To Supergirl02 Merry Christmas! I hope it's merry and bright! And may all your Christmas dreams come true and have a wonderful new year! Bless you!
It had been a long time since he really felt like he had been part of a family, sure he had family in New York but they never talk and they had never been close. Looking back he had been glad he came back; at first it was only as a favor and for the short term but as he got to know the team he realized he found what he was missing with all the money and woman, a family.
"Aaron what are you and Jack doing for Christmas?" Dave asked as he came into the younger man's office looking up he said
"Nothing special, just staying home. We might go over to JJ's later in the day so the boys can play if her family doesn't come but other than that it's just me and Jack. Why do you ask?"
"You my friend are coming with me this year, I'm going up to my cabin for our Christmas break and I thought Jack would enjoy it and you could really enjoy the time to unwind. I worry about you, you know. Everyone on the team has become the family I didn't realize I wanted until I had it, so you and Jack pack a bag when you get home and we'll head up tomorrow morning and for the next week we can relax as a family"
"You really consider us your family Dave? Because I know Jack looks to you like a grandfather and with us not being close to mine or Haley's family its nice for him to have all the extra male role models in his life" Hotch let out blushing like a schoolboy
"Ok, then its set finish the report and we'll go"
"Deal"
Two hours later in his car on his way home Hotch started to think about his time around Dave. As a Junior agent he had caught the tail end out his time at the BAU and spent his time listening to the stories about the man with no interaction he was glad he had gotten to know him as he did, yes he missed Gideon horribly he was the father that he wanted but Dave was the Father he needed as heartbreaking as it sounded Gideon was a selfish man in the end of it all.
Shaking his head as he realized he had pulled up to Jack's daycare he quickly got out of the car and got the boy hoping to make it fast, they had a lot to pack in a short time; grabbing him and wishing the daycare attendant merry Christmas they headed out the door and back to the car
"Guess what Jack?" Hotch asked his son as he helped him into the car
"What" the boy ask curiously
"we are spending Christmas with Dave at his cabin this year, so you can do things like make snowmen and we can have a snowball fight too if you want" closing the door and getting into the driver's seat, he started the car and headed back to the apartment. After a quick dinner and a bath for Jack, Hotch packed the bags and got the gifts ready to go for the next day
"Ok buddy we have to be up early so we both need to head off to bed"
"But daddy what about our stockings? If we don't bring them what will Santa fill?"
"Hmm, good point I'll go get them you get some sleep, night buddy"
"Night daddy"
Heading over to the storage closet and Digging around a bit he found the box he was looking for, caring it off to the living room Hotch grabbed the stockings but grabbed the handmade ornament Jack made last year, closing up the box again and placing everything into his bag Hotch went to bed.
Getting out the door and to Dave's city home early in the morning was little problem
"We'll take the range rover, that way we have room for everything and Mundgy." David said as they walked out the door to move items from the car. The switch over went fast with two of them working together and they were on the road in no time flat, the occasional giggle coming from the back as the dog licked the small boy and both men smiling
"So Jack" Dave said looking into the rear view mirror "have you ever had roasted chestnuts? Because I make some pretty yummy ones"
"No" the boy said looking to the man driving the vehicle "Are they good?"
"They're very good kiddo" turning his eyes back to the road he knew it might be another hour or two before they got there but with the other guys in the car for once the trip didn't seem as long.
It was noon when they finally pulled up to the cabin and getting out of the vehicle both boy and dog quickly disappeared behind the back of the cabin
"Stay close Jack, no more than 50 feet from the cabin" yelled Hotch after his son shaking his head him and Dave starter unloading the back of the range rover and into the cabin, when the job was done Dave look at Hotch "if you grab Jack, I'll get lunch ready then we can set about getting the tree set up"
"Sounds like a plan, what do you want me to do about Mundgy?"
"Just leave him, he knows where he can and can't go on the property and if he's not back in two or three hours I'll go looking for him like I normally do" quickly turning from each other and heading in different directions, Hotch quickly found Jack throwing snowballs at Mundgy and the dog catching them in his mouth and eating them, laughing quietly as he came closer to the pair
"Having fun?
"Yeah daddy, I think I want a dog like Mundgy! He's fun."
"Buddy we don't have room in our apartment for a dog but I'm sure if we talk about it we can think of a good pet for you but for now let's head inside its time for lunch and its cold"
"can we come back out later?"
"sure maybe we can get Dave to come too and we can build a snowman"
"yes!"
The pair headed back around front and inside they quickly got out of their winter wear and headed for the kitchen where the sound of the radio and Dave singing along greeted them
"Fall on your knees, O hear the Angels voices"
"That was nice Dave, I didn't know you could sing." Hotch said startling the other man
"Yes well my mother made sure I could sing before making me an altar boy" he said with a wry smile turning to Jack with a smile
"Do you think you can set the table for us? The soup is almost ready"
"Yep, can you show me where the plates and bowls are?"
"Sure kiddo" passing the boy first the plates and waited until they were safely on the table then handed over the bowls with the cutlery inside the top bowl the boy carefully set the table and came back to the quietly chatting adults
"I'm all done"
""wow you're fast" Dave said with a wink
"No I'm Jack remember"
"Sorry I must have forgotten in my old age"
"You're not old Dave! You're just right"
"Why thank you, why don't you go grab a seat at the table and me and your dad will bring the food over"
"Ok"
As the men grabbed the food and the boy sat down they enjoyed a wonderful meal of soup and sandwiched and soon after cleared the table and as a group did the dishes Dave could swear more bubbles from the sink ended up on the floor from them playing then on the dish that day but he could never be more grateful, in all the years he had been coming up here to hunt, relax and to write the cabin had be missing something but he couldn't place it until Hotch and Jack came, it was that family he lost all those years ago but got back in that ragtag group at work.
Setting the tree up had been just as must fun and with a small child working on it for once it look better than it had ever had! Heading back out into the snow the group made a snowman family and had a snowball fight with no clear winner but Mundgy looked happy because towards the end they all took turns throwing snowballs at him.
Heading back in side tired all three slumped on the couch Dave and Hotch looked and one another
"you know this is the beginning of a really great Christmas" Dave said
"I couldn't have said it any better my friend"