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A/n this follows, "If the Shoe Fits," and breaks the pattern a bit, as you will see.
When Reid stepped off the elevator the day after their case in Montana, he found Garcia waiting for him with a cup of tea. "Hey, Sweetcheeks! How are you this morning?"
"I'm fine, and I don't want to talk about what happened with Claire Dunbar."
"I wasn't going to talk about that," Garcia said. 'You told me a few weeks ago that you're trying to cut back on coffee, so I made you some tea."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Reid sipped the tea and was about to take his first step toward the bullpen when he noticed something about Garcia. "Wait. There is something else. What are you hiding?"
Garcia shrugged. "Nothing, Reid."
"Ah-ha," Reid said when Garcia's eye flicked across the hallway toward the bullpen. "What's going on?"
"Oh," Garcia huffed out an annoyed breath. "I hate profilers."
"Penelope!"
"Alright, but you have to promise not to say I ruined the surprise."
Reid almost choked on his second sip of tea. "What surprise?"
"You'll see. It wasn't my idea."
"Who was it?"
"I can't tell you. Come on and see."
Garcia led the way into the bullpen, where JJ, Morgan, and Kate all stood near Reid's desk. He saw a vase with an arrangement of large purple roses and what looked like a golden crown made of paper. "Guys," he sighed. "What is this?"
"An offering to Prince Spencer from his loyal subjects," Morgan said with an accompanying flourish and head bow.
"Very funny."
"Don't be mad," Kate said. "We are all impressed by how you fit right into Claire Dunbar's fantasy. You saved a man's life."
"Yeah," JJ said. "I was there, remember, and you were very convincing."
"The roses are beautiful, but you're all delusional and should be locked up if you think I'll put on that crown."
"Pretty boy, got attitude," Morgan said with a grin.
"I'm not 24 anymore. Also, purple is one of my favorite colors. These match my tie," Reid said as he pointed to himself.
"We can see that," JJ said.
"You had to know that they mean royalty when you picked them out," Reid said to JJ, who went a little pink in the cheeks.
"I did, but I figured – "
"You all thought I would blush and tell you to stop teasing me. Sorry to burst your fantasy, but I like the roses and the crown, and I intend to keep them here on my desk as "King of the bullpen."
"Oh, hilarious," Morgan said and gave him a semi-friendly smack.
"Now that you've presented your gift," Reid made quotation marks with his fingers. "May I sit down and enjoy the tea that Garcia was so kind to make for me?"
"Sure," Kate said, and they all left him alone with the roses.
Reid breathed in their scent and decided he'd done his job even though he wasn't a prince or a king. He hoped that Claire would receive the help she desperately needed.
