Title: Angel Guardian's gift

Written in response of CCOAC challenge

Pairing: Emily/Reid

Disclaimer: Do not own CM

Things: an iPod, a movie, and teddy bear

Big thanks to my beta Ella Snow for her outstanding help.

This is something my granny used to tell me when I was a little girl.

Emily was curled up in a blanket, Derek's iPod in her ears. She was trying to watch the movie she had borrowed from Pen, but couldn't stop shaking: she still could see all those children there, buried, and separated from their parents-alone. She had been the one to discover the bodies, Emily stood until they put the monster behind bars, but then she cracked. The team had tried to help her, and-

He silently came to her side

Emily saw Reid pull a teddy bear out of his bag with her peripheral vision, and briefly wondered what he was doing before her thoughts were redirected towards the victims she had failed.

"This is Alphard, my mom gave him to me when I was a little boy and I was scared. She told me that when we're born we all receive a guardian angel, but because they're in heaven they can't come- but they know when we need them. They leave us gifts: a blanket, a puppy, a teddy bear-something to let us know that we're not alone, because when you get that gift it means that your angel is close to you, and you feel better..."

"Yeah, I got a yellow ducky, but my mom threw it away."

"Well, Alphard is going to stay with you until you feel better."

Emily hugged Alphard until her sobs receded and her shaking stopped, eventually fading into a peaceful slumber.

Monday morning, when everyone arrived, Emily found a brand new rubber ducky on her desk with a note attached:

"A new guardian, to keep the monsters away."

When she saw Reid, she gave him a big kiss.

"My new guardian is amazing, but Reid, not every guardian angel comes in the form of a teddy- some come in the form of a Special Agent."

And left Reid with a bright smile.

The End