Written by Montiese on Livejournal.
Family fanfic.
Note: Emily is in her 50's, Hotch in his 60's.
They have 4 teenage kids, incl. Jack.
Nathalie is Emily's stepmother.
“Emily!”
FBI Deputy Director Aaron Hotchner rushed through his own house, past Maryland State Police, Metro Police, and the FBI Quick Response Team. He plowed into the kitchen and nearly sent BAU Unit Chief Derek Morgan tumbling to the ground. His wife sat at the kitchen table. Her stepmother held her hand and JJ was nearby. Despite the noise levels, the whole room was eerily quiet. As soon as Emily saw Hotch, she burst into tears.
“Em? Baby?”
“He's gone.” She sobbed, launching herself into his arms. “Someone took our son.”
Hotch held her as he tried to gather strength for them both. He worked late tonight, a rare event but not unheard of in the last quarter of the year. He didn’t like leaving Emily alone as she stoically dealt with the recent death of her father. He called home at 6:30 to check in as the boys prepared to leave for a haunted hayride. It was October 21st and a large cornfield just outside of Potomac, MD had been transformed into hell.
“Hey baby, did the boys leave?”
“They're on their way out now. Hotch, I don’t know if this is the best idea.”
“They are going to be fine. I had a talk with both of them this morning.”
“I know…me too.”
“I'm glad Dylan gets to experience this and it will be even better with his big brother. It’s a rite of passage for boys.”
“A haunted hayride?” Emily was skeptical.
“Boys love to scare the hell out of themselves, each other, and everyone around them. It’s going to be a blast. I know you well enough to know I can't stop you from worrying.”
“Well at least we’re on the same page with that. I want him to have fun, I want them both to have fun, but I will feel better when he is tucked into bed.”
Two hours later, Hotch got Jack’s frantic phone call. Dylan disappeared at the hayride. This was not a test; it was really happening. Hotch couldn’t breathe and for a few minutes he was paralyzed. His car was in the shop, a car service brought him back and forth to work all week.
It was only because of that Hotch was home now. His mind was going in too many different directions to be able to drive on his own. He had been in the FBI for decades; had seen a fair share of missing children cases. More came to a satisfactory end than people realized. Hotch would never use the term happy ending.
The trauma that families and rescued kids went through could stay with them for years. He and Emily taught their kids, they over taught their kids; this was not supposed to happen to them. Surely, every family felt the same way. Hotch was a strong man but he would not survive seeing the dead body of his son. He knew Emily wouldn’t. Positive thoughts were supposed to get them through it but he knew the evils of the world.
“Dad, I'm so sorry.”
Jack was sobbing and Hotch grabbed him close.
“We are going to find him. I swear to God we are going to find him.”
Hotch left them in the kitchen still holding each other. He stepped into the dining room with Derek and another officer.
“This is Lt. Dan Crawford from the Maryland State Police.” Derek said.
“What's happening” Hotch asked shaking his hand.
“We got the call at 8:27pm that Dylan Gregory Hotchner disappeared. Response time was seven minutes. We interviewed everyone on the scene including his older brother John. Names, phone numbers, and license plate numbers were taken at the scene. We started an immediate search, which included dogs and aerial. Its dark as hell out there and those cornfields go on for miles.”
“We cannot call off the search.” Hotch said.
“I don’t plan on it, Agent Hotchner. State police and FBI Quick Response are out there. An Amber Alert has been issued; his face and description are all over the media.”
“Evidence on the scene?” Derek asked.
“We haven’t found anything yet. If your son is the kind of boy his brother described him as there would be significant signs of struggle.”
“He could have been chloroformed.” Hotch replied, shuddering at the thought of someone hurting Dylan.
“No drag marks to speak off, and enough footprints to keep CSU busy until the New Year. I have worked more missing kid cases than I want to recall right now. My gut is telling me that he’s lost, though we don’t intend to take that any less seriously.”
“Thank you.” the lieutenant walked away and Hotch looked at Derek. “We have to find him."
“I know, and we will. Hotch…we will.”
“I need to be out there searching.”
“No, you need to be here with your family. This investigation is being handled by the best.”
“You'll find him?” Hotch clutched his friend’s hand. “Derek…”
“Damn right.” his cell phone rang. “I gotta take this. Yeah, this is Morgan…”
Hotch just stood there. He stood in the middle of his dining room floor feeling as if someone peeled his skin off with a hot knife. Hot, cold, and numb at the same time could not be normal. Somehow, he walked back into the kitchen but JJ, Emily, and Jack were gone.
“I sent her upstairs to lie down.” Natalie explained. “A cup of chamomile tea should calm her some.”
“Where’s Jack?”
“Upstairs pacing. He thinks this is his fault Aaron…he just wants to apologize to his mother. The things he said to me show he’s in a bad place.”
“What did he say?” Hotch asked.
“Jack thinks Emily will blame him if anything happens to Dylan because he is not her real son.”
“Dammit. Dammit!” Hotch banged his fist on the table.
“Excuse me, Agent Hotchner?”
“What!” Hotch turned on the young Agent.
“I'm sorry sir.”
“No, no, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Agent…”
“Kaplan, sir, Agent Marie Kaplan. I'm going to have to ask you some questions sir. We need to do this now.”
“Of course.”
***
“Natty told me to bring this.” Jack came into his parents’ room with the cup of tea. “She said its chamomile and you need to drink it.”
“She probably put something in there to put me to sleep.” Emily replied. “JJ, can you check on the girls for me?”
“Yeah. Then I’ll check in with Derek.”
“Thanks.” Emily nodded, watching her best friend leave the room. She put the cup of tea on the nightstand to cool and patted the bed beside her. Jack hung back, his head low and his feet shuffling nervously. That was pure Aaron Hotchner…all of his children did it. Emily did her best to smile.
“C'mon sweetness, sit with me.”
He finally sat on the mattress. His head still dipped, Jack’s hands rested in his lap.
“I need you to listen to me, John Bradshaw Hotchner, and I need you to listen carefully. Are you listening?”
“Yes ma'am.” He mumbled.
“I know that you were looking after your brother tonight. I know that because you made me a promise and you have never broken a promise to me in 14 years. Crazy things happen in the blink of an eye; you know that as well as I do. We have to stay strong because Dylan is coming home. He is coming home and his family will be waiting for him.”
“OK.”
“One more thing. Don’t you ever, ever, say that you are not my son. You may not have come from my body but you are my little boy. Do you understand me? You are my baby and nothing will ever break our bond.” Emily caressed his face as Jack cried. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too, mom.”
He held her and they cried. Jack could not bear his mother’s pain. He heard her words but none of it mattered. It something happened to Dylan he would never forgive himself. He didn’t think his mother would either. They both looked up at Hotch standing in the doorway. Emily’s stomach dropped.
“What? Aaron, what's happened?”
“Dogs found a tee shirt in the cornfield about 20 minutes ago. There was some blood on it. Not a large amount, but some blood.”
“Dylan bought a tee shirt tonight.” Jack replied.
Emily rushed into the master bath and slammed the door. Hotch walked over, placing his palm on the door.
“Emily? Emily, please let me in. Please baby.”
“Find my son!” she screamed. “Just find my damn son, Hotch!”
***
The house was quiet. Natalie finally got Emily to drink the tea and she fell asleep. She sat up there with her stepdaughter now. Jack was in his room, wide awake. Bree was too but Alex and CeCe were asleep together. Derek left over an hour ago with JJ to get a full report on the search. There were still random cops and FBI agents around and as far as Hotch knew, there was still a significant search and rescue team in that cornfield outside of Potomac, MD.
He sat at his desk staring at pictures of his family. Dylan on his first day of kindergarten, playing with his big brother in the backyard, cuddled with Nana and Grandpa Tug in Richmond, and front and center in the most recent family photo taken just that summer. The smiles of his family were never false. The Hotchners were happy. Hard times came over the years, that was real life, but they always held on. Hotch didn’t know if they could hold on after this.
All the years in the BAU, he watched families crumble after the violent death of a child. He wanted to believe his son was alive, trust the word of a seasoned investigator like Crawford, but with each passing hour, his heart grew heavier. Things ran through his mind like the last time he hugged Dylan (that morning), the last time he told him he loved him (last night at bedtime), and the last time he heard his laughter. His raucous laughter was a little boy version of the great Emily Prentiss graceless laugh. Hotch drew a blank on the last time he heard it but it must have been recent. Dylan always laughed. He was a happy kid with his whole life ahead of him. He was Aaron and Emily’s Hotchner’s youngest son.
“Hotch.”
The sound of Derek’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. What was he doing back? He was supposed to be investigating, what was he doing there? Hotch’s mouth went dry as he gripped the sides of his desk.
“Just tell me what you need to tell me. Tell me, Derek.”
“They found him and he’s alive. He got lost somehow, it was dark and he was petrified. He got more and more turned around as he tried to find his way out of the maze. He suffered some injuries, cuts and bruises mostly. The search team that found him thinks he has a bad ankle sprain. He said he was running in the dark and tumbled over something. When the dogs located him he was curled up and crying.”
“He's…alive.” Hotch stood from the chair.
“He’s safe. They’re taking him to GW for a thorough examination.”
“He’s…” Hotch didn’t expect to do it. He didn’t expect to break down and cry. He didn’t expect his knees to buckle, unable to hold the weight of his joy and pain. He never expected Derek Morgan to have lightning speed and agility. He grabbed Hotch tight around the waist…the Deputy Director did not feel his feet touching the carpet.
“I gotcha Hotch…I gotcha.”
“Thank you God.” He sobbed. “Thank you, thank you God.”
***
“Wake up Emily. Baby, c'mon.”
Hotch gently shook her. She leisurely rolled onto her back. As soon as she opened her eyes and saw her husband, Emily gasped.
“Hotch?”
“They found him, and he’s going to be OK.”
“He’s alive?”
“Yes.” Hotch nodded, a big grin on his face.
There were more tears as he held his wife close. The kids came running into the room, jumping into bed with their parents. It was a tight squeeze but Hotch wished for nine arms so he could hold every one of them.
“Are they sure he’s OK, daddy?” Alex asked.
“Some bumps and bruises but he will be alright. Mom and I are going to pick him up at the hospital. Natty will stay here with you guys. You need to try and get some sleep.”
“How are we supposed to sleep?” Bree asked.
“Try sweetie.” Emily replied. “We’ll be back soon with your brother.”
“C'mon guys,” their grandmother said. “Bedtime.”
They hugged and kissed their parents, told them to say hello to Dylan, and left the room. Natalie smiled, leaning to kiss Aaron and Emily.
“Our prayers were answered.” She said.
“Yeah.” Emily nodded, wiping her tears.
Natalie left the room too. Emily and Hotch sat on the bed holding hands.
“Hotch?”
“Hmm?”
“I let hope slip. I didn’t want to but I did…just for a moment.”
“It’s alright; I was holding on tight for the both of us. Derek is going to take us to the hospital, c'mon.”
He had his arm around Emily as they went downstairs and out to the waiting Chevy Suburban. Hotch held the back door opened for his wife before climbing into the passenger seat.
“I'm shaking like a leaf.” Emily wrapped her coat tighter around her.
“He's fine.” Derek said. “Dan Crawford told me had some scratches on his face and hands. His ankle was definitely injured but other than that he said he was hungry and wanted to hug his mom.”
“I know, but…” Emily began.
“No buts. Absolutely no buts.” Hotch reached his hand back and held on to her.
They rushed through the sliding glass doors of the ER entrance, coming face to face with Lt. Dan Crawford.
“He’s back there with a female officer and a nurse.”
“Thank you so much.” Hotch shook his hand.
He and Emily began to run. Bad back or not, he scooped his son into his arms and held on for dear life. Emily did too.
“I'm sorry guys.” Dylan mumbled, crying against his father’s chest. “I just got lost. I wasn’t goofing off, I promise. Jack was looking after me.”
“We know Dil.” Hotch said, releasing him into his mother’s waiting arms. “We were scared to death.”
“Me too. I knew people would look for me. I should have stayed in one place like you taught me but it was so dark. I kept hearing scary noises so I ran. I had no idea where I was. I'm sorry."
“It’s OK.” Emily kissed his bandaged forehead. “Dylan, we’re just glad you're safe. Nothing else matters to us. Nothing.”
“Jack isn’t in trouble, is he?” Dylan asked.
“No.” his mother shook her head. “He can't wait to see you though. Hotch, find someone and sign something so we can go home.”
He nodded, walking over to the nurse’s station. Emily still held Dylan tight. Though he had been asserting his independence recently, he was happy to hold on tonight.
“Are you mad at me, mom?”
“No. However, it will be a while before you go on another haunted hayride. Actually it might be a while before I let you out of my sight.”
“So noted. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Emily could not wait to get home and hold both of her boys together.
Family fanfic.
Note: Emily is in her 50's, Hotch in his 60's.
They have 4 teenage kids, incl. Jack.
Nathalie is Emily's stepmother.
“Emily!”
FBI Deputy Director Aaron Hotchner rushed through his own house, past Maryland State Police, Metro Police, and the FBI Quick Response Team. He plowed into the kitchen and nearly sent BAU Unit Chief Derek Morgan tumbling to the ground. His wife sat at the kitchen table. Her stepmother held her hand and JJ was nearby. Despite the noise levels, the whole room was eerily quiet. As soon as Emily saw Hotch, she burst into tears.
“Em? Baby?”
“He's gone.” She sobbed, launching herself into his arms. “Someone took our son.”
Hotch held her as he tried to gather strength for them both. He worked late tonight, a rare event but not unheard of in the last quarter of the year. He didn’t like leaving Emily alone as she stoically dealt with the recent death of her father. He called home at 6:30 to check in as the boys prepared to leave for a haunted hayride. It was October 21st and a large cornfield just outside of Potomac, MD had been transformed into hell.
“Hey baby, did the boys leave?”
“They're on their way out now. Hotch, I don’t know if this is the best idea.”
“They are going to be fine. I had a talk with both of them this morning.”
“I know…me too.”
“I'm glad Dylan gets to experience this and it will be even better with his big brother. It’s a rite of passage for boys.”
“A haunted hayride?” Emily was skeptical.
“Boys love to scare the hell out of themselves, each other, and everyone around them. It’s going to be a blast. I know you well enough to know I can't stop you from worrying.”
“Well at least we’re on the same page with that. I want him to have fun, I want them both to have fun, but I will feel better when he is tucked into bed.”
Two hours later, Hotch got Jack’s frantic phone call. Dylan disappeared at the hayride. This was not a test; it was really happening. Hotch couldn’t breathe and for a few minutes he was paralyzed. His car was in the shop, a car service brought him back and forth to work all week.
It was only because of that Hotch was home now. His mind was going in too many different directions to be able to drive on his own. He had been in the FBI for decades; had seen a fair share of missing children cases. More came to a satisfactory end than people realized. Hotch would never use the term happy ending.
The trauma that families and rescued kids went through could stay with them for years. He and Emily taught their kids, they over taught their kids; this was not supposed to happen to them. Surely, every family felt the same way. Hotch was a strong man but he would not survive seeing the dead body of his son. He knew Emily wouldn’t. Positive thoughts were supposed to get them through it but he knew the evils of the world.
“Dad, I'm so sorry.”
Jack was sobbing and Hotch grabbed him close.
“We are going to find him. I swear to God we are going to find him.”
Hotch left them in the kitchen still holding each other. He stepped into the dining room with Derek and another officer.
“This is Lt. Dan Crawford from the Maryland State Police.” Derek said.
“What's happening” Hotch asked shaking his hand.
“We got the call at 8:27pm that Dylan Gregory Hotchner disappeared. Response time was seven minutes. We interviewed everyone on the scene including his older brother John. Names, phone numbers, and license plate numbers were taken at the scene. We started an immediate search, which included dogs and aerial. Its dark as hell out there and those cornfields go on for miles.”
“We cannot call off the search.” Hotch said.
“I don’t plan on it, Agent Hotchner. State police and FBI Quick Response are out there. An Amber Alert has been issued; his face and description are all over the media.”
“Evidence on the scene?” Derek asked.
“We haven’t found anything yet. If your son is the kind of boy his brother described him as there would be significant signs of struggle.”
“He could have been chloroformed.” Hotch replied, shuddering at the thought of someone hurting Dylan.
“No drag marks to speak off, and enough footprints to keep CSU busy until the New Year. I have worked more missing kid cases than I want to recall right now. My gut is telling me that he’s lost, though we don’t intend to take that any less seriously.”
“Thank you.” the lieutenant walked away and Hotch looked at Derek. “We have to find him."
“I know, and we will. Hotch…we will.”
“I need to be out there searching.”
“No, you need to be here with your family. This investigation is being handled by the best.”
“You'll find him?” Hotch clutched his friend’s hand. “Derek…”
“Damn right.” his cell phone rang. “I gotta take this. Yeah, this is Morgan…”
Hotch just stood there. He stood in the middle of his dining room floor feeling as if someone peeled his skin off with a hot knife. Hot, cold, and numb at the same time could not be normal. Somehow, he walked back into the kitchen but JJ, Emily, and Jack were gone.
“I sent her upstairs to lie down.” Natalie explained. “A cup of chamomile tea should calm her some.”
“Where’s Jack?”
“Upstairs pacing. He thinks this is his fault Aaron…he just wants to apologize to his mother. The things he said to me show he’s in a bad place.”
“What did he say?” Hotch asked.
“Jack thinks Emily will blame him if anything happens to Dylan because he is not her real son.”
“Dammit. Dammit!” Hotch banged his fist on the table.
“Excuse me, Agent Hotchner?”
“What!” Hotch turned on the young Agent.
“I'm sorry sir.”
“No, no, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Agent…”
“Kaplan, sir, Agent Marie Kaplan. I'm going to have to ask you some questions sir. We need to do this now.”
“Of course.”
***
“Natty told me to bring this.” Jack came into his parents’ room with the cup of tea. “She said its chamomile and you need to drink it.”
“She probably put something in there to put me to sleep.” Emily replied. “JJ, can you check on the girls for me?”
“Yeah. Then I’ll check in with Derek.”
“Thanks.” Emily nodded, watching her best friend leave the room. She put the cup of tea on the nightstand to cool and patted the bed beside her. Jack hung back, his head low and his feet shuffling nervously. That was pure Aaron Hotchner…all of his children did it. Emily did her best to smile.
“C'mon sweetness, sit with me.”
He finally sat on the mattress. His head still dipped, Jack’s hands rested in his lap.
“I need you to listen to me, John Bradshaw Hotchner, and I need you to listen carefully. Are you listening?”
“Yes ma'am.” He mumbled.
“I know that you were looking after your brother tonight. I know that because you made me a promise and you have never broken a promise to me in 14 years. Crazy things happen in the blink of an eye; you know that as well as I do. We have to stay strong because Dylan is coming home. He is coming home and his family will be waiting for him.”
“OK.”
“One more thing. Don’t you ever, ever, say that you are not my son. You may not have come from my body but you are my little boy. Do you understand me? You are my baby and nothing will ever break our bond.” Emily caressed his face as Jack cried. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too, mom.”
He held her and they cried. Jack could not bear his mother’s pain. He heard her words but none of it mattered. It something happened to Dylan he would never forgive himself. He didn’t think his mother would either. They both looked up at Hotch standing in the doorway. Emily’s stomach dropped.
“What? Aaron, what's happened?”
“Dogs found a tee shirt in the cornfield about 20 minutes ago. There was some blood on it. Not a large amount, but some blood.”
“Dylan bought a tee shirt tonight.” Jack replied.
Emily rushed into the master bath and slammed the door. Hotch walked over, placing his palm on the door.
“Emily? Emily, please let me in. Please baby.”
“Find my son!” she screamed. “Just find my damn son, Hotch!”
***
The house was quiet. Natalie finally got Emily to drink the tea and she fell asleep. She sat up there with her stepdaughter now. Jack was in his room, wide awake. Bree was too but Alex and CeCe were asleep together. Derek left over an hour ago with JJ to get a full report on the search. There were still random cops and FBI agents around and as far as Hotch knew, there was still a significant search and rescue team in that cornfield outside of Potomac, MD.
He sat at his desk staring at pictures of his family. Dylan on his first day of kindergarten, playing with his big brother in the backyard, cuddled with Nana and Grandpa Tug in Richmond, and front and center in the most recent family photo taken just that summer. The smiles of his family were never false. The Hotchners were happy. Hard times came over the years, that was real life, but they always held on. Hotch didn’t know if they could hold on after this.
All the years in the BAU, he watched families crumble after the violent death of a child. He wanted to believe his son was alive, trust the word of a seasoned investigator like Crawford, but with each passing hour, his heart grew heavier. Things ran through his mind like the last time he hugged Dylan (that morning), the last time he told him he loved him (last night at bedtime), and the last time he heard his laughter. His raucous laughter was a little boy version of the great Emily Prentiss graceless laugh. Hotch drew a blank on the last time he heard it but it must have been recent. Dylan always laughed. He was a happy kid with his whole life ahead of him. He was Aaron and Emily’s Hotchner’s youngest son.
“Hotch.”
The sound of Derek’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. What was he doing back? He was supposed to be investigating, what was he doing there? Hotch’s mouth went dry as he gripped the sides of his desk.
“Just tell me what you need to tell me. Tell me, Derek.”
“They found him and he’s alive. He got lost somehow, it was dark and he was petrified. He got more and more turned around as he tried to find his way out of the maze. He suffered some injuries, cuts and bruises mostly. The search team that found him thinks he has a bad ankle sprain. He said he was running in the dark and tumbled over something. When the dogs located him he was curled up and crying.”
“He's…alive.” Hotch stood from the chair.
“He’s safe. They’re taking him to GW for a thorough examination.”
“He’s…” Hotch didn’t expect to do it. He didn’t expect to break down and cry. He didn’t expect his knees to buckle, unable to hold the weight of his joy and pain. He never expected Derek Morgan to have lightning speed and agility. He grabbed Hotch tight around the waist…the Deputy Director did not feel his feet touching the carpet.
“I gotcha Hotch…I gotcha.”
“Thank you God.” He sobbed. “Thank you, thank you God.”
***
“Wake up Emily. Baby, c'mon.”
Hotch gently shook her. She leisurely rolled onto her back. As soon as she opened her eyes and saw her husband, Emily gasped.
“Hotch?”
“They found him, and he’s going to be OK.”
“He’s alive?”
“Yes.” Hotch nodded, a big grin on his face.
There were more tears as he held his wife close. The kids came running into the room, jumping into bed with their parents. It was a tight squeeze but Hotch wished for nine arms so he could hold every one of them.
“Are they sure he’s OK, daddy?” Alex asked.
“Some bumps and bruises but he will be alright. Mom and I are going to pick him up at the hospital. Natty will stay here with you guys. You need to try and get some sleep.”
“How are we supposed to sleep?” Bree asked.
“Try sweetie.” Emily replied. “We’ll be back soon with your brother.”
“C'mon guys,” their grandmother said. “Bedtime.”
They hugged and kissed their parents, told them to say hello to Dylan, and left the room. Natalie smiled, leaning to kiss Aaron and Emily.
“Our prayers were answered.” She said.
“Yeah.” Emily nodded, wiping her tears.
Natalie left the room too. Emily and Hotch sat on the bed holding hands.
“Hotch?”
“Hmm?”
“I let hope slip. I didn’t want to but I did…just for a moment.”
“It’s alright; I was holding on tight for the both of us. Derek is going to take us to the hospital, c'mon.”
He had his arm around Emily as they went downstairs and out to the waiting Chevy Suburban. Hotch held the back door opened for his wife before climbing into the passenger seat.
“I'm shaking like a leaf.” Emily wrapped her coat tighter around her.
“He's fine.” Derek said. “Dan Crawford told me had some scratches on his face and hands. His ankle was definitely injured but other than that he said he was hungry and wanted to hug his mom.”
“I know, but…” Emily began.
“No buts. Absolutely no buts.” Hotch reached his hand back and held on to her.
They rushed through the sliding glass doors of the ER entrance, coming face to face with Lt. Dan Crawford.
“He’s back there with a female officer and a nurse.”
“Thank you so much.” Hotch shook his hand.
He and Emily began to run. Bad back or not, he scooped his son into his arms and held on for dear life. Emily did too.
“I'm sorry guys.” Dylan mumbled, crying against his father’s chest. “I just got lost. I wasn’t goofing off, I promise. Jack was looking after me.”
“We know Dil.” Hotch said, releasing him into his mother’s waiting arms. “We were scared to death.”
“Me too. I knew people would look for me. I should have stayed in one place like you taught me but it was so dark. I kept hearing scary noises so I ran. I had no idea where I was. I'm sorry."
“It’s OK.” Emily kissed his bandaged forehead. “Dylan, we’re just glad you're safe. Nothing else matters to us. Nothing.”
“Jack isn’t in trouble, is he?” Dylan asked.
“No.” his mother shook her head. “He can't wait to see you though. Hotch, find someone and sign something so we can go home.”
He nodded, walking over to the nurse’s station. Emily still held Dylan tight. Though he had been asserting his independence recently, he was happy to hold on tonight.
“Are you mad at me, mom?”
“No. However, it will be a while before you go on another haunted hayride. Actually it might be a while before I let you out of my sight.”
“So noted. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Emily could not wait to get home and hold both of her boys together.
