Reid's Gift To Himself – Chapter 2
A/N: This is for the CCOAC 17th Challenge – New Year's Resolution. PLEASE REVIEW … so I can improve this story before the deadline of 1/31/12. Thank you again, to those of you who review, and to those who are following my story.
Happy Holidays to Everyone! I'm my own beta, so I hope I've done myself proudly. Here's Chapter 2 … Enjoy!
*** Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Criminal Minds. This story is only for entertainment and for improving my writing skills. ***
December 1st
Reid wished himself a Happy Decision Day. It was December 1st and he was glad. He felt much more relaxed than he thought he would feel. Reid acknowledged that as a good omen regarding his upcoming decision to be made when his timer went off. He got ready for work as usual. When he put his watch on, he quickly grabbed his wrapped timer and slipped it into his pocket. Off to work he went.
Garcia was the first one in to work, just like she planned. She didn't have any time to waste. First she ran to the break room to start the coffee maker. Then, she dashed quickly to her team mates' offices and desks, dropping off her parcels. Once she finished, she stopped by the break room to pour herself a much needed cup of coffee. As soon as she fixed her coffee the way she liked it, she went back to her office, and closed her door. Garcia planned to stay in her office behind her closed door until around 11:00 am. She didn't want to risk running into anyone on her team in the kitchen, the hall, or the bullpen. She didn't want to embarrass any of them, or embarrass herself. She figured that by 11:00 am, feelings would be under control.
The BAU team is a close-knit team. They're a family. They spend a lot of time together. They share a lot of things and information between themselves. But they don't share everything. By now, every member of the team knows quite a bit about each other. And that includes traumas, sorrows, and regrets. Still for all that each member has shared, there is a wealth of personal issues that none of them will ever reveal to anybody.
Every year you hear people laughing and joking when they announce what resolutions they are going to make. But because they laugh and joke, nobody takes them seriously. Plus they tend to spout off the standard list of common statements. But Garcia knows that most people don't have lives like hers and her team mates. Most people don't purposefully seek out, and find, the most horrible of horribleness every day. The BAU knows that there usually is someone in the closet, under the bed, or forcing their way into your house. Monsters and Boogie Men do indeed exist. And no matter how many times you catch one of them … there are always more, and more, and more.
This is why Garcia dropped off the parcels instead of presenting them to her friends. She wants them to take her gift seriously. Garcia used the same brown wrapping paper for each book. The same handwritten note was sealed in an envelope with first names written on them, and taped to the wrapping paper.
On each note, Garcia wrote: "I've given each of you this same book, and this same note. This isn't meant to be a joke. It's from my heart to yours. I hope you will take a little time to look through this little book and see if you can find a way to PRIVATELY start healing whatever part of your life you need to heal. I'm talking about the things that we don't talk about, and we never will. We all have them, but we can never share them. I'm going to use this book to help me do something that I so badly have wanted to do for so long. But I never knew how to go about making it happen. I never felt it could ever happen. I've wasted many years waiting for it to happen. We are all so stupid sometimes. The only thing preventing us from healing is ourselves. You will never know what I'm doing about my issue. I can never tell you about it. I have to do it by myself … for myself. And even once I accomplish it, I still won't tell you. I love each of you so very, very much. Your love fills my heart. But at the same time, knowing that you have secret pain in your life … it breaks my heart. Please use this book the same way I'm going to use it. PRIVATELY!"
At 9:15 am, the first email arrived from Hotch. Garcia read it and smiled before going back to work. Then two emails arrived at 9:30 am from JJ and Prentiss. Garcia read them and chuckled a bit before going back to work. Two more emails arrived at 9:45 am from Rossi and Morgan. Garcia read them, and laughed out loud before going back to work. Garcia was still chuckling occasionally when the final email arrived at 9:59 am. She eagerly opened it and was surprised to see how long it was. The prior five emails were only one or two sentences long. This final email was from Reid, and it was three full paragraphs. Garcia's eyes were burning by the time she reached the end of the first paragraph. Her eyes were watering by the end of the second paragraph. That third paragraph brought full on tears. Garcia couldn't stop herself. She grabbed a few tissues and went to find Reid.
A laughing and smiling Garcia is what everyone on that floor was used to seeing. People were stopped in their tracks at the sight of her. Garcia was a mess, a crying and sobbing mess. When she reached the bullpen, Morgan and Prentiss were the first to notice her. They both jumped up, but before they could even speak, Garcia called out loudly, "Reid! Where's Reid?" JJ and Rossi came out from the kitchen. Hotch came out of his office. But Reid wasn't there. They all tried to comfort Garcia, but she wasn't having any of it. She kept saying, "I need Reid! I need Reid!"
When Reid returned from the men's room, he found his team gathered in the bullpen surrounding Morgan tightly holding a sobbing Garcia. "What's going on?" Reid asked, concerned.
Garcia broke away from Morgan's arms and walked up to Reid. She gently placed her right hand on Reid's cheek and said, "My baby genius. My beautiful, most elegant baby genius. Thank you." Garcia kissed Reid on the other cheek and almost squeezed the life out of him as she hugged him dearly. The team stood there watching and hoping for some kind of an explanation ... none came. Garcia and Reid said nothing more. They watched as Reid's eyes watered. Then he closed his eyes as a few tears fell. Hotch signaled his team to walk away, to give them some privacy. After a few more moments, Garcia broke the hug. She put one hand on Reid's chest over his heart. She put her other hand over her own heart. Finally Garcia smiled as she took a deep breath and said, "From mine … to yours … forever." Then she escaped back to her office. Reid quickly dried his face, put his head down, and walked straight to his desk. Hotch, Rossi, and JJ had gone back to their offices. Reid knew that Morgan and Prentiss would pounce any second, so he looked at them and said, "Don't. Don't ask. Everything is fine, now. Remember, there are things that we are to deal with PRIVATELY."
"Oh!" Said Emily. "Right!" Said Morgan. They both understood what Garcia had meant about certain things needing to remain private. Emily gave Reid a big sad smile. Morgan gave Reid a strong squeeze on his shoulder. Then everyone went back to work. The rest of the work day was a good day. A bit strange and quiet. There was work to be done, and it was done. There were meetings and discussions, and they took place. There was interaction and small chitchat as usual. Privately, all seven team members of the BAU were focusing on themselves and each other. Throughout the day, each had re-read Garcia's handwritten note a couple of times. Each time, they felt stronger and they felt loved by Garcia and each other. At the end of the work day, the team still had gentle smiles on all of their faces. It felt good. It felt nice. It felt right. They all said their goodbyes, their goodnights, and their see you tomorrows. No one suggested going out for drinks. No one needed it tonight.
Reid had stopped at a liquor store, on his way home from work. He felt it was appropriate to celebrate his midnight countdown with a chilled single-serve bottle of Champagne. When the countdown alarm went off, he was startled. We went to the kitchen, got a glass, and poured his Champagne. Reid took his drink back into the living room. It was a few minutes past midnight and the 30-Day process had begun. He stood at the window and looked up at the sky. Reid raised his glass in a toast and said, "To me." He sipped his drink until it was gone. He felt good. He felt very good. It was time for bed now. Tomorrow was going to take a lot of brain power for Day 1.
A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. It's short, but that's because I'm waiting to be assigned my 2nd character. I don't want this story to have flashbacks. So I won't post another chapter until after Jan 2nd. I hope everyone stays safe and happy. And please find the time to send me a review. A few people are following this story, which is GREAT! But I also am desperate for reviews … good or bad, but proper. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!