Those we left behind

"But she wasn't around, and that's the thing when your parents die, you feel like instead of going in to every fight with backup, you are going into every fight alone."

― Mitch Albom

Aaron Hotchner

Jack Hotchner

Jack holds flowers in one hand, and with the other he holds the hand of his wife of four years.

"Hey dad." He said, setting the flowers down at the base of the memorial and running his hand over the name of his father.

"I passed the bar. I'm officially a lawyer, I hope you're proud." Jack falls silent as he remembers all the things that made up his father. He quiet strength, his strong presence, the sense of safety and rightness Jack had always felt when his father would fold him into his arms and tell him things would be alright. It had just been the two of them, after his mom had been taken. And then, it had just been him.

Jack wondered if they would be proud of him. His father had never, not even once, tried to push him to a career. He'd always encouraged Jack, any time he'd declared what he was going to be when he grew up; Even when he wanted to be a pirate. Hotch had shown up the next evening with an eye patch and a couple of swords and they had spent the evening running through the house, fighting over the booty.

Jack treasured those memories.

But he also thought about all those times growing up without a parent. When he graduated and his parents hadn't driven him buts with pictures. His Aunt Jessica and Beth had tried. But they just weren't his mom and dad. He thought of his first day of college, and watching all the moms and dads hug their children goodbye. He remembered his wedding with no dad to give him sage words of wisdom. He'd felt so alone. But looking back over all his accomplishments he had a revelation. He'd never been alone. They'd been there, in his thoughts and actions, in the things they had taught him. They'd been his strength, his determination and his love.

"You remember Erica right dad? I married her four years ago, but sometimes I don't know what she sees in me." He paused. "You're going to be a grandfather. We just found out last week." Tears started pouring down Jack's face, "I'm going to be a dad, and I don't get to ask my dad for advice. I know you would have had something wise to say. You always seemed to know the answers. It's been hard, I still miss you every day. I hope you know that." Erica rubbed her hands across his back.

"He's so amazing. I want you to know that. He's everything you would want him to be, he's strong and brave and best of all, he's gentle. He must have had a hell of a father, to show him how to be a true man." She added, tears slipping from her own eyes. "We both miss you. Happy Birthday Aaron."

)(-)(

Beth

Beth rocks slowly back and forth on the stone bench, holding baby Aaron Hotchner, while Jack and Erica walk down one of the park paths, hand in hand. She still visited Jack, the death of her love and his father had not forced them apart, but had somehow pulled them closer.

She'd been shattered, when the sobbing boy had called her. They'd cried on the phone together for hours, before Beth had pulled herself together long enough to travel to his home to be there. On the plane ride over, she'd thought of Aaron as he'd been in life. The wounded soul, who had the strength to carry on. She would use his example, to come out of this heartbreaking loss, stronger on the other side. And together they would get his son through this.

She stood, holding the baby with one arm, while she kissed her fingers and ran them over the carved stone name. All that remained of the man she'd desperately loved.

"He's everything we dreamed he would be. He's so much like you that sometimes it hurts, but I love your son all the more for it."

With one last lingering look she turned and walked away.

"We are all the pieces of what we remember. We hold in ourselves the hopes and fears of those who love us. As long as there is love and memory, there is no true loss."

― Cassandra Clare

A/N tannerose5 asked if i planned to address what happened. I wasn't planning on writing about it in the story as I want this to focus mostly on who were left behind. But here's what i'm thinking. They all died together, and in doing so saved countless lives. The thought that keeps running through my head is that some kind of terrorist has placed a bomb on the plane and is piloting the plane by remote, like in the episode a thousand suns. They manage to gain enough control and are faced with the choice, crash the plane, or allow it to reach it's detonation and harm others, so they choose to crash the plane. I don't plan on writing the story however. Thanks for your reviews and for reading