Title: Silver Bells and Silver Linings (1 of 4)
Author: trista groulx aka dustytiger
Rating: T like the show, to be safe
Disclaimer: I still don't own CM, and I also don't own Christmas or anything related to it I just love it.
Summary: Rossi wants to be home for Christmas with his new love, Garcia, but a snow storm has other plans. Will the magic of season win?
Notes: This was written for the Christmas Gift Exchange on Chit Chat on Author's corner. The prompts were the song Silver Bells, Family, Love and Snow. It took me a while to figure out how to use these prompts because I usally get more specific things, but with these ones love, family, and snow kind of shape the story. You'll see… this has four parts and I hope you enjoy it. I really have had a lot of fun writing this, and as per usual I should be updating daily, but my computer is sick so it might have to be done from work, bare with if I don't reply.

David Rossi sighed softly as he settled into the hard hotel bed. Lately he had been noticing just how uncomfortable hotel beds could be. If anyone told him a year ago that this would be the direction his life would have gone he would have called them crazy. But he was happier than he had been in a very long time. He looked at the side table where he'd put a picture of a still colourful blonde, despite hours of labour holding a newborn swaddled in pink. He never thought he'd be a father and certainly never would have though he wouldn't marry the mother of his first child but he was happy with the choice they'd made. She didn't want to be the forth Missus Rossi and he didn't want her to think that he only stayed with her for their daughter. He was lying in the bed staring at the ceiling when his phone started to ring. He reached for it, assuming it was someone else on the team informing him there was yet another body. He wondered if this case would ever end.

"What now?" he growled into the phone expecting it to be more bad news.

"What's wrong my Italian Stallion?" she asked.

He could hear the sadness and the hurt in her voice through the phone. He hated to be the reason something upset her. She had to see so much bad due to her job that he always went above and beyond to shield her from more sadness. He knew he should have checked to see who was calling before he picked up but his mind was distracted. After the amount of time he had been doing the job he could normally turn off the horrific images that could haunt a person, but there was something about this case that would not let him rest. He hated himself for almost taking his frustrations out on the woman he loved. He had promised himself that this relationship would be different, that his new love would not have to bear the brunt of his bad days.

"I'm so sorry Kitten," he sighed. "This case is brutal. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."

"When you get home I'll change my ringtone so you'll always know it's me and not someone else with even more bad news," she assured him. "I know this case is horrific. I have to track this skeez-sub all over the cyberverse."

"You're right I forget what you have to see on your screens sometimes Sweetheart. At least you get to go home at the end of the day."

"It's not the same when you're not home with me I wish you were here my sweet. Rozalie just doesn't settle the same way without a snuggle from her papa. She doesn't understand that you need to help other people's babies when you're not with us."

Rossi couldn't help but smile upon hearing her say that, he was so glad he had found a woman who truly understood his job and why he did it. The rest of the team were still having trouble wrapping their heads around the change in their teammate's relationship but they were glad the couple were so happy. After what had happened with Caroline the only person he really felt like talking to about the situation had been Garcia. Although he'd told Prentiss about it from the start he didn't feel like Garcia was profiling him as they spoke everything that had happened like the rest of the team had done before he even told them the truth. She just listened to what he had to say, offering whatever comfort she could. She had even encouraged him to tell her about the good times between the two of them telling him it would help him move forward and it had, in a direction he never would have expected.

After that experience he knew his feelings for her had changed and he made sure that he soon became the man who mattered, romantically, in Penelope Garcia's life. She had broken up with Kevin Lynch months before, after he'd asked her to, once again, leave her life and start one with him. He had never understood how much her job and family meant to her. Even after she had hacked his many online identities he would still come back and ask for another chance. Finally after watching her try to be nice for months, even while they were openly dating, he had taken matters into his own hands. He knew that even with matters of the heart there was one thing that could make a man forget all of his so called devotion. Rossi was still surprised by how little Lynch accepted to leave the state and agree to never again speak to Garcia.

"How did I find a woman who is so understanding of my job and why I do it, even when it's days away from our first family Christmas?" he sighed.

"You're just lucky," she assured him. "Besides I know the universe won't have you that far away for Rozalie's first Christmas I know you will catch this guy soon and come home to us."

Her constant optimism never ceased to amaze him. Despite all the horrible things she was forced to see, and to hear about daily she still always found the silver lining. The thing she had to endure for her job and her family were kinds of things he knew she wished she didn't have to believe were real, but she always rose past it. She was always able to help her teammates fight their demons. He still remembered wondering how a woman like he did the job she did when he'd first met her, but soon realised that it was all part of her charm, not a coping mechanism. She was positive and bright and cheerful in a world that needed more colour. Her unique aura and outlook was the glue which kept the team from breaking and he knew that he was more than lucky to get to have that in his personal life.

"Thank you I'm going to try to keep positive as well," he assured her. "It can be so hard after everything we see Kitten."

"That's why you've got me. I know that world can be a scary and sucky place sometimes but I also know that the universe always gives us beautiful things too. I can't not believe that when I have you and Rozalie in my life," she explained. "Our sweet little angel is still awake if you want me to put the phone to her ear."

Rossi was relieved to hear that their six week old daughter was still awake, if he had known how a child could help to bring a person back down to earth he would have become a father long ago. He had never understood how the parents on the team managed before. He didn't think he would want to bring an innocent life into the world after seeing how horrific it could be. He didn't he'd be able to his job knowing about the child that waited for him at home but he found out even before she was born that knowing that person was going to be there made him want to make the world a better place. He still had pangs of guilt about the stress he had put Garcia under when she had become pregnant. She had truly believed he never wanted to be a father and would hate her for the news. She had of course been overjoyed when she took the test and then realised what it meant.

Rossi still remembered waking up to find her gone. He was sure she'd come to her senses and finally left the older man. When he found the positive test in the trash bin he'd had his own version of morning sickness before he realised what a blessing it was going to be and for the first time in his life he knew he wanted to become a father. He had gotten dressed and went right to the one place she would go feeling her relationship was over. He would never forget the look of pure anger and judgement on Derek Morgan's face when he opened the door. It still shocked Rossi that he'd let him into his home. When he went into the bedroom he saw something he thought he never would and knew he'd caused. Garcia looked defeated, curled up on the bed clutching a pillow. Clooney, Morgan's dog growled at the senior agent as if the canine knew that he had caused this woman to fall apart.

All Rossi had been able to tell her before he had succumbed to his own emotions was "I want this, you, all of it." When the two of them came down from the emotional breakdown, hers of overwhelming joy after thinking she'd lost him and his due to the pain he knew he'd caused her he had proposed and she refused. Through everything she steadfastly declined his requests and continued to do so. She did not want to the forth Missus David Rossi, she didn't want a ring on her finger, she didn't want a big white dress and expensive ceremony all she wanted was his heart, and she knew she had that. He had always been taught to do the right thing. His strict Italian Catholic upbringing had taught him that you did not bring a life into the world without a commitment in front of God; but the mother of his child was even more stubborn telling him that universe giving them something he had never been given before was proof that they would remain together was enough proof their love would stand the test of time. Even with four brothers and three surrogate ones encouraging her to at least wear a ring she refused. Their daughter was given his name, Rozalie Jane Rossi, but Garcia remained true to herself committed fully to the man she loved but on her own terms.

"I needed to hear that thank you. That would be wonderful, but Reid suggested we should use the speaker option to be sure that it won't affect her development. I could tell you about the studies he's shown me."

She giggled. "I didn't need you to go all Doctor Reid right now my love."

"We can't be too careful with our angel."

"All right Baby, we'll use the speaker option on the super smart phone from now on. Rozalie Daddy wants to say goodnight. You're on speaker Sweethearts."

"Goodnight Daddy's angel, I miss you so much Princess. You be good for Mommy and I'll be home as soon I can. I love you Rozalie."

"She's smiling she's so happy to hear your voice," Garcia cooed.

"Our angel should be happy to hear her Daddy. Are you two ready for Christmas?"

"Yes we are we just need you to put the star on the top of the tree for us, and of course we need Santa to come. I bet she would ask Santa bring you home if she could. She's trying to find out where you are. Daddy's in the phone Angel Cake, I'm sorry. I think I'm gonna go grab my tablet so she can see you my honey bunny."

Rossi laughed. "Rozalie your Mama is a little bit crazy but I love her more than I thought I could."

He talked to them for a few minutes more, knowing he would at least be able to rest that night. He never slept well without his wife by his side but at least after he spoke with them he was able to get enough rest to be able to focus on his work the next day. After saying goodnight to them both and reassuring them of his love he hung up and curled up in the hotel bed. He had her t-shirt in his hand and brought it close to his nose as slept so that he could trick himself into believing she was close.

End Part 1

Notes: Well that's first part thank you to Lost Child of Gallifrey you gave my muse something she was not expecting and I think she really ran with it. This has actually been one of the most challenging pieces I've written as well up there as a favourite write because of how different I made it. Please let me know what you think (all of you).