Author's Notes: This is a stand alone, series of vignettes describing the growth of a relationship between David Rossi and Penelope Garcia. It starts in Season 13, no spoilers of Season 13, however, there are mentions of previous episodes particularly The Wheels on the Bus. Other than that it is all contrived by the author.
3 - The Light in his Dark World
It was strange, he thought, the first time she shared his bed. Not a bad strange, just different. They had been friends for years having worked side by side on many late nights and weekends. He had considered taking her the first time he laid eyes on her but remembered that he had returned to the bureau looking for justice, not love. There was no way she would ever be just a one night stand. A woman like her was something he knew he would never get out of his system.
So he ignored his urges and instead relished the nicknames and flirty banter she bestowed upon him. He watched from the sidelines as she got her heart broken a time or two and when he felt she needed him the most, he was there. It started with a night of 18 - year old scotch and the soothing sounds of Tony Bennett, though there wasn't any sex and they both fell asleep on the couch.
It was several years after that when they finally came together. It was in fact the night of his birth. A day he vowed never to celebrate. He could see in her eyes how hard it was for her not to say "Happy birthday" when the day came and went. He admired her self control. Birthdays were a big deal to her, however, she respected him too much to go against his wishes.
This particular year was different. Somehow his daughter, Joy, had discovered it was his birthday and had insisted on having him over for dinner. She went with him as a friend. He caught a glimpse of her in the kitchen with Joy, standing over a cake adorned with candles. However, when the cake was brought out, the candles were noticeably absent. It was then he knew that she was the light in his dark world and all that he needed to survive.
Afterwards, they stopped briefly at her apartment so she could pick up a few things. They held hands in comfortable silence on the way to his house. Once inside, they went straight to bed fulfilling a need that both had been ignoring for too long. He watched her sleep as the morning light filtered in through the curtains and knew that his life would never be the same again.
