A/N: The beginning of this chapter technically breaks the theme of these short stories but I couldn't imagine Hotch having the day off! Obviously, it predates the whole WitSec storyline as Hotch is still at the BAU.

Chapter Four- Hotchner

Blink and your whole life passes before your eyes.

That's how Hotch felt when his son Jack got his acceptance letter for Princeton University.

He wasn't surprised, Jack was a smart kid. Both he and his girlfriend Jessica had worked their socks off trying to get into that university. And now all their dreams were finally coming true.

Hotch was proud of Jack. Despite all that he had been through growing up, he had grown into a well rounded human being, with a stable academic career and a loving girlfriend. However, he often found himself wondering who Jack would have been had Hayley not died. Would he and Jack be talking to each other? Jack never did approve of the way that his mom had handled things with Hotch, but would that have changed as he got older and he continually missed things? Would he be with Jessica? They had similar backgrounds, both having uneasy childhoods which is what made them work. He admired Jack for standing by Jess when the darkest aspects of her past had come to light during her step-father's murder investigation. He liked to think that that was Hayley shining through him.

Hotch had been at work when Jack's acceptance letter had come through. He didn't want to be there, he wanted to be at home supporting his son, but Jack had promised to come down to the office as soon as he found out whether he had been accepted or not. Both Jack and Jess had passed their driving tests and so Hotch didn't have to worry about picking him up or meeting him in the city. Rossi had managed to get the day off to sit with Jessica, but Erin was having to work. He knew she was probably feeling the same way that he was. Hotch found that he couldn't concentrate on anything. He kept glancing at his phone or looking at the door. Then around one in the afternoon, he got a text:

Got letter. On my way down now. JH x

Hotch smiled. Jack had cleverly avoided putting anything in the text that would lead his dad to profile the text and work out what his letter contained. Hotch would just have to wait until Jack got there to find out what happened.

Half an hour later, there was a knock at the door and Hotch called out: "Come in!" He looked up from his caseload in time to see his son walk in. "Jack!" he smiled, "Well?" he asked.

Jack kept his face straight for about five seconds and then his face split into a wide smile, "I'm going to Princeton!"

It took Hotch a few seconds to realise what Jack had said and then his face spilt into a wide smile, "Well done, buddy!" Hotch got up and walked round his desk and hugged his son, "I'm so proud of you!" He let Jack go and looked at him. When Jack smiled, he could see Hayley. Their eyes creased in the same places and Jack had a smile that was full of life and warmth, just as Hayley's had been. "Wow, an Ivy league school. My son is going to an Ivy League school!"

"I know! I can't believe it!" Jack smiled and then his face fell slightly.

"What's up? Did Jess not get in?"

Jack shook his head, "No, she got in…"

"Well, what's wrong then?" Hotch asked, worried now.

"It's just…" Jack sighed, "I wish mom were here to see this."

Hotch smiled kindly at Jack, his eyes misting over. "She would be so proud of you, buddy."

"I know, but…"

"You still want her here."

Jack nodded. "This may sound silly…"

"That's ok." Smiled Hotch, placing his hand on his son's shoulder, "It's the silly things that matter in life anyway!"

Jack smiled, "I want to go and see Mom. I want to tell her that I'm going to Princeton and that Jess is going too and that I'm going to be ok. I just… I need to tell her."

Hotch smiled at Jack, "That's totally fine, Jack. I have the day off tomorrow, so we could head out then?"

Jack nodded and then hugged his father again, "Thanks Dad." He said, squeezing Hotch gently. Hotch kissed the top of Jack's head as a single tear fell down the side of his cheek.

The next day, Jack was up before his father, so he made some toast and coffee and sat in the living room with his copy of Dante's Divine Comedy. Jess had a friend in Massachusetts whose father was a symbologist and had suggested that Jess read The Divine Comedy before she begins her theological degree at Harvard. Jess had read it in no time and passed it onto Jack. So, Jack now sat cross legged on the floor in his father's apartment, coffee mug in one hand, book in the other and his toast on a plate in front of him. He was so engrossed in what he was reading that he didn't hear his father come in a few hours later. It wasn't until he heard the coffee machine whir into life, did he look up and see his father, standing with his arms folded, smiling- almost laughing at Jack and how deep he had been lost in his book.

"How long have you been stood there?" Jack asked, putting his book down and taking his plate and mug over to the sink.

"About ten minutes. What were you reading?"

"The Divine Comedy by Dante."

"That's a bit heavy for…" Hotch looked at his phone, "Half ten on a Saturday morning!"

Jack smiled, "I know, but Jess read it because her friend Faith recommended it for her college course and then Jess gave it to me…"

"And because you are such a good boyfriend, you couldn't say no?"

"Something like that!" Jack smiled, "It's actually not that bad, once you get passed the levels of Hell in Inferno, it gets a bit lighter!"

Hotch smiled, "Just so long as you don't start saying 'Abandon hope all ye who enter here!' I'm fine. I've dealt with enough Satanic killers who forever quote that cursed line!"

Jack put his hand on his heart, "I promise!" and he laughed. Hotch joined in. Jack had clearly inherited his mother's sense of humor. Hotch was secretly quite pleased. His family had a reputation for being quite serious.

"Listen, Jack, why don't you go get dressed, I'll have my breakfast and then we'll head out to see mom, ok?" Jack nodded in agreement and headed to his room.

Half an hour later, the Hotchner's were driving through D.C, heading for the cemetery in which Hayley was buried. Jack was nervous. It had been a while since he had driven out to visit his mom. He used to come every weekend before he started High School. He felt a bit guilty that he had stopped going to visit her, but he knew his mom would rather he had been in school, getting the grades he needed to get into Princeton.

It didn't take them long to reach the cemetery. Hotch walked with his son to the grave. They had stopped along the way to get some flowers for the gravestone and Jack was clutching a copy of his acceptance letter. There was a bench not too far from where Hayley was buried.

"I'll be over on that bench when you're ready, Jack." He gave him a quick hug and then walked off, hands in his pockets.

Jack walked slowly up to his mother's grave. They had opted for a simple gray stone that read,

Hayley Hotchner 1974-2009

Beloved daughter, mother, sister and friend.

Gone but not forgotten.

Jack reached the grave and crouched down. He placed one hand on the stone, "Hey Mom." He said softly. He then moved the old flowers off the stone and placed the new ones down, "I'm sorry for not visiting in a while. I got busy with school and I know that that's where you would have wanted me to be." He paused for a minute, "Dad's doing fine. Still working as hard as ever. However, he's now worried that we're being followed by another serial killer. But we're safe. And we're happy, so don't worry about that." He looked over at where his dad was sat and smiled, "He's always put me first, mom, no matter what. I'd like to think that if you were here, you'd be with him 'cause he misses you. We both do." He looked down at the ground, "I wish you were here, mom. I wish I could see your face when I told you that I got into Princeton. I wish you could see how happy and proud dad was. I wish you could see how happy Jess was." He sighed, "I just wish you were here. You would tell me that I can do anything I put my mind to, that I can be anything I want to be. I know that you won't be thrilled that I want to do Dad's job, he isn't that thrilled either, but I know that you would understand and that you would support me in anything that I did."

Jack placed the copy of his acceptance letter behind the flowers. It was in a plain white envelope, with 'Mom' written on the front of it. "Dad and I have a copy of this letter, but I thought you might like your own copy." He stood up, "I know that you will always be with me, Mom. It's like dad said at your funeral. You wouldn't want us to mourn your death but celebrate your life. You and Dad are the reason that I am here. You are my family. I promise you, mom, I will make you proud." He took a few steps back, "You'll be in my heart, mom, always. I love you, mom. I miss you so very much and I'll see you one day. I'm sure of it." He stood in silence for a few minutes. Then he blew his mom a kiss and walked off to meet his dad.

Hotch had looked up just as Jack blew the kiss. He was reminded of his little boy at Hayley's funeral. How when Jack had placed his rose on his mother's coffin, he stood and blew her a kiss. As he watched Jack walk back over to him, he saw, not the eighteen-year-old Jack, but the eleven-year-old Jack, the same little boy who had just buried his mother, who would have to grow up without his mother's love and guidance. Hotch blinked back tears and looked at Jack again. He could now see his amazing, grown up son, the son who was off to Princeton. Their family may be small, but Hotch was proud. Proud of the man Jack had become, proud of the life he was going to lead. Jack reached his father and sat down on the bench beside his father.

Aaron didn't say anything. He just sat there and placed his hand on top of Jack's.

Jack turned and smiled at his father.

Hotch smiled back.

In that moment, both Hotch and Jack felt calm and peaceful, as if nothing else mattered.

Hotch looked to his left and for a moment, he could have sworn he saw Hayley, sat next to him and smiling. But then he blinked, and she had gone.

Blink and your whole life passes before your eyes.