Small Christmas themed one-shot inspired by a prompt at the comment_fic community on livejournal, which you can find in the end notes so as to not spoil the fic. I hope you all enjoy it!

I don't owe Person of Interest or any of its characters. Thanks to the lovely PJTL156 for the beta, any remaining mistakes are my own of course :)

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Title: Best Time of the Year to Develop Your Creativity.

Reese walked through the crowd of people, hands buried deep inside his coat pockets and frustration carefully hidden as he struggled to keep eyes on their latest number. Elizabeth Burke, a woman in her early thirties currently doing Christmas shopping along with her ten-year-old daughter.

December was just starting, but the streets were already filled with people carrying bags and boxes full of Christmas gifts or ornaments, making the already chaotic streets of New York even harder to deal with.

He had nothing against people's Christmas spirit. Quite the opposite. He enjoyed walking around the streets watching people laughing and being friendlier with each other, and admiring the bright lights decorating every corner of the city. It was a nice change. And even if it made it easier to follow someone without attracting attention, it also made it a hell of a lot harder to keep track of them. He had already lost the woman and her daughter once, having to turn to his phone to locate them.

And of course, there was the cold. Even with his coat and gloves on he was freezing, the thin fabric of his pants doing little to keep him warm. Maybe it was time to start considering a change of wardrobe during the season.

To distract himself from the cold and bustle, Reese turned on his earpiece.

"How's your tea, Finch?" Reese murmured, his voice low and smooth.

Finch paused his typing, looking down at the hot cup of tea he prepared only a couple minutes earlier.

"Quite good, Mr. Reese. Thank you." Finch resumed his typing. "Everything's all right with Mrs. Burke and her daughter, I presume?"

Reese watched the woman enter yet another store, her daughter behind her. "Yes. They just went inside a small shop."

He waited a couple of seconds before following her inside a shop filled with Christmas ornaments and, like any other store, filled with people. It took him a couple of seconds to spot the woman and her daughter watching some colorful stockings.

"I haven't bought you a present yet, Harold. Any hints on what you would like me to get you?"

Finch blinked, brows drawn together. His hands hovered over his keyboard as he tried to think on the best answer to that.

"I don't think that's necessary, Mr. Reese."

Reese chuckled softly. "Of course it's not Finch, that's what presents are about. You give them because you want to, not because you have to do it."

Finch opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Reese.

"There's a guy paying too much attention to them, Finch." Reese moved slowly closer, pretending to look at the glass balls placed on a shelf to his right.

Finch's fingers flew over the keyboard.

"There are only two security cameras in the store," Finch started after a moment. "One is pointing at the counter and the other to the door. I have no visual of Mrs. Burke or the man you're referring to, I'm afraid."

Reese took out his cell phone, discreetly taking a photo of the man. "Sending you a photo now."

"I'm running it through the facial recognition software, but it may take some time." Finch adjusted his glasses. "What's happening, Mr. Reese?"

"He's exchanging glances with another man," Reese murmured, taking another photo. "I think they're planning to strike now."

Finch received the second photo, immediately doing the same as with the first one.

"Wouldn't it be too risky attacking someone in such a crowded place, Mr. Reese?" Finch asked, a touch of anxiety in his voice.

"Not really. It can even help you hide among the crowd. If someone is attacked with so many people around nobody will notice who did it between the chaos and shock."

Finch swallowed. "What are you planning to do?"

"For now, wait. I'm close to the first guy. If I see any suspicious movement I'll be able to interfere before he can hurt them."

Reese watched as the woman and her daughter walked toward the section where the Christmas lights were, followed a second later by the two men.

"What about the other people in the store? They would also be in jeopardy if the men decide to perform their assault."

Before he could answer Finch, Reese watched the second man nod to the first, who took a knife out his pocket and moved closer to the woman. He immediately jumped into action.

Finch was startled by the sound of shots coming from his ear piece, immediately followed by cries of panic and horror.

"Mr. Reese? Mr. Reese?!"

Through the surveillance cameras on his screen, Finch watched as the two employees took shelter behind the counter while potential customers started running out of the store.

Finch almost jumped when he felt something wet near his left hand, and it was then that he noticed Bear had abandoned his bed to come sit at his side, looking at him with an almost worried look. He was whining softly as if asking what was wrong.

"It's okay," He murmured softly, putting his hand over Bear's head, petting the dog softly as he continued listening to the commotion at the store.

In less than a minute, the sounds of struggle in his earpiece missed its intensity, exposing the recognizable sound of a slightly heavy breathing and occasional sobbing and whispers almost drowned out in the background.

Reese straightened his coat before turning toward the woman. "Are you okay?"

The woman bobbed her head up and down furiously, eyes wide and arms tightly around the thin form of her daughter.

Reese turned to the employees, nodding to the unconscious men on the floor. "You should call the police."

"Mr. Reese?" Finch called tentatively, his hand firm but gentle on Bear's fur.

"Have I ever told you I like Christmas time, Finch?"

Finch blinked. "I... I beg your pardon?"

"I like it because it gives you the opportunity to be creative. Would it have ever occurred to you that a Christmas wreath could be used as a weapon?"

Finch's confused expression became one of horror as his mind wrapped around what Reese had just told him.

Lips curled up into a smirk, Reese looked at the unconscious men lying on the floor, one of them with a colorful and intricate Christmas wreath wrapped around his neck.

"Mr. Reese," Finch started, a reproachful note in his voice. He didn't say anything else. He just let out a sigh and rubbed a hand over his forehead. Why did he even bother anymore?

Reese's smirk stretched just for a second longer as he turned his attention back to the people still inside the store. Most of them were watching him with wide-eyed, open-mouthed, frightened expressions, the rest were too afraid to even look at him. Reese nodded politely at them before walking away.

As soon as he stepped outside, he drew a deep breath. "So, have you decided what gift you would like, Harold?"

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a/n: What do you think? Like it? Hate it? Please let me know!

The prompt was: Reese + Finch, "City sidewalks busy sidewalks/Dressed in holiday style/In the air/There's a feeling of Christmas" - Bing Crosby, "Silver Bells" (Kudos if it involves Reese finding clever ways to use Christmas decorations as improvised weapons/diversionary implements, etc. and Finch, over their comm link, sounding horrified)