Penelope Garcia was so excited about the trip that she was awake nearly an hour ahead of her alarm. When she opened the blinds, she was delighted to see it was sunny. Good, they would have nice weather for the drive. It wasn't going to be a long trip, only three nights, but she had been working six days a week for the past month and she was so ready to get away. She knew she would adore the romantic interlude Kevin had planned for their anniversary. He had a wonderful way of making everything fun. She'd packed her bag and loaded it into the car before she went to bed. Since it got better gas mileage than Kevin's van, they were driving her car. She planned to leave work after the morning briefing and pick up Kevin by two. They would be in Atlantic City in time for dinner.
As she drove to FBI Headquarters, Garcia recalled how cute Kevin was the afternoon he came up her office to tell her about the trip. "Our reservations are for an oceanfront room at the Taj Mahal. We have theater tickets for Friday night. I've scheduled massages for us at The Spa on Saturday morning, and we're going to the Anime Convention in the afternoon." He continued, excitedly. "We'll have plenty of time for the casino. Plus, we can walk the beach, soak in the jacuzzi. We have one right in our room, by the way, so we can soak 'au natural'" He winked, impishly. "AND..." He paused for emphasis……"on Sunday night……" He flashed a huge grin and put the confirmation receipt down on her keyboard, "second row center for Barry Manilow."
He knew she had been an avid Manilow fan since high school. "Oh, Kevy!" She squealed happily. She was so ecstatic that she gave him a big hug, totally forgetting where they were. She was startled when Derek Morgan walked in and saw them embraced.
"I'm sorry….Uh, I didn't mean to interrupt," he said, awkwardly. "Here are the names I need you to check out, Garcia." He put a file down on her desk and left without another word. Penelope couldn't help but notice that he looked hurt seeing her and Kevin together. Being honest with herself, she had to admit she enjoyed his angst, just a little.
Penelope had been in love with Derek Morgan from the first day they met. He didn't know her name and he referred to her as "Baby girl" to get her attention. She looked up to see a handsome young agent with the magnetic smile and she was smitten. Over time, she and Derek became great friends and for a long while she'd hoped their relationship would become more. When she finally had to admit to herself that Morgan didn't think of her romantically, it hurt deeply. Being his best friend was a bittersweet consolation.
She and Kevin Lynch met a year ago. He filled in for her while she was on medical leave after the shooting. He wasn't strikingly handsome like Morgan, but he was good-looking in a cuddly, puppy dog kind of way. He had an infectious personality and never failed to make her laugh. They enjoyed the same things, and he was the only one who had ever beaten her at "World of Warcraft." Kevin playfully called her his little "soul-geek." In the year they had been together, she had come to love Kevin, not with the fire and passion she felt for Derek, but with a deep appreciation for his intelligence, humor and gentle goodness. They had even begun to talk about a future together.
xxx
Morgan's snooze alarm sounded for the forth time. Without opening his eyes, he reached one arm from under the covers and clicked it off. He knew he couldn't procrastinate any longer. He was already going to be late for work. He pulled back the blankets and sat up. Damn, he felt bad. What the hell did he have to drink last night? Then he remembered. He hadn't had anything at all. He was so tired and aching when he got home from work, he took some asprin and went right to bed.
For a long minute he sat on the edge of the bed, trying to will himself to move. His head was throbbing and every muscle in his body hurt. Finally, he gave up and got back into bed. He picked up his cell and called Headquarters. He wasn't going in today.
xxx
"Where's Morgan?" Garcia asked, looking around the conference room, as she sat down with her lap top and coffee. The rest of the team was already seated at the table with their files open.
"He called out this morning. I guess he's sick." J.J. told her. She turned back to the board to begin her presentation of the new cases.
Morgan sick? Wow, as long as she'd known him, he'd had never had so much as a sniffle. He's so into keeping fit, she thought wryly, I'm surprised a germ could live in his body. She became more concerned when she thought about the nasty flu she that had been going around the Bureau. Three people on their floor had been out with it in the past week. She decided she'd better stop by Morgan's on her way to pick up Kevin, just to make sure he was okay.
xxx
It was a little past noon when she rang Morgan's doorbell. She had called on her way to his house to see if there was anything she could bring to him, but he didn't answer. Now she was growing alarmed as she rang the bell for the third time. His car was in the driveway. He has to be here, she worried.
No, please go away, Morgan thought miserably, when he heard the doorbell. He rolled over and tried to ignore it, but his visitor was persistent.
"SHIT!" He grumbled aloud, as he got up on shaking legs to answer the door. He was angry at being disturbed. Clad only in pajama bottoms, he cracked opened the door just enough to see who was there. "Penelope," he said, surprised, and his mood softened because it was her. "What's up?"
"I was worried. J.J. told me you were sick." Before he could resist, she brushed past him and went inside. "I tried calling. Are you all right?"
"Just got a little bug. I'll be fine tomorrow," but even as he shrugged it off, he felt so weak he had to sit down.
As soon as she got a good look at him, she realized that Derek was genuinely ill. His eyes were glassy and he was shivering. She put her purse and keys on the coffee table and went to him. He was burning to her touch.
"C'mon, Cupcake," she said, kindly. "You need to be in bed."
"I was in bed." Derek complained. "You got me up, remember?"
He was unsteady when he stood up. She walked with him back to his room and helped him into bed. He was still chilled and she covered him with an extra blanket.
xxx
Penelope was not a person who lied. In fact, she prided herself on being a very honest individual, but she was also a person who would never intentionally hurt another human being. That was why the lie she told Kevin could roll so easily from her tongue.
If she had told Kevin the truth, he would say he understood. He would tell her it was okay that she was cancelling their plans for Morgan, and that it was kind of her to help out a sick friend. He would say all of the right things. And, he would be devastated.
Garcia spent the first anniversary of her relationship with Kevin Lynch caring for an ailing Morgan.
Most of the weekend, Morgan was miserably sick, but she did everything she knew to make him comfortable. When he was feverish, she gently sponged him with cool water. She massaged his aching muscles and gave him fluids. She fed him Tylenol and chicken soup. Instead of sleeping in the guestroom down the hall, she slept on the sofa. It was closer to his bedroom if he needed something during the night. When she felt badly about missing her vacation, she reminded herself of all Morgan did for her when she was recovering from her bullet wound, even staying at her apartment until the man was caught. Nursing him through the flu was the least she could do for him.
xxx
On Monday morning, Penelope awoke to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. She heard Morgan moving around in the kitchen and went to check. "What are you doing out of bed?" She was surprised to see that he was freshly showered and dressed for work.
"I'm fine, Babe. I woke up a couple of hours ago and for the first time in three days nothing hurt." He shook his head and smiled. "Damn, it feels good to be back to normal." He poured her a cup of coffee. "This is much better than that mud water we drink at the office. Want a blueberry muffin?"
"You made muffins?" She was still surprised at seeing him so "normal."
"If you call taking them out of the freezer and warming them in the oven 'making muffins,' I did. They aren't half bad. There's yogurt and fruit in the fridge," he told her as he downed the last of a cup of coffee. "I'm going to leave early. I have work to catch up on since I was out Friday."
She glanced up at the clock and smiled. 7:30. If he left now he would be in the office at 8, right on time. Of course, that was early for Derek. She thought about arguing that he should take another day off to rest, but she knew he wouldn't listen and he did seem to be fine.
"Just lock the door when you leave," he told her, as he picked up his keys and headed out the door.
She drank her coffee and ate the muffin he'd heated for her. She sat for a long time reflecting on the situation. Being with Morgan, even an infirmed Morgan, brought back a flood of emotions she had been trying hard to forget. This would have been the last day of her vacation with Kevin, and she wasn't due back at Headquarters until tomorrow. She thought about calling Kevin, but felt guilty about lying to him and wasn't ready to face him. She tidied up Derek's house and did a load of wash for him before she drove home.
xxx
Tuesday morning Kevin and Penelope pulled into the FBI parking garage at the same time. He beeped when he spotted her and parked in the slot beside her. He jumped out of his van and greeted her eagerly. "Hey, Beautiful! My little soul-geek is back. Why didn't you call?"
"I was going to call you when I got back last night but it was too late," she told him as they walked toward the building. "I missed you," she said, sincerely, and he grinned that lopsided grin that she found so endearing.
He impulsively paused in his tracks and kissed her. "I missed you, too."
"Kevy, behave." Garcia looked around embarrassed. "Someone will see us."
"So?" He questioned, but he took a step back.
"It's not professional. You know the Bureau frowns on employee fraternization."
"I know," he said, falling into step beside her. "How was the funeral?"
"Funeral?" For a moment she'd forgotten her lie. "Oh, Debbie's grandmother. It was very nice, well, nice as funerals go." She took a breath and embellished her lie. "I appreciate you letting me go. I have known her family for so long; I just felt I had to go help out."
"I understand. You're a good friend. That's one of the things I love about you." He walked with her to her office. When she opened the door and turned on the light, there was a long box lying on her desk. "What's that?" Kevin asked.
"I don't know." She saw it was a box from a florist. "Oh, Kevy! Are they from you?" She was excited as she untied the ribbon and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful bouquet of white roses.
"No, they aren't from me." She detected a note of jealousy in his voice. "Maybe you have an admirer?"
She picked up the small envelope that was attached and read the card inside. It said simply "THANK YOU, D-"
"No Kev," she said with a lump in her throat, "just a friend."