Well, I finally updated, and with no warning, it's the last chapter. I hope you all liked it :) I really appreciate all four reviews I received. No joke, all of them motivated me :D\

Please review on this final chapter, it would mean so much to me!

I don't own Criminal Minds

Chapter 5

Emily POV

I watched from where I was sitting as Jack sat messily eating a ketchup filled hamburger on his father's lap with a small smile on my face. There was obvious hope for both of the Hotchner men. Aaron was a great father, he'd be fine, but it was a given that his family of two was in for a rough period of adjustment.

As soon as both of them had finished eating Jack jumped down and pulled at his dad's sleeve, begging him to lean down so he could whisper in his ear, and of course if Jack asked, Hotch was ready and willing to oblige. After a moment of hushed words and stifled giggles between father and son, that I couldn't help be touched by, Hotch sat up with a smile on his face. It was the first time since Haley's death that I'd seen him even come close to a smile and now, here he was, grinning from ear to ear.

Jack came running over to me. "E'mly! Em'ly!" he called enthusiastically. "I need your hewlp for a veeeerrrry secwet mission!" he whispered as I leaned down.

I smiled. "What's the mission?" I asked him in a very hushed tone.

"You'll see. You wanna help though?" he asked.

"Sure, I'll help," I laughed, what could it hurt?

"Good! Thanks Em'ly!" he grinning running off to find someone else to swear into his secret mission.

I walked over to Hotch with a smile on my face and sat in the chair next to his.

"You've got one very good little boy, Hotch," I told him as we both watched Jack whisper into Spencer's ear.

"He really is, isn't he? I don't think I could have a greater son than Jack," he smiled looking at me. "I don't think I could have greater friends, either, Emily," he added. "I wouldn't have any hope of getting through this without all of you,"

"I don't think any of us would let you go through this alone, though," I told him. "That's the thing about family, they don't let you sit there and drown, family is your life preserver. I don't know about you, but I consider this entire team my family, when one of us is hurting, all of us are hurting. We're always here for you Hotch, whether you want us there or not," I smiled. "I think you're stuck with us,"

He chuckled. "Well, I can't think of a group of people I'd rather be stuck with,"

"Daddy! Daddy!" Jack yelled running over. "I gots all the people I need to help us!" he smiled.

"Really? Well, then, we need to get ready, don't we?" Hotch asked looking at him.

"Yeah!" the small boy exclaimed, his face lighting up just to see his father responding to something. In my opinion, Aaron was coping with the loss of Haley nicely.

"What do you need us to do, Jack?" I asked him, smiling.

"Hmmmm," he muttered as he thought, stroking his chin in a very cute way. "Well, we need lots and lots of water!" he smiled. "Daddy! You get the hose! Em'ly you go 'stract Davey and Derek with Spencey!" Jack ordered, sticking his finger high in the air. "Now let's go peoples!" he smiled as Hotch picked him up to head over to the hose.

I walked over to where Derek Morgan and David Rossi were standing talking.

"Hey," I smiled leaning back slightly against a tree.

"Hey Prentiss," both men greeted simultaneously.

"What are you two talking about?" I asked, masking the purpose of my mission very easily in my voice.

"Nothing really, we were just talking about how well Jack seems to be handling all this," Rossi explained.

"I think that's only because he doesn't quite understand what's happening," I sighed. "He's going to struggle with the lack of a mother for the rest of his life, unless Hotch gets remarried," I added. "I mean, I remember how hard it was growing up with my mother not really caring as much about me as all my nannies did, or at least she seemed to. She cared so much about her work, that she never had time for me, it really had a serious impact on me and the way I... adjusted to different places whenever we'd move," I shrugged. "It can't be easy to not have a mother around at all,"

"Emily has a point," Spencer nodded walking up as Jack had commanded. "Children growing up without a mother are more likely to do extreme things to make themselves feel accepted, even if they don't show the reason to others, it is a hindrance in their social development,"

"There you have it, you two are wrong," I smiled at them, for two reasons, one that they had been shown up by Reid, yet again, and the fact that Aaron and Jack Hotchner were sneaking up behind them with the hose in hand, and JJ was standing at the faucet ready to turn it on as soon as they were ready.

I took a small step back, not wanting to get soaked, and watched Reid do the same. And as I watched all the others who weren't in on what was happening, it seemed they had filled in the blanks themselves, and were all stifling laughter. Derek and David were the only ones who didn't have a clue about what was about to happen.

And then it started, Aaron nodded to JJ and held the hose away from himself, helping his son aim it directly at the two targets, soaking them immediately. Derek jumped three or four feet into the air as the ice cold water hit him, and Dave hit the deck, covering his head, as if he had just been shot. That's when things started to go wrong, as they always seemed to.

I knew when I saw Jack lean into his father's ear and whisper with a devilish grin on his face that I should have gotten out then, but I didn't, I stood there staring like an idiot as the hose turned to me. I felt the water soak through me and stared incredulously at Jack and Aaron.

"Really?" I asked, my eyes wide as I took in the shock that accompanied the chill of the water.

"It was Jack's idea," Aaron stated, pointing a finger at his son, who was smiling ear to ear. I sighed.

"Fine, you're both off the hook for now, but one more incident and you two are both in for it!" I warned looking from Jack to Aaron.

"Don't think I'm letting you off that easily," Derek grinned stalking forward and grabbing the hose from Hotch, soaking Reid before he managed to get it aimed at Aaron and Jack, soaking them both, which sent everyone into a fit of laughter.

I learned five things that day.

Never underestimate a five year old

Never wear a white shirt to a BAU barbeque (for more reason than one)

Never let Will Lamontange cook your hamburger unless you want it burned.

You can find joy in the simplest of things

And... family is a strong bond, not separated by anything, even death, and when you lose one family member, all the others are there to step in and help.

And that, is the great thing about family.