Stay With Me
Disclaimer: I don't own then, I'm just playing with them.
Chapter 1
"DAVID!"
Dave turned searching for the source of the scream. The voice sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place it.
"David!" she screamed again. "Help me!"
He started to jog up the street, still not seeing the source of the screams.
"David Rossi!"
He stopped. He knew that voice. "Garcia? Where are you? Garcia!"
"David!"
He runs trying to track her voice. He calls her name again and runs faster. "Garcia! Penelope, where are you!"
He sees a flash of color turn the corner a block away. He runs faster trying to catch up to her. He turns the corner and trips over something on the ground. He lands face down knocking the air out of his lungs. His heart is pounding so hard he can feel it aching in his chest. He sucks in a breath of air and glances back to see what he tripped over.
Her body lay on the ground unmoving. He crawled to her. "Garcia," he cried. He touched her shoulder willing her to wake up. "GARCIA!"
He sat up and looked around the room it was dark and familiar. Sweat poured down his face and his heart was pounding like a freight train in his chest. He slid to the side of the bed reached over and turned on the light.
"What the hell," he muttered. He looked at the clock it was almost 2am. He got his feet and staggered to the bathroom. A quick wash with cold water had him feeling better. He made his way back to his bed turned off the light and slid under the covers. He stared at the ceiling his mind racing.
'What if this is a premonition?' he thought. 'What if she really needs help?'
He was a man who believed in facts but he also believed in his gut and right now his gut was telling him that something was wrong. He sat up again and reached for his cell, she was going to be pissed if nothing was wrong however, it was a risk he was willing to take.
He punched her speed dial number that she had programmed for him and waited. It rang several times and went to voicemail. "Garcia, its Dave but I'm sure you figured that out. Please don't be mad just call me back as soon as you get this."
Not satisfied he scrolled through his address book and dialed her home number. It rang several times as well but never went to an answering machine. After ten rings he hung up and put the phone on the nightstand. Taking a deep breath he rose and began stripping out of his pajamas as he made his way to the closet. Five minutes later he was in his truck heading towards Garcia's apartment.
He knocked on the door and waited trying to be patient. After what felt like forever but in reality was two minutes he reached up to knock again.
"Who is it?" she called through the door before his hand hit the wood.
"Dave, open the door."
"Dave who?" she asked cautiously.
"Rossi!" he says exasperated.
There are several clicks and scrapes as she unlocked the door and opened it a few inches to peer at him. "What the hell!" she exclaimed. She shut the door and he listened to more metal scraping on metal then the door is flung open. "What are you doing here?"
"I had to see you," he whispered hoarsely.
She frowned at him. "At 3am?"
He stared at her silently for a minute before he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. Garcia stood still trying to figure out why David Rossi was holding her like his long lost sister. Without thinking she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly. There is something raw and vulnerable about his actions and it makes her hold him even tighter.
"What the hell?" Kevin yelled startling them both. Penelope and Dave pulled apart and looked at Kevin. "What are you doing?"
"Hugging," Penelope replied. She looked at Dave noting that he was staring into space. She put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "Why don't you have a seat?"
He looked at her and frowned before shuffling into the front room and sitting on the couch. Garcia watched him for a minute her heart ached in a manner she never felt before.
"Why are you letting him stay here," Kevin whispered angrily.
Garcia pushed him into the bedroom. "There is something wrong!"
"Yes," Kevin agreed. "He has barged into your apartment in the middle of the night once again."
"Look at him," she urged. She grabbed his arm and pulled him to the door. "Look, he came here for a reason. He needs me for something."
"It can't wait until morning?" he asked.
"Apparently not," she replied. "Go back to bed while I talk to him."
"I'm not going to sleep while you guys are in the living room doing God knows what," he said harshly. "I don't trust the guy."
"You think David Rossi is here to seduce me?" she laughed.
"It could happen."
"As exciting as that prospect is, I really don't think that is why he is here," she stated.
"You find the idea of being seduced by David Rossi exciting?" he asked.
"And of course you would latch onto that," she huffed. "Dave is upset, he is here now, deal with it."
"He just walked out the front door," Kevin said without emotion.
"What?"
"He just left," Kevin repeated. "Lock the door and let's go back to bed."
"You're an idiot," she growled. She hurried out of the door just catching the top of his head as he descended the stairs. She hugged her robe tighter to her waist as she raced down the stairs after him. She reached the bottom of the stairs and yelled at him as he reached out for the doorknob.
"Dave wait!"
"I should go," he told her without turning around.
"Talk to me," she said softly. "Obviously something is bothering you I can tell and I'm not even a profiler."
She stepped onto the foyer and approached him. She slid her hand into his and gently turned him around. She stared into his eyes. She felt like she could see all the way through his soul and he looked lost. "Talk to me."
His eyes flashed upwards. "Your boyfriend is coming."
She looked up the stairs and saw Kevin stomp down the stairs fully dressed. He brushed past them. "I'm going home," he announced.
"Ok," Penelope said still holding Dave's hand.
"That's all you're going to say," Kevin asked. He opened the door while still looking at her.
"I'm busy Kevin," she replied through gritted teeth. "I will talk to you later."
"Fine," he replied and stormed out of the building slamming the door behind him.
"Come on," Penelope said as she tugged on Dave's hand leading him back up the stairs.
"I should go," he repeated as they reached her apartment. "I've already caused enough trouble."
"You have not caused any trouble," she admonished "Don't worry about Kevin he's been cranky all night."
She slid his coat off his shoulders and hung it in the closet then led him to the couch and removed his shoes before sitting next to him. "Now you can't runaway as fast," she smiled.
He smiled faintly in return. "I shouldn't have come."
"Something upset you," she pointed out. "And it must have been a doozy because I have never seen this kind of reaction from you before."
He swiped a hand across his face and swallowed hard. She waited as he gathered his thoughts.
"It was a dream," he stated softly. "You were calling for me, screaming for me to help you and I couldn't find you. You kept screaming and you sounded so scared."
She reached out and touched his shoulder. "I'm ok," she said softly.
"I know," he replied not throwing the snarky comeback she expected. "I tried to call you and when you didn't answer I panicked. I had to make sure you were ok."
"We unplugged my house phone," she explained. "And I left my cell in my purse in the closet."
"I was scared," he admitted.
She stared at him this vulnerability she has never seen before surprised her. David Rossi cared for her she realized. It startled her. "You should stay," she said surprising them both.
"Stay," he frowned. He shook his head. "No. I should definitely not do that."
"It's ok," Garcia soothed. She touched his face with her left hand caressing the soft skin under her fingers.
"Not a good idea Penelope," he stated gently.
Suddenly she realized that if he stayed they were not going to be sleeping much. She blinked and tried to suppress the fluttering in her stomach. She should let him walk away forget about what has just transpired and move on but then she remembered the vulnerability she saw and she knows, somehow, she knows that it is not something he shows to just anyone.
She stood up and he stood as well. Again she reached for his hand. "Stay with me," she whispered.