Disclaimer: Sadly, they're not mine. I do not own, nor do I claim to own, anybody from the show.
Christmas Miracle
For weeks he had been searching the basement and the back of every closet in the house for his Christmas decorations and ornaments. His job didn't afford him much free time but the time he did have was spent searching, collecting, repairing and polishing until he had an arsenal of decorations.
*
For weeks something strange had been happening in the New York City Crime Lab. Every few day's random Christmas decorations would appear, from tiny stocking shaped magnets on the refrigerator in the break room to delicate gold string with stars dangling from it being beautifully tied around coffee jars and in one case, around the door handle to the break room.
It was something that would be impossible not to notice in the sterile lab. Whilst the Phantom Decorator was careful to avoid placing any decoration where it could possibly contaminate evidence, the subtle sparkles and miniature Santa ornaments which slowly began to appear on every desk were instantly noticeable.
*
When he arrived home that night he immediately headed off to search through the box he had found in a closet the night before. Pulling on a pair of latex gloves he lifted the lid on the large box and reached inside, his eyes immediately falling on eight reindeer ornaments.
"Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Doner, Blitzen" he said as he placed each reindeer on the coffee table beside him, lining them up in pairs.
Continuing his search of the box he uncovered four small silver bells, a delicate Christmas angel which he placed on the top of the Christmas tree every year and various assorted ornaments which would also adorn his Christmas tree. Deciding the reindeer would be next to appear at work, he placed the other items back in the box to ensure he would know where to find them when he decorated his tree on Christmas Eve.
Something's missing he thought to himself as he placed the box of decorations back on the top shelf of the closet. What was missing? Was it something to do with work that was missing? No, he was sure it had nothing to do with work. It was different, it was something else.
As he lay in bed that night staring at the ceiling above him, he realised what was missing.
"Rudolf!" he said as he sat bolt upright in bed. How could he forget Rudolf?! He knew exactly where to find him. Glancing at the clock on his bedside table and seeing it was three o'clock in the morning he seriously contemplated whether it was worth getting out of bed for. Seriously, was it really worth it? Of course it was! He loved seeing their faces when they noticed something new, he liked the feeling of being able to spread a little Christmas cheer in such a serious environment where they were constantly confronted by the worst of the worst, the hardest of criminals and the most despicable of crimes.
After removing Rudolf from a different box in a different closet he set the small reindeer statue down on the coffee table, in front of all the others. "Rudolf with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?" he sang softly as he walked back to his bedroom.
*
"Hey!" Danny shouted across the room when he saw Adam place some red tinsel around the refrigerator door handle. Adam stopped deadly still, moving only his eyes to gain eye contact with Danny.
"Are you the Phantom Decorator?" Danny questioned, walking over to look Adam in the eye.
"No… uh… I... No!" Adam stumbled over his words.
"So what's the tinsel for?" Danny narrowed his eyes. He often used this technique in interrogation.
"I… I… well you see…"
Danny raised his eyebrows.
"Okay, Sheldon gave me twenty bucks to put the tinsel around the handle!" Adam replied quickly.
"Did he now?" Danny said, walking from the room.
"Hey Hawkes, did you give Adam twenty bucks to throw us off the scent of the Phantom Decorator?" Danny asked, standing squarely in front of the table where Sheldon and Lindsay were working.
"You squealed?" Sheldon asked as he looked at Adam who was standing sheepishly behind Danny. Adam nodded.
"And what if I did?" Sheldon responded.
"That's low Doc, real low." Danny whistled.
"Listen, you're not the only one who placed a bet on who it was. I was just protecting my investment." Sheldon attempted to defend himself.
"What if it really was Adam?" Lindsay asked, having previously only been a silent spectator.
"It wasn't!" Adam and Sheldon said at the same time.
"How do you know?" Danny asked.
"Because I took one of the reindeer from the break room and dusted it for prints. There weren't any and I don't think Adam would have thought to wear gloves." Sheldon replied with a smirk.
"Hey!" Adam sounded offended.
"So, if it's not us, it must be Flack or Stella." Danny decided.
"What about Mac?" Lindsay commented.
"As if it would be Mac!" Adam exclaimed.
"Seeing as Flack is running the book, it can't be him. Can it?" Sheldon asked.
"That only leaves Stella." Lindsay summarised.
"It must be her." Adam agreed.
*
He was like a magpie; everything that sparkled caught his trained eye. This time it was a small snowglobe. The base was silver and inside was the New York skyline; the snowglobe was clearly old as it still incorporated the World Trade Center. He looked at the scene in the globe; it looked so familiar to him. It was as though it encapsulated a moment in time that would live in his heart forever. A time when New York was whole. As he shook the globe from side to side he watched the snow fall down on the miniature buildings and allowed himself to briefly drift off into memories of the old New York. The New York he had known for so long.
He wouldn't take it to the lab, it was personal. His own little time capsule.
He decided to take figurines of drumming boys instead and lined them up on the table as he had done the previous night with the reindeer. After one final shake of the snowglobe he set that down on the table and went to bed, the thoughts swirling in his mind like the fake snow in the globe.
Somehow he finally managed to sleep. A deep sleep that made him miss his alarm. In his morning haste he scooped the drummer boys into a small box and in his morning haze, placed the snowglobe in his jacket pocket.
*
"Okay, I have to find out who is doing this." Stella said as she walked into Mac's office that evening. It had been a long day for all of them, she had been in the field with Danny, Lindsay and Sheldon, Flack had been in court, Adam had been in the confines of the lab and Mac, well Mac had been in his office all day completing paperwork.
"Excuse me?" Mac asked, looking up from his computer screen.
"The Christmas decorations. Come and see what's in the break room." Stella said.
Mac smirked as he stood up, ready to follow Stella and keen for the distraction from his paper work.
"Hey!" Stella exclaimed when Mac stood up. "Why do you have a snowglobe in your pocket?" Stella asked, noticing the glass orb protruding from the jacket he had placed over his chair.
"I… uh… I." Mac faltered.
"It's you? You're the Phantom Decorator?!"
"I…"
"That's awesome!" Stella replied, her face breaking into a smile.
"It is?" Mac asked.
"Yes! I had thirty bucks on it being you."
Mac simply smiled.
*
He sat on his couch that night having decorated the small Christmas tree as he had done every year. Since Claire died he tried to work every day he could, even Christmas. It had no meaning for him without her, he wasn't even at home if he could help it yet every year he would put up the tree and decorate it, maybe he was hoping for a Christmas miracle, maybe it was his way of holding on to her.
Maybe it's time to let go he thought as he passed the snowglobe between his hands.
Allowing himself one final chance to drift away into his memories he shook the small globe and whilst he watched the snow fall he read the inscription out loud to himself, "Thank you for being my Christmas miracle. Love always, Claire. X."
He knew in that instant that next year his routine would continue as it always would. And even if his time as the Phantom Decorator had come to an end, it was nice to know he had delivered a Christmas miracle his wife would have loved.