She had shut her eyes momentarily or so she thought, until she awoke to the sound of her headset going off, "Hey, hey, I'm here!" She pushed the hair out of her face as she adjusted the headset that had gone askew.
"Garcia, can you find out if anyone purchased our not so romantic book in the last two days." JJ asked.
"Uh sure, sure, but certainly our literary inclined unsub knows that we would be watching for that." Penelope sat at her desk trying to adjust to the morning, the team must've already been gathered at the station.
"Probably, but whatever other victim he might have had lined up would be too risky for him now, he'd have to find another one and quick." Rossi said.
As Rossi spoke, Penelope had already checked records for the local bookstores, "Doesn't look like anyone purchased it at any of the local bookstores."
"We profiled that he wanted to save his signed copy for the professor." Rossi said.
"Those books are in evidence, he doesn't have a signed copy anymore." Tara stated.
"Right so what good does it do to find another victim when he knows he can't complete what he wanted to." Rossi continued. "But our last vic did, he met her at the book signing." The rest of the team's faces dawned in understanding.
"That's where he's going, this book is too important to him, it's the reason they met." Reid announced as they all rushed out of the conference room.
…
They arrived at the crime scene, the house was seemingly quiet, as they approached they heard a crash from inside. Prentiss pointed around the house. Indicating Alvez, Reid, and JJ should head to the back. Prentiss, Rossi, and Tara entered the front door quietly and rounded the corner into the living room where Walters was tearing apart the bookshelves.
"Professor Walters," Rossi spoke loudly, surprising him as the team spread out to have clear shots at him.
Walters turned around and pointed his gun he was shaking and crying. "It's not here, it's not here. I need to give it to her."
"Look you don't want to do this son." Rossi inched forwards.
"No, no, I need to go to her. She needs to know that I understand her."
"Sorry, we can't let you do that." Rossi said as Tara and Prentiss inched closer.
"No, no." He put both hands on his gun, "Stay back, stay back."
The three agents in front of him kept their guns trained but didn't move any closer. "You need to put the gun down Brian. That's the only way out of this." Rossi calmly stated.
"No, no it's not." He put the gun to his head.
Before he pulled the trigger, a shot rang out and hit his arm. He dropped the gun and grabbed his arm in pain. Luke came out from the hallway with his gun still trained on him. He kicked the gun away. He nodded to JJ who kept her gun on Walters while Luke holstered his and cuffed him.
Prentiss spoke into her mic, "We need medical."
Everyone else took a deep breath and holstered their guns as they observed the room. A policeman took the crying unsub from Alvez and walked him away from the scene.
"Well that was interesting." Rossi spoke unamused.
"Let's go home." Prentiss spoke.
"This may be the first time I ever get home before the news is on." JJ stated.
They all nodded in amusement before making their way back to Quantico.
…
It was late afternoon before the team made it back to the BAU, they had to tie up all the loose strings in Bethesda, pack up and drive back. The elevator doors opened and the semi exhausted team walked through. "Hello, my sugar plums." Garcia spoke to them as soon as she saw them. "I brought report writing cupcakes, they're on Reid's desk.
"Ooh that means I get first pick." Spencer perked up.
Everyone greeted and smiled at her as they made their way to their respective desks and offices.
Garcia started towards her office to do the same. "Hey Garcia," Luke called to her before she was even a few feet away. "Do you want to get that dinner I promised you?" he kept glancing towards the glass doors where everyone was occupied, seemingly arguing over the various cupcake flavors.
"You know you don't actually owe me dinner right? I mean if you don't buy me dinner, I won't think any less of you."
"So is that a no?" He was trying to smile but he wanted a yes.
"You know that I haven't been home yet right? I haven't actually been to my house. Sergio gets all," she waved her hands in the air, "when he's alone too long."
"Oh, Sergio, is that the 'fingering techniques' boyfriend?" His sarcasm was less sass and more venom.
"What, no, Sergio my cat." She squinted at him. "Do you know nothing Newbie?"
"Okay so how about we order in? You fell asleep before we even got halfway through the movie. We can pick up Roxy on the way. She loves cats." Luke stepped closer to her, his tone picking up as he figured it out.
"You want to order in - wait, Roxy loves cats? Not the point, you want to finish the movie?" she was confused by everything he had said.
He knew she was asking for clarification but he took his opening. "Yes, I would. Thank you for asking, be ready to go in an hour. I already started writing my report on the ride back so it won't take long." He ambled towards the glass doors not looking back.
Garcia stood still, observing him walk away, her mouth opening and closing. She shook it off and headed to her bat cave. She frantically started to finish putting her stuff in order. She had finished most of what she needed to get done while the team was on their way back but she figured that she would end up puttering about, doing various things all evening like she always did. She was absentmindedly clicking on things she needed to check, wondering why Luke would care if they finished a movie they had both obviously already seen. She was shaking her head, and started speaking to herself as she always did, "I mean he's fun, kind of, and I guess we had a good time. So why wouldn't he want to hang out? And he probably feels like he has to be the last one to pay for something doesn't want to owe anyone anything. And Roxy likes cats and I like him - whoa - wait." She pushed away from her desk to look around the room as if searching for an answer. "Nope. Nope, not going to think about that. Nope, didn't happen." She rolled her chair forward and began typing furiously as if trying to physically get rid of the anxious energy in her body.
Exactly an hour later she was shutting off her monitor as Luke appeared in the doorway. "Ready Chica?"
"Uh, yeah yeah." She shooed him from the doorway and set the alarm as she always did. They walked to the elevator in silence. It opened almost immediately and they got in. Penelope purposely kept her eyes trained on the sleeve of her cardigan. She was holding her purse, as well as her go bag. She was taking it home to replace it considering she had used some of her spare clothes that day and the day before.
Luke followed her gaze and realized she was holding two bags. "Hey let me get that for you." He started to grab her bags and she sputtered but didn't actually say no.
They sauntered off the elevator in silence and she followed him for a few feet before she realized, "So do you want to follow me?"
"No, we'll just take my car." He kept walking.
"But, wait, how?" she tried to keep up with his long strides while she traipsed along in her wedges.
"Well, we'll go get Roxy and I'll grab a couple things, and then we'll drive to your place. We can pick some food up or get delivery." He had thought this through more than he realized.
Bewildered still, she questioned him, "Yeah but then how do I get back here for work on Monday?"
This part was less clear for him, "I can drive you." He hid his face as he put her bags in the back seat.
"But my house isn't exactly on the way, it's not far but it's not on the way." She was getting in the car even though she remained uncertain.
"It's okay." He started driving casually as if he wasn't completely nervous she would call him out.
Penelope was hoping that he wouldn't profile her, she wasn't sure how good he had gotten, so she was wondering if it would be obvious that she apparently liked him, whatever that meant. A crush? No. I didn't even like him, or maybe I really liked him. No. I know he's always been attractive but-
Her train of thought was interrupted. "Anything you want to eat in particular?" He asked, taking the highway to cut down on time.
"There's a new Greek place by my house I've been meaning to try." She at least had that answer, thank all that was good.
"Great, can you order and we'll pick it up on the way?"
"Sure." She pulled out her phone, found the restaurant and read off the menu to him. She ordered their food as they arrived at his house. He ran in to get Roxy and some clothes, he wasn't being presumptuous but it was clear that they could both fall asleep easily and Roxy's bladder was not a reliable alarm clock. A voice in his head pointed out that it was Friday and they didn't actually have to work tomorrow, barring an emergency, he promptly ignored it. He put a few things in his bag as well as a toy for Roxy and some food for her so she would have her own dinner to eat.
He piled everything in the car, as Roxy and Penelope occupied each other with their mutual love and affection. They picked up the food and pulled up to her place, "You can park in my spot since my car's not here."
He did so and unloaded Roxy. He grabbed Penelope's bags as she carried the food up stairs. When they got into her apartment, he had the urge to snoop just as she had but he figured he wouldn't find many clues to who she was that would be better than actually spending time with her.
She unloaded the food and grabbed forks, setting them on the coffee table. She started the movie as Luke watched Roxy and Sergio meet. He actually wasn't sure Roxy loved cats as much as tolerated them but Sergio seemed unfazed and Roxy seemed to enjoy sniffing him.
"Do you have a bowl I can give her water in?" He asked as he opened the tupperware bowl with her food and put it on the floor.
Penelope walked over and grabbed the tupperware bowl, "She's a lady she should have her own bowl, not your plastic crap." Penelope, ever the animal lover.
Luke smiled as he watched her spoon the food into a nice ceramic bowl. She set it down next to Sergio's food and personal water fountain. "She won't mind sharing Sergio's water will she?"
Roxy wandered over and took a drink of water before biting into her food. "Guess not." He gestured and smiled.
Penelope made her way to the couch and Luke did the same. They sat in companionable silence as they ate and watched the movie. Luke got up and threw the trash away as Penelope put the forks in the sink. He sat back down on the couch to continue watching. She wasn't sure if she should get more comfortable or not. On one hand they had already cuddled, albeit accidentally. But every one of the team members was family to her, so why couldn't she get comfy? He didn't know about her possibly inappropriate thoughts.
"Hey, I'm gonna change." She said to him as she walked to her bedroom, she realized she couldn't actually change in there because there were only beads separating the two rooms. She opened her dresser and tried to find something to change into that was comfy but not embarrassing. Most of her pjs had unicorns, clouds, and rainbows. She sighed, "Well it is what it is." She picked up her black pair of bottoms that had multiple psychedelic cats, she grabbed a black t-shirt to match that had only one psychedelic cat on it. She made her way to the bathroom and changed before reemerging.
"Better?" He asked.
"Yup, work clothes are not conducive to snuggly movie watching." Her eyes went wide and she whirled around to put her clothes away in her hamper. "Oh God I hope he didn't think I meant snuggly with him." She muttered.
"I get it. I'd rather wear my running shorts or sweats once I get home." He called out to her from the couch.
"Well I don't know if you want to borrow a pair of rainbow pajamas but I have some if you do." She returned to her spot on the sofa.
"Actually, I have some stuff with me." He spoke slowly not turning from the movie.
She kept her eyes trained on the movie too, "Don't let me stop you."
He went to his bag he'd dropped in the corner before making his way to the bathroom. When he came back to the sofa, Penelope had curled her legs up on the couch and snuggled under a blanket. After a few minutes of pretending to pay attention to the screen, he decided this was a perfect opportunity to feel out the situation. He wasn't sure what she wanted to happen but he'd maneuvered himself this far so he must want to figure it out.
"Hey, you wanna share that." He nodded at the blanket.
"Oh, oh, I'm sorry are you cold? I have another," she started to reach to grab one from the ottoman that was next to her.
"I'd prefer to just share with you." He was trying to keep the embarrassed smile from his face but he figured he was failing.
Penelope froze, before slowly turning to him, "Wha - what does that - I-"
"You don't have to." He tried to hide his disappointment, narrowing his eyes at the tv.
She took a deep breath, attempting to comprehend what he might have meant. After all, hadn't she thought about this, even if she tried to violently suppress it within herself. She picked up the blanket and moved closer to him before placing the blanket across both of their laps. She didn't look at him. Neither of them were sure enough to be overt. He bit his lip to hide his smile knowing he needed to keep himself in check. After a few minutes he slowly moved his hand from his lap and put it around her. She eyed it from her peripheral vision and waited a few moments before she leaned into him. They both let out a breath, neither had realized they were holding.
That somehow broke the tension, they both giggled at the fact that they were so cautious. Her giggle dying down, "What's happening?"
He raised his eyebrows at her, he tried to speak but he wasn't really sure either. He cleared his throat, "I uh, think, maybe I'm not sure."
"Oh." She was a little disappointed, she felt like she might've set herself up for an answer she'd only get in her head.
Luke wasn't smiling anymore, he studied her as she shyly peered down at the couch. He brought his hand up to the side of her face and tilted her chin up. Making her eyes meet his, for once he felt sure of what he was doing with her. Penelope's mind was blank, she had maintained eye contact until his face seemed to get too close then she looked at his lips.
Just as the confusion of the moment was about to become clear, her home phone rang, loudly. He huffed and put his forehead on hers momentarily before reaching to the side table and picking up the cordless. "Home phone?" Raising an eyebrow at her.
"Shut up." Grabbing it from his hand, "It's in case of emergency." She hit the answer button, "Garcia, here."
"Yes ma'am, we - I'll, be right there." Prentiss had already hung up.
"What's wrong?" Luke asked.
"We've got another case." She sighed, swinging her legs off the couch.
"Can't we just call in sick." Luke eyes travelled to her chest before looking back to her face.
"They just saw us a few hours ago, I'm not a profiler but I still don't think that will work." Luke watched Penelope walk away to get ready. He sighed heavily before giving Roxy a conspiratorial look that he was sure she understood. He picked his phone up off the end table where he'd set it before eating. There were already two text messages. He replied quickly saying he was on his way in.
A/N: Thanks for the support, it means a lot, even if it's just a quick word or fav. Amazing.