"It's Christmas," JJ said.
As if on cue, bells began to chime in the distance. "Listen to that," Morgan said.
"Ah yes, church bells are welcoming this little princess into the world," Dr. Hollister replied as he handed the little girl to the waiting medic, a towel in his arms to receive her. The doctor immediately turned his attention to clamping and cutting the cord. "Do an APGAR please." The medic nodded and carried the wee girl to the worktable.
"No," Morgan replied. "What can't you hear?"
Everyone listened intently. "The wind," Reid replied as he headed for the door and looked out at a blanket of white resting calmly where the snow had been fiercely blowing only minutes ago. He turned his head in the direction of the sound of the bells. "Uh guys…"
"What is it Reid?" Hotch approached the window and Reid pointed in the direction he'd been looking. The church steeple could clearly be seen in the darkness as glowing above it was a star of Bethlehem.
Reid and Hotch looked at one another and Reid squinted, not quite sure what to make of it.
JJ ran to the bathroom, returning each time with two bowls of warm water until she thought there was enough to clean the baby. The EMT smiled, "You've done this before."
"Had a baby yes," JJ gestured around the room at all that was going on, "this, never."
"Just one on complexion doctor," the medic called out.
"That could have been from the mother's blood loss. I think it will improve for the next check. She had a very good cry. If it's not we'll give her some oxygen." The doctor replied as he prepared to deliver the placenta. Maria had seemed to fall asleep and everyone looked grateful the Morphine had kicked in.
"Sats are up, BP's improved and pulse is steadier," the EMT monitoring Maria told the doctor.
"So," Dr. Hollister began as his fingers worked through the incision he'd made, "this place has been closed down. What are you people doing here?"
Hotch explained the situation of the unavailability of hotel rooms due to the holiday and Mr. Trelor's offer.
The doctor began to chuckle. "No room at the inn, huh; I think I've heard that somewhere before. In fact, come to think of it, when we came in here and there was a pregnant woman," he looked at Hotch, Rossi and Morgan, "let's say three wise men, some animals." He gestured with his head toward Astro, "Even a shepherd."
"As the only other one here when you guys arrived, I guess that makes me the ass," JJ whispered to the medic who began to laugh.
"Wait until you get a load of what's outside," Reid added sending Rossi and Morgan to the window.
"Hmm," the doctor speculated. "What are the chances that a snowstorm grounds your plane? What are the chances that you people are not able to find even one hotel room in our city? What are the chances that you would end up in a closed down garage at just the spot where Maria here would have her accident? What are the chances that I just happened to be at the hospital when the call came in? What are the chances there'd be mattresses on the floor and people who could help? What were the chances that both these girls would survive?"
"Slim to none," Rossi admitted.
"This little girl was meant to be born and we were chosen to help her." The realization hit Morgan at last.
The doctor removed the placenta, placed it in a pail and then began suturing Maria's incision.
"Baby's complexion has improved doc," the EMT announced. As he made notes on his form JJ scooped up the wee girl and took her to her makeshift bed. She grabbed a pink sweater from her clothes and wrapped it around the little one tying the sleeves like a bow.
"She almost looks like a present," Reid noted.
JJ ran her finger along the tiny girl's cheek and began to sing softly.
The best gift
That I ever got
Didn't really weigh a lot
It didn't have a ribbon round
And it sometimes made a terrible sound
The best of all it seemed to me
It wasn't neath the Christmas tree
And yet, I guess I'd have to say
That it made all the other presents twice as gay
The best gift that I've ever known
I'd always wanted most to own
Yet in my dreams of sugar and spice
I never thought it could be so nice
The best gift that I'll ever get
Was sometimes dry and sometimes wet
Was usually pink but oftentimes red
As it lay so innocently in its bed
The best gift of the year to me
The one I hold most dear to me
A gift that simply drove me wild
Was a tiny newborn child
"Santa, you do deliver the best presents," Blake told Hollister.
"Ho, ho, ho," he chuckled. "Okay," Hollister said when he'd finished his sutures. "I just want to pack her to try and stop the bleeding. Make sure the hospital has two units of O neg ready for us," he told the EMTs as they left to get the gurney.
"Ma'am," one of the medics addressed JJ. "Do you want your sweater back?"
JJ shook her head. "It'll keep her warm and she's pretty in pink."
The men got busy with getting their gear together and getting Maria and her baby to the ambulance. "Thanks for your help Agent Hotchner." Hollister shook his hand. "And you all have a very Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," the team echoed in unison.
Hollister grabbed his Santa coat and waved at them as he hurried to the ambulance. As Hotch closed the door behind him, his cell phone rang.