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Surprise

Reid parked his rental in the guest parking at Rosa's apartment and sat thinking for a moment. He should have called her before showing up unannounced. He looked at his reflection in the rearview mirror and frowned. He shoved his bangs back on his forehead and sighed. It was cold and sitting out in the car wasn't going to do anyone any good.

She lived on the third floor, but he took the stairs rather than wait for the elevator. If he waited, then he might decide to bolt. The hallway was empty when he stepped out of the stair well. He could hear muffled sounds behind other doors, music, television, and a couple of loud conversations. The carpet kept his footsteps quiet, but he didn't like that it was beige just like every other apartment building he'd ever seen.

He knocked on 3B with the knuckles of his right hand and waited. She didn't answer so he knocked again. Still no answer. He knocked one last time before admitting defeat. He pulled out his phone and was about to dial her number when he thought better of it and decided to go to his hotel. She was probably on shift. He turned away with slumped shoulders and a frown. Perhaps he'd run over to see his mother. It was after dinnertime so he should be able to spend a couple of hours with her before he'd try to call Rosa.

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Rosa leaped out of the car as her partner brought it to a screaming halt at the end of the alleyway. "Freeze or I will shoot!" She shouted at the man trying to scale a chain link fence.

He didn't stop so she holstered her gun and took a running start at the fence. She hit it with a clang of metal as Lee shouted after her. "I'll go around and cut him off."

Rosa didn't hear the squealing of the tires as Lee threw their car in reverse and backed out of the alley as fast as she dared. Rosa climbed over the fence and dropped to the ground about ten feet behind the fleeing man. "I said stop," she panted and removed her gun.

"Try ta catch me, bitch cop," he yelled back. "Ain't no one ever caught Billy B, baby."

She shot over his head, and it didn't slow him down. "Damn," She swore and tore after him, or rather, attempted to tear after him because something was very wrong with her ankle. Hot burning pain shot up her leg as she tried to take a step. "Damn it," she shouted just as a siren screamed up to the alley."

Her partner cut off the fleeing suspect just as he was about to vault over the car. She slammed him up against the hood of the vehicle and put a gun to his neck as Rosa limped out into the city streetlights. Several people gave them a wide berth. A couple of kids yelled obscenities, and one girl about twenty, said something about jack booted thugs as she passed and gave them the finger. Rosa ignored her for her partner who was giving Billy B his rights.

"….right to an attorney, if you can't afford an attorney one, will be appointed to you. Do you understand you rights, asshole."

"Yeah, I got it. Get off me, bitch, the cuffs are killing me."

"Oh, that's too f-ing bad."

"I'm gonna sue you for excessive force."

"Cry me a river," Lee said and she manhandled him into the car and slammed the door.

"Always making new friends wherever you go," Rosa said.

"Damn straight."

"At least we got him."

"What the hell happened to you?" Lee demanded as Rosa limped around the car.

"Nothing."

"That ain't nothing. You can barely walk."

"I landed wrong back there. It's nothing a little ice won't cure."

Lee grabbed Rosa as her partner began to get into the back of the car with their suspect. "No, I'm taking you to the hospital.

At that moment, a black and white sent to back them, pulled up to the curb. "You need help."

"Yeah, can you take this dingle berry in, Detective Hernandez is hurt?"

"Sure thing."

"Lee!"

"Shut up and get in the car. We're going to the all night clinic."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine and you know LT Riker would say the same."

Rosa slammed into the passenger side and stared out the window. "That's my good girl," Lee cooed sarcastically.

"Stop treating me like a child."

"Stop acting like one and I will," Lee shot back. "I'm sure you just have a sprain, but if I don't take you to the clinic it'll be my hide with the LT."

Rosa didn't respond until they pulled into the parking lot of the all night clinic on the hospital campus. "Lee."

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

Lee pursed her lips as she parked. "What's going on with you?"

"It's nothing."

Lee observed her best friend and partner in the orange glow of the sodium parking light. "I can see it's not. You haven't been right since Spencer got shot."

"Don't," Rosa started.

"If you can't talk to me… then you should be talking to him."

"I tried that already. It didn't work."

"I'm sorry -"

"Look, don't apologize, Lee. I'm sorry I've been acting like such a bitch."

"It's okay because I happen to care about you."

"I know. I just can't talk about it now. Can you understand?"

"Yeah, just don't let it fester, Rosie. Call him."

"I did. It didn't go very well."

"What happened?"

Rosa opened her door. "I don't want to talk about it now, Lee, please."

The tears in Rosa's voice had Lee getting out of the car. "I'm going to get a wheelchair for you."

"Okay, thanks, Lee."

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When Lee followed Rosa out of the clinic door three hours later, her foot was wrapped in an Ace bandage and she walked on crutches.

"I told you…" Lee began.

"Okay, so you were right. Damn it. Why on Christmas Eve?"

Lee patted her back. "Look on the bright side. You'll get lots of sympathy from your family and if you -"

"Stop right there. I'm not calling Spencer."

"Then I will."

Rosa stopped at the end of the pathway to the parking lot. "No, you will not. If you do, I'll ask the LT for reassignment."

Lee's eyebrows went up as she took in Rosa' furious eyes. "You're serious."

"Yes, I'm serious. Please drop it."

"I'll drop it, for now."

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When Reid reached his hotel room, he nearly turned around to leave again. It was ten pm on Christmas Eve and he had nothing but an empty room on the other side of the door. His feet wanted to take him to Rosa. She was the reason he'd come to Las Vegas in the first place.

He went inside because there was nothing else to do but go to bed and try to figure out what he'd do in the morning. Surely, she'd answer the phone if he called her or the door if he went over on Christmas morning.

She'll probably slam the door in your face or hang up on you.

He decided he didn't want to hear what the voice of reason said, so he set about getting ready for bed. When he'd brushed his teeth, he went back to his bed and looked at the cell phone on his night table. If he left a message for her then - the phone rang as he reached for it. It was her number on the display. His heart leapt up in his throat as he touched the screen to answer the call.

"Rosa," he squeaked.

"Hey, Spencer."

They didn't speak for a long time until Rosa broke the silence. "I'm sorry for this morning. I was upset. I miss you and I really wanted -"

"It's okay," he interrupted. "I overreacted because you're right. Sometimes my job gets in the way of everything."

"It's who you are. I accepted that long ago. I just hate this long distance thing."

"Well, what if I told you that I'm in town."

"What?"

"I'm in Las Vegas. I came out to see you and my mom. I thought I'd try to see Mary, too."

"Oh, she is so cute. I went over to see her a couple of weeks ago. She's doing great. The Goldsteins are wonderful with her. They still have Damien as a foster child. His mother's going away for five to ten for beating him. They're thinking about adopting him, as well as Mary."

"I think that's wonderful news."

"Me too, they're such a great little family."

"I want to see you," Reid said firmly.

"Me too, that's why I decided to call you."

Reid smiled. "I have a feeling there's more to your change of heart."

"I'm not going to ask how you know that because it wouldn't do me any good."

"Well…"

"It was Lee. She talked sense to me, but I didn't tell her she was right so…"

"You want me to keep it to myself," Reid said.

"Yeah, what's it going to cost me?"

"I'll tell you when I see you."

"Now," she squeaked and Reid almost laughed.

"Now."

"Alright, but I have a surprise for you that you might not like."

"What's wrong?" He demanded.

"Nope, you'll have to wait until you see me."

"Rosa."

"I said no."

"Then I'll have to see it for myself. I'll see you in fifteen minutes."

He hung up before she could protest and changed back into street clothes. It was more like twenty-five minutes when he knocked on her door for the second time that night. He waited and thought that he'd dreamed the entire conversation because she didn't answer. He knocked again and she said. "Alright, Spencer, hold your horses."

He grinned at the irritation in her voice and then his mouth dropped when she opened the door and he saw the crutches.

"Welcome, my love," she greeted with grin. "Bet you wish you'd stayed home."