Disclaimer: I own nothing.
My great affection for one David Rossi comes out in this story :) And because I need to step out of my Morgan/Garcia bubble, I'm doing a JJ/Rossi one...'cuz I like them! But because I do live in an M/G bubble, they will be in here too ;)
Another quick note: I will be travelling on a train for a couple of days, so for those of you reading "The Obsession With Derek Morgan" and "Come Back To Me" I will have the next chapters up as soon as I have internet again!
"Congratulations are in order you two," Rossi said as he shook Derek's hand and grinned. It was six o'clock in the evening and the reception for Morgan and Garcia's wedding had just started. Rossi leaned forward to kiss Penelope on the cheek. "You look beautiful, Kitten," he said sincerely. It was true; the bride did look absolutely stunning.
Blushing, she gushed, "Aw thanks, my Italian Stallion!"
"It's about time the two of them tied the knot," a voice said behind Rossi. He had to resist the urge to stiffen. Jennifer Jareau, still in her lilac bridesmaid dress, had just come up behind him, her son Henry holding one hand and Derek and Penelope's daughter – also Rossi's goddaughter – Ellie holding her other one. The soft, romantic light of the old mansion banquet hall cast a soft glow against her beautiful complexion and every so often her honey blonde hair would shine just right under one of the rosy candle lights. She smiled momentarily at Rossi before turning back to the newlyweds. Just those four seconds she'd met his eyes made his heart pounded loudly in his chest. His breath caught in his throat and he hoped to the heavens he wouldn't start choking. Maybe all those fine cigars he'd smoked over the years were truly getting his poor lungs. "I was about ready to do the proposing myself." She leaned in to hug both the Morgans. "Congratulations again you two."
"Thanks JJ," Derek said with a smile. Ellie had let go of JJ's hand and was now pulling on the pants of her father's tuxedo. He bent down to pick up his three year old and kissed her cheek. "Hey Princess. You look beautiful!"
Ellie grinned toothily. "Thank you, Daddy," she giggled. She turned to look at Rossi and she smiled and waved again. "Uncle Davey!" Motioning for Derek to put her down, she ran to her godfather's side and hugged his legs.
"Hey bella," he said, picking her up this time. "Your daddy's right...you look magnifico!"
"Uncle Davey, you know I don't know what that means," she said, sticking her lip out.
Rossi smiled before setting the little girl back down on the ground. "We'll have to fix that someday," he said. When he looked up from the top of his goddaughter's head, his eyes met JJ's and she smiled warmly at him. For a moment he almost forgot the agony that she was married to another man. Her eyes lit up and she opened her mouth to say something to him, but wasn't able to get a word out before her husband, William LaMontagne Jr. came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. It took him a moment to remember that she didn't actually belong to him and he had to force himself not to bristle at the fact another man was touching her.
"Hi there, guys," he said in his Southern drawl. Looking at Penelope and Derek, he nodded and gave his small smile. "Congratulations Derek and Penelope. I hope you'll be very happy together."
Penelope, holding her daughter's hand, leaned into Derek and cooed, "Oh, I know we will be."
Rossi just smiled, not saying a word. It wasn't that Will was a bad man. He treated JJ well. He was just an obstacle to Rossi. An obstacle that he would never be able to make his way over. JJ loved him and if he was what she wanted, Rossi wouldn't try and pursue her.
If she was happy, then he would be happy for her...and miserable for himself.
XXXXX
Rossi was sitting in his spot at the main table with the rest of his BAU team, Derek's mother and sisters, and the newlyweds when Reid, who was Derek's best man, clanked a spoon against his champagne flute, causing the twinkling sound that signaled it was time for the bride and groom to kiss. Penelope pulled her husband by his shirt collar towards her and kissed him, earning cheers from several people in the room and even a few whistles. When they pulled apart, Derek was grinning like a fool and stood up, clearly more than ready for a speech. Rossi shook his head and laughed. His eyes met JJ's for the second time that evening and this time they held gazes. She was smirking the whole time and trying hard not to laugh.
Derek cleared his throat before taking Penelope's hand and looking directly at her. Rossi understood the look he was giving his new wife; it was the look of a man desperately in love with the one woman who could make all his dreams unfold the way he wanted them to. "Penelope, right when I saw you that first moment after I called you 'Gomez' and the moment after that when I called you 'Baby Girl,' I knew I'd found someone who I could never live without having in my life," he began, his thumb running over her cheek momentarily. "I knew from day one that I would want to spend the rest of my life with you. For so many years I was a fool, never speaking up about how I felt about you."
That sentence struck a chord with Rossi. He too had known the woman he was in love with for years now and he'd never uttered a syllable of his feelings to her. They were lyrics to a song that would go unheard until the end of time.
"Three years ago, I finally got that courage to tell you everything," Derek went on. Penelope was looking up at him with tears of equal amounts of adoration in her eyes. "And now we have a beautiful daughter, who I love and cherish as much as I love and cherish you. I love you so much, Baby Girl." Ellie's small face looked up at her father, confused as to how she played into the conversation. She just grinned when her mother pulled her onto her lap and kissed her cheek, feigning shyness as everyone looked at her with grins and happy tears.
The sight warmed Rossi's heart. His little goddaughter – almost an exact, yet tinier replica of her mother – was hugging her mother tightly and grinning as Derek knelt down to kiss Penelope directly on the lips. Absentmindedly he clapped along with the rest of the guests and even though he was truly happy for his friends, he had a hard time keeping his mind entirely in the moment. Weddings usually reminded him of what he didn't have: the love of someone he truly loved back. Three marriages and an equal three divorces had taught him to avoid the poisons that were weddings.
Fran Morgan took Ellie on her lap while Derek and Penelope went to share their first dance and Rossi watched only a few moments of the two of them holding each other close and swaying to the music before he excused himself for a little fresh air. He walked out onto the mansion's balcony and stood in the fading twilight in the slightly nippy air. He stared up at the sky's pink and orange bands, hands in his pockets, contemplating the night's events. Two of the people he was closest to in the world had just gotten married and yet, he couldn't seem to muster up much of any emotion. It more than likely had to do with the slim blonde who was probably dancing in the arms of her Southern gentleman husband by now.
"Hey," a soft voice said behind him.
Turning around, Rossi was surprised to see JJ standing there, a light evening wrap around her shoulders to keep away the wind's slight chill. "Hi," he said weakly, his voice lacking its usual suave undertone.
She went to stand by him, leaning against the balcony's stone columns. Her eyes shot to his and immediately his insides felt warm. God, he felt like some teenager with his first crush whenever he looked into her eyes. "What's with you?" she laughed. "You seem to be lacking your usual…swagger?" It sounded as if she were unsure of the right word to use for the usual David Rossi charm.
He smiled. "Ah, weddings are kind of my kryptonite," he explained. Of course he couldn't tell her why he truly felt down.
She nodded. "Is it because you've had three of them?" she asked curiously. He didn't respond immediately and she added, "Or is it something else?"
Chuckling, he said, "Well, it's more like I'm mourning the loss of someone who I should've told how I felt about her years ago. Sort of like Morgan with Garcia."
A sympathetic expression crossed JJ's face. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "What happened to her?"
He shook his head. "Someone else got there first," he whispered, not able to meet her eyes for fear she might realize he meant her.
Putting a comforting hand on his arm, JJ said, "Well, I'm sure someone else will come around for you." Her touch sent tingles through his skin, even through his expensive suit jacket's material. He had to force himself to remain calm, to keep his feelings deeply buried inside himself the way he'd been doing for so long. Some things were meant to blow their cover and be revealed to the world; others were meant to remain hidden.
David Rossi's feelings for Jennifer Jareau were some of those things that had to stay secret.
Swallowing hard, he nodded. "I suppose you're right," he managed. He opened his mouth to say more, but as he was about to, Will appeared on the balcony behind them. JJ turned and smiled at her husband.
"Hey!" she said happily, turning her attention from Rossi. "I was going to come and find you in a little while. Dave and I were just having a chat."
Will smiled before taking JJ's hand. "May I have this dance?" he asked politely.
Blushing, JJ glanced at Rossi and said, "I'll see you around, Dave." And then she was gone, disappearing back into the mansion to dance with the man who was her Prince Charming, leaving David Rossi, suave Italian ladies' man, alone in the fading light of the evening.