Disclaimer - I own nothing related to Criminal Minds or any of the music or films mentioned!

I LOVE Christmas so much and got so excited when I saw this challenge, I tried to do my best with the prompts in between writing essays; Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – (Kenny G version), ice skating, antlers and mistletoe, hopefully you enjoy it.

Specifically for FloatingAmoeba, Merry Christmas!

...

Hotch struggled to hear his former colleague's feminine voice, over the loud Christmas music that was playing in the mall that she had courageously, or some would argue stupidly, taken both of their son's a few days before Christmas, after he desperately phoned her, a few hours earlier. Originally, Haley's sister, Jessica, was going to babysit his seven year old while he delivered his testimony at the dim, grey law courts less than a week before Santa came, but his former sister-in-law had come down with the annually feared winter flu. Noting a break in the festive music on the end of JJ's line, Hotch looked towards the crowd of people entering the court room before lowering his voice. "Thanks for taking Jack with you to the mall, JJ. I know how stressful it is to go shopping with little boys so close to Christmas"

Glancing down at the two wide eyed boys pressed up against the glass barrier, JJ smirked at their identically engrossed expressions as the mall's Christmas elves pranced around a gigantic silver snowman, sparkling with fairy lights and purple and silver baubles. "Its fine Hotch, just concentrate on the trial, we're having a great time, aren't we boys?"

"Yeah" Jack and Henry replied half heartedly as a rather convincing Santa appeared with penguin shaped chocolates for all the awaiting kids.

Hotch chuckled at the boy's quiet lack-lustre response. "They sound preoccupied"

"Well sure, dancing elves are always interesting" JJ sniped as Henry jumped up and down in excitement as the mall Santa approached to give them the candy.

"Thanks again JJ. It looks like court's resuming, I've got to go. I'll phone you when I'm done. Hopefully it won't be too late" The profiler explained gratefully.

JJ felt a smile form on her lips at his sincerity. "Hotch, seriously, don't worry about it, keep your head there, the boys and I are having a great time"

"Thanks JJ. Bye" Hanging up the phone. JJ slowly crouched down, so she was eye level with the two boy's, trying her best to distract their concentration away from the performance and back to her.

"So where too now guys?"

Henry shook his head and pointed over to the long queue for Santa's grotto, whereas Jack bit his lower lip, deep in thought. "Erm, I kinda need a present for Daddy"

"Okay what do you want to get him?" JJ smiled to the serious and timidly tempered seven and three quarter years old as he took her hand, almost instinctively as she stood. Taking, her own son's hand, the blonde almost struggled to lead them both towards the shops and out of the large gathered crowd.

They walked in silence for a few minutes till they reached the department store. Jack pointed over to the gadget corner and attempted to drag the Pennsylvanian and his small friend over to the highly stacked shelves. "I think he wants a 'chopter"

JJ looked down at his big brown eyes suspiciously. "You think your daddy wants a toy helicopter? Are you sure about that?"

"Hotch wanna wabbit" Henry interrupted, watching his mother's warm gaze as she replied. "Hotch wants a rabbit now, huh?"

"Hows about," Jack looked though the busy crowds to the festively decorated shelves in awe, "Ooh a gum ball machine!"

JJ looked over to the five foot candy holding orb, where Jack was trying to drag the three of them over too. "Okay, I'm starting to think these are all things you boys want"

"Wabbit" Henry reiterated dreamily as he struggled to look up at the tall shelves.

"You just have to wait for Santa to come, won't you mister" JJ stated motherly, but suddenly cringed as Jack let go of her hand to reach into a tinsel brimmed bucket, sensing his next question as the small hand unveiled the Christmas headpieces.

Jack's grin widened at the sight of the bucket's content. "Cool, reindeer antlers! JJ can we get some?"

Sighing, JJ reluctantly nodded, not being able to say no, at the sight of the two little boys, excited expressions. Muttering under her breath, JJ helped Henry put on the headband. "This is going to be a long day"

...

Three and a half hours, seven shopping bags and one hissy fit later; JJ, Jack and Henry, still wearing the antlers, stood opposite the Mall arcade watching some of the other customers skating to instrumentals of popular Holiday songs, on the indoor ice rink. Four year old Henry adjusted his sliding head piece and tugged his mother's hand enthusiastically, trying to get her attention to the group children putting on their skates, in the sitting area. "Mamma"

JJ looked over to where Henry was pointing and sighed. "Buddy, you're too little to go ice skating"

"Mamma, let's go zoom!" Henry beamed excitedly.

Jack tugged on JJ's coat with the same enthusiasm as the younger boy. "JJ please can we skate?"

"I don't know Jack, people are skating pretty fast and we've got all these bags" JJ looked down sympathetically at both of the boys, trying to calm her son by running her fingers through his short blonde hair.

"But I'm gettin' good, Uncle Sean took me when we went to see him in New York and I can hold Henry's hand, we can teach him" Jack pleaded with widened eyes and grinned broadly as Henry continued to tug his mom's hand. "Mamma, we go zoom now!"

Sighing, she looked over to the booth where the growing queue was and then looked back down to the boy's best attempt at puppy dog eyes and caved. "Just give me one minute okay, then we'll go and talk to the jolly looking festive pirate over there" Feeling her phone buzz in her coat pocket, JJ tried to keep hold of their hands as they jumped up and down while she read the text.

'JJ, Courts retiring. Be leaving soon, where should we meet? Hotch'

Unsure whether or not Hotch would usually allow Jack to go skating, the single mom mouthed what she typed as she replied. 'Hey. Boys want to ice-skate, not as scary as you think! Meet us at the ice rink in the west side of the Mall, near arcade, you'll be able to spot us by our new head pieces – see you soon, JJ.' Pressing send, the blonde gathered the bags and lead the two boys over to the skating booth, manned by a Christmas pirate, to collect their skates. After the ordeal of getting a four year olds foot into the skate and attempting to contain Jack's excitement as he stood on the ice, JJ finally relaxed, remembering her childhood love for the ice, as she skated around with both boys on either side.

After forty or so minutes of skating in between the crowd, JJ beamed down at her son's uncertain expression as he tried to find his feet, like Bambi. "See you're getting the hang of it"

"JJ, look!" Jack called out as he attempted to skate backwards, trying to impress his favourite blonde babysitter.

"Wow, buddy, you're doing great" JJ complimented motherly.

Since JJ and started her job at the DOD, most Saturdays were put aside for Jack and Henry to have a play date, while she and Hotch caught up over coffee. The adult's friendship had always been built on trust and respect and since they no longer worked together, Saturday became the replacement for the late night conversations they'd usually have in the BAU. While JJ made an attempt to keep in touch with all of her former team members, with Hotch there was no effort required. Their relationship was simple and understated, both, just needing to know the other was there .

Sometimes their close friendship simply involved Hotch listening to JJ's complaints about her new colleagues or often after a particularly bad case during the week, the mother and son would cook for the Hotchner men, JJ wanting the unit chief to remember not everything was his fault and she was always available for him to talk to. Although the blonde would never turn down the opportunity of some adult company since Will had broke up with the former bureau liaison not long after she transferred. Her partner of three years, expected, that JJ's new position would mean she'd slow down and they could concentrate on extending their family but when JJ's dedication to her new career became evident, they separated. The newly married detective was still sporadically in Henry's life, but it was still a big change and the Saturday play dates with Jack had helped Henry with the transition and now the two boys had the same mutually respected friendship their parents had.

The bustling sounds of cheerful people skating in the cool air blended harmoniously, with the Saxophone melody of Kenny G, blearing out the Judy Garland classic from of the large speakers standing next to the pirate owners' booth. Hotch leaned against the barrier taking in the sight of reindeer antler wearing, JJ and Jack holding Henry's little hands, guiding him between the small crowds of people who were all blissfully enjoying the icy experience and ignorant of his presence.

His son looked in his element, playing big brother to Henry and having the Pennsylvanian's full attention. When JJ first left the BAU, the unit chief had done everything possible to get her back and it took JJ showing up at the office one late night after a bad case involving children for him to realise that she wasn't coming back, but the former liaison had insisted they meet at least once a week. Probably so she could make sure he wasn't burying his denial in work, and the single-mother and son had soon become a permanent fixture in his and Jack's weekly routine. Smiling as he pinpointed JJ feminine chuckle at Henry's wobbling on the ice through the noisy environment, a piercing screech dragged the profiler out of his dreamy thoughts. "DADDY!"

Jack's ecstatic grin involuntarily made the unit chief's smile widen the closer the, soon to be eight year old, came. "Hey, you look like your enjoying yourself"

"Do you like my antlers, daddy?" Jack asked as he collided with the barrier with a thump.

Hotch chuckled at his son's enthusiasm and leaned down to kiss the top of his head. "You look very festive buddy"

"Hey you're here" JJ beamed as she skated slowly over with her four year old son.

"Yeah, traffic wasn't too bad." Hotch returned her warm smile with a dimple producing one of his own, before addressing the heavy sighing of the youngest member of the little group. "Do you like the ice Henry?"

"Erm" Henry pulled a face as he looked up at the familiar tall profiler.

Hotch chuckled at the young boy's scrunched up face. "I'll take that as a no"

"He fell down" JJ explained softly, as she helped both boys off the rink.

"Ahh," The unit chief nodded, fully understanding Henry's dislike for skating, "who would of thought that ice is slippy"

"Ice is always slippy" Jack stated seriously looking up to his father for assistant in getting his ice skate off his foot.

"Well with all this skating you three deserve a hot chocolate" Hotch caught JJ's side as she struggled to stand as she took of her own skate after getting Henry back into his blue and red wellies, flashing Hotch a grateful smile, JJ stood on the damp floor and watched Henry's head shoot up towards Hotch, his grin widened automatically at the mention of the warm drink. "Coco!"

"Can we have Uncle Sean's gingerbread too?" Jack asked expectantly.

Taking his son's hand as the pair of adults handed in the ice skates, while Hotch replied softly. "Those are at home, kiddo"

Sighing, Jack pouted and his large brown eyes scolded his father silently. "But I wanted to show JJ and Henry my Sheppard costume"

"JJ might be busy, besides, they'll see it on Monday buddy, at the nativity play" Hotch tried to explain sensitively, not wanting JJ to feel pressured into having to do something because Jack had inherited his mother's disappointed look.

Jack looked over to JJ as she picked up the bags they had left with the festive pirate. "But JJ's going to make it shorter, cos I keep trippin'"

"Do you have time?" Hotch asked his sympathetic looking friend of ten years.

"Sure, if you do? I mean, mine and Henry's schedule isn't exactly riveting these days. Well apart from a much anticipated Disney film and a warm bubble bath" JJ replied as she picked up her son and fell into step with the agent and Jack as they manoeuvred away from the clusters of people.

"No bath" Henry responded in dissatisfaction of his mother's words. JJ chuckled and placed him back on the ground as they made it to a people free space. "Yes bath"

"Great." Hotch answered rather too enthusiastically and smiled warmly at the attentive mother, there was a few seconds of tranquil silence as they stared at each other, neither entirely sure how they should continue the conversation.

"Where's your car parked?" Hotch asked awkwardly, noting that both the boys were looking at their parents in bemusement.

JJ's smile widened at the unit chief's self-conscious stance. "Blue sector, you?"

"I'm over in the green zone" The profiler rolled his eyes at his strained attempt of a conversation, usually he'd have no problem talking to JJ, but lately as they spent more and more time together and being able to see his son's obvious smitten behaviour around the blonde, his infamous control was crumbling and the last thing he wanted was JJ to feel uncomfortable around him.

Jack let go of Hotch's hand and took hold of the four year olds, in determination. "I'm going with JJ and Henry"

"Okay, bud. I guess I'll meet you at the apartment" He looked down at his son and back up to JJ as she smirked at the unit chief's soft blush on his sculptured cheeks as he caught the blonde's affectionate gaze.

"Great, drive safe" JJ closed her eyes briefly at her response before trying to usher the boys towards the exit.

"You too" Hotch nodded and watched his long-time friend lead the boys out of view, pausing to collect himself, the unit chief ran his hand through his short brown hair and let out the shaky breath he unknowingly been holding as only one thought continuously ran through his head, 'What the hell is going on with you?'

...

So I don't think it's my best work at the moment and it just keeps growing, I've been writing fanfiction in between writers block on my essays, however the second part should be up some time before the due in date, and it has more JJ/Hotchness, I can guarantee that. Hope everyone is slowly getting into the festive spirit!