Hotchniss

14 (I love you)

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

I LOVE YOU.

I love you.

Over and over it plays in his head. Like a scratch on a record. She. Loves. Him.
Why?

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"-blue and the flowers are really pretty." Jack Hotchner seats in his father's bed with a smile as bright as the sun. "Jessica took me to park again today before we came here."

A small hand touches his chest," I wish you would'a been there. I couldn't reach the monkey bars and when I can't reach the monkey bars you always hold me." Little finger trace out the bandages covering his father's chest. Jack curiously touches the I.V. port in his father's hand and traces the veins in Hotch's arms up to his chest. "I wanted Jessica to put me up there, so I could show her that I can climb across..." Jack falls silent for a moment before he continues on, but he sounds like he's on the verge of tears," but I fell down." He sniffles and with bald fist he wipes away his tears," and I'm a big boy! Big boys dont fall down!" Jack wipes another tear away," my knees gots cut and so did my hands. I-I didn't cry though, cause I knows I'm a big boy and-and I knows Jessica is sad already."

Hotch's heart aches for his little boy. His little boy needs him.

His little boy needs him.

"Now," Jack is by now, no doubt, crying. "Uncle Dave says that they don't think I can come see you anymore!" Like a monkey, Jack work his way under the wires covering his father until he can get both arms wrapped around him. "Don't let them take me away, daddy. Please. I don't wanna go. I wanna stay. Here. With you."

Hotch can feel the strength returning to his limbs. Jack hugs a little tighter and Hotch pries his eyes open.

He sees the top of Jack's blond crazy hair and with renewed strength he whispers. "I w-won't let th-them take y-you away." His voice is hoarse and his throat is raw but Jack gets the message and he cries even harder.

With every bit of strength he can manage, he hugs his son.

"Oh my-" both father and son look up to find JJ. "Guys! Guys, get in here!"

One by one the team enter and each one carries a different expression.

"Thank God!" Garcia smothers her boss in a hug and a kiss to the forehead. "You really had us worried!"

JJ takes advantage of her boss's loopyness and places a quick kiss to his temple.

What worries him the most is the distance that Reid and Emily have created between them and him.

"God I don't think I've ever wanted to see those beautiful brown eyes so much in my entire life," Rossi comes over, practically glowing, and pats his hand.

Jack smiles at him and Hotch's pain just melts away.
"Daddy?" Jack looks up at Hotch with his head resting on Hotch's upper chest, just above his collar bone.

"Yeah, buddy." He tries to ignore just how weak and feeble he sounds and feels.

"I love you."

There it is again.

Hotch glances at Emily, who's ingrossed in something Morgan's saying.

"I love you too, buddy."

Hotch glances back and tries his best to ignore the way Morgan leans in towards Emily as they talk.

Maybe she didn't say it. Maybe he dreamt it.

Well that's done.

Thank you gubler_fans1 for your fantastic, but far to happy, idea. Sorry, but I'm not giving it to you that easy.

And thank you so very much @RoseJackson362 for your grand idea which pulled me out of my slump.

Sorry this one was bad...

However I have a great plot for the next couple so you'll just have to stick around for the good stuff to come😉
-SH