A/N: As I was writing this, I realised this chapter is pretty much absent of the two characters that this story is centred around. Kind of funny. You're all hoping for more Emily and Hotch, and we don't even really have much of either in this chapter. Keep reading though, and please keep reviewing! Still trying to keep these A/N's to just thanks for the reviews, so next chapter we're back to canon - S7e1.

Also, thanks so much for the lovely review kathlyn4060! Your feedback is exactly what I'm going for in this story. Making up for the gaps in canon. :)

Chapter 12: Wishing you were here (Wishing, by Fanny Lumsden)

"Daddy!" Jack squealed as the image of his dad appeared on the laptop screen, wrinkling his face and shaking his head, "You're almost as hairy as Zac!"

Hotch laughed at his son's ebullience, running his hand over his beard and nodding at the screen, "Well… where's your beard, buddy?" he asked, watching Jack stand up at the coffee table and wave Zac and Jessica over to the laptop. Hotch wasn't sure if this was possible, but Jack looked so much bigger, even since their video chat from the day before. He smiled at Jack's happy demeanour, glad that he seemed to be none-the-worse for Hotch's absence. He'd clearly been right in thinking that the combination of Zac and Jessica would help to distract Jack from who wasn't around.

"I don't have a beard, Daddy," Jack replied matter-of-factly as he turned back to the laptop. Zac and Jessica dropped onto the floor between the coffee table and the couch, Jack settling back in Zac's lap before he continued, "And I don't want you or Zac to have one either."

Zac laughed at Jack's comment and shook his head, "I think Dad's beard is out of necessity, Jack… mine's out of pure laziness."

Jack shrugged, "I don't know what nessity means but I don't like your beards," he remarked, resulting in laughter from the three grown-ups.

Zac shook his head and turned back to the video, "How's it going over there?" he asked, knowing from what Hotch had told him so far that it was not the most pleasant of situations. Zac only hoped that the rest of the team knew what Hotch was sacrificing to keep them all together. Hotch's own description was that he only needed to take this assignment in the short-term, to keep the BAU together in the long-term, but in his conversations with JJ and Rossi, it didn't seem like the others were aware of the connection between Hotch's absence and the team's long-term future. Zac could only figure that Hotch was trying to stop the others from feeling any guilt or pressure.

Hotch shrugged, "It's ok… the days are long and hot, but we're managing pretty well, considering," he replied, "What about you guys? What's new?"

"Well," Jessica replied, elbowing Zac in the side and tipping her head towards the laptop screen, "Tell him…"

Zac rolled his eyes good-naturedly, clearing his throat before he turned back to the screen, "Uh... Lucy has invited us out to Philly for a visit in a couple of weeks, before Jack starts at school… if you're ok with that?" he asked, ruffling his hand through Jack's hair.

"Of course," Hotch replied with a smile, "Since you'll be in the area, maybe you could stop at that place that Jack's been asking to go to," he chuckled, Jack's ears perking up at the mention of his name. Hotch's smile was genuine, but inside his heart was breaking, these daily calls a reminder of what he was missing out on at home. He wished he could be there for all of these moments. Taking Jack on adventures and getting him ready for school, being a sounding board for Zac on everything from his work to his relationship with Lucy, and being there to give Jess a hug after a tough day. These were all the things he was missing out on.

Jessica furrowed her brow before she realised what Hotch was talking about, and she started to nod, "Hmmm… I think we can make that happen," she replied, smiling over at Jack and leaning over to whisper to Zac, "Hersheypark."

Zac nodded and grinned, "Oh my god, yes," he chuckled.

Jack turned in Zac's lap, crossing his arms and frowning, "Where are we going?" he asked, pouting when Zac mimed zipping his lips.

"It's a surprise, buddy," Hotch said with a smile, "It's a good thing." As Jack continued to glare at the others, Hotch chuckled, "So what else is new guys? Have you gone to the school to see your new classroom?"

Jack nodded excitedly, momentarily forgetting that the adults were telling secrets, "Yeah! My teacher is Miss McKee and she's really nice," Jack explained, "And my desk is really close to the window, so I can see the trees."

Hotch smiled, "That's awesome buddy. And have you figured out if you want to walk or ride your bike to school?" he asked, trying to school his features and hide the fact that he was devastated to be missing out on the start of Jack's school year. He was going into first grade and Hotch wished he could be there for his first day... just another thing to feel guilty about, on a long list of the same. Hotch shook his head as Jack began to speak, knowing he should actually try and pay attention during their short video chats.

"I think I want to walk, Daddy," Jack replied, tapping his finger on his chin and leaning back against Zac's chest, "Zac said he can walk with me."

Zac nodded, "Yeah, I'll walk Jack to school in the morning and then I'll go to work, and then Aunty Jess will pick you up from school, right?"

"Yeah," Jack said, nodding, "So I get to see both of them every day."

Hotch pursed his lips and nodded, looking up and over the screen and holding up his finger, "I'll be right there, guys," he said to someone in the background, then looked back at the screen, "I'm sorry guys, but I have to head out," Hotch explained with a sad smile, "I'll talk to you guys again tomorrow."

"Ok," Zac said softly, looking down at Jack, "We'll talk to you tomorrow… stay safe."

"Bye Daddy," Jack said brightly, waving at the screen.

"Bye everyone," Hotch said, "I love you."

"Love you too Daddy," Jack replied, turning to Zac and Jessica with a very serious face, "You have to tell Daddy you love him too."

"Love you Aaron," Jessica said, waving at the screen.

"Love you Dad," Zac said, smiling as Jack reached over to shut the laptop, but inside wondering if he should organise a time to skype with Hotch when Jack wasn't around and give him a chance to talk properly. Zac knew that Hotch was keeping his calls with them nice and light, but there had to be other things going on for him while he was on assignment. He made a mental note to send him a message to ask.

As Jack jumped up from Zac's lap, he turned and held up his hands in front of him, "Can we go for a walk to the park now, Zac?" he begged with a pout, "Please?"

Zac and Jessica exchanged an amused look at Jack's attempts to persuade the grown-ups, not really needing any convincing, but thinking that pretending like they were considering it would help when it came to convincing Jack to take a bath and go to bed at a reasonable hour.

"What do you think Jess?" Zac asked, pursing his lips in an attempt not to smile.

"Please!" Jack begged, running over and looking up at Jessica, "I promise I'll have a bath when we get home."

Jessica looked over at Zac, both of them deciding to stop their tiny-human-torture, and she looked down at Jack, "Alright," she replied, checking her watch, "You can go for a quick walk to the park, but you have to be back by six for bath and dinner."

Jack ran to the front door with a smile on his face, pulling on his sneakers and bouncing excitedly as Jessica helped him tie them up, while Zac went to the closet to grab the soccer ball.

"I'm thinking we can have that leftover stuffed chicken you made, with some steamed vegies," Jessica suggested, glancing up at Zac, before she turned back to tie Jack's shoes. She had a lot on her mind, and wondered if she should burden Zac or keep it to herself. They'd essentially been living together for the four weeks that Aaron had been away so far, and while Jessica had enjoyed getting to know Zac more, she wasn't sure yet that they'd reached the point where she could completely open up.

Zac nodded, "Sounds great," he replied, watching Jessica stand up, "We won't stay out too long, just walk to the park, kick this ball around for a bit, and then head home…" he paused and tipped his head, "… You doing ok?"

Jessica nodded, glancing down at Jack and offering him a small smile, "I'll talk to you about it later," she replied, knowing that she had at least one thing she definitely needed to talk through with Zac, and figuring it would be a good test-run.

Zac smiled and reached out to take Jack's hand, "Why don't you come with us to the park?" he asked, looking up at Jessica.

"Yeah, Aunty Jessica should come with us," Jack added, smiling up at his aunt.

Jessica huffed and nodded, "You know what," she replied with a smile, "That sounds like a great idea… we could all do with the fresh air, and dinner can wait a little while longer."

Jack jumped excitedly, and Zac reached down to scoop him up into his arms, "If you're not careful, you'll use up all of your energy and you won't make it to the park!"

Jack giggled in Zac's arms and they headed through the door, Jessica locking it up behind her, and then they were on their way.

As they made their way down the sidewalk, Jack swinging Zac and Jessica's arms, Jessica glanced over at the boys. They were chatting about whether they thought any ducks might be at the pond, and what the difference was between ducks and geese. Jessica couldn't help but smile at the gentle way that Zac explained everything to Jack. It was one of her favourite things about watching them interact. She really did like having Zac around, although it was bittersweet.

Jessica would give anything to have her sister back, to have her alive and watching Jack grow up. Even though it had been almost two years since Haley was killed, there were moments that popped up almost every day that reminded Jessica of who was missing. It got easier, but that feeling never went away completely. She and Haley had been attached at the hip their entire lives, and then she was gone.

Watching Zac laugh at a joke that Jack was telling, Jessica smiled. They might have been almost twenty years apart in age, but she was glad that Jack was getting the chance to know what it was like to have a sibling. And a sibling who would patiently listen to Jack re-start a joke so that he could get the punchline right.

The trio reached the park and Jack looked up at Jessica, pointing to the pond, "Can I go and see the ducks?" he asked politely, waiting for Jessica to nod before he dropped both of their hands and ran off towards the pond. He was old enough now that he knew not to walk too close to the water, and the adults could follow at a distance.

"So," Zac started, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans, and glancing over at Jessica, "What was that about... at the house?"

Jessica bit her lip and shrugged, watching Jack carefully, "I haven't heard you call Aaron, Dad, before…" she paused and shook her head, glancing up at Zac, "… I was surprised."

Zac nodded and raised his eyebrows, "Does it bother you?" he asked, wondering how he would reply if she said yes.

Jessica shook her head emphatically, "Not at all," she replied quickly, "I suppose I wonder how your biological dad would feel about it… or your mom for that matter. But I think it makes Jack and Aaron happy."

Zac huffed and shook his head, "I have a father, but I don't really have a dad, so that's not a problem," he replied, wondering if Jessica knew about his mom's relationship with Aaron, "As for my mom, I don't think she'd mind at all."

"I know Aaron and your mom were getting closer before…" Jessica's voice trailed off, "… he never told me about it, just things I saw, but it seemed like she made him really happy."

Zac nodded, "I think that's why I like calling him Dad… it's not something I've ever really done with anyone before… not in a way that meant anything…" Zac paused and shrugged, "… I suppose it's my version of "what-if"."

Jessica nodded, "I understand. And please do not stop calling him that on my behalf," she explained, "I guess I just wanted to know what that was about."

Zac smiled and looked over at Jessica, "So should I start calling you aunty?" he asked with a chuckle, resulting in a swat on his arm from Jess.

"Aunty Jessica! Zac!" Jack called out, "There are baby ducks!"

Jessica and Zac took the final steps, reaching Jack and dropping onto the ground behind him. Jack took a few steps back and sat between them, and as they watched the ducks, Zac looked back over at Jessica.

"You know," he started, causing her to look in his direction, "If you ever need to talk about anything else… I'm here."

Jessica smiled softly and nodded, "Ditto."

"Ok Jack," Zac said brightly, walking into the living room and shaking his head, "It's time to turn off the TV and find something else to do. I don't want to have to explain to Dad that your brain turned to mush while he was gone."

"But I want to watch this episode!" Jack whined loudly, "I've never seen it before."

Zac shook his head, picking up the remote from the coffee table and turning the TV off, "Sorry buddy," he replied, "I'm sure we can find something better to do than watching TV."

Jack dropped back on the couch and crossed his arm, pouting as Zac placed the remote high up on the bookshelf, "I hate you," he said softly, glaring at Zac, "You're not my real brother and I wish you would just go away."

Zac raised his eyebrows and shook his head, "I know you're upset, buddy, but that's not a nice thing to say," he replied, shoving his hands into his pocket, "You're my real brother and I love you, and I think if we find something really fun to do together, you might remember that."

Jack shook his head, "No I won't," he replied defiantly, "I'm going to my room so I don't have to listen to you."

As Jack stomped up the stairs, Zac sighed, "Don't even think about turning on the upstairs TV, Jack!" he called out after him, keeping an ear out and shaking his head when he heard Jack's bedroom door slam shut. He winced at the sound and bit his lip, wondering if he should have just let him keep watching his show, but knowing that he was in the right here. Jack was on summer vacation for another few days, and Zac didn't want him to just watch TV until it was time to go to school. It was still technically summer for those few more days and Jack needed to get outside.

Zac started towards the kitchen, figuring he could at least get a jump on the preparation for dinner, but as he rounded the corner into the dining room, the doorbell rang. He made his way down the front hall and smiled when he saw JJ and Henry's faces appear in the side window.

"Hello visitors!" Zac exclaimed as he opened the door, taking Henry from JJ's arms and squeezing him tight, "How are you little guy?"

"Good!" Henry squealed, squeezing Zac's face and giggling as he poked out his tongue.

Zac chuckled and stepped aside for JJ to come inside, waiting to close the door behind her before he pulled her into a hug.

"That's quite a welcome," JJ remarked as they pulled back, "Everything ok?"

Zac rolled his eyes, placing Henry on the floor and shaking his head as he stood back up, "Jack and I just had a bit of a fight," he explained, "He wanted to keep watching TV and I wanted him to find something more creative to fill in his day."

JJ nodded in understanding, watching Henry run over to the toybox in the corner of the living room, "Oh we've all had those fights with the tiny humans," she replied, reaching over to squeeze Zac's arm, "I'm sure he's just like his dad and just needs to be cranky for a bit."

Zac nodded and pursed his lips, then shook his head and smiled, "Coffee?" he asked, gesturing to the kitchen. At JJ's nod, he started them towards the kitchen, JJ taking a seat at the island counter while Zac went about fixing a fresh pot of coffee.

"So how's work?" Zac asked, "I heard you were in… Nebraska?"

JJ nodded, "Yeah, Rossi told me that he'd talked to you," she replied, "Serial arsonist… lots of fire."

The arsonist case had kept them busy, but JJ had still taken time, when she finally got the chance, to talk to Rossi about what he knew, how he knew. She wasn't sure how Emily would feel about her son sharing his existence with the others on the team, but she supposed he was an adult and could make those decisions for himself, especially in her absence. And JJ had made sure that Rossi understood what the bottom line was: if Zac told them, that was one thing. But it was up to those in-the-know to keep his identity to themselves.

Zac huffed, "Did any of you get hurt, or did Dad take all the stupid with him this time?" he asked, pressing the start button the machine and turning to face JJ.

JJ chuckled and shook her head, "If you're asking if anyone ran into a burning building, the answer is no…" she replied, furrowing her brow and tipping her head to the side, "Hang on… Dad?"

Zac shifted his eyes and bit his lip, completely oblivious to the slip-up until it was too late, "Uh… yeah… uh… he's ok with it," he tried to explain, stumbling over his words and rolling his eyes, "It just feels weird to call him Aaron, and I'm not an agent so I'm not going to call him Hotch… and he's been more my dad in the last five months than my actual father has been in my entire life."

JJ nodded and smiled, "I wonder what your mom would think about that," she remarked, standing from the counter and grabbing two mugs from the cabinet.

"JJ," Zac replied, shaking his head as he took the mugs from her, "You know just as well as I do what was going on there before… well… you know."

JJ furrowed her brow and nodded, "I didn't know you knew," she replied, "But… uh… I guess that's good…" she paused and shook her head quickly, "How does Jack feel about it?"

Zac huffed and smiled, "If you'd asked me that twenty minutes ago, I would've said that he seems to like it…" he paused and shrugged, "But that was before he said he hated me."

JJ rolled her eyes, "Don't take it personally," she said softly, "He's six and you wouldn't let him watch his cartoons. I'm sure Hotch has had similar conversations with Jack, and no one can deny how much that kid loves his dad."

Zac nodded pouring coffee into the two mugs and handing one to JJ, "We can probably get the boys outside for a bit, if you want to take Henry out while I grab Jack?"

JJ nodded and picked up the two mugs, "Henry!" she called out, waiting for him to look up from the toys he was throwing around the living room, "We're going outside to kick the ball with Jack."

"Yay!" Henry called out, running towards his mom and following her outside.

Zac ran up the stairs and tapped gently on Jack's bedroom door, hoping the presence of Henry might convince him to put away his crankypants and come out for a play.

"Jack, buddy."

"Go away!" Jack called out from the other side of the door.

"Henry and Aunty JJ are here," Zac said softly, "Do you want to come and play?"

There was silence on the other side of the door, but Zac took that as a good sign, that Jack wasn't immediately yelling at him again to go away. He waited one more moment and as he turned to go back downstairs, Zac heard the door open behind him. He turned back and smiled softly as Jack's face appeared.

Zac knelt down on the floor, holding out a hand for Jack and waiting for him to reach out. As he pulled him into a hug, he felt Jack sigh against his chest.

"I'm sorry," Jack said softly, "I don't hate you… I was just angry."

Zac let out a sigh and shook his head, squeezing Jack tight, "I won't say it's ok, buddy, cause it's not. But when you're angry, it might be better to tell me why so we can work it out…" he paused and waited for Jack to nod, "… Ok, so do you want to come outside and play with Henry?"

Jack nodded and Zac stood up again, leading him downstairs. As they made their way through the front door, Jack's face lit up and he ran down the final set of steps until he met with Henry on the grass. As the boys started to kick the ball around, Zac joined JJ on the swing seat, taking the mug of coffee she held out to him.

"Have you talked to Hotch lately?" JJ asked as Zac sat back.

Zac nodded, "We skype with him every day," he replied, "It's been good for Jack to see him and tell him every little thing, not just the big stuff…" he paused and looked over at JJ, "I caught up with him as well, without Jack there, and he shared a bit more about what was going on..."

As Zac's voice trailed off, JJ reached over to pat his arm and smiled sadly, "We're worried too, but he'll be back eventually and this will all just seem like a blip on the radar."

Zac cleared his throat and nodded, "How about you guys?" he asked, "Have you talked to him?"

JJ nodded, "Yeah, we organised a group chat with him the other day, which was really nice," she explained, her face dropping slightly, "We miss him."

Zac huffed and nodded, turning back to watch the boys. He was about to speak up again when the front gate opened and a woman walked through. Based on her appearance and the descriptions that his mom and Hotch had provided over time, Zac felt it was safe to assume the woman was Penelope Garcia, and his suspicions were confirmed when JJ stood from her seat and waved.

"Pen," JJ said brightly, "What are you doing here?"

Garcia looked up at the front porch and grinned at JJ and the young man, furrowing her brow as she recognised him from somewhere. As she made her way up the stairs, Garcia stopped to place the basket and gift bag she was holding on the ground, and she turned to hug JJ, looking over her shoulder at the young man. He looked familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"I thought I'd check in on Mr. Jack and his aunty and bring them some presents," Garcia explained, stepping back from JJ and reaching out a hand to Zac, "Penelope Garcia."

"Hi," he replied with a smile as he shook her hand, "I'm Zac."

"Well hello, Zac," Garcia replied, furrowing her brow again, "I think… have we met before?"

Zac shook his head and pursed his lips, "I don't think so," he replied.

"Aunty Pen," Jack said, tugging on the hem of her dress and waiting for her to look down, "Can Henry and me have a mini muffin?"

Garcia smiled sweetly and nodded, lifting the basket and holding it out for the boys to take a treat, "Of course you can, Master Jack!" she replied, "I baked these just for you and your…" Garcia paused and looked up, "… uncle?" She knew that Hotch had a younger brother, but this wasn't Sean. And as far as she was aware, Haley only had one sister, no brothers.

Zac raised and eyebrow, but before he could answer, Jack giggled, "Zac's not my uncle, he's my brother!" he exclaimed gleefully around his mouthful of mini muffin.

JJ chuckled and exchanged a look with Zac, as Garcia looked up at him with a wrinkled brow, "Uh… since when does Hotch have another son?" she asked, extremely confused at this turn of events.

Zac held up his hand, "I'm sorry… I'll put you out of your misery," he replied, "My last name's Prentiss… Zac Prentiss."

Garcia's face showed even more confusion, "What are you talking about?" she asked excitedly, gesticulating as she looked around the group, "Can someone please explain what's going on?"

JJ sighed and gestured to Zac, "Zac is Emily's son," she explained, "He and Jack and Hotch have been getting to know each other, and he's…"

"I've kind of been adopted," Zac explained, "It's confusing, I know."

Garcia shook her head and smiled, pointing a finger at Zac, "That's where I know you from!" she exclaimed, looking at JJ, "Before JJ came back to the team, not long after..." her voice trailed off and Garcia pulled Zac into a tight hug, much to his surprise. "Oh my god," Garcia said softly, standing back and waving her hand in front of Zac's face and hair, "I can totally see it now... this is all Emily Prentiss."

Zac chuckled and nodded, "That's what I'm told," he replied, "It's really nice to finally meet you Penelope."

Garcia stood back with her hands on her hips, looking over at JJ with a wrinkled brow, "Who else knows about this?" she asked, figuring that Morgan wouldn't know, otherwise he would've told her. This news was too big to keep a secret, and if it wouldn't be completely rude, Garcia would be tempted to call Morgan right now and tell him the big news.

"Just you and me, and Rossi," JJ explained, tipping her head, "And Hotch... obviously..." she paused and shook her head, "And you cannot tell anyone, Pen."

Garcia wrinkled her brow, "Not even my Chocolate Thunder?" she asked, her face dropping at JJ's head shaking, "Why not?"

"You know why," JJ explained, smiling sadly at Zac before she turned back to Garcia, "You and I both know that if you-know-who found out... we couldn't do that to Emily..." JJ paused and cleared her throat, "... she wouldn't want us to risk it."

Garcia took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, nodding in defeat, "Ok... well," she started, stooping down to pick up the small gift bag she'd brought with her and holding it out to Zac, "I was expecting to see Jessica here, but I suppose you deserve a gift too, if you're taking care of young Jack..." she paused, "... I wish I'd known, and I could've brought something more appropriate for all of this," Garcia explained, gesturing to Zac's face and body.

Zac chuckled as he opened the bag and took out the items, one-by-one: a candle, a sheet face-mask, a small bottle of champagne, and a bag of bath-salts.

"The champagne can definitely go to Jess," Zac teased, "I'm more of a scotch man. But I do love to smell like…" he paused and read from the label on the bath salts, "… sage and camomile."

JJ laughed and shook her head, jumping up to sit on the brick wall, watching Garcia playfully swat at Zac's chest as she walked past him.

"Very funny," Garcia said as she sat on the swing seat and gestured for Zac to join her, "Now if you'll put away that sarcasm, I'm going to need you to explain this all to me… from the very beginning."

"Ok," Zac replied, offering a cheeky smile to JJ before he turned back to Garcia, "When a mommy and a daddy love each other…"