A/N: Hello! So this story was written for the Christmas Gift Exchange that Chit Chat on Author's Corner Forum was hosting this year. Specifically this story is written for flashpenguin.
The prompts that needed to be used were: snowstorm, mistletoe, cabin in the woods and the song, It's a Wonderful Life. I've used all 4 and they will be scattered throughout the chapters. And it is an Emily/Rossi fic.
Oh and this will be approximately 8 chapters long.
So, I hope everyone enjoys!
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.
Chapter 1:
Rossi paced the little hospital waiting room, back and forth. He just couldn't stand still. He briefly stopped at the window; it barely registered with him that there was actual snow falling. It didn't matter; nothing mattered to him at the moment. His whole world was crashing around him.
There was the sound of footsteps rushing into the room behind him. And he heard the hesitant, scared voice of his former colleague, turned good friend.
"How is she?" Derek Morgan wanted to know.
Rossi glanced at his friend. He looked exactly how he felt: worried, desperate, unsure. He turned back to the window. There were a lot of things he could take in this world, but this, this was too much, and he did not need to see it reflected back at him.
"Rossi man, is she all right?" Morgan asked again, more frantic.
Rossi continued to stare out the window seeing that the sow was starting to come down harder. Snowstorm? he thought.
"Dave," a new voice. He hadn't heard the new set of footsteps.
This time he turned to face his long time, old friend.
"Dave, what's going on, how is she?" Hotch asked concernedly.
Rossi stared at his old friend and his new friend. Both wore identical looks of pity. And it suddenly hit him; things were definitely not good if he was being pitied.
"I… I don't know," Rossi murmured. He suddenly had to sit down. He all but dropped into the nearest chair. "She's in surgery… the doctor's haven't been out to say anything… yet."
"Rossi, I'm so sorry," Morgan proclaimed.
He looked up at the younger man. Derek Morgan, acting Unit Chief of the Behavioural Analysis Unit, the unit he'd re-retired from after he'd realized he'd loved her. At the time the BAU was still under the direction of Aaron Hotchner. But his long time friend had stepped aside for a year's sabbatical to spend time with his new family: Jennifer Jareau, Jack, Henry, and ten month old, baby girl Lexi. He was very happy for Hotch.
"Rossi?" Morgan prompted.
"What happened, Derek?" Rossi questioned, his voice coming out harsh. "How did Emily get separated from you? Why was she alone when she confronted a sociopath killer? You're her best friend Derek, how could you let her get shot six times! How?"
"Dave," Hotch said sternly. "You need to calm down—"
"Calm down? My wife is in an operating room fighting for her life!" Rossi shouted. "I don't want to calm down. I want answers. I need answers!"
Hotch continued to nod calmly. "We know, Morgan knows. Answers will come. But right now Emily, your wife, our friend, is fighting for her life. Answers don't matter right now, she does. We need to focus all our energy on her. We need to sit here and remember everything good about her. You need to keep in mind everything you love about her," Hotch paused, taking a breath. "Can you do that Dave; can you remember everything you love about Emily?"
A flash of her smile came instantly to his mind. He always loved how her smile was never half done. It always shone, like a hundred watt bulb. It lit up his world when it was turned his way.
"That's good Dave," Hotch said sincerely. "Hold onto those memories…"
Dave frowned, finishing the sentence in his mind: Hold onto those memories… because they might be all you have left.
So he remembered…
8888
Rossi walked into the bull pen early that morning, seeing the beginnings of a long work day ahead. People, agents, were already milling about, exchanging files, typing frantically into computers, already hard at work; ready to catch the bad guys. There was an energy in the room, a buzz, one that he wasn't even immune to. But there was one person who did seem to be immune.
He had to chuckle at his colleague and good friend Emily Prentiss. She was slumped forward in her chair, head resting on her arms, on her desktop. He briefly wondered if she'd fallen asleep, but then instantly knew better than that. She was not the kind to fall asleep on the job, take a bit of a break, yes, but not fall asleep. He knew this was all because she was not a Monday person.
David Rossi was suddenly in a bit of a mood, a happy mood. He wasn't as bad as Emily, but he was no Monday morning type of person either. So why was he suddenly so chipper? He continued to stare in Emily's direction, still using her desk as a makeshift bed/pillow. He noticed that everyone was skirting around her, and he also remembered that Emily did not like being disturbed when she was in her Monday morning funks. So, of course, what did he do? He disturbed her.
"Good Morning Emily," he said, putting some extra cheer into his voice.
"Ugh…" Emily grunted in return. "Good for whom?"
He was about to laugh when she quickly lifted her head and pierced him with a cold stare. "Don't you dare laugh."
Her perceptiveness stopped him in his tracks. "I… I wasn't… going to… to laugh."
He couldn't believe it, he was actually stuttering. He hadn't stuttered in a long time, not since he was in grade school. The last girl to do that to him was ten year old Eva Smith in the fifth grade. Come to think of it, she was a lot like Emily: fiery, knew her own mind, and very pretty.
"Sorry," Emily mumbled, seemingly having realized she was being less then polite.
"That's ok," he replied, recovering. "Long night?"
Emily let out a sigh. "Yeah…"
That's all she said, making him curious as to what she was doing.
"Out on a date?" he wondered out loud.
She shook her head, actually blushing. "No… I was at home…"
What could she have been doing at home that would make her blush? he asked himself.
"Oh ok… in on a date then, gotcha," he answered his own question, considering the case closed.
"God Rossi, do you think all women do in their spare time is try to get themselves hitched?" Emily said, annoyed. "Obsessed much…"
He shrugged, totally indifferent.
"We do other things, you know…" she shot at him.
"Like what?"
She let out a huff before answering, "For your information, I was at home reading, all right. I just got the newest book in a series I've been reading and I finished it last night."
"Ok… ok," Rossi backed off. "I got it."
He started to walk away, having every intention of not coming back until happy, normal Emily returned. But something stopped him in his tracks and made him turn back around. He caught her watching his retreating back and she quickly looked away. He tried very hard not to smirk.
"Hey Emily," he questioned.
"Yeah," she replied.
"Would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight?" he sincerely asked.
"Like on a date?" she asked tentatively.
"Who's obsessed now?"
8888
Rossi let out a tired sigh. She had said yes, of course. And that had been the start of their lives together. He still to this day did not know exactly what had made him turn around, but he thanked whatever power there was everyday that he had. Because Emily was his life, his soul, and if he ever lost her he would… he would…
"Mr. Rossi?"
He practically jumped out of his seat, startled out of his gloomy thoughts by the even more gloomy tone of a man dressed in green scrubs. He moved to stand in front of the man, just noticing that he was flanked by Hotch and Morgan, there to lend their strength. And he was glad, from the looks of the man, he might need it.
"Yes… that's me…" Rossi spoke hesitantly. "How is she doctor? How's my wife?"
Well that's if for now. Each chapter is going to be about this length. It makes for easy updating. I'll probably update this tomorrow. I'm going to try for a chapter a day, so that I don't miss the Christmas Day deadline.
I hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think!