Title: Silver Bells and Silver Linings (Part 2 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 part is a little shorter than the first one. I wanted to show a different side of Garcia and build up suspense. Thank you for the support so far on this one it's so different from what I normally write I hope everyone likes the direction. Oh the baby sling is something so of my mommy friends swear by.
Garcia stood at the window, with Rozalie in a handmade sling sleeping on her chest, she had a blanket wrapped around them both, watching the snow falling. Garcia thought that the sling was one of the best gifts she'd been given because she was able to have Rozalie close to her even when they were on the move. The infant hadn't been sleeping well with Rossi out of town and she found she settled quicker when she was close to her mother, listening to her heartbeat to soothe her. Usually Garcia loved snow storms, especially on Christmas Eve but that night she wanted it to go away. Knowing Rossi was trying to get home to them. She needed to see him home safely before she could relax and enjoy the beauty of the scene. She hadn't seen headlights on the street in so long she wondered if the road was blocked. She looked down at the sleeping infant.
"I hope your Daddy gets home soon Sweet Angel," she whispered. "It's really coming down out there."
She decided she needed to get her mind off of the weather. Christmas songs always cheered her up so she put on a mix of her favourites and curled up on the couch. She tried to focus on her sleeping daughter but it was hard. She kept looking out the window, and wondered if Rossi was trying so hard to get home because of how much she wanted him there and not because he wanted to be home for Christmas Eve. She knew that her daughter would not remember if her father made it home that night or the next when the storm settled it made a difference to Garcia. She wanted Rossi home for their first Christmas Eve together so they could share their traditions. When the case the team had been on had finally wrapped up, with a surprisingly happy end she was sure that it meant he would be home like he was supposed to be, but now the weather had other ideas.
As much as she loved her home it was starting to feel isolated. She had told Rossi that she wasn't comfortable alone at his cabin in Little Creek in the winter, and he had agreed to find them a home she would like. It was not far from the city, but the houses on the road were so far apart that sometimes she felt like she was the only person there. When she'd lived in her apartment when she got worried she could go knock on the door of one of her neighbours and have a cup of tea, talk and get her mind off of everything, but here all she had was technology. She would normally call her best friend but she knew he was always trying to get home in the storm, and wanted him safe. She knew Rossi's phone was dead and didn't want to interrupt her other friends' holidays.
She stood up again, and went into the kitchen. She sighed softly, knowing she couldn't do anything else to be more ready for their first Christmas dinner. The turkey was in the pan, the vegetables were cut, the stuffing was made, and all of it was in the fridge ready for the next day. There were various cookies, and cakes sitting on the island waiting for someone to enjoy them. Her nerves were so frayed she couldn't even enjoy sneaking a midnight ginger molasses cookie.
She had even set the dining room table in her earlier boredom. The twelve seat table had all of the plates, glasses, and utensils they would need to host their friends. She had even put a high chair near the end of the table so that Rozalie could be included in the meal despite her still only nursing. There were red and gold accents all over the table, and brand new pillar candles ready to be lit. She knew that the team would be back in time for the dinner but she wanted one person to come through the door sooner.
She paced back into the living room, and again looked out the large window. She wondered if their neighbours were all home or safe where they were going to stay that night. Still, she hoped to see headlights breaking through the falling snow. The flakes had once again gotten bigger since she had last looked. The outside of the house was well light, and she could see that a lot of snow had fallen. She realised that the view from her window was like a Christmas card and even thought for a moment she would prefer it to all be green if it meant having him home where he belonged.
She went right past the room she shared with Rossi. She never slept in there when he wasn't home. The mattress in the guest bedroom was from her old apartment and she would sleep there when he was on a case. She was more comfortable alone in the familiar double bed than the oversized king sized bed they'd bought when they agreed to live together. She went into the guest room but knew she wasn't going to settle, and wanted her daughter close. She ran her fingers along the baby's cheeks wanting to reassure her that her daddy was going to be home soon, but unable to form the words. She just looked down at the sleeping child and tried to focus on her instead of how much she was worried about Rossi getting home in the storm.
Garcia wondered into Rozalie's room next. They had painted it purple and had chosen a princess and the frog theme for her. The sheets all were purple and lined with lily pads, and there were frogs all along the board of the room, and a large princess painting on wall. Garcia loved the room, and she normally found it would help to calm her down, but that night her mind was still too restless. She wished he would call her, to tell her he was all right but she knew how focused he could be when he was trying to get something done. She picked up a book from the bookshelf, which was already full of children's titles thanks to Spencer Reid, and began to read it out loud hoping it would calm her nerves.
As she got settled in the rocking chair with the book she started to feel a little more at ease. She softly recited a story she remembered from her own childhood, hardly even looking at the words on the page. The chair had been hers from when she was a baby, and it had been her mother's before that, and she knew one day Rozalie would be rocking her own child in that chair. After she was done with the book she sat in the room thinking about her mother, she almost always did when she sat in that chair with her daughter, mostly trying to recall happy memories.
"Mom, please keep him safe," she whispered. "He's good to us. I know you can see that. I love him and I don't know what I'd do without him I know he feels the same way about me. Talk to whoever you need to make him walk through that door in one piece before the sun comes up."
Garcia swore she felt something warm against her cheek as more tears escaped. It was moments like this she missed her family the most. She and her brothers had stopped celebrating together at Christmas after her eldest brother had his first child. They decided it would be better for the kids to remember Christmas happily rather than as a celebration of the grandparents they would never know. They would celebrate together on New Year's Eve the first part of the evening was always full of tears but the second part would be about happy memories that would give them hope for the year ahead.
Alone in her home with her daughter sleeping Garcia couldn't help but wish she had her mother with her to help her. To assure her that everything would be all right, even just to have someone to talk to who she felt would understand like only a mother could as she waited for the man she loved to get home. As positive as she could be she would never understand why she didn't have her parents like her friends did through the first years of their children's lives. There were so many questions only her parents could answer. She hated being alone on Christmas Eve. She stood up and went back into the living room, hoping to see any sign of another person on the road. She sat down again, her favourite Christmas songs still playing softly in the background. Her eyes were getting heavy and her exhaustion soon won.
End Part 2
Notes: This part was a little shorter just because of what it was dealing with. Sorry for the cliffhanger. Please let me know what you think.