Disclaimer: I'm about to take my SAT, which means I'm a high school student that doesn't own Criminal Minds or any other TV show.

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JJ woke up the next morning in a warm bed that was next to Emily's. Although there were extra rooms in the house, JJ wanted to be near Emily all the time. These past two days, JJ had learned a total of three things. One, let Hotch and only Hotch get things from the top shelf of the kitchen if she needed something in order to prevent a box of cookies falling on her head. Two, Haley and Hotch would never hurt her. Three, Emily was slowly becoming like a sister to her.

Emily felt the same way about JJ, she liked being a big sister. They'd color, they'd laugh, and because Emily was tall, she would be able to reach the top shelf and score themselves cookies. Hotch and Haley hadn't caught the two, and they really hoped it stayed like that.

It was the day before Christmas, known as Christmas Eve. The two girls were sitting in their bedroom for the remainder of their afternoon. It's not like they had anything else to do anyhow. Besides, they grew to like each other's company.

"Emily, I need your help!" JJ had cried out suddenly, which made Emily drop what she was doing, which was rewriting her poem, to help JJ,

"What's wrong?!" Emily called out, thinking something bad happened. But when Emily finally looked, all she saw was JJ staring at her coloring book. Emily huffed in annoyance, she thought JJ was dying or something.

"Kid, don't scare me like that," Emily settled on saying, it was better than exploding on her, "What's the problem?"

"Christmas is tomorrow," stated JJ, as if that were to explain everything. Emily raised a brow,

"Yes it is, JJ. Your point?" JJ frowned at her, tears beginning to well up quickly,

"I don't...I don't know what to get you g-guys." The tears were falling freely now, and Emily sat next to JJ on the bed, reaching over to hug her,

"You're just a little kid, you just gotta stand there and look cute," she says with a reassuring smile,

"But I...I never had a-" JJ began to hiccup through her crying, "I never had a family like this." Emily nodded in understanding, she let go of JJ's body and put an arm around her shoulders,

"You know, I haven't had a family like the Hotchner family in a while," the older girl admitted, tucking the blonde girl's hair behind her ears, "I'm lucky."

"Why? What happened to your family?" JJ asked innocently, Emily sighed. She knew JJ couldn't help it, it was child curiosity,

"They died in a car accident, do you know what dying means?"

"My sister," Emily looked confused as she saw JJ's head down as she said that, she waited as the little girl continued, "My sister died..."

"How?"

"Suicide. She killed herself," Emily's heart stopped for about a second when JJ said those words. Those words should never have to be said by anyone, let alone a seven year old, it just made it worse. Emily found it depressing that a seven year old knew the definition of suicide.

"I'm sorry, JJ," Emily said after a minute has passed, "Was she your guardian?"

"No, my parents are alive, just...not right, um, they," JJ made a drinking motion with her hand and let Emily make the assumption. Haley wasn't kidding when she said JJ had been through a lot. At least Emily knew that her parents loved her, she now understood why JJ screamed and was afraid of Hotch at first. JJ's parents were sick.

"What was your sister's name?"

"Rosaline," JJ said, "That's my sister's name. She was thirteen."

"Never touch alcohol," Emily said firmly, she looked distant, eyes filled with hate, "It's disgusting and does bad things. My parents were killed because of a drunk driver."

"It makes people hit." JJ said, matter of factly. She wrapped her arms around Emily's body and sobbed into her chest. She moved over to sit on Emily's lap, latching onto her body as if she'd leave any second. Emily played with JJ's hair, knowing it was soothing when Haley played with hers when she was upset, she hoped it worked now. She watched as JJ's cries slowly turned into whimpers, whimpers that tore Emily's heart into a million pieces.

When she was done, Emily gave her a little smile, "Better?" She watched as JJ let out a little sniffle and nodded, looking at Emily with wide eyes. Emily's smile grew bigger,

"Great! I think I have an idea of a Christmas gift for Haley and Hotch."

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"Honey?" Haley turns to Hotch, who was reading a novel.

"Yeah?"

"Do you like this?" Hotch closes his book, knowing it was going to turn into a serious conversation.

"Like what?"

"This," Haley emphasized, "The foster kids. JJ and Emily, doing this. Caring for them, loving them." Hotch sighed, he was really shitty at expressing his feelings. He used to be really stern, now he's grown into a softie. Damn it, I guess that's what having children does to you.

"I do," he answered truthfully, "They're nice girls. I was a bit reluctant at first, but...it grows on you, you know?" Hotch's feelings have changed, it was the way fathers had felt towards their daughters. He was protective of them. He had never felt a wave of protectiveness towards anyone except his wife, things had changed.

You realize that there will be moments though right?" Haley said sadly to her husband, who knew what she meant.

"I know," he said, equally as distraught, "All we can do is be here for them, right?"

"Right," Haley said, after a long pause she adds, "Aaron, I'm happy." Hotch took a look at her, and he knew that she was telling the truth. Her eyes were gleaming with joy, this is the happiest he'd seen her since they've been at the clinic.

"So am I," he said back, and he really meant it too. Truth to be told, this was the happiest he'd ever been. He'd come home from work to see his wife happy, his foster children safe, and their goals were fufilled; to have a family.

Haley hoped it'd last forever; adoption seemed to be an option, but he didn't know whether it was too soon or not. One thing he was scared for, was the day that Kate would call them and say there was a permanent solution for JJ and Emily. She had hoped the two's permanent solution would be in her home.

Such dreams should become a reality.

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JJ woke up cozy and well-rested. She looked over to see if Emily was still sleeping, her bed was made, and she was yet to be seen. Worried, she got out of her bed in a hurry and rushed downstairs to the living room.

JJ thought she was hallucinating. Her heart felt warm just by the sight. Emily, Hotch, and Haley were waiting by three, their smiling faces visible, with a few presents under the tree.

"Geez, JJ. I was wondering when you'd wake up." Emily said jokingly, "Merry Christmas!" JJ's eyes glistened at the sight of the tree and inhaled the smell of the pines. Haley rushed over and put a santa hat on JJ's head, a size too big.

"You look very adorable!" Haley said gleefully, "Before we open any presents, Emily, did you want to put the star on the tree?" To the couple's surprise, Emily shook her head,

"I want JJ to do it," she said. JJ was shocked, but at the same time she was honored. She had heard about her elementary school friends talking proudly on how they got to put the star on their Christmas tree. The Jareau family never had a Christmas tree. Emily gives JJ the star, who walks over to Hotch and lifts her arms up, wanting to be picked up, in order to put the star on top. This surprised Hotch, how the girl went from being petrified of him to letting him hold her. Hotch reached for JJ, positioning her with her back against his chest. He supported her by putting one arm under her legs, and the other by her hip. She looked worried she'd fall, turning her head to face Hotch,

"Don't worry, I've got you." That's all JJ needed to hear, as she placed the gold star of Christmas on top of the tree. Hotch gently let the girl down, who was beaming with pride.

"JJ, this is a present from Haley and I," Hotch said, giving the neatly wrapped box to JJ. She gaped, no one had ever given her a Christmas present except for Rosaline, and Rosaline wasn't here anymore, so she assumed she'd never get a gift ever again.

She didn't even open it at first, like most kids would, she merely stared at it as if it was an unknown object.

Well, to JJ from other people, it was.

JJ slowly and carefully tore the paper off the box. When she finished that, she opened to see what was inside the box, which was a small, brown stuffed horse. JJ looked up at the two, not knowing what to say. Haley chuckled at the seven year old's shocked reaction,

"Well what are you gonna name it?" JJ actually thought about it, she couldn't name it Rosaline, she'd be too sad everytime she saw it. She decided to pick the first name to pop into her head,

"Will," she says aloud, then a thought made a grin appear across her face, "Or Willy!" Laughter spreads around the room at her enthusiasm. JJ runs over to hug Haley, and eventually moves over to Hotch, "Thank you."

"Wait, wait, wait! You're not done yet." Emily said with a smile, making JJ, if not, any more excited. Emily holds out a pink box with a small ribbon on top of it,

"I've asked Haley if we could get this for you. Since you love it so much," JJ pulled out the ribbon and lifted the hood of the box, which made JJ gasp. The box revealed ten incomplete coloring books as well as many crayons. JJ ran into Emily, tackling her with many hugs. Emily hugged back, highly amused, "Merry Christmas, JJ."

"I got you all something too!" She ran upstairs into her room in a rush. Haley looked at Emily as if she had something to do with this, the latter just shrugged,

"She's filled with Christmas joy," she said. The girl ran downstairs with multiple drawings, almost tripping on a step. She gives one to Emily, one to Hotch, and one to Haley. JJ still had another in her hands,

"I drew pictures of all of you!" she said gleefully. "Oh and the one in my hand is the picture of us!" She turned it around to showcase it, "Look, there's Haley, and-and Hotch! And Emily. And the little one is me!"

"This is just way too cute," Haley said with a grin, making Hotch grin too.

"Can we put them on the refrigerator?" Asks JJ.

"Of course we can," Hotch said, "This is very nice JJ, thank you." Hotch's heart was filled with warmth. JJ had grown to them quite quickly, Hotch could start believing in the statement that some things take time. Hotch took out his gift for Emily, "For you," she opens the box to reveal what looks like an album. Emily looks at him in confusion, "Do you want me to open it?"

"Go ahead, it's your gift," Emily opened it, to reveal a bunch of baseball cards in chronological order. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head,

"This is so cool! Thank you!"

Haley took out her gift for JJ, slightly apprehensive, "This is for you Emily." Emily took the tiny silver box laced with a ribbon. When she opened it, it revealed a pair of silver curved heart earrings. She didn't know what to say, she was about to cry out of pure joy. She looked at Haley, who looked nervous about what she was thinking, "Emily?--" Tears had welled up in Emily's eyes, and she ran over to hug Haley tightly; no words needed to be said. Haley rubbed her back, hugging the teenager just as tight, "I hope you like it."

"I-I do," she let go of Haley to get her paper that had been hidden upstairs in her room, she came running downstairs and shoved it in Haley and Hotch's face, "Please please read it. You need to know--" Haley took the poem gently out of Emily's hands, and the teen watched with tears in her eyes as the couple scanned over the words she had written.

It takes a lot to make Hotch feel something; he wasn't an apathetic monster, he knew how to feel. It's one thing to have emotions, it's a different entity when you show them. This was one of the few moments that Aaron Hotchner was showing his emotions.

Haley was so moved to a point where tears starting to roll down her cheeks. She hugged her again so tight that if she hugged Emily any tighter, she would pass out, "I love you too, Emily."

"All of us love you too." Hotch interjected, which made JJ nod in agreement. She went in to join their group hug, and soon Hotch joined in as well. Haley was wrong before. This Christmas wasn't hell, it was the farthest thing from hell, but possibly a greater thing then heaven.

A Parent's Love

A mom listens when you talk,

A mom listens when you cry,

A mom listens when you feel small,

...when you don't even know why.

A dad makes you laugh,

Cheers you up when you're sad,

Gives you hugs when you're mad,

...that's why I love that you're my dad.

Although we're not related by blood,

You've stood by me long enough,

To know that I could always trust you two.

...I hope you know that I love you.

~By Emily Prentiss