As always, thanks to those who left a review on the last chapter! This is the last of my holiday-themed conversations, and fittingly it's a new and very different perspective: Clooney!

Happiest of holidays (whichever one you may be celebrating!) to you!

Happy reading =)

"No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does." – Christopher Morley

I head inside as soon as the wind picks up, since I have absolutely no intention of spending any more time in the cold than is absolutely necessary. I prefer the warm and comfy confines of the house to the freezing freedom of the outdoors. I grab a quick drink before trotting into the great room and curling up on the couch. I hear Derek make his way down the stairs carrying his ready-bag, meaning he's almost certainly disappearing again. He grumbles in frustration as he looks outside and realizes the increasing frequency of the snowflakes falling. He drops his bag by the front door and heads back into the kitchen, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Hello?" I hear a familiar female voice say through the phone.

"Hey, Em, it's me," Derek says as he opens the fridge. I jump up from the couch and sit in front of him, hoping for a bit of clumsiness on his part so I can enjoy something tasty from the fridge.

"Hey, babe. What's up?"

"Got called in for a case."

"Where?" she asks, her voice sounding slightly disappointed.

"New Hampshire. I don't remember where exactly though. Maybe Nashua?"

"New Hampshire? Better pack your boots and your mittens," she teases.

"I hear you'll probably have to break out your boots as well. Forecast is calling for some pretty nasty weather here," he says while pulling out leftover chicken. I follow him over to the counter and plop down beside his feet, giving him a gentle nudge to remind him I'm here.

"Yeah, I heard that too. Good thing I filled up my car with gas this morning and loaded up on chocolate for Christmas."

"The real question is whether or not you have wine..."

"Of course I do! What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"At least your priorities are straight," he says with a chuckle. "What are you up to?"

"Just headed to my last class. I'm gonna stick around after to finish up a little paperwork and then head home. What time are you guys leaving?"

"Wheels up in two hours, which is basically the earliest we can all get there. Hotch says we're doing the briefing on the jet."

"Ouch. Must be a rough one."

"Yeah, JJ didn't sound so good when she called. Which probably means-"

"You're not home for Christmas," she finishes.

"Yeah," he says sadly. "Trust me when I say I definitely would rather be-"

"I know," she says softly. "It's okay, babe. I get it. It's the job."

"Still. It's our first Christmas together as a couple."

"Derek Morgan, you really are a big teddy bear, aren't you?"

"You aren't upset?"

"No, I'm not upset," she says gently. "Do I wish we could be together? Of course. But we both knew what your job means in terms of scheduling going into this thing. We'll celebrate when you get home. Don't worry about it."

"I really am sorry, Em."

"I know you are, but don't be. It's out of your hands. I get that."

He sighs heavily. "Any chance I can convince you to hang out in the house with Clooney?" My ears perk up at my name, but my face falls quickly when I realize he has no intentions of sharing the chicken he'd retrieved.

She laughs lightly. "No problem. The old guy and I will have a great time. Napping, eating, napping some more, eating some more..."

"Oh, he'll love that," he says with a chuckle. "I'll feel better with you in the house instead of your apartment, anyway."

"Derek," she says with a heavy sigh.

"I know you can take care of yourself," he says quickly. "I'm just saying I feel better with you in the house that has the huge fireplace and a ridiculous amount of firewood. If they're even half right about how much snow is going to fall in the next few days, chances are it'll wreak havoc with the power, and I'd rather you be a little cold in the house than freezing in your apartment."

"You're sweet, you know that?"

"I've been told a time or two. Okay if I stop by your office on my way out?"

"Of course. I have to go though, time for class. I'll see you in an hour or so."

"See you soon, princess."

"Yeah, see you soon."

As soon as I hear the key in the lock on the front door I'm up from my spot on the couch and heading as quickly as I can to the front door to greet whoever it is that's entering the house. The door opens up and Emily walks in, smiling widely at my excited antics and bending over to drop her bag. Suddenly I see a blur of black and smell the scent of my sworn enemy, so I let out a low growl. The cat walks past me teasingly, swishing its tail in my face, knowing all too well that I can't do a damn thing to it with Emily right here.

"Sergio," she scolds. "Don't tease him. Hey Clooney. Did you miss me?" she says, squatting down and giving me a good scratch behind my ears. I jump up and put my front paws on her knees and lean into her hand, groaning in appreciation and wagging my tail quickly. She laughs. "I'll take that as a yes. Come on buddy, let's get comfy before the storm really picks up," she says as she stands up, picks up her bag and then heads toward the great room. I trot alongside her, content to follow her wherever she's headed because chances are high that whenever she settles down I'm in for some serious cuddle time.

She sets her bag down next to the fireplace and takes a peek at the small pile of wood next to it, and then looks out the back door. "I think we should stock up on wood in here while the weather's still cooperating. What do you think?" I bark loudly in response, unsure what she's asking, but figuring agreeing is probably my best bet. She heads toward the back door and beckons me to follow her into the backyard. We make several trips to the pile of wood in the backyard and slowly build up a healthy pile next to the fireplace, eventually stopping when the snow and wind begin to pick up outside.

"Okay, buddy. If you've got anything to do outside, I suggest you do it now. It's only going to get worse out there."

She lets me out, I do my thing, and then trot back inside as my body begins to feel the cold temperature. As she opens the door to let me back in, she pulls her phone out to answer it.

"Prentiss."

"You don't ever check your call display, do you?"

"Not usually, no. How's the case going?"

"Just about to give the profile."

"That was quick. It's been what...a few hours?"

"We've got Reid," Derek says with a chuckle. "He made quick work of the geographical profile, and that narrowed it down big time. And then Garcia worked her magic on some cross-referencing and we've got an area and a type to work with."

"How is it?"

He's quiet for a moment. "Gruesome."

"I'm sorry. But at least you guys are making progress."

"Yeah. Trying to be home for Christmas is a pretty strong motivator."

"I would imagine Hotch and JJ are pretty anxious to get home."

"Me too, silly girl," he teases.

"Aw shucks. You sure know how to make a girl feel good, don't you?"

"Oh you know I do," he says suggestively. "At least, if last night was any indication..."

"You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"You love me."

"That's up for debate."

"Aw, c'mon, Em. You know you love me."

"Only for your dog. He's absolutely worth putting up with you."

"How is Clooney?"

"He's good, and ecstatic that I'm here instead of you."

"I'm sure he is. He giving you much trouble with Sergio?"

"Nah, you know Sergio's the instigator anyway."

He laughs. "Just like his mom."

"Hey!"

"Don't even, princess. You know you're a little shit disturber."

"I am not," she says indignantly.

"If you say so," he says with another chuckle. "How's the weather there?"

"Don't you have a profile to give?"

"Locals are gathering. We're waiting a few minutes for the rest of the next shift to get in."

"Ah, okay. It's getting a bit nasty out, actually. I just got here maybe an hour ago, but it's already started to pick up out there."

"You find the firewood?"

"Yes, mom."

"Emily, if I can't be there, at least let me fuss a little."

"My, my. You are your mother's son," she says in a teasing tone.

"Woman," he groans. "You drive me crazy, you know that?"

"So I've been told. Now go give your profile and catch that creep so you can come home."

"Yes, ma'am. Stay warm, princess."

"I will. And you stay safe. No tackling trains or driving ambulances with bombs in them, okay?"

"You got it, princess."

"I love you, babe."

"I love you too, Em. Talk soon."

"Bye."

Hours later, I'm curled up in front of the fire, enjoying its warmth in an otherwise cold house. It had gotten cold very quickly after the phone call with Derek when the power went out and the temperature began to plummet. Emily had dragged the couch in front of the fire and retrieved blankets and pillows from all over the house, which only served to make my regular nap spot even more comfortable.

After dinner we'd settled onto the couch and snuggled into the cocoon of blankets, her lying next to me with one hand holding up her head as she leans on her elbow and the other rubbing my belly affectionately. She momentarily stops rubbing my belly to scratch her arm and I let out a soft whimper as I lift my head to make eye contact and send the message to continue her actions. "Jeez, okay, okay! I'm sorry," she says quickly, immediately resuming the belly rub. I drop my head back down and close my eyes in contentment.

"You know what, Clooney?" she says as I crack open my eyes at my name. "I think I'm gonna stick around here for awhile." I tilt my head and send her a questioning look. "Sergio seems to like it here," she says, casting a quick glance to windowsill where the cat is curled up, his tail swishing back and forth every so often. "And so do I."

She stops talking and settles into silence, her eyes beginning to stare distantly at the fire. I can feel the genuine happiness practically rolling off of her in waves. I turn my head and nuzzle her hand in reply. I can't understand a word of what she's saying, but I can sense the building emotion in her and know she's not upset or hurt.

"I think I can see myself spending the rest of my life with him, Clooney," she continues thoughtfully. "I love him. I...never thought I'd find somebody who could love me. I thought I'd lived through too much to be able to let someone love me. Hell, I never thought I'd be able to love someone because of everything I've seen and done. And then he was in my life and making declarations and kissing me in this very room and asking me to stay. I don't know how the hell he did it, but I love him. And I don't think I ever want to stop."

I tilt my head and meet her gaze, leaning over and giving her hand an encouraging lick, giving her my approval of whatever she'd just declared. She smiles widely and closes her eyes as she pulls me close to her. "And having you around isn't so bad either," she adds.

Days pass without any significant changes in our new routine. We stay mostly snuggled up on the couch, enjoying the heat from the fire since the house is still mostly freezing thanks to the still ongoing storm. Sergio has left his post on the windowsill and instead curled up on the top of the couch. Her mood has shifted to sadness, and she's murmured "I miss him" several times with a sigh, each time hugging me tightly, burying her face in my fur. She looks longingly at the decorated tree I've been forbidden from marking or really enjoying in any way, shape, or form, and sigh heavily.

"Guess it's just you, me and Sergio this year. Merry Christmas, Clooney," she says sadly, giving me a weak smile. I feel her disappointment and sadness and lean into her body, whimpering slightly in sympathy. "It's all right, buddy. He'll be home as soon as he can."

Her eyes drift to the window where the snow has become too deep for me to be able go outside with any success. The wind is still strong and continues to blow around the snow, while the temperature has remained cold. Suddenly I hear a faint crunching outside and jump up to investigate.

"What is it, boy?"

The sound of a key scratching in the lock is heard before the door opens. I feel a whoosh of cold air hit me, carrying the familiar scent of my owner. I bark excitedly and run forward, jumping up onto his legs.

Emily had also jumped up from the couch at the sound of the key in the lock, but was now frozen to the spot, apparently unable to move or speak.

"Hey, princess. Bit chilly out there, isn't it?" Derek says after slamming the door shut and giving me a brief scratch behind the ear.

"How did you..." she begins to say, clearly unable to finish the thought from the shock.

"You didn't really think I'd leave you alone on Christmas, did you?"

"I... But there's like 3 feet of snow out there."

"A little snow wasn't going to keep me from the woman I love," he says, shrugging out of his coat and kicking off his boots.

"How did you get through the snow?" she asks, her brain evidently not processing the fact that's he's here.

"Creative driving," he answers with a wink and a wide grin.

"But-"

"Princess, you think too much," he says, stepping forward to stand in front of her still stunned form. He reaches a hand up and tucks some loose hair behind her ear. "I'm here. Isn't that all that matters?"

She blinks several times in surprise before leaning forward and pressing a passionate kiss to his lips. He wraps his arms around her tightly and lifts her up, carrying her around to the front of the couch. He sits down and leans back, still in the midst of the kiss. When they finally break apart, they're both breathless and I can feel the love surrounding them. She slides off his lap and curls up next to him, resting her head on his chest.

"I can't believe you're here," she whispers.

"Of course I'm here, Em," he says softly. "I love you." She inhales and closes her eyes at his words, a smile forming on her lips.

She opens her eyes and meets his gaze. "I love you too, babe. So much."

I pick my moment well and jump up onto the couch, clamouring onto Derek's lap and wedging myself between them. They both exclaim, "Clooney!" before laughing loudly.

"Merry Christmas, Derek," Emily says in between giggles.

"Merry Christmas, Emily."

I sound a loud bark happily and push myself further between them, continuing to nudge and kick them gently until they each begin scratching behind my ears.

"And Merry Christmas, Clooney," Emily says with a chuckle.

You can all thank the ice storm that left me without power in (obviously) freezing cold temperatures for this chapter. It served as some significant inspiration for this conversation. Thankfully I've got my power back now, and was able to type this up and post it for you all to enjoy.