Christmas Trip
a Criminal Intent story
by RoadrunnerGER
Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Criminal Intent.
Summary: Bobby and Alex on a Christmas trip. Response to a challenge from Tracey Claybon. :D
A/N: Hello, all. I know this challenge was supposed to be a Criminal Minds crossover, but it turned out to be a Christmas story. Maybe I can come up with more Bobby/Derek later. Big thanks to Tracey Claybon for the ten words (4 verbs, 4 nouns, 1 colour, 1 feeling). Special thanks to Bammi1 for beta reading. Merry Christmas!
golf, popsicle, remote, cigarette, chime, leather, frenzy, convey, prognosis, contact, blue, furious
xXx
A bump in the road made Alex wake up from her slumber. She opened her eyes and looked out of the side window at snow. Pure white snow that covered the land the road was winding through. Turning her head she looked at her partner who steered the car safely along the road.
First houses appeared. The traffic signs did not tell Alex much as most of them were different from those she knew.
"How much further?" she asked tiredly. It was a long drive from Frankfurt airport but Bobby seemed to be as fresh as if he had just gotten up.
"We're almost there," he murmured with a small smile. "We just entered Goslar."
"Oh, really?" Alex was surprised that she slept that long.
"Yep. The hotel is over there," he said, nodding at the building on the right side of the street. When the traffic lights changed to green he turned the car and entered the parking garage. Alex got out of the car and stretched her tired limbs, yawning. Bobby took their baggage and locked the car. Together they went to the reception desk to check in.
The Hotel Achtermann had been recommended to Bobby. One of his many friends had lived in the Harz Mountains and talked so enthusiastically about that time that Bobby planned to make a trip there. When Alex then asked if he had an idea where to go for a trip right before Christmas Bobby remembered how his friend had told him about the snowy mountains, the historic city centre and the picturesque Christmas market and booked their flights to Germany. Alex had not been thrilled at first, but let herself be convinced. Even though she was a born New Yorker she wished for some time away from the hustle and bustle.
Alex looked around the room. The interior was modern but still conveyed a rustic ambiance.
"We hope you'll enjoy your stay," the receptionist said. "Welcome to the Hotel Achtermann."
An employee accompanied them to their rooms in the old tower. They unpacked their suitcases and as he finished first Bobby went over to Alex's room to knock softly.
"Come in!" she shouted and he followed her invitation. "I'm almost ready," Alex's voice came out of the bathroom. "Just a minute."
"And? Do you like it here?" Bobby asked.
"The room is awesome!" she replied. "The modern furniture fits well the old tower walls. Do you know how old the building is?"
"I read about it on the internet," Bobby said. "I think it's about 500 years old. One moment." Picking up a flyer from the table he read, "The fortification Rosenzwinger was built in 1508 as a protection of the imperial town of Goslar. The name Achtermann, belonging to an old mayor family of Goslar, was assigned to the tower at around 1800. In 1886, the owner Ernst Paul opened the restaurant Altdeutsche Stuben on the ground floor of the tower and a hotel adjoining to the latter. Even in 1908, the hotel Der Achtermann was equipped with all the latest extras of that time: central heating, water closet and electric lights!"
Trailing off Bobby gaped at Alex who had reappeared from the bathroom. She held the remote control in her hands, pretending to press the off button repeatedly.
"I asked about the age of the tower," she laughed. "Not for a history lesson!"
Bobby smiled one of his small smiles that she found so adorable. "I'm glad you're in such a good mood. Wanna go for a walk across the market?"
"Yes," she agreed and allowed him to help her put on her winter jacket. "Let's go."
When they left the hotel it began to snow. Glistening flakes sailed down to settle on streets, plants and buildings. As the hotel was located in the heart of the city the two New York detectives only had to turn left to enter the pedestrian zone.
Hearing Alex chuckle, Bobby looked at a sculpture they were passing, a bronze head that was pierced by numerous nails.
"Looks kind of odd," Alex said. "Wonder what the sculptor wanted to express with it."
"Maybe it was acupuncture gone wrong," Bobby suggested.
Alex laughed. "Mighty big pins then!"
They strolled further up the street, admiring the old houses.
"You don't find buildings like that in America," Alex said. "At least none that are that old." She looked up at a stone unicorn that towered over the entrance door to the unicorn pharmacy. "It's cute."
Bobby smiled to himself.
"Come," he said, gently taking her arm. "I think I hear music."
Following the sounds they reached the first stands of the Christmas market. There was a small stage where a choir was singing Christmas songs.
"I know the melody," Alex said. "It's Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is," Bobby confirmed. "In German. They sing about Erwin, the big ole snowman who's so alone. So Santa came and brought him a snowwoman for Christmas."
"Cute," Alex chuckled. She took his arm. "Let's go. Just standing here I'm getting cold."
"Sure."
So they kept on wandering up the alley. A few stands on both sides offered food, it did not look, though, as if the Christmas market had already started. Reaching a t-junction they stood in front of a big store. Hottenrott they read over the entrance. The shop windows were neatly trimmed with ball ornaments, tinsel, and artificial snow decorating the dishes, clothes, and toys on display.
Turning right the detectives entered an even smaller alley and on the right side Alex spotted a tea shop. Before Bobby could blink twice she was gone. Smirking to himself he followed his partner inside. He was more of a coffee drinker, as was Alex, but he knew that she also enjoyed tea every now and then. He watched her admiring the tea pots and mugs. Exotic scents wafted through the shop and suddenly he sneezed.
"I think I'll take a bit of the Shneeflock," he heard Alex say and the man behind the counter hesitantly managed to pick the right box. Then he filled some of the tea in a bag and scribbled the name of the tea mix on it. "Could you wrap it as a gift?" Alex asked and the man complied, adding two sugar sticks and some glitter and wrapping it up with transparent foil. "Thank you," Alex said, paid, and received a bag with her tea.
Back out on the street they walked on a square surrounded by timbered houses. Most of the houses they passed before were timbered, but only now did Alex really notice it. There was a fence and trees and through this built up forest a train puffed its rounds. Children rode on the train, laughing and cheering.
"Nice for the kids," Alex said. "It looks so pretty with the fresh snow. Everything does."
Beside the entrance to the train were other stands with food. That was not what they were looking for yet. Bobby's friend had told him about the arts and crafts they could find here and that was what they were searching for. They reached a street and on the other side was a big church. Surrounding it were rows of stands.
"Let's have a look at those," Bobby suggested.
"Yep."
So they crossed the street and strolled along between the stands. Having a look at the first ones and Alex's reaction Bobby made a prognosis that she might easily get into a frenzy over all of them. Right now she got all excited over figurines made of nails, screws, nuts, and other pieces of metal.
"Hehehe! Now look at this one," Alex pointed one out. "A little golfer for Deakins."
"Maybe we should have a look first and buy on the second round," Bobby suggested.
"But isn't it cute?"
"It is," Bobby agreed. It would be difficult to get Alex moving.
Finally she decided to return to this stand later. They were about to move on when she spun around.
"What?" Bobby panted.
Intently she eyed the people around them. "Nothing. I thought someone was watching us."
Bobby rolled his eyes at her back because she already turned back to keep walking. The next stand she stopped at offered all kinds of leather bags. Most of them looked quite inventive and when the seller showed Alex how some of them worked the detectives realized that they did not only look like that. They all had some kind of gadget or a hidden pocket. Alex contemplated buying a notebook bag for her sister and Bobby got bored.
"Alex? I'll have a look at the books over there, okay?"
"Yeah, sure," she said absently. As soon as he was gone, though, she picked up a midnight blue wallet. "This one, please." She let it vanish in the bag from the tea shop and followed Bobby. "Did you find anything?"
"Nope. You?"
"No." Looking around furtively she murmured, "I'm still feeling watched."
"Oh, Alex! Can't you switch off the cop mode until we're back in New York?"
"I'll try," she promised.
Bobby knew that she would try… and fail. The instincts were too ingrained. She was a cop. She would always be cautious.
"Let's have a look at the stand over there," Alex enthused, dragging him across the aisle. "Awww! Look at that. Awesome!"
What she was admiring was woodcraft made in the tradition of the Erzgebirge. There were carollers, dressed in black and arranged in small groups with one holding a star. Fir trees stood beside them, shavings curling up on them to form the treetop. Tree decorations hung from racks, some plain wood, some painted by hand. What fascinated Alex most, though, were the pyramids and Schwibbogen.
The pyramid construction with several stories looked fragile. Candleholders were fastened to the base, the warmth of the candles making the propeller on top move. That way discs on each story that were decorated with religious or winter motives, depending on the type of the pyramid, were turning.
The Schwibbogen were wooden arcs with electric candles on top. Their decorations on the base were as versatile as those of the pyramids, one of the classics, as the detectives learned from the seller, being a typical Seiffen church with carollers and trees. Then there were arcs which sides were covered with wooden silhouettes, the lights on top hidden between trees or stars. The silhouettes also showed religious or winter motives. One arc that Alex liked most was decorated with a scene from an ore mine while Bobby favoured one with deer and trees.
"Do you want it?" Bobby murmured.
"Bobby, no, it's too expensive," Alex replied, shaking her head. Her eyes, though, stayed directed at the arc longingly.
"That's not what I asked, Alex."
She looked up at him, her eyes shining bright in the light of the stand. Then she looked back to the arc. "I'd love it," she sighed.
"Then it's a done deal," Bobby declared. "Wir nehmen diesen hier. Würden Sie ihn bitte einpacken?"
"Oh, Bobby," she began to protest, but he put one finger over her lips.
"Merry Christmas," he murmured and smiled softly. He paid and received a bag with the arc in a protective carton. "Vielen Dank," Bobby thanked the seller and wished him Merry Christmas, too, as they left the stand.
They did not go far when Alex leaned in to Bobby and said, "You can call me paranoid, but I'm pretty sure that someone's following us."
Knowing that she could get furious if he didn't take her seriously he stopped at the next stand to look furtively around the market. He did not have to search long before he spotted her this time. Their gazes met and Bobby felt goosebumps on his back. That was when the woman gave up her pretence and came over to the detectives.
"Bobby?" she asked. "Bobby Goren?"
"Y-yes."
"I can't believe it," she shouted excitedly. "Bobby Goren! It's really you!" Seeing his open confusion she added, "I'm Karoline Weigand! Markus's younger sister! Don't you remember?"
He did and it hit him like a sledgehammer.
"Oh, my God! I never though I'd see you or Markus again! How's he doing?"
"He stayed with the army until after his graduation. He's a doctor in Brunswick! I still can't believe that I meet you here!"
"Oh, forgive me," Bobby suddenly realized that Alex stood a little lost beside him. "This is Detective Alexandra Eames. Alex, Karolin's brother Markus was one of the soldiers I got to know when I was stationed here in Germany. We lost contact. Shouldn't happen again." Smiling he pulled one of his cards out of his coat pocket. "Here. Is Markus here, too?"
"No, he's at the hospital. Oh, he'll be thrilled to hear that I met you." Taking Bobby's arm she dragged him away from the stand. "When did you arrive in Goslar? Did you already see the glass factory?"
"No, Karoline," he said. "We only arrived this noon."
"Oh, you've got to see it! We can still make it. Wanna go?"
Her excitement was infectious. Chattering she led the detectives away from the Christmas market and up another street.
"Over there are the toy and musical instrument museums," she told them. "You should go there if your schedule allows it. I don't live that far from here. I could be back tomorrow afternoon and show you around."
"That would be great," Bobby agreed.
"So, here we go," Karoline said and showed them the way through an archway onto a backyard where the entrance to the shop and workshop of the glass factory was.
Alex was stunned by the displays. The factory did not just produce glasses and jars for daily use, this was art. Glass was everywhere, and mirrors, and everything sparkled brightly.
"Oh, my God. My mom would love all of this," Alex gasped, trying desperately to find something she could bring home for Christmas. It was a hard decision, but she finally bought something a few minutes before the shop closed.
"You should be back and watch the demonstrations," Karoline said, as they returned to the street. "It's really interesting how the glass is blown. Or how they do those cute animals with the bubbles in the glass."
"That would be nice," Alex agreed. "Thank you for showing us the factory."
"No problem," Karoline warded off. "Did you have dinner?"
"Not yet."
"We could get something at the Christmas market. They have so many different specialties. Do you know Germknödel?"
"No…"
"You'll love them. Come on!"
So they followed Karoline to a stand where she ordered three of the Knödel, yeast dumplings filled with plum butter and served with vanilla sauce and hot cherries.
"Looks good," Alex said as she accepted hers and plucked off a piece with her plastic fork. "Smells good, too… Mmmmm. Yummy!"
Bobby laughed good-naturedly. He tasted his own Knödel and agreed that it was very good. Once they were finished he said, "I'd like something more substantial now. Anything you'd recommend?"
"I've seen something, yes," Karoline agreed, leading them to another stand.
The smell greeting them there instantly made them hungry. They got game stew on spaetzle, a specialty from Southern Germany, made by boiling small lumps of dough made from flour and eggs, as well as game bratwurst with sauerkraut for Bobby and with cranberries for Karoline.
For dessert they got poffertjes and crèpes and strolled along the Christmas market to a pair of stands with a fenced off forest of fir trees. There were bistro tables and people stood among the trees having steaming mugs in front of them.
"Spiced wine," Bobby grinned. "Come, let's have some."
They got themselves their hot beverages and went into the forest as well. With the fresh snow it looked magical and not a bit artificial, though it was obvious that the trees did not grow on the market place. They drank and talked and Bobby got them fresh mugs. After a while Alex got a little lost as Karoline and Bobby began to talk in German, but for the moment she did not mind. She drank her spiced wine and was happy she had agreed to come with Bobby.
Finally Alex chimed in, though, "Even with the hot drink I'm starting to freeze. If we don't get back to the hotel I'll turn into a popsicle."
"Oh, I can't let that happen," Bobby chuckled. "Even though I have no cigarette it looks like I'm smoking."
"Yeah," Caroline laughed. "It's getting really cold. Where did you get your rooms?"
"Hotel Achtermann," Bobby told her.
"Good address," Karoline nodded. "Do you want to walk? I have my car not far from here. I could bring you."
"That would be great," Alex said and clapped her gloved but still cold hands together.
"Okay. Come."
They went to Karoline's car and Bobby squeezed his big frame into the passenger seat. The drive was not very far, so he could deal with the Mini Cooper for the trip. Karoline bid them goodbye and the detectives went up to their rooms. There they stowed away their purchases and Alex surprised Bobby, showing up on his doorstep.
"Do you have a shower or a bathtub?" she wanted to know.
"Bathtub. You have a shower?"
"Yes."
"Be my guest," he said and laughed when she darted back into her room to grab what she needed for a good soak. Just as quickly she vanished in his bathroom.
"Bobby?" she shouted a few minutes later.
"Yes?"
"I let the soap drop! Could you pick it up, please?"
Being a gentleman Bobby went in without looking at her and fetched the lost soap to hold it out for her. Her hands closed around the soap and his hand as well.
"Close the door," she murmured.
Freeing himself Bobby wanted to leave when she stopped him, "From inside."
The End