Chapter 5

December 5, 2008

--

Emily sighed. The way they were working, either Hotch had forgotten about their plans to wrap presents or there was simply too much work. The clock was ticking closer and closer to eight, when she had been planning to head over to the shelter, and it didn't seem like the workload was lightening up. Reid was mumbling under his breath, something about Christmas, tree lights and victimology, while Dave, and Derek were out talking to Victim Number Two's husband. Hotch was just outside their little conference room on the phone to JJ. She sighed again. This time, Reid looked up.

"Everything okay, Emily?"

"Fine," she replied, trying, and succeeding, to hide her disappointment.

"You don't seem fine."

"Reid, I'm fine, I promise. Can you hand me Derek's notes from his interview with Jake Howard?"

The younger agent handed over the requested page. "You've been antsy all day."

"Am I not allowed to have a restless day?" she all but snapped. "Sorry."

"See? You're not okay."

"And you're not helping," she answered with a saccharine sweet smile.

"Prentiss." Hotch had poked his head back in the room.

"Yes, sir?" She said it on reflex, she knew she said it on reflex.

"Let's go."

Emily raised an eyebrow, but followed. "Sir?"

"Reid, we'll be back in a few hours. When Dave and Derek get back, head back to the hotel unless they've gotten something from Jake Howard."

Emily felt irrational hope swell in her chest as she followed Hotch out the front door of the precinct, all bundled up. "Hotch?"

"Do you know where we're going?"

"For gift wrapping?" Her heart swelled again.

"Of course." He looked at her. "You thought I'd forgotten."

She shrugged. "I figured it was just that you thought we had too much work," she replied, climbing into the car.

His eyes and face went surprisingly soft as he turned to her. "Christmas tradition is important."

Emily felt herself blushing, even more so when she pulled the flyer out of her purse. She waited until they were stopped at a nearby red light to rest her hand on his arm. "Thanks Hotch."

"Hello!"

Emily smiled at the cheerful lady who greeted them from behind a table.

"Are you here to help us with our Christmas wrapping?"

"Yes ma'am," Hotch spoke up from behind her.

"You're not from our neighbourhood, are you?"

"No ma'am," Emily answered, "We're on a business trip."

"Well! How incredible of you to take time off to help us! Find a table. I'll have Mason bring over gifts for you to wrap."

"Thanks," Emily said softly, discretely dropping a twenty into the nearby donation box. She knew it was probably for money that would go to next year's drive. She and Hotch made their way over a table where a young couple was already wrapping. Or kind of wrapping anyway. It seemed like they were way too busy with each other instead of the presents.

"Oh! Hi!" The woman giggled. "I'm Lily."

"Emily." She tried for a polite smile, really she did. Peppy people annoyed her when they weren't Penelope Garcia.

"Tim distracts me so easily," she giggled leaning into him.

Emily looked up at her supervisor, trying not to roll her eyes.

"I believe these are for you?"

Emily smiled at the man who had brought over a tub of toys. "Thank you."

"No problem. You're not from Bozeman."

"Washington," Hotch answered.

"Well, we'd really like to thank you for bein' here. Means a lot to us."

Emily smiled widely. "It's our pleasure." She pulled the first toy out of the box.

"You guys look official."

"Came straight from work," Emily replied easily, quickly finding wrapping paper, tape, scissors and other wrapping bits. She saw Hotch follow her lead out of the corner of her eye and smiled. She knew it had been a long time since Hotch had been out of his working environment.

"You guys are here with the FBI?"

Hotch looked up at the man.

"They came to talk to my neighbour today. Lexie was... she was something."

"You knew her?" Hotch asked.

Emily almost rolled her eyes when he ignored the look he shot her. This wasn't supposed to be about work, it was supposed to be about giving back to the community.

"Yeah."

"Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt her?"

"No. Lexie was a great woman. Maybe a little selfish at times, but a good woman."

"Selfish?" Hotch asked, accepting the wrapping paper she handed him.

"Well, who isn't, sir? She got extremely competitive around Christmas. The light competition was important to her."

That caught Emily's attention, though she pretended she was ignoring the conversation. She glanced up every once in a while to take in the man's body language, but tried to focus on the gifts at the same time.

"The decorating competition."

"It's important in our community. It's easy to take it too far. Anyway, I've got other things to do."

"Of course," Hotch agreed.

Emily waited until he'd left before raising an eyebrow to Hotch. "You couldn't take half an hour off, could you?"

"An opportunity presented itself. I need your finger."

She looked down at the present he'd managed to wrap while talking to Alexis Howard's next-door neighbour and bit her lip. There was only one way she'd be able to offer her help and it was going to bring her right up close and personal with her supervisor. She stepped close, snaking her hand beneath his arm to delicately place her pointer finger against the ribbon. She gasped when his arm lowered, forcing hers to bend and her body to lean forward. It took her off guard enough that she had to step toward him or risk tumbling them both to the floor.

--

Hotch heard her gasp, felt her breasts against his arm and couldn't stop the reaction of his body. Years and years of hiding his emotions kept him in check as he made quick work of trapping her finger in the ribbon. "Thank you."

Her body's shiver was the only evidence that she'd been affected by the exchange at all. That and the quick step away, back to her wrapping. He almost thrilled when she wouldn't look at him, when he saw that blush creep up her cheeks. Emily Prentiss was as affected by him as he was by her.

Well that changed a lot of things. It didn't change that they were colleagues, that he was her supervisor, but it did change the game a whole lot more than he'd originally anticipated. He was in uncharted waters now. And he was surprised to find it was a thrill.

Short, I know, but these first couple of chapters can be difficult to write and remind myself that he can't just throw her down on the nearest table. Especially when you've got to keep them in character too. Life's just like that though, so we'll see what I can do.

As per usual, reviews are gingerbread cookies or peppermint hot chocolate. Two of my favourite things during the holiday season!