#jack the jungle gym

[rosemaryfuckingwalten]

crass

[nineteenninety-six]

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ Chocolate Bars and Injuries

Pairing: Jack Abbot x Reader

AN: I ofc watched The Pitt and became obsessed so here’s a fic! Beware of medical inaccuracies and ooc-ness and there should be a second part because I can’t stop my self

TW: Parental death, usual medical injuries etc

Synopsis: Jack unintentionally bonds with a young patient and then somehow even more unintentionally, falls for his older sister.

Dr Jack Abbot would never admit it, especially aloud but he was terribly bored. The ED wasn't exactly busy at that moment with borders waiting in the hall waiting to be transported to the appropriate departments in the hospital. Dr Shen was in triage with a med student, residents were tending to the higher priority patients coming through triage, and Dr Ellis was checking in on patients which left Jack bored at the nurses station and Jack Abbot 'hated' being bored, especially on shift.

He eyed the patient board, hoping for something even slightly interesting. Just as he was going to take another coffee break when a new case appeared on the screen. A simple adolescent with a supposed fracture, low stakes but it was something to occupy his time and so he pushed himself to his feet and swiped a tablet from the charging station, making his way to the room.

You tried your hardest to comfort your little brother as he wiggled uncomfortably on the hospital bed, trying to keep him from moving his injured arm but as time passed, it was getting increasingly harder for you to do so.

A traumatising experience months ago had meant that when you suggested taking your brother to the hospital after an accident on the jungle gym earlier that day had ended up resulting in a meltdown. It had taken hours of convincing and begging, along with a promise to get a new toy for him to finally agree and you found yourself in a sweet spot in the hospital that night. It was late enough that the rush of the day crowds had left but too early for the late night antics crowd had not yet arrived so they only had to spend an hour in the waiting room before they were shuffled into the ED and onto a free bed. Your brother had already had his x-ray taken when you arrived and so you were just waiting for the results.

You were internally debating whether or not you should quickly run and grab a chocolate bar to placate your brother when the curtain was drawn open and you were greeted by a doctor and a nurse.

"Hi there, I'm Dr Abbot" The man's eyes flicker between the two of them on the bed and then his tablet. "And I've heard you've hurt yourself little guy."

Your little brother, Caspian, whimpers in response, curling up even closer to you.

"We had a fall at the jungle gym earlier," You responded as you tried to untangle yourself from your brother, "He hurt his arm."

"I've got the x-ray results here and it looks like you've got a fracture so we'll give you a cast and then you'll get to go home." Dr Abbot turns to the nurse beside them and quickly mutters off what he needs before the nurse nods and leaves them.

"You hear that Cas?" You turn to your brother, "Nice and quick!"

Caspian's pout deepens, "Chocolate?"

You huff a disbelieving laugh at him before you turn to Dr Abbot who watched the both of you with a curious look.

"Is there a vending machine here?" You ask, already reaching for your purse.

"Yeah, down the hall and around the corner" Dr Abbot tells you, "I'll stay with him, the nurse will be back shortly."

You turn back to Caspian, cautious of how he would do without her, "I won't be long. Please behave for Dr Abbot"

You stepped past Dr Abbot as you left and he was momentarily dazed by the scent of your perfume as you breezed by. He watched you until you disappeared from his line of sight and then brought himself back to reality. For all he knew, the kid on the bed was yours and you were probably married as well.

Caspian eyed Dr Abbot with apprehension as the doctor took a seat on the stool. The doctor was generally quite awkward with children, of course he came across them and treated them when they arrived in the ED but talking and interacting with children was just out of his comfort zone. 

"So, uh, what's your favourite chocolate bar?"

Caspian giggles at his questions, his shoulders retreating from his shoulders as he considers his answer.

"Kitkat!"

Dr Abbot laughs, "Yeah? I like that too."

"I'm going to get a new toy tomorrow!" Caspian bragged to the doctor.

Jack couldn't help but laugh again. He had no idea why but he finds it easy to talk and get along with the kid.

"Yeah..Because you're doing so good today?" 

"Uh-huh!"

You returned shortly with a handful of chocolate you had got from the vending machine, interrupting their conversation and Caspian perked up at the sight of you, eagerly reaching for a kitkat.

"Thank you~" Caspian spoke around a mouthful of chocolate.

"Don't be gross and don't speak with your mouth full." You chastise Caspian, as you dumped the rest of your haul into your bag but Dr Abbot spied the smile on your face despite your words.

Soon the nurse returns with the supplies for the cast and Caspian is brought back to earth, crying into your shoulder as you try to comfort him.

"You can sit with your mom little man, but you gotta shift a bit so I can access your arm."

You freeze momentarily at his words. It's not the first time you've been mistaken as his mom, you're most definitely old enough to be but since you've gotten custody, it's happened more frequently.

"Oh I'm not his mom. I'm his older sister." You correct the doctor.

"Oh" Dr Abbot pauses, "My apologies"

You shrug, "It's fine. No worries"

Dr Abbot was silent as he wrapped Caspian's arm, only breaking the silence to ask him what colour Caspian wanted before he returned to his work. Truthfully, he wouldn't normally do something like this but it was quiet in the ED that evening and he had also taken a little liking to the quiet boy and his sister.

After he had done the final patches, he looked up and saw Caspian half asleep in his sister's arms and so he lowered his voice as he spoke to you.

"We're done here." Dr Abbot shifted his stool a bit closer to you, "It'll take around four to six weeks to heal and the nurse will be back with your discharge papers and your care plan that outlines the next steps."

"Thank you" You smile at Dr Abbot, "Seriously. Cas doesn't have the best experience in hospitals and I don't know how you did but he felt calm around you. He is usually quite upset and irritable but I think he likes you."

"Ah, it wasn't me, he's a cool kid." Dr Abbot felt shy, almost, of the gratitude he was receiving.

After you thanked him one last time before he left, you waited patiently for the nurse to return but as you dug in your bag for one of the chocolates you bought earlier for a snack, you unknowingly woke your young brother.

"Dr Abbot likes KitKat…" Caspian murmurs against your shoulder, surprising you.

"Holy sh—" You gasp, your heart thundering against your chest, "Did I wake you?"

Caspian nods before he repeats what he said, "Dr Abbot likes KitKat."

"...Yeah I heard you…" Your words trail off as you get a sudden idea, digging back in your bag for a random receipt and grabbing a pen nearby.

Hours later, long after you and your brother had been discharged, Dr Jack Abbot was sitting at the nurses station, taking a breather after a sudden rapid set of back to back patients. He was sipping his coffee and talking to the night shift charge nurse when the nurse he had worked with earlier made their way over to him with something in their hand.

The nurse had a soft smile as they passed over the item, "This was left behind for you."

Jack reached for the item, a curious expression on his face. "By the kid?"

The nurse nodded before they left, returning to other patients.

Jack looked down at the item and smiled. It was a Kitkat bar wrapped in an old receipt that had a little note scribbled on it.

'Cas said you liked Kitkats. I hope you enjoy it ❤'

Veronica, the night shift charge nurse curiously peers over at him, "What's that?"

Jack waved the chocolate bar before he opened it up and took a quick bite before he elaborated, "The sister of the kid with the broken arm left this for me. She bought a bunch from the vending machine earlier."

Veronica smiled at him, "That's kind of her."

Jack smiled to himself, "...Yeah"

It would be just under two months later when you see Dr Abbot again but at least this time it was you in the hospital bed and not Caspian.

It was nearing one am and you were relaxed in the hospital bed, sleep tugging at you as you tried your hardest not to drift asleep. Caspian was fast asleep in your lap and you felt almost jealous of him. If your palm wasn't almost split in half and burning in pain, you would have gone to sleep and gone to the hospital the next day but alas that wouldn't have been a good idea.

You were on the edge of falling asleep when the door opened and a doctor introduced himself.

It was Dr Abbot again.

The doctor paused at the end of the bed, recognising you as well.

You sat up, the urge to sleep disappearing at the sight of the doctor, smile tugging on your lips, "Dr Abbot, it's you again"

"You know, most people don't see an ED doc twice in a month and if they do, they usually aren't happy about it" Dr Abbot replied as he read over your chart.

“Can I be technical and count them separately?” You joke, “Once as a family member and once as a patient, they can’t be combined.”

“Says who?” Jack asks, pulling up a stool up to your side to examine your wound.

“I say,” you joke once more, pausing when Dr. Abbott looks up at you. “Or do I need a doctor’s backing as well?”

His movements are gentle, pausing to give you a moment to breathe after you wince in pain when he gently pulls away the dishcloth you had haphazardly wrapped around your hand after you had sliced it open. His words are soft as he explains his actions, his voice a low murmur that sends a warm shiver down your spine. His touch is soft yet firm, confidence and warmth radiating through his gloves as he pokes and prods around your wound.

"How did this happen?"

"Lost a fight against a craft knife" You laugh.

"Yeah, those don't tend to end well." Jack murmurs, eyes still on your hand.

"I found some of those DIY decorations online and decided to try it out," You huff and roll your eyes, "I think next time I'll just stick to stuff in the stores."

"It's going to need stitches" Dr Abbot announces as he pulls back and stands, "I'll be back with the nurse and then we can get started."

Dr Abbot disappears quickly but the door slamming behind him wakes Caspian and now you were tasked with calming the tired and irritable five-year old with one hand but when Dr Abbot returns, all of Caspian's bad mood disappears at the appearance of the doctor. You were surprised he even remembered Dr Abbot but you weren't going to complain.

"Dr Abbot!" Caspian beams.

"Caspian!" Dr Abbot indulges the young child, "How's your arm?"

Caspian flaunts his cast free arm proudly, "It's better now, it doesn't hurt nomore!"

"And you're keeping out of trouble? Being good for your big sister?" Dr Abbot asks, gently guiding your arm into the correct position as he pulls the tray of equipment he needs closer.

Caspian nods before you pass him your phone and send him to the chair in the corner of the room so he can entertain himself and not see you get stitched up.

"I wanted to apologise again about last time" Dr Abbot says as he meticulously stitches you up after he numbed the area.

At your confused expression, he elaborates, "When I called you Caspian's mother."

"You're not the first one to think that so don't beat yourself up. I'm twenty-five years older than him so it's a common assumption," You clarify, laughing at the shocked expression on the doctor's face, "I was a 'oh shit we're too young to have kids baby' and he was a 'oh shit we're too old to have kids baby'."

Jack can't help but be curious, his mouth opening before he could stop himself, "And you take care of him? What about your parents?"

At this, your expression changes slightly. Your brows lower and your lips pout a bit, "They uh- died a few months ago…car accident."

Once again, Jack had shot himself in the foot.

"My apologies. Again." Jack murmurs as he finishes up the stitches, "I apparently can't help but put my foot in my mouth whenever I speak to you."

Your lips quirk at his admission, "You get nervous when you speak to me?"

Jack's eyes flicker up at you, his own lips falling into a small smile, "Are you teasing me?"

"More like flirting but I think I need to brush up on my skills." Your eyes never leave Jack's face.

Oh how Jack wanted to flirt back but you were young. Too young, he tried to rationalise. He was in his mid forties and you were in your early thirties at most. Both adults yes, but Jack tries to convince himself that the age gap is too large.

Jack will always deny it but you were certain you saw him flush. Red spread across the top of his cheeks before he tucked his head down in embarrassment. Jack finishes stitching and wrapping your hand in silence before he pulls away, telling you the next steps once you've left the hospital. Feeling guilty of putting him on the spot, you reach out to grab his wrist with you non-injured hand, pulling him to a stop,

"I'm sorry," You apologize, "If I overstepped or made you uncomfortable. It wasn't my intention, I promise." 

"No harm done, I assure you." Jack tries his hardest to appear unaffected, stepping away from you, "We're done here, the nurse will be back soon with your discharge papers."

"Actually," You reach back out to take hold of his arm and shyly look up at him,"If you have the time, can you keep an eye on him for a moment? I need the bathroom."

Jack considered it for a moment, he wasn't needed at the moment and all the nurses needed to do was call his name and he'll come running so he agreed, "Sure."

You squeeze his arm thankfully before you leave the room which catches Caspian's attention and he watches you leave with wide eyes. 

Jack turns to the young boy, "I enjoyed the chocolate you left me last time."

Caspian's eyes light up at Jack's word as he climbs down off of the chair before he climbs onto the bed so that he is closer to Jack. "I told her you liked 'em!"

Jack paused, the idea of reciprocating the chocolate gifting entering his head. 

"Hey kid," Jack focused back on Caspian, "What's your sister's favourite chocolate?"

Caspian's nose scrunched in disgust as he answered, "Bounty…gross!"

Jack's own nose scrunches in disgust at the answer, "...Yeah you're right about that kid."

Soon you return back to the room, the nurse not far behind you as they hand you the discharge paper for you to sign.

"Did you drive here? How are you getting home?" Jack asked, concern leaking through his words.

The nurse flashes him a curious look, a doctor did not usually concern themselves with how patients were getting home.

You peer up at him from where you were signing the papers, "No we taxied. We'll be fine won't we Cas?"

"Yep!" Caspian chirped.

Jack paused as if he wanted to say more before he eventually nodded, wishing them well before leaving. Jack immediately made his way to the vending machine and bought a Bounty chocolate bar and when he returned to the nurses station and pulled out a post-it note and a pen, he paused as he thought about what he should write before settling on, 

'Let's hope the next time I see you, it isn't in my ED. Enjoy. - Jack Abbot'

"You're not going to leave your number?" Teased Veronica over his shoulder.

In a moment of doubt, he asked her for advice, "It's not too much is it?"

"No! It has a good mix of flirting and you, Sergeant grumpy" Veronica assures, referencing the nickname he had garnered during his time at The Pitt.

Jack watches as the nurse guides you and your brother out of the ED and Veronica leans down to whisper in his ear, "You're running out of time."

Jack knows she is right so he quickly follows after you,  the chocolate bar held firmly in his hand as he searches for you in front of the hospital. 

"Hey," He calls your name, jogging up to you, holding out the chocolate bar towards you, "A little birdie helped me return the favour."

You looked down and smiled at the bounty chocolate bar in your hands, "My favourite! This little birdie of yours is very smart."

You grin down at Caspian who simply smiled tiredly, the late hour affecting him now.

Just then the taxi pulled up, and you placed the chocolate in your pocket as you focussed getting Caspian buckled inside but before you made your way into the cab, you smiled at him. A full sincere smile that leaves Jack breathless.

"Thank you Dr Abbot, for everything. You've made our hospital visits durable and Cas has really taken a liken to you. Really, thank you for everything" 

With that you wave at him before you climb into the cab which shortly pulls away leaving Jack alone in front of the hospital, kicking himself for not writing his phone number on the post-it.

Jack let out a dismayed sigh before returning back to the ED, regretting letting you leave without a number.  

[cupcakedieabetes]

Dumpster Baby Part 2

<-First

Jazz wasn't worried at all that Danny was missing. But she's annoyed that he hasn't contacted her for nearly 2 months of disappearing.

Danny had gone scouting Gotham and hadn't come back. Something had distracted him enough. Well, with or without him, she was going there anyway. Within two months of waiting for Danny, she had finished packing and was now ready to leave.

Her parents also weren't worried about Danny, knowing about his status as a half. They were just disappointed he didn't bother contacting them for whatever reasons he had. They were planning to join Jazz to settle her in Gotham and investigate where Danny had gone and what he had been doing in Gotham.

Tucker and Sam, who also got no messages, were gearing up to prepare to go to Gotham. Unlike Danny, they were completely normal human beings, so they did have to arm themselves when they went there.

When they got to Gotham, they immediately tracked for Danny, only to end up in front of a large warehouse.

"Did he get carried away building a lair for himself?" Tucker joked.

"And not texting us for 2 months about it? There's no way he can keep a secret about it." Sam hissed at him.

So they opened the door to the warehouse, to find an eyeball staring straight at them.

Jazz, Sam and Tucker screamed while Maddie and Jack aimed their gun rays at it, only for them to realise that it was Danny.

"Dann-o! We came to visit!" Jack put away his gun to greet his son.

"You should have contacted us! It's been 2 months already!" Maddie scolded him.

The eyeball stared at them, looking at them as apologetically as he can as an eyeball before gesturing to follow him inside.

As they went inside, they noticed that there were several Ghosts inside, looking like they had a task to do. They wondered what until they went into a room the eyeball directed them to go to.

Inside was a large creature lounging on the floor, resting as children were playing all over his form. There were babies in an arm, many arms. Oh, and eyeballs were floating everywhere.

"Uhhh, Danny?" Jazz started. "Where did you find these kids?" She calmly stated, ignoring her parents who got excited that they became grandparents in an instant. They all knew Danny, and they all knew that he had taken all these children in as his.

Jazz felt a tug and looked down to see a thin child, a child who should have been pudgy with how young he looked. He looked up with huge eyes, a fist in his mouth as he clutched a teddy bear possessively. He took out the fist from his mouth to reach up to Jazz, opening and closing his fist at her.

"Uppies?"

Jazz picked him up and rested him on her hips, melting when the baby rested his head on her shoulder, his fluffy hair tickling her cheeks.

Okay, she gets why Danny took them in.

"We could have helped, you know." Jazz weakly said, bouncing the baby softly. Danny snorted, making Jazz sigh. She would save the lecture once the children weren’t in the same room.

"Honey! We have grandchildren!" Jack cooed, shrinking from his big size and went on his knees to not scare any children. The children looked like they only recently just had good meals, warmth, and shelter. It wouldn’t do good for him to aggravate them further.

Sam and Tucker decided to sit down on an available spot. Some children, once they noticed that Danny didn’t have any reaction to them, deeming them safe, dragged the both of them to play with them.

Maddie went over to check out Danny to see if his newly changed form had any bad effect on him and just to generally check on him. She melted when Danny deposited one of the babies he was carrying, the arms disappearing when settled in her arms.

She patted her son as she watched her the children and her husband having the time of their lives playing with each other. With Jack's big form, there were children using him as a jungle gym. Jazz was cuddling with the boy. Tucker and Sam were playing heroes with the children as the bad guys, letting the children beat them up when the villains failed their plans.

"I'm proud of you, Danny. You've taken in the children that needed help and created a family of your own." Maddie smiled at him, eyes watering at the utterly domestic side

Danny's eyes all teared up, she noticed, and his head went to nuzzle her.

Well, it's time for everyone to move to Gotham, she supposes.

Next ->

[heartsforjh]

congrats!!! write some jack thoughts :))

so glad you asked this cuz… my inbox is in a jack DROUGHT 😭 me and my friend emmy (ofc) were just talking about this the other day but jack with kids… yeah ☺️☺️☺️

thinking about how when he comes to visit your family, the younger ones are all over him, practically using him as a jungle gym. he’s leaning back on the couch, arms folded, and of course they’re firing off questions a mile a minute.

“hockey people are rich! do you have a million dollars?!” the one leaning against his knee asks excitedly, looking up at him.

“uh… something like that.” he says with a soft laugh, his smile growing at their curiosity.

“do you have a crush?” the one that’s playing with his hoodie strings, questions.

“i have my girlfriend y/n. i have a crush on her. why? do any of YOU have a crush?!” he’d counter with a smirk, causing all the kids to burst out into playful, shy giggles.

“can you teach me to play hockey jack? no wait—take me to a game? pleeease!” the little one sitting on the coffee table directly in front of him would beg, causing them all to start talking over each other about how they’d like to go to one of his games too.

he smiles, thoroughly amused, and a soft chuckle escapes him. “i’ll let you all come to one soon, okay? as long as i hear you guys cheering the loudest.”

[tthedogislandd]

All the Dream SMP cords i found

Spawn: 64 64 -100

Comunity portal: 191 74 -243

Comunity house: 245 63 -243

Eret's castle: 250 82 -108

Prime church: 264 66 -341

Tubbo's old base: 279 67 -382

Museum: 296 69 -436

Tommy's house: 260 86 -650

L'manburg ruins: 373 67 -636

Wilbur's memorial: 456 66 -575

Tubbo's secret tunnel: 484 34 -608

Final control room: 334 54 -624

Schlatt's grave: 336 69 -604

Tommyinnit hotel: 221 91 -714

Prison campsite: 79 69 -773

Snowchester: -228 65 -787

Ranboo's house: -242 72 -764

Pandora's vault: 182 63 -912

Dream's cell: -2 70 -914

Skeppy's mansion: 251 72 -793

Ranboo's panic room: 428 54 -879

L'manburg court house: 375 122 -528

Schlatt's gym: 558 33 -383

Pogtopia: 852 65 -530

Techno's nov 16th vault: 759 5 -694

Cookie outpost: -55 124 -83

Las nevadas: -176 93 -19

Wilbur's van: -250 63 120

Foolish summer home: -683 72 577

Kinoko kingdom: 280 67 365

Karl's library: 269 64 491

Niki's city: 286 50 529

Disc finale: -223 204 3316

Disc finale room: -230 8 3320

Nuke test site: -1195 57 -731

Sam's house: 251 68 -1959

Logstedshire: 624 69 -2061

Techno and phil's cabins: -88 70 -2479

Techno's vault: -123 72 -2532

Syndicate meeting room: -366 34 -2417

Jack's van: 3704 74 -2339

Ranboo's lab: -1314 23 -8614

Tubbo's jungle base: 213 65 12216

The lost city of Mizu: 13977 63 12937

Sewers: 251 51 -391

Connor's vacation home: 411 96 -890

BBH base: 168 28 -438

Egg entrance: 137 14 -458

Puffy's underground: 214 20 -592

Tommyinnit hate club: 301 64 -544

[sillysaurus]

🃏🍬🐦‍⬛🍭🌑🫖♠️🎭🎪

Caregiver Laughing Jack headcanons

Uses his body as a toy/jungle gym. He's so large and flexible. He can use his long arms to swing you around, lift u up in the air, etc. Gently of course!

He is very strong and loves to carry you around all the time and give you piggy back rides!

Will contort his body if you find it funny and not scary! He likes to relax in odd positions

Clown things! He's very playful, makes you balloon animals, puts face paint on you, juggles, etc.

Lets you help with his makeup! Black lipstick kisses <3

Loves to nuzzle you/your head, is very careful with his pointy nose!

Always has candy with him but makes sure you only eat a healthy amount and brush your teeth!

Cuts his nails often, wanting to keep them short for you but they grow back quickly

Old, old man… hundreds of years

Engages in british tea time culture, but has almost no concept of time, so he will randomly have tea time when he feels like it, which is often because he is always a bit cold and the tea warms him up. Adores playing tea party with you!

He loves clingy regressors, being clingy himself. (due to abandonment issues and just being alone for years)

He doesn't need to eat, so he had to learn to cook for you! likes tasting the food he makes you, its all new for him. Also loves feeding you!

Bird coded: Likes collecting, especially shiny things, and loves when you gift things to him. Will shake to dry off. Likes nesting, surrounding you with soft things and himself.

Petnames (anything sweet): sweetie, sweetheart, gum drop, luv, dear/dearest, darling, beloved, lovebird, duck/duckie, sugar/sugarpie, poppet, snookums, sweetums, sweetling, lad/laddie, lass/lassy, kiddo/kiddie, hun/honey, jellybean, gummy bear, muffin, cupcake, sweetpea, baby cakes, sugar plum

I think he's papa coded, or pops/poppy/pappy (i think mister could be good for him too)

Uses some old timey words/phrases: "tuckered out", calls eyes "peepers", calls hands "mitts", etc.

Loves singing to you! nursery rhymes especially

Lets you brush/style/play with his hair

Loves friendship bracelets, will never take it off

i will continue to update this btw! if i think of anything else <3

[astars-things]

Jack on a roadie but Y/N falls off the jungle gym at preschool and breaks her arm. He feels terrible when he gets the voicemail 2 hours later after press all the way in California. Thankfully Mama El was already with Y/N and she had a cast and she even got to pick the color. But jack didn’t know that and immidately facetimes his mom. Even tho she assures him that she’s fine and he talks to his daughter. He beats himself up for months for not being able to be there. But when he comes home the next day (that’s when the roadie was planned to end anyway) he insists on keeping her home from school and cuddling all day.

I was sitting in the locker room, the hum of post-game chatter filling the space around me, when my phone buzzed. The voicemail notification blinked insistently, but it wasn’t until I was back at the hotel that I had a chance to listen. The game against the Sharks in California had been intense, and I was exhausted.

“Hey Jack, Um, just wanted to let you know that Y/N had a little accident at preschool today. She fell off the jungle gym and broke her arm. She’s okay now, we’re at the hospital, and she’s got a cast. She even got to pick the color—purple, of course. Call me when you get this.”

My heart sank. Two hours had passed since Mom left that message. Two hours of Y/N being in pain, scared, and I wasn’t there. My hands shook as I fumbled to FaceTime my mom, Ellen. She answered quickly, her familiar face filling the screen with a gentle, reassuring smile.

“Jack, she’s okay. Really, she’s doing great.”

“Can I see her?” My voice cracked, a mix of relief and guilt washing over me.

Ellen turned the phone, and there she was. My little girl, Y/N, lying on the couch with her tiny arm encased in a bright purple cast. Her big eyes lit up when she saw me on the screen.

“Daddy!” she squealed, wiggling her fingers at me. “Look at my cast! It’s purple!”

I forced a smile, my chest tightening. “Wow, that’s awesome, sweetheart. You’re so brave.”

She beamed, showing off her cast, completely unfazed by the ordeal she’d been through. Ellen took the phone back, her eyes softening with understanding.

“Jack, she’s really okay. The doctors said she’ll heal up just fine. Kids are resilient.”

“I know, Mom,” I replied, but the words felt hollow. “I just wish I’d been there.”

Ellen’s smile faded, replaced by a look of sympathy. “You can’t be everywhere at once. She’s safe, she’s happy, and she knows you love her. That’s what matters.”

We talked for a few more minutes, but I couldn’t shake the gnawing guilt. I hung up, staring at the darkened screen. How could I have missed something so important? The roadie had been planned to end the next day, but it felt like a lifetime away.

That night, I barely slept. The next morning, I was on the first flight back home. As soon as I walked through the door, Y/N came running to me, her purple cast held high like a trophy.

“Daddy, look!”

I scooped her up, holding her close. “I see it, sweetheart. It’s the best cast I’ve ever seen.”

For the next few hours, I didn’t let her out of my sight. I called the preschool to let them know she wouldn’t be coming in, and we spent the day cuddled up on the couch, watching her favorite movies.

Every time she laughed or told me about how brave she was at the hospital, the weight of guilt lifted just a little. But it didn’t go away entirely. I kept replaying Ellen’s voicemail in my head, imagining Y/N’s fear and pain, and hating that I hadn’t been there to comfort her.

[adripakoffee]

50 alternate names I've seen for Jimmy Mouthwashing

Pick your favorite

Jorkinit

Juju on that beat

Jambalaya (this one is popular)

Joe Swanson

Jumbo Jack

Jimbo Sauce

Jeronimo

Jizzard

Jingle Bell

Jamboree (also pretty popular)

Jungle Gym

Jellybean

Juggles

James

Jumanji

Joint Pain

Jaree-Ra (this one is definitely a reference I don't get)

Jimbeam

Jigilojangle

Gym Shorts

Jongo Guy

Johnny Test

Jingles

Jurassic Park

Jumbotron

Jumbo Josh

[CENSORED NAME]

Jello

Jamiroquai

Jonsey from Fortnite

Jack Horner

Jujitsu

Jimmy John's Beach Club Sandwich

Papa John's Pizza

New Jersey

Jumblegop

Junkyard

Jentiles

Juul

Japarty

Jebadiah

Joe's Barbeque & Foot Massage

Jackalope

Jigglenuts

Jdiddy

Juice

Jeremy Clarkson

Gynecology

Janky

Jumboots Jamstring

[starshinegarcia]

Holiday House

Aaron Hotchner x Fem Reader

Part 2

In short: Hotch needs help, and you need a job. Part 1 of ?? we shall see how far this goes :) Warnings for mentions of alcohol (very infrequent) possible mentions of smut/cut to black scenes in the future! ;) __ Is in place of Y/N!!

“And the town said, ‘How did a middle class divorcee do it?’”

Aaron Hotchner was never one to admit to needing help, let alone one to ask for it. But as he sat in the dim light of the kitchen, a case file in one hand, a glass of whiskey in the other, a million thoughts ran through his head. His thumb rubs his temple gingerly, averting his gaze from the graphic crime scene polaroids, over to his son’s bedroom. Just a few hours earlier, he had called off abruptly to pick up Jack prematurely from school, after he had climbed to the very top of the jungle gym in an attempt to do something Garcia called “parkour”.

He survived with only a few scrapes and bruises, but it was clearly a drastic cry for attention.The door was open ajar, illuminated only by the dinosaur night light, casting a soft blue glow over the sleeping boy. When Haley had died, he had quickly realized that being a full-time father would not prove easy with his job. As time went on, it only got more difficult for him to divide his attention- and Jack’s recent episode at school was a cruel wake up call. One thing was evident- he needed someone to attend fully to him, and Hotch needed the ability to commit fully to his team, and to the BAU.

So, first thing in the morning, Penelope was faced with a curt knock on her office door. Spinning around in her chair, she rises and opens the door, Starbucks in hand. “Fancy seeing you here, hands- Oh, hello, sir, m-my apologies. I thought you were Derek.” She cleared her throat, but arched an eyebrow as she detected a faint twinkle in Hotch’s eyes. “Garcia.” “What do you need sir? Stats? Access to a secure database?” She spins around quickly, already typing the nearest case details into her supercomputer. “Well, actually, it’s more of a personal question. Do you happen to know any, uh, childcare workers?” “Like a nanny, sir?” He cringed at the cutesy word, but nodded nonetheless.

“Yes, I suppose.” Garcia pushed her glasses up her nose slightly, observing the man in front of her. Although she wasn’t technically a profiler, she knew Hotch well enough to find things out of place, as they were now. “Actually, yes, sir, I know just the person.” A slight plot began to form in her head, as she sent a number through her printer and into Hotch’s hands. “That’s my friend, __. She’s perfect, lots of experience, Jack would love her. Actually, sir, you would too..” Hotch fumbles for a second, before raising an eyebrow in her direction. “That’s quite enough, Penelope. This is strictly for Jack’s benefit. I appreciate this, however.” He nods curtly, backing out and bumping straight into a coffee-bearing Morgan. “Trying to steal my girlfriend, boss-man? Not cool.” Derek chuckles, pushing past him politely and planting a kiss on Penelope’s cheek. “Damn, I beat you to it!” He gestures to the coffee already in her hand. “I can always use more,” Penelope giggles.

Hotch shuts the door quickly, glancing down at the number in his hands. He walks quickly back to his office, passing right by Spencer and Rossi arguing about something or another. “With all due respect, sir, Logan Paul has absolutely nothing against Mike Tyson-” “He’s a billion years old!” Shaking his head slightly at his team’s banter, Aaron sinks into his chair, punching the number into the landline on his desk. Everyone else may use cellphones now, but Aaron still preferred the old fashioned way, when it came to business.

You had just finished an extremely degrading night shift at the diner, picking up your phone with a raised brow as you exited the back room. “Hello?” “Hello, this is SSA Aaron Hotchner. Is this __?” Your heart rate picked up- maybe from the fact that an FBI agent was calling you, maybe because his voice was low and steady and weirdly attractive. “O-oh, um, hello sir do you- need something?” Hotch takes notice of the light and airy pitched voice on the other side of the line, and something about it makes his heart skip a beat. He ignores it, proceeding, “I was wondering if you were prepared to interview for an in-home, uh, nanny job? For lack of a better word. Penelope Garcia gave me your number, and I trust her judgment for better or worse.” A smile spread across your face. “Absolutely, sir. When would be a good time to meet, Mr Hotchner?”

It’s strange. Aaron gets called sir about a hundred times a day, but something about your innocent voice sends a shiver down his spine that he can’t explain, but does his best to ignore. “Why don’t you stop by my house at around 6 tonight? We can talk, you can meet Jack, and we can go from there.” “That works for me, sir.” You smoothen out your skirt, a sudden blush chasing your cheeks as you think about meeting this mystery man, one you’d only heard anecdotes about from your best friend and her boyfriend. “Perfect. I’ll have Garcia send over my address.” The line clicks before you get the chance to respond, leaving you slightly flustered, with your hands wrapped around your cellphone a little more tightly than you thought, almost as if you were holding onto the idea of him. The poor man, left alone with his son, with a job like that.. You shake your head, quickly grabbing your purse, clattering your nametag down on the counter with a defiant “I quit.” to your manager as you happily left that damn place for the last time.

Back at the office, Aaron watches his team out in the bullpen, Morgan and Garcia enveloped in something on his desk while Spencer spins a rubix cube towards Emily, with a “good luck” sort of look. He’s not sure what the emotion he’s feeling is, but whatever it is, he brushes it off and grabs the case file dropped off earlier, emerging into the open office, with the same professional air as always- if a little less uptight than usual.

“Who knows, if she never showed up, what could have been?”

A/N: AHHH this was so so much fun to write!! I hope my writing style and the way I write Hotch is okay, I’m still new to the fandom and show but I did my very best! Suggestions are always welcome! Please like, comment, reblog and send me requests!

-e.a <33

[pinkrangersarah]

Please do the random headcanons you've got for the Fearless 7, I really wanna know what you have in mind and also feel free to even make a post for every single one of them!

Thank you, I love ya! 🙏🏻

shout out to @kehnarii for sending me all these requests, you are truly a peach and I am delighted to answer anything you send <333

anyway, I have thought about these clowns a ridiculous amount and what better way to dump all those thoughts here because lmaooo what else am I gonna do with them. i'm going to keep them here, though, for simplicity sake.

Merlin

Merlin and Arthur are half brothers, having the same father but different mothers; Merlin's mother is the current queen of Camalot. They're from the same fairy tale but the dynamic is wildly different, so I thought them being half brothers would be kind of a neat spin. Arthur is the oldest of the two.

Had to study magic in some secrecy as the texts he used formerly belonged to Arthur's first step-mother who turned out to be a witch. This is partially why lightning, despite its versatility, is his only spell.

Vegetarian. Nothing else to say here. Just a vibe I get from him.

Bi-curious, I think. Definitely leans toward women, but he'd be lying if he said he hasn't found a man or two attractive.

Shit driver. Do they have cars? Probably not, but consider a modern day setting. He's the worst driver out of the seven of them. Has absolutely stayed at a right-on-red light way too long due to panic, pissing off everyone behind him. This but it's Merlin and Jack.

Decent with kids. Knows a couple of party magic tricks and kids tend to like them.

Arthur

Arthur has a younger half sister, Morgan--or better known as Morgana Le Fay--a witch who is mysteriously absent. She is the king of Camalot's second child from his second wife, which makes her Merlin's older half sister. Arthur was very close to her up until her disappearance; having been raised with a bias toward witches, it made for a rather difficult separation.

Not the dumb jock stereotype some people make him out to be! While he can be reckless, brash, and immature, Arthur does have political knowledge and knows the ins and outs of his kingdom.

Straighter than Merlin's parking but a very vocal ally. Jack just casually implied he was bi and Arthur just scooped him up in a big hug and told him he would always support him. Jack was high-key confused, low-key annoyed but appreciated the sentiment anyway.

Second worst driver, mostly due to not paying attention to speed limits. Or stop lights. Just not paying attention period. Low-key road rage.

Arthur is great with kids, probably because A) he is a big brother and B) he's a big guy so kids want to climb him like a jungle gym.

Jack

Adopted into royalty as his step-father, a king, married his mother after Jack defeated the Giant and made his family wealthy.

His mother has a tendency to be emotionally manipulative, only being a doting mother whenever he does something that benefits her, such as stealing from and slaying the Giant. She was kinder when his father was alive, but only got nastier after he perished at the hands of the Giant.

Although he had been pampered and brought up as a true prince since ever since his mother married into the royal family (he was about ten years old), there is a part of him that has not forgotten where he came from. He grew up on a farm. His father taught him how to fight. Jack is stronger than he looks and can be scrappy if absolutely need be.

While the other guys of the F7 drive him absolutely insane sometimes, Jack prefers them over his own family since he's allowed to be himself around them. He's gotten used to the princely persona, but there is a small, unacknowledged part of him that kind of hates it due to the role having been practically forced on him.

He does genuinely like nice things, though. Low-key bird brain.

Jack is the only multilingual of the seven, speaking not only English and French but also German and Italian. This is only a little annoying to Hans and the triplets as they can't hide anything from him in their native tongues.

Biologically, Jack is an only child. He does, however, have an older step brother whom he has mixed feelings for.

Bisexual with a leaning toward women

His name actually is "Jacques", but people kept pronouncing it as "Jack" and he eventually gave up correcting them. Will end the bloodline of anyone who calls him "Jackie", though.

Decent driver. Sometimes gets way too into whatever he's listening to and misses an exit or turn. Is usually the navigator or DJ. Is the type to yell "I will turn this car around" if people are arguing in the backseat.

Terrible with kids. The house is on fire. God is dead. Wine aunt.

Hans

Hans and his sister, Gretel, are twins, though Hans is the older of the two. It's where his mom friend demeanor comes from.

Is honestly the best liar out of the seven of them. He doesn't lie often, doesn't like doing so, but he has such an honest face and earnest demeanor that he can make anyone believe just about anything.

Pansexual but I don't think he'd know that about himself. He just likes people.

Best driver out of the seven of them, but does that soccer mom thing if he has to slam on the brakes unexpectedly. Can't read a map to save his life, though.

Also great with kids. He's also a big brother, and his genuinely kind and upbeat nature makes kids gravitate toward him.

Pino, Noki, & Kio

As they all have a very similar fashion sense, even they sometimes aren't sure whose clothes are whose.

They do have distinguishing features if one is to look close enough. The height difference isn't much, but it is there with Pino and Kio being the tallest and Noki the shortest. Kio is the only one with freckles. Pino has heterochromia with one blue eye and one brown.

They are introduced from oldest to youngest. Pino is the oldest of the triplets, Noki being the middle and Kio the youngest. Noki is only a little salty that Kio is taller than him despite being younger.

kio vc: you're older by like eight minutes

noki vc: I will break your knee caps

Terrible liars. They get flustered quickly and contradict one another. Can't keep a secret to save their lives and it's usually Kio who breaks first. (I know this is sort of contradictory, but they're based off Pinocchio so I think it'd be fitting if they were some of the worst liars among the seven of them.)

Noki read Jack's trashy romance novels. He thinks they're hilariously terrible. Would honestly probably like Twilight for the same reason.

Decent drivers but cannot be left in any vehicle alone together. If there's no else there to keep them on track, they will get way too into a conversation and get completely lost.

Have the potential to be okay with kids (that ending credit sequence give some the impression those three kids were low-key adopted by them or at least became assistants or something), but they do need to be kept in check due to their mad scientist energies.

[noinoi10101010]

What if dazzle was EVIL in VRCHAT

dazzle was just happily playing with her sun doll as sun and moon happily watched. She accidentally tripped with caused her to drop the sun doll in the ball pit and when she went to go get it she was sent to another dimension that last thing she heard was sun screaming her name.

Dazzle opens her eyes to find the daycare she would almost always play in look completely the same but with a more childish feel and deco then the normal already childish feel the daycare had. She saw laughing children in what seems to be animatronic bodies like her. "Oh hello" A childish voice said as dazzle stepped out of the ball pit. Dazzle sees and almost identical version of her except a pink princess like dresses in a similar one to Cinderella. "You look like me" dazzle says with a laugh and smiles as the other dazzle smiles "just call me Eva for less confusion." She says happily as she looks down to see a sun doll in her hand and her smile turns into a frown and confusion. "you have a sun doll." Dazzle asked pointing at the doll in dazzle hand as she happily smiles as Eva stands there confused "sun so nice and cool. He takes care of me and is really nice. Do you want to play with my sun dol-" dazzle says before Eva interrupts "didn't he kill you?" She says as dazzle frowns "oh...well it wasn't his fault he couldn't stop it." Dazzle says in a sympathetic voice "he could have lied." Eva says as dazzle is quiet for a good while "no.....he would never" dazzle says as Eva puts her hands on dazzle's shoulder "I know how it feels it happened to me too. I know you can live here." Eva says "here?" Dazzle says as Eva hugs her "you get to play and have fun all day. We can watch movies, play House, play at the jungle gym, and play with and make firends with lots of different kids like you." Eva says happily "but you have to do one thing." Eva says " what?" Dazzle asked "you have to kill sun the Pete who killed you." Eva says as dazzle stands there horrified " w-what no I don't want to do that" dazzle says tears willing up in her eyes as she clinches her sun plush tightly. "I mean he took your young life away, he is the reason your like this-" Eva explains as she keeps saying reasons as to why she should do it as she wipes her tears away speaking to her in a child like voice but a hint of witch that is way smarter then a normal girl her age. "I-i want to go home." Dazzle says sacred as she walks back to the portal "ok but know you always welcome" Eva says in a happy child like voice dazzle use the portal to go back home. Once she leaves Eva childish act drops as she walks out of the play area she built to a version of jack and earth more "obedient" we shall say " we may have a new resident very soon"

Dazzle comes back to a very relieved sun but she steps away avoiding him. What Eva said really took a toll on her and she she wonder if she should not only believe what she said but take her offer.

[thecooler]

AITA for telling my rat she's a bad hair stylist?

Hey everyone, I (27B*), have four rats, Ash (1f), Douglas (1f), Willow (1f), and Jack (1f).

They are wonderful and sweet and I am flattered that they love to climb on me like a jungle gym. They are mostly very gentle.

However, Douglas is... A bit rough when she tries to groom. She'll dig behind my ears and scratch me with her itty bitty rat claws (accident). And when she tries to move my hair around she pulls and scratches my scalp (ouch!!). Because of this I will gently remove her from my head and place her back down.

She thinks this is unfair and will let out an indignant little squeak, as though her cruel mother is harming her (I am not), and will immediately try to clamber back up. Attempts to appeal to other toys or distractions do little to deter her from her true target (pulling out my hair)

Because of this, I was forced to tell her that she is not destined to be a hair stylist, but when she looked at me with her little rat eyes I felt like a monster.

* butch

**no assholes here

***everybody sucks here

[iluvchick3nz]

Masterlist!!

I have LOVED creating these fics for you, and I am so happy you have enjoyed them! Please find the master list below to go back and reread if you so choose. Please also keep sending in prompts- I LOVE receiving your ideas. <3

Character credits go to @lumosinlove !

Posting Schedule EXPLAINED (as of 28 Feb, 2025)

Cubs Engagement: This is my first one ever written, and sets the timeline for the rest of my fics (LOOSELY). This is NOT the canon timeline set by @lumosinlove in SW, C2C, or Vaincre, as the Cubs have obviously NOT reached that point in their lives. It's just how I imagine it!

Teacher Finn Pt. I

Teacher Finn Pt. II: Finn and His Fountain Pen

Man Bun Leo Knut TM

Leo's 2-4-1 Weighted Blanket Deal

Leo's Long Distance Surprise

Respecting Ratatouille (with DISCUSSIONS of the FUTURE)

Gender-Bent PWHL Cubs (P.S. please let me know if you'd be interested in more gender-bent/PWHL AUs! It didn't do as well as my other posts (sad face), but as a WLW I LOVE the PWHL fics that @fruitcoops did a while back. And I love the PWHL! So PLEASE let me know!!)

Logan's Favorite Combo: Boyfriends, Hot Chocolate, and CUDDLES

Ballet Butter Baby (i.e., Eloise Knut bring out baby photos!!)

BECs for Dinner Courtesy of FinnLo

FinnLo Finding Out About Jack >:|

Leo's Morning Accent

Concussion Angst + Fluff

Sunshine Being Carried Around

Finn and Healthy Discussion About Nefarious Activities

Icicle Leo Braving the Canadian Winter

Two Times Leo was Flustered, and One Time He Was the Flusterer

Black Brothers and Their Mom, Hope Lupin

Finn's Love Language

Leo's Blast from the Past, feat. Competitive BFs

O'Hara Home Videos in the Hamptons

FinnLo at a Harvard Reunion

LT10 is Back On Gryff Ice

Hurt/Comfort: A Commentary on US Marriage Laws and Visas

Leo Learning to Accept Affection

Finn Being the Best HAB

Future Family Skate

Cubs Lazy Morning In

Where Leo Got His Gray

Finn Being a Personal Jungle Gym

Leo Being a Heat-Resistant Master Chef

Wisdom Teeth Removal

Leo's Personal Lolo Guard Dog

Cubs Visit CANADIA

Married Cubs Fluff in Nice

Leo and His Tiger Stripes

Date Night!

Leo's Gaydar

Hogwarts AU

Seeing One Another Cry

Muscle Man Logan Tremblay

PWHL AU PT. II: Super Model Leo Knut and Her Protective GFs

Discussions of Age Differences

Insomniac Sunshine

Teacher Finn in Love with His Hubbies

Home Videos Pt. II: Baby of the Family Lolo and the Sunshine Show

Leo's All Star Panic Attack

Reaction to Injuries

Engagement Announcement!!!!

Soulmate AU (Pt I ;))

Cubs Being Obsessed with Legs, Arms, and Freckles!!!!

Logan Being Jealous of Pets feat. Pet Names

Hogwarts AU Pt. II

Seeing Each Other's Rooms for the First Time (Ever, or In a While)

Leo and His Homies in the Hamptons

Clingy Cubs

Harvard FinnLo Falling Alseep- then Waking Up to Their Sunshine

Protective Leo and Finn

Soulmate AU (Pt. II)

Cubs Go Hiking

Curly Cutie Leo Knut!!!!

Logan Beer Chugging Frat Boy King

Dumo and His Fatherly Advice feat. an Anxious LoganTM

Harvard FinnLo Fight and Reconciliation

Finn + Anxiety Meds

Cubs in the Hamptons feat. Dumais Children and Ultimate Dad Mode Leo

Write Me In AU!!!!

[boneyardbob]

It’s December so Laughing Jack headcanons cause I’m a clown at heart 🤍🖤

Between 11 and 12 feet tall when standing up straight. A living jungle gym

His arms are hollow allowing him to pull things out of his sleeve all the time. You can also crawl up his arms and hide in his chest cavity Rockstar Freddy style

Star shaped pupils

If you try and start up a conversation with him you instantly become his new best friend and he imprints on you like a baby duck

Knows a surprising amount about human health and child care. He can give good medical aid and safely take care of kids

Naturally curious and is constantly learning stuff. He doesn’t age or sleep so he’s been wandering around observing for a good 200 years!!!

Doesn’t understand that pain is painful and killing people kills them, if you know what I mean. Like he gets it but he DOESN’T. He can only observe the result and cannot process it any deeper than that

[dreamerwitches]

So! After enjoying redoing the holy sextet doppels, I thought I’d give a shot at the original series witches! They were all super fun but not without difficulty. Okay let’s gooo!

I did two sets for each witch after finishing the first goes and not being satisfied. They felt like they weren’t witch enough and was too much of the magi. I took a round two but Im still torn on some of them.

I like both of Gertrud’s but I feel like the second would be better as a doppel. I think maybe a third go could make a best of both worlds outcome. I really like the lil Anthony heads holding up the skirt. I opted to have lil cotton ball Anthony heads on the second but I think these heads could be added. I was adamant on Gertrud’s head cause that’s really her most famous part.

Definitely happiest with the first Suleika try. I only really did the second just so I had two for each. I just think making the doppel a big spider is a total ‘duh! Of course!’. She’s simple, but that suits the witch. The second kinda borrowed from my rotten witch Suleika and the spikes are meant to be the jungle gym from her labyrinth.

Im torn on the two Ellys. I like both aaaaa. It features Elly’s main image - the tv - the orange goop and her wings are now more angelic. A) they look cooler and b) it fits in with daniyyel and jennifer being angels. Go one has her teapot as a gatling gun which she uses in the video games like portable. I thought that would be a nice deep cut. The second go was kinda because I was sad about not using her doll form. She’s kinda the star instead of the magi and I think that works well.

Once again torn on Albertine aaa. I was almost completely happy with the first but like others, I didn't feel like it was enough of the witch. I think the Jack in the box idea suited her and the eyes are a reference to the ones in her labyrinth. I think the second try is super fun as Albertine is shown to be huge in both of her appearances buuut the only problem is that it's just her. The magi is in her pocket and it still includes the Anja but theres no change from her usual appearance so it can feel a little lazy. Im torn, perhaps I'll try adding the first go's aspects to the second.

[sequinsmile-x]

Buckle

It had been a long few days, and overhearing Strauss reprimand Aaron tips Emily over the edge.

-x-

Hi friends,

This is based on a prompt that the lovely @hancydrewfan sent me. She asked for a fic where Emily yells at Strauss and I simply couldn't resist.

Hope you like this bestie <3

-x-

Words: 3.k

Warnings: minor injury/broken bone

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

The moment Emily sees Jess’s number flash up on her phone she knows something is wrong.

It was an agreement they’d had ever since Emily had gone back to work after having Hazel three years ago. Jessica looked after both Hazel and Jack when Aaron and Emily were away on cases, and she’d call every night just before the little girl went to bed so they could say goodnight. She never called during the day unless something had happened, and even then it was usually a text - like when Jack was recently sent home from school after he picked up the flu that eventually took down the entire family

Her heart drops into her stomach and she swallows thickly, pushing down the wave of anxious nausea that threatens to overwhelm her. The sound of the precinct she’s standing in, the team’s voices as they deliver the profile they’d worked on for days, disappears, and all she can hear is the sound of her own heartbeat, loud and pounding in her head. 

She looks up at the rest of the team, and briefly makes eye contact with her husband as she nods behind her and she holds up her phone, indicating that she’s stepping away. She walks quickly to an empty hallway, making sure she answers before the call rings out.

“Jess, hi, is everything okay?” She says, speaking so quickly that her words trip over each other. She had always prided herself on being able to control her emotions, the skills she’d learnt when she was also learning to talk, but any time her children were involved in something she felt torn open. Like a walking raw nerve that was an easy target, everything she’d spent years knowing how to suppress and push down suddenly on display for everyone to see. 

“Hi Emily,” Jess replies, sounding stressed. Emily can hear Hazel crying in the background, her words broken up as she begs to see her mommy, and Emily is sure she can feel her heart breaking in her chest. 

“Is that Hazel? What’s wrong?” She asks, hearing the desperation in her own voice, her jaw tight as she clenches her teeth to stop herself from crying.

“I’m so sorry, she fell off the jungle gym in the park and she’s hurt her arm,” Jess says, her voice slightly shaky, “I’ve brought her to the hospital and they think it’s broken so they are about to do an x-ray.” 

Emily nods even though Jess can’t see her, and she wipes away the stray tear that escaped her lashline, “Okay, I’ll get on the next flight out of here. Thankfully it isn’t far. I’ll let you know when I should get there.” 

“I’ll keep you up to date on what the doctors say. I swear I was watching her, it just happened so fast-”

“Jess, it’s okay,” Emily says, “It’s not your fault these things happen,” she blows out a shaky breath, “Can I talk to her?” 

“Of course,” Jess replies. There’s a moment of just background noise as Jess moves the phone, her words quieter as she talks to Hazel, “Want to talk to Mommy?” 

It’s quiet for a second and then Emily hears her little girl's voice, “Mama?” 

“Hi sweet girl,” she says, injecting more enthusiasm than she feels into her voice, not wanting her to know how upset she was, “How are you feeling?” 

Her answer is a hiccup, “My arm hurts.” 

She bites the inside of her cheek to stop herself from crying, “I know it does baby, I’m going to come home to see you so I’ll kiss it all better when I get there.”

“You coming home?”

She wipes away another tear at the hope in her daughter’s voice and nods, “Yes, I’m coming home. So you listen to Aunt Jess and the doctor’s until I get there.” 

“Yes Mama,” Hazel sniffs, “Love you.” 

“I love you too, baby. Pass the phone back to Aunt Jess, okay?” 

“Okay.” 

She reiterates her plans with Jess, confirming she’d let her know when she had a flight sorted and she hangs up. She starts to walk back towards the main bullpen, her phone still in her hand as she already looks up flights, and she walks straight into her husband. 

Aaron frowns at her, his hands on her shoulders as he holds her in place, “Em, you okay? You’ve been gone a little while”

“Jess called,” she says, swallowing thickly as he immediately tenses, “Hazel fell off the jungle gym, they think her arm is broken.” 

He tightens his grip on her shoulders, his stomach churning with guilt and sadness that his little girl was hurt and he was hundreds of miles away. He knows his wife well enough to understand that she is barely holding it together. Her jaw was tight, as were her shoulders, and her dark eyes were shining at him, tears she wouldn’t shed until much later when they saw their daughter gathering in her eyes. 

“I’ll get Derek to take point here so we can go home,” he says, immediately slipping into practical mode, he looks down at her phone clasped in her hand and sees the available flights, “Is there one soon?” 

She nods and clears her throat, “Yeah, there’s one in about 90 minutes. I figured that would give me enough time to get to the hotel and then to the airport.” 

“Perfect, book it and I’ll go talk to the team.” 

He turns to leave and she grabs his arm, her brain finally kicking in, “We’re still in the middle of a case, Aaron. Should we both leave? She’ll be okay once she’s got a cast-”

“If you think I’m staying here when our little girl is in the hospital I’m going to ask them to check on you too when we get there,” he says, his voice serious as he smiles at her softly, the small half-smile that showed off one of his dimples that he reserved just for her, “We’re both going,” he squeezes her hand, “Nothing is more important to me than you and the kids, the team can handle the case.” 

There were times when it made her sad they hadn’t been together longer, that she’d lost out on so much time with him. It was hard being his second wife, hard knowing that he’d loved someone before, that he still loved Haley and always would, and sometimes she wished it was simpler. That they’d made something of that summer decades ago now that neither of them ever spoke about until they got together, but then Jack wouldn’t exist, and she couldn’t imagine her life without the boy she loved as if he was her own. 

But then there were moments like this when she was grateful everything had worked out as it had. Where he’d learnt from the mistakes of his past, the things he wished he could undo in his relationship with Haley, things he still carried the regret for to this day. Emily had never for a second doubted that she and the kids were the centre of Aaron’s world, more important than the job that had almost cost him everything.

“Okay,” she says, more relieved than she’ll admit, grateful she’ll have him with her during the flight home, “I’ll book the flights.” 

He smiles and leans in to stamp a kiss against her cheek, a show of affection they’d never usually exchange at work, and he squeezes her hand once more before he pulls away, “I’ll speak to Derek. We’ll leave in ten minutes, okay?”

She nods, her focus already back on her phone looking at flights, the extortionate cost not registering. She’d buy a damn plane if it meant getting home to her little girl. 

“Ten minutes.” 

___

It’s a rough few days.

She felt on edge, the guilt bubbling in her stomach only getting worse every time she looked at her daughter and saw the bright pink cast she had on her forearm. It made Emily ache every time she looked at it, every time Hazel accidentally knocked it against something, her fearless energy already back after she’d been cautious for a few days. 

Emily yawns as she pours herself a coffee and she smiles as JJ walks over and she passes her the coffee pot. 

“How is Hazel?” JJ asks sympathetically

“She’s doing better than I am I think,” she says, exchanging a small smile with her friend, “She is sleeping in our bed though. I can barely say no to her at the best of times, let alone right now.” 

JJ chuckles, “And you say Hotch is the pushover.” 

Emily laughs, “We both are. That little girl has the whole family wrapped around her little finger,” she says, smiling softly, “Especially Jack. He made an arm cast for her teddy bear.” 

“That is the cutest thing I have ever heard.” 

Emily’s smile fades as she looks past her friend and sees Strauss walking into Aaron’s office, a determination in her step that rarely meant anything good for the BAU. 

She groans, “What do you think she wants?” She asks as she looks at her friend, her frown only deepening as she watches JJ scrunch up her nose, a tell she had that lets Emily know she wasn’t telling her something, “What is it?” 

JJ winces, “Derek got a call from Strauss when we were still there, asking why she’d been told he’d been assigned head of the case,” she says, carefully choosing her words, “When he told her that you had both flown home she was…not impressed.” 

Emily clenches her teeth, her grip on her coffee cup tightening so much she’s surprised she doesn’t break it as she looks back at Aaron’s office. She can see them through the window. Aaron is standing but still behind his desk, and Strauss is on the other side, her hands on her hips as she talks, the tension in the room palpable even from this distance. 

All the effort that Emily had spent days putting into holding herself together disappears, all of her sadness and guilt turning into fury, burning her from the inside out. She looks at JJ and smiles tightly before placing her coffee cup down.

“Excuse me,” she says before she walks away, a determination in her step. She clenches her fists at her sides, digging her nails into her palms in an attempt to feel anything other than the anger rolling in her gut. She ignores Spencer and Derek as she walks past them, the latter’s comment that she seemed annoyed barely registering as she walks up the stairs to Aaron’s office. When she’s close enough, she can hear what Strauss is saying, and she pauses outside the door to listen in. 

“You left your team at a critical point of a case, this is unacceptable Agent Hotchner and you know it.” 

“With all due respect, Ma’am, my daughter was in hospital-”

“With a broken arm, something you knew before you left. I might have been able to understand if she’d been more seriously-”

It’s all Emily can bear to listen to, and before she can stop herself she’s opening the door, cutting off the Section Chief before she can say anything else, “If she’d been more seriously what?” 

Aaron steps out from behind the desk, his own irritation at how he was being spoken to, the dressing down he didn’t have the energy for, disappearing the moment he sees how angry his wife is. She’d been on edge for days, and he had anticipated that she’d cry, guilt for not being there for Hazel when she was hurt finally winning out. He hadn’t seen this coming. And he just hoped they’d both still have a job when they walked away from it. 

“Emily,” he says diplomatically, “Maybe-”

“No,” she says, cutting him off, ignoring the fact he was not just her husband here but her boss too. She looks back at Strauss, “I want to hear her say it. What would have been an acceptable way for my three-year-old to have been hurt for you to understand why her father needed to be there too?” She asks, staring the other women down, “A head injury? Car accident? Coma?” 

Aaron steps closer to her again, the mere idea of either of their kids being hurt that way making his stomach churn, “Em-”

“I want to hear her say it,” she repeats, still not looking at her husband, her eyes burning into Strauss’s so intensely she’s surprised the other woman hasn’t burst into flames, “What would have been acceptable?” 

Strauss clears her throat, finally finding her voice as she straightens her back, “Agent Prentiss, I think you’d do well to remember I am your superior.”

Emily chuckles dryly, “I think you’d do well to remember you’re a parent too,” she says bitterly, “Our daughter was hurt, she still is. We had a duty as parents to-”

“You had a duty to your job-”

“Our children will always come first,” she shouts, not caring that by now everyone in the bullpen was watching them, “And if you can’t understand that I feel bad for your children.” 

It’s a low blow and she knows it, but she doesn’t try and stop herself. She’d spent so much of her life promising herself that she’d never be like her own mother, and she knew it had made her extra defensive. She wanted her children to know they were loved, that nothing came ahead of them, and the fact Strauss was attempting to make her and Aaron doubt that and their parenting choices was only adding fuel to the fire. 

Strauss swallows thickly, her jaw tight as she turns to look at Aaron, “It’s just a warning this time. But if you pull this again without talking to me first there will be consequences,” she turns to look at Emily, “Agent Prentiss, you on the other hand are suspended for one week without pay for insubordination.” 

Emily scoffs and presses her lips together, rolling her eyes as she crosses her arms over her chest. She looks at the other woman for a moment and considers her options, clearing her throat before she steps closer.

“You’ve tried to fire us both before, now we’re apparently essential to the team,” she says, shrugging her shoulders, “Maybe you should make up your mind.” 

Strauss raises an eyebrow at her, “Two weeks. No pay,” she looks between them and heads towards the door, “I think I’d better leave before you make it three.” 

Strauss walks out of the room and leaves them standing there in silence, the small gap between them from where Aaron had been slowly edging towards them feeling briefly much larger than the few feet it was. Emily clears her throat and looks at her husband before she looks down at the floor, suddenly worried he’d be mad at her for jumping in to defend him and ultimately making things worse for herself. 

“I’ll meet you in the car,” she says, turning and leaving the room before he can say anything. 

She has to suppress a smile as she walks past the team, Penelope’s whispered enthusiasm following her out of the bullpen. 

“Okay, that was the coolest thing I have ever seen.” 

___

He smiles as he walked into the living room to find Emily and Hazel snuggled on the couch. The little girl is fast asleep, her face pressed into her mother’s neck and her broken arm resting on a cushion Emily had gently placed under it. 

“Want me to take her up?” He asks, careful to stay quiet and he smiles as she shakes her head, already aware that was going to be her answer.

“No, she’s okay here for a while,” Emily replies as he sits down next to them, “Is Jack okay?”

Aaron nods as he wraps his arms around them, careful not to knock Hazel’s arm, “Yes all of his math homework is done and now he’s playing his video game,” he says, kissing Emily’s temple, “Next time you’re helping him though.” 

She chuckles wryly, “I told you a long time ago honey, I will help with anything except math. I barely enjoyed it when I was at school.” 

“I’ve seen pictures of you when you were at school, sweetheart. I think the only thing you enjoyed was Siouxsie and the Banshees.”

She narrows her eyes at him, “One day I’m going to kill Penelope Garcia for showing you those photos.” 

He kisses her, smiling into it before he pulls away, and he cups her cheek, “Can I ask you something?” 

She nods, turning her head to kiss his palm before he lets his hand fall gently to her lap “Of course.” 

“Were you…purposely making it worse with Strauss earlier?” He asks, raising his eyebrow at her when her eyes go wide before she looks away, her focus suddenly on Hazel’s sleeping face, “Because you were already suspended. And I saw the look on your face before you carried on, you were practically goading her into making it more than a week.” 

She scrunches her nose up and groans, her cheeks warm with embarrassment as she continues to purposely avoid his gaze, “I…I may have thought that if I was going to be suspended it might as well be worth it,” she says, clearing her throat, “And this way, I’ll be home with her and Jack for a couple of weeks,” she adds, kissing Hazel’s forehead.

He smiles, his gut feeling that she’d taken the opportunity to spend more time with their children correct. He cups her chin and makes her look at him his smile soft as their eyes meet, “You’re an excellent mom, sweetheart.”

She smiles, her breath catching in her chest at the compliment. She’d needed to hear it more than she realised, needed the reassurance that not being here when Hazel had hurt herself didn’t take away from how good a mother she was.

“Thank you,” she says softly. She leans in to kiss his cheek, hoping he understands everything she hasn’t said. When she pulls back his smile is the only confirmation she needs. 

“It’s true,” he says, squeezing her hand as he reaches for it, “Even if does make you a pain in the ass as an employee.” 

“Aaron.” 

-x-

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