AN: So, this ended up being a combination post "Bully" and New Year's story. It is also my first attempt at writing Blake so I don't know how well that went. This story is for Ren, for reasons that I won't state here but she knows. I hope everyone enjoys it!
Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and it's characters are not mine. Just simply having fun with them!
Hearing an exhausted and frustrating sigh, Alex Blake looked up from the file she was going over. It wasn't her first time through the file and she doubted it would be her last. Across the table from her, Derek Morgan flopped down in an empty chair. He looked every bit as tired as the sigh had conveyed.
"No luck, I take it," Blake inquired, as Reid sat down next to Morgan in a more sedate manner.
"None whatsoever," Morgan replied. He and Reid had spent the day, Christmas Day at that, chasing leads. "Those that we did manage to talk to either couldn't provide us any information we don't already have and had a verifiable alibi for the estimated time of death for each of the victims. What about you? Do you have any new insights on our victims?"
Alex glanced down at the file though she was getting to the point where she had most of it memorized. "No. The fact that they are all young women between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one seems to be the only thing they have in common," Alex said, looking back across the table at Morgan. "Garcia isn't having any luck either."
Morgan ran a hand back over his head. "At this rate we're going to be spending New Year's together right here in Houston."
Blake didn't bother contradicting him. They had already been here for five days, with the exception of JJ whom Hotch had ordered home last night. He had wanted Henry to wake up Christmas morning to find his mother there. Blake didn't begrudge the blonde agent and her family this time with her family. She and Rossi had even tried to get Hotch to go with her to spend Christmas with Jack but their unit chief wouldn't budge and they couldn't very well order him home like he could JJ.
Five days and they were no closer to finding the UnSub than when they had first arrived in the Lone Star State.
"There has got to be something we're missing," Reid mused, speaking more to himself than the other two agents in the room.
Blake place the open file on the table and leaned forward in her chair. Leaning an elbow on the table she propped her chin up on her left hand, watching as Reid got up from his chair and stepped closer to the blackboard. Reid crossed one hand across his stomach and placed the forefinger of his right hand against his chin as he stared intently at the information displayed on the board. Watching him, she wondered what the genius might possibly hope to see that they hadn't already gone over. Still, she remained quiet not about to interrupt his thought process. She had learned long ago that Reid's mind didn't work like most people's.
The room remained silent until Hotch and Rossi walked through the door about ten minutes later. Changing her attention from Reid to the two older agents that had just entered, Blake could read the said frustration and disappointment on their faces that Morgan had expressed.
"Did you and Reid have any luck?" Hotch inquired, addressing Morgan.
"No," Morgan replied. "From the looks of you two, I'd say the same went for you."
"All we got today was a lot of exercise and a candy cane," Rossi replied, holding up a half-eaten peppermint cane.
Morgan snorted as Blake allowed herself a smile. Reid still stared intently at the board, seemingly oblivious to the conversation.
"Let's call it a night," Hotch said, expressing no emotional reaction to Rossi's attempt at lightening the atmosphere in the room. "I think we all have people we'd like to extend Christmas wishes too and then perhaps we can gather for a late group dinner."
"I can go along with that plan," Morgan said, getting to his feet.
Blake closed the file in front of her. "Me too," she said, following suit.
"Hey, Kid, let's go. That board will still look the same in the morning," Morgan said, as the rest of the team had reached the doorway and realized Reid still hadn't moved.
"Yeah, okay," Reid replied, distractedly. He did however step away from the board, grabbed his messenger bag and followed the rest of the team out of the conference room that had been set aside for their use.
Though Hotch had officially called an end to their work day, Blake wasn't surprised when talk in the SUV turned to the case during their drive to the hotel and didn't end until she said good-byes to Morgan and Reid in the hallway. Ducking into her room, Blake dropped the file she was still carrying onto the desk and took out her cell phone. She had found time during the day to call both James and her Dad with Christmas wishes but had yet to call Scott. Her recent trip home due to a case made her normal practice of sending holiday wishes via text messages unpractical. She had, after all, promised to call home more. Though she didn't know if he was working or not, Alex knew that even a voice mail would be better received than a simple text.
As she listened to the phone ring, Alex sat on the end of the soft bed. Using only the other foot, she began slipping out of the shoes she had been in all day, silently counting rings. On the fourth ring, when she was sure she was going to get his voice mail, she heard Scott's voice.
"Detective Miller, here."
"Hey, Scott. It's Alex," she replied, surprised at how nervous she felt with a simple phone call to her brother. Interviewing suspects had never made her this nervous. "Did I catch you at a bad time?" she asked, part of him hoping he would say he couldn't talk right then.
"No actually," Scott replied. "I actually just finished up at a crime scene. I'm heading back to the station to do some paperwork and then calling it a day. What's up?"
"Just wanted to call and wish you a Merry Christmas," Alex told him, forcing herself to sound cheerful. She didn't want her brother to know how nervous she was at making this phone call.
"Well, thanks, though with the day I've had, it's hard to find the merriment in the day."
"I know what you mean," Alex said, the words slipping out easily at the sentiment her brother had expressed. Every first responder, firefighter, and police officer who worked a holiday had experienced that feeling at some point. Thinking of her team's frustration on the case that seemed to be going nowhere, the people's whose doors they had knocked on today and the families of the victims whose killer was still at large, Alex noted that today wouldn't go down as one of her merriest Christmases either.
"You working?" Scott asked.
"Yeah. We're in Houston on a case."
"From the tone of your voice I'd say it's not going well," Scott ventured.
"We haven't found our breakthrough yet. Hotch has called it a day, so hopefully tomorrow we'll get lucky."
"Sometimes luck is the best thing to have on your side," Scott agreed. "James still in Boston?"
"Yeah, with me away on the case he elected to stay there and work on his presentation for a research project he wants to get approval for. I talk to him earlier but I'll probably call again before retiring for the night."
"If you do, tell him I asked about him."
"I will," Alex assured him, getting to her feet. This was easily the longest phone conversation she'd had with her brother since Danny's death and it was clear to her that Scott was really the one carrying it. But she had been the one to call. That counted for something, didn't it?
"Are you working New Year's?"
"I'm not sure," Alex replied, strolling slowly around her hotel room. "Depends on this case, really."
"Well, I've got New Year's Day off. If you wrap up the case and get a few days off, maybe you could come visit? We could ring the New Year in together."
Alex's first instinct was to politely refuse the suggestion but that wouldn't be fulfilling the promise she had made to Scott. "I'll let you know how this case goes," she replied, keeping herself from committing to anything.
"Okay, then," Scott replied, a trace of disappointment in his voice. "I'll let you go. Merry Christmas and thanks for calling, Alex. Best Christmas gift I got this year."
Alex smiled at that. "You're welcome. Bye, Scott."
Ending the call, Alex stared down at her phone for a few minutes. She still missed Danny but she was starting to realize just how much she had missed Scott over the years since their brother's death as well.
Perhaps ringing in the New Year's with her brother wouldn't be so bad. First though, she and her teammates had an UnSub to find.
Alex Blake tapped her fingers nervously on the steering wheel of the rental car as she drove from the air port to Scott's house. Outside, a light snow fell, sticking to everything but the roads right now.
"I know how nerve wracking it can be to go home sometimes, but you're doing the right thing," Spencer Reid said quietly from the passenger seat of the car, watching his co-worker's tapping finger instead of the falling snow outside.
"I know," Alex replied, nodding but not glancing away from the road.
They had wrapped up the case late on the thirtieth, and flown home straight away. After completing reports that morning, Hotch had told them they had the next five days off. Blake had known then that she had three options - spend New Year's in D.C., go to Boston to be with James, or take Scott up on his offer. Though it was the one she wanted to do the least, she knew the third option was the one she should choose.
Not wanting to go alone, Alex had asked Reid if he had any plans, knowing that of all her teammates he was the least likely to have prior plans. Not to mention, there was something calming about the genius' presence that Alex enjoyed. Perhaps it was the fact that he never seemed to be judging her but accepted her as she was. Whatever the reason she had been relieved at Reid's 'not yet, though Morgan or Garcia usually ropes me into whatever they have planned." Her feeling of relief increased when he accepted her offer to come to Kansas City with her. It wasn't long afterwards that Garcia had two airplane tickets to Kansas City for them, the techie happy to do her part to send Alex home for a few days.
"Thank-you for coming with me at such a late notice. I really need some support to do this. I have a feeling I would have never left the airport if you weren't with me."
"You're welcome," Reid replied simply, though in his mind he thought about the times he had walked into Bennington and never actually saw his mother.
"Perhaps the next time we get a few days off, the two of us can go out to Vegas so you can see your mother," Blake suggested, recalling Reid's mention of not being home in over the year on their last plane trip back from Kansas City. "It would give me a chance to return the favor."
"I think I'd like that," Reid replied, allowing himself a small smile. He didn't bother asking how she had thought to make the offer. They were profilers and spent a lot of time together. Reading one another came naturally to them after awhile.
The two finished the drive to Scott's house in silence. Parking behind Scott's car, Alex turned off the car and stared at the house. She was here and about to spend her first holiday with family in years. The desire to flee came again, but she knew Reid wasn't about to let her do that so instead she took a deep breath and climbed from the car.
The two profilers retrieved their bags from the back seat, and then Reid followed Alex to the front door. Scott had left the front porch light on from them, and Alex had to admit that the covering of snow everywhere looked pretty as it glistened in the light. Reaching the door, she stared at the door bell unable to actually reach out and push it. From behind her, Reid reached out and did so, the resulting chime echoing from inside the house.
The next thing that Alex was aware of, was the door opening and Scott pulling her into a hug.
"I'm actually surprised you made it," Scott told her. "I thought for sure you would chicken out."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Alex replied, getting over her surprise and returning her brother's hug.
"What are brothers for?" Scott joked, as he took a step back. "But what kind of host am I, making you stand out in the cold. Both of you come, inside," he said, stepping aside as he waved his sister and Reid into his home.
"You remember Dr. Spencer Reid," Alex said, as she and Reid stepped into the house.
"I do," Scott replied, closing the door behind the genius. "Nice to see you again, Dr. Reid," he said, as he stuck a hand out to his sister's co-worker.
Reid hesitated briefly before reaching out and tentatively shaking Scott's hand, doing the sociably acceptable thing instead of the comfortable thing. "Spencer is fine."
"You got it," Scott said as he let go of Reid's hand. "I'm sorry to say that I've only got the one guest bedroom. I put the air mattress in there, it's more comfortable than trying to sleep on my couch believe me. I figured I'd let the two of you fight over who sleeps where."
"I'm sure Spencer and I can figure out sleeping arrangements without a fight," Alex assured her brother.
"Okay, then. Why don't I show you to your room so you can get settled before we start the celebration? You may just want to tumble into bed later. I know I usually do," Scott said as he lead the two agents up to the second floor of the house.
After Scott had headed back downstairs with instructions for them to join him when they were ready, Alex immediately told Spencer to take the bed. When he protested, as she knew he would, the linguist chose to use logic on the genius, pointing out that because she was shorter the air mattress would fit her better. Not able to contradict her statement, Reid gave up protesting and the two profilers unpacked the few things they had brought with them and headed downstairs to join Scott.
Coverage from Times Square was already on the television set, and noise makers and paper top hats that said "Happy New Year' had been placed on the coffee table. Alex walked over and picked one up.
"Do you actually expect me to wear one of these things, Scott?" Alex called as she picked up one of the hats.
"Yes, we're all wearing them. Being silly is part of the celebration," Scott called back, his voice getting louder as he spoke. Soon he was standing in the doorway of the living room, beer in hand. "Now, the two of you come pick your poison. I've got several choices, as I wasn't sure what everyone liked to drink," he added, nodding over his shoulder as he took a sip of his beer.
"Based on my previous experience of celebrating the holiday with Morgan and Garcia after a few drinks you won't have any reservations about silly head ware unless there are pictures that you see the day after," Reid supplied as he and Alex followed their host's instructions.
"Which makes me glad Penelope isn't here. Both you and Scott aren't exactly camera happy people," Alex countered, glad she didn't have much to worry about photo-wise.
Reid was happy to find that Scott had Scotch and Alex selected a wine cooler from the choices presented her. The three of them then gathered in the livingroom around the television. Though he could sense the tension between the two siblings, Reid didn't know how to go about easing it. Small talk had never been his forte. He was relieved when Scott started sharing a story about a past New Year's Eve he had spent with his buddies from the force. The story broke the ice and the three of them started swapping stories and enjoying their beverages as the celebration in Times Squares approached the dropping of the ball. Somewhere in between Alex telling them about her first New Year's with James and Reid cracking them up with his first celebration of the holiday when he had joined the BAU, all three of them had donned the party hats.
As the countdown on the TV began, Scott passed out noise makers to his two guests. Alex, Spencer and Scott then joined the countdown with their fellow celebrants on the television. As the ball reached the bottom and the fireworks began, their shouts of Happy New Year echoed through the house followed by squawks with the cheap toys.
"Happy New Year, Alex," Scott said more quietly as he pulled his sister into a hug.
"Happy New Year, Scott," Alex echoed, relaxing into the embrace.
Coming home for the holiday had been the right thing to do and perhaps this year, her resolution to mend communications between her brother, father and herself was one that would actually be kept. At least she knew she had started the new year out with a step in that direction.