Title: I Believe in Father Christmas
Author: nebula99
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Rating: PG
Type: Mostly Gen, with a hint of Hotch/Reid pre-slash
Word Count: 5426
Pairing: pre-slash Hotch/Reid
Summary: Reid gets a visitor.
A/N: This is a Christmas present to slash_girl Thank you for being such a fantastic friend and have a Very Merry Christmas.

***


He wasn't sure what had woken him, but when Spencer Reid opened his eyes and glanced at the bedside alarm clock, it was 1.00am. A sudden burst of deep laughter made him turn towards his door and panicking, he reached into his bedside drawer for his side arm. As he pulled open the drawer, he fumbled with his glasses and eventually managed to slide them onto his nose. Then the sound of jingling bells made him frown.

"Ho, ho, ho," rumbled a friendly sounding voice. "Don't worry, Spencer, it's only me!"

Reid slid his drawer shut and slowly turned towards the source of the voice. Then he sat bolt upright in bed, staring at the familiar looking figure standing in his doorway. The man beamed at him and then said, "May I sit?"

Reid nodded dumbly and continued to stare as the man walked over and sat down next to him on his bed. "Merry Christmas, Spencer!" he said.

Reid swallowed and when he spoke, his voice was faint. "Santa?"

"The one and only," came the reply. "I know I don't usually make personal appearances, but I think you've earned one."

Reid realised that his mouth was hanging open and promptly shut it. "I earned one? Um, what did I do?"

Santa smiled and patted his arm with a gloved hand. "You believe and you always have done." He chuckled. "You've been writing me letters and leaving me milk and cookies for the past twenty-eight years." He wiped some crumbs from his beard. "Did you bake these yourself?"

Reid nodded. "Today." He looked Santa up and down, surreptitiously pinching himself under the covers to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He certainly looked real enough.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" said Santa, looking hopeful.

Reid shook his head. "Not at all." He still couldn't quite believe that Santa Claus was in his bedroom and talking to him.

"You never gave up on me," said Santa, his smile replaced with a more serious expression. "Even when you got past the age that most kids stop believing. Why was that?"

Reid gave a shrug. "You always ate the milk and cookies and you always left me gifts," he said simply. "Even when Mom was really sick and didn't even know it was Christmas, so it couldn't have been her."

Santa nodded gently at him. "I did my best." He looked kindly at Reid and then pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. Santa unfolded his small round glasses and put them on, then he scanned down the list before turning back to Reid with a smile. "There were always some easy things on your list, but I'm afraid that I couldn't supply a lot of the other requests. I read every letter posted to me at the North Pole, but some stick in the memory more than others and yours always have done."

Reid smiled at him. The warmth in Santa's voice made it impossible not to feel a sense of contentment and also of being cared for. Santa brought gifts to children out of love and that goodwill was filling his room as Santa spoke to him.

"Let me see," said Santa, "I have a list of your unfulfilled requests here. Hmm, world peace - I'm a benevolent seasonal entity, not a miracle worker." He winked at Reid and then continued. "Some from when you were younger - wings, a tail, a day without gravity and an invisibility cloak." He smiled. "I admire you reaching for the stars there, but I guess you understand now that I can't give magic gifts."

Reid brought his knees up to his chest and hugged them, treasuring the chance to speak to Santa like this. He nodded and then waited for Santa to continue.

Santa checked the list and then his face softened and he patted Reid's arm again. "And I can't give other gifts - no matter how much I want to sometimes. I'm not allowed to mess with fate and I couldn't make your mother well. I know how badly you wanted that and how many times you asked me, but it was a gift I don't have the power to give. I'm sorry."

Reid nodded at him, remembering how he had written that wish on every single letter until he was eighteen. He hadn't expected Santa to be able to give him everything he wanted, but his mom's recovery was something he would have swapped every other gift for. He sighed and his shoulders dropped, the sadness that had often visited at Christmastime at home flaring up again.

"I know it seems like I didn't often give you what you wanted," said Santa, reaching out to tilt Reid's head upright with a touch under his chin. "And I know life hasn't always been easy for you, but I don't just bring gifts because of good behaviour." He winked at Reid again. "And I never leave coal or switches!"

Despite the sadness of the memories that had been summoned up in him, Reid couldn't help but smile at Santa. He was such a signifier of happiness and generosity that it was almost impossible not to feel kindly towards him.

Biting his lip, Reid looked up at Santa and said, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Spencer," chuckled Santa, "What do you want to know?"

Reid smiled shyly at him. "Do you use an ion-shield on the sleigh to cope with heat issues when travelling at high speed? And do you travel in more than four dimensions?"

Santa threw back his head and roared with laughter. His body shook as he chortled and Reid sat bemused, waiting until he'd finished. Then Santa sat back up right and took his glasses off, wiping his eyes before replacing them and chuckling at Reid.

"Spencer," he said gently, "I can't give you all my secrets. But I will tell you this - you're pretty close." He gave Reid a warm smile that sent a glow through him. "I'm impressed that you've thought about it though and that leads me to your most recent letter." He reached into his pocket and took out an envelope. Reid recognised his own handwriting and couldn't help feeling nervous as Santa pulled out his letter and unfolded it.

Santa read through the letter, his lips moving as he murmured. "World peace - discussed, wings - discussed . . . ahh, here we are." He looked up at Reid and his expression became serious again. "Someone to fall in love with me," he said, repeating Reid's letter verbatim.

Reid shrugged. "I know," he sighed, "You're not a miracle worker." It had been a long shot, but still - it was what he really wanted.

Santa shook his head. "I'm not saying that," he said gently. "But I'm not the only person who can bring gifts in your life."

Reid frowned at him. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Santa tilted his head and smiled at Reid. "The last thing on your list was for Aaron Hotchner to be happy." He paused, waiting for Reid to make the connections. "Maybe you need to take the intitiative?"

Reid looked thoughtful for a moment. "Happiness is a gift you can give yourself," Santa said before he broke out into another chuckle.

He gave Reid a final pat on the hand and then stood up, tucking his thumbs into his belt and beaming. "I'm afraid I have to go now - it's quite a busy night for me." He chortled again. "Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas, Spencer." Santa strolled towards the door and then turned to look back at Reid. "It's up to you now." Then, with a large wave, he was gone.

Reid blinked at the empty doorway for a moment, then shook his head and took off his glasses. Despite the excitement of a visit from Santa, and the thoughts he had given him, he felt surprisingly sleepy. Settling down on his pillows, Reid yawned and then drifted to sleep, an anticipatory smile on his face.

***