A/N: Hey guys, Happy New year! This little prompt takes place after 3x11 which is the episode where Hotch receives his divorce papers.

Mid-December 2007

It was meant to be the most wonderful and joyous time of the year, but Emily could not crack a smile as she took her first sip of alcohol. Even the jolly Christmas music and a young Santa Claus in the corner couldn't help stifle her foul mood.

It just felt wrong to be out drinking when Hotch had just been served divorce papers.

Emily knew that it was stupid to take on other people's burdens- especially working in the BAU- but she hadn't realised Haley had filed for divorce. It was apparent how much Hotch cared for her with the extents he'd gone to make sure their marriage survived… And the brunette couldn't imagine how embarrassing and upsetting it must have been for Hotch, receiving those papers in front of the entire team.

Hotch's divorce was not only on her mind but a woman on the last case, Karen Foley, had stuck with Emily. Every victim she met was memorable, but Karen choosing to raise a baby as a teenager had thrown the brunette way into the deep end.

People like Karen Foley reminded Emily of what could have been, and always without a doubt, resurfaced the guilt that she struggled to bury. Even though Emily knew that being a mother at fifteen years old was near impossible considering her circumstances, no amount of contemplation, reasoning or love could replace the grief she felt for her lost child.

She would live with the tiny hole in her heart forever.

But at the same time, Emily felt blessed she didn't have to worry about a child. She saw the struggles and raw pain of having to raise one every single day. Dozens of children she'd met had lost parents and gone through countless foster homes. Others grew up suffering from disabilities requiring lots of medication and money. Then some were passed between split families like a pendulum.

Suffice to say; life could suck.

Emily had her eye carefully trained on the door, and she grew more concerned each minute that Hotch didn't appear. "Do you reckon he'll show up now?" Emily asked to JJ. After Hotch received the papers, he'd stormed away and hadn't returned. Presumably, he had gone to discuss the situation with Haley. Either that, or he was spending time alone.

Poor guy.

The blonde shrugged her shoulders at the opposite side of the table. "I'd be surprised if he did. If it were me, I certainly wouldn't…"

Rossi danced his way over to the table moments later with a large mug of beer. Noticing the glum mood from both women, he announced, "Come on! Let loose just for a couple hours!"

How the Italian had so much oomph after the events earlier, Emily would never know. When Morgan first asked if anyone was up for a drink, she was all in, but now Emily just felt bummed out. "I wish I could…"

Dave blinked a few times before sitting beside Emily. As if he read her mind, Rossi said, "Hotch will be okay, this is just a rough patch he needs to work through."

"I know he'll be okay in the end, but right now I just feel bad for him. I mean… Right around Christmas? That's not fair."

JJ nodded in agreement while Rossi glanced to the ground. He entirely understood Emily's concern, but he also knew Hotch. He was the sort of guy that dealt with his problems internally and hated projecting them onto others. And while a divorce was something Rossi had seen coming from miles away, he knew Hotch could deal with it in his own time. The man sat silently for a moment, breathing a depressed sigh. "I know a divorce may not sound like the greatest Christmas present, but this is the best option for him right now…"

JJ cocked her head to the side, "well… Best option for Haley. I think we all know that he wanted more than anything to fix the relationship."

Emily nodded, thinking about her boss. She had loved watching him and Haley interact, and she felt so devastated knowing that Hotch had lost his chance at winning her back. What made her feel even more upset was how his little boy would deal with it. The brunette had spotted a picture of Jack on Hotch's desk one night, and the moment she saw him, her heart melted. The boy had a cute dimpled smile with chubby cheeks. His appearance screamed Haley, but his dimples were all Hotch. "Has anybody heard from him?"

JJ vigorously shook her head, "I would call him, but I don't wanna poke the bear."

Emily's hand flew to her cell phone buried in the back pocket of her jeans. She knew better than most how snappy the man could get when people invaded his boundaries- she'd learnt that the hard way. But surely, he would appreciate a simple phone call asking if everything was okay.

So, the brunette found a quiet spot outside and shivered as she dialled Hotch's number. It ended up taking a full minute for him to answer the phone. "Hey… It's Prentiss. Everything alright?"

Emily heard him sigh heavily, "Not really…" His voice had that gruff tone to it.

"I'm sorry…" She muttered, "that was a stupid thing to ask, of course, you're not okay. I was just wondering if you still wanted to come out for a drink?" There was a moment of silence as he contemplated the decision, "If you want more time alone don't feel obliged- "

"I will… I just want to spend a little more time with Jack."

Emily burst out into a smile, knowing Hotch was spending quality time with his son. "Of course, take as long as you need… We are at Jackie's bar and restaurant when you are ready."

"Prentiss…"

"Yeah?"

There was a brief silence, "thankyou…"

She mustered a sad smile, "anytime."

Hanging up, Emily sauntered back into the bar, smirking as she passed Morgan and Garcia dancing together amongst the mobs.

"He's coming soon…" She announced to JJ and Rossi whose eyes both lit up.

"oh, that's great! A beer would do him good." The blonde said as she took a swig of the drink. JJ turned to Emily, "You should have invited Devon!"

"I would have except he's in England visiting his family for Christmas…" JJ nodded with an open mouth before skulling back the remainder of her drink.

"That's a shame… I wanted to meet him."

Emily smirked, "Sure, you do."

Half an hour later, Rossi spotted Hotch stroll in through the entrance. His stone-hard poker-face had been the first thing that greeted Emily's eyes. Then she realised the man was still dressed in his suit for crying out loud, but at least he'd loosened his tie. Then as Hotch found the group and came closer to the table, Emily saw the sadness embedded deep within his eyes.

"I'll shout you a drink…"

"Thanks, Dave…" Hotch muttered as he took a seat on one of the stools. He made eye contact with Emily, who glanced at him with an uncomfortable expression, almost like she didn't know what to say. Talking about the divorce was the last thing he wanted to discuss, so he said, "got any plans for Christmas, Prentiss?"

She nodded, "my father is finally returning from an assignment over in Europe. I haven't seen him for a couple of years." Hotch smiled, feeling happy for the woman. "What about you?"

He hadn't given Christmas much thought. Haley and himself finally discussed what would happen concerning their son and from the sounds of things, it looked like Jack would be spending Christmas with Haley. It saddened him somewhat, considering how much time he'd already spent with the woman, but he'd concluded this was his karma for not being around enough. So, he quickly muttered, "working most likely… JJ?"

The blonde cleared her throat, "Haven't planned anything… Mom wants to come and visit, which I have to be honest… Not so keen on."

Emily scoffed as JJ rolled her eyes. "I know the feeling…"

"Where's Reid?" Hotch asked when he noticed the absence of the young genius.

JJ pointed down to the back of the bar where Reid leant against the wall, watching a pool game whilst being surrounded by young ladies. "Probably explaining the probability of winning the game."

"You know for somebody so socially awkward, Reid's like a magnet when it comes to women," Prentiss noted, focusing her attention down the back of the bar.

"I don't know how they do it… I can probably hear about three statistics before I give up and walk away." The blonde muttered causing Hotch to smirk. "Plus, if you ask me, he still has a babyface, don't you think?"

Prentiss quirked her brows, contemplating the observation, "yeah…? I guess you could say that."

Rossi returned with a beer for Hotch, before sitting next to him and patting him on the back. "Is Jack okay?"

Hotch nodded, "I got to read him a bedtime story… It's about a tiger who has a tea-party with a little girl. It's one of his favourites." Even Hotch had to admit. He had loved the story too. Especially the pictures.

"What a sweet boy..." Emily said, taking a sip of her drink. "I'm gonna go dance with Morgan and Garcia… Anyone wanna join?"

JJ nodded enthusiastically and sprinted with Emily to the dance floor giggling. Hotch watched the two women walk away, leaving him alone with Dave. The question he had been dreading all evening finally came out, "so… How did things go with Haley?"

He stared into space, clasping his mug of beer.

"I take it things didn't turn out the way you were hoping…"

"I should have been able to fix this Dave… I've had so many opportunities to make things right, and I've either blown them, or she comes up with some other excuse."

"Maybe Haley doesn't want to fix it… Maybe, this is how things are meant to be." Rossi said, taking a moment to swig back the rest of his drink.

Hotch looked into his beer sadly, "I know. It's just… I can't imagine moving on. All the moments… The memories we've had together… I can't just let them go."

"You don't have to," the older agent reassured, "life is about experiences and challenges… Relationships end along the way, and people you meet go their separate ways. But the memories never leave." He said, pointing to his head.

Aaron's eyes felt heavy. Never had a file of papers made him feel so mentally drained. He wasn't ready for a divorce. Wasn't prepared to return into the world a single and lonely man. And as he twisted the gold band on his finger, Hotch realised that he couldn't accept it. Haley had always been the only love of his life, and to wave goodbye and look at her as a friend would be absolute torture.

"Did you explain anything to Jack?"

Shaking his head, Hotch replied, "both of us were too tired to have a proper conversation. Besides… I don't think he'd understand. I just wanted to spend some time with him and read him a bedtime story for the first time in months." Hotch bit the inside of his cheek, "I'm hardly around him enough as it is, Dave. What's the chance he'll notice that I'm not around more?"

Rossi put the glass down and thought for a moment, "you know… I never had kids. But part of me wishes I did. Children are the most naïve, innocent and joyful souls on the planet. And they are also the most forgiving." He paused, "you're a good father, Aaron. Even though Jack may not see it now, you're setting an example of how to be the hero… How to do good in the world. He knows that you're not neglecting him."

"I don't know, Dave…" Hotch muttered, "some days I've considered quitting for the pure purpose of spending more time with him. I've missed too much already."

The older agent nodded, "do what you think is necessary, Aaron. If you need to take a couple days to get things settled, let me know. We all hate seeing you miserable."

He quirked a smile, "thanks…"

A/N: Sorry that this is a little on the short side. The next chapter is between Jack and Hotch and I cannot wait to share with you all. Thanks for reading!