AN/ Merry Christmas!

Chapter 4

Aaron took a step back, dazed at Sean's revelation. "You--what?"

"I married her." Sean shrugged. "Best decision I've ever made." He chuckled as he looked at his older brother's shocked expression. "Aaron, can I give you a piece of advice?"

"Sure." He agreed quickly. Any ideas on how to figure out what was going on would help immensely.

"I've seen you over the last five years. I've seen how you've changed, how you've grown. What a better person and father you've become."

"What's your point?" Hotch narrowed his eyes at his brother.

"Don't mess up the best thing in your life." Sean clapped his hand on his brother's shoulder reassuringly.

Quietly entering what appeared to be his home, Hotch heard laughter coming from what could only be the kitchen. Dropping his keys on the table near the door, he made his way to observe what was happening.

"Jack-Jack stop ticklin' me!" Morgan screamed before doubling over in laughter, "I wanna help mommy make cookies with Henwry."

He couldn't help but smile at the obvious delight that graced his son's face. Jack had aged, but the sandy colored hair and bright brown eyes were unmistakable. Jack laughed heartily, and Hotch realized it was that happiness that had seemed to be unattainable in the year since Hailey's death. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

The pair of children seemed to spot him as the little girl cried happily, "Daddy!"

"Hey." Hotch grunted as her small body hit him with force that he wasn't expecting from her small body.

"Jack-Jack's been ticklin' me." She said seriously, reminding him of a confidential informant.

"Should we get him?" Hotch smiled, feeling his spirits soar as the little girl nodded and pressed a finger to her lips. "Go!" Hotch cried as they both attacked his son.

"Jack-Jack Attack!" Morgan cried as she found her brother's ticklish spot. "We's got yous now!"

"Aaron! Aaron come here!" JJ called, her voice almost frantic as she held her hand to her stomach. "Put your hand right here."

Doing as she asked, he felt a small round object kick him in the hand. "The baby's kicking" he smiled, allowing himself to enjoy all that he would have never admitted that he wanted.

"Emily's kicking?" Henry interrupted, "Can I feel?"

"Sure sweetheart." JJ guided the boy's hand along her stomach, her grin wider than Hotch had ever remembered.

"Wow!" The boy replied, his grin matching JJ's as he felt the soft puttering against his hand.

"Can I feel?" Jack asked interestedly.

"Me too?" Morgan piped up.

"Maybe after dinner." JJ smiled, feeling their daughter begin to settle once more inside of her.

"Hey mom?" Henry asked, his face showing that he was in deep thought.

"Yeah?"

"Instead of having dinner here can we take dinner to Uncle Dave at the hospital? We haven't been by to see him lately." Henry suggested while his siblings nodded in agreement. "I bet he doesn't even have a Christmas tree up in his room."

"No twee?" Morgan gasped. "Mommy we haaaavvvee to get Unca Davy a twee!"

"Ask your father, and if he feels okay we can go." JJ replied before turning back to the kitchen. "But we need to get going if we're gonna go, it's almost seven and you guys need to get into bed early. We've got a big day tomorrow."

"Aww mom." Jack groaned, followed by Henry.

"Sorry guys, that's the way it is." JJ shrugged, "So Aaron, what do you think?"

"Sure, I think Dave could use the company." Hotch tried, hoping what he was saying would make sense. "But could you drive JJ? I'm still kinda lightheaded."

"Of course" JJ smiled, kissing him on the cheek. "Okay get your coats on guys while I wrap this up. We'll need to stop and Target and get a tree for Uncle Dave on the way."

"Well if it isn't the most beautiful tree I've ever seen" David Rossi smiled, hugging Jack, Morgan, and Henry too him as they took in the small Christmas tree in awe. "I'm so glad you guys came to visit me."

"We miss you Unca Dave" Morgan informed, hugging him tightly. "Yous get better and come home with us, kay?"

"I'll try munchkin." Dave smiled, hoping that his cancer would disappear soon. "From you lips to God's ears."

"Hey guys, I'm sorry but we've got to go" JJ smiled apologetically, "But maybe we can come back by tomorrow afternoon if it's okay with Uncle Dave."

"You guys are always welcome."

"Yay!" All three children cheered as they said goodbye to their "Uncle".

"Hotch can you hang around for a second? I wanna ask you something." Dave asked as JJ led the kids out of the room. "I promise I won't keep him long JJ."

"Take as much time as you like." JJ smiled, closing the hospital room door behind her and the kids. "We'll meet you in the car Aaron."

After the sounds of Christmas carols faded away from the room, Dave sighed. "You have no idea what's going on do you?"

"Not a damn clue." Hotch answered, rubbing his hand over his face tiredly. "Earlier I hit my head and now I have no idea who's who and what's what. It's like the last six years are blank. I don't even know what kind of cancer you have."

"Prostate. Stage 2." Dave informed, taking a sip of water. "The doctor's caught it early so they're hoping that they'll be able to stop it with Chemo."

"I'm sorry" Hotch said sincerely.

"Don't be, it happens to the best of us." Rossi smiled, "It was actually Reid that suggested I go get checked out. He's doing research at the Mayo Clinic now."

"Good for him. Oh and I just found out that Garcia is my sister in law."

"Yeah, they eloped and decided to announce it at Sean's law school graduation party. You could say that you were surprised. JJ had to take you outside and calm you down." Dave laughed, "The look on your face was priceless. Especially when they told you about the baby."

"What baby?" Hotch asked, eyes wide with shock.

"Little Derek, they adopted him from South Korea. The two weeks after Derek was home Garcia found out she was pregnant--twins."

"Wow."

"You can say that again." Rossi laughed before turning serious. "But you need to tell JJ that you don't remember, let her help you."

"I will, thanks Dave." Hotch nodded, moving towards the door, "See you tomorrow?"

"I'll be here."

"I'm sorry JJ." Hotch answered softly as the blonde came into the bedroom and laid down next to him.

"Sorry, why are you sorry? You can't remember anything, and you're sorry?" She asked incredulously. "I just don't understand why you didn't tell me sooner."

Hotch fell silent, sure that there had to be something he could say to placate her. After a moment, he could feel her worrying silently, and decided that this had to stop. "JJ, how did we--" He gestured between them. "How did this happen?"

Her face softened. "I'm not quite sure what happened myself. It was all pretty fast. What's the last thing you remember?"

"You were dating Will. Hailey died and it was Christmas a year after she had died. I was putting up Christmas lights."

JJ nodded, her mind reviewing their lives since that time. "A lot has happened since then."

"You're telling me." Hotch chuckled. "So what happened to Will? Where is he now?"

JJ bit her lip unconsciously, "Will lives up in Maryland now, he works for Baltimore PD. Henry went up there for Thanksgiving, so he's with us over Christmas." She explained.

"And what happened back then?" He prodded, desperate to know how he had attained the simple family life he had always found was just slightly out of reach for him while he was with Hailey.

"Well Will gave me a sort've ultimatum. He proposed, and told me I had until New Years Eve to decide what I wanted." JJ answered softly, "He said he either wanted to start the new year as a engaged couple or not a couple at all."

"So why did you say no?"

"Because you asked me to." JJ smiled, her mind remembering Hotch's romantic speech he had given her late one night when he had shown up at her hotel room door. "We were on a case in Ohio, and it was the night before we were supposed to go home. Out of nowhere you just showed up at my hotel room in the middle of the night in a pair of worn Georgetown shorts and your hair all a mess telling me not to marry Will and that you loved me. You wanted to be with me forever and that you knew you weren't perfect, but you promised to try to be the best husband and father every day for the rest of our lives."

"And that's why you picked me?"

"No, I picked you because I could see that you meant every word you were saying just by looking you in the eyes." JJ informed, softly running her hand along his cheek, "You told me you loved me, and for the first time in any relationship I've ever had I didn't feel like I should run the other way."

Seeing that he was quickly falling asleep JJ snuggled up to him, "Go to sleep, baby. We'll talk more tomorrow."

Finally feeling like maybe everything would really be okay, Hotch quickly fell into an uneasy slumber, grateful, at least, that he had JJ to help him figure this all out.