Title: Unwrapping the gift of Christmas
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, CBS does. Likewise I do not own the song "Christmas Shoes" by NewSong used as a prompt in this story.
Genre: Friendship/Family
Paring: Reid/Prentiss
Notes: This story is written for Daisyangel as a part of the CM Xmas 2010 gift exchange challenge on Chit Chat on Authors Corner. My prompts were: "Christmas Shoes" by NewSong, gingerbread men, mistletoe and snowflakes.
I have used all the prompts in the story. "Christmas Shoes" is used to set the theme and mood for this story.
Note regarding timeline: Set in season 4, the Christmas after Minimal Loss (s4ep3). Warning: spoilers from season two and onwards.
Flashback is marked by writing in italic.
New scenes are marked by: *****CM*****
I wish your all a very Merry Christmas.
Reid found himself placing the object back where it came from for what must have been the 6th time that night. He still had his doubts if this wasthe gift for Emily. Reid had put a lot of time and effort in finding a gift for her. But as he had come to find out, she wasn't the easiest person in the world to buy a gift for. He wanted to find her something special, something that would cheer her up… something that would be able to put a smile on her face after an especially grim case. Not just any ordinary gift could do. In this antiques shop, there were plenty of possible gifts. But the gift for Emily had proven very hard to find.
She hadn't been her usual self for a while now. Reid somehow hoped this present could bring a smile back on her face. It was a childish hope, he knew that. But he desperately wanted her to smile again. He wasn't sure, how much longer he could take it, just watching as more and more of her usually joyous demeanor disappeared for each day that went by.
That case had changed her for good. He wasn't sure if he had really seen her smile since that day.
Working at the BAU was never a straightforward job. There was never such thing as a "typical day at work". What they saw at a daily basis, the never ending stream of cases, the one more gruesome than the other, was enough to make anybody doubt the good in mankind. Reid had his trouble keeping his sanity in all this chaos. His worst nightmare had become reality after his meeting with Tobias Henkel. He never really looked the same way at the world after that time in his life. As it had turned out, it was the incident at Benjamin Cyrus' compound that had been the case that changed Emily.
Reid's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a small boy at the counter of the antiques shop. The kid was barely tall enough to see over the counter, and so he stood on tip-toes trying to get the owner's attention. The kid was dressed in a warm coat, trousers, boots and a woolen scarf. The clothes were worn and generally a bit too big for him. To Reid it was obvious that it was hand-me-down clothes, but they were scrupulously clean nonetheless. The kid had short, blond and very messy hair.
Reid noticed a small vase in the boy's one hand. It was white with blue and green ornament flowers painted on it. With the other hand the kid emptied his pockets for coins, and put them on the counter. The shop owner smiled kindly while he counted the money.
Reid smiled to himself. He just couldn't help it. That little scene reminded him so much of that time…
12 year old Spencer stood in line at the checkout at the supermarked. He was getting increasingly nervous. It was the woman who kept on asking intrusive questions who was at work that day. Spencer was sure that the woman knew something wasen't right with his mother. Normally he would avoid shopping here, and instead do his grocery a number of differens places, so he woulden't be recognized too much by the salesclerks. But as it were, this shop was the only one left open so close to Christmas.
It was the day before Christmas, and Spencer really wanted to find a gift for his mother. He had been very busy right up until this day taking care of her. It had been 5 months since his fatter had left them, and so this was their first Christmas alone. Perhaps this was the reason why his mother has had such a long period of bad health. Spencer had decided to go buy something to cheer her up. He really hoped that could somehow make her feel better.
Spencer felt very restless and uneasy standing in line like this. He'd left his mother home alone while he'd went out shopping for her gift. He was anxious to get back home as soon as possible. He diden't like the thought of her being home alone while she had one of her bad days.
As Spencer emptied his grocery basket, he clearly felt the scrutinizing gaze from the woman behind the checkout.
"You're gong to do some baking, huh kid?" she asked while scanning his grocery.
"Y-yes… erm, it's for tomorrow…" Spencer answered while he tried to bag the grocery as quickly as possible.
"You're celebrating Christmas with your mom?" the woman asked.
"Y-Yes" Spencer nodded uneasy.
"What about your dad?"
"H-He coulden't make it home" Spencer answered quickly, while he paid the woman.
Before she could ask another question, Spencer said a quick "Merry Christmas" before he practically fled the store.
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Later that afternoon Spencer was busy taking the last griddle with gingerbread men out of the oven. A slightly burned, sweet smell of gingerbread men were slowly spreading through the house.
The cakes were a bit burned at the edges and some were not quite resembling the shape and size of ideal gingerbread men. But that diden't matter at all. What did matter was the big smile on his mother's face when Spencer had come home with the ingredients for baking gingerbread men. It was as if the dark shades on her face were replaced with nothing but smiles.
That afternoon was wonderful. Diana had lit up, and the seemingly ever-present dark clous in her eyes lifted. They decorated the house and the Christmas tree together while listening to Christmas songs. She told him stories of Christmases past and read Shakespeare to him in front of the fire, while the snow was slowly falling outside the windows. Spencer enjoyed watching his mother in a better mood. He was glad that she seemed fine again. But he knew this was one of her good days. He decided that day to make sure she would get more of those.
Reid's thoughts were interrupted by the chime of the shop door bell, indicating that someone had left or entered the shop. Reid looked around him only to see the small boy had left.
Reid smiled to himself as he picked up the antique snowglobe. It was as if one looked down on a town square from far above ground. There was miniature houses, Christmas decorations in the streets and a merry-go-round in the middel of the town square. Reid gently shook the globe and fine snowflakes fell above the small houses. His fingers found the small key and carefully began to pull up the musical box. Reid smiled as "White Christmas" began playing from the musical box. Now he was sure that this was the right gift for Emily.
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Reid entered the BAU bullpen only to find it practically deserted. Almost everyone had gone home for the night. But Reid knew Emily would still be here. Lately she'd buried herself more and more in work.
Even the bullpen was decorated for Christmas. Colorful Christmas lights decorated the ceiling and small Christmas trees was placed around the bullpen. Above the main exits hung bundles of misteltoe - an idea Garcia had come up with so she would get a chance to "make out with her chocolate santa" as she'd put it.. So far that had resulted in some pretty embarrassing moments between the different members of the team, but Reid had managed to keep himself out of trouble for the time being.
As Reid had expected, Emily sat at her desk wrapping up some report. As Reid came closer, Emily looked up.
"Hey Reid, what are your doing here?" she asked, surprised to see him there.
"I could ask your the same question." he said. "You're the only one still working."
"Yeah, I thought I would finish some reports while I have the chance to work in peace." she said, looking down at the paperwork in front of her.
Reid sat down at his own desk opposite hers. On every desk sat plates with miniature gingerbread men baked by Garcia. That had been another of her ideas to make the bullpen more cheery for Christmas.
Reid fumbled with his coat, suddenly feeling himself getting nervous again.
"I-I…" he began in a high-pitched voice. Emily looked up at him while frowning. Reid cleared his throat and spoke up again.
"I have a Christmas gift for you." Reid said as he carefully gave her the wrapped gift.
Emily looked at him with surprise as she took the gift from him.
"Oh, Reid. You diden't have to do that."
"I know, but I wanted to." he answered plain and simple. "The thing is… you seem different after the case with Benjamin Cyrus. And I wanted to cheer you up."
"That's sweet Reid, but I swear I'm fine." Emily said, the gift temporarily forgotten.
"No, you're not. And I had the exact same answer when you asked me that question, remember?"
Emily knew what Reid was referring to. The one case where Reid hadn't answered his phone but gone to a bar to meet a friend instead. That look of disrespect and disgust Reid had given her that day still made her insides turn. That had been so unlike Reid. So unlike the behavior of the kind man he usually was.
"Emily?"
Reids soft voice made her look up.
"You're right." was all she said.
Reid looked at her with surprise, but before he got any chance to say anything, Emily continued.
"I guess I've just been trying to forget all about it. Trying to forget the danger Cyrus put us all in and what could've happend."
"But it turned out just fine, Emily. We saved the children. That was a good day."
"I know that!" Emily said a bit too harsh and continued in a softer voice "But at the same time we placed the whole congregation in danger by playing along Cyrus' tune."
Emily fell silent before she spoke up with a very low voice. "And I placed you in danger… after all you've already been through."
Reid was surprised by Emily's words. "If anything I was the one to put you in danger. You were the one getting beaten up." Reid said softly, his voice filled with concern.
"Yeah, but you were the one in close contact with Cyrus all the time." Emily retorted.
Reid smiled in spite of himself. "You forgot to open your gift." he said.
Emily looked down at the gift she still held in her hands and slowly began unwrapping it.
"Oh Reid, it's beautiful!" Emily exclaimed as she saw the snowglobe.
"Try pull up the music box in it." Reid said.
As "White Christmas" began playing from the music box, Emily smiled. It was a funny feeling, smiling, but it felt good.
Reid felt harpy when he saw the smile on Emily's face. Her whole face lit up with that smile. Like it had been with his mother that day.
"Thank you so much Reid. This is a wonderful gift." Emily said happily.
"You're very welcome." Reid said with a smile.
"Do you want to get out of here?" Emily asked.
"Y-yeah sure." Reid said taken aback by her suggestion.
Emily picked up her coat and turned off her lamp. Together they walked towards the exit.
Emily suddenly stopped, causing Reid to come to a halt.
"Have you forgotten anything?" Reid asked puzzled.
Emily answered by pointing upwards. Reid followed the direction with his eyes and spotted the misteltoe.
As he looked down again, Emily's face had come closer. As they stood there, they could feel each other's breaths on their lips.
Reid swallowed hard, feeling himself turn a bight color of red from head to toe.
He knew what the correct social behavior was for a situation like that, but at the moment he coulden't move a muscle.
Emily slowly leaned in and placed her lips on his. The kiss was short and sweet. Emily thought she could taste a faint hint of coffee on his lips. Reid felt his legs turn into jello and a loud ringing in his ears. He just had enough time to think that this coulden't possiblely be healthy.
As Emily pulled back from the kiss she said in a low voice "I forgot to wish you a merry Christmas."