This is a One-shot story that I legitimately wrote while taking a bath, it's not the greatest, but it's something since I haven't posted in years.
Set during burn 10x2 of Criminal minds. It's set right after she calls Derek the 2nd time.
I only own the plot of this story.
Penelope Garcia let out a frustrated sigh. Why wasn't Derek calling her back? She stared at the ugly motel walls, just letting the tears fall. She'd already seen one person die and didn't know if she could handle another one. Of course she'd seen many people die, but that was from behind the safety of her screens, but to voluntarily watch someone be put to death...she just wasn't sure she could take it. But...he had no one, his own family hasn't even been to see him. She couldn't just let him die alone. She knew what she had to do, she just wished she could talk to her best friend about it. He'd always been there for her, but now when she needed him the most he'd blown her off, even told her she was crazy.
She'd been such an emotional wreck these past few days and couldn't wait for it all just to be over. Greg Baylor was a murderer, he'd even tried to kill Reid, but he didn't deserve to be put to death for it. She'd seen way worse criminals than him get off with 25 years. In a few hours she was going to see someone's life be taken away from them...Penelope was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice her phone going off. She snapped out of it on about the 3rd ring. "Derek?" She answered hoping it was him.
"Nope just Reid, hey Garcia...how are you?" Reid answered as awkward as usual.
Penelope was a little surprised, this was not who she had been expecting.
"Uhh you know I've been better, what's up, I mean you don't usually call, I was hoping Derek would...?" She trailed off, not wanting to offend him, although she should've known better that Reid wasn't easily offended.
"I was just thinking, you might want to talk to someone." He answered honestly.
"Yeah, yeah actually that would be nice." She answered, half sobbing with relief. Reid had always been a good listener and sometimes he actually gave decent advice.
She took a deep breath and then it all came spilling out, "At first, he didn't want to see me, Greg Baylor I mean, but he changed his mind and I went to see him yesterday. It turns out I was the only one..Reid I was the only person to visit him. His own family didn't even want to see him. I was the only one who cared. He's going to die and I'm the only one who cares." Penelope had to pause because she'd started to lose control. She took deep breaths. Reid stayed silent, waiting for her to regain some composure. A minute later she started talking again.
"Reid, he wants me to go today. He said that he doesn't want to die alone. And now I feel like I have to go, I don't want him to die alone, it's not right." Penelope paused, waiting for a reaction.
"You know, you're actually a lot stronger than you think Garcia, I don't know a lot of people who would go visit someone who tried to kill them. As much as we wish we could, sometimes we can't fix everything. You're not crazy Garcia."
"Derek seems to think I am." She answered sadly.
"I don't believe he actually thinks that. I think he's just having trouble understanding what you're going through. I understand because I've been through something similar. Remember when I shot the LDSK? I had to put pictures of his victims up on my wall so that I wouldn't forget that they had lives too. It's part of the PTSD. Morgan will come around, in fact I think he's already starting to."
Garcia was shocked. She hadn't know how badly Reid had been effected when he shot the LDSK. She realized he was right. Her beloved Derek Morgan would come around. They'd fought before, but her chocolate mousse had always come back to her.
Reid interrupted her thoughts, "I think you should do what feels right for you. You are strong and I believe you can handle it. After all, you are Penelope Garcia, whenever life knocks you down, it never takes you long to get back up."
Garcia managed a small smile at that. "Thank you Reid. I really needed that."
"Anytime Garcia." She heard the grin in his voice.
"I'd better get ready then, after all, if I'm the last thing Greg Baylor is going to see then I'd better look like a freaking goddess." She heard Reid laugh on the other end.
"There's the Garcia we know and love...Good luck, see you soon. We miss you here." He said.
"Yeah, I miss you guys too, more than you know. See you soon boy genius, tata for now." She said, feeling a little more like herself. They hung up and she sat there for another minute, feeling just slightly better. It was nice to know that someone was out there, waiting for her to come home.