Title: Secrets
Summary: In a world where everything is available on line, she didn't believe that there was anything she didn't know about any member of the team. However, this was one thing she never expected. Takes place during the end of Memorium. I'm not mentioning spoilers because if you haven't seen all the episodes by now, you never will.
Pairing: David Rossi/Penelope Garcia
Disclaimer: I don't own them, I'm just playing with them.
Author's Notes: In this story, Penelope's relationship with Kevin was short-lived. She caught the eye of a certain Italian profiler, who set her world on fire and changed the trajectory of her life. Dave and Penelope have a long-term relationship that the entire FBI is aware of and, so far, it has not been a problem.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"For every good reason there is to lie, there is a better reason to tell the truth." - Bo Bennett
Las Vegas Police Department
David Rossi, Derek Morgan and Spencer Reid stand in a semi-quiet section of the lobby. Dave watches Reid as Reid's eyes follow the Detective who had agreed to bring Reid's father in for questioning.
Morgan hangs up his phone and turns to the other two men in the room. "Penelope's running it through the systems. She'll let us know what she finds."
Dave nods. Reid doesn't move or acknowledge either one of them.
"Let's go grab some lunch while we wait. I'm starving," Dave stats cautiously. He looks at Reid who is lost in thought. "Reid! Come on."
"I'm going to wait here," Reid replies tonelessly. "I want to be here when they bring my Dad in."
Dave and Morgan exchange a look. Dave nods at Morgan.
"Okay," Dave acquiesces. "I'll go get us some sandwiches while you two wait here."
Dave leaves the police station and walks down the street to a nearby restaurant.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Interior SUV in DC
Sitting in the back of the SUV, next to JJ, Penelope is almost beside herself with excitement. Her best friend was about to have a baby! And she was going to spoil it rotten! She was already scheduling playdates and sleepovers as well as picking out outfits for every holiday imaginable.
She spent the last four months shopping for clothes and toys and gadgets for the baby, much to JJ's dismay. The young blond had been overwhelmed by her friends generosity but eventually had to shut it down as she and Will were running out of space.
But that hadn't stopped Penelope, she started storing her goodies of the baby variety at Dave's house in the guest bedroom. Which, in hindsight, she probably should have warned him about before he went in there.
Dave opens the door to the guest room and steps inside. He stops dead in his tracks, drops the pile of extra bedding he was carrying. The room is filled with bags and boxes that he doesn't remember leaving there. He steps over the bedding piled at his feet and peers into a bag - baby clothes. He stares. Heart pounding loudly in his chest.
Penelope appears in the doorway behind him. "Oh, there you are."
Dave spins around slowly. Penelope takes in his extremely pale complexion and perplexed facial expression.
"Are you okay?" she asks.
He stammers for a moment. "What the hell is all of this?"
"Baby stuff," she replies gleefully. She bounces into the room and begins pawing through the bags. She pulls out a few outfits to show him. Then grabs a bag full of toys. "I tried to keep them as gender neutral as possible. I have no idea what sex the baby is going to be."
He spies a pile of paint cans in the corner next to a box with the picture of a crib on it.
"Are you kidding me?" he accuses. She stops her foray and looks at him. "When were you going to tell me?"
"What are you talking about?"
He gestures to the large pile of stuff surrounding them. "How far along are you?"
"I'm not pregnant," she laughs. She puts a hand on his chest letting her fingers slide inside the opening of his shirt. "Not that I wouldn't want to be."
He ignores her last statement. "Who is all this stuff for?"
"JJ and Will," she tells him like he should already know.
"Oh thank God," he moans. He spins and sinks onto the bed spilling several bags onto the floor. "Why isn't this stuff at their house then?"
She replies hesitantly. "JJ said they already had more than enough stuff. Soooooo, I thought maybe we could put it to use."
He slowly turns his head to look at her.
"You really don't look well. Are you getting sick?" she asks. She places a hand on his forehead.
"We're not even living together on a permanent basis yet," he reminds her. "And you want to build a nursery? In my house?"
She shrugs nonchalantly. "For sleepovers."
"Sleepovers?"
She takes another look at him then begins to fiddle with the bag in her hand. "I should have talked to you first, huh?"
"That would be nice," he agreed. "You almost gave me a heart attack."
She slides closer to him, runs her fingers through his hair. Cautiously, she perches on his lap. "I'm sorry."
He wraps his arms around her. She leans down for a kiss.
"So, can we get rid of this bed?" She asks. "I want to put the crib and a rocking chair here and the bed is going to be in the way."
"I swear if you ask me one more time how I'm doing, I'm going to... ," JJ growls between clenched teeth into the phone that she holds to her ear. "I will see you at the hospital. I love you too!"
"He's excited," Penelope lovingly chastises.
"I know, I know," JJ acknowledges. "He's just a bit overbearing right now."
Dual snorts from the front seats capture their attention.
From behind the wheel, Aaron Hotchner glances in the rearview mirror as his dark haired companion turns to face the women in the back seat.
"Imagine if it was Dave on the other end of that phone call," Emily teases.
"Yeah," JJ agrees. "Imagine that. You guys have been together for a while now, any baby plans? You have that really nice nursery now."
"That is for your baby when he, or she, comes to visit," Penelope points out.
"He," JJ reminds her. "Definitely going to be a boy. And you are avoiding the question."
"I am not avoiding anything," Penelope states as she plays with her own cell phone. "I need to let Dave know what is happening. He's going to be excited too."
Vegas
Dave pulls the door to the restaurant open as his cell phone goes off in his pocket. He pulls it out and looks to see who is calling him. A soft smile graces his lips.
He releases the door and walks away. Dave waits one more ring before answering the phone. "Hey sweetheart."
"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," Penelope gushes on the other end of the line. "I can't believe this is happening. I am so excited. Can you believe it?"
"Believe what?" Dave asks perplexed. "Honey, slow down. You're babbling like a brook after a spring thaw."
"JJ!" she squeals.
Dave frowns. He waits a moment for her to continue.
"She's having the baby," Penelope screams delightedly.
Dave takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. He rubs his forehead as he listens to the woman on the other end of the line go into deep detail about the last thirty minutes of her life. He stands motionless staring at the sky.
"Dave? David," Penelope's voice is much softer and concerned. "Sweet Cheeks, are you there?"
Dave takes another deep breath and lets it out. "Yeah, I'm here."
"Aren't you excited?"
His mind spins as he attempts to formulate the correct response.
For the previous few months, after JJ announced her pregnancy until now, Dave had been able to dodge the endless stream of baby talk that the rest of the BAU had joyfully participated in. God knew that he loved Aaron's son Jack as well as his own nieces and nephews, but when asked about having kids of his own, he had always been able to deflect those questions.
How, he wondered for the millionth time, had he allowed himself to get this involved with Penelope Garcia? She was a tornado wrapped in glitter and sparkles that spun through his life causing chaos and laughter and upset his entire routine of living. A routine that he was happy to be rid of, for her. She made him happy and that was a feeling he hadn't truly experienced in a long time.
However, she was starting to get baby-fever and that was something that he wasn't sure he could handle. Especially since he had allowed her to make a nursery in his house.
"I'm trying to be," he responds.
"Well that's disappointing," Penelope replies flatly.
"I'm sorry, Honey. My mind is just so wrapped up in helping Reid right now," he tries to deflect.
"I understand," she says softly. "How's he doing?"
Dave huffs. "He's hellbent on pinning this or anything else he can find on his Dad."
"Can you blame him?"
"Not really," Dave sighs. "If my old man had left when I was a kid… I don't know what I'd be doing now."
"You'd be right where you are," she replies knowingly. "Your Dad might have been a tough guy, but at home, your Momma ruled the roost."
"That is the truest thing I've ever heard."
His mind flashes to the hypnotherapist office. To Reid lying on the couch, trapped in the past and begging to be set free. The panic in the young profiler's voice had almost been his undoing but he fought his own demons in order to help his friend.
He pondered that thought a few seconds more. Friend. He considered these people his friends. A year ago, he had returned to the BAU and the FBI after being happily retired. He snorted inwardly. 'Happily retired?' he thought. He was much happier now.
"Sweetheart, I need to go. I'll be home as soon as I can," he finally spoke into the phone.
"I know, Mon ami. Take care of Reid and hurry back to me."
"You don't want me to take care of Morgan too?" he asks inquiringly.
She laughs. "My Chocolate God of Thunder can take care of himself."
"Eww," he grimaces. "I wish you wouldn't say that directly in my ear."
She laughs again. "I'll call you when the baby gets here."
"Okay." He snaps the phone closed and heads into the restaurant.
LVPD
Dave returns to the police station carrying two large bags of food and a second bag of canned drinks. He enters the observation room where Derek watches Reid and his Father. Derek turns to Dave and smirks.
"You hear the news?" Derek asks.
"About JJ?"
Derek nods.
Dave sighs. "Yeah, my bundle of excitement called to tell me."
Derek lets out a small laugh. "You better be careful Daddy, little Mama's going to be wanting a few of those herself."
Dave glares at him. "Don't be encouraging her."
Derek holds his hands up in surrender. "Don't shoot the messenger."
Dave nearly growls.
"Speaking of messages," Derek continues. "Hotch also told me that they got a hit off the CODIS search."
"They did?"
"You ready to go for a drive?"
"Where are we headed?" Dave inquires as he reaches into a bag and pulls out a handful of french fries.
"Barker Ranch, California," Derek states. He takes in Dave's "are you kidding me" look. "They dug up a body."
"Let me guess - Gary Michaels?"
"The one and hopefully, only."
Dave looks through the glass at Reid. "He's not going to be happy about this."
The hospital in DC
Penelope stands outside the window of the nursery and smiles at all the babies laying in their cribs. She spots the newest LaMontagne and tears form in her eyes. She glances at the other babies and spots one with a swarthy complexion and thick thatch of black hair. For a moment she wonders what the babies would look like if she and Dave were to have one. Italian genes are strong. She's happy that she has brown eyes like Dave, as that may be the only thing the babies would have that she could claim as her own.
Glancing at her phone, she takes in the late hour but ignores it as she did promise Dave she would call when the baby arrived. He only got mad when she didn't call, and she didn't particularly want to make him mad.
Somewhere on a dark, desert highway
Returning from California, it is late - well past midnight. Reid sits behind the wheel; he is the only one awake enough to drive. Derek lies somewhat stretched out on the back seat. Legs bent at odd angles are jammed into the back of the passenger seat which is lowered back. Dave snores lightly as the SUV hurdles through the dark, desert night.
The silence is broken by the sudden eruption of Bad Romance blaring from Dave's pants pocket.
He jerks awake, pulls his cell phone out and flips it open.
"Yeah?"
"Did I wake you, my profiler extraordinaire?" Penelope's overly cheerful voice booms out of the tiny speaker.
Dave attempts to stretch before answering. "Yes and no."
"Where are you?" she asks with concern.
"Hell if I know," he answers briefly. He glances over at Reid.
"We're about 50 miles from Vegas," Reid says vaguely.
"You're letting Reid drive? Brave."
"He was the only one of us with any steam left," Dave says through a yawn. "But you didn't call to find out if I was asleep, what's up?"
"It's a boy," she whispers breathlessly. He can hear the smile on her face. "JJ and Will have a boy."
"That's awesome," he replies faking enthusiasm.
Dave looks over at Reid again. "JJ has a son."
Reid looks over at him, a slow genuine smile creeps across the young profilers face. "A boy?"
Dave nods. He peers back at Morgan who seems to be sleeping through all of this.
"Tell JJ that Spencer, Morgan, and I, send our regards," he smiles into the phone.
"I will. When are you coming home?"
Dave glances at Reid, then looks at the lights looming in the distance. "I honestly have no idea. But, soon mi amore, soon."
"Alright," she sighs. "Try to get some sleep, in a bed. Please? I don't need you all cranky when you get back here."
"We should be in Vegas again soon," he tells her. He attempts to stretch his back. "I don't know what these two have planned but I am headed to bed."
"I wish I was there," she pouts.
"No you don't," he admonishes. "If you were here, you wouldn't get to hold that baby in a few hours."
"True," she responds wistfully. "But at least I would get to hold you."
"Mmm," he hums.
"Good night my love," she states before the line goes dead.
Dave closes the phone and his eyes.
"You don't have to stay," Reid says lowly. "I know you and Morgan want to help but there really isn't much going on."
"I'm not leaving Reid."
"Is that because you want to help or because you don't want to face your girlfriend in the middle of baby-fever?" Morgan asks from the back seat.
Dave twists around to frown at the dark Adonis but his frown is lost when he sees Morgan still has his eyes closed.
"I thought you were asleep," Dave grumbles.
"I am."
Dave and Reid chuckle.
"I'm serious," Reid continues. "You don't have to stay."
"Shut up and drive," Dave orders with a hint of laughter in his voice.
Dave is almost asleep when Reid's voice interrupts his dreams. "What's baby-fever? Is it contagious?"
"Extremely," Dave replies groggily.
"I've never heard of it," Reid mumbles. "Is it like bird flu? Or measles?"
"Worse," Dave answers. "Much, much worse."
"How so?"
Dave opens one eye and peers at him. "You seriously have never heard of baby-fever?"
Reid shakes head.
Dave shifts in his seat so he can look at Reid straight on. "Baby-fever is an epidemic. One woman gets pregnant and every woman of childbearing age within a hundred miles, suddenly catch the fever."
Reid glances at him, a perplexed look on his face. "Is it deadly?"
"Only to the men who can't get away in time," Dave answers seriously.
Morgan begins laughing. "Dave, you better not go home any time soon. I bet Baby Girl is already deciding on names and picking paint colors for the nursery."
"Green and yellow," Dave mumbles.
Derek smirks.
"I still feel like you're pulling my leg, but I don't get it," Read admits.
Morgan groans loudly and maneuvers into a sitting position. He leans forwards. "Here is the truth, Pretty Boy," he begins. "What Romeo here is trying to avoid is the fact that Penelope wants to have a baby, or two, or six. It happens all the time. There is something weird and wonderful that happens to women when they get around babies. Suddenly, they want to have babies of their own."
"Oh," Reid says finally comprehending. He looks over at Dave. "So you don't want to go back and have sex with Garcia because you're afraid that she will get pregnant? Or are you afraid that you can't get her pregnant?"
"Now there's a thought," Morgan chimed in.
"No. No, it's not a thought because neither of those things are true," Dave huffs. "We are not at a point in our relationship where children are a thought or an idea or a possibility."
"Well don't wait too long, old man. There will be a time soon when you can't have kids anymore," Morgan points out.
"I'm not discussing that with you two," Dave growls. He crosses his arms and stares out the window at the lights getting closer in the night. "Besides, Garcia and have a wonderful sex life. Would you like to hear about it?"
"Good God, no!" Morgan practically screams. "As far as I am concerned the woman is a lifetime virgin."
Dave chuckles. "Trust me, she's not."
Dave's mansion
Penelope enters through the garage where she parked her beloved Esther. She sheds her jacket and shoes, resets the alarm and heads upstairs. Even though she still had her own apartment, she prefers to spend her off time at Dave's. It was comfortable. It was home.
She stops outside the former guest room and peeks in through the doorway. The room was freaking huge without the bed in it but she had managed to make it cozy nonetheless. A crib, dresser and dressing table spread across the back wall. Near the crib sat an antique rocking chair and by the window an overstuffed chair.
The walls were painted green and yellow with hand-drawn animals frolicing around the room. A hammock filled with stuffed animals was hung in the corner. Next to the window, sat a bookcase filled with books. She smiles wistfully, then moves on to the master bedroom.
Quickly running through her nightly routine, she slides into the large comfortable bed. She turns out the light, grabs Dave's pillow and hugs it tightly to her chest. She falls asleep dreaming of babies and laughter and the patter of little feet.
Red-eye from Vegas to DC
Morgan stretches out in the oversized seat next to Reid. He rolls his head to look over at Dave who sits alone, next to the window.
"Did you really buy four, first class tickets just so you could have an empty seat next to you?" Morgan asks.
Dave sips his scotch. "Yep."
Morgan grins. "Thanks for the upgrade."
"You're welcome," Dave replies. "I couldn't leave you guys in coach, not after everything we just went through."
Morgan jerks his head to look at Reid, who is fast asleep, then back at Dave. "I guess he finally wore out."
Dave glances over. "Amazing how that works once your mind has nothing to fret about."
Morgan's grin turns devilish. "I guess that explains why you're still awake."
"What does that mean?" Dave asks cautiously.
Morgan shrugs. "Penelope… babies…"
Dave lets out a whoosh of air. "Not that shit again."
Morgan shifts in his seat. Dave turns to look him head on.
"Listen," Dave starts before Morgan can. "I get why you're doing this but please stop. Penelope and I don't need pressure from you or the team or anyone else. Okay? We already have a lot going on in our lives. Let us figure this out."
Morgan, hands up in surrender, settles back in his seat. "You know I'm just kidding with you, right?"
"I know," Dave admits. "But this is something I take seriously. And you know as well as I do, that Penelope really wants to have a baby or two… or six as you say."
Morgan grins wider.
Dave continues. "I'm asking, man to man, don't put that kind of pressure on hers and my relationship."
Morgan's grin fades and he turns thoughtful. "I'm sorry, Dave. I didn't even think about that. You have my word. No pressure, no teasing."
"Same." Reid agrees without opening his eyes.
"Thank you," Dave smiles. "You want a drink? They're paid for."
A hospital in DC
Dave sat in a chair near the front door of the hospital. He drove straight over from the airport with Reid but he couldn't make himself go upstairs. He was tired. He begged Spencer to send his regards to JJ, to tell her he would see her another day. He should have driven home. Instead, he waits.
His patience was soon rewarded when his personal ray of sunshine steps out of the elevator. She stands by the elevators, cautiously scanning the expanse of chairs and tables. Her eyes land on him. Her warmth, even from a distance, fills every pore of his body. Suddenly, she is at his side and he swears he never saw her move.
He rises to his feet and takes her in his arms. They kiss like the world is about to end. When they part, she smiles up at him.
"I missed you too," she whispers. She reaches out and takes his hand. "Come up and see the baby?"
He pauses. "Not yet. Will you go for a ride with me? I have something I need to tell you about me. Something that happened a long time ago."
"Okay, she agrees. "Let me grab my purse and say goodbye to JJ."
"I'll wait here," he says softly and slips back into the chair.
A cemetery, somewhere in Virginia
Dave puts the SUV in park and shuts off the engine. Next to him, Penelope looks out the window in shock.
"This is definitely not the most romantic place you've ever taken me," she quips.
"I'm sorry," he responds tightly. "I need to show you something."
He opens his door and slides out, coming around to help her out as well. He tucks her hand in the crook of his arm and leads her across the slightly damp grass.
"You do know that I pretty much know everything about you, right?"
He peers at her through slitted eyes. "I'm sure that there are still a few things about me that would surprise you," he murmurs softly.
She follows his lead not knowing exactly what to expect. In a world where everything is available on line, she didn't believe that there was anything she didn't know about any member of the team. However, this was one thing she never expected.
They stop next to a small marker buried in the ground. Dave releases her hand and kneels. She watches as he carefully brushes away grass clippings and dirt. From this angle she can't read the words on the plaque.
"His name was James," Dave whispers tightly. His voice so soft she has to strain to hear him. "I still remember when Caroline, my first wife, told me she was with child. We were so, so excited. We couldn't stop ourselves from telling everyone."
She reaches out to touch his shoulder but stops before she actually reaches him.
"I bought all these cigars to hand out to everyone. It didn't matter if I knew them or not. If they crossed my path, they were getting a cigar. A few weeks before the due date, Caroline went into labor. We rushed to the hospital and they set her up in a room and we waited. And waited. And waited some more. It was three days before he was actually born. The doctors didn't do a lot of C-sections then. They believed that a natural birth was best for both the mother and the baby."
He looks up at her. Tears stream down both of their faces.
"It was too late," he continued. "Since then, I can't… I can't stand to be anywhere near a newborn."
"I've seen pictures of you holding Jack," she states quietly.
He nods. "Jack was a month… maybe two months old by then."
She squats down next to him and takes him in her arms. "I'm sorry."
He wraps his arms around her. "You are the light in my dark, dark world. I can't bear the thought of losing you. But I don't know if I can handle trying to have another child. It nearly killed me losing James."
He looks directly in her eyes and she sees the truth in his words. "You tried to kill…"
"No," he cuts her off. "I thought about it. But I swear, I never tried."
"I never knew you had a child," she said quietly.
"It's not something I tell to just anyone," he explains. "Aaron doesn't even know."
"Really?"
He just looks at her.
"I love you," she whispers. "It doesn't matter to me if we don't have kids. I just want to be with you."
He smiles ruefully. "I'm not saying that it is completely off the table, Kitten. I'm willing to let you try to convince me. It may take some time."
"I'm up to the challenge," she replies smugly.
He stands and pulls her tightly to him. He kisses her hard. He pulls back and looks at the tears on her cheeks. Silently, he hands her his handkerchief.
She takes the cloth and wipes the tears from his face before wiping her own face.
"Let's go home," she suggests. "I want to go to bed."
Dave's house - later
Penelope exits the master bedroom, closes the door softly so as to not wake Dave. She crosses the hallway to the nursery. She stands in the doorway. Her face devoid of emotion. After several moments, she reaches for the door handle, steps back and softly closes the door. Silently, she turns around and heads back to the master bedroom.
Penelope slides into the bed. She snuggles up to Dave's back. He stirs, turning over in his sleep to wrap his arms around her. She settles in his embrace, stares at the ceiling as he sleeps peacefully in her arms. A single tear slides down her cheek.
~finis~