X-mas fic
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
A loud ringing of a church-bell startled Hotch from his sleep and he sat up in his bed. Another ringing slightly rocked his bed and as he held on, the room changed and filled with light. Before him was a large table set with multiple plates, silverware and glasses. The table was so filled with food that it arched downward in middle from the weight. At the end, a bearded man sat and Hotch recognized his old friend. The man was dressed in a simple shirt and had the top button unbuttoned, over the shirt he wore a suit jacket.
“Care to join me? There is some mean ravioli around here somewhere,” Rossi said and took a large bite from the chicken breast he was holding.
Hotch got out of bed and walked toward the table. “Do I have a choice in the matter?” He asked dryly.
Dave looked up at him and smirked. “No, not really. Have a seat.” Rossi gestured the chair next to him and Hotch took a seat.
“So who are you?”
Rossi raised his eyebrows as he wiped his mouth with a white napkin. “I´m the Ghost of Christmas Present.”
“How many ghosts are there?”
“Right now, two thousand and ten if you count me.”
Hotch stared. “I don´t have to meet them all, do I?”
Rossi chuckled. “No, just three. Are you ready?”
“As I´ll ever be,” Hotch claimed but leaned out of the way when Rossi lifted his fisted hand. “You´re not going to hit me, are you?”
“No, why would I do that?” Rossi asked puzzled.
“Never mind. Continue,” Hotch said and relaxed a bit.
Rossi threw his hand up in the air and opened his palm as he did so. The fairy-dust spread over them and the bedroom started to fade away.
Slowly, colors started to fade in, taking shapes of a street filled with people buzzing about. Hotch looked around, he didn´t feel cold in his PJ-bottoms and T-shirt even though everyone seemed to be dressed warmly.
He looked over at Rossi who was standing next to him. “What exactly am I supposed to be looking at?”
Rossi gestured around. “Look at the people,” he said like it couldn´t be more obvious.
The people were smiling, couples holding hands and kissing, many were holding a shopping bag or two or three. A woman, next to him let out a small cry of joy when she found something.
“Look, Anna,” the woman said to a woman standing next to her, “Don´t you think Rose would love this?”
Anna smiled and nodded with excitement.
“Ahh, the joy of finding the perfect gift,” Rossi said and patted his stomach like he´d just ate a big meal. “Come on, next stop.” Rossi held out his hand and threw the fairy-dust over their heads and suddenly they were standing in front of a decorated house.
A choir of children was singing a Christmas-carol as six people stood on the porch and listened with happy smiles on their faces. The husband had his hand around his wife´s waist and she leaned into his embrace. The older two couples exchanged glances as they enjoyed the singing.
One of the parents accompanying the choir came up, holding out a Santa hat. “All donations go toward gifts for the children at the orphanage,” he said.
The husband smiled and pulled out his walled, putting a ten dollar bill inside the hat. The oldest of the group pulled out his wallet as well and put in a twenty dollar.
Fair-dust blinded Hotch and the parent´s voice drowned in yell of children screaming. Dozen children ran screaming toward a big Christmas tree set up in a middle of a room. Four adults stood by the fake fire and smiled, all dressed in something festive.
“Ho ho ho,” a man in a red suit and white beard called and the children gathered around him. “Merry Christmas,” Santa called out in a strong voice and the children echoed his greeting.
The excitement was obvious as Santa set down his heavy bag and opened it. He started handing out gifts to the children.
“Where are their parents?” Hotch asked when he noticed the children settling in groups opening their presents.
“Dead or gone,” Rossi replied and once again threw fairy dust over them.
This time Hotch recognized the house. He´d been here a few times but not for a long time, although it hadn´t changed much since the last time he´d been here, except maybe for the toys lying around.
JJ walked past them with empty bowls. They went the opposite direction, toward talking and laughter. Around JJ´s dining room table sat his team along with Will and baby Henry in a high chair. Reid was fishing out presents from a bag, reading the tags and handing them to the rightful owners.
Everyone thanked him when he passed the present and the young man glowed in excitement of seeing the faces of his friends when they opened their gifts. Will took Henry´s and helped him open it.
Reid looked down at the last present he had before putting it back In the bag. Prentiss was sitting next to him, between Reid and Rossi, and noticed the look of disappointment on his face. “Who was that for?” she asked quietly.
“Hotch,” he whispered back and smiled a small smile but the table fell quiet at his confession.
“Why did you buy him a present?” Morgan asked.
“Why wouldn´t I?” Reid asked, “He´s my friend.”
“Reid, Hotch has changed a lot in past two years, if anyone should see that it´s the profiler in you,” Morgan said quietly.
“Don´t you think I know that,” Reid said upset, “But I seem to be the only one who remembers him the way he was.” Reid threw his napkin in the bowl of ice-cream as he stood up and walked away from the table.
There was silence all around the table, Prentiss and Garcia glared at Morgan. “What? It needed to be said,” Morgan tried to defend himself.
“I bought Hotch a gift too. Are you going to take my head off for that?” Garcia asked still glaring at the man seated next to her.
“So did I,” Prentiss chipped in.
“And I,” JJ confessed as Dave nodded, letting everyone know he too had bought a gift.
Morgan looked around the table in puzzlement. “Wait a minute. You all got him gifts even though you know, he doesn´t care?”
“Sweetie, you might be hot in a Santa suit but sometime you just don´t get it,” Garcia said, “The point is letting Hotch know that we care.”
“´anta,” Henry shouted, making everyone turn their heads toward the small child as they laughed.
Hotch turned toward Rossi, the guilt building up in his stomach.
“Are you starting to get it?” Rossi asked as he smirked. Rossi walked out of the dining room and Hotch had no option then to fallow.
They walked into the kitchen were Reid stood looking out at the small layer of snow. Garcia stepped through Rossi and went straight to her friend.
“Hey, he didn´t mean it,” she told him softly.
Reid turned toward her. “I know, it´s… stupid, is the term Morgan would use.”
“No, it´s not. What´s stupid?”
Reid raised her eyebrows and a small smile came to his face. “How can you say it isn´t when you don´t know what it is?”
“Because you are my boy genius and therefore nothing you say is stupid.” She pushed her finger playfully on his nose making him chuckle.
When it was obvious Reid wasn´t going to tell her, Garcia pressed a little. “Come on, tell Aunty Pen what´s bothering you.”
“You are not my Aunt, I don´t have an Aunt,” Reid deadpanned.
“I´m practicing for Henry. Now spill your full cup of emotions, and tell me what´s wrong.”
Reid looked down and put his hands in his pockets. Almost preparing to be mocked for what he was about to say. Garcia noticed the movement but didn´t react to it other than raising her eyebrows a bit.
Reid cleared his throat without looking at Garcia. “I miss him. The old Hotch, I just… miss him.”
Garcia gently put her finger under his chin and made sure he was looking at her before letting go. She set her hands on his upper arms and rubbed. “We all do.”
“Is he going to be alright?” Hotch asked as he turned his head toward Rossi.
Rossi is thoughtful for a moment before replying, holding a steady eye contact. “In the end his mind broke because nobody saw him suffering.”
“Broke?” Hotch pushed.
“He takes his own life.”
“No,” Hotch whispered desperately and looked back toward his youngest agent.
A throw of fairy-dust brought them to another house. Hotch knew where they were and his stomach tightened even more. By the kitchen-counter a young boy, around six, with blondish hair, sat busy coloring a picture. A woman buzzed around the kitchen getting a festive meal ready.
“Aunt Jessie?” the boy asked without looking up from his picture.
“Yes, Jack?” The woman replied without stopping.
Jack looked up from his drawing with a thoughtful expression. “Do you think daddy will be here today?”
Jessie stopped and looked at the boy and smiled sadly. She walked up the counter and reached out and touched the boys chin. “I´m sure he´ll try. I´ll bet he´ll at least call you.”
“Okay,” Jack said and went back to his drawing.
Hotch watched as his ex-sister in law stared at her nephew before reaching out and stroking his hair.
”I love you, Jack,” she whispered.
The boy didn´t even look up. “Love you too, Aunt Jessie.”
Hotch couldn´t watch anymore. The guilt was overwhelming him. Turning toward Rossi, Hotch said: “I want to go home.”
“As you wish,” Rossi said with a smirk. Hotch closed his eyes as Rossi threw fairy-dust over him.
He found himself on his knees in his bed, tears rolling down his face. Oh, god, please, no, were the last words he thought as he fell asleep.
***
Chapter 4