RESOLUTIONS
Thursday, December 30th
"Did you ever notice how slow times goes on a Friday?" Emily asked as she closed a file folder and tossed it haphazardly onto a pile of folders located on a corner of her desk.
"It's not Friday," Reid replied from his desk.
"We have off tomorrow, so it's close enough for me," Emily retorted. "Do you have any plans for New Year's Eve?"
"Garcia invited me out with her and Kevin," Reid replied.
"Morgan, how about you?" Emily asked across the aisle. "Do you have big plans for tomorrow night?"
"Maybe," Derek Morgan answered cryptically.
"What kind of answer is that?" Emily questioned.
"The only one you're getting," Morgan responded. "How about you? What kind of plans do you have?"
"I'm having dinner with my mother and afterwards some friends in my building are having a party," Emily replied. "You guys are coming over on the first to watch the Rose Bowl Game in the afternoon, right?"
"Yes," Morgan and Reid replied in unison.
"Good," she answered. "I almost forgot, let me get you a copy of the pool we all went in on. I don't want to hear how I cheated when I win it all."
She grabbed some papers off her desk and got up and headed towards the copy machine. As she waited for the copies to be made she idly glanced at the sheet Garcia had given to her earlier that day with instructions to fill out and post on her refrigerator for motivation. It was a blank sheet of paper with room to write down your New Year's Resolutions. She had filled it out in between going through files and trying to finish up reports. She wasn't sure if she was ever going to hang it on her refrigerator. She didn't want her co-workers to see what she had written when they came over to watch the game.
Emily picked up the papers and headed off to pass them out. She gave Reid and Morgan a copy and then headed up the steps to give one to Hotch and Rossi. She found them both in Hotch's office talking. "Here you go," she said and handed Hotch a copy of the football pool. Emily then turned and handed Dave Rossi a sheet of paper and said, "I'll see both of Saturday afternoon at my place. Enjoy the day off tomorrow." Hotch amusedly glanced down at the paper in his hands, while Rossi folded his without looking and put it in his jacket pocket.
Friday, December 31st
When Dave Rossi arrived back at his home after having dinner out with friends he remembered the football pool sheet that Prentiss had given him was still in his pocket. He dug the paper out and unfolded it. As he sat down in the easy chair in the living room he looked down at the paper, expecting to see names of his co-workers in little boxes. Instead he looked down at a sheet of paper that said My New Year's Resolutions at the top. Along the left side of the paper were blank lines numbered one to ten. On this sheet of paper the first five were filled in with a flourished script that he recognized as belonging to Emily Prentiss.
Rossi read the list as he sat there quite surprised by what he was reading.
Saturday, January 1st
By early afternoon everyone had arrived at Prentiss' apartment for her Rose Bowl party. Rossi was the last to get there. He had spent most of the morning debating whether or not he should mention that he had her resolution sheet. Either Emily didn't know she had mistakenly given him the paper or if she did, she was now too embarrassed to ask which of the team was in possession of it. He greeted the others as he walked through the room. Morgan handed him a beer as he sat down and looked around. He wondered where Emily was; he needed to speak to her alone about what was on the list.
At halftime Dave walked into the kitchen area and stopped Emily as she was walking out. Her hands were filled: a bowl of chips in one hand and salsa and guacamole in the other. Just ahead of her JJ was carrying three bottles of beer and some soda to where the others sat, gathered around the television.
"Prentiss, I need to talk to you," Rossi said.
"One second Rossi," she replied. "I'll be right back."
When she returned she asked, "What's up? Do you need another beer? They're in the refrigerator, just make yourself at home."
He was surprised by her reaction; obviously she didn't know he had seen her resolution list. "I'm fine with the drinks. It's about the paper you gave me at the office on Thursday."
"The football pool?" she questioned. "What about it? If you think we're cheating, just ask Reid he has it memorized. I probably didn't even need to pass those out."
"That's just it," he answered. "I didn't get one."
"Yes, you did," Emily Prentiss said. "I handed it to you while you were in Hotch's office."
"Yes, I know but that paper you gave me wasn't a football pool," Rossi told her and took the folded piece of paper out of his pocket. She looked at him not quite believing what he was saying. She had made the copies and handed out the papers herself. "You gave me a paper with your New Year's resolutions on it."
Prentiss' eyes grew wide as she heard his words. After finally filling in some of the blank lines on the paper she had every intention of putting it somewhere safe. Dave had seen her resolutions; he knew what was on that paper. Some of the items listed were inconsequential, such as going to the gym regularly and seeing her mother more often for lunch; others like the idea of having a 'normal' life and dyeing her hair blue were just silly and provided needed relief in between writing case files. Then there was that last remaining one; the one that said she hoped to ask Rossi out on a date. Obviously he had read it if he wanted to talk to her about it. She quickly tried to think of what to say.
"Well, ummm, thanks for giving it back," she replied as he handed it to her.
"The note at the bottom does say to hang it on the refrigerator for motivation," Rossi answered devilishly.
"I don't think that's going to happen," Emily said to him blushing furiously as she turned away.
"So what happens next?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" she asked back, pretending not to understand.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about Emily," Rossi told her. "The one that had to do with a night out. What happens with that resolution?"
"That can't happen," she said with determination.
"Why not?" he pressed.
"Because we work together," Prentiss replied. "I could be awkward."
"Could be?" he countered. "Thing is, you'll never know if it is or not, unless you give it a shot."
"What about the others?" she asked him gesturing off to the living room.
"They weren't on the list," Rossi said half-joking.
"What will they say?" she protested.
"Emily, who cares," he responded. "In the end it only matters what you think?"
She knew he was right. It didn't matter what anyone else thought.
"Prentiss you are the one who made this big thing over the Rose Bowl," Morgan yelled from where he sat. "Are you gonna watch the game or not?"
"Yeah Morgan, we're coming," she called back as Rossi looked at her.
"Well?" he asked.
"Fine," she answered. "Would you have dinner with me next Tuesday night?"
"Next Tuesday?" Rossi questioned.
"Yes, Tuesday," Prentiss replied. "Is there a problem?"
"None at all. I'll pick you up at seven. Wear the red top," he told her and then walked back into the living room and sat down to watch the game as Emily stared after him.