Taking Care (CM, Hotch)

[Wolfwings22]

On 6/22/2018 at 5:19 PM, ReidSeeker said:

Happy, happy, happy birthday to you!!!

this part was so good! I love the Hotch and Jack interaction (and Jack correcting his dad! Lol and yeah you're sharing a meal, sicky, you gotta wash hands!)

Thank you! It feels so weird to be 18, but I’m sure that that’ll pass. 

I’m glad that you liked the part. I love when Jack and Hotch interact and Hotch is such a great father. I love showing that as well as Jack trying his best to look after his father. That just warms my heart! Especially because kids just have a way of looking at things straightforward like washing hands before you eat or when you’re sick and parents just kind of brush that off. Anyway, I’m glad that you like it! I’m going away again, but I should be able to sneak away to write and post another part hopefully. In the meantime enjoy this small part with some more Jack and Hotch interaction! 

On 6/23/2018 at 2:20 PM, turtlesneeze said:

YAY!!! Happy birthday to you and thanks for the gift to us!!! Wonderful!

Thanks! I’m glad that you like it! I have another part and I hope you like this one just as much!

 

Hopefully you all enjoy this next part with even more team fluff! I just can’t stop myself. Enjoy!

 

 

    Everyone talked and laugh around the table. JJ told stories that caused Jack to laugh so hard that he nearly choked. Morgan told some jokes as well. Most of them were lame, but some of them were funny, and most of them went way over Jack's head completely. He looked to his father for explanation, but Hotch just waved him off ever so slightly. Jack seemed unfazed and continued to shovel his food into his mouth.

 

    Everyone was almost finished when Hotch felt his nose start to betray him. He lifted a hand up to his nose and rubbed at it slightly. When that did nothing, he instantly reached for the napkin by his almost untouched plate of food. He grumbled to himself as he pinched the napkin over his face and turned away from the table, the legs of his chair screeching against the floor when he pushed himself away from the table. 

 

    "Hrchxxh! Hcxhxxh! Hrchxxh! Hrchxxh!"

 

    "Bless you," the table chorused. 

 

    "Daddy," Jack exclaimed as he lifted is elbow and wrapped it around his face. "Like this." He looked up to his father pointedly.

 

    Hotch wiped his nose on the napkin, forgoing to blow it. "Alright, I'll try to remember next time," he told his son, trying to swallow a small smile.

 

    "Okay, those who cook, don't have to clean," announced JJ as she stood up and wiggled her fingers at Rossi and Prentiss. "Have fun."

 

    "Yeah, see ya," Morgan joked as he stood up and crumpled his napkin on his plate. He followed JJ into the living room while Rossi and Prentiss started to clean up the table.    

    

    Hotch stood slowly and started to help clear the table. Prentiss caught sight of it and shook her head. "Hey, what are you doing? You need to be resting."

    

    "I didn't help cook, though," Hotch pointed out as he stacked his and Jack's plate together.

 

    Rossi stopped what he was doing and walked back over to Hotch. He rested his hand on Hotch's shoulder. "How about you take Jack upstairs and get him ready for bed? Then join us in the living room for games," Rossi suggested. "That is how you can best help."

 

    Hotch reluctantly nodded as he stretched out hand toward Jack. "You ready to get some some more pajamas," he asked his son.

 

    "Yeah," cheered Jack as he took his father's hand. He led him toward the stairs through the hallway. They headed up the stairs quickly with Hotch struggling to keep up with his son. Jack took him into his room and started to go through his dresser.

 

    "So do we want Spider-Man, Avengers, Star Wars, or....ah....eh...." Hotch lifted a and to his face and was about to try and stifle the sneeze when noticed the pleading look on his son's face. He grumbled as his nostrils flared.

 

    Hotch lifted his elbow and buried his face into the crook of it, holding it firmly there with his other hand. "HrcsHSsh! HrcShsSh! HrcsHsSH! HrcshSHS!"

 

    Once Hotch was sure that he was finished, he lowered his elbow from his face with his nose running freely. He sniffed heavily before Jack immediately rushed over to his desk. He picked up the dinosaur tissue box and brought it over to his father cheerfully. He lifted up the tissue and handed it over to his father.

 

    "Bless you, Daddy," Jack told him as he looked up at him expectantly.

 

    Hotch took the entire tissue box and brought out ten of them. He folded them over his nose and blew at full force. It started out as a honking sound before he folded the tissues once more and repeated the process. He took the used tissues to the trash bin in the corner of Jack's room and tossed it aside. 

 

    "Okay, pajamas," Hotch repeated as he looked at the selection once more.

 

    Jack stood on his tiptoes and looked over his options. "Star Wars," he announced.

 

    Hotch grabbed the pajamas and swallowed a few coughs. He passed it to his son, who ran over to the bathroom. Once Hotch was sure that he left, he grabbed some more tissues from the box. He coughed into it painful and rubbed at the corners of his mouth. The tissues traveled up to his extremely sore and bright red nostrils. They were really starting to burn. 

 

    Hotch was exhausted and he still had a while to go before he could head to bed. He just hoped that it would be over quickly.

 

To Be Continued....

[turtlesneeze]

Great!

[Seeker]

 I'm all for fluff, don't hold back! lol

This part left me smiling on the way to work 

[Wolfwings22]

On 6/27/2018 at 9:54 PM, turtlesneeze said:

Great!

I’m glad that you like it!

 

On 6/28/2018 at 6:12 AM, ReidSeeker said:

 I'm all for fluff, don't hold back! lol

This part left me smiling on the way to work 

More fluff coming right up! Lol I’m glad that you’re thinking about it and liking it. I love writing this and there is plenty more to come!

 

 

I know that it’s been a little over a weak, but I was SO busy on vacation. Now I’m back for a day before I have to go traveling once more. This is just a little something quick and I hope that you all like it!

 

    Once Jack was in his Star Wars pajamas with Darth Vader on them, he rushed back to his room. "It's time for games, Daddy," announced Jack as he grasped Hotch's hand once more.

 

    Hotch followed his son down the stairs into the living room. JJ had set up the room nicely with a large game of Monopoly in the center with popcorn in bowls scattered in each corner of the board. There were bottles of water and beer, depending on what you preferred. 

 

    The team was positioned around the board game excitedly, already arguing about who would use which piece. Morgan and Reid were locked in a pretty intense argument about who would have the silver money bag. That would probably be the last one that Hotch would've picked.

 

    "Doggy," Jack cheered as he darted forward. He plopped down next to JJ and Rossi and reached for the silver dog. He held it for a moment before he lifted it up. "Look, Daddy. Puppy!"

 

    "I see that," Hotch began as he drew near. He sat down and sniffled heavily. Jack was on his feet in a moment and headed into the kitchen. Hotch was about to call for his son, but he stopped when he saw Jack return with another box of tissues. They just seemed to be coming out of the woodwork. 

 

    Jack set the tissue box on the ground between himself and his father. "This is for you, Daddy. We can play now," he announced proudly.

 

    Hotch stretched out a hand and ran his fingers through his hairs. "Thanks, buddy." He cleared his throat as he lifted a hand to his face and coughed lightly. "Are we ready?"

 

    "I'm ready to kick everyone's ass-ociates," Morgan bean, avoiding saying a bad word in front of Jack, but only slightly.

 

    Hotch shot Morgan a look before Morgan shrugged innocently. Hotch reached forward and grasped the top hat. He always selected the top hat and Haley had made fun of him to no end. Just thinking about her made his eyes start to water. He sniffled lightly and lifted a hand to his eyes, rubbing heavily.

 

    Rossi caught sight of what he was doing and had enough sense not to say anything. He just sighed heavily before he looked at the group. "How about we start from Jack and made our way clockwise?"

 

    "What does 'clockwise' mean," inquired Jack with his eyes squinted in surprise. 

 

    Reid stretched out his wrist where there was a watch sitting in the middle of his wrist. He pointed to it. "Clockwise means you follow the hands of a clock in that direction. It'll go you, your Daddy, JJ, Emily, Rossi, Morgan and then me."

 

    Jack nodded in understanding before he grabbed the dice and tossed them on the ground. He moved his piece before Hotch started. He had just tossed the dice when he felt the start of a tickle deep within is sinuses. He just stayed put for a moment with his nostrils slightly expanding while the sneeze seemed to toy with him.

 

    "Daddy! You got eight. Did you forget how to count," Jack asked as he looked up to his father.

 

    Hotch raised one finger before he reached into the tissue box. He pulled out a few tissues very quickly before he folded them over his nose urgently. "HrhsSHs! HrhcSHSH! HrchsSHs! HrhcSHs! HchsHSh! HshcSHs! HchrSHsh!"

 

    "My goodness, Hotch," JJ exclaimed almost fearfully. "Bless you!"

 

    Hotch just shook his head as he pitched forward once more. "HrhcsH! HrhcSH! HrCSHsh! HrhcSH! HrhcsHs!"

 

    Hotch held the tissues to his nose for a moment, making sure that there weren't any other sneezes lurking. He then crumpled those tissues and grabbed some more. He blew his nose heavily and set the tissues behind him. He cleared his throat wit a low rumbling noise while one hand pressed against his right temple. "Excuse me, sorry."

    

    "Daddy, you sneeze a lot," Jack announced as he looked up to Hotch as if he expected an answer.

 

    Hotch chuckled good naturally. "That's because I got a lot of icky stuff in my nose. It wants to come out and that'll help me get better," he explained. He was well aware that all of his coworkers were around him and probably had never heard him speak like this before. However, whenever he was with his son, he acted like Jack's father, no matter who was around.

 

    "Then you'll get better soon," Jack cheered excitedly before he grabbed the top hat. "Can I move your piece?"

 

    Hotch leaned back and coughed into his raised hand. "Sure, buddy. Go ahead. Make sure you count the spaces out loud like we usually do."

 

    Jack nodded. "One. Two. Three...."

    

    They continued on for a while until all of the properties had houses or hotels on them. Prentiss and Rossi had been bankrupt a while beforehand and Hotch was barely paying attention. Jack was basically playing for both of them since Hotch's mind had started to wander.

 

    Hotch noticed when Reid started to doze off. His head fell forward before he jumped back in surprise. He periodically rubbed at the back of his head and stifled a few yawns through a tensed jaw. Hotch wanted to say something, but he halted himself. It was bad enough that he was the reason that Reid had this injury and now he couldn't do anything about it.

 

    "Daddy. Daddy!”

 

    Hotch's attention turned to Jack as his son pulled at his knee. He swallowed painfully before he leaned forward. "Yeah, buddy."

 

    "Look, I won," he announced.

 

    Hotch looked at the board and saw that Morgan, who was Jack's only real competition, had landed on a property that had a hotel on it already. Morgan shrugged as he set all of his money in the middle. "Yeah, you won, kid," Morgan told him with a smile.

 

    Jack nearly tackled Hotch excitedly. "Can we play again?"

 

    "I don't think so. It's way past your bedtime and Daddy is tired too," Hotch told him as he lifted a hand to rub at his eyes. "Maybe we'll have another Game Night another time."

 

    "I think that that is a great idea," Prentiss told them as she started to stand. She stretched out each of her aching legs since she had been sitting in the same position for almost two hours now. "I think that I'm going to head out. Morgan, are you ready?"

 

    Morgan winked at Hotch. "She's my ride. Well, I'll see you all on Monday," he announced. He walked over to Reid and grasped his shoulders gently, careful not to shake him. "You going to be okay, Boy Genius?"

 

    Reid glanced up to Morgan with a hazy expression in his gaze. "Yeah, just contemplating my next move," he replied, his eyes glued to the board.

 

    Morgan looked over to Hotch with almost a look of terror on his face. "Um, we're finished playing, kid. Jack won. Didn't you hear him?"

 

    Reid looked around slowly. He blinked his eyes a couple of times before he nodded slowly. "Oh, yeah, right. Right," he murmured.

 

    "Right," Morgan murmured.

 

    Prentiss reached down and grabbed his arm. "Come on. He'll be fine. He's got Rossi and Hotch watching out for him. What more do you need?"

 

    "And JJ," JJ added with a flourish of her hands.

 

    Morgan reluctantly was pulled up by Prentiss. He was almost dragged to the door, still looking over his shoulder toward Reid.

 

    Hotch slightly narrowed his eyes at Reid. There was no way that he was going to allow him to just leave and be on his own looking dazed out of his mind. It was about to get a little more crowded in this house.

 

To Be Continued....

[Seeker]

Yaaay 

yaaaaaaay

[turtlesneeze]

So good!!! Looking forward to the next update!!!! Group fluff!!! Yum!

[Wolfwings22]

On 7/6/2018 at 8:01 AM, ReidSeeker said:

Yaaay 

yaaaaaaay

I’m glad that you like it!

 

On 7/7/2018 at 9:05 PM, turtlesneeze said:

So good!!! Looking forward to the next update!!!! Group fluff!!! Yum!

There will be plenty more group fluff to come. I just can’t help myself! Hope you like it!

 

 

Here is the next part! Hope you all enjoy it. Thanks for reading!

 

 

    Rossi glanced over to Reid and rested a hand on his shoulder. Reid nearly jumped to his feet in terror, but the dizziness kept his grounded and he staggered back down. “Easy, Reid.”

 

    “I have to be somewhere and it’s important and....” He trailed off as his gaze traveled around the room for a few moments.

 

    Hotch cleared his throat before he rested a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Hey, buddy. How about you go and get ready for bed and I’ll be there to tuck you in,” he offered, his attention still mostly on Reid.

 

    “Okay,” Jack exclaimed as he rose to his feet and scampered off toward the stairs. Once Hotch heard him pounding up the stairs, he walked over to Reid. He rested his hands on Reid’s shoulder. Reid didn’t jump. Reid didn’t try to move. He just sat there, staring ahead like always.

 

    JJ looked to Rossi, but Rossi lifted his hand to halt her from standing. She started the mundane chore of cleaning up the game and organizing before she put it away. It seemed to distract her from the worry that she felt naming in her stomach about Reid.

 

    Hotch opened his mouth to speak when the itchiness sprouted deep within his nostrils once more. Hotch squinted his eyes shut as his breath seemed to become caught in his chest. He suddenly turned sideways and crushed his head into his elbow.

 

    “HrchsHS! HrhcsHS! HRshsH!”

 

    Reid instantly lifted his hands over his ears and winced at the volume. Hotch saw halfway through and rose to his feet, staggering toward the hallway and away from the living room to finish his fit.

 

    “Hrhcsh! HrchSH! HrhcSH! HrchSHs! HrhcHsh! HRchsh!”

 

    Hotch could hear Reid’s whimpered from the living room and suddenly cursed how loud and forcefully his sneezes were. He hadn’t meant to cause this many problems. If they would’ve just left him alone then there wouldn’t be any of these concerns.

 

    “Daddy, I’m ready,” called Jack from the top of the stairs.

 

    Hotch straightened and coughed openly in front of him. “Alright, I’m coming,” he called back as he started up the stairs slowly. Each step felt like it would never end and he felt like he was walking away from his goal. He climbed to the top and noticed that Jack had disappeared into his room.

 

    He headed in after him and saw him in his Star Wars pajamas and already under the covers. Hotch walked over to him and sniffled. “Do you think that we can skip the book tonight, buddy? My throat is kind of sore.”

 

    Jack looked crestfallen for a moment before he smiled and nodded. “It’s okay, Daddy. I just want you to feel better,” he told him.

 

    “Do you know what might make me feel better,” asked Hotch as he sat on the edge of the bed and looked at his son.

 

    “What,” Jack asked seriously.

 

    “Giving your daddy a hug,” Hotch answered.

 

    Jack beamed as he crawled forward. He wrapped his arms around Hotch’s neck. Hotch hugged his son for a few moments before he planted a kiss on the top of his head. “Alright. It’s time for all boys with the name of Jack to get some rest.”

 

    Jack released his father and crawled back toward the head of the bed. Hotch pulled the covers up to his chin and turned his night light on. “Alright, you all set?”

 

    “Yeah.”

 

    Hotch was just about to stand when Jack reached out and grabbed his hand. Hotch allowed his hand to go limp as Jack ran his fingers over his large hand. “Daddy?”

 

    “Yes, Jack.”

 

    “Is Uncle Spencer going to be okay? He looks funny,” Jack whispered fearfully as he stole a glance over to his father.

 

    Hotch smiled reassuringly. “Uncle Spender is going to be just fine. I’m going to take good care of him, I promise,” he vowed.

 

    “Okay,” Jack murmured as he laid back with his eyes starting to close exhaustedly. “I love you, Daddy.”

    

    “I love you too, buddy,” Hotch murmured as he walked toward the door. He switched off the light and closed the door mostly, only leaving it open a partial sliver in case Jack had another nightmare. 

 

    Hotch started back down the stairs and saw JJ getting ready to leave. She walked over to Hotch after she rested her hand comfortingly on Reid’s shoulder. “I should probably get going, but if you need me to stay then I can. I just need to-“

 

    “No, go ahead. You’ve done enough already. Thank you for everything,” Hotch told her.

 

    JJ grinned as she wrapped Hotch in a small embrace. She drew back and collected her shoes before she opened the front door and let herself out. Hotch stood there for a moment before he heard footsteps to the right of him.

 

    “Hotch.”

 

    Hotch turned and met Rossi’s gaze. “Yeah.”

 

    “We need to talk.”

 

To Be Continued.....

[Wolfwings22]

I finally took this really important test that I had to take, so now I should have much more time for writing on here. So, here’s a part that I’ve been working on for a few days. It took me a lot longer than usual, but hopefully things should pick up in this next month.

 

There’s a bit of a mess warning. What can I say, it’s what I do? Hopefully you guys enjoy and let me know!

 

 

    Hotch braced himself for this conversation. He walked forward slowly and noticed that Reid was still positioned in the exact same position on the couch. His head was slightly pulled to the side and his breathing was slower, as if he was sleeping at least somewhat peacefully. That brought Hotch some relief.

 

    "Sit," Rossi instructed.

 

    Hotch stiffened as he glanced at Rossi. Rossi sat on the couch and looked over to the recliner that Hotch had practically lived in for half the day. When Rossi noticed that Hotch wasn't moving, he tried a different approach. "Come on, Aaron. I just want to talk."

 

    Hotch seemed distant to the idea for a moment before he forced himself over to the recliner. He sat down, but didn't allow himself to relax. A conversation like this with Rossi wouldn't be anything short of very in-depth and personal. Those were two things that Hotch didn't want to deal with right now.

 

    Once Hotch was semi comfortable, Rossi began. "Look, whatever happened with Reid wasn't your fault. You reacted and he was in the line of fire. That's not your fault."

 

    "Okay," Hotch replied hotly as he looked over at Reid. He was glad that he was sleeping, but he made a quick note at what time it was. He would have to wake him up every two to three hours in case he had a concussion.

 

    "I'm serious, Aaron. You're a great team leader and a great father. It wasn't your fault what happened to Reid and it wasn't your fault what happened to Haley," Rossi continued.

 

    Hotch's head snapped around to glare at Rossi sternly with a scowl clear on his face. "I don't need to have this conversation with you."

 

    "I think that you do," Rossi argued as he leaned forward so that he was almost within reaching distance of Hotch. "You've been guarded ever since that happened and now you're run down. Don't think that we haven't noticed. We're profilers."

 

    "We don't profile each other," Hotch muttered.

 

    "We do if someone is in danger on our team," Rossi quipped back at Hotch, his words surprisingly cold. "This lack of emotion will effect your team. It'll effect Jack."

 

    "We don't need to talk about this," Hotch argued before he felt the familiar tickle in the back of his nose. He didn't have time to grab any tissues and he could already tell that this sneeze was going to be messy due to the fact of how much he had been sniffling. He sucked in a heavy breath before he recalled what he always said to Jack.

 

    If you don't have a tissue, then use your elbow and arm. Like a vampire.

 

    Hotch lifted his elbow and tensed it around his face. "HrsHsh! HrhsHSh! HrhsHS!"

 

    "Bless you," Rossi offered.

    

    Hotch shook his head. "HrsHS! HrhcSHs! HrcSHsh!"

 

    "Salud," Rossi replied once more, his eyes still stern on Hotch.

 

    Hotch tried to make himself smaller before the itch just blossomed. This was turning into a rather impressive fit. "HrHShs! HrsHshS! HrSHsh! HrSHSh! HRsHS!"

 

    "You done," Rossi asked. Concern was clear in is voice as he kneeled forward and rested a hand on Hotch's shoulder.

 

    Hotch shook his head once more as two wet and explosive sneeze buckled forward. "HrSHsh! HrsHsH!"

 

    After Hotch was finished and was sure that he was finished, he kept his elbow fixed there. There was no way that he was lowering it.

 

    "Aaron," inquired Rossi.

 

    Hotch cleared his throat and swallowed whatever gunk wasn't flowing from his nose at the moment. "Tissues," he requested in a whisper.

 

    Rossi rose to his feet and headed into the kitchen where JJ had put them on the counter when she had left. He brought them back to Hotch and set them on the arm of the chair. He then turned around. "I won't look. Go ahead," he offered.

 

    Thankful, Hotch lowered his arm. A string of mucus caught on his elbow and strung when he tried to pull his arm away. Hotch grabbed some tissues and started to mop at his nose quickly. He then grabbed another bundle and blew. It was a honking and productive blow that caused his sinuses to flare in agony. He set those tissues down and grabbed more to try and clean the sleeve of his sweatshirt.

 

    "How about you just change," Rossi suggested after a moment.

    

    Heat traveled up Hotch's face to his cheeks. He swallowed heavily before he looked over to Reid. "I'll watch him. You go and get changed. I'll find some more tissues."

 

    Hotch knew it was a joke, but he didn't laugh. He just rose to his feet. Rossi was seeing him weaker than ever, even when he tried to regain his strength it backfired on him. This was not going well at all.

 

To Be Continued.....

[Seeker]

Yay for more time to write cause your stories are awesome! I'm always happy to see you as the author. 

And again, love this story. I love your Rossi so much! He's well in character and is just right in this...I feel I'm not describing it well but I'm no writer. Just...I think this story is making me like Rossi more than ever, and I already loved him so...yeah. That

[Wolfwings22]

On 7/14/2018 at 9:12 PM, ReidSeeker said:

Yay for more time to write cause your stories are awesome! I'm always happy to see you as the author. 

And again, love this story. I love your Rossi so much! He's well in character and is just right in this...I feel I'm not describing it well but I'm no writer. Just...I think this story is making me like Rossi more than ever, and I already loved him so...yeah. That

Thanks! That means so much to me! I love Rossi too! He’s like the father of the team and he’s great. He’s always the person to put anyone in their place, but also a way that shows that he’ll listen to anyone and their problems. I’d like to write a story about him eventually, but I’ll have to wait until the ideas start flowing.

 

Anyway, here’s the next part. There’s a little mention of blood toward the end, but it’s nothing too bad. There’s some more fluff and angst in here that I just can’t seem to help. I hope you guys like it!

 

 

    Hotch headed into his bedroom and instantly pulled a shirt from his closet. He chose a short sleeve shirt this time in case he had some trouble later and was in the same predicament as before. He then went into the bathroom to wash his hands. He was always getting on Jack for washing his hands when he was sick. It was about time that he took his own advice.

 

    Hotch coughed lightly so that he didn’t wake Jack in the other room. He washed his hands thoroughly with hot water before he dried his hands on the towel. 

 

    Suddenly, he pulled the towel from the rack and thrust it over his face as he sucked in a heavy breath. He pitched forward, trying to be quiet, and failed miserably. “HrchsSH! HrhcsHS! HcsHSh! HcSHsh! HrCHshShh! Damnit!”

 

    Hotch wiped his nose on the fibers of the towel before he blew his nose heavily. He coughed in the aftermath before he removed the towel from his head. He nearly jumped out his skin when he noticed Jack standing in front of him, bleary eyed.

 

    “Bless you, Daddy,” Jack yawned as he rubbed at his eyes. 

 

    “Thanks, Buddy. Whadt are you doig awake,” Hotch asked as he rubbed the towel against his nose once more before he placed it in the hamper.

 

    Jack shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep,” he answered as he came forward. He was about to grab his father’s hand when Hotch withdrew it back. Jack looked heartbroken, but Hotch quickly recovered.

 

    “Jusdt ledt be blow by dnose and wash by hands first. I don’dt wandt you to gedt sick,” Hotch told him. He headed over to the toilet paper and ripped off a roll. He blew his nose into the toilet paper with a small honk before he threw them away. 

 

    He headed back to the sink to wash his hands against. Once he had finished, he lowered his hand and Jack grasped it firmly. “Can I stay downstairs with you,” Jack requested.

 

    “Jack-“

 

    “Please, Daddy! I’ll be good. I’ll sleep downstairs. I just want to be downstairs with you,” he told Hotch as he hugged his leg.

 

    There was no way that Hotch could say no to that. He patted his son’s shoulder before he sighed. “Alright, but you have to go right to sleep and you have to be quiet. Uncle Spencer doesn’t feel good,” he told him as he allowed Jack to lead him to the stairs.

    

    Jack jumped down excitedly and yanked his father after him. They headed into the living room to a surprised looking Rossi. “Looks like we have a newcomer,” Rossi chuckled as he kneeled down to Jack. “Couldn’t sleep?”

 

    Jack shook his head as he came over to the couch. He jumped on it while Hotch followed with a pillow and a blanket. He helped get Jack comfortable before he kissed him on his forehead. “Try to get some sleep, okay?”

 

    “Okay, Daddy. Love you,” Jack whispered as he snuggled into the pillow.

    

    Rossi turned to face Hotch. “I hope that he’s not here to halt our conversation. We will have this conversation whether he is or isn’t here.”

 

    A sigh sounded from Hotch as he walked over to the recliner. He bent down to pick up the tissues that had fallen when the shift caused his nose to run madly. He lifted his finder to his nose to stop the flow before he reached for more tissues. He blew his nose softly as it turned into a tickling sensation that his nose just couldn’t handle. 

 

    He instantly reached for another handful and pressed them against his nose, his hands like a tent over his nose. “HrHsHS! HrhcHSSH!” The second sneeze bent him at the waist. 

 

    Rossi walked over and rested his hand on Hotch’s shoulder. “Easy, Hotch.”

 

    “HrHcSHs! HRChshs! HRCSHsh! HrCSHsh! HrcSHS!”

    

    “Salud,” Rossi exclaimed as he helped Hotch straighten and led him toward the recliner. “You need to sit down before you fall down. All of this running around is doing you no good.”

 

    “I still need to take care of Jack,” Hotch rasped.

 

    Rossi pointed to the couch. “Look. He’s sleeping. He’s fine. You need to take your own advice and sleep, alright?”

 

    Hotch opened his mouth to answer when Reid started to stir. Hotch almost stood, but Rossi pushed him back down. A grunt rolled in the back of Hotch’s throat as he glared at Rossi.  

 

    “No. No! No! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!”

 

    Reid thrust out a hand madly and managed to catch Jack’s leg. Jack started to stir. That was the last straw for Hotch. Hotch pushed Rossi aside and walked over to Reid before he unintentionally hurt Jack. Hotch tried not to hurt Reid, but he was trying to rouse him.    

    

    “Reid. Reid. Look at me. It’s not real,” Hotch reassured as he tightened his grip on Reid’s wrists.

 

    Reid continued to sputter in surprise and almost screamed in his nightmares. He tossed around a bit and Hotch struggled to control him without injuring him. “Reid. Reid!”

 

    Rossi was at a loss as to what to do. He just stayed where he was and watched this unfold with his gaze gently landing on Hotch and Reid.

 

    While Reid thrashed around, he thrust up a hand and it collided with Hotch’s nose. Hotch yelped in surprise while he continued to grasp at Reid’s hands.

 

    “Hotch,” Rossi exclaimed as he came over to Hotch.

 

    Hotch squinted his gaze against the burn before his eyes blinked rapidly. He then grumbled to himself when he felt the need to sneeze again. He didn’t want to release Reid’s hands in case he lashed out at Jack or himself. So, he slightly lifted his arm and pivoted around so not to sneeze on Reid.

 

    “HrCHSsh! HRshshHS! HrhsHSh!”

 

    Horror showed on Hotch’s face when he looked down at his arm and saw blood.

 

To Be Continued.....

[Seeker]

1 hour ago, Wolfwings22 said:

fluff and angst

Need and love lol

[turtlesneeze]

Oh! I've been away too long! Love the updates! Can't wait for the next one!!!

[Alex Hemmings]

This is awesome 

[Wolfwings22]

On 7/18/2018 at 10:02 PM, ReidSeeker said:

Need and love lol

I’m sure glad that you do! That is my specialty! 😄

 

On 7/21/2018 at 10:31 PM, turtlesneeze said:

Oh! I've been away too long! Love the updates! Can't wait for the next one!!!

I’m so glad that you like them! There should be a few more before I move to my Reid story. I hope you continue to enjoy it!

 

On 7/23/2018 at 7:19 PM, Alex Hemmings said:

This is awesome 

I’m so glad that you’re enjoying it! I hope you like the rest of it too!

 

 

I know it’s been just a little bit and I finally got a free moment to put this together, even though it is about two in the morning. That’s what I get with visiting family! Anyway, I hope you like it and let me know what you think! There’s a little mention of blood at the beginning. This should be the last time but it pertains to a nosebleed and I tried to tone it down if that’s not your thing. Hope you like it!

 

 

    Blood.

 

    Hotch turned his head and glanced at Rossi. Rossi flinched when he saw crimson blood running from both of Hotch’s nostrils. It rested on his upper lip and now over his mouth thanks to the force of the sneeze. Speaking of the sneeze, Hotch’s arm was practically dripping from the spray. He swallowed heavily before he felt the burn of the blood run down his throat.

 

    “Rossi,” Hotch requested.

 

    Rossi was at his side in a moment. He took Reid’s wrists while also revealing Jack to his father. The young boy had awoken almost immediately once Reid had started shouting. He had looked on in terror when he saw his father get punched. His eyes were widened when he saw the blood gushing from his father’s nose.

 

    “Bathroom,” Rossi ordered as Hotch stared in almost a vacant state. “Wash your face and then place a cool wascloth on your nose and pinch it.”

 

    Hotch walked forward while keeping his hand cupped under his nose. He rushed forward without another word as he rushed into the small half bathroom by the hallway. It wasn’t ideal for this sort of situation, but there was no way that he was going to risk walking all the way upstairs and dousing blood on the carpet. He made his way toward the bathroom and swung it open.

 

    He immediately grabbed some towels and shoved them against his nose. He pinched it and felt the burning sensation down his throat. He spat the blood into the sink before he felt a tickling sensation deep within his nose. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to will the sneeze away. That was the absolute last thing that he needed.

 

    Suddenly, he pitched forward and lowered the towel over his nose and mouth. “HrsHsh! HrCHsh! HrhCSH! HrCHs!HrHCsHs! Damnit!”

 

    “Daddy.”

 

    Hotch turned his head with his mouth partially open as blood continued to seep down his face from his nose. Jack took a step toward him, but Hotch stretched out his hand to halt him. “Wait. Wait. Stay there, Jack. Go back to Uncle Dave.”

 

    “But, I want to help you, Daddy,” Jack pleaded.

 

    The frustration and embarrassment that Hotch felt suddenly expressed itself in anger. “Just go away, Jack!”

 

    Jack looked at his father in shock before his lip started to quiver. His eyes rounded as they turned glassy with tears that just threatened to fall. His mouth slightly moved while he stared at his father in shock and hurt. He then turned sharply and ran. However, Hotch heard the sound of his feet pounding against the stairs and then the slam of Jack’s bedroom door. 

 

    Hotch felt like an absolute dick. He would’ve chased after Jack if his nose wasn’t still bleeding.

 

    He was about to readjust the towel when he heard a knock at the door. He spun around and instantly frowned when he realized that it was just Rossi. “You’re not Jack.”

 

    “No, not right now. Anyway, Reid is settled for the time being. I think his headache caused some delirium. I gave him some aspirin and he’s calmer now. Now it’s time that I help you,” answered Rossi as he took the towel away from Hotch, who grumbled in protest.

 

    Rossi immediately set Hotch down on the lid of the toilet and grabbed some toilet paper. He ran it under cold water and repressed it against the bridge of Hotch’s nose. Rossi grabbed Hotch’s hand and forced the younger man to grab it and tighten his hold on it. “Your nose is not going to thank me for this, but we really need to get this bleeding under control.”

 

    “I’b fide,” Hotch grumbled as he narrowed his eyes at Rossi. 

 

    Rossi understood that his anger wasn’t toward him. He ran another towel under the cool water before he grabbed Hotch’s other arm. Hotch tried to pull away, but Rossi shot him a glare. Hotch forced himself to relax as Rossi cleaned the partially dried blood from his arm. “You know how to make things complicated, don’t you?”

 

    “I supposed Reid godt be back for kicking hib,” Hotch pointed out with a sniffle. It caused a new burning sensation to spread through Hotch’s nose. Hotch growled in agony.

 

    Rossi gripped Hotch’s shoulder gently. “Don’t do that. It’ll just make it worse. Besides, we don’t need you sneezing anymore.”

 

    “Damn cold,” Hotch muttered.

 

    “Yeah, that’s an understatement. I thought about going home, but I think that you need me here,” he pointed out as he leaned forward. He lifted the toilet paper from Hotch’s nose. Blood was still flowing. 

    

    He grabbed the bloody toilet paper and set it in the trash. He then grabbed another bundle of toilet paper, wet it, and repeated it once more. He then had Hotch clamp his hand around it once more. “There you go. I think that this should be the last time.”

 

    “You can go. I can handle it here,” rasped Hotch as he tied not to sniffle. Instead, he allowed the bloody mucus to drip down his face. 

 

    “I don’t think so,” Rossi argued as he shook his head vigorously. “You need someone to watch after you and Reid. Not to mention Jack.”

 

    “Jack. I need to talk to him.” Hotch stood up suddenly.

    

    Rossi instantly pushed him back down. “What is so important that you have to talk to him now,” he complained loudly.

 

    “I made a mistake and now I have to right it.”

 

To Be Continued.....

[Seeker]

14 hours ago, Wolfwings22 said:

my Reid story.

Smileys are being weird on my phone but trust me when I say it's an excited face lol

I don't want you to think I'm not enjoying this though, I very much am. Papa-Rossi to the rescue! And poor Jack! Everyone needs to go to sleep (myself included lol). Your stories are amazing!

[Wolfwings22]

On 7/25/2018 at 4:02 PM, ReidSeeker said:

Smileys are being weird on my phone but trust me when I say it's an excited face lol

I don't want you to think I'm not enjoying this though, I very much am. Papa-Rossi to the rescue! And poor Jack! Everyone needs to go to sleep (myself included lol). Your stories are amazing!

I’m so glad that you’re liking it. I appreciate you commenting on every part of my story. There’s only a few parts left and I’ll post my Reid story. Thanks so much for all your kind words!

 

Now onto the next part. Minor blood and not a whole lot of sneezing, but I had to move the plot a little. Hope you all enjoy it!

 

    “What are you talking about,” Rossi asked as he threw away another bunch of toilet paper before he turned to face Hotch. He leaned against the sink while he crossed his arms over his chest.

 

    Hotch couldn’t believe that he had said that to his son. It wasn’t just what he had said, but how he had said it. He was also so keen to keep his emotions in check. Instead he had lashed out at his son with such intensity that he had hardly believed and wished that he could take back.

 

    “I snapped at him. He was only trying to help and was concerned. I just lashed out at him and I didn’t mean it. Now I have to make it right,” Hotch argued.

 

    “At least wait until you’re not dripping with blood,” Rossi ordered as he lifted the toilet paper from Hotch’s nose. He checked the bleeding before he nodded slowly. “Okay, as long as you don’t do anything too strenuous for a bit you should be fine.”

 

    “You mean like sneeze,” Hotch quipped.

 

    Rossi thought for a moment before he shrugged. “I suppose that that would classify as strenuous for you. Just take it easy. We don’t need anymore repeats of this.”

 

    Hotch said nothing more. He lifted a hand to rub at his itching nose and then felt better of it. He glanced at his feet as he shuffled them as if they had all the answers in the world. His muscles were starting to ache once more and he was sure that the fever from earlier was certainly returning. Hotch wrinkled his nose as he thought about all the excuses running through his mind about why he wasn’t rushing upstairs to his son.

 

    Rossi looked at him in surprise. “Didn’t you say that you needed to talk to Jack? You’re free to go,” Rossi added as he stepped out of the way to give Hotch proper room to leave.

 

    Hotch glanced up at Rossi with his usual ‘Hotchner glare’ stuck on his face. “I can’t,” he rasped.

 

    “I’ve never heard Aaron Hotchner ever admit that he can’t do something,” Rossi pointed out. Hotch looked away from him and Rossi stifled a sigh. He came over and sat down in front of Hotch on the floor since he could see this going nowhere fast. “Why is this so difficult for you, Aaron. There has to be more to this story than you just hurting your son’s feelings.”

 

    Hotch sniffed and lifted a hand to his nose. He was more than relieved that no blood was running down from his nose, but the gunk that was still wasn’t appreciated. He was about to reach for more toilet paper when he saw Rossi extend a tissue box toward him. Hotch nodded his thanks and took a step of them. He rubbed under his nose vigorously before he crumpled them into a ball in his first.

 

    “You don’t need to hear this,” Hotch decided after a moment.

 

    “Hotch, you have to tell someone. I would rather it be me than end up taking out your grief and frustration on your son like this. I know that you would never, ever, cause Jack any harm. However, doing this to yourself isn’t helping either of you. You’re so run down with emotions deep inside that your immune system couldn’t keep up. That’s why you’re sick now and if you don’t start expressing yourself to someone then you’re going to have this cold much longer than you should. Is that what you think Jack needs right now?”

 

    Hotch glanced at Rossi, taking in each and every word. He opened his mouth to answer before he clamped it shut. There was no real answer to his question. Rossi already knew what Hotch would say and so did Hotch. It was just about confessing it out loud, which seemed almost impossible for Hotch to do.

 

    “Now, how about you try to make this right,” Rossi suggested as he struggled to thrust his legs in front of him. “And I’ll try to get off of this cold floor. It’s pretty cramped in here!”

 

    Hotch offered the slightest of grins that only Rossi would be able to pick up. “It’s a half bath, David. What did you expect?”

 

    “Shut up,” Rossi joked as he finally managed to haul himself to his feet. He stretched his back before he headed out with Hotch following.

 

    Hotch was about to leave the bathroom when he felt his nose seem to betray him once more. He stood rigid for a moment, well aware that Rossi was still staring at him. “Now what are you doing?”

 

    Hotch held up his pointer finger to halt Rossi. He then turned around sharply and clamped both of his hands like a tent over his nose and mouth in case of a blood outburst. “HrcHsS! HrChshsH! HrcSHsh! HrcShhSH! HrcSHsHS!”

 

    “You know, I think that we should see how many sneezes you can sneeze in a single fit. You must be able to break some sort of record,” Rossi joked, trying to undermine Hotch’s embarrassment.

 

    Hotch lowered his hands from his face, relieved that there was no speckles of blood on his hands. He grabbed some more tissues and blew his nose softly. “You can’t just say ‘bless you’ and call it a day,” huffed Hotch.

 

    “Now where’s the fun in that,” Rossi joked with a slight glimmer in his gaze.

 

    Hotch said nothing back. He took one step out of the bathroom before he doubled back and grabbed the box. “I think that I used most of the ones in Jack’s room,” he confessed.

 

    “I’ll stay with Reid,” Rossi told Hotch as he yawned into the back of his hand. “But, if I’m asleep then just wake me up.”

 

    “Yeah, okay,” Hotch murmured distracted as he readied to rush up to the stairs and make things right with his son.

 

To Be Continued.....

[Seeker]

I love it when I see your updates! 

Poor Jack, hopefully Hotch can explain and apologize effectively. I have a feeling if Hotch makes it back downstairs, Rossi will be sleeping! Should make some coffee 

[Wolfwings22]

On 7/30/2018 at 8:00 PM, ReidSeeker said:

I love it when I see your updates! 

Poor Jack, hopefully Hotch can explain and apologize effectively. I have a feeling if Hotch makes it back downstairs, Rossi will be sleeping! Should make some coffee 

I’m so glad that you like it. It’s almost finished, but I have a few more updates left. Hopefully I can finish it before I head to college.

 

 

 

    Hotch climbed the stairs and he felt like he had climbed a thousand of them. Each step appeared to take him farther away from Jack, not closer. It was hard to describe. He had never been so nervous to speak to his son. The only time it had come close was when he had gotten divorced, but Jack had been so young he barely understood what his father was saying.

 

    He shook his head to clear it as he found himself at his son's door. He lifted a hand and knocked at the door. It was the special knock that he always did with Jack. That usually always put Jack in a good mood.

 

    When he didn't hear an answer, he tried a new approach. "Jack, I am your father," he rasped. His cold already had him sounding like Darth Vader and the bloody nose had pushed him over the edge. He coughed after the sound had rolled in the back of his throat.

 

    He still received no answer.

 

    Hotch sighed as he tried to open it. He turned the knob, but it only took a moment to realize that it was locked. Frustration churned in Hotch. "Jack, what did we say about the locked door policy in this house? Open the door, now," he ordered.

 

    Hotch heard footsteps before the sound of the door unlocking. He let out a breath of relief that he hadn't had to get the key downstairs. He tentatively turned the knob and found it, indeed, unlocked. He immediately opened the door a bit and found Jack sitting on his bed, facing away from the door and Hotch. Hotch stifled a sigh as he made his way toward his son.

 

    "Jack, can we talk," Hotch requested.

 

    Jack stayed silent.

 

    "Jack," Hotch began in a slightly warning tone. He didn't want to use that voice with his son and treat him the same way that he would treat an Unsub, but he didn't want Jack to delve into the habit of ignoring him when he tried to talk to him either. It just was a lose lose scenario. 

 

    "Jack," Hotch repeated before he felt his nose start to itch. He stuck his tongue against the roof of his mouth in an effort to stall off the sneeze for as long as possible. When that seemed in vain, he set down the tissue box and brought a clump of them out. He forced them against his nose and prepared for the fit.

 

    "HrshsH! HRchsHS! HRcSH! HRcSHs! HRcssHS! HRcSHSH!"

 

    Hotch gave his nose a wet blow into the tissues and slightly groaned in the aftermath. He rubbed his nose marginally dry with the tissues before he set them in the trash bin.

 

    "Bless you," huffed Jack dejectedly.

 

    "He speaks," Hotch murmured, but Jack didn't respond to that. "Jack, I need you to turn around and look at me, please."

 

    "Why," Jack complained.

 

    Hotch rolled his eyes. "Because this doesn't count as an apology unless it's given face to face, eye to eye," he answered.

 

    Jack took a couple of seconds to contemplate it before he turned around to face his father. He frowned with tears still streaked along his cheeks. It took everything that Hotch had in him not to pull his son close in an embrace. However, that wouldn't help either of them. He had to talk to Jack about what had happened and Jack had to tell him how it made him feel. Hotch had learned early on that talking to a kid like Jack was a delicate process.  

 

    Hotch cleared his throat softly. "Jack, I should've never said those things to you. I didn't mean to yell like that. I was just frustrated and embarrassed."

 

    "Frustrated and embarrassed," echoed Jack since it seemed that he couldn't understand what those words meant.

 

    Hotch nodded as he thought about how to explain it. He had to remember that Jack wasn't one of his coworkers. "Yeah, like when you're angry or feeling sad and know that you've done something wrong. I know that I did something wrong and I'm sad about it. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that, buddy. I'm sorry."

 

    "Why were you mad," Jack asked.

 

    Hotch rubbed at one of his eyes. "Do you still miss Mommy," he asked as he felt his throat almost close when he spoke. He didn't want to make this any more difficult for his son than it needed to be, but he wanted Jack to be able to understand it fully.

 

    Jack sniffled before he looked down at his hands. "Yeah."

    

    "So do I. I know that it's hard for you not having her here. I'm sad too about it sometimes, but I'm not good at saying that. Then, I thought that I hurt Uncle Spencer and then Uncle Spencer accidentally hurt me. I didn't want you to see me like that, buddy.  That's why I yelled at you. I didn't mean to. I know that I hurt your feelings and I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?"

 

    After what felt like a lifetime, Jack nodded slowly. "Yes, Daddy."

 

    "Thank you, buddy," Hotch told him before he spread out his arms. "Can we hug it out?"

 

    Jack brightened before he crawled forward and into his father's arms. Hotch wrapped him in a hug before Jack wrapped his own arms around his father's neck. Jack then released him and Hotch looked at the time. It was nearly midnight.

 

    "I think that it's time for bed, again," Hotch told him.

 

    Jack moaned. "Can't I go to bed downstairs, please?"

 

    "I think that it's best that you stay up here for now, okay? I need to see if I can make Uncle Spencer feel better, but I'll be back up to check on you, okay," Hotch told him. "Can you be brave for Uncle Spencer for me?"

 

    Jack nodded vigorously. He immediately reached out and gave his father one more hug. He then climbed under the covers and turned on the small lamp beside his bed. "I love you, Daddy."

 

    "I love you too, Buddy. I'll see you in the morning," Hotch told him as he stood up from the bed with his eyes shinning in exhaustion. The last thing that he wanted was to go back downstairs and see what was going on with Reid, but he knew that he had to. He couldn't abandon him like that. That was why he had to talk to him, once way or another.

 

To Be Continued.....

[Seeker]

1 hour ago, Wolfwings22 said:

The last thing that he wanted was to go back downstairs and see what was going on with Reid, but he knew that he had to. He couldn't abandon him like that. That was why he had to talk to him, once way or another.

Oh man, I totally can feel the exhaustion. Don't worry Hotch, Reid is my angel and will forgive you😍

@Wolfwings22: congratulations on college! I hope you love it. I will miss your updates as you settle in to the college life but hope you'll be able to get back here sometimes! I always enjoy what you write; you have a real talent. I hope it serves you well at school 

[Wolfwings22]

On 8/5/2018 at 7:52 PM, ReidSeeker said:

Oh man, I totally can feel the exhaustion. Don't worry Hotch, Reid is my angel and will forgive you😍

@Wolfwings22: congratulations on college! I hope you love it. I will miss your updates as you settle in to the college life but hope you'll be able to get back here sometimes! I always enjoy what you write; you have a real talent. I hope it serves you well at school 

Thank you so much! I’m so excited to go and nervous as well. I’ll try to keep the updates as regular as I can, but I’m studying a Premed program, so I might be pretty busy. I’m so appreciative of your support for my stories and I’m so glad that you’re enjoy them!

 

This next part is a little longer and I hope you all enjoy!

 

 

    Hotch continued down the stairs slowly. His muscles screamed in protest as if a vice was tightening around his bones. He turned the left toward the living room and caught sight of the time on a wall clock across from him. 

 

    1:12

 

    He stifled a groan as he headed into the living room. Reid was sleeping on he couch while Rossi slept in the recliner across from the couch. He snored loudly as he shifted around almost fitfully. 

 

    Hotch wasn’t sure what he should do. Should he wake up Rossi and offer that he go home? Or should he wake up Reid and suggest that they talk? He believed that he should probably do both.

 

    “Hey, Dave,” Hotch whispered as he leaned forward and grasped his friend’s shoulder. He gave it a small shake before Rossi awoke. He sat up straight and looked around before he shook his head.

 

    “Not my house,” Rossi reminded himself.

 

    Hotch opened his mouth to answer before he turned to the side quickly with his hands drawn over his face. “HrsHsH! HrchsSH! HrcSHs! HrchsSH!”

 

    “Bless you.” Rossi took a moment to compose himself. “Your house, I presume. What time is it?”

 

    Hotch reached over to the end table and brought out a few tissues and pressed them against his still twitching nose. He gave his nose a soft blow before he tucked the tissues back into is pocket. “A little past one,” he rasped weakly. “I think that you can go home now, Dave.”

 

    Rossi raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? I did bring an overnight bag for a reason. I was prepared to stay here tonight and help you, especially now that you have a concussed Reid over there.”

 

    Hotch turned his head and stared at Reid. He was sleeping restfully while periodically he would turn onto his back or side and let out a few words periodically that Hotch couldn’t understand. Hotch couldn’t recall if this was regular concussion behavior or if this was more Reid behavior.

    

    “I think that we’ll be okay,” Hotch reassured as he pulled the tissues back out of his pocket. He pressed them to his mouth and coughed painfully. He wiped the tissues on the corner of his mouth before he tucked them, once more, into his pockets. “Jack is sleeping now and I only have to wake up Reid every three to four hours, so once more. We’ll be fine until everyone else shows back up here in the morning.”

 

    “How do you know that everyone is coming back,” Rossi demanded as he straightened in the recliner.

 

    Hotch looked at Rossi seriously. “Did you doubt that they would?”

 

    “Good point,” grunted Rossi as he pulled himself from the recliner and set it back into its upright position. “As long as you’re sure.”

 

    Hotch crossed his arms over his chest. A shiver raked through his body as he tried desperately to conceal it. “I’ll be fine for six hours,” he chided.

    

    “Just call me if you need anything or if Reid gives you any trouble. Just try to get him to relax a bit,” Rossi pleaded as he stooped down to grab his bag. He slung it over his shoulder before he passed behind Hotch. He rested a hand on his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Wake Reid up around three or four if you can and just see if he’s anymore cognitive about what’s around him.”

 

    Hotch lifted a hand to cut Rossi off. Rossi didn’t need Hotch to say anything more. “You’ve dealt with concussions before. I know. It’s just different this time. Try to get some rest yourself.”

 

    Hotch opened his mouth to reply before he felt the itch return with a vengeance. He lifted a fist to his face and pressed the tip of his nose against it roughly. He suddenly stopped when he felt the itch disappear. He pulled his fist away slowly. No sooner had he done that that his head crashed into his open elbow.

 

    “HrcSHsh! HrchsSH! HrchsHS! HrhcSh!”

 

    “Bless you,” Rossi murmured as he rubbed Hotch’s shoulder gently. “Again, try to get some rest.”

 

    Hotch nodded absentmindedly as Rossi grabbed his things and tiptoed out of the door. It closed softly behind him as Hotch made his way into the kitchen. He was absolutely freezing. The only thing that he felt might warm him up might be tea. He hadn’t made tea in what felt like a lifetime ago, but in retrospect it was only about a month back when Jack was sick.

 

    He shuffled into the kitchen and grabbed a coffee mug and filled it with water from the tap. He set it in the microwave and set it for a minute or so. He leaned against the counter with his hands pulled back behind him. He rested against it as he rocked back and forth from his heels to his toes impatiently.

 

    The microwave finally beeped and he opened the door slowly. He set the hot water on the counter before he brought out a tea bag. He set it on the counter and waited patiently for the tea to infuse into the water. He was just about to grab the water when he heard shuffling from the living room, followed by a small moan. This one sounded much more alert than the ones before.

    

    Hotch grabbed the tea and walked back into the living room. The lamp was the only light in the living room, but the way Reid’s eyes wrinkled, Hotch could tell that it bothered him. He stepped right in front of it just as Reid relaxed with his head swiveling around to glance up at Hotch.

    

    “Hotch,” murmured Reid.

 

    Hotch extended a hand. “Would you like some tea? It might help with that headache just a bit,” he offered.

 

    Reid took a moment to actually register what Hotch was saying, which was alarming in itself. He shifted a bit before he reached out for the mug. He took it in shaky hands and brought it up to his lips. He took a few sips before he leaned back and closed his eyes painfully.

    

    “Can I see your head,” Hotch inquired hopefully.

 

    Reid thought for a moment before he nodded his head slowly. He watched as Hotch sat down beside him and instantly parted the hair on the back of Reid’s head. It was no longer bleeding and it wasn’t as swollen, but it still seemed rather painful. Hotch rested a finger against it and Reid shot forward, his head falling into his knees. He lifted his hands and rubbed them on either side of his head.

 

    “I’ll be right back,” Hotch told him as he rose from the couch slowly. “Keep drinking that tea.”

    

    Reid said nothing as Hotch turned and walked into the kitchen. He headed over to the freezer and took out one of the ice packs that Jack packed for lunch. This one was in the shape of a black and white soccer ball. Hotch picked up a towel next that was laying on the counter and wrapped it around the ice pack. He carried it back into the living room and took a seat on the couch again. He pressed the ice pack against Reid’s head. He inclined Reid backwards and Reid couldn’t help but flinch forward.

 

    Hotch caught his shoulder in one of his hands and helped him lean back. “It’s alright. It’s okay. It’ll help the swelling go down.”

 

    “S-Statistically speaking-“

 

    “Reid, just relax for five seconds and rest that brain of yours, alright? We’re going to need it for the next case,” Hotch chided as he pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned against the couch. His head was throbbing probably as much as Reid’s and there was really nothing that he could do about it.

 

    Reid quickly closed his mouth before he let out a heavy breath. Hotch copied his movements and rested his head on the back of the couch, sighing heavily. He meant to stay awake, but sleep had other plans with him.

 

To Be Continued.....

[Seeker]

😍 they're gonna sleep on the couch together! One leaning on the other...scooching closer for warmth while they are sleeping and unaware..

Sorry; got carried away!

Haha I like the whole team is coming back and Hotch knows it! 

I'm really looking forward to the next piece 

[Wolfwings22]

On 8/8/2018 at 8:58 PM, ReidSeeker said:

😍 they're gonna sleep on the couch together! One leaning on the other...scooching closer for warmth while they are sleeping and unaware..

Sorry; got carried away!

Haha I like the whole team is coming back and Hotch knows it! 

I'm really looking forward to the next piece 

I’m so glad that you liked this part! There’s only three more parts left, but it’s been a good run and it means so much to me that you’ve followed it thus far. Thanks so much for the wonderful comments!

 

 

    Hotch awoke to the sound of noise in the kitchen. He was on his feet in a moment before he instantly regretted it. He lifted a hand and massaged his temples ferociously. It did nothing to help with his balance, but it at least ebbed the sinus pressure ever so slightly. 

 

    He headed to the kitchen and let out a breath of relief when he realized that it was just Reid and Jack. In fact, it was Jack and Reid working very well together. Reid was grabbing the bowls and spoons while Jack was in charge of the different cereals. They brought it over to the table and set it for three with possible extras in case more people showed up. 

 

    Jack set his favorite cereal down before he noticed his father standing there. “Daddy,” he cheered as he darted forward. 

 

    Hotch lowered down and scooped up his giggling son. He gave him a tight squeeze before he lifted his elbow and crashed his head into it while he tried to keep his son as far away from it as possible. “HrsHs! HrhcsHS! HrchsHS! HrhcsHs!”

 

    “Bless you, Daddy,” Jack told him as he went right back to wrapping his arms around his father’s neck and squeezing.

 

    Hotch sniffled a bit before he noticed Reid coming toward him with a half box of tissues. He handed it over to Hotch and Hotch used the free hand that wasn’t holding Jack to rub it against his nose. “Thanks,” he urged as he tucked the tissue into his fist.

 

    Reid met Hotch’s gaze, an unspoken word faltering on the tip of his tongue. “How are you feeling?”

 

    Hotch had been dreading that question. He gave a liquid sniff before he pushed a hand against his nose almost painfully. “I’m okay,” he replied.

 

    Jack pulled at his father’s hand. “Time to eat! Time to eat!”

 

    “Wash hands first,” chided Hotch as he lifted a hand and clamped it over his nose and mouth, forgetting the tissues before him. He started to cough, which instantly caused his nose to flood. He grumbled when he realized that his nose was dripping onto his hand. He gave another powerful sniff before he reluctantly lowered his hand. 

 

    Jack looked up to him with a slight pout on his face. “Daddy! You have to use a tissue. Now you have to wash your hands too,” Jack announced as he led is father forward as he grabbed at his wrist.

 

    Amusement glittered in Reid’s slightly foggy gaze as Jack let Hotch into the half bath. Hotch couldn’t recall a time where he had spent this much time it in. He started the hot water and grabbed some soap before he started to wash his hands. Jack did the same as the doorbell suddenly radiated through the entire house.

 

    Interest showed on Jack’s face as he turned and jogged forward. “I got it!”

 

    “Jack, your hands are wet,” scolded Hotch as he peeked his head around the corner. His call came on deaf ears. He grumbled to himself before he grabbed a towel and instantly began to dry his hands. Once he was finished, he shut off the light and headed after Jack just as Jack swung open the door. He squealed in excitement when he saw his father’s team standing in front of him.

 

    “Hey, Jack,” JJ exclaimed as she ruffled Jack’s clear bedhead hair. “Are you going to invite us in?”

 

    Jack looked at them quizzically before Hotch came behind him. He rested his hands on his shoulders and tried to steer him away from the door. “Come on, Jack. Where are your manners? Come in,” he invited as his team filed in, one after the other. This time, there was one addition, Garcia.

 

    “How are you feeling,” asked Rossi as he pushed his way to the front and looked at Hotch up and down. He frowned as he noticed the hue still on Hotch’s face as well as the chapped, red nose that he was sporing.

 

    Before Hotch could answer, Jack stood on his tiptoes and looked around excitedly. “Daddy sneezes a lot!”

 

    Embarrassment creeped onto Hotch’s face. JJ’s eyes glittered in amusement as she looked at the young boy. “Does he? Well, let’s see if we can find anything to help,” JJ suggested as she stretched out her hand toward Jack.

 

    Jack took the invitation and grasped her hand. He dragged her in and led him toward the kitchen, rambling on about what Hotch always did for him when he was sick. JJ whispered to him gently while Hotch seemed to boil in embarrassment.

 

    The rest of the team headed in. They took off their shoes and headed into the kitchen. Everyone started to talk to Reid as he gathered more bowls for them for a quick breakfast. The only one who didn’t head straight in was Rossi. Rossi looked Hotch up and down. Clearly, the conversation wasn’t over.

 

    “How about I hear an answer from you? How are you,” Rossi pressed.

 

    Hotch lifted a hand to his sweaty forehead with his brow slightly wrinkling. “I’m alright,” he choked out before he lifted a hand to his mouth and instantly started to cough. He tired to lightly clear his throat, but that just made the insistent tickle even worse. He continued to hack hard before he started to see stars.

 

    Rossi sensed the seriousness and grabbed Hotch by the arm. He led the half choking man over to the couch and set him down. “Just breathe, Aaron.” He then headed into the kitchen and grabbed a cup of tea that Reid had just made.

 

    “What’s wrong with Daddy,” fretted Jack as he tried to walk around JJ to the living room.

 

    Garcia blocked his path before she pointed to the box of Lucky Charms. “I have a game that we can play! We can use my bowl. All you need to do is pick out all the marshmallows and separate them from the other part. Then, you eat the marshmallows! Want to play?”

 

    Jack frowned when he heard his father’s coughs from the other room. “Okay,” he agreed reluctantly as he and Garcia sat down. She grabbed a bowl and began to help him separate them while Rossi walked back into the living room with a box of tissues in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.

 

    “Slow sips,” Rossi ordered as he passed the cup to Hotch gingerly so that he wouldn’t spill. “I don’t want you to choke on it.”

 

    Hotch took it in shaky hands and did as he was told. Once the coughs tampered down, Rossi extended a hand with the tissue box. “Here, now blow your nose. It’ll help with that post nasal drip.”

 

    Hotch nodded in appreciation as he ripped a few tissues from the box. He pressed them against his nose and blew wetly. He crumpled the tissues in his fist before Rossi set the tissue box beside him. He stretched out a hand and rested it on Hotch’s forehead. “Your fever is back up. Maybe you’re not as good as you thought.”

 

    He opened his mouth to argue when Jack bounded back into the living room. He jumped onto the couch beside his father and rested his head on his shoulder. “You sound sick, Daddy.”

 

    “I am, Buddy,” Hotch confessed as he ran a finger under his desperately streaming nose. “But, I’m getting better. I’ll be as good as new soon.”

 

    “Hey, Jack,” Rossi began.

 

    Jack’s head swiveled around as Rossi continued. “I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go to the park with Aunt JJ, Aunt Prentiss, Aunt Garcia, and Uncle Morgan?”

 

    “Really,” asked Jack as he turned his head and met his father’s gaze. “Can I go? Please?”

 

    Hotch only had to look into his eyes for a few seconds before his heart melted. “Alright, but listen to everything that they tell you, okay? Behave.”

 

    “I will, Daddy. I promise,” Jack told him before he scrambled from his father’s side and leaped from the couch. He rushed back into the kitchen, anxious to tell everyone what his dad had said.

 

    Hotch let out a breath of relief as he screwed his nose upward to control the itch. He blinked his eyes madly to stem it off. He tried to take in a small breath through his nose. He hurried to grab a tissue and press it against his nose. “HrhsHSs!” He barely managed to catch it. He reached for another handhold. He shoved them against his nose once more. “HrsHshsh!” This one bent Hotch at the waist before he geared up for the end. “HrhsshSH! HrchsSH! HRchsSH!”

 

    “Salud,” Rossi offered as he stood up from the couch. “I’ll get Jack ready and then I’ll be back.”

 

    Hotch said nothing as he rested his head on the back of the couch. He couldn’t remember feeling this horrible before, at least not recently. Not since Haley. He tried to push her out of his mind while be closed his eyes and drifted off.

 

To Be Continued.....

[Seeker]

5 hours ago, Wolfwings22 said:

He couldn’t remember feeling this horrible before, at least not recently. Not since Haley.

😢 Aw, poor Hotch...don't worry, Rossi's got you  

[Wolfwings22]

On 8/13/2018 at 1:03 AM, ReidSeeker said:

😢 Aw, poor Hotch...don't worry, Rossi's got you  

So true! I just love their dynamic so much!

 

 

Here is the next part. There will be one more after this and then an epilogue. Hope you all enjoy!

 

 

 

    A scream awoke Hotch before he realized that it was his own. His head darted around as he took in the darkness around him. It appeared to still be light outside, but he noticed that the blinds had been drawn to tease the idea of night. He knew the trick. He did the same thing to Jack when he wanted him to lay down, whether he was just sick or just tired.

    

    That reminded him.

 

    "Jack? Jack!"

 

    "Aaron. Aaron!"

 

    Hotch spun around and saw Rossi coming toward him. His hands were extended as he glanced at him easily. "Relax. Easy."

 

    Hotch stumbled a bit and leaned against the side of the couch to catch himself. He blinked his eyes a bit before he lifted a hand and rubbed it against his eyes. "Jack?"

 

    "He's fine. He went to the park, remember," questioned Rossi gently as he grabbed the box of tissues and offered them to his boss. "Just calm down. I think that your fever finally broke, again."

 

    Hotch wrinkled his lips upward a bit and felt the moisture running once more. Hotch struggled not to sigh as he grasped another bundle of tissues and pressed them against his upper lip and under his nose. Once he was finished he tucked them away.

 

    "Do you want something to eat? Reid told me that you didn't have any breakfast," Rossi offered as he watched Hotch make his way toward the kitchen.

 

    Hotch didn't answer right away. He headed back to the counter and rubbed his face discretely as he opened the fridge. He pulled out some orange juice and poured himself a cup. He swallowed it down quickly before he saw Rossi standing in front of him, holding out his hand with two blue pills in his hand. Rossi raised an eyebrow before Hotch shook his head.

 

    "Dave, I-"

 

    "Am going to take this cold medicine," finished Rossi as he walked closer and set them on the table.

 

    "Where did you get these? The only ones that I have in the house are for Jack," Hotch pointed out as he stretched out his hand and took the pills. He knew that if he didn't Rossi would just keep pressing him until he did. He took the pills and popped them in his mouth. He swallowed them dry before washing them down by the cool orange juice. 

 

    Rossi lifted his keys and set them down on the counter. "I can legally drive, you know."

 

    Hotch smiled a bit with that before he felt his nose being to run once more. He couldn't remember ever sneezing this much in his life, let alone just due to one cold. He would sometimes sneeze maybe three or four times in the whole span of a particular cold. He had no idea what was up with him this time.

 

    Before he could fully pull himself away from his thoughts, his nose had other idea. "HrshsHs!" Hotch pitched forward in surprise at the sheer force. Embarrassment washed over him when he realized that he had sneezed openly. While he had aimed it towards the floor, it had still been messy and he saw the spray land on the ground. 

 

    His breath started hitching once more. He groped around his pockets for his tissue before he finally found it. He thrust it against his nose just in time to catch an explosive double. "HrhsSHsh! HrdhsSH!"

 

    "Bless you, Aaron," Rossi murmured, taking in Hotch through the gaze of a profiler. He was well aware of Hotch's number one rule, but he assumed that that rule had gone out the window long ago.

 

    Hotch grabbed more tissues from his pockets and blew his nose. He was way beyond keeping up appearances now. "I'm sorry. Excuse me."

 

    "There's nothing to apologize for, Aaron. I think that you need to get some more rest. The stuff that they tell us from when we are kids on about rest and fluids really does help," Rossi pointed out as he rested a hand on Hotch's shoulder and led him toward the stairs. "I'll try to keep Jack occupied when he gets home."

 

    Hotch cleared his throat as he looked around in surprise. "Reid go with them?"

 

    Rossi shook his head. "No, not exactly. He was reading one of the books that he found around the house and started to complain of a headache. I told him to lay down in your guest room. I think that he should go and make sure that it's nothing more serious than a slight concussion," Rossi suggested as he nodded to the stairs.

 

    Hotch's mind worked slowly as he tried to recall what Rossi was talking about. "Maybe I should speak with him?"

 

    "Only after you've slept for more than twenty minutes," corrected Rossi. "Now, go up to bed."

 

    Hotch would've quipped something back at him if his mind hadn't been moving as fast as a slug. He made his way up the stairs and stopped at the guest bedroom. It was propped open slightly and Hotch saw Reid laying, facing away from the door. Hotch closed the door softly before he retreated to his own room.

 

    He sat on the edge of the bed, but he didn't want to go back to sleep. He always saw either Jack or Haley when he closed his eyes. That was probably one of the reasons he had become as sick as he had, lack of sleep. Working at the BAU already promised them that they would be lucky to get sleep when they could. Not taking the opportunity too was suicide. 

 

    Thoughts raced through his until they finally stopped.

 

To Be Continued....

[Seeker]

6 minutes ago, Wolfwings22 said:

    "Dave, I-"

 

     "Am going to take this cold medicine," finished Rossi as he walked closer and set them on the table.

I like this part! Nice try, Hotch, but Rossi is in charge today! This and the keys thing haha!