Thank you ever so much for the overwhelming response, all the favorites and alerts. It made me very happy. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
"What a stupid thing to do. Who would willing marry a man who was dying?" Cassandra asks with a laugh. "I guess she's not as smart as you all think she is if she did something as stupid as that. I think I'll have the surf and turf for my meal." she says picking the most expensive thing on the menu before she replaces it on the table with a smile.
PGPG
She stood in the doorway and watched as John's mother lovingly brushed his hair off of his forehead and kiss his face then she held his still warm hand in hers. She had asked the nurses and doctors to please turn alarms off before they turned off the life support. John had made this one last request of her he wanted his passing to be a quiet one as he knew his mother would be the one that would be there when he breathed his last breath.
She rested her head on the door frame and waited it didn't take long after the doctors and nurses left the room for John's mother to release her tears. Once the tears started they came in a torrent. Penelope waited five minutes before she entered the room.
She gently placed her arm around John's mother and guided her out of the room. "Come Abigail remember what John asked you to do."
"You're right. I'm sorry."
"There is nothing to be sorry about, you loved your son very much and you kept your promise."
"As did you."
"I just had to say good-bye to a friend I cared about." Penelope guides her to the car.
Having made all the arrangements earlier, she called the funeral home from her car before she entered he hospital.
Penelope puts the water on for tea once she knows Abigail is comfortable at her kitchen table. "I'll be moved by the end of the month, I called my sister, I'm moving back to Ohio I'll be taking both John and his father with me, their ashes I mean."
"Do you need any help, packing or shipping things?"
"No, I'm giving everything but my clothes and jewelry to charity."
"But you will call if you need anything."
" I promise Penelope. I do have something for you. John left a package for you he told me to give it to you after he died."
Abigail gets the package, after she carefully places it in Penelope's hands. Abigail inhales sharply. "I think you should go Penelope. I have to call my sister and I want to say the Rosary. I'll call you tonight and before I leave we have to have lunch one more time, just like he wanted."
PGPG
"Married? No way." Morgan says through gritted teeth.
"Derek, maybe she had to in order to be the proxy." Fran tells him as she pats his hand.
"No mom, you don't understand. She would have said something to me, before doing something like that." Morgan tells her firmly
"As far as I know they were never married." JJ answers Hotch as she looks at her cell.
"Is there a case, JJ?" Rossi asks.
"No case. Just a friend from college cancelling plans for tonight, girls night we were going to get manicures and new lingerie."
"I'll go with you if you like. I haven't had a manicure in two weeks. I could do with a few new pretty silk things." Cassandra offers.
"Thank you but no, we were going to belatedly celebrate her birthday. No need to go out now."
It was not going as Cassandra had planned and she blames Penelope for leaving a atmosphere of depressing gloom when she left. Try as she might no one really wanted to talk about anything other than the work that they do. After the salad plates were cleared away she tried a different topic then an other soon she just gave up.
Fran coughed slightly then wiped her mouth gently. "Dave, I'm not feeling all that well could you please take me back to the hotel."
"Of course Fran."
"Mom are you sure you wouldn't rather stay with me?"
"Derek I'm more comfortable in the hotel. We can each have our privacy this way. I'll call you later tonight maybe we can go for coffee and ice cream. Tell your sisters when they get here that I'll see them later at the hotel."
"Okay mom." Derek watches as Rossi and his mother each take money out of their wallets and leaving it on the table joining the ten that Penelope left.
Closing the door to the drivers side of his car he looks over at Fran and grins. "Penelope's?"
"Of course where else would we go?"
PGPG
Penelope opens the box then smiles a sad smile as she takes out a hand-blown rainbow and its solid glass stand. It is beautiful the way it catches the light and shinning the room in a rainbow of colors. Reading the note that was carefully placed in the bottom of the box.
Penelope, You told me once that you loved wishing on rainbows because they were so rare. May all your wishes come true. But, remember this, sometimes a wish needs a helping hand so make your wish then go after what you want. Don't be afraid my friend. Life is too short, not to make your dreams come true. ~John
She drops the note on the coffee table and heads for the bathroom feeling the need to wash away the day and all the tears that she can no longer hold back.
She dries her body then she wraps a towel around her head all without realizing she is so deep in thought that she is moving on auto pilot. It is the knocking of her door that makes her refocus grabbing a robe she slips it on before going to the door. A quick look in the peep hole makes the decision for her.
Opening the door she steps aside letting both Fran and David into her home. Dave watches as she relocks the door with five locks all deadbolts before she looks at them.
"Kitten what's with all the locks?"
"A couple of the apartments on this floor have been broken into recently." She answers with a shrug.
"And this is the first I've heard of it! Did you tell Hotch or Morgan?"
"No I installed four more locks on my door. Then went and got my stun gun checked. I also bought a lipstick stun gun for my purse."
"You should have come to one of us."
"I've been taking care of myself for a long time Agent Rossi."
"I'll have to tell Hotch, he'll need to know."
Sighing slightly. "I know. Just give me a minute to get dressed, then I'll make some coffee. Make yourselves at home."
She returns a few minutes later dressed in a green wrap around dress, her hair in a messy bun.
"So what brings you here?" She asks from her kitchen.
"The trio spilled the beans, Kitten."
"Oh. I see."
"Are you okay Penelope?"
"I'm fine Mrs. Morgan thank you. You shouldn't be here, you should be with Derek and Cassandra she just might be the one that gives you those grandchildren."
"I don't think so not if I have my way." Fran mumbles
"She needs a trip to the wood shed if you ask me, she shouldn't have slapped you." Dave tells her.
"It was my fault I egged her on."
"She should not have hit you." Fran tells her repeating Rossi's words.
"She is Derek's girlfriend, for as long as she is I will avoid her and him when she is around, if she becomes his wife then I will cut all ties except for a work related relationship with him." Penelope tells them as she comes into the room carrying a tray. "I made a mistake of saying something once about a girlfriend. That is something I will never do again. Could you make a spot on that table please."
Fran moves some things on the table, knowing when it is best to not continue a conversation she smiles before she says "What a beautiful rainbow."
"Thank you. I was a gift from John, his mother gave it to me today."
"So do make wishes upon them?"
"All the time Mrs. Morgan ever since I was a little girl." Penelope relies with a smile.
"Why did you agree to do it Kitten? I'm sure some lawyer could have done it for him."