Chapter Four

Author: JeffersonianGirl2004
Story: Trick-or-Treat

26th April 2019

The past two weeks passed fast, and Emily wouldn't be cleared for work for another fourteen days.

The couple talked about the injury and what would happen now, also about Children. There was a lot of crying involved, as well as yelling. Emily was adamant about the feeling that she wasn't worth it anymore because she couldn't give him any children.

Aaron didn't know how and if he was a part of it. But one night after he came home something had changed. He sensed it.

The feeling when coming home from work wasn't the same as it was the days before, the mood seemed to be calmer not so tight.

Emily apologized for what she had said to him and then they had a good long talk after they sent Jack to bed

Emily confided in him. About how she feels, what her thoughts are, and what her plans for the future were. She wanted a child, wanted to be a mother. They talked about adoption and other possibilities. In the end, they decided on adoption, they knew firsthand how many children didn't have any family.

They also had to talk with Jack about it. Even if he still was a little bit too young to understand anything.

She had a lot of time at home when Jack was at school and Aaron at work, so she busied herself with some fanfiction, choosing one to present at their gathering. She just finished reading another story when the landline rang. The caller ID said, Reid. What would he want from her?

"Hotchner:" she enjoyed picking up the phone like this.

"Hey Emily, I know it would be your turn with fanfiction but I stumbled over one with Halloween. Maybe I could do it today?" he asked.

It wasn't even Halloween, but Emily couldn't deny his wish. He sounded so excited and everyone knew how much Spencer loved Halloween.

"Sure Reid, just bring it with you. We will still hold it at ours." She said and after some short small talk both hung up.

Reid for sure was looking forward to presenting it.

All his case files were done and there were just five minutes left in the day, so he printed the chapter out and read the story again.

"Uncle Sweets, Uncle Sweets how long until we get to go trick-or-treating?" Christine Booth's voice boomed throughout the small apartment.

Lance Sweets looked up from his son, who he just finished dressing as a pumpkin. It was Seeley Lance Wick-Sweets' first Halloween that he had spent trick-or-treating as he had only been a newborn this time last year. The child still couldn't walk but Lance planned on pushing him around in a stroller while he helped Christine and Parker Booth, the children of his co-worker, collect more candy then they could possibly eat.

The story was about his friend at the FBI, Lance Sweets. They met once or twice briefly at trainings. Deciding where to mark important paragraphs he read further.

Earlier that week Sweets, Parker and Christine had hit the costume shop in search for zombie make up. They had found some press on scars and cuts that looked really realistic and Parker was ecstatic at the notion while Sweets wasn't impressed that the haul was costing him a good fifty dollars.

"Yeah, yeah but we have to be quick it's almost six and all the candy might run out if we don't hurry."

*DING* *DONG*

On the first day of the course they started to talk and quickly became friends. They hadn't had much time to meet up but once and every while they wrote each other emails.

"Yeah Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead."

"The Walking Dead?"

"You seriously haven't seen The Walking Dead? It rocks man!" Parker bounded toward the pair of men, his zombie costume now complete.

True, he didn't really know the walking dead. Only Doctor Who was a TV-Show he knew, especially the tenth doctor was his favorite.

He was so engrossed in that story that he missed Derek packing up. Only a paper plane caught his attention. Looking up he saw Derek standing there with Garcia and JJ.

Today they decided to leave a little early, as everyone had tons of overtime anyways. JJ wanted to spend some quality time with Henry and Morgan and Garcia were house hunting. Reid was the only one having nothing to do till the dinner at Emily's so he decided to go there early and see if he could help her, as Hotch and Dave were in a meeting with the higher-ups including Chief Strauss, which would probably go for another hour.

At four forty-five Reid knocked at Emily and Hotch's door. She opened up quite tired.

"Hey, sleepyhead." He greeted her as she let him in.

"What time do we have?" she asked.

Damn the painkillers, they always made her sleepy.

"Fifteen minutes before fife. I'm here to help!" he said offering a smile.

"Would you mind occupying Jack?" she asked him, she needed time to prepare everything. So he would be a great help and was very thankful for friends like him.

"Sure." He said as Emily already called Jack down.

Not even a minute later Jack came stumbling down the stairs. Emily caught him, which she should have. But she couldn't let Jack fall down the stairs.

"Not so fast little man." She said in her motherly voice. She wasn't scolding him, just worried about his safety.

"Yes mommy," the six-year-old said.

Letting him down with a kiss on his head Jack and Reid left the room moving this play part elsewhere. Emily walked to the kitchen to start dinner.

They decided on Mac'n'Cheese mostly because the kids and the adults enjoyed it themselves a lot too.

At six-thirty everyone arrived. As expected Hotch, Dave and Erin couldn't leave the office before six, so they were stuck in traffic on the way home and would only be home by around six-forty-five.

"Reid found fanfiction so I decided I would let him do it again," Emily announced after dinner was eaten and the kids were upstairs playing. Dashiell was with his Dad, Erin's ex-husband.

"It again is about Halloween. This one was a little longer and had my friend Sweets in it." Spencer shortly introduced the story before starting to read.

Sweets shrugged and kept his eyes on the road, "how about that house?" He asked as he lifted a hand and pointed at a large modern house covered entirely in Halloween decorations.

"That looks good," Reid begun, "but did you know last year in the US an estimated 41.2 million children from ages five to fourteen went trick-or-treating?"

Christine's eyes lit up in the back seat, "that would have included Parker and me!" She declared proudly.

"Yes I suppose that it would of, anyhow how about we start our journey where your Uncle Sweets suggested."

"Typically Reid, I guess," Derek said while smiling brightly.

"Thanks, Morgan! Here's another part."

The next house that they arrived at didn't have any decorations but Sweets decided that he'd try his luck. "How about this house?" he asked the children.

Christine and Parker nodded and hurried to the door. After a frenzy of doorbell ringing done by Christine the door slowly opened to reveal a stern looking woman. She had short almost grey hair and bright green glasses.

"What brings you here?" She queried in an icy tone filled with disgust.

"Trick-or-treat?" Christine attempted with a small smile on her face. "You see I'm a cat and cats need candy."

"Cats are filthy actually!" She announced, "Shoo, off with the lot of you."

Sweets stepped forward, "hey we didn't mean to upset you. We'll be off okay?"

"Well you better be otherwise I'll be calling the cops."

Sweets had to force away a grin that almost spread to his face. If only she knew that she had two federal agents standing on her doorstep.

"This is a mean lady." Garcia now said. As a kid, she loved Trick-or-Treat and still loved to go with her Godson Henry and Jack.

"This is now the last part."

"Trick-or-Treat!" Parker announced as he waited for the granny to put her fruit basket down and pick up the candy.

"Oh more lovely little children," she announced gleefully. "So we have a cat and a dirty man?"

"I'm a zombie!" Parker declared but the woman just stared at him blankly.

"Sorry honeys but I don't have any candy. You see my daughter in law took it to share with the grandkids. I have some apples though, which are much better for your teeth!"

Begrudgingly Parker and Christine let her drop the apples in their baskets before they continued down the street.

X-X-X-X

By eight o' clock they had enough candy to feed an army. Parker turned to Sweets, "hey Sweets thanks for taking us Trick-or-Treating."

Sweets shrugged, "hey anytime. I hope you guys got what you wanted."

"Yeah but the apples are yucky!" Christine piped in.

Reid smiled, "well it was nice to meet you."

"Yeah us too," Parker said on behalf of his sister.

Sweets beamed at the children and began to lead them towards the car. He could just see the night filled with spooky treats and candy unfolding before his eyes.

I really like the style the writer uses and the idea is really great. I always wonder how they get these ideas." Spencer finished his little fun presentation and a few discussions on how the writers come up with such ideas started.

Next: Emily is cleared for work and they have a case in Boston.