Lost In The Fire | Spencer Reid

20. Home

Becca shivered, pulling her thick coat tight around her as she walked slowly up the long garden path towards the house.

Knocking loudly against the wood, she smiled to herself as she heard footsteps approaching quickly from the other side of the door. The door swung open, the smell of home-cooking filling her nose as her sister beamed at her.

"Welcome home," Gemma smiled excitedly, throwing her arms around her sister's shoulders and pulling her inside, closing the door against the cold wind. "And happy Christmas!" Gemma released her sister from the tight hug and smiled, holding her face in her hands. "You look tired."

"I feel tired," Becca chuckled. "Jetlag is a bitch."

"Well I hate to tell you this, but I don't think you're going to get a lot of peace and quiet today. There is one VERY excited little boy through there," Gemma laughed softly, nodding her head towards the closed lounge door. "You should go on through, he's been waiting for you to arrive before I'd let him open his present." She hesitated briefly. "We've missed you so much," she smiled.

"I've missed you too," Becca smiled, gently squeezing her sister's arm before turning and walking towards the lounge door, slowly pushing the door open.

"Hey buddy," she said loudly, smiling as her nephew turned to look at her, his eyes lighting up as he toddled his way across the room. "Good job," she cheered encouragingly as she crouched down, allowing him to throw his arms around her. She squeezed his little body tight as he giggled, relishing the feeling of the small boy in her arms.

He wriggled free of her embrace, running unsteadily back across the room to the Christmas tree, picking up a large box and holding it out towards her. "Open it!" She laughed, and Jamie dropped the box clumsily to the ground, tearing roughly at the wrapping paper. "Careful," she laughed as she made her way towards him, sitting down beside him on the floor.

She smiled up at Gemma as she entered the room carrying two champagne flutes, handing one to Becca before sitting down alongside her on the floor.

"You couldn't have got him something louder?" Gemma smiled as she helped Jamie pull the rest of the wrapping paper from the gift. "A two year old isn't noisy enough?"

"Isn't that what auntie's are for? To cause chaos for the parents?" Becca laughed. She raised her glass slightly to her sister. "To mum and dad," she said softly. Gemma smiled, clinking their glasses together.

"As always," she smiled back before taking a sip of her Prosecco. "So how was your flight home?"

"It was ok, tried to watch a movie but I couldn't concentrate," Becca mumbled.

"You miss him already, huh?" Becca nodded sadly. "He must be some guy." Becca smiled sullenly.

"Yeah, he is," she whispered. "We haven't set a date for him to come visit yet, but I hope it will be soon. I really want you to meet him."

"Will you be speaking to him today?"

"Yeah," Becca smiled. "He's going to FaceTime me a little later. If he can remember how to," she added with a giggle, spotting Gemma's confused expression. "He's kind of a technophobe." Gemma nodded, taking another sip of her drink.

"Well lunch should be about another half an hour, and then I thought we could go down to the church?" Gemma suggested. "I got some flowers to take with us." Becca nodded, smiling wistfully as she watched Jamie pulling his new toys from their boxes. "And then once this one has gone to bed, drinks and some crappy Christmas tv?" Gemma smiled.

"Sounds perfect," Becca nodded.

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"You almost forget how beautiful it is here," Gemma sighed as she linked her arm with her sisters.