Alive

CHAPTER THREE

Emily frowned in confusion as she rested Lexie back in her crib having rocked the infant back to sleep. She could hear voices and was almost positive they weren't in her head. She strained to listen for the voices as she pulled the twins' door closed behind her. She followed the sound as best she could, tiptoeing down the stairs. There was a light coming from the living room and Emily peeked around the corner.

A small body sat in front of the living room television. Emily smiled sadly as she watched the action on the screen. It was Will, Henry and JJ, Will with Henry held upside down and JJ tickling his stomach as he squirmed. Emily was quiet as she moved into the living room, slowly taking a seat beside Henry. And there they sat, watching Will, JJ, Adam and Henry play in the lights of the party.

"Come on, Henry! It's your turn."

Will's New Orleans accent was strong as he pushed his son on the tire swing they'd installed in their backyard for Adam's birthday.

She heard a little sniffle and turned. Henry's eyes were glassy, but he was trying to hold back his tears. Emily bit her lip against her own tears as she pulled Henry into her arms. There was nothing she could say or do that was going to help him or make him feel better. In fact, there was, quite simply, nothing she could do other than hold on and watch the home video with him.

Aaron Hotchner found it extremely disconcerting to wake up alone. He was used to waking up with his fiancée basically wrapped around him. His Emily was one of the biggest fans of snuggling he'd ever met. It took him a moment to realize what had woken him was the baby monitor, and, from the sounds of it, his son was starting to whine for attention. He still smiled as he pulled himself out of bed. Sure enough, Jamie was awake and kicking his little bootied feet in the air. Hotch's smile grew bigger as his second son reached out for his own feet and grabbed them in each of his hands.

"Hey Buddy." He lifted his son into his arms, just as the baby started to cry. "Oh, shh…" When tickling his stomach didn't help, Hotch sighed. That could only mean that it was time for breakfast. "I think it's time to find Mommy."

He poked his head into Jack's room where two extra beds had been added for Henry and Adam. Jack and Adam were still sound asleep, but where was Henry? Quietly, he closed the door behind him, still able to hold Jamie against his shoulder with one hand. It was 6am. The boys didn't have to be up for another hour yet. So, he made his way downstairs, wondering if Emily had woken early and started breakfast.

But he didn't find her in the kitchen. Instead, he found the television on to a the main menu of a DVD, and his fiancée fast asleep on the couch with a little boy curled tightly to her. He smiled fondly and regretfully shook Emily awake.

"Hmm? Aaron?"

"Good morning, sweetheart," he said softly, smiling at her bleary eyes.

"What time is it?"

"Six," Hotch replied, running his free hand over her head. "What happened here?"

Emily sighed, carefully shifting Henry off of her and onto the couch, pulling the blanket from the back and tucking it in around him. "I woke up for feeding and heard the TV."

"What was he doing?" He watched her settle into the huge lounge chair and hold her arms out for Jamie. He handed the small boy over to his mother and perched himself on the arm of the chair.

"He was watching Adam's birthday from last year," Emily said quietly, her eyes tearing up. "He just wanted to see his dad again."

Hotch stroked her hair, kissing her head lightly. "What do you say we play hookie today, honey."

Emily looked up at him with surprised eyes. "Did you really just say that?"

"I did," he agreed with a smile. "Let's play hookie."

"What did you have in mind?"

Emily was endlessly glad for her family Hotch carried Lexie and Penelope carried Jamie through the halls of the hospital. Derek had Adam on his back as Emily held Henry's hand. Something had happened the previous night when they'd watched Adam's birthday together and Emily felt closer to JJ's eldest than ever before. And Henry seemed to take to her as his second mother. Or temporary one at least.

Hotch's idea had been simple. Go visit JJ. That was the only plan for the entirety of the day and Emily loved it. So they'd packed the twins and all three of the boys up and headed to the hospital. They stopped in the waiting room and Derek dropped Adam off his back.

Emily smiled at Adam, squeezing Henry's hand. "You ready to see Mommy?"

Adam nodded vigorously. Henry looked almost afraid.

Derek hoisted Adam into his arms. "Remember, munchkin, Mommy got hurt. You need to be careful with her."

Adam nodded again. "I wanna see Mommy!"

Emily led the way down the hall still holding onto Henry's hand. She knocked gently on the doorframe, watching Dave look up from where JJ was sleeping on his shoulder. "Hey Dave."

Gently, Dave shook JJ awake. JJ blinked her eyes opened and focused them on the guests in the doorway.

"Mommy!"

Derek put Adam down and he went running for JJ and Dave. Emily couldn't stop her smile as JJ's eyes lit up. It seemed as important to her sons as it did to her and Emily had no idea why they'd waited so long between visits.

--

JJ felt tears sting her eyes again, these ones happy rather than grief. "Hi, Pumpkin," she said with a smile as Adam raced to her bedside and tried to scramble up onto the sheets. She smiled her thanks at Dave as he simply lifted the little boy into his lap.

Dave had spent almost all of his time literally at her bedside. He left when the doctors came to check up on her and she knew it was to call Emily and Penelope and keep them updated. Jasper and Jessica had been by for the last three days since their arrival, and Dave also took that opportunity to make a few calls. Emily had brought Henry around two days before along with bags of things for her and Dave to do.

She'd slept beside him since waking up and it was almost to the point where she couldn't sleep without him beside her. And JJ wasn't sure how she felt about that kind of reliance. When she'd brought up the fact that she had to plan the funeral, all teary-eyed, Dave had reassured her that everything was being taken care of.

"Whoa, big guy. Mommy's still hurt."

Dave's voice broke her out of her reflection and she smiled at her little boy. She leaned over to kiss his forehead.

"Do you think you can be careful?"

When Adam nodded seriously, Dave seemed to loosen his grip. As soon as he had, however, Adam almost launched himself at his mother. JJ winced as his little body impacted with hers. She wrapped an arm around him.

"Mommy, I missed you!"

JJ felt tears come to her eyes. She missed her boys too, terribly. "I missed you too, Pumpkin." She looked around, expecting to see Henry on her other side, but Henry hadn't moved from where he was clutching Emily in the doorway. Her heart clenched. "Hi Baby."

Emily walked in with Henry and JJ found her heart aching. Her son couldn't even come to her bedside. Emily met JJ's eyes with a reassuring smile, but it really didn't help ease her stomach or her worries. Were her sons starting to bond to others?

"Mommy?"

JJ swallowed and held out her hand. "I'm okay, Henry. I'm okay."

Slowly, his little hand slid into his and he stepped closer. Somehow he managed to get himself up on the bed and JJ gasped as pain threaded her system. But it felt way too good to have both of her children against her. Henry was crying, sobbing against her side and into her neck. Emily squeezed her hand before stepping back and out of the room. She felt Dave kiss her head as her own tears started to flow hotly down her face.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Adam looked up at Dave in confusion. "Why'd everybody cwyin'?"

And as JJ met Dave's pained eyes with her own bleary ones, neither adult could come up with an answer the little boy could understand.

So, funny story... sienna27 posted something last night about brains short circuiting, and the next thing I know I wake up with 8 different stories in my head. Usually, that just means I write as much of them down as I can and save them as separate little files, but that didn't work and my brain... well, let's just say we're on the same disgusting and unfortunate wavelength. I'm going to try and have the next chapter of this ready to post tomorrow, but I'm not going to guarantee anything. I want it to be worth while for you guys to read and I'm not quite sure how to do that just yet.

Review!