Title: A Chair for Your Mama
By: Daisyangel
Pairing: gen
Rating: PG
A/n, this is in response to one of the prompts for December in the Gone Country Challenge. This is because I wanted to write a piece about Hotch and Jack's first Christmas without Haley. It will be demily as well.
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or the song. I also don't own the idea for the Gone Country Challenge, thanks to ArwenLalith.
Prompt: "Leave a chair out for your Mama, even though she won't be home. Put a picture at her setting so we won't feel so alone. And I know her thoughts are with us, so we don't have to shed a tear. Leave a chair out for your Mama and it will be like she was here." - Hey Romeo (A New Tradition)
Summary: Hotch and Jack's first Christmas without Haley.

Aaron Hotchner sighed as he set the table in his dining room for Christmas dinner. If he was being honest with himself he didn't want to even celebrate this year, but as his team had pointed out it would be best for Jack if he did. Glancing around the table his eyes stopped on the empty place at the table where he'd placed a picture of Haley. Blinking back the tears that always seemed to be just below the surface these days he sent up a silent thought.

"Merry Christmas, Haley, Jack and I miss you so much." The sound of his son's excited giggles broke him out of his melancholy thoughts and brought him back into the present. Jack walked into the dining room pulling the hand of Emily as she followed behind him. Morgan was walking with her his arm around her waist.

"Look Daddy, it's Auntie Emmy and Uncle Morgan!" he shouted.

"I see that, Merry Christmas, you to," Hotch greeted.

"Merry Christmas, Hotch," they answered.

"Where's everyone else?" Emily inquired.

"We're right here," JJ called as she, Reid, Rossi, and Garcia walked into the house.

"Aunt Penny!" Jack cried as he launched himself at the computer tech. He loved her because she gave him cool things to play with and she watched him when he wasn't at day care.

"Hey there, sweetie. Merry Christmas," she said as she removed her bright pink scarf and gloves. Looking up she sniggered as she caught sight of what was hanging over Morgan and Emily's heads.

"Well, well, look what you two love birds are standing under?" she teased.

"Huh?" Morgan questioned. Emily looked up and giggled.

"Mistletoe," she explained. Morgan's eyes widened in understanding.

"Well you know what your supposed to do when your under the mistletoe," he said leaning forward and capturing her mouth in a sweet kiss.

"Ewww, yuck," cried the toddler making everyone laugh.

"Dinners ready," Hotch called from the kitchen. Rossi, JJ and Garcia moved to help Hotch get the food on the table. Reid was distracting Jack with a magic trick leaving Emily and Morgan alone in the dining room.

"Merry Christmas, Derek," she whispered kissing him once again.

"Merry Christmas, Em," he replied as he held her close. Thinking about the year they'd all had made him even more thankful for the woman in his arms.

"Okay, everyone take your seats," Hotch said as he brought out the ham. Everyone did what they were told and within a minute or two everyone was sitting ready to start eating. Hotch had just picked up his fork when Jack stopped him with a question.

"Daddy?" asked the little boy.

"Yes, Jack?"

"How come you got a picture of Mommy on the table and why do you have a chair with no one in it?" Ducking his head briefly Hotch took a deep breath fighting the tears while trying to gather his thoughts. Emily who was sitting on one side of him placed a comforting hand on top of his. Rossi squeezed his other shoulder in support.

"It's so she can still enjoy Christmas with us. She's looking down from heaven and I want to make sure she can enjoy it with us," Hotch explained through a clogged throat. Jack nodded satisfied with his dad's explanation. Reaching for her wineglass JJ raised it into the air.

"A toast, to family," she said.

"To family," they all said clinking glasses. Because no matter what happened good or bad they were a family.

Finished