I make no money for this little story of mine. I will put them back none the wore for wear when my muse and I are finished writing.
She didn't want to be here, she had somewhere else that she had to be, doing something intently more important. But she couldn't say no to Fran Morgan, no one could really. So here she sat sipping a glass of bottled water with a slice of lemon in it.
"I should have never let Sarah talk me into getting this new smart phone." Fran mumbles.
Hearing Fran, Penelope looks over and smiles. "What's wrong Mrs. Morgan?"
"I don't know it keeps locking me out and freezing,"
"Let me see if I can fix it for you." Penelope offers.
" She fixes all of out tech gadgets" Rossi explains to Fran.
Nodding her head Fran hands over the cell and watches as Penelope smiles as he lowers her head as she starts to do her thing as Derek is fond of saying.
It doesn't take long before Fran had her smart phone back. "It's fixed, it's better than new" Penelope says as she hands the cell back to Fran.
"Better than new, Kitten?"
"What can I say? I do my best for you guys."
"Thank you Penelope."
"You're welcome." Penelope replied dismissively. Thinking to herself that she should be able to make her excuses in a half an hour then leave without to much fuss.
Picking up her glass she takes a sip of her water and smiles as she joins in the conversation that JJ and Reid are having with Alex.
"I thought only the agents from Derek's team would be here for lunch. What are you doing here Penelope?" Penelope moves ever so slightly to see who is talking to her, she blinks once then smiles sweetly. Recognizing Cassandra, Derek's newest girlfriend looking like she just stepped off the catwalk in Paris. Cassandra never Cassie always Cassandra she thought it sounded more regal when her full name was used. He met her in England and she followed him after a few weeks of phone calls and long emails. The daughter of some bigwig, another words she came from money, old money. She grew up with nannies and she went to an elite boarding school in Switzerland. She was spoiled rotten by her father, he gave her everything that she wanted. She never in her entire life had anyone said no to her.
"You really shouldn't be here you know Penelope. Derek and I arraigned this lunch so that I could get to know his family and team. You really aren't a member of the team just support staff. You should really know your place, I mean your not even an agent."
"Garcia is in fact an agent, her specialty is in being a technical analyst. She's just not a SSA like the rest of us in this unit. You should know that she is a member of this team and of the entire BAU unit." Reid explains as he defends his friend.
"That is neither here nor there, the point neither Derek or I invited her."
"I asked her to come, Cassandra." Fran tells her firmly.
"I'm sorry I didn't know that you were friendly with her ."
"I know who and what she is, I hold her dear in my heart. You see she has saved my son's life not once but twice that I know about."
"Thank you Mrs. Morgan, I really have to go now. I enjoyed seeing you again." Penelope gets up from the table and pushes her chair in. She takes five dollar bill from her purse and drops it on the table. Grabbing her coat she turns, and with a completely calm expression on her face she looks at Cassandra.
"Just so you know Cassandra I know my place in this team better than you do. To Agent Hotchner I am his subordinate a member of his unit. Agent Rossi, I'm his girl Friday, Reid well I'm his confidant. JJ, I am more of a older sister, I am godmother to her son too. As for Alex we are new found friends who share a love of tea, and knitting ."
Everyone can see that Derek's new girlfriend is bristling as Penelope continues to talk each member of the team controlling their emotions and schooling their faces.
"You need to know one thing here in the States you're not going to be treated like a Lady of the Manor and there is no way that I'll allow you to treat me like a scullery maid. I suggest you get off of that high horse you're sitting on. As for Derek well, there are three things that I'll share with you. To begin with it takes more than a beautiful face and body to keep a man like him happy and interested for the long haul. Two, I know what his Achilles heel is, I doubt you ever will. And lastly this one is important, I don't want you to ever forget this, I know that you are in a new blossoming relationship with Derek and you are hoping for more, but remember this, he told me that he loved me, first."
"Why you Bitch." Cassandra says then she swiftly slaps Penelope across the face.
"I guess I deserved that. But I thought you should know the truth. I've been putting up with women like you my whole life. Women who think they are better than everyone else. Well news flash chica, you're not. Now if you'll excuse me I have some place that I really have to be."
Penelope turns and looks at Hotch. "If there is case JJ knows where I'll be."
No one said a work as they watched Penelope leave, she didn't run or rush she walked out with her head held high. Hotch and Rossi exchange glances and nodded after long years of working together they were able to communicate without words. It was a sense of sheer pride they felt for Penelope, their lowly tech support staff indeed.
"I just saw Garcia leaving, she mumbled something about having to be some where important. Did she say anything?" Derek asks as he sits next to Cassandra and his mother.
"JJ you were about to tell us where she was going." Rossi prompts gently.
"To the hospital she is the medical proxy for a friend. She is going to sign the papers so they can stop life support."
Hearing this the lawyer in Hotch makes him sit up straighter and ask more questions.
"Why Garcia? Doesn't her friend have a family member that can do it?"
JJ looks at Alex then at Reid. "You three know something and I want to know what it is now." Hotch orders.
It is Alex who answers for the trio. "His name is John he is forty-five years old and he is brain dead as of a few hours ago. His mother is in her sixty's she refused to do it, she wanted G-d to decide when the time was right."
"What else?"
"I thought proxies are usually family members." Rossi asks.
"They are." Hotch informs his friend as he glares at the trio sitting at the end of the table.
Without flinching JJ picks up where Alex left off. "About three months ago John, Penelope and his mother sat down and had a long conversation. I should say that John talked and the women listened. He knew that he has only a few weeks left to live and he wanted to set things right in case he was unable to make any decisions for himself. He explained to his mother that he did not want to live what was left of his life on machines. That when the time was right he wanted to die quietly on his own terms. Not like his father that lingered for months on life support. In the end his mother understood. So they went to a lawyer drew up the papers and he made his will."
"He had a massive stroke this morning, his mother asked Garcia if she could have the some time to say good-bye to her son. You know Garcia she couldn't say no to his mother. From what Penelope said his mother is a nice lady and who is she to begrudge her a few hours to say good-bye to her only child." Reid finishes the explanation.
"I have just one more question?" Hotch tells them. "When did she marry him?"