Growel. I hate my stupid alarm clock, but I love it and need it too. I hate it because it always wakes me up from my pleasant dreams about… never mind! I love it because it gets me to work to see… never mind! I get up. 'I gotta get to work, It's Christmas Eve!' I thought to myself. I hurried down the staircase to my kitchen where I grabbed an energy bar. Then, mid – bite, I ran back up the stairs to get ready for work. Every other Christmas Eve has been lonely. But now I have a family. My Unit, my team.
It was Christmas eve, and Jane had just walked through the doors of the CBI. He wondered through the building until he got to the elevator that would take him to the office that he called home. He didn't really like the elevator much, but it was Christmas Eve, and he wasn't going to take the stairs. The way Grace got at Christmas, she might have spilt egg-nogg down the stairs or something.
I ripped my hairbrush through my tangled curls until it was at least smooth enough to run my fingers through – most of the way anyway. I grabbed my gun, and my badge, and I tore down the staircase and out the door. 'Dammit!' I thought, 'I forgot the presents!' I ran back inside and grabbed a six-inch sub, a hair-band, a toy motorbike, and, that last present. For Jane. I wonder if he'll like it.
Grace was already in the office when Jane came in. She was hanging up tinsel and stockings.
"Oh hey Jane!" she said as she climbed up on a computer chair to hang a stocking above Jane's couch.
"Uhh… Oh yeah it's Christmas Eve… um… hey." said Jane, before heading over to his couch.
"You alright Jane?" asked Grace as she began to step off the computer chair, and suddenly she slipped and let out a loud scream. Rigsby dived under her and caught her before either her rein-deer antlers or even a strand of her long, red hair hit the ground.
"Gee Wayne, thank you!" she said as she stood and regained her balance, and when she looked up, their eyes met. Two ex-lovers, crossing paths once more. She missed him and he missed her, but they both knew the rules, and the rules were the only thing keeping them apart. She stared into his deep, browney-blue eyes and he into hers, and they didn't realise that maybe they were staring a little too long.
Cho leaned out from behind his desk. "You two lover-birds better snap out of it! Boss will be here any second and she won't be impressed!"
Cho was right. Grace hurried back to her computer and sat down, quickly emailing Lisbon a Christmas email. Rigsby hurried back to his desk and began to fiddle with a rubix-cube. Jane was on his couch, in deep thought about what he had bought Lisbon for Christmas. He had bought the other guys presents, but he only really cared about Lisbon's thoughts.
I turned up into the CBI HQ car park, and parked my car with a jolt. I grabbed the prezzies and hurried through the doors. This was the latest I've been in a long while. I stepped into the elevator, and readied myself for the team. The doors opened. Wow. The whole office was covered in tinsel, and stockings were hanging above every desk, and, well, Jane's couch too. Jane turned and looked at me. "Oh hey Lisbon." He said, before turning back. 'Gee, Merry Christmas to you too.' I thought to myself.
Grace hurried up to Lisbon and gave her a small box wrapped professionally. "Merry Christmas Boss! I hope you like it!" Grace said, before going back to her desk. Lisbon opened the box.
Grace was so nice. I always liked Grace, but sometimes it's fun to boss her around, just because she's so nice, sounds mean, but come on, I am her boss. I looked down to the little box Grace had handed me and I saw a beautiful pair of earrings. They were green, (my favourite colour) I wonder if… never mind who, would notice them.
I walked over to Grace's desk, thanked her and put the headband on her desk. "Sorry I didn't wrap it van Pelt, Merry Christmas."
"Thanks boss! I'll put it on right now!" said Grace as she removed her antlers and slipped on the headband.
Thank god I bought her a headband. It's much more professional. Imagine getting arrested by a policewoman in antlers!
Rigsby gave Lisbon a card with five dollars in it, and Lisbon gave Rigsby a six-inch sub. He was ecstatic, and rushed back to his desk to devour his meal.
Lisbon then went over to Cho's desk, and put the little toy motorbike next to one of his toy cars. He cleared his throat and blushed a little in embarrassment.
"It's a paperweight if anybody asks." Said Lisbon, smiling at Cho.
"Wait Boss!" said Cho, "Here." Cho handed Lisbon card with five dollars in it.
Geeze! Men these days! Five bucks and a card! Wow! I can see the effort they went to!
I thanked the boys and van Pelt and as Jane had not spoken since I walked in I decided I would save his present to the end of the day. On my way to my office I put the emerald earrings in and slipped the ten bucks into my purse.
The team spun around to a scream of surprise coming from Lisbon. That's when Jane got up and walked over to her, smirking.
The team followed him to see another shetland pony in Lisbon's office, quite like the one that he'd bought for her birthday, apart from the fact it was wearing antlers and bells and had MERRY CHRISTMAS Printed on its saddle in huge, red letters.
Oh my god. I can't believe Jane bought me another pony! He knows I cant keep them, and he knows that I sell it back to him, so he ends up giving me five-hundred dollars for Christmas. I hate that. It makes me feel cheap about my gift to him, although I hope he likes it.
On the weekend before, I'd been to a 'Make your own doll' factory and made him his present. I feel kinda stupid about it, but ill laugh it off if anyone asks about it.
After the maintenance man had removed the pony from Lisbon's office and Lisbon was completing some paper work, Jane strolled into her office and sat on the couch. "Merry Christmas Teresa." He said, watching her pretend to ignore him.
Lisbon got up out of her seat and went over to him.
"You really don't deserve a Christmas present from me, but here you are anyway." She said, taking out the only present she'd bothered to wrap. "Hope you like it."
Jane slowly opened the wrapping, taking care to to rip the paper, and took out a small doll, with short, scruffy blonde hair and greeney-blue buttons for eys and wearing little brown leather shoes and a three-piece suit.
"Squeeze it." Said Lisbon, "Go on!"
Jane squeezed the doll and Jane heard Lisbon's voice in an imitation of his, and the words that came from the Jane-doll were…
HE IRKS ME. HE'S IRKSOME.
Jane smiled as he squeezed the doll one more time to hear my quote of him. I could tell he liked it.
"Thank you Teresa." He said. Then he looked up. "Mistletoe? Really?" He asked me, and I was really confused. I looked up too, to see a small piece of fake mistletoe sticky-taped to the wall above my couch.
"Grace!" We both said at the same time and laughed.
"We'd better follow tradition don't you think?" he asked,
"What? No." I answered, blushing.
"Come on…" he begged, and I realised he wasn't joking. He put the doll down and leant in closer. I sat closer to him on the couch.
I think Patrick Jane is like my alarm clock. I hate him, but I love him, and I need him.