Title: Talking In The Dark
By: patch_tank
Rating: PG for the tiniest amount of language
Summary: Garcia has eyestrain.
Feedback: Would make me smile :) <--- like that.
Archive: G'head. Just tell me.
Disclaimer: I wish I owned Criminal Minds, but sadly it is not to be.
Warnings: None that I can think of.
Author Note: So okay, I wanted to write something, but this didn't really work as well as I wanted it to. Nevertheless, I decided to post it (mainly to save myself from going crazy trying to re-write it for weeks - because I would). It's unbeta'd at the moment, but I'm going to ask a friend of mine to look over it, so there may be hope after all!

***

"Hey, Garcia?" Elle strode briskly into Garcia's office, her eyes scanning the file in her hand.  "Could you check out a couple of things for me?  I need -"

"Just leave it on the desk, I'll get to it when I get to it, and if you put that coffee I know you're carrying anywhere near my keyboards you will regret it till the end of your days," Garcia interrupted grouchily.

Elle looked up, stunned by this uncharacteristic outburst.  She saw that Garcia was leaning forward in her chair, her head in her hands.  "Dare I ask what's wrong with you?" she inquired, carefully placing her coffee cup on a table by the door, safely away from anything electrical.

Garcia turned her chair around.  "It's nothing."

Elle raised her eyebrows.  "You don't usually tear people new ones over 'nothing'," she responded coolly.

Garcia sighed.  "I have eyestrain, okay?  I know that doesn't seem like a big deal to you, but if I can't see properly I can't type, and if I can't type, I can't do my work." Her shoulders slumped.  "I'm sorry I snapped at you.  I just. . . I hate feeling so useless." 

She sounded genuinely contrite, and Elle could see her frustration.  She folded her arms, hugging the file to her chest.  "Maybe you should go home.  I'm sure all this can wait till tomorrow," she reasoned, nodding toward the screens behind Garcia.

Garcia shook her head, causing the lime green spheres on her earrings to swing back and forth.  "I can't.  My vision's kind of blurry, I don't think I should drive," she said, squeezing her eyes shut and rubbing her temples.

Elle put the file down and pulled a chair next to Garcia's.  "Well, at least shut these computers off.  The light probably isn't helping," she said, switching off one of the monitors.

Garcia sat back in her chair and stared around at the computers.  Her expression was one of despair, and Elle felt a rush of understanding as she realised how much Garcia's job meant to her.  It had to be pretty awful to be so dedicated to something that was causing her pain.

"Tell you what.  How about you turn these off - the lights too - and stay here and talk to me for a while?  If your eyes still hurt in half an hour or so, I'll drive you home, okay?"

Garcia managed a small smile.  "How do I know you won't leave me talking to myself in the dark like a crazy person?" she asked with a hint of her trademark playfulness as Elle switched off the light.

Elle laughed softly and sat back down.  "Here," she said, taking Garcia's hand in her own.  "I'm not going anywhere."

For the next half hour they talked.  Families, school, old boyfriends, what on earth Reid was thinking when he wore that sweater.  Elle wasn't usually one for girl talk, unlike JJ who was probably great at this kind of thing.  But she found herself enjoying her conversation with Garcia - they had more in common than she had realised.  Garcia was warm, kind and incredibly funny; Elle couldn't help thinking she'd been too critical of her in the past.

". . . should have seen his face when I told him he'd be someone's prison-bitch!" Garcia chuckled, her laughter mingling with Elle's in the darkness.  "Hey, what time is it?"

Elle glanced at the neon-blue kitten shaped clock.  "After six.  You want me to drive you home?"

Garcia switched on the desktop lamp, blinking a few times as her eyes adjusted to the light.  "I think I'm okay now," she said.  "At least, I'm not seeing four of everything anymore.  Must be the healing power of gossip, huh?"

Elle smiled and squeezed her hand before heading for the door.  "Glad I could help," she said, picking up the file.

"You can leave that here if you want, I'll work on it first thing tomorrow," Garcia said.  "And, uh, your coffee - "

"I'll get it out of here, I promise," Elle assured her, collecting her cup.

"No, I mean. . . you can bring coffee in here from now on.  If you want to,"  Garcia said.

Elle's eyes widened.  "I get coffee privileges?" she asked, feigning awe.  "Wow!"

Grinning, she waved to Garcia and left the office.  Garcia's voice followed her down the corridor.

"But just you, okay?  And only if you're careful!"

 

****