"Right guys I am outta here," Morgan said as he hurriedly shoved things into his desk drawer.

"Why so jumpy?" JJ chuckled "relax, Hotch already left for the night."

"I don't care about getting a case right now," Morgan replied as he hurried away "bigger things on my mind, night guys!" he called over his shoulder.

"Your phone!" Rossi called after him holding it up.

Morgan stopped and patted his back pockets "I have mine," he said turning back to face them. Seeing the shiny glitter he sighed "it's Garcia's," he said.

"Take it to her," Rossi said throwing it to him "she'll need it if we catch a case."

Morgan caught the phone and sighed again "I was gonna giver her the night to cool down…she's still not talking to me."

"That would be wise at the moment," JJ said sending Morgan and unpleasant look. "Night," she said and walked by them.

"Alright give it here I'll take it to her on my way home," Rossi said holding out his hand.

"Rossi you the man," Morgan said handing it back to him "I gotta go, night guys!" he called as he hurried to the elevator.

Reid stood up and grabbed his bag "I'll be passing a street near hers if you want me to take it," he offered.

"Thanks kid but I'm in no rush home," Rossi replied "you get off, great work today," he added.

"Thank you sir…night!" he called and ran to catch the elevator with Morgan.

"Night," Rossi replied looking down at the phone, turning it over he smiled at the letters P.G on the top in glitter-chuckled at the pink glitter star taking up the rest of the cover "only you Garcia," he chuckled as he typed her home phone into his own.

Slipping the phone into his breast pocket he held his own to his ear as he walked towards the elevator "Garcia, it's Rossi," he said when it went to answering machine "since I get no answer I'll assume you're asleep. You left your phone on Morgan's desk, I'm leaving BAU now I'll drop it over," he said and stepped into the elevator. "I should be with you in about fifteen minutes, I'll pop it through the mail slot," he said and hung up.

Arriving at her house not long after he looked around and sighed this was not a great part of town, she didn't even own a gun she wasn't even licence to carry one. Pulling off his belt he opened his door and climbed out.

As he got closer to the closed courtyard he sighed again at the run down building…it didn't look so bad from the car. Walking inside he looked down to pull her phone from his pocket, pulling it out he stepped to the side to pass the water fountain and stopped dead in his tracks.

His eyes went wide, the phone fell from his hand in shock, he just stood there staring he couldn't move. Time felt like it stood still, was he really seeing this? Was this really happening?

….

After a few seconds more his cop mode kicked it "no no," he said and rushed forward "Garcia!" he yelled and jumped down beside her. "Sweetheart can you hear me?" he asked whilst searching for a pulse "oh thank god," he said when he got one-a weak one, but he still got one.

Pulling out his phone he called 911 "this is supervisory special agent David Rossi," he said quickly "I have an agent down, she's been shot! I need a bus and now!" he yelled. Rambling off her address he threw down his phone and moved back to her.

Leaning over her as she groaned he patted her head "I'm here sweetie I'm here," he said softly "you're gonna be okay," he added trying to remain calm "you're gonna be okay," he said again.

"He shot me," she mumbled.

"I know honey I know," Rossi said still rubbing her head "you just lay there and don't talk okay, I promise you're gonna be okay," he said softly.

Garcia smiled and closed her eyes "I'm not really comfortable here."

Rossi chuckled trust his bubbly analyst to make light of something like this "don't worry we'll soon have you in a nice comfortable bed."

Garcia smiled but didn't say anything. A few minutes passed she smiled again "I can see a really nice light," she mumbled.

Rossi moved closer to her and felt her pulse again she was fading fast "stay away from it Garcia you hear me, I don't care how nice it is you stay away!" he said as he grabbed his phone to find out where the hell the ambulance was.

Just as he did he heard a screech and looked up to see two medics rushing forward "she's been hit in the shoulder and abdomen she's losing a lot of blood!" he said and moved out of the way.

The medics fussed over her and fast "she's crashing!" one of them yelled "we gotta move now!" he added.

Rossi stood by helplessly as she was loaded onto a stretcher and wheeled to the ambulance "I'm coming with her," he said and went to climb in.

"Sorry sir, family only," the medic said stopping him.

"I am her family!" he hissed and shoved him out of the way to climb in.

"She's stable for now…what's her name?" the medic asked.

"Penelope Garcia," Rossi answered while sliding his hand into hers.

"d.o.b?" he asked as he scribbled down her name on a chart.

"January, twentieth, eighty-four," he replied without thought.

"So that makes her thirty?" the medic asked "you sure know all these answers fast," he chuckled

"Thirty," Rossi nodded "I know everything about her," he said while gazing at her "she's my family," he said moving closer to her "come on princess," he whispered "you gotta make it through this," he added and lowered his head to pray his ass off.

Two hours later he paced the waiting area now joined by Hotch JJ Reid and Prentiss "has anyone called Morgan?" Emily asked.

"I tried him a few times," a devilish JJ replied.

"Yeah, I did too…I'll call him again," Reid said and walked away from the group.

"Where the hell is he?" JJ sighed "he should be here."

Emily saw how upset and worried she was, they were best friends after all, she scooted closer to her and slid her hand into hers "he's probably working off some steam after his fight with her he'll get the message."

Just then they looked up as loud footsteps ran towards them "where is she?" a panicked Morgan yelled as soon as he spotted them "where is she?" he asked again.

"Morgan, calm down," Hotch said.

"Calm down?" he yelled "are you serious?"

"Yes I am," Hotch replied seriously "the last thing she needs is us all hyped up and arguing."

"Who's arguing?" he yelled waving his arms "I just wanna know where she is!"

"She's still in surgery," Rossi spoke for the first time since they all got there.

Morgan looked at Hotch for a moment before he walked to him "you found her?" he asked "was she awake?" he asked when Rossi nodded "Was she talking?"

Rossi closed his eyes as he went back to it "she came in and out for a bit but mostly unconscious."

Morgan closed his eyes and tried to hold it together "did she say what happened? Did she see anything? What the hell was she even doing out?" he asked angrily.

"She said he shot me," Rossi replied "and I don't know why she was out-she was dressed up though."

"I think I do," JJ said walking to them "after her argument with Morgan I called her for something and she was still in a bad mood…she said she was gonna prove Morgan wrong."

"Prove me wrong how?" Morgan asked taking a step closer to her.

JJ sighed "she took that guys number back out of the trash and called him for a date."

"The coffee shop guy?" Morgan yelled "Jesus JJ and you didn't think to warn her off or talk her out of it?"

"I cant tell her who she can and cannot see!" JJ yelled angrily "this is all your fault anyway!" she hissed "you basically told her no guy would date her!"

"How is this my fault? And I did not say that!" he yelled back.

JJ laughed bitterly "Morgan when she told you she threw the guys number away you said, good you knew there was something wrong with him! You never even met the guy! Do you have any idea how that made her feel!"

"Morgan!" Emily gasped surprised "you didn't say that to her!"

"I didn't mean it that way!" he yelled frustrated "all I meant was for her to be careful and follow her gut, she didn't know anything about him! She knew him five minutes!"

Emily scoffed "so that gives you the right to tell her to throw his number away? Newsflash Morgan…you are not her boyfriend!"

"Yeah well maybe I should be!" he yelled "then this wouldn't have happened!"

"Alright that's enough!" Rossi snapped "our team member is fighting for her life! No one is to blame but the guy who shot her!"

"Rossi's right," Hotch said stepping in "as soon as we get an updated we're heading back to BAU, I don't care what falls into our lap, I don't care about protocol this case is put above all else, no new cases until we catch this guy," he said and walked off.

….

Another few hours had passed and still no word everyone pretty much remained silent and kept to themselves. "Penelope Garcia?" a doctor in green scrubs asked causing them all to jump up.

"Yes," JJ said and stepped forward praying for good news.

"Doc how is she?" Morgan asked.

"The bullet went into her chest and ricocheted into her abdomen, she lost a lot of blood it was touch and got for a while but we were able to repair the injuries…but unfortunately we didn't get the result we'd hoped for."

"So what are you saying?" JJ asked.

"One centimetre over and it would have torn through her heart, the pressure and shock has sent into a coma."

Everyone's eyes went wide "coma?" JJ shrieked.

"When will she wake up?" Morgan asked.

"We can't tell when exactly it could happen, but we are monitoring her," the doctor said "all her signs are pointing to a short term coma, which means she could wake up in the morning or the next few days."

"Can we see her?" Reid asked.

"When she's settled into a room I'll send a nurse, I'm sorry I've done all I can, it's up to her now," he said and walked off.

"Thank you," Emily called after him.

"David and I will go to the scene," Hocth said "the rest of you should be here in case she wakes up."

"I'm staying here," Rossi said.

Hotch frowned he thought he'd be jumping at the chance to get out of here "I think we should go they'll keep us updated."

"I said I'm not going!" he yelled before he walked away.

Everyone looked at one another "why is he so cut up about this?" Emily asked "I mean sure we're all upset but he seems to be freaking out."

Hotch watched him go he was wondering the same thing "Prentiss, meet me at the car in five minutes," he said and followed where Rossi had gone.

Finding him outside leaning over the rail with his rosary beads in his hand he stopped behind him "care to fill me in on what that outburst was about?" he asked.

Rossi sighed he knew he couldn't keep this a secret forever-never expected to, but so far it had gone in his favour "I found her," he said "she was just lying there on her own, I wonder what she was thinking…did she think she was going to die?"

"David," he said stepping beside him "you can't let it eat you up, it was horrible to see but you got there on time, you heard the doctor she's going to be just fine."

Rossi sighed again this is where his life changed-he may even lose his job, he didn't care this was more important than any job "do you know what it feels like to see your own daughter lying there in a pool of her own blood? Thinking she was already dead?" he asked and looked over at him "that was something I hoped I'd never experience."

Hotch nodded they were a close team and Rossi was like a father figure to the younger ones…he'd never gone as far to call them his sons or daughters though, that part he didn't understand "it's hard for us all David."

Rossi looked ahead of him "not as hard as it is for me," he said and looked over at him "she's my little girl Aaron-she's my daughter."

Hotch stood there in shock, how did he not know this? How did anyone not know this? "Your daughter?" he asked once the shock had worn off.

Rossi nodded "and before you ask she doesn't know it's me-that I'm her dad."

Hotch nodded and folded his arms he knew how hard it was having a family and being in the BAU "how long have you known she was your daughter?"

Rossi chuckled and reached into his pocket, pulling out his wallet he opened it and pulled out a picture "the first time I walked in the BAU and saw her…I just knew it was her, you look at that girl and tell me she's not mine."

Hotch looked a picture of a very younger Rossi sitting a small blonde child on his lap, he chuckled at the colourful clothing and massive smile it was her alright "how old is she in that?" he asked as he examined it once more.

"Three," Rossi smiled "it's the last picture of the both of us I have…I split from her mother a few weeks later."

Hotch nodded and handed it back to him "how do you want to play this one?" he asked "if you hang around here they're gonna ask questions."

Rossi thought for a moment "once I've seen her for myself I'll join you in the investigation…and for now no one is to know what I just told you."

Hotch nodded "no one will...I'll call," he said and walked off.

Rossi made his way back to Morgan JJ and Reid, without a word he sat down not having missed the glances between them "I am fine," was all he said before he sat back and closed his eyes.

In her room Garcia was staring to have visions of her date-on her porch to be specific, they started to haunt her. "Daddy," she mumbled as the gun came into view she knew it was him she had heard him, she felt tremendous pain "daddy," she mumbled again . As Battle leaned over her she held her breath "daddy please help me," she mumbled. Battle chuckled and took her bag before running off "daddy," she mumbled before it all went black again.

….

A few hours later Morgan slipped into the room, JJ had been in with her for the last hour. He sat on the chair and slid his hand into hers "oh baby girl," he sighed "if 'maybe we shouldn't be friends anymore' are the last words I ever say to you I will never ever forgive myself." He sighed again and moved closer to her "come on momma, you can fight this I know you can." Looking at her for a minute he stood up and leaned over her "who am I gonna tell I love them every day? Who am I gonna call when I have a tough case? Who is gonna be there to set me straight when I'm getting too much...come on baby," he said and kissed her on the forehead "you can't leave me," he added and slid back into the chair.

He looked up when the door opened and Rossi slipped in "sorry," he said stopping in his tracks "I saw JJ I didn't think anyone was in here, I'll come back," he said and went to walk out again.

"Stay," Morgan said and stood up "I can't look at her like this, it's too hard," he said staring down at her. "It's killing me seeing her lying there," he said and dropped a kiss on her forehead "I love ya Pen, don't stay away too long," he said and slipped out of the room.

Rossi waited until the door had closed and walked to the bed, sitting down in the chair Morgan had just vacated he sighed and placed his hand on top of hers "come on princess, don't leave me just yet," he said and used his other hand to brush some hair out of her face. "You know, I thought this would be different," he started "when I saw you again I always saw us having a relationship, one like a normal father and daughter…leaving you is the biggest mistake I ever made."

"When you were three," he said and sat up on the side of the bed "me and your mom decided to call it quits, it had nothing to do with you or your brother we just couldn't make it work," he said and smiled sadly. "I love you two more than anything in this world, when I came back after a long case your mom had already moved on, you two seemed happy with Joseph. I wanted you to stay happy so back then I thought I was doing the right thing , what a mistake that had been," he sniffed and wiped his eyes quickly.

Standing up he looked down on her "come on sweetie," he whispered "I promise I'll tell you everything if you just wake up," he said and hurried out of the room.

Next morning they all looked up when Reid ran out of the room "what's wrong?" Morgan asked jumping up.

"She squeezed my hand and mumbled something!" he yelled and kept going "doctor! Doctor!" he called waving him down.

JJ Morgan and Rossi hurried into the room "baby?" Morgan said as she groaned.

"Da…," she mumbled and groaned again.

"What's she trying to say?" JJ asked leaning over her.

"Da-dy," she mumbled again and squeezed Morgan's hand.

"Come on baby girl," Morgan said "come on open your eyes."

"Da.." she mumbled again.

"Daddy," Rossi said and moved closer "I think she's trying to say daddy."

Morgan frowned "her dad passed away years ago."

Rossi sent a silent glare his way and moved closer "Garcia?" They all looked as a smile crossed her face "Penelope," he said softly stroking her cheek "squeeze their hands if you can hear me."

"She did it!" JJ yelled happily.

"Guy's you'll all have to wait outside," the doctor said brushing by them.

"Is she waking up?" JJ asked.

"I won't know until I examine her further," the doctor replied as he moved about the monitors "I'll send a nurse for you when you can come back in."

"Did she say anything else Reid?" Morgan asked as they sat back down.

"No, she started mumbling something about da," he said and shrugged "I have no idea what she was trying to say."

"She was saying daddy in there," JJ said "which I don't understand."

"Why?" Reid asked.

"You of all people Morgan know how much she hated her stepdad, and for Penelope to hate someone it must be bad."

"What happened to her real dad?" Reid asked.

"I don't know," Morgan answered "she said he left when she was three, she said she remembered it like it was yesterday."

Rossi sighed heavily he didn't think she'd remember at all "has she ever talked about her dad?" he asked curiously.

"Are you kidding," JJ chuckled "only every day she has a shrine dedicated to him at home, pictures, some of his stuff and paintings from when they painted together. She always talks about him but just to me and Morgan."

"Yeah she told me a few years back that she felt he was still alive, then she went crazy girl and said she felt he was near her," Morgan chuckled.

"So she'd be happy if he did turn up again?" Rossi asked as his heart thumped out of his chest.

"Yeah," JJ replied and smiled sadly "she misses him so much."

Guilt riddle his body, he looked down at the floor ashamed of himself her had caused her all this pain.

"Do you know her dad?" Reid asked, he'd been watching his reaction and something was off.

"No," Rossi said quickly "I better go let Hotch know what was going on," he said and hurried off before they could say anything else.

"Well that was weird," Morgan said watching him go.

…..

Outside Rossi paced back and forth this was getting too much for him-he was slipping. He meant what he said to her, if she woke up he'd tell her everything and if she wanted to tell people then he wouldn't stop her.

He looked beside him as someone leaned on the rail beside him "she's awake," Hotch said.

"She's okay?" he asked.

"She's still a bit out of it she's a little confused but other than that she seems okay."

"Good, that's good," he nodded and closed his eyes as relief washed over him

"Guys," Emily interrupted "sorry but Garcia is asking for Rossi."

Hotch nodded "we'll be right there," he said and looked over at him "can you handle this?" he asked as soon as Emily had gone back inside.

Rossi looked down at his rosary beads sighing he looked over at him "I can hold it together a little longer," he said and walked back inside.

When they arrived back to her room she was now sitting up surrounded by the team, her face lit up when she saw him "there's my hero," she said.

"How you feeling?" he asked from the doorway.

"Great thanks to you…I don't bite," she chuckled gesturing for him to come into the room.

He walked to the bed and sat on the side "you remember me being there?" he asked.

She nodded "I remember you holding me and telling me everything was gonna be okay, and I believed you," she smiled and slipped her hand into his "thank you Rossi, I owe you my life."

Her touch got too much for him he was close to breaking down "you don't owe me anything," he said and shot up. "I'm just glad you're okay," he said and backed to the door "I'm gonna go see have the police recovered anything else," he said and disappeared.

"Something I said," she asked watching the door.

"No baby," Morgan said and rubbed her back "he's been here since he came in with you."

"He's been acting really strange" Reid added.

"Yeah he was asking questions too," JJ added.

Penelope nodded and looked to the door "he must be exhausted," what they had just told her had added to what she'd been thinking, she was now more confused than ever "guys I'm tired, do you mind if I sleep."

"No not at all," JJ said and stood up "we'll come back later," she said and hugged her quickly.

She said her goodbyes and settled back into the bed she looked to the side as someone shifted and rolled her eyes "I'm fine Morgan, go home and get some sleep."

"I'm here as long as you are," he said and fixed her blanket "get some rest baby," he said and kissed her on the head.

"Hey Morgan," she said a few minutes later "I'm sorry about our fight-what I said."

"Don't even worry about it sweetness you weren't getting rid of me that easy," he said and settle back into the chair.

Smiling she looked to the window and saw Rossi standing there looking at her, As he walked away she sighed thinking she was seeing things she closed her eyes she was confused that's all.

A/N So how did we like that? Is anyone gonna find out before he can tell her? Will she figure it out for herself?