CLANDESTINE : Spencer Reid

34

I said I didn't need Reid's help, but I lied. Derek is dancing with Penelope to the Christmas music, bobbing together. JJ and Prentiss have just returned with the food, and I've got absolutely no clue as my Secret Santa's identity. Penelope's gift is ready and wrapped. We all use the same discrete brown bags, upping the competition from previous years. Everyone prints out the names on slips, using plain fonts. I've got absolutely no idea who has me.

When I turn my back to the gift table, I try to survey the crowd. I don't know how the profilers do it. They can see things that I can't. My eyes see nothing special when I look at Hotch helping set up the plates. Maybe it's because I have experience looking over the terrible papers of first year university students, but I'm intimately aware that people can misinterpret data to prove their own point.

Maybe Hotch is setting up the plates because he has an innate desire to please others. Maybe he's just helpful. Maybe Hotch sets the table because his parents were cruel to him if he didn't do chores, or maybe they instilled in him a sense of duty. An actual profiler might be able to make heads or tails of it. When I look at Hotch, I don't see what they see.

My gaze turns to Rossi. He is smiling, standing with Reid. I'm sure he's rattling off something to Rossi. Probably about one of Rossi's books. Reid's always been more interested in the one he loaned to me. We've talked together about Rossi's different books during lunch. Estelle thinks it's silly, all of it, and I suppose I should too, but Reid doesn't.

"Are we all ready?" Hotch asks, the plates properly placed for everyone to use.

Then, we all sit together. I try to act as a profiler, engaging in the conversation as much as I can. My siblings are coming down to visit me for Christmas this year. No, my sister isn't single, Morgan. Other people are flying to different parts of the country. Most of us should be back in time for New Year's Eve. The same group are going that went last year; neither Rossi nor Hotch will come with us. The whole conversation, I'm looking for glances, for more questions toward me than usual, and nothing is different.

Reid asks me more questions than anyone else, but that isn't unusual. I'm closer to him than anyone else.

We draw lots to guess who has who this year. Unlike last time, when I had a bit of a buffer period, I am up first. I look around the circle, blindly.

"Rossi," I decide, "and I think it's him since he was really chatty with me at the pub a few weeks ago. I think he was fishing for a gift idea."

Still not good at bullshitting, just like last year. Maybe that should be my New Year's Resolution. At the very least, that could be one of them. Reid had twelve resolutions last year.

We go around in a circle. Penelope guesses Morgan, so I feel like I'm in the clear. Prentiss guesses Rossi though, so I'm as equally screwed as Garcia. Just like last year, we get to open the gifts and then offer a new guess.

When I pull out the tissue paper from within the brown bag, I screw my jaw shut tight. Inside the bag is a children's toy. Specifically, a beginner magic set. I blink down at it, and now I know who gave me this gift.

"Any changes?" Hotch asks.

All eyes are on Penelope and I, so I assume everyone in the group knows we got our guesses wrong. Just across from me, she pulls out the sock monkey that's meant to be me. It's orange, bright like my hair, with light green buttons for the eyes. She laughs, holding it up for the others to see.

"These are absolutely ridiculous," Penelope smiles so wide, "I'm absolutely in love."

Only Reid hasn't been guessed, so by process of elimination he's mine. I wouldn't need to do that though. He's the only one who knew I used to do magic. I glance up at him. He blinks, no more of a grin on his face than usual.