I know, I know. The last thing you need right now is another new fic from me! I will update my other fics soon. I promise. I started writing this in January so I figured I should put it out there! This is my personal favorite of the Garvez I've written. One of the original characters that comes in later is essentially me so I'm attached to this story.
The drive was only supposed to take six hours, but, between the large caravan they were in, the multiple children, and bathroom breaks, the drive took an extra two hours. As they finally arrived at the large beach house, everyone got out of their cars with relieved sighs and lots of stretching.
"Wow you weren't kidding about this place were you?" Emily slid her sunglasses on the top of her head and put her hands on her hips as she appraised the large house in front of her.
"No, I told ya. Didn't you look at the pictures, Em?" Penelope asked. "Welcome to Briarhurst Manor."
"Well, yeah. We all did, but this…" JJ waved her hand to indicate the large house in front of them.
"Well, it had to accommodate all of us, didn't it?" Penelope asked, amused that her friends were so caught up on the size of the manor.
Derek chimed in. "This is more than accommodating, sweetheart. A four story house, pool, wrap around porch… And this swingset makes it look like there's a park in the yard"
"Are you saying I went above and beyond? Because I am nothing if not restrained." Penelope squinted at him.
"Well, at least Mommy can drink and not have to worry about entertaining the kids." JJ gestured to where the eight children that were along for the trip were already climbing up and down the slides, swinging on the swings, and flying across the monkey bars.
"I'm just happy to see him outside and not staring at his video game," Hotch said, as he kept his eyes on Jack.
"Well, he's a teenager now. You're going to be lucky if he ever goes outside again, unless it's for a pretty girl." Matt raised his eyes at Hotch. "Or boy," he amended, earning a smile from pretty much everyone.
"As if we didn't already spend enough time together, now we need to vacation together? What is wrong with you people? Why am I here instead of on the French Riviera?" Rossi asked as he came to stand with the group.
"Family bonding?" Reid asked nonchalantly.
"Look, can we all just," Penelope waved her hands around. "Okay?"
Tara was next to Penelope, and she put her hand on her back. "Of course, we're all very excited to be here. Don't think otherwise." Tara, JJ, and Emily hugged Penelope.
"Get used to this, folks. Their codependency never ceases to amaze me." Will's southern accent drawled out with a barely contained smirk on his face. He was speaking to Kristy, Hayden, Savannah, and Mark as they stood around watching the FBI agents and former FBI agents huddled in a group, throwing verbal jabs at one another and hugging.
"Hey, I thought everyone agreed to this incestual vacation, not just us?" Derek smirked at Will.
"Besides, you might not be able to find each other in this house. We might not see you until next Tuesday." Luke chimed in for the first time.
"Oh, yeah, that reminds me. Uh, there are four suites all on the second floor. Kristy and Matt, you get the biggest one. It has an adjoining parlor and second bedroom, as well as a bathroom, so there's enough room for all your munchkins." Penelope had a manila envelope in her hand and pulled a small key on a chain out and handed it to Matt.
"We have room keys? I'm doubting anyone wants to steal any of the cabbage patch dolls we packed," he joked.
"Well, since it's such a big place, they usually just rent it by room and have a caretaker come through. So, no, you won't need it with just us here, but you still have to be able to get in." Penelope continued. "Okay, Jayge, you have the second suite next to that, also an extra bed and your own bathroom." Penelope looked at the keys in the envelope and picked out the one with the right room number on it.
"I still have to share with three boys," JJ muttered.
"Sorry, Boo. Can't help you there. Lover," she handed Derek the next key. "Yours is next to theirs. Same set up. And the last suite is for Spencer, his Mom, and Amanda. Sorry to everyone else. That's the last fancy room." Penelope held the last key in her hand out to Diana's caretaker.
"Mark and I can take a regular room. No problem," Emily said to her.
"If there's just a regular room with two beds, we'll be fine as well." Hotch said to her.
"Good. So, for the bigger rooms, we have a king sized bed for you, sir." She handed a key to Rossi. "And also for you, boss lady." She handed the next key to Emily.
"Thanks. Where are we?" Rossi questioned.
"Both of you are on third floor. This is the key for the double room." She handed it to Hotch. "Also on the third floor."
"Thanks, Garcia." Hotch stepped forward to take the key.
"Of course, sir. So that just leaves the three of us," Penelope said looking up at Tara and Luke. "There is also one bedroom on the bottom floor, but I figured that would be best to leave for Phil if he decides to come." Penelope looked to Luke who nodded in return. "So, Tara, there is one more king bed on the third floor. You and Alvez can fight over it."
"No need. Tara, be my guest." Luke gestured to her.
"Okay, thanks." Tara smiled at him.
Penelope stretched out her hand to give her the key. "It's next to Hotch's," she informed. "Okay, well, if anyone gets in a marital dispute, there's still an extra bedroom in the attic near the other two singles, so don't worry about having to sleep on the lawn furniture or anything." Penelope eyed a few of the couples who chuckled at her comment as she handed Luke a key to his room.
"Let's get the bags and check this place out. Have to see what a beach mansion looks like from the inside." Derek rubbed his hands together as he made his way to the back of one of the five SUVs parked in the large roundabout driveway. The other men followed him and began grabbing bags.
Kristy strolled towards the swingset, "I'll make sure the kids don't run amuck." She called back to the other parents.
"Let's check this place out." JJ happily trotted to the front double doors.
Penelope was right behind her. She shouted out so everyone moving across the driveway and walkway could hear her, "Everyone's key works on the front door, in case we actually manage to split up. Ever."
"Well that seems unlikely," Savannah joked as she looped her arm through Penelope's and they strolled to the entrance.
JJ unlocked the doors with her key and stepped in with Emily and Tara right behind her. "Holy smokes," Tara said as she looked towards the high vaulted ceilings in the foyer and then to the large living room area that could easily house all twenty five people that were currently there.
"Wow Penelope, this is..." JJ trailed off.
"Absolutely stunning." Hayden's french accent made Penelope smile as the older woman grasped Penelope's hand to tell her she did good.
"Glad everyone likes it. The fridges and pantry are stocked. It was part of the cost if you wanted the whole house. I figured with so many of us it would be better to not attempt to get reservations at fancy restaurants all week." Penelope shrugged her shoulder.
"Oh, so what you're saying is the boys have to cook for us," Emily said a little louder as the men started to enter the home with bags and suitcases in tow.
"Excuse me? What's that now?" Derek asked as he walked in.
"Nothing, Honey. Don't worry about it," Savannah chimed happily before giving the women a conspiratorial look.
"I don't mind cooking a few meals, as long as I get some help," Rossi added as he came in carrying just his and Hayden's bags.
Spencer was walking with his mom, his hand on her back. "Mom, look how nice this place is. We're going to really enjoy it here." Diana nodded politely, peeking up from under her eyelashes. "I think we'll go to the room and rest for awhile," he said to no one in particular and grabbed their bags from the entryway.
Amanda nodded politely at the others. "Just let me know when you need me to watch the children as well."
"Thanks. We'll try to let you know ahead of time," Will said to the woman. Since she was coming along for Diana already, all the parents decided to split the cost to have her on-call to babysit when the kids weren't off at the day camp they were going to.
"The stairs over there lead to the second and third floors." Penelope pointed to the large, wide staircase to the right side of them that was part of another open area that looked like more of a play room.
Spencer nodded and led the two women up the stairs.
"Maybe we should all recuperate from the drive and meet up later. I'll help Dave make dinner, say around seven thirty?" Hotch asked the group that was mostly convened in the foyer.
Various nods and verbal yeses were heard as Tara and the the two couples without children headed to their rooms.
"Guess we better go interrupt Hank's fun," Savannah said as she peered through the large open window that looked out over the playground in the yard.
"Kristy's out there watching them if you want to check out your rooms first." Matt looked at JJ and Derek.
"Poor Kristy with all the children." JJ smiled at him.
"Don't worry about it. When you hit four kids, it's like getting beat up. Once you're knocked out, it doesn't matter how many more punches they throw." He turned around and looked at Kristy through the window. She was alternately pushing two swings and balancing Michael on her hip at the same time.
All the adults chuckled. "Alright, we'll go settle in, and then come round ours up." Will said as he grabbed a couple bags, and JJ grabbed the other two.
Derek and Savannah followed suit, as did Hotch. "I'll be back down for Jack after I check in with his Aunt. I just want to call her, and let her know he's doing alright." Hotch turned to Matt, who nodded.
"Okay, well, I'll start hauling our entire life story up." Matt raised his eyes at Penelope.
"Here, I can help you," Luke said as he grabbed a couple of small purple and blue suitcases following Matt up the steps.
Penelope sighed and stared out the window at Kristy, watching all the kids running around and Kristy laughing at something one of them was doing. All she could think was what a saint the woman was. She would lose her mind not long after the novelty of the cute kool-aid stained faces wore off. She shook it off and bent down to grab her bag when she heard footsteps behind her.
"Here, let me. We've got four flights to get up." Luke smiled at her as he grabbed the bag from her shoulder and then bent over to get his.
"Yeah, well, I figured it was better for us, than for anyone to try and haul their kids up there." She began walking through the large living room, and through the attached open kitchen. At the back of it was the staircase that led all the way up to the converted attic that housed the smaller rooms. "I thought about letting them know Jack and Henry could stay in the single rooms up here just for fun, but I don't know. It seemed like maybe we should keep everyone in family mode and out of broody-adolescent-needing-privacy mode," Penelope said as she ascended the steps.
Luke chuckled, "Agreed. Besides, I think it will be nice to not worry about sharing a bathroom with any youngsters."
"You're not wrong there," Penelope agreed. She got to the top of the stairs and paused on the landing. "Do you have a preference?" she asked.
"We've been here before. You know that room is smaller, and these two at least have queens. We don't need to punish ourselves." He smiled as he walked past her into one of the larger rooms that faced the ocean.
"Okay, this one or that one?" she asked pointing through the open adjoining door.
"They're the exact same, Chica Bonita, unless you have a preference on whether your bed faces North or South." He smirked at her.
She tried to give him an annoyed glare, but a small giggle escaped her lips. "Fine, I'll stay here."
He nodded and dropped her bag on the bed before taking the few steps towards the other room and putting his bag down. "I'm still surprised everyone agreed to spend their precious time to get away together." Luke said as he upacked some things from his bag and started to put them in the dresser drawer.
Penelope sat on the edge of her bed and took off her shoes. "Well, they probably know that I needed this."
Luke paused his actions and then spoke again as soon as he felt his tone wouldn't betray him. "I still don't think they know. None of them have given that away. None of them seem to be doing this out of pity or obligation."
"They're profilers, which means they can also control their emotions," she reminded him as she pulled clothes out from her bag and hung them in the small wardrobe.
He came to stand in the doorway between their rooms and leaned on the door jamb. "Chica, I'm telling you, no one knows."
She glanced at him but continued her task of hanging her dresses. "They all know, Alvez. I can't hide anything. You really think they didn't see me down and out a couple months ago, and that they aren't here because they know I've been so moody lately."
"Honestly, Penelope, no. I don't think so. They would have said something by now. Someone would have questioned you until you spilled the details."
"So you're saying I just miraculously got good at hiding my secrets?" she asked him in amused disbelief.
He pushed off the door. "No, just the opposite in fact. I think you were showing all the signs of depression and fear, and everyone saw it, but we were all going through torment for months. We were worried about our safety, our families. Bodies were dropping like flies. I think they saw you taking that case pretty hard. We were so close, but yet it felt like we'd never catch him. We barely had time to look at each other, let alone profile one another. We all aren't supposed to anyway."
She scoffed. "Yeah, that's what they say, but they do it anyway. Besides, I think no one said anything to me because they knew I didn't want to talk about it. They all know I was going to therapy once a week. Em had to let me off early every Thursday."
"We all had to go to a few mandated sessions, and both Tara and Reid went to more as well, not just you. I'm telling you, they were so busy and distraught and tired that no one was paying attention. And yeah, we aren't supposed to profile one another. Sometimes it's just force of habit. You can't stop being attentive, but like I said they know you've been upset. They don't know the real reason why, though. That's still your secret to keep." He tipped his head at her sympathetically.
"Yeah well, you know," she muttered, not knowing if she believed him, wanted to believe him, or if it even mattered.
"Well, I was there." He gave her a small smile. "I think they know you wanted this, but I think they all needed this. Even Hotch and Derek. It's clear they miss this team, this family."
"You think Derek doesn't know?" she asked Luke genuinely.
"I don't. He would've comforted you or quizzed me, but he hasn't. He knew the heaviness of the case, and, honestly, not having as much time for your best friend when there is a mass murderer threatening everyone you care about is inevitable. I had to make time after the fact to talk to Phil, and, even then, it wasn't so much to catch up but to talk to someone, anyone."
"I still don't understand why you didn't take more therapy sessions." She sat on the edge of her bed again.
He joined her. "I didn't want to talk to a Bureau doc is all. I know it's all supposed to be classified, but… I don't know. Since we had just dealt with an unsub that knew so much about us, I guess I just didn't want documentation anywhere in my file about anything. I just felt so exposed already," he answered her sincerely.
She nodded. "I wish I had your strength."
"I don't." She lifted her head catching his eye as he turned to her. "All I'm saying is sometimes compartmentalising is great and helpful at the time, but eventually you have to deal with everything you go through, and then you have to dig it up from wherever you buried it. It's not much fun." He put his hand on his thigh as he looked to the floor.
She gave him a sympathetic smile and put a hand on his back, "I guess I never thought of it like that."
Luke gave her a small smile. "No matter what, nothing is ever simple when you feel hurt like that. It's not like you can plan for it." He reassured her.
She brought her hand back to her lap. "That's very true."
He stood up from his spot next to her. "We've got about five hours to kill before dinner. You want to watch a movie?"
She smiled and nodded. "Sounds good."
"You change into some shorts, and I'll go grab something from the media room. Want anything else?" he asked as he walked to the hallway.
"Just your handsome self. Oh, and maybe some licorice."
He turned back around to her and smiled. "You've got it."
She watched the doorway until she couldn't hear his footsteps anymore. She spun around and pulled out some loose drawstring shorts, pulling them up under her dress. She rummaged through her bag for a tshirt, but she couldn't find one. She dumped out the rest of the bag and found she only had packed a tank top that covered very little and a nightie that was called a nightie for a reason; it couldn't be seen in the daylight. "Great job, Penelope. You packed twelve dresses and not one tshirt." She huffed, frustrated with her less than stellar packing skills, before shrugging and walking into Luke's room and pulling out the top dresser drawer. She grabbed out the first grey shirt that she saw. She pulled her dress off and then brought the shirt over her head before tossing the rest of her clothes on a chair to be dealt with later. She crawled onto the bed and reached over to the nightstand to grab the remote.
Luke appeared in the doorway. "Here, comedy because it's the best thing for us right now." He tossed the bag of licorice to her, walked to the small television, and loaded the DVD player before joining her on the bed. He kicked off his shoes as he passed her and walked into his room, leaving her to fast forward through the previews. He pulled out some light grey sweats and a black undershirt, donning them quickly, coming back through the door, and throwing himself onto the bed next to her.
She leaned forward to hand him one of the pillows from behind her that she had propped up against the headboard so she could sit up with her legs stretched out in front of her. She was attempting to open the very stubborn candy package. He grabbed it from her hands, ripping it open before handing it back to her. "You can close the door if you want. Don't think I'm going to get mad if we don't have some open door policy or anything," she said to him as she looked at the screen in front of her.
"Oh please. Like I'm scared for you to see me naked?" He joked as he grabbed a red string from the bag she held.
She giggled. "Yeah, well, sorry some of us don't have your incredible self control." She leaned over nudging his shoulder with hers.
He smirked as he bit into his candy. "That's obviously not very true, is it?" He took a nibble off the end before he spoke again. "Besides, we are all so into each other's lives all the time, I wasn't expecting as much privacy as this. I mean we're the only ones on the top floor. Granted it's a small converted attic, but we have our own staircase, so no one else is going to catch me doing naked aerobics or anything, just you." He lifted his eyebrows at her.
She let out a loud chuckle. "Naked aerobics? My goodness, no one should do that."
"Don't kill my vibe." He joked as he grabbed the remote and hit play. He turned up the volume, before setting the remote on the night stand on his side and then settling back against the headboard like she had.
She quietly watched the beginning credits before speaking again. "I'm really glad we're here. I'm thankful everyone came, but I'm happy you decided to come back as well. I know you don't really like this town so much anymore."
"It's not really that, Penelope. I just wasn't sure how it would feel. Staying away isn't an option forever either, is it?" He smiled at her sadly.
She sighed, a small smile on her face, "No. No, it's not."
He saw the sadness attempting to cloud her eyes, so he put his arm around her and brought her head to rest on his shoulder. "It's alright. Everyone is going to have a blast, and so will you." She bobbed her head up and down as she let her cheek rest on his shoulder. He settled back onto the bed a little more, letting her stay where she was as they laughed at the movie.
I always mean this; thank you for favs, follows, reviews, PM's, I do read them all and cherish them dearly.