A/N – Thank you so much for all who voted on the Profiler's Choice Awards! 'Princesses, Witches and Bachelors' drew for best AU so yes, thank you all. Anyway, back to this story…Written for the Christmas Exchange over on CCOAC – I was given Morgan and Garcia and the prompts 'Winter Wonderland', mistletoe, snow and a Santa hat. I used three out of four, which isn't half bad. So I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer – I really do own nothing. Poor student here. Sorry ;)

"I can't thank you enough, Agent Hotchner," the exhausted detective shook Hotch's gloved hand in his own, taking in the sight of Morgan forcing the freshly captured unsub into the back of the squad car and Prentiss escorting his terrified but unharmed last victim into the ambulance that would take her to the nearest hospital and her waiting family. Rossi, Reid and JJ stood nearby stamping their feet against the cold and talking animatedly.

"We're here to help you, detective," Hotch shrugged, "We're just glad to have been of use."

"Well, I appreciate it anyway, Agent," the man smiled, "And you'll all be back for Christmas. I'm just sorry it got cut this close to the day."

"Three days isn't close, detective," Rossi said wryly, coming to stand with them, "I've been sneaking into my bed at four am Christmas morning before."

The detective just laughed and moved away to co-ordinate the tidying up of the crime scene, and the team gathered round Hotch and Rossi. Bundled up in thick coats to guard against the cold of the Montanan winter, their breath coming out in clouds, Hotch didn't feel much like lingering outside and he knew that they had all had enough too.

"Dave and I will go back to the station and finish up there, and then we'll meet you all at the hotel. Get your flights booked for tomorrow."

"We'll wait for you to get back," JJ said quickly, "Have dinner together?"

"Yes," Hotch nodded, "We'll be as quick as we can."

Moving to the SUVs, Rossi chuckled as he slipped into the passenger seat besides Hotch and heard his younger team mates bickering good naturedly about who had called shotgun first. He and Hotch were buckled up and speeding away before Morgan had even managed to wrestle the keys from JJ's grip.

"You're so wrong if you think I'm letting you drive," Morgan shook his head firmly and jumped into the driver's seat, "I barely trust myself when it's this icy on the roads."

"Whatever," JJ smiled gracefully, climbing in behind him and buckling her belt. On the other side of the car, Reid and Prentiss were arguing emphatically over the front seat.

"If you don't shut the hell up and get in right now, me and JJ are leaving you here," Derek called airily, starting the engine as though to make his point. JJ couldn't be sure but she was sure that the small squeak from Reid was evidence that Emily had pinched him, and the triumphant smile on the other woman's face as she claimed her seat made her even more certain.

With the heater blasting, Morgan wasted no time in getting them to the hotel. The four of them had flights to be booked that they'd had to put off until they had solved the case, but now they were finally on stand down until New Year and it was time for the festivities to begin. Both he and Reid were going home to Chicago and Vegas respectively, and JJ was meeting Will and Henry in New Orleans for Christmas with his family.

Emily would be joining Hotch and Rossi on the jet back to Virginia the next day, but she needed to book another plane onto Paris where she was meeting her parents. Hotch was making a brief stop to pick up Jack and then going on to New York to stay with his brother, and Rossi was apparently staying put in Virginia. He'd been very secretive about his plans but he seemed happy enough and Morgan supposed that was all that really mattered. Garcia was spending the next few days with friends in DC. His whole little family had somewhere to be, and Derek was grateful.

Well, he would be as soon as they all their flights booked and confirmed. He didn't want a repeat of the year Reid was stuck on call in an airport in Washington. He'd barely slept until he knew that the kid was on a plane and bound for home, and he knew Hotch hadn't either.

Screeching into the hotel parking lot, the four of them piled out into the snow.

"…And's that why, technically, mince pies are illegal in England," Reid was saying, his endless supply of Christmas related trivia having seemingly been topped up since the year before, "And-"

He was silenced by a well-placed snowball to his head. Whipping around he came face to face with Prentiss, who would have looked innocent if it weren't for the other snowball sitting in her hand.

"I'm sorry, Doctor Reid, you were saying?"

Seeing his chance, Derek bent over behind her and began to fashion a weapon of his own. Reid caught on a lot quicker than he would have done before, because he kept her talking long enough for Derek to straighten up and aim carefully at the back of her head.

"Too slow, Princess!" he called as she turned quickly around, her mouth agape. He and Reid were already running into the safety of the hotel lobby where a giggling JJ waited for them and watched in safety.

"I am so going to get both of you for that," Emily grumbled, brushing snow from her shoulders and sweeping her hands through her hair, "Tag team is so not fair."

-HOW DEREK MORGAN SAVED CHRISTMAS-

The very second Derek had called to say that they were officially on stand down, Garcia had opened up her laptop and started her Christmas playlist, playing it as loudly as she dared. Dancing around the room, singing under her breath just in case someone was listening from outside, she switched off her systems one by one in preparation for their holiday nap. Normally, she wouldn't be so keen to get out of the office but she still had so much to do; the case had seriously got in the way of her holiday baking, and she couldn't turn up on Simone's doorstep without at least a dozen gingerbread reindeer for the kids.

She'd been surprised when Simone, an old friend from Cal Tech, had gotten in contact with her a few months ago to say that she had moved to DC and would love to meet up for a coffee if she was ever free. The coffee had turned into breakfast once a week, and then a couple of dinners, and then before she knew it, she had been invited to spend Christmas with Simone and the kids, two adorable little boys named Joseph and Mason. It had come at the perfect moment; with Kevin spending the holidays abroad on the trip of a lifetime with his old college friends, Garcia had worried about feeling like a spare part during the festive season. Simone was on her own, separated from the boy's father, and had said that she wanted someone to share a bottle of wine with on the big day, in between the reruns of old cartoons and putting batteries in new toys. Penelope suspected that this was true, but she also knew that Simone was aiming to distract her from the fact that when she had said Kevin could go on his trip and be away for Christmas, she hadn't really been thinking straight. She was missing him like crazy.

As if on cue, her phone began to ring, and she answered it chirpily.

"Hello, babycakes. How's it going?"

"Pen?" Simone sounded unsure of herself, and her voice rasped a little as she spoke, "I have some bad news."

"What's wrong?" Penelope asked, sinking into her chair and pausing the cheery music still playing in the background.

"We've all come down with chicken pox, Pen. The boys aren't well at all and I'm not so hot myself. Have you had it?"

Her heart sinking as she realised the implications of the question, Penelope tried to keep her voice from catching.

"No, I haven't."

"Shit," Simone sighed heavily, "I really don't want you to get this, Pen. It sucks, big time."

"It's okay, sweetheart," Penelope said, attempting to convince herself as much as her friend, "I understand. I'll stay away. Is there anything you need?"

"No thanks. The next door neighbour has had it before so she picked up some groceries for me and is walking the dog," Simone paused, "What are you going to do? You can't be on your own, Pen."

"Oh don't worry about me," she chirped, her hands trembling, "I'll find something. One of my team is staying in Virginia – I might see what he's got planned."

She had absolutely no intention of disturbing Rossi, but Simone didn't need to know that. She must have sounded convincing though, because Simone's audibly relaxed and when she spoke again she didn't sound quite as guilty as she had before.

"Well, as long as you can find something it will ease my conscience, I can tell you. I'm so sorry, Pen. Mine for New Year if we're better?"

"I might just do that," she said, "I hope you get better soon, sweetheart."

"Thank you. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Simone. Love to the kiddies."

And as soon as the other woman had hung up, Garcia put down her phone and let out the tears she had been holding back. Everyone else had plans sorted by now. There was no way she was going to impose herself on anyone.

It was going to be a very quiet Christmas.