle at Aaron's proclamation, turning quickly to tackle his lover playfully, both men wrestling for the most advantageous tickling angle. Hearing the commotion, Jack ran to the room, and jumped on top of the two men, adding to the dog pile on the living room floor.
Hotch barely heard the door bell ring over their shouts and laughter. "Shhhh," said Aaron as he strained to identify the sound that he had heard.
The doorbell rang a second time, as he disentangled himself from the pile. "Its probably carolers," he added with a smile, as he made his way to the front door.
Excited at the prospect of carol singers, Spencer grabbed up Jack, and ran after Hotch. "Aaron...if they are carolers, can you ask them to sing We Three Kings? I love that song..."
Aaron opened the door, but instead of welcoming festive singers, Reid could see his lover's frame become instantly tense. A jolt of fear and adrenaline rushed through the young doctor's body. He gripped Jack tightly, and started to back up slowly. "Aaron...who is it?" Spencer asked quietly.
Spencer saw his lover gesture for he and Jack to stay back. Worried, Spencer continued walking backwards towards the kitchen until he heard his boss greet the unexpected visitors.
"Mother...Sean...what are you doing here?"
The pronouncement stopped the young genius in his tracks. The panic he was feeling was over-ridden only by his desire to protect Jack from his mostly absent grandmother. He whirled around to head into the kitchen at the exact moment that Jessica came through the door from the garage. Spencer yelped, while Jack and Jessica laughed at him.
"Spencer...Spence...I didn't mean to scare you, I'm so sorry." exclaimed Jess with a giggle. "I went to do some last minute Christmas shopping, but the weather turned so fast. I barely made it this far before they closed the roads. Hey...did you know that your mother-in-law is out front?"
OoO
Hotch still had yet to fully open the front door. "Mother...aren't you supposed to be in Europe by now?" asked Aaron coldly.
"Darling, don't look so put out. I thought you would be overjoyed to have some company for Christmas, seeing as how Haley isn't around anymore." As she spoke, she pushed her eldest son aside, and entered the townhouse. Sean followed her closely, mouthing his silent apology.
Hotch closed the door roughly, and turned to face his mother. "It isn't so much that Haley isn't around, Mother...we divorced, and then she was murdered."
Unfazed by Aaron's pronouncement, she continued. "The point is, Darling, that you and that adorable little grandson of mine are alone on Christmas...what kind of mother would I be if flew off to Paris without spending time with my boys?"
Rolling his eyes at his younger brother, he turned once again to address his mother in an exaggerated tone. "Mother! What a happy surprise. I am so glad that you and Sean came by for a visit."
Sean grinned. In a whisper he added, "If the airports were still open, neither of us would have even known she was on the East Coast. She called me to pick her up after she was grounded at La Guardia. Then, she whined and moaned and fanned herself until I agreed to drive her to Dulles. I was truly hoping to beat the storm and get her on a flight, but..." The younger man gave an embarrassed shrug, before following his mother into the living room.
OoO
Spencer and Jessica listened to the conversation from their hiding place in the kitchen. In a whisper, Jessica asked, "Why are we hiding? Doesn't she like you."
Spencer smiled guiltily. "She doesn't know that I exist. Aaron and I talked about it, and we decided that she was so...how do you say it...absent, that she wouldn't notice for years."
Jessica looked confused. "You thought that it would take her years to figure out that you were married?"
"Pretty much, yes."
Jessica touched his cheek gently. "Spencer...you love him and he loves you. She needs to know."
The youngest Hotchner looked up at his father with concern. "Grandma doesn't know that your my Daddy?"
"Jack, baby, it is a long story. You know that your Dad and I and Aunt Jess love you very much. That is all that we need. Your Grandmother isn't...doesn't...she wouldn't understand."
"What wouldn't she understand?"
Jessica took control of the conversation. "Jack, baby...older people don't feel comfortable when relationships are...not what they expect."
"What do you mean?" asked Jack in confusion.
Spencer smiled sheepishly. "I think your Grandmother would expect your father to marry someone more like your Mom..."
"You mean...she would rather have him marry a girl." stated Jack with childlike understanding.
"Exactly!" responded Reid.
Jessica looked at the two and shook her head. "So is the plan to hide in the kitchen until the storm is over?"
OoO
Out in the living room, Aaron attempted to make small talk with his mother, while continuing to glance towards the unopened kitchen door.
"Sean...be a dear and whip me up some of that delicious eggnog you made last year." Their mother waved her hand as she spoke, basically dismissing her younger son to go labor in the kitchen.
Aaron saw his opportunity. "Sean...come with me. I'll show you where everything is." He extended his arm and guided his brother towards the kitchen.
Once within reach of the swinging door, Hotch pushed hard on his brother's back and hustled them both through the door quickly. Hotch smiled broadly at the scene in front of him. Sean had nearly run over Spencer who had been crouching by the door, listening. He was now splayed out on the floor halfway across the room, with Jessica attempting unsuccessfully to pull him to his feet. Jack, on the other hand, had seen his uncle enter, and jumped at full speed into his arms.
Aaron immediately went to Spencer's rescue, pulling the young genius deftly to his feet, and into his arms. Sean's head whipped to the side when he noticed his older brother...the stoic, serious and straight Aaron Hotchner, kiss the tall lanky stranger in front of him.
Sean set Jack down slowly. "Bro...is there something you want to tell me?"
Aaron and Spencer turned to face Sean. Aaron opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when Jess stepped between them and held out her hand to Sean. "I don't know if you remember me...we met at Aaron and Haley's wedding...I'm Jessica, Haley's sister."
"What are you doing back here, Jess?" asked Aaron, in a futile attempt to avoid answering his brother.
Jessica smiled sweetly and turned to face her brother-in-law. "Well, I had some last minute shopping to do and..."
"Stop!" yelled Sean. "Just stop trying to avoid this Aaron. You were just kissing that guy!"
All heads turned to stare at a sheepish looking Spencer. In an attempt to avoid eye contact with his brother-in-law, the young genius reached out to Jack. "Want to go outside and play in the snow, Buddy?"
Jack giggled. "Daddy, its a blizzard...that isn't safe, is it?"
"Daddy? Did he just call him Daddy?" asked Sean warily.
"I'll just be out here in the garage if you need me." mumbled Reid as he turned and attempted to squeeze himself through the garage door without letting in the chilly air.
"Babe...Spencer...it's cold out there...you'll catch your death." As Aaron said this, he grabbed on to Spencer's hand, and pulled him away from the door.
"Sean, this is Dr. Spencer Reid-Hotchner...my husband, Jack's adopted father, and your new brother-in-law. He's shy, and would apparently rather go stand in the very deep snow, than meet my family."
"Aaron...that's not fair...I was just...um...what are we going to tell your mother?"
Sean's eyes grew wide in fear. "We can't tell her anything until after I make the eggnog. Possibly not until she has had two or three glasses...maybe more. I CANNOT become the good son because you went crazy."
OoO
From the comfort of the living room, Mrs. Hotchner heard an eruption of laughter from the kitchen. She entered without being noticed, and stood to the side as her sons worked together making eggnog. Jack was emptying the contents of the refrigerator, based upon a list repeated to him by a strange man in a sweater vest, and a female that resembled her former daughter-in-law laughed at the men from the sidelines.
Finally the elder woman decided to make her presence known. She cleared her throat, which brought the entire kitchen to a stand-still. "Aaron, Dear...aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"
All eyes fell on Hotch. He looked towards the ground, steeled his jaw, than looked back at his mother with a smile. "Well, Mother...you know that you haven't been around for a while, and there have been some changes in my life and Jack's."
Mrs. Hotchner stared blankly at her son. "Changes?" She scanned the group, and suddenly smiled. "Aaron...is there a special someone in your life?" The older woman walked quickly to Jessica and pulled her into a tight hug. "Welcome to the family, Dear. I could see that you were Aaron's type the minute I walked in...why have you been hiding in the kitchen like a common servant? We must get to know each other...has anyone ever told you that you look exactly like Aaron's ex-wife Hillary?"
"Her name was Haley, Mother...and this is Haley's sister, Jessica. She takes care of Jack when Spencer and I are working."
"Spencer? Is that a family name? Why would anyone name their daughter Spencer? Where is her family from?"
Aaron smiled and put his arm firmly around his husband's shoulder. "Mother...this is my husband, Spencer."
Reid smiled shyly and gave a hesitant wave to his mother-in-law.
"Spencer and I got married in DC six months ago...he adopted Jack...we're a family...part of your family, Mother."
Sean smiled. "Eggnog is almost ready, Mother...I think you'll need some...we'll be here a while."