"What are you doing?" Reilly asked as she walked over to Reid's desk. "Bit of magic." He smiled at her. "It's so cool come watch." JJ said. JJ, Garcia, Emily and Reilly watched as the cap flew off and out of sight.
"Reid." Hotch said in a warning tone. "Right not in the office." Reid said. "Really starting to get distance on those things." Hotch said. "I still thought it was pretty cool." Reilly smiled at Reid.
It wasn't long after lunch JJ appeared with a case.
"Morgan can you hear me?" Emily asked.
"Loud and clear Em." He replied.
"Reilly can you hear me?" she asked.
"Yeah." She the voice sounded disgusted.
"Reid can you hear us?" Morgan asked.
"Yeah."
"What's wrong with you two?" Emily asked.
"We're in almost total darkness and I think I have dead rats under our feet." Reilly stated.
"That's nasty." Emily said.
"Morgan I don't think we're going to find him down here. We're heading up." Reid said. Morgan lowered his gun. They wouldn't find anything here tonight. "Alright we're heading back Hotch." He said.
"They will be but you won't." a vice said before two gunshots went off. "Morgan!" Emily rushed down to Morgan's level and Reilly and Reid were coming up. The unsub was headed down the firs escape.
Hours later they left the hospital with Morgan in tow. "So what your not gonna speak to me now Pretty Boy?" Morgan asked. Morgan was going to be just fine. One bullet missed and the other hit him in his shoulder. It barely nicked the artery. "Reid has the right idea. Why didn't you at least say something?" Emily frowned.
"You get shot and try to speak." He said. "Alright that's enough from everyone. We got the unsub and tomorrow we're going home. You are going on medical leave and we are all going on a much deserved break for the rest of the week." Hotch said.
"Fine by me." Reid said glaring at Morgan.
On the jet Reilly looked at Morgan. "What do you want to know if it hurts?" he asked. "I know it hurts. I've been shot before. Crime lab gets some action." Reilly told him.
"What was that like?" Morgan asked. "Pretty cool. Miss it a little bit but my former boss thought I'd do a better job here then there. The whole group of them thought I'd do better here. I like it here but I still miss them. They were a great group of friends. But sometimes things did get crazy in the lab." Reilly admitted. "You ever miss the beat?"
"Do I ever miss the beat? I do sometimes because it kept me close to my mother and sisters but now I now I can do more here then I ever could just working for the force. Besides the fact my mother isn't calling me asking me if I'm okay everyday." Morgan said.
"She doesn't want to lose her baby. You're her only boy and you have to carry on the name and give her some grandbabies." Reilly smiled. "That's not what I wanted to hear from you." Morgan frowned.
"Sorry I got an older brother and my mother says the same thing to him. Get a real job settle down and give me grand children. That was before Sarah had the boys." Reilly said. "What does your brother do?" Morgan asked.
"He's a firefighter. It's his life and it pisses me off." Reilly chuckled.
"Why is that?"
"Because when I had to move back home with my folks Theo thought it was a good thing if we had plans and routes to get out of the house. We made the plans and all that. Then one night I just get done with a 36 hour shift I wasn't sleep for more then an hour or so and suddenly the fire alarms go off and there's smoke in the house so I start running through the house waking up the kids getting my parents and getting everyone out of the house." Reilly shared.
"So he set the house on fire?" Morgan raised a brow.
"No he got two smoke machines from a friend of his. I was so mad at him for that. Mom wasn't too happy either but I was far more upset because I hadn't slept. But they cleared the smoke out and everyone was able to reenter the house. When I woke up again Theo had this look on his face. I gave him a black eye." She chuckled.
"In my house we had pillow fights." Morgan said.
.::*::.
Hotch stood in front of Reilly and smiled. "Now you been here a full year. You've worked well with the team and get the job done. You have your choice to go try your time with another unit or you can stay with us." Hotch said.
Reilly thought for a second. Literally a single second before giving her answer. "I want to stay here you guys." She smiled. "Good we enjoy having you around." Rossi said.
Everyone was getting ready to take his or her two-week vacation for the holiday. Finishing up paper work and putting everything in order before they left. "Hey you joining us for the dinner right. It's on the twenty seventh." Reid asked.
"What?" Reilly checked her calendar. "I don't think I'll make it." Reilly said. "What? Why?"
"I'm going home to my family. I haven't spent a Christmas with them in three years I think it's time I got back." Reilly said. "We'll miss you." Garcia said hugging the woman.
"I'll be back on the twenty eight if you want to get together for some desert." She smiled. "I think we could do that." Garcia smiled.
"Bye everyone. I'll send your gifts you should have them on the twenty third." She called.
Christmas when she was young had been a big thing in her house and it had been a loving affair. She and Sarah were friends then. They helped bake cookies sneaking some of the dough and looking for the Christmas presents. Sarah had been the one who ruined Christmas for her at the age of six. She had gotten mad and told her there was no Santa.
"Glad you could join us." Theo said as Reilly got off at the gate.
Back in D.C. everyone was setting up for Christmas them selves. Hotch was baking cookies with Jack and watching little Christmas movies.
Rossi was alone for the holiday yes but he could still enjoy himself. Maybe call Reid and Morgan over sees what those two had gotten into. Emily went to her mother's. Reid was indeed with Morgan and Morgan was showing him yet another Morgan family Christmas tradition.
JJ was home with Will and Henry decorating for the holiday. Hanging lights and keeping Henry from outing the light and bulbs in his mouth.
"Guess who's home." Reilly called as she entered the house. The twins attacked her with hugs. "There's my baby girl." Reilly's father gave her one of his famous bear hugs. "Air Dad. I need Air." She gasped. "You're getting thin again. We can't have that." Her mother hugged and kissed her cheek.
A throat was cleared. Reilly turned and saw her sister. Her sister was dressed for the occasion. She looked well rested and had put on weight. "Hi Reilly." She smiled at her sister.
"Sarah." Reilly held a clam expressionless face.
"Kids follow your Uncle Theo into the kitchen while I talk to your Aunt Reilly." Sarah told her sons.
"No. They can stay. What is it?" Reilly asked flatly.
"I'm clean Reilly. I got cleaned and I feel so much better now. I've gotten and job just a little one working in a dinner but it's something. I'm going to go back to school in the fall. I'm working on getting a place for me and the boys." Sarah said. Reilly nodded and everyone continued into the kitchen.
The holiday was turning out to be rather surprisingly enjoyable for everyone. "Octa did you get the cider?" Armand asked. "Behind the milk dear."
"So got any stories for us from that job of yours?" Theo asked. "None that I'm telling you. Wish I could forget what I've seen." Reilly closed her eyes for a second and reopened them.
"Then what about the people you work with. The one with the salt and pepper hair was rather nice to me while I was in the hospital." Sarah said. "Rossi? He's a lady's man and total charmer. He's funny when he wants to be but sometimes when we get a bit unruly on the jet back home he scolds us like idiot children." Reilly laughed.
"The really skinny guy with the long hair. Please tell me he is sick or something and he has a legitimate excuse for being that thin." Octavia said.
"Reid. Reid is that thin. I was told he's always been thin. I've seen the boy in a bathing suit he's always been that thin. But he's random. He's a genius. No seriously he's a bloody genius. He can process 20,000 words a minutes when he reads. He can remember anything her had ever read. He keeps really odd useless facts though." Reilly shared. She told her family about the people she worked with. Including Garcia and all her sweet antics.
"Garcia tries to brighten our day. She's always there with a smiled because we see the worst of it. So she brightens everything up to forget the horror to help us forget the horror. Besides the fact that karaoke nights of nuts. Fun but nuts." Reilly laughed.
.::*::.
Everyone was sitting down to dinner minus one redhead. They were in the middle of eating when there was a knock at the door. "You can't have dinner with out deep dish apple pie." Reilly appeared in the door. This time she was dry not wet like she had been.
"You made it. I came home early. You guys are just as much as my family as the people who raised me. Besides I have a skinny doctor to fatten up on behalf of my mother. Reid come eat this pie." Everyone smiled or laughed.
.::*::.
Another year went by and cases came and went. Nightmares were had some more gruesome then others. Drama was seen in more places then one and laughs were cheered. Whether over beers and the bar or song at Karaoke. They managed to make it through the year without to much injury.
"Do you ever date?" Morgan asked.
"Morgan just because I don't command attention from the opposite sex like you do doesn't mean I don't date. I went out on a date three weeks ago." Reilly stated.
"So when are you seeing him again?"
"It's none of your business Morgan." Reilly stated closing the door so of the elevator.
"Why are we here? Why do we have to be here?" Reilly complained. Garcia. JJ and Emily had kidnapped her and dragged her out of her house on a Friday night. Will was there also because it was a friend of his they had dragged her to meet.
"Here he comes." Will said. "Jean-Claude how you been?" Will greeted his friend. His friend was tall and thin yet built. His eyes were a greenish blue and hair fell about in soft dark curls around his shoulders.
"Claude you remember JJ and these are her co-workers. Emily, Garcia and Reilly."
"Nice to meet you." He nodded to them. His eyes fell on Reilly who was avoiding his. "Why so shy?" He asked sitting next to her.
"I'm not shy. I just have a cold." Reilly sniffed to add effect. "So sorry to hear that Ma petit." Jean-Claude smiled at her.
"Essayez douce me parler si vous voulez en connaitre le francais, mais juste, que chaque mot que vous dites." (Try and sweet talk me if you want in French but just know, I know every word you say.) Reilly told him.
Jean-Claude nodded. JJ's phone rang. She stepped away leaving the others. "So Jean-Claude how long are you staying for?" Garcia asked.
"I'm moving here permanently. I like it here. Everyone's so nice and the woman are very beautiful." He looked at Reilly. JJ came back over. "Sorry baby got to go." She said kissing Will. "Give Henry a kiss for me."
"Be safe."
"Lets go." Reilly called to her. Jean-Claude seized her hand and brought it to his lips kissing her hand between her middle and ring finger. "Good-bye." He smiled before letting her hand go. Reilly trotted out the door to the others.
"I hate you all and I'm asexual." Reilly declared.
"Oh let the man woo you." Garcia laughed.
"I don't need wooing I'm asexual." Reilly growled.
"Since when?" Emily asked.
"Since ten minutes ago." She growled back at them.
They trotted into the conference room and took their seats. "Why are you blushing?" Reid asked. "Mind your business." She hissed.
.::*::.
"I'm getting to old for this." Rossi complained as he sat down. "Then quit." Hotch told him.
"So Reilly when did you declare yourself asexual?" Morgan asked.
"I don't know what your talking about." She tried to hide her ears, which began to turn red. "Then why are you blushing?" Morgan asked. Reilly put her headset on. "Oh smooth." JJ chuckled.
.::*::.
"Garcia come on we have to get going. Bring a friend will end soon." Emily called. "I'm coming, I'm coming." She grabbed her purse and met them at the elevator. "What's wrong?"
"Someone is on this elevator already they're coming up." Reilly said looking back at the numbers. The door opened. The person on it was the shocker. "Hello Cher. JJ, Emily and Garcia." Jean-Claude nodded to them.
"I hope you're here for Emily because my red angel is asexual." Garcia smiled at him. "Well even if that may be so would she object to lunch with me?" he smiled.
"I might." She said. "Juste un jour dejeuner. Ou nous pouvons avoir du café." (Just one lunch date. Or we can get coffee.)
"Fine I'll have lunch with you." Reilly told him.
"Have fun." Emily waved as they walked through the parking lot.
"Now why would you declare yourself asexual?" Jean-Claude asked. "That's a bit personal." Reilly stated pulling her scarf tighter around her neck. "Yes very sorry. Then might I have the grace of learning your full name?" he asked.
"Reilly E. Mercer. Yourself?" Reilly looked down one end of the street and Jean-Claude the other. "Jean-Claude N. Penbrook." He stated.
"Well Monsieur Penbrook I hope your up for a little traffic playing. This light is ridiculous. On three follow my lead." Reilly said. "Three." Reilly dashed out into the road narrowly missing a car. "I said three." She shouted over the cars.
At that moment the light turned yellow and then red and Jean-Claude walked across the street. "Mademoiselle I do believe you are one of the strangest women I have ever had the pleasure of meeting." Jean-Claude smiled.
An hour later Reilly walked into the bullpen with a pink nose and flushed cheeks. "So I'm guessing the date went well." JJ smiled. "It wasn't a date but it was nice." Reilly smiled the rest of the day.
"So when is the date?" Reid asked.
"When the sky falls and you get a date." She smiled. Reilly did have a date for that Friday night. She found herself unable to hide the smile as she went home that evening. Two days and she'd be enjoying a lovely dinner with a handsome Louisiana native. They could talk for hours if they wanted and she knew it. He was a man of knowledge. Well what else would you be when you're a high school teacher for an English class.
But sometimes things had to be put on hold and dates had to wait. Jean-Claude understood and they postponed. He couldn't wait to see the redheaded wonder he had met. The blue eyes that stuck out against the flames.