Lead the Way - Chapter 042 - Secret Santa
Today is a sunny day in Vienna and it seems a tad odd to be posting a Secret Santa chapter. However, I've recently received a surprise gift. A very, very pleasant surprise gift from a wonderful woman and suddenly I don't care all that much about what time of the year it is... It's present time!
Lead the Way - 042 - Secret Santa
Jordan and JJ followed Garcia back into the briefing room. Everyone looked rather nervous and eyed the others suspiciously. They had decided to give the presents personally because guessing was rather unfair when playing with profilers.
“Oh shoot, I forgot the present, it’s in my office.” Looking at JJ Jordan added, “I’m sorry. Your office.” JJ tried to tell her again that this was of no importance, but she had already run out. Jordan came back with a huge square package and sat down between Hotch and Garcia.
“Okay, who wants to go first?” The technical analyst was as giddy as a child.
“I’ll start,” Rossi began.
“Merry Christmas, Morgan.” He handed him his gift, in a blue-white striped wrapping. When Morgan saw what was inside he laughed out loud.
“What is it?” Reid asked from the other side of the table.
“It’s a toy.” From the box he read: “Rescue Heroes: Ambulance” It was a little toy ambulance with a big strong man behind the wheel that looked slightly mad. Even Hotch smiled at that.
“So not funny,” Garcia pouted. She was still angry at her friend for risking his life, but this was about gifts, so she didn’t mention it any further.
“Don’t worry, baby girl, I’ve got something for… Jordan.” The new press liaison unwrapped a small golden microphone.
“I thought it would make practicing at home easier.” Jordan pretended to look mad, but burst into laughter. He reminded her of her cousins, growing up.
“Emily, this is for you.” And with that she handed the large box in pink to the brunette. Curious the profiler tore it open and again everyone laughed as she pulled out a furry hat just like “Viper” had worn.
“Try it on!” Rossi demanded and Garcia quickly shot a picture with her phone.
“Oh this is so going on Facebook later.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Oh, I will, trust me.” Emily made a pouting face and pretended to be mad.
“I won’t give you your present then.”
“Gimme, gimme, gimme.” She jumped up and down on her seat, clapping her hands together.
“Picture or present?”
“Both.”
“You’re five years old.” With a toothy smile she handed her friend the slim envelope. Garcia took forever to unwrap it but she finally discovered a #1 issue of her favorite comic: Tankgirl. She jumped up and ran to hug Emily.
“Ugh.” She could barely breathe.
“I’m glad you like it.” Garcia finally let go of her and nodded so vigorously, Emily was afraid the flower in her hair would come loose. Hugging her present now, Garcia sat back down.
“Wasn’t that super expensive though?” Jordan asked. She had been told that they had agreed on a price limit.
“I got it in a yard sale.” Morgan and Garcia spoke at the same time:
“When have you ever been to a yard sale?”
“Liar.” Emily blushed, caught in her lie. She didn’t care about limits as long as it meant making her friends happy.
“Move on.” Garcia was happy to comply. Not only did she have no intention on returning her gift, but the one she had bought was slightly over their limit, too.
“Merry Christmas JJ, or Henry.” JJ frowned slightly at the odd remark but understood when she found a small leather jacket.
“He’s a little young, don’t you think?”
“Oh, he’ll grow into it, you’ll see.”
“And faster than you like,” Hotch added.
“I guess you’re right.” She smiled at her baby.
“Do you like your present?” He gurgled and she looked proudly at him. Before turning to Reid she handed Emily her son.
“Merry Christmas, Spencer.” She hugged him before handing him a book on the magic of mathematics. She had barely understood the clerk who had recommended it to her, but at the excited look on Reid’s face, she knew it was the right choice.
Spencer was already engrossed in the preface and the agents looked slightly unnerved at him.
“Hey kid, we’re still waiting,” Morgan said to snap him out of his trance.
“Oh right, sorry guys.” He pulled a little jewelry box from his pocket and handed it to Hotch.
“Uuuh, is there something you want to tell us, Aaron?” Rossi teased his friend, who blushed slightly and opened the box. He actually laughed when he saw what was inside.
“Oh my God! Where did you find this?”
“eBay.”
“What is it?” Emily asked.
“It’s an 1878-CC F-18 of the Morgan Dollars.” Everyone looked dumbfounded at that.
“A what now?” Jordan was the first to admit her ignorance.
“A coin. I collect them.”
“Wow. Congratulations then.”
“Thank you. And thank you Reid.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled broadly. It wasn’t often that he managed to score points in social interaction.
“Well, I guess it’s my turn. Merry Christmas, Dave.” He handed his friend a cylindrical box.
“Hmm.” Rossi sniffed it. “A Fuente. You have good taste.”
“I peaked into your secret stash,” Hotchner admitted.
“As long as you’re not profiling me.” Smiling he put his cigars away and looked at Garcia.
“I think that concludes this year’s session. Anyone up for a drink?” Even after this pleasant turn out he still hoped no one would say yes. He wasn’t disappointed.
“Maybe some other time.”
“I guess we’ve all been looking forward to our Christmas break,” Hotch said apologetically.
“Don’t worry. I can’t wait to try out one of those fine cigars and watch the Rat Pack on Blue Ray.”
“You’re such a cliché.”
Dave just shrugged.
Downstairs in the parking lot, Prentiss offered to drive JJ and Henry home. JJ declined, having driven her own car here, a mere three hours ago. Before Emily could slip away into the night, however, she invited her over for dinner Friday night.
Lead the Way - 042 - Secret Santa
Jordan and JJ followed Garcia back into the briefing room. Everyone looked rather nervous and eyed the others suspiciously. They had decided to give the presents personally because guessing was rather unfair when playing with profilers.
“Oh shoot, I forgot the present, it’s in my office.” Looking at JJ Jordan added, “I’m sorry. Your office.” JJ tried to tell her again that this was of no importance, but she had already run out. Jordan came back with a huge square package and sat down between Hotch and Garcia.
“Okay, who wants to go first?” The technical analyst was as giddy as a child.
“I’ll start,” Rossi began.
“Merry Christmas, Morgan.” He handed him his gift, in a blue-white striped wrapping. When Morgan saw what was inside he laughed out loud.
“What is it?” Reid asked from the other side of the table.
“It’s a toy.” From the box he read: “Rescue Heroes: Ambulance” It was a little toy ambulance with a big strong man behind the wheel that looked slightly mad. Even Hotch smiled at that.
“So not funny,” Garcia pouted. She was still angry at her friend for risking his life, but this was about gifts, so she didn’t mention it any further.
“Don’t worry, baby girl, I’ve got something for… Jordan.” The new press liaison unwrapped a small golden microphone.
“I thought it would make practicing at home easier.” Jordan pretended to look mad, but burst into laughter. He reminded her of her cousins, growing up.
“Emily, this is for you.” And with that she handed the large box in pink to the brunette. Curious the profiler tore it open and again everyone laughed as she pulled out a furry hat just like “Viper” had worn.
“Try it on!” Rossi demanded and Garcia quickly shot a picture with her phone.
“Oh this is so going on Facebook later.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Oh, I will, trust me.” Emily made a pouting face and pretended to be mad.
“I won’t give you your present then.”
“Gimme, gimme, gimme.” She jumped up and down on her seat, clapping her hands together.
“Picture or present?”
“Both.”
“You’re five years old.” With a toothy smile she handed her friend the slim envelope. Garcia took forever to unwrap it but she finally discovered a #1 issue of her favorite comic: Tankgirl. She jumped up and ran to hug Emily.
“Ugh.” She could barely breathe.
“I’m glad you like it.” Garcia finally let go of her and nodded so vigorously, Emily was afraid the flower in her hair would come loose. Hugging her present now, Garcia sat back down.
“Wasn’t that super expensive though?” Jordan asked. She had been told that they had agreed on a price limit.
“I got it in a yard sale.” Morgan and Garcia spoke at the same time:
“When have you ever been to a yard sale?”
“Liar.” Emily blushed, caught in her lie. She didn’t care about limits as long as it meant making her friends happy.
“Move on.” Garcia was happy to comply. Not only did she have no intention on returning her gift, but the one she had bought was slightly over their limit, too.
“Merry Christmas JJ, or Henry.” JJ frowned slightly at the odd remark but understood when she found a small leather jacket.
“He’s a little young, don’t you think?”
“Oh, he’ll grow into it, you’ll see.”
“And faster than you like,” Hotch added.
“I guess you’re right.” She smiled at her baby.
“Do you like your present?” He gurgled and she looked proudly at him. Before turning to Reid she handed Emily her son.
“Merry Christmas, Spencer.” She hugged him before handing him a book on the magic of mathematics. She had barely understood the clerk who had recommended it to her, but at the excited look on Reid’s face, she knew it was the right choice.
Spencer was already engrossed in the preface and the agents looked slightly unnerved at him.
“Hey kid, we’re still waiting,” Morgan said to snap him out of his trance.
“Oh right, sorry guys.” He pulled a little jewelry box from his pocket and handed it to Hotch.
“Uuuh, is there something you want to tell us, Aaron?” Rossi teased his friend, who blushed slightly and opened the box. He actually laughed when he saw what was inside.
“Oh my God! Where did you find this?”
“eBay.”
“What is it?” Emily asked.
“It’s an 1878-CC F-18 of the Morgan Dollars.” Everyone looked dumbfounded at that.
“A what now?” Jordan was the first to admit her ignorance.
“A coin. I collect them.”
“Wow. Congratulations then.”
“Thank you. And thank you Reid.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled broadly. It wasn’t often that he managed to score points in social interaction.
“Well, I guess it’s my turn. Merry Christmas, Dave.” He handed his friend a cylindrical box.
“Hmm.” Rossi sniffed it. “A Fuente. You have good taste.”
“I peaked into your secret stash,” Hotchner admitted.
“As long as you’re not profiling me.” Smiling he put his cigars away and looked at Garcia.
“I think that concludes this year’s session. Anyone up for a drink?” Even after this pleasant turn out he still hoped no one would say yes. He wasn’t disappointed.
“Maybe some other time.”
“I guess we’ve all been looking forward to our Christmas break,” Hotch said apologetically.
“Don’t worry. I can’t wait to try out one of those fine cigars and watch the Rat Pack on Blue Ray.”
“You’re such a cliché.”
Dave just shrugged.
Downstairs in the parking lot, Prentiss offered to drive JJ and Henry home. JJ declined, having driven her own car here, a mere three hours ago. Before Emily could slip away into the night, however, she invited her over for dinner Friday night.