Author's Note: Special thanks to sweber22, SQ215, Jotchprossi18, p95000, Flames101, and canny-bairn for the reviews. I am absolutely overwhelmed and humbled by the interest in this story. Thank you all so much!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the dvds.
Monday, December 19:
"Hey," Prentiss said, excitedly as JJ lay her bags down on her desk Monday morning. She sat on the edge of JJ's desk. "How'd it go on Saturday?"
JJ glanced around, making sure no one was paying attention. "It went fine. We had some pizza and watched some movies. Jack fell asleep on me and I had to stay the night."
"Where'd you stay?" Prentiss asked, mischievously.
"In Hotch's room." JJ held a finger up to her, threatening. "He stayed on the couch. He insisted."
Prentiss chuckled. "I bet he did. What the-" she pointed to her wrist.
JJ pulled the bracelet from her pocket, giving it to Prentiss to examine. "Two more birds and a gold hoop."
"So, that's a bird with a pear, a dove, a hen, what looks like a blackbird, a gold hoop, and a goose."
"It's the twelve days of Christmas," Reid mentioned, offhandly, walking past them. They both looked at him, stunned. He dumped his bag on his desk and returned to them, his hand outstretched. "May I?"
Prentiss looked to JJ, who shrugged. She handed the bracelet over.
"See, this is a partridge," Reid explained, pointing to the first charm, "and this is a turtle dove. This one is a hen. There is no such thing as an actual 'French Hen.' This one here is a blackbird, which used to be called a 'colley bird' in England. It's been changed in the song to 'calling bird.' This is a gold ring, but that's actually incorrect, also. The ring in the song refers to a pheasant, but almost no one knows that. This last one is a goose. It's the first six days of the 'Twelve Days of Christmas.'"
JJ and Prentiss both groaned.
"How did I miss that?" JJ asked, taking the bracelet back from Reid. "It's so obvious now."
"Of course, the twelve days of Christmas actually refers to the twelve days between Christmas and the Epiphany, but like a majority of the song, that's fallen into disuse." Reid paused when he realized that were staring hard at him. "What?"
Prentiss shook her head. "So, what does it mean if you get the gifts of the twelve days of Christmas? Or at least the representation of those gifts."
"It means somebody cares about you a lot." Reid smiled at JJ before returning to his desk.
"You don't think Reid..." Prentiss' voice trailed off as she and JJ looked over to him.
JJ bit her bottom lip, thinking it over. "Nah. It's not his style."
Prentiss looked unconvinced. "So, what do your tags say now?"
"'JJ, you are the most wonderful.'"
"Wonderful what?"
JJ shrugged. "I guess I'll find out tonight."
"Great news," Rossi announced, coming into the bullpen and beelining for Prentiss and JJ. "We're on stand down until after the first of the year."
"How did you pull that off?" Prentiss asked him.
Rossi shook his head. "I didn't. Hotch secured it."
"Go Hotch," Prentiss muttered, walking back to her desk. "Hey, Jayje? I want a text tonight."
JJ pulled out her phone as she walked into her apartment that evening, the most recent present in her hand. She sent Prentiss a text that simply read "Woman," assuming Prentiss would know to what she was referring. JJ pulled out the newest charm, a gold swan, and placed it on the bracelet, vowing to do her own research into the history of the twelve days of Christmas.
