Written for chit chat corner's fanfic challenge 2010 - round two. The prompt given was Garcia/Rossi and 'Live to tell' by Madonna. This one shot peice is set after the Kevin Lynch and David Rossi talk at the end of the season three's episode Damaged. Hope someone out there likes it, let me know what you think!
...
Garcia hummed to herself packing her oversized handbag with her personal belongings that she needed to take home for the night. "Like a virgin...hmm, hmm"
Rossi stopped at the doorway to the informally called lair or bunker, seeing the flamboyantly dressed San Franciscan native, dance to the song she did no justice too with humming and singing the odd word. He coughed sharply as he tried desperately to hide the smirk that threatened to surface.
Garcia turned quickly, realising this was the second time in as many days that he had interrupted her during an awkward moment. "Agent Rossi. Sir. What are you doing here? Is there something I can help you with?"
"Well I've just had a very interesting conversation with a guy called Kevin Lynched?" He questioned the name after being taken back by the nerdy dressed, nervous man sweating his way through a very painful conversation, for the pair of them, in Rossi's office minutes before standing in front of the blonde woman, cringing her eyes in anticipation of what was to come.
Lynched... Garcia's hand found her forehead as a stress headache developed while she mumbled, "Yeah he will be"
"Excuse me?" Rossi could see from the analyst's awkward stance that this might not be as straight forward as he had intended.
Garcia sat down in her swirly chair in defeat, taking a breath before she explained her boyfriend's haste in talking to her superior. "It's Kevin Lynch sir and I don't know what he said but I can assure you I'm the most competent technical analyst for this unit and any personal relationship shouldn't be held against me and in all honestly, Kevin and I are just starting to get serious and yes I think I love him, and yes my track record with men hasn't been great lately, with getting shot and all, but any relationship won't get in the way of my abilities to be professional and..." Rossi's eyes widened as the eclectically dressed woman continued to speak without taking a breath "From what I've heard, not that I've been asking or anything, because it's not my place, but you've had relationships before with colleagues and Kevin whilst, is a technical analyst, isn't permanently based within this unit so therefore..."
Rossi inhaled sharply placing his hands up in front of him while stepping further into Penelope Garcia's safe haven. "Garcia please stop"
She nodded giving him a sideways smile. "Sorry, I have a tendency to ramble a bit when I'm nervous. Not that you're making me nervous..."
"Penelope I'm sorry" The smirk that he had so far suppressed smugly showed itself when Garcia's jaw dropped at his apology.
"For what?"
The experienced profiler shuffled his feet, scrubbing his beard tiredly. "I shouldn't have invaded your personal space during your down time. I was focused on the case and wasn't generally concerned with other people. I have no reason for reporting you and your boyfriend for being unprofessional like you said I'm in no position to judge"
"I didn't mean..." Garcia shook her head as her words trailed off in shock of being apologised to by a known antagonist.
"I know what you meant and for what it's worth, it took balls to come to my office like that"
"Kevin came to your office?" Her question was asked quietly as Rossi leant against the analyst's desk as she stared at him wonder.
"Yeah the kid pulled me aside from the rest of the team to talk to me about how good you are at your job and how you shouldn't be punished for having a life" Rossi tilted his head, the smirk that once was there softened and almost disappeared as Garcia's face started to redden in disbelief.
"He pulled you aside... in front of the rest of the team?"
The profiler had been married three times and he knew the tone of voice that was being used through gritted teeth, never lead to anything good. "Erm, yes"
There was a few seconds of complete awkward silence. The computer screens had all been turned off for the night and only light now came from the hallway. Garcia scoffed looking at the retreating man who edged closer to the exit "Oh I'm so going after his software now"
Freezing the profiler tried his best to diffuse her villainous planning. "Garcia, he loves you" Rossi watched her face soften as she accepted his words.
"You think?" Garcia asked sceptically.
Rossi nodded sincerely. "Yes I do"
There were a few minutes comfortable silence which the analyst hadn't experienced with the new addition to the team since his arrival a few months ago. "Thank you sir... for not reporting us"
"Call me Dave please, sir is far too formal" Rossi smiled politely, receiving a pleasant smile from Garcia, as she nodded in acceptance of his request.
"Okay... Dave, thank you and I'm glad your case came to an end for you" Garcia placed her hand briefly on his forearm before pulling away to sit back in her seat in a small wave of embarrassment and the brief close proximity.
"Yeah well thank you for all your help. And for telling the team"
Garcia breathed out softly after being worried of his reaction over the phone after she told him the team were on the way to Indiana two days ago. "Honestly sir... Dave, we would all do anything for any member of this team. You only needed to ask"
"I'm not used to asking for help. It's like that saying, you can't teach an old dog new tricks"
"Sure you can"
"Really?" He looked at her with scepticism.
"Sure the old dogs learn the new tricks quicker because they've lived and experienced and therefore can help others learn the tricks faster too."
It was moments like these that David Rossi realised you couldn't meet anyone else that would closely resemble Penelope Garcia. For all of her uniqueness and eccentricities she honestly just wanted to make others feel good about themselves and in case of the team, human. "Is that so?"
Garcia lifted her hand to her heart and her eyes looked off to the side distantly. "It's like someone close to my heart once said. 'I've learned my lesson's well, I hope to live and tell'"
Rossi scoffed at her dramatic posture, "Who told you that?"
"Madonna, she's a fountain of knowledge you know" There was a beat of silence as the experienced profiler realised she wasn't joking.
Rossi chuckled whilst making a b-line for the door. "I'm sure"
"Goodnight Rossi" She beamed up at him from her seat.
He nodded watching the blonde turn in her seat, switching on the computer screen once more mostly likely to destroy her boyfriend's computer system. "Goodnight Garcia"