A Perfect Kind of Christmas
Chapter 4
It was early evening by the time Garcia parked outside LaMontagne household with seasonal decoration and lights covering the outside. The lights were on, 'Will must be home from work already' she thought as she picked up the Henry's bag from the front seat before turning to see her little Godson snoring lightly in the back. She smiled and reached over to shake him gently, "Henry, we're home" she said just loud enough for him to flutter open his eyes, he gave a small yawn, undid his seatbelt and exited the car still half asleep.
Penelope knocked on the door and there was soon movement from inside the house, slowly the door opened and inside stood a beautiful, tall, blonde woman who could only be…
"Mommy!" Henry cried suddenly wide awake and he flung himself into J.J.'s arms.
She held him tightly and kissed the top of his head, "baby I've missed you so much" she whispered.
"I missed you too Mommy, I met Santa today and he gave me a present, can I put it under the tree?" he asked as she placed him back on the ground.
J.J. nodded, "but Henry I think you need to say something to Auntie Penelope before you tell us all about your day"
He then turned on his heel and ran back towards his Godmother throwing his arms around her legs, "bye bye Auntie Penelope, thank you for today, I love you"
She bent down and kissed his head, "I love you too, I'll see you really soon" and with that he had run into the living room to place his special gift under the Christmas tree.
J.J. shook her head and smiled, "thanks for today P, he obviously loved it, do you want to stay for a coffee?"
"No it's ok, he's been fabulous as always but I have things I need to do, I'll see you on Monday" she leant into her and hugged her tightly, "goodbye my love and tell that hunky husband of yours I said hi and I miss him, I haven't seen him in a long time!"
Her best friend laughed, "I will do, goodbye Garcia!" she called as Penelope walked back to her car. She had not even had a chance to start the engine when her phone vibrated in her pocket.
'Hey Baby, fancy jingling some bells tonight?"
Garcia stifled a smile, oh if he only knew. She texted back immediately, her thumbs typing so furiously that they were a blur.
"I think that can be arranged sugar, you bring your candy, I'll bring my cane"
She could almost hear him laughing before her phone began to vibrate again.
"A cane huh? I'd hate to think what you'd be capable of with one! Are you free to come and help me wrap presents for my Mom and sisters? You know I'd just mess it up"
She sighed, it was only a matter of time until he asked her, he asked her every year, not that she minded of course.
"You would love to know what I'd be capable of with a cane! But of course I would be most obliged to come and help you sir, as we both know you and your large man hands are not able to complete such a task as wrap a sweater"
Merely seconds later her phone began to vibrate with a response once more.
"Thanks Momma, I'll be at yours ASAP"
Garcia drove slowly through the light snow that had begun to fall from the dark evening sky. She could feel the tyres slipping slightly from beneath her and she gripped her steering wheel tighter as if to gain more control.
"Come on Esther baby, we've fought snow before, let's just get home and everything will be ok" she spoke softly to her car.
Just ahead she could see cars beginning to creep a little faster, the road was clearer.
She smiled and stroked the dashboard, "that's my girl"
Penelope parked in her usual space outside her apartment and noticed a familiar large black car parked further down the road. She looked up at her window and saw that the lights were on inside, she smiled to herself and shook her head.
As she pushed open her front door she saw the figure of Derek Morgan sat cross-legged on her rug angrily cursing at a scrunched bit of shiny wrapping paper which he had thrown across the room to join the pile of others.
"Having trouble?" she mused as she placed her bag onto the couch and crouched down to join him.
He grunted in response and threw the burgundy jumper for his mother down in front of him stubbornly.
Penelope shook her head, she had been wrapping his presents for as long as she had known him. Although his big, strong hands were good for many things, wrapping gifts was not one of them.
"Go and make some steaming hot beverages Hot Stuff, I've got this" she waved him off.
His demeanour completely changed, he grinned and leant over and kissed the top of her head, "you are a goddess woman!" he cried as he leapt up and headed into the kitchen.
"You better not think this letting yourself into my apartment unannounced is becoming a regular occurrence though" she said raising her eyebrows at him, "that key is for emergencies only Derek Morgan"
He looked innocently at her, "this was an emergency, I'm going home to Chicago in a week and I needed my best girl on the case"
Garcia bit her lip as he turned around, "what about Savannah?" she said with a slight edge to her tone as she tore a piece of tape off to seal the paper together. She always tried so hard to conceal her jealousy when Morgan had new girlfriend but he had been with girl quite a few months now and things were starting to look serious.
He then leant over her shoulder and placed the cup of tea on the coffee table in front of her, "like I said, I needed my best girl on the case" he smiled kissing her cheek.
She rolled her eyes and leant back against his legs as he sat on the couch behind her, "you've done a good job on the decorating in here baby" he nodded looking around the room.
"I do try" she grinned, tying the red ribbon into a bow over the beautifully wrapped present, "where's your sisters' presents? And I assume you've got something for Savannah?" she added through gritted teeth.
Morgan put his hands behind his head, "how do you know me so well? They're with that pile of paper... I tried to wrap them first..." he began sheepishly, "as for Savannah I've sorted that myself"
"At least you can do something!" Garcia joked, inside she was glad that she didn't have to see what Morgan had gotten his girlfriend for Christmas she didn't think she could take the heartache of knowing that she would never get that.
"You'd be surprised! How about a film?" he suggested switching the TV on and began to flick through the channels, "oh Miracle on 34th Street is about to start, you love that film"
Penelope's head snapped up from concentrating on the bracelet she was wrapping for Sarah, she was surprised and touched that he remembered her favourite Christmas films, "sounds perfect, you get the popcorn big boy" she chirped slapping his leg encouraging him to get up.
"Ok but we're not starting it until you're finished because you're going to enjoy this film rather than doing my work"
"I'm fine-"
Morgan paused the screen, "-no arguments Penelope. If you're going to watch this film it's going to be in the comfort of under my arm on this couch enjoying the sweet delicacy of freshly popped popcorn"
She sighed, there was no point arguing with him, his sisters' presents were smaller so she had finished by the time he sat back on the couch with the bowl of popcorn anyway, she had even had time to spare to add ribbon and attach a gift tag.
When the end credits began to roll, as with every time Penelope watches the film, she had to wipe a tear away from her eye. She looked up at Morgan who she had been leaning against for the duration of the movie and smiled, his chin was resting on his chest and he was snoring lightly with his hand in the empty popcorn bowl.
"Hey sleepyhead" she whispered shaking his chest gently.
"Mmh?" he groaned as his eyes flickered awake, "oh sorry Baby Girl, I must've fallen asleep" he stretched and glanced at his watch, "I better get going, got paperwork to do on this case before Monday"
They both stood up and Garcia walked him to the door, "oh!" she cried rushing back to the living room where she gathered the wrapped gifts in her arms and handed them to Morgan.
"I'd forgotten about them, what would I do without you?" he sighed.
She took his face in her hands and kissed his cheek, "one can only guess my love because that will never happen, now go, be free, I'll see you on Monday"
He smiled after she opened the door, "I love you crazy girl"
"And I love you" she returned his smile until he had disappeared out of sight when she slumped against the closed door, '"if only you had any idea how much" she sighed.