She got lost in the buildings and cars that flew past. She wasn't sure if she wanted them to speed up or slow down – one would bring her closer to leaving, but also returning, while the other would delay the inevitable. Regardless of her own misgivings, though, time moved at its tireless pace. Traffic was steady, and they reached the airport right on time, Hotch pulling up to the curb to let her off.

She expected a short goodbye, but when she turned to face him, Hotch was already getting out. Cara followed slowly, meeting him at the back of the car and smiling as he pulled her suitcase out.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

He opened his mouth to answer, but she heard one of the back windows roll down, and she moved over to the door, smiling at Jack sitting there.

"Hey, buddy."

His face was somber. "I don't want you to go."

She didn't want to go either. "I know. But it will only be for a few days and then I'll be back. And we'll play in the snow and go to the library and bake cookies, okay?"

His eyes were still sad, but he nodded. "Okay."

Leaning in, Cara kissed him on the forehead. "You and Daddy have a good Christmas. And look in the freezer when you get back. I left you guys a present."

Jack's expression lit up. "What is it?"

She winked at him. "Chocolate cheesecake," she whispered.

"That's Daddy's favorite!"

Cara smiled. "I know." She kissed him again. "Merry Christmas, Jack."

"Merry Christmas, Cara."

She turned away, fighting back a lump in her throat, to find Hotch standing there uncomfortably, hands in his pockets. Forcing a smile onto her face, she bent down and retrieved her bag from the sidewalk.

"I'll be back in a few days."

He knew that she didn't want to go. He wanted to ask why, or at the least, tell her she could stay with them for the holiday. But he wasn't sure he had the right to do the former, and he knew she would turn down the latter. Whatever was waiting for her in Maine, Cara needed to go there and face it, for reasons of her own.

"We'll be here," he said. "Let me know when you get in. So that we know you made it safely."

She nodded, quashing the sudden desire to hug him tightly. She already pushed his bounds with physical contact on a usual basis, but she didn't want to make him uneasy in public. Instead, she reached out and rested her hand on his arm, squeezing tightly.

"Merry Christmas, Hotch."

He waited until she was through the doors and out of sight. "Merry Christmas, Cara," he whispered.

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Her flight landed at a nearly-empty airport, flights cancelled and delayed from the impending storm. Snow had already started to fall, and Cara stared at it as she stood in front of the windows. She remembered the snow storms back in high school, when she and her best friend would lock themselves in the house while the wind howled and watch movies and eat pizza. It was one of the only fond memories she had left behind, though she wasn't sure if she wanted to smile or cry at the thought. Making a mental note to call her friend soon, she pulled out her phone and sent Hotch a quick text.

- Made it here in one piece. Storm's gonna hit soon –

His response was quick, and she wondered if he had been waiting for a message.

- Be safe and try to have a good time. Jack says hi –

Chuckling quietly, Cara shut her phone and looked around. She needed a rental with 4-wheel drive, and she needed to get going before the roads become nasty. Seeing the car kiosk, she picked up her bag and headed over.

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Hotch sighed, staring at the Christmas tree as it lit up the living room and kitchen. He had lain in bed for two hours before deciding that sleep just wasn't going to come, and now he was sitting at the counter, a bowl of soggy Cheerios in front of him.

He hadn't realized how much he relied on Cara. It wasn't taking care of Jack, or the chores…he could handle those things. But it was so much easier to smile when she was there, baking, filling the house with music.

He wanted his son to enjoy the holiday, to remember that there were reasons to smile and laugh. But he could feel the weight of Haley's absence hanging heavy in every room. Hotch felt choked by his own guilt, like a fraud every time he smiled at Jack – the little boy should be with his mother, putting out cookies for Santa and wrapping presents.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if either he or Jack would have made it this far if Cara hadn't come into their lives.

He wanted to call her, but he discarded the idea quickly. She was with her family, doing her own thing, and she deserved the time off. She was always cooking or taking Jack somewhere when she was with them – he imagined she must be thankful to be able to relax finally. He didn't mean to put so much on her shoulders, but she had just slipped into the role so well that it felt like she belonged there, a part of their little family.

It had been a long time since he'd had a friend outside of his team, and he missed her.

"Daddy?"

His head snapped up, and he saw Jack coming down the stairs, Scooby trailing behind him.

"Hey, buddy. What's wrong?"

Jack shrugged, climbing up onto the stool next to him, his head barely peeking out over the counter. "Can't sleep."

Hotch frowned. "Bad dreams?"

Jack shook his head. "I miss Mommy," he said quietly.

"Me too."

"Do your insides hurt sometimes?" he asked, his voice small in the shadows. "When you think about Mommy?"

Hotch felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. "Yeah," he croaked. "They do." He reached out, running his hand over Jack's head. "I wish I could make that hurt stop for you."

"It doesn't always hurt so much. When Cara's here. Aunt JJ says that friends make it better sometimes."

He gave his son a watery smile. "Your Aunt JJ is very smart."

"She'll be home soon, right?" Jack asked.

"Cara?" The little boy nodded. "Yeah. Couple more days, buddy, and she'll be home."

Jack looked up at his father. "Are you sad, Daddy?"

"A little bit," Hotch admitted.

"I can make it better."

He gave him a small smile. "Oh yeah?"

Jack nodded. "You look in the freezer. Cara left us a present."

Hotch frowned slightly at that, but got up and went to the freezer. They had been eating leftovers since Cara left, and he hadn't gone in there for awhile. Jack slid down from his stool, heading over to the desk where Cara's computer sat.

"Should you be touching that?" Hotch asked.

"There's songs for me, Daddy. Cara said I could play them when I wanted to." He frowned. "I don't know what buttons to push, though."

Leaving the freezer for the moment, Hotch walked over to the desk. Looking at her list of music, he smiled when he saw something labeled "Jack's playlist." He clicked a few buttons, and soft music filled the room.

"Much better," Jack nodded. "Did you get our present?"

Hotch chuckled. "Not yet."

They made their way back to the kitchen, and he opened the freezer again. A white box sat on the top shelf and he pulled it out, setting it down on the counter in front of Jack.

"What do you think it is?"

Jack grinned. "I already know, silly. It's a surprise for you."

Giving his son a look, Hotch opened the box and lifted the cake out. For a moment, he just stared at the chocolate, touched beyond words.

"It's your favorite, right Daddy?"

"It is." He ruffled Jack's hair. "Are you the little birdie that told her that for my birthday?"

"Nope. That was Aunt Jessie."

"Figures." He moved around the kitchen, gathering two plates and silverware. "Want a piece?"

Jack's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Hotch nodded. "It's Christmas Eve. I say we enjoy our present."

The little boy nodded and he cut them each a small piece. Then they sat and enjoyed it in silence, watching the lights on the tree.

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Cara leaned forward against the edge of the sink, staring out the window at the backyard. The storm had blown over the day before, but everything was blanketed in white, the snow reflecting the sunlight sharply in every direction. She knew it was bitterly cold out, but it looked so beautiful from inside that the only thing she could do was stare at it.

Tearing her eyes away before she blinded herself, she walked to the entrance of the living room. A tree sat in the corner, looking lonely and out of place, the lights on, but dulled by the morning light. Two presents sat underneath the branches, both bearing her father's name.

She turned her attention to the man passed out in the recliner across the room. She had checked on him repeatedly through the night, and though he was breathing just fine, he hadn't moved in hours. Briefly, she closed her eyes, rubbing at the purple bruise peeking out from her sleeve.

She was so tired.

Moving into the room, she pulled another blanket from the couch and covered him up, making sure that he wouldn't catch cold. She tucked it around him loosely and then leaned forward, ignoring the stench of whiskey as she kissed him on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Daddy," she whispered.

Bending down, she picked up her suitcase and walked out, making sure to lock the door behind her before opening her phone and dialing.

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"I swear to God, Dave, if this is a case…"

His friend chuckled. "Merry Christmas to you too, Aaron. Don't worry – this is a personal call."

Hotch let out a silent sigh of relief. The idea of having to leave his son on Christmas afternoon was painful – the two of them had had Jessica over for breakfast and spent the rest of the day in their pajamas watching movies. For once, work was the last thing on his mind.

"What's up then?"

There was a small pause. "Cara called me about an hour ago."

Hotch froze, at once wondering what had happened, and why she had called Dave instead of him. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, she's okay. Well…maybe not. She's on a flight back to D.C. as we speak. Wanted to know if I could pick her up."

His frown deepened. "She wasn't supposed to come back for another couple of days." He hesitated. "Did she sound okay, Dave?"

"She sounded…tired. She wasn't crying or overly upset. She just…I think she was done. She said she wanted to come home."

"Then why…" He cleared his throat. "Do you know why she didn't call me?"

"She said she didn't want to ruin your day with Jack. But I was thinking it would be a nice surprise for her if the two of you showed up instead of me. If you're not too busy, that is."

Hotch smiled, looking over at Jack. "You have her flight number?"

Dave grinned.

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Cara sighed in relief as she stepped off the plane and into the terminal. It felt good to be home – she just hoped Hotch didn't mind her showing up two days early without any real notice.

There weren't many travelers on Christmas day, and she made her way down easily toward baggage claim and the exit. She pulled out her phone, staring down at it as she debated calling Hotch. It would be better than just showing up, but she still felt like she was intruding on his holiday. Maybe Dave would let her stay with him for a couple of days…

The phone buzzed in her hand, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Seeing that it was Hotch, she frowned, bringing it up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Need a ride?"

Her head snapped up, and she stared in disbelief at Hotch and Jack standing by the baggage claim. The little boy was waving excitedly to her, and Cara felt a wave of emotion well up in her chest. She was sure that Dave had something to do with this, but the fact that Hotch had bundled his son up and driven out to get her…

Moving closer, she set her bag down and then closed her phone. For a moment, all she could do was stare, and then she stepped forward, hugging Hotch tightly. She felt him stiffen against her, but it was only a moment before he relaxed a little, his hold on her solidifying.

"Merry Christmas," he murmured.

Cara laughed, kissing Jack on the cheek and ruffling his hair. "Merry Christmas. You two are a sight for sore eyes, you know." She gave him a long look. "Remind me to thank Dave."

Hotch nodded. "I will."

"Come home and have cheesecake," Jack said, laying his head on his father's shoulder.

She grinned. "Cheesecake, huh?"

Hotch nodded. "Cheesecake and every animated Christmas movie we own."

"Do I get to wear my pj's?"

Jack nodded solemnly. "It's the rules."

Cara poked his nose gently. "Then lead on, little man."