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You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving
Author Unknown
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Garcia entered the conference room with her usual flamboyant style, today clad in a red dress and matching glasses while Christmas trees complete with shiny jeweled balls hung from her ears. "Well aren't you just dressed for the season mama," Morgan said from his spot at the coffeemaker where he filled his cup with the dark brew.
"Of course hot stuff," she replied.
"I would expect nothing less." Rossi said as he set his I pad on the table and took his seat.
"I wanted to discuss something," she said when everyone was seated.
"What's that Garcia?" Prentiss asked.
"It's Christmas, and I know we don't usually make a big thing of it, but it seems particularly empty this year without JJ." She paused for a moment while the others waited for what she had to say. "I think we should exchange gifts," she spit out at last.
"Oh Garcia, don't go there mama. It's only a few days before Christmas and you expect us to brave those crowds to find something for each other," Morgan groaned.
"It's a nice idea Garcia, but I can see Morgan's point," Hotch agreed. "I have enough trouble finding the time to shop for Jack."
"That's just it, with my idea we wouldn't have to shop, not in the stores at least," she added.
"So, what, you want us to do it all on line?" Rossi asked.
"No, I want you to do it in your homes," the tech said. "I want us each to find something in our homes that we can give to the person whose name we get. These will be gifts that come from our hearts, not our wallets."
"What have I got that anybody would want?" Reid said quietly.
"Oh come on Reid, I think your collection of books must be second only to the Library of Congress," Rossi smirked.
"Very funny Rossi," Reid said.
"I think that's a lovely idea Garcia, I'm in," Emily said. Morgan merely shrugged his shoulders resigned to the fact that you couldn't say no to Garcia.
"Just think of it as profiling the person whose name you get and finding something in your home that fits them," Garcia said. "Okay, time to pull out names." She pulled a large envelope from the bottom of her things. "Reach in and pull out a name. If you pull out your own, you have to put it back." She passed the envelope to Morgan.
Morgan reached in and pulled out a slip of paper, unfolded it and read the name, "Hotch."
"Good, Reid," she handed the envelope to the genius.
Reid pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it, reading the name silently. "Well kid, who'd you get?" Morgan asked.
"Garcia," Reid replied.
"I can hardly wait to see that," Garcia said as she passed the envelope on to Hotch.
"Prentiss," Hotch said after reading his paper.
Prentiss chose next, "Morgan…better watch out Morgan. Are gag gifts allowed?" she asked Garcia with a smirk.
"Anything's fair game as long as it is not something you buy." She stopped for a moment. "We've had a couple of bad years, a lot of pain, and a lot of losses. We've seen some of the worst… I just think we need to remember that we have our hearts you know, and that we're willing to pass on something that we own, maybe even treasure, to someone else, is a great exercise for our hearts.
Rossi dug in next, picked out his own name, put it back and drew again, "Reid," he said. "Now that should be a challenge."
"That leaves me with you Agent Rossi. Great," she said. "Let the games begin."
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This is great," Morgan said when they were back in the bullpen. "Hotch," he looked at the piece of paper as he talked to Reid. "What do I give to the man who has everything?"
"Morgan, you think you've got problems, I've got Garcia!" Reid squeaked. "And, Hotch doesn't have everything, at least not everything that's important. He lost the woman he loves to a serial killer and he struggles to find the time he needs with his son."
"Reid, you just gave me an idea, but I'll need your help," Morgan said as he explained his thoughts to his co-worker. "You in?"
"I'm in," Reid replied.
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Hotch stared at the bare tree that took up much of his living room. He'd set it up before they'd left for Cleveland, but told Jack it needed to stand for a while before they could decorate it. Jessica and Jack had dragged the Christmas decorations into the room and from a stepstool she had begun to string the lights while Jack was impatiently waiting to put the ornaments in place. The boy ran to his arms and Hotch hugged him close. "Daddy, you're just in time, we're decorating the tree," Jack explained the obvious.
The boy pulled his hand and dragged him toward the tree. Hotch looked at the tree again and then back at his briefcase. There was month end, year end and the Cleveland reports to do, he told himself as he realized Jack was still talking, "…and you can lift me up and I can put the star on top."
"You're right buddy, that's just how we'll do it," Hotch ignored his briefcase. Maybe Jessica would have a suggestion about Prentiss.
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Reid entered his apartment and shut off the alarm, dropping his messenger and go bags on the floor and plopping down on his couch that sat in the middle of the room. He surveyed the room. Rossi was right about one thing, there were a lot of books. They filled four ebony bookcases in all, one on either side of his 54" television and one on either side of his ebony desk by the far wall. Black bookcases surrounded a black television stand and a black desk. The rest of the room he felt was equally uninspiring, consisting of a grey couch and chair and black coffee and end tables. The brush chrome lamps with grey shades did nothing to add to the room. It was blah he thought and Garcia was anything but blah. She wouldn't be interested in any of his books and a book was not the kind of gift you gave someone like Garcia. She was warmth. She was color. She was life.
There was nothing colorful and lively in his apartment. He got up and went over to his desk, opening drawers to look for some…any inspiration. "Well there's something with color," he said as he found some colorful paper he'd used on a project his philosophy professor had given him, as a scientist, to defend the Descarte/Locke physicist theory of color as opposed to that of a philosopher. Dr. Winston had smirked at the colorful paper. "Aargh," Reid said as he stood and headed for his closet. He had to think of something.
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Morgan yawned as he put the lid on the box. It had taken him a while but he thought he'd finally achieved his goal. It was an odd gift, but he hoped Hotch would appreciate it. Clooney put his paw on his master's lap for about the tenth time in the last hour. Morgan ran his hand over the dog's head. "Okay Clooney boy, let's go for a walk"
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Garcia's fingers moved swiftly over her laptop. She smiled at the images she saw but she needed to find just the right… "There you are, perfect," she said. Rossi would get a kick out of this.
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Prentiss walked into her apartment and dropped her go bag just inside the door. She tossed her keys on the kitchen counter as she walked by and headed for the window, the view, always magnificent, was never better than at Christmas time. From her window she could see the bright Christmas lights of the city, culminating with the gorgeous tree outside the Capitol Building. She clicked on the lights of her own small tree and then turned from the window, time to concentrate on Morgan's gift and she knew just what to give him.
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Reid, Rossi said to himself as he thought over the gift exchange dilemma. What does he need or want. A new wardrobe came to mind, he thought as he looked over his vast selection of designer clothes. No, he wasn't going there. Reid's clothes, although not to every man's taste made him, well, Reid. He left his bedroom and went to his den where he surveyed his own vast collection of books. No, he shut that idea down immediately. Reid had probably received books as gifts since he was a small boy, too small. It was time for something better. Suddenly his eyes perked up. He knew just the thing. He pulled his cell from his pocket. He needed to make a call.