KITTEN

Author's Note: Takes place between 'Penelope' and 'True Night', about how Rossi wound up calling Garcia 'kitten'. Short, fluffy, friendship or pre-romance, depending on which eye you squint with.

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Rossi did feel a bad about how he'd drilled Garcia after Battle had shot her. And Morgan yelling had only added to that, not to mention the silent but palpable disapproval of his other coworkers, even Hotch.

So in the interest of keeping the peace and hoping that Garcia wouldn't defame him on the internet for all of time, not to mention locating all of his ex-wives and various girlfriends for dirt, he decided to go see her at home and apologize.

It was an apartment complex in Quantico, on the third floor. He cautiously knocked on a door under which was seeping the most foul music God ever let play- Garcia's. She answered the door.

In a blazing rage, no less, color swirling around her like the many tails of a gypsy dress. "What in the name of God-Agent Rossi, sir!"

Rossi was wincing. "Music, Garcia. It's killing me."

She had the remote in her hand. The music was instantly silenced. She was blushing to her eyelashes. "Agent Rossi."

"Yeah. I, well…I came to apologize."

"Sir?"

"For yelling at you. It was very insensitive, and my ex-wife-all of them-will attest that I am the king of insensitive. Plus Morgan threatened to kill me if I ever raised my voice to you again. And Hotch seconded him. Reid promised to help. And JJ and Prentiss haven't even gotten to me yet. I'm not looking forward to those conversations."

Garcia started to laugh. "Those are my babies. Come on in."

With caution appropriate for a big-game hunter entering dangerous territory, Rossi came into her entryway, the same colorful collection of everything that was Garcia and her techie awesomeness it had been last time. He sat across from her in the living room.

"Okay, first and foremost-apology accepted. You were an ass, but I'm very glad you guys got Battle. And I won't let Morgan, Hotch, or Reid kill you. And I already talked to JJ and Em. Lastly, if you had offended me, you would have no bank account and every woman you ever pissed off would know where you are, along with every annoying fan you ever had or will have somehow getting your personal home and cell numbers. So you're cool."

"Thank God."

"You're thanking God I'll ruin your life if you irritate me?"

He nodded. "Do you know how slowly I'll be tortured to death otherwise? Morgan was graphic. And Hotch has the stone-cold balls to pull off everything he could come up with. I'm in fear of my life here."

Garcia laughed again, patted him on the arm. "Poor baby."

He had an image, while sitting next to her, of a kitten his sister had found. It was the most lovable, fluffy thing. Until Rossi had tried to pet it. He'd needed stitches.

"Thank you, Ms. Garcia." He stood up to see himself out.

"You're welcome, Agent Rossi."

Before he closed the door on the Goddess of All Information Ever Recorded, he added "Good night, Kitten."

He didn't see the smile she gave his back.

. . . . . . . . . . .

FINIS

Author's Note: I watched the episode that broadcasted on the fifth of this month-I think-where the team was in Florida for a suicide who was killing women with his wife and tattooing himself with their portraits. Maybe I missed a lot of Season 5(I'm lucky I know about Haley, okay-work sucks) but I'd never heard Rossi call Garcia 'Kitten' before. So this was my idea of how it could've happened. Please Review, I have no friends except my readers!