A/N: Thanks to everyone for the reviews! I love to hear that you guys are enjoying the stories. I suppose this story is mostly a Hotch/Zac/Jack story, but there will be plenty of Emily in later chapters. And in the meantime, there will be plenty of Prentiss action. Keep reading and reviewing!

Also, I'm continuing the updates on the prequel story, so head over and check those out. There is a flashback to the moment when Hotch and Emily meet when he's working for her mother. It also features a tiny Zac.

Chapter 6: To Build a Home (song of the same title, by The Cinematic Orchestra)

Garcia made her way up the front steps of the building, stopping for a moment to smile at the doorman. She held out the basket of mini muffins, "Good day, good sir," she said brightly, "Would you care for a mini muffin?"

The doorman pursed his lips and took in Garcia's outfit: a bright pink dress with matching shoes and a white cardigan. She had a necklace with tiny bright blue birds along her collarbone, matching bird purse, and a basket of mini muffins that really completed the outfit.

"Thank you ma'am," the doorman replied, reaching in to take out a choc-chip muffin, "Are you visiting a resident?"

Garcia nodded and smiled, "Yes sir," she replied, "I'm here to visit the Hotchners."

The doorman smiled and nodded, "Ok, well you can go on through ma'am."

"Thank you," Garcia said brightly, starting down the hall towards Hotch's apartment, stopping at the door and tapping twice. She stood back when she heard the chain moving behind the door.

"Garcia," Hotch said, opening the door and smiling awkwardly as he threw a tea-towel over his shoulder, "What are you doing here?"

"I baked," she replied succinctly, holding out the basket, "Chocolate chip and blueberry for everyone's favourite Hotchner boys."

Hotch smiled and stepped aside, gesturing for Garcia to come in. As he closed the door, he turned and watched his friend greet Jack in her own, unique (Garcia) way.

"Well hello, sir Jack," Garcia said brightly, kneeling down beside the coffee table where Jack was playing with his toys, "I hear that you're a fan of chocolate chip."

Jack nodded, looking to Hotch for permission before he took one of the muffins. He took one and popped it straight into his mouth, chewing quickly and grinning, "Look Daddy! I can eat them with one bite!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Hotch chuckled and nodded, "I can see that buddy," he replied, walking over to sit behind Jack on the couch, "Do you think I can have one?"

Jack nodded, "They're really yummy, Daddy," he replied, smiling over at Garcia.

"So, aside from mini muffins, what else brings you here?" Hotch asked, as he popped a mini muffin in his mouth.

Garcia let out a sigh, "Well, sir," she replied, "I was worried…" she paused and rolled her eyes at Hotch's furrowed brow, "You left before us… you're telling us to watch out if we get offers from other units… sir, you have us all worried."

Hotch nodded, sitting back on the couch and resting his hands in his lap, "Like I said, things are changing in the Bureau, and I would never want anyone to feel like they were obligated to stay with the BAU… yourself included, Penelope."

"Aaron," Garcia urged, "I get offers all the time from the private sector… I could make millions if I wanted to…" she paused and huffed, "... I stay because the work we do is important. And the entire team thinks that too."

Hotch nodded, letting out a sigh and opening his mouth to speak up, but Garcia beat him to it. He watched as she stood from the coffee table and walked over to the pile of boxes in the corner of the living room. They'd been busy packing what they could, preparing for a big change that was coming. Zac had been helping out too, getting started on the bookshelves when he'd come around for dinner the night before.

"What is this?" Garcia asked, furrowing her brow and pointing at the boxes, "Hang on... are you leaving?"

Hotch shook his head and smiled softly, "We're not leaving DC," he explained, "Just this apartment. I bought a townhouse a few streets over…" Hotch paused and stood from the couch, walking over to join Garcia and squeezing her arm, "This is a good thing, Penelope."

Garcia reached up and wiped a tear that had escaped her eye, nodding as Hotch wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "Promise you won't leave?" she asked softly.

Hotch huffed, "Not if I have anything to say about it," he replied, squeezing her shoulder once more before he tipped his head towards the living room, "Now Jack and I were just debating what board game to play… would you care to weigh in?"

Garcia smiled and nodded enthusiastically, sniffing back the remaining tears. It had already been a horrible year, and Garcia felt like one more loss on the team and she might start thinking seriously about the offers she was constantly fielding. If Hotch left, Garcia wasn't sure she could take it. She knew that losing Emily had been almost impossible for Hotch to live with, and that their work, passing Emily's old desk every day and seeing her coffee mug in the kitchen, must have been torture.

However, Garcia stood by her words. The work they did made it all worth it, and she couldn't imagine doing this work without Hotch. But if Hotch said that he wasn't going anywhere, she had to believe him. She had faith in Aaron Hotchner.

Garcia nodded, "I will gladly weigh in," she replied brightly, walking back over and sitting on the floor next to Jack. Reaching over to tickle his side and delighting at the giggle it elicited, Garcia looked back at Hotch, "So long as you know that Master Jack has my vote, every single time.

Still don't know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild
A million dead end streets…

Hotch rounded the bottom of the stairs, watching as Zac and Jack (yes that had made him chuckle just a week ago) made their way through the front door, the older one carrying a large box of kitchen utensils while the younger one dragged his soccer ball beanbag along the ground. When they rounded the corner into the kitchen, Zac stooped down to place the box on the floor and stood.

"I'm fine with the pop-culture education you are giving my son, but please," Hotch smiled sarcastically, "No spaceman suits or crazy make-up… I beg you."

Zac chuckled and nodded, "Come on Aaron," he replied, "You've seen my Halloween photos… you know the mad make-up skills Mom passed down to me."

Hotch raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders, following the young man down the hall and back out to the truck, "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised… I did see that yearbook photo your mom had. She hated it."

Zac wrinkled his brow as he took the box that Hotch passed him, "What photo?"

Hotch chuckled as he followed Zac up the driveway towards the house, "Oh there is so much you don't know, son."

Zac grinned at Hotch's term of endearment, and he chuckled, "So should I expect a lesson sometime soon?"

Hotch shrugged and followed Zac into the kitchen, "I think I can shake the cobwebs out and tell you some stories," he replied, "Your mom was certainly entertaining."

"Daddy!" Jack called out from upstairs, "I'm hungry, can we have something to eat?" he continued as he made his way down the stairs.

"We just have a couple more boxes to get out of the truck and then I'll drive it back to the movers while Zac makes you something to eat," Hotch replied, ruffling his hand through Jack's hair, "If that's ok with you, Zac?"

"Absolutely," Zac replied, lifting Jack up and plopping him on his shoulders, "Anything for my favourite Jack-in-the-box."

Jack giggled and rested his chin on Zac's head as they walked back out to the truck, "Am I your best friend, Zac?" he asked, gripping onto Zac's ears.

"You sure are, buddy," Zac replied, tickling Jack's sides as he lowered him back to the ground, "Now do you think you're strong enough to carry this bucket?" Jack nodded and Zac tipped his head, "I'm not sure… show me your muscles."

Jack held up his arms and Zac looked up to Hotch, "What do you think, Dad?" Zac asked, "Are these muscles big enough to carry the bucket of cleaning supplies?"

Hotch pursed his lips and reached in for another box, "Definitely."

Jack smiled and took the bucket from Zac, hefting it with both hands as he headed back into the house and Zac turned back to grab the next box. He checked the rest of the truck and realised that it was the last one, so he dropped the box on the ground and climbed up to pull the back door down.

As Zac headed back into the house, he bumped into Hotch, "This is the last one," he explained, "If you want to drop the truck back, we can probably have lunch ready by the time you get back."

Hotch nodded, "Sounds like a plan," he replied, turning back and holding out a finger, "And I don't care what he tells you, he is not allowed a soda… he has a visit to the dentist this week and we're playing it safe until then."

Zac chuckled and nodded, "Yes boss," he retorted, heading back inside and kicking the front door closed. He stacked the box, marked "Office", next to the staircase, and then tipped his head. What was a visit downstairs if it meant that Hotch didn't have to spend the rest of his life running up and down the stairs.

"Jack!" Zac called out, "I'm just taking a box downstairs and then I'll be back up to make lunch, so I need you to meet me in the kitchen buddy."

"Ok Zac!" Jack called back.

Stooping down to pick up the box again, Zac made his way down the stairs, finding himself in the hallway that led to the office. He walked the few metres until he reached Hotch's office door, nudging it open with his hip and placing the box down on the floor. Zac stood up and turned around to leave, but his eyes were drawn to a board on the wall, and as he took a few steps closer, Zac brought his hand up to cover his mouth.

The board had a map of the tri-state area with pins in it, as well as a photo of his mom and the guy he assumed was responsible for killing her. Zac stepped closer to the board and read some of the notes.

D – sighted in Baltimore. 04/22.

No contact with CE since Boston.

Fahey – friends?

Zac didn't really understand any of the notes, but it had to be connected to his mom's death.

"Zac!" Jack called out, "I'm hungry. Can we make sandwiches now please?"

Zac frowned, "Sure buddy!" he called out, unable to take his eyes off the wall, "I'm on my way."

Zac backed out of the room and pulled the door closed behind him, running back up the stairs and finding Jack standing there, with his arms crossed against his chest, doing his best impression of his father.

"Are you trying to scare me like Dad?" Zac asked, resulting in a giggle from Jack. He ruffled the little guy's hair before he tipped his head towards the kitchen, "PB&J or turkey?"

Sighing heavily as he dropped onto the couch, Zac looked around at their hard work. The bulky furniture had been left to the professionals, but the three of them had managed to get a pretty big chunk of the moving done. Jack's room was all set up, Hotch's would be finished the next day, and most of the living areas were ready.

And as much as he usually avoided heavy lifting like the plague, he'd found that he'd enjoyed the day. He'd now met Jack a couple of times, gone round to Hotch's for dinner… he'd even met Jessica. And he'd enjoyed getting to know their family. Zac had never asked Hotch, but he was pretty certain that Hotch had loved his mom, and he knew his mom had loved Hotch. Every time they talked, somehow his name would come up, and the conversations he'd had with his mom, where she'd been pissed about Hotch putting himself at risk on cases, pretty much clinched Zac's suspicions. In any case, Zac was just enjoying the time he'd spent with the Hotchner's, and the stories and information that Hotch had readily shared with him about his mom.

Zac looked up when he saw a beer appear by his shoulder, and he smiled, "You read my mind," he chuckled as Hotch sat down in the armchair.

The agent leaned over and held out a folded piece of paper, which Zac took warily.

"What's this?"

Hotch smiled coyly and tipped his head towards the paper, urging Zac to open it.

"Oh my god… is this what I think it is?" Zac paused, taking in the picture, "Where did you get this? Is it real? Who found it?"

Hotch chuckled and nodded, "Garcia found it one day… not too sure what she was up to, but your mom couldn't believe that was real. She denied it until Garcia managed to get an original copy of that yearbook direct from the school to prove that she did, in fact, dress like that for her school photo day."

Zac shook his head in awe as he took in the photo. The make-up, the hairstyle, the clothes… sure enough underneath all of that it was Emily Prentiss, but that picture said a thousand words.

"Mom was a junior in 86/87… so I would have been about one…" Zac paused and huffed, "I can't believe she ever looked like this… or that a girl who looked like this that would have a one-year old son."

Hotch chuckled and shook his head, "I can't imagine you at one," he scoffed, "You'll have to share some photos next time."

Zac huffed, "Apparently I was a bit of a daredevil… I was walking at about nine months old, so by the time I got to one, I was driving Mom and my grandparents crazy!" He paused for a moment, quickly reminiscing the childhood days spent wandering the great yards of the various embassies and estates that landscaped his childhood. "I have this awesome photo of me and Mom sliding down the banister at Mom's grandmother's house in Hartford."

Hotch huffed and nodded, "I think I remember that house…" at Zac's curious look, Hotch continued, "In the nineties, I did security clearances for high-level diplomats and I was tasked with assessing your grandmother's staff and making sure the houses were all up-to-code. I started with the house here in DC, then we had to travel to the other houses in Hartford and Birmingham."

"Did you meet Mom when you were assigned there?" Zac probed, wondering how far back his mom and his new friend went. This was all news, but as Zac listened to Hotch talk, he realised that his mom had brought up a history with Hotch that pre-dated her time with the BAU.

Hotch nodded, his eyes glazed over as he remembered first meeting Emily Prentiss, "She was getting ready to leave for Yale," he explained, "I had only been on the assignment for a couple of days so I was still getting the lay of the land at the DC house and I was running late. I must've taken a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in the library..." Hotch paused and shook his head, looking down at his beer, "Emily was standing on top of one of the ladders, trying to reach a book on the very top shelf. It looked like she was about to fall down so I called out to her, "Hotch huffed, "She got such a fright she almost did fall."

Zac chuckled and nodded, encouraging Hotch to continue.

"I told her to climb down, but she just glared at me, before reaching up again and grabbing hold of the book and tossing it down to me. When she hopped back down I handed it to her and told her to ask for help next time. She took the book from my hand and smiled sweetly, then said "Everyone has the right to make his own decisions, but none has the right to force his decisions on others." If I had simply asked for help and you'd tried and gotten hurt, I would feel terrible. If I'd hurt myself, I would only have myself to blame."

Zac's brow wrinkled as his mind thought about the quote. Suddenly realisation swept over his face and he huffed. "Ayn Rand."

Hotch stared out the window behind the couch, admiring the moon rising behind the silhouette of the city, and he sighed, "Your mom was an amazing woman, Zac… I hope you never forget that."

Zac smiled sadly at Hotch and nodded, "Yes sir."

Hotch's eyes eased open, gradually becoming used to the dark room he was in. He glanced around, looking for the clock, and when he found it his eyes popped open. He looked down to find a blanket had been laid over him, and his beer, now warm, was sitting on the coffee table. Hotch looked around the room, finding no one else around. He reached up and ran his hands over his face, wondering if he should drag his tired body up to his new bedroom, or just sleep there in the armchair. His aching back made the decision for him as a spasm ripped up his back, and he decided that his body would benefit from a decent night sleep in a proper bed.

Standing and stretching, Hotch folded up the blanket and lay it on the back of the armchair. Hotch yawned as he made his way upstairs to check on Jack, whose new bedroom was all set up. They were renovating the sub-ground floor to make a master suite and office, so Hotch was temporarily setting up in one of the guest bedrooms on the top floor. It would also help Jack to have a transition to living in the new house, before Hotch found himself sleeping two floors down.

Hotch made it to the top of the stairs and quickly checked on Jack, who'd developed a habit of kicking off his blankets during the night and contorting his body into the strangest positions. Hotch didn't understand how the boy avoided having a permanent crick in his neck, but so far he'd been lucky. Pulling the blanket up over the sleeping six-year old, Hotch leant down to kiss the top of his head. He ran his hand over Jack's back and smiled softly, watching him sleep for a moment. He really was an amazing kid, and days like today made Hotch even more proud of him. Jack was excited to be in the new house, and he'd been a really big help.

Hotch stood from the side of Jack's bed and switched on the night light, before he made his way out of the room and into the hall. He was about to head down to his temporary room, but noticed a light on down the other end of the hall.

Hotch headed towards the light and, as he turned the corner, he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

Sprawled out like a starfish, Zac slept heavily, his feet hanging off the side of the bed. He must have been exhausted when he'd finally dragged himself upstairs, and was still dressed in his jeans and t-shirt, lying on top of the blankets. Hotch walked over to the wardrobe in the corner and took out a spare blanket, draping it over Zac. He was definitely exhausted, not moving a muscle at Hotch's efforts.

Hotch shook his head, hoping that upon her return, Emily wouldn't object to his new friendship with her son. The dark times that he and Jack had experienced in Emily's absence had been made lighter by Zac's presence in their lives, much like Emily's influence on them during other dark times.

Hotch quietly pulled the door shut behind him, before he ambled back down the hall to his own bedroom. He collapsed on top of the covers, hoping for something as close to a sleep-in as possible the next morning, and as he closed his eyes and felt himself drifting off to sleep, Hotch wondered what Emily would think of the house.

Hotch looked in the rear view mirror and chuckled at the shenanigans happening in the backseat. The entire car ride, from home to the soccer field, Zac and Jack had been trying to out-disgust the other. It all started when Zac opted to sit in the backseat with Jack, instead of climbing in the front with Hotch, where he proceeded to teach Jack how to make farting sounds with his armpit. And as Hotch pulled the car into a free spot at the fields, he couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his mouth as they played a child-friendly version of "Would you rather…" – gross-edition. Apparently, Jack would rather toss back a shot of cat pee than eat a bug. Hotch had to disagree.

As they climbed out of the car, Zac ran around to unbuckle Jack from his carseat while Hotch grabbed the bag out of the trunk, and as he walked over to join the others at the front of the car, Hotch had a strange feeling of déjà vu. Memories of Emily had been coming in at increased frequency, and Hotch felt an ache in his chest every time. He had hoped it would get easier with time, and if she'd been truly gone, maybe it would be easier by now. As it was, moments like this just made Hotch miss her more and wish they could fast-forward so that she could be there with them.

Hotch shook his head and walked quickly to catch up to Jack and Zac, meeting them just as they reached the field. As he approached them, Jack turned to check with his dad, getting a nod and a smile, before he ran off in the direction of his team-mate's huddle.

"Aaron!"

Hotch looked over and bit his lip, spotting Rossi waving at him from near the huddle of kids. "Uh… I'll be back in a minute," Hotch said to Zac, handing him the bag and jogging over to join Rossi, who was just about to give some final instructions before he sent the kids onto the field.

"Ok kids!" Rossi said excitedly, "Now remember what we practiced last week? Make sure you tag the player you need to defend against and stick to them like glue," Rossi paused and looked directly at two of their players, "And remember, no hitting."

The whistle blew and Hotch realised they had only just made it in time for the start of the game, which wasn't the best example to set as the coach, but he figured they'd had to swing past to pick up Zac on the way. He made a mental note to leave home a little earlier if Zac was going to join them again. Hotch and Rossi started back towards the sidelines and turned to watch as the match began, the scrum of tiny players merging around the ball and ignoring everything they'd practiced the week before. Fumbled plays and unruly tackles kept them busy for the duration of the game.

Things started to settle down as the players got back into the swing of things after the first half, and Rossi was impressed at how much the kids had been picking up. They were a little more consistent in the beginning of the second half, passing the ball to each other, rather than just kicking it as hard as they could.

"So… you're hanging out with Zac?" Rossi asked, glancing over at Hotch, before he turned back to look at the field. It was a curious sight to see, Emily's friend hanging out with the Hotchner boys, and Rossi was curious about how this had all come about. The only time he'd seen Zac since that first encounter had been at Emily's funeral, but he hadn't had the chance to actually speak with the guy at the time.

Hotch stood up straight and stared at his friend, "How do you know Zac?" he asked. As far as Hotch was aware, Emily hadn't told anyone about her son, except JJ, and he couldn't imagine a scenario in which Emily would tell Rossi and not him.

"Oh… I met him once when he came to visit Emily at the office," Rossi replied, "I figured he was a little young for her, but what do I know? All three of my ex-wives were close in age to me and none of those marriages worked out."

Hotch huffed as he shook his head, "You've got no idea, do you?" he remarked, looking at his friend and then back out at the field.

"No idea about what?" Rossi asked.

Hotch chuckled and bit his lip, "Never mind… I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually," he replied, looking back at the field and cheering Jack and his team-mates on as they went through Rossi's favourite play, kick-by-kick. Travis kicked the ball to Caleb, who passed it to Jack. Jack looked nervously at the goal and kicked the ball, striking it right between the posts as the ref blew the whistle, signifying the end of the match.

Jack ran off the field, bypassing a shocked Hotch and Rossi and heading straight for Zac. He jumped into his arms while Rossi and Hotch walked over to join them, making their way through the milling children and parents. As he settled on Zac's hip, Jack smiled, "Did you see me?" he asked, "I scored a goal!"

Zac chuckled and nodded, "I did see… you were amazing!" he replied, tickling the boy's sides and smiling wide at his giggling.

"Be careful Zac," Rossi remarked, "We don't want Jack to have an accident all over you."

Zac smiled and nodded, holding his hand out to Rossi, "Nice to see you again, Agent Rossi," he said politely as they shook hands, before he stooped over to put Jack back on the ground.

"Please… Dave," Rossi replied, "I'm only Agent Rossi…" he paused and huffed, "… I was going to say I only go by that between nine and five, but that wouldn't be entirely accurate."

Hotch raised his eyebrows and shook his head, "No… it wouldn't," he added drolly, watching with humour as he watched Rossi try to piece together this mystery. It was actually kind of fun for Hotch to watch the gears turning in Rossi's mind. He liked to think he was a master profiler, but this was testing his powers.

"So how did Aaron ring you into getting out of bed so early on a Saturday morning, Zac?" Rossi asked, ignoring Hotch's less-than-subtle stare. He'd figure this out eventually, and he had some tricks up his sleeve to find out the information he needed.

Zac huffed, "Actually, it was Jack who persuaded me," he replied, "Right Jack-in-the-box?"

Jack nodded, sipping on his juice box and offering a toothy grin to the three men, "Yep… Zac's my best friend so he had to come."

Zac chuckled and nodded, "Oh, I'm your best friend?" he asked, squatting down to ruffle Jack's hair, "That's awesome! Cause you're my best friend too!"

"So I didn't know you and Aaron knew each other, Zac," Rossi commented, ignoring the subsequent eyeroll from Hotch as Zac stood up, "Did Emily introduce you?"

Zac cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by a little voice.

"Emily is Zac's mommy, right Daddy?" Jack asked innocently, completely unaware of the grenade he'd just lobbed into the middle of the group.

Hotch and Zac both looked from Jack, up to Rossi, then to each other, then back to Rossi, remaining completely silent as they tried to figure out how to rectify the situation. Hotch didn't know how Zac felt about others finding out about his parentage, and Zac knew that there were other larger implications for making it known to the wider circle. Looking down at Jack, Zac realised that the cat was out of the bag already, and he figured that Hotch and his mom both trusted Dave, so he might as well clear things up. Hotch obviously trusted Rossi with his own son, so Zac figured his secret would be safe with him as well.

Zac nodded, "So yes," he replied, "In a way, Mom did introduce us," he added sarcastically as he watched the older man's reaction.

Rossi's eye grew wide for a moment, before he had the good sense to school his features. This wasn't just news. This was… Rossi shook his head… he couldn't think of the right word that would accurately describe the gravity of this revelation. Emily had a kid... not even a kid... Emily had a grown, adult son. So many things made sense now, Emily's story to him about her pregnancy when she was a kid in Rome... Rossi now realized that was about Zac.

Hotch huffed and tipped his head to Zac, "I think it's safe to say, you've managed to shock David Rossi," he joked, patting Rossi on the shoulder, "Can we get you anything, Dave? A glass of water… or maybe a shot of whiskey?"

Zac chuckled at Rossi's expense, watching him shake his head at Hotch, "It's ok," he said, patting Rossi on his other shoulder, "Mom was good at secrets. And so long as you can keep it to yourself…" his voice trailed off.

Rossi nodded, still unable to piece words together.

Taking pity on his friend, Hotch looked between the others and gestured with his thumb over his shoulder, "Now, tradition says that we take this champion goal-scorer out for ice-cream," he said brightly, running his hand over Jack's head, "You want to join us Dave?" he asked, looking over at his friend.

Rossi nodded again, smiling at the others, "Sure thing... my shout," he replied, nodding at Zac, "And maybe in exchange for ice cream, you can tell me the rest of the story."