Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.
When Aaron Hotchner opened his apartment door to Emily Prentiss two days later, he smiled warmly as he pulled the door wider and gestured for her to enter. 'Hey.'
'Hey,' she repeated, dropping her bag to the floor. Turning back, she opened her mouth to speak.
She never got the words out as Jack rounded the wall and spotted the new arrival. The determined boy made his way over to his father and tugged on his jean pocket. 'What's she doing here?'
Eyeing Emily, he then dropped his voice to a loud whisper that could still be heard two doors down. 'You're supposed to tell me the secret tonight!'
Hotch bent down to Jack's level and placed his large hands on his son's small shoulders. 'She's part of the secret.'
'Oh.' He wasn't quite sure what to make of that.
'Jack,' said Hotch, turning his son and pulling him back against his chest. 'This is Emily Prentiss,' he said, a formal, personal introduction. 'We work together and we're really good friends.'
Uncertain of how to greet the three year old, Emily stretched out her hand for a shake, then allowed it to morph into an awkward wave. 'Hi Jack.'
'Hi,' said Jack warily. After a few seconds, the desire to know the secret momentarily overrode his uncertainty of the woman before him as he turned and stood between his father's knees, facing him once again. 'Can I have the secret now?'
Hotch and Emily shared a long look before Hotch faced his son. 'Sure.'
Picking up Jack into his arms, Hotch tried to decide on the best place for the 'secret' to be revealed. Dismissing the table, he headed for the lounge. He carefully placed Jack on the couch next to him as Emily took a seat opposite. Shifting to the edge of the couch to be between both, he prepared himself.
He wanted honesty to be the best approach – something that he hoped that Jack would learn from him – and so he started at the beginning. 'Do you remember when you woke up that morning and you found Emily sharing my bed with me?'
Jack nodded his head. 'She left really quick and you told me that Emily had stayed over to help you feel better.'
Emily startled. She hadn't realised that Hotch had said that.
Hotch refused to look at Emily as he continued to speak. 'That's right. I know that it was a bit of a shock to find her in my bed with me and you haven't really liked Emily since then have you?'
The little boy's eyes shifted to the fingers in his lap. 'No.'
Emily opened her mouth to speak, but Hotch shook his head. After a moment of looking at the fascinating things that were his fingers, Jack's eyes rose and met his father's once again. 'I just don't want her to be with you. You're my Daddy, not hers.'
Hotch nodded his head. 'That's right. I'm your Daddy, Jack.' He took a moment to think about his next words. 'And soon someone else is going to have me as a Daddy too.'
'What do you mean?' asked Jack in confusion. 'I'm the only one that gets to call you Daddy.'
'Jack,' said Hotch, reaching out for his son. 'Emily is going to have a baby. And I'll be that baby's Daddy too.' His eyes were scanning his son as he elaborated. 'You're going to be a big brother Jack.'
The little boy's reaction was instantaneous. He shot up from his seat, fisted his hands at his side and turned on Emily. 'You're not my Mommy,' he shouted as he ran from them.
Hotch shut his eyes and winced as he heard a door slam. 'Well, that went well, didn't it?' offered Emily nervously.
His eyes showed his pain as he looked up at her. Hotch opened his mouth to reply before he looked past Emily's shoulder and realised just which door Jack had slammed. 'Oh shit,' he called as he flew up from his own seat and raced out the front door.
Dashing down the stairs, he spotted his son through the front door. Not caring as he knocked the arm of a woman entering, he sprinted down the path. He stretched out his arms and pulled Jack back against his chest just before he reached the street.
Tightening his arms on the resisting child, he stepped back onto the boundary of his apartment complex as his heart pounded at a mile a minute. Slipping Jack to the ground, he spun him around and gripped his shoulders, shaking him slightly. 'Don't you ever do that to me again!' he shouted. 'You could have been hurt, or worse!'
Seeing the anger in his father's face, Jack burst into tears. Wrapping his arms around his father's neck, he sobbed. 'I'm sorry Daddy, I'm sorry.'
Feeling the small shaking body of his son and the tight grip he held around his neck, Hotch's arms came around and held him just as tight. His son's tears dissipated his anger like no one else.
Taking a deep breath, he eased Jack back. Brushing the tears from his face, he spoke softly. 'I'm the one that is sorry Jack,' he said. 'I shouldn't have yelled at you.'
Jack sniffled.
'I know you're scared and confused,' continued Hotch, 'and this is a very scary change happening, but I want you to remember that no matter what happens, I'll always love you.' He paused for effect. 'And your Mommy will always be your Mommy. Nothing can change that Jack.' He pulled his son in for a tight hug and spoke his last words against his head. 'Nothing.'
'Promise?' asked Jack, pulling back, his arms around his father's neck, as one last hiccup escaped.
'I promise.'
Hotch pulled his son in for another hug before he stood up. He knew that he had just averted a major disaster. For now.
Walking up the path, Jack on his hip, he saw Emily sitting on the entrance steps. Taking the last few steps, he answered her unspoken question by sliding Jack down his body to face her. Easing off the steps and onto the ground, Emily knelt before Jack.
'I know you have a Mommy,' she said softly. 'And she was a really, really good one too wasn't she?' Jack nodded his head fiercely. 'I don't want to be your Mommy, but I do want to be your friend.' She took a deep breath. 'Do you think that I could be your friend?'
Her gaze on Jack never wavered as he thought long and hard about it before he nodded his head. 'You can be my friend.'
Emily made to hug him, but held back a little. It was Jack who wrapped his arms around her neck, quickly hugging her before stepping back. His little hands were on her shoulders when with a very serious face, he asked a question. 'Do you love Daddy?'
She heard the sharp intake of breath above her, but Emily refused to divert her eyes from the little boy. 'I do love your Daddy, Jack,' she replied, equally seriously. 'And I love you too.' Shifting her hand to her flat stomach, she continued. 'And I love the baby.'
Jack's face scrunched up as he looked at Emily's hand. 'But there's nothing there,' he protested. 'Where's the baby?'
Hotch laughed as he squatted down next to Emily, his side pressed against hers as he faced the confused boy. 'The baby's still growing son,' he explained, ruffling Jack's hair. 'The baby will get bigger soon and Emily's tummy will get bigger too. Just like Mommy's tummy got really big when she was pregnant with you.'
'Wow,' said Jack, awed. He had another question in seconds. 'When does the baby come?'
'In December,' replied Emily, reaching out her hand to Hotch's knee as her balance tipped to the left.
'But that's after my birthday,' complained Jack, the event seeming so long away. Hotch laughed as he pulled his son into his arms. 'Sorry, kiddo. We all have to wait.'
When Jack suddenly went serious again, Emily and Hotch exchanged a look before Emily ducked her head to catch the little boy's eyes. 'What's the matter Jack?'
'I'm sorry for yelling at you before,' he said softly, scuffing his feet.
'It's okay Jack,' reassured Emily, placing a hand on his chin to urge his face up so that she could look into his eyes as she spoke. 'You were scared and confused. It was big news.'
'Yeah.' At the declaration, Jack then turned to his father. 'That doesn't mean that she's moving in does it?' he asked in concern.
Hotch gave a careful answer. 'Not at the moment.' Not yet.
Satisfied with the answer, Jack wrapped an arm around his father's neck and reached out to wrap one around Emily's. As Emily fought for her balance, Jack spoke in a clear determined tone.
'I want a brother.'
Next chapter: Jack pulls out the album.
