DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS OR ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL HERE IN... i merely play with fire sometimes..
JJ stood in Penelope's doorway, watching her friend work. She clutched a blanket in her hands. It was soft, warm, fuzzy, small and yellow. It was a baby's blanket. JJ slipped quietly into the room, and tapped her friend on the shoulder.
Penelope gave a small start of surprise, and looked JJ up and down.
"Here", JJ said, placing the blanket across her friend's stomach carefully.
"What is it?", Penelope asked, confused.
"When I was pregnant with Henry, I used to use this to keep the bad stuff from getting to him", JJ explained. "Whenever I sorted through case files or watched horrible things happening to victims, I would always make sure he was underneath this blanket so the unsubs couldn't get to him."
"But.. why are you giving it to me?", Penelope asked warily.
"I figured you needed it more than me right now, seeing as how I've been knocked up before and put two and two together this morning when you were sick in the washroom."
Penelope half smiled shyly. "I had you all fooled for a while though.."
JJ snorted. "Barely", she jibbed, prodding her friend in the shoulder. "So..", she asked, changing tack, "does Kevin know?"
"No", Penelope growled in warning to JJ, "And no one is ever going to tell that bastard if I have anything to say about it."
"Woah!", JJ held her arms out in front of herself in shock. "Since when have you called Kevin a bastard?"
"Since he walked out on me", Penelope grumbled. "Well, more like stormed out on me, but I don't care. He can go rot in H-E-double sippy straws for all the grief he's caused me.."
"Penelope, why didn't you tell us Kevin left you?", JJ asked, aghast.
"Because it wasn't important", Penelope dismissed, trying to pretend she was working again.
JJ grabbed Penelope's hands away from her keyboard and forced Penelope to look her in the eyes. "Just like it wasn't important to tell us you are preggo?", JJ asked seriously.
"Those are two completely different things", Penelope argued.
"What are you talking about?", JJ asked in confusion. "Kevin's the father, right?"
Penelope paused, her mouth hanging open in suspended argument. She'd been caught like a rabbit in the snare. She worked in the world's worst place to try and keep a secret. "Maybe?", she squeaked out guiltily.
JJ blinked and did a double take. "Say what?"
Penelope sighed. And so it begins.. "It could also be anyone who went with us on the trip to Vegas.." she hung her head in defeat.
"Oh my god, P", JJ gasped, her eyes widening in sympathetic horror. "And Hotch knows?"
"He's the one that confirmed my suspicions", Penelope admitted.
"Holy heck on a hot plate", JJ tutted, shaking her head in disbelief. And then a thought occurred to her. "Wait, When you said 'anyone'?.. does that mean Hotch could be the father too?"
Penelope smiled grimly. "I love no matter how many times I hear it said like that, it still makes me sound like a slut", she retorted pointedly.
"I'm sorry, P, but is there really any other way?", JJ asked.
"I suppose..", Penelope sighed. "And to answer your first question, Yes. Hotch actually seems pretty certain he is a viable candidate."
"Details?", JJ asked, smirking wickedly.
"JJ!", Penelope scolded, laughing at her friend's sudden bought of perverted-ness.
"Sorry..", JJ muttered, still grinning.
"And they think I'm bad for getting dirty, geez louis..", Penelope tutted, shaking her head.
JJ shrugged nonchalantly. "Girls wanna know", she defended.
"Yeah, well as soon as I do, you'll be the first I spill to, okay?", Penelope sighed, raising a sarcastic eyebrow.
"Wait, You don't remember anything? Nothing? Not even the fight?", JJ asked, disbelievingly.
"How do you know about the fight?", Penelope asked in surprise, turning back towards her friend. "And how come you didn't tell me?"
JJ shrugged. "I guess I thought you two had resolved it."
"Us two?", asked Penelope, even more confused. "What do you mean?"
"You and Morgan.. What fight did you think I meant?"
"Hotch and Morgan.. I had another fight with Morgan?"
"Man, what did I miss?", JJ wondered aloud. "Yeah, You had a fight with Morgan on the Friday of that week. I could hear you yelling at each other in the room next to mine. I couldn't make out what you were saying, but there was no happiness there for sure."
Penelope shook her head. "If he's so angry with me or I'm so angry with him, why hasn't he said anything about it? He's been acting as if everything's fine. It just doesn't make any sense."
"Maybe he managed to come up with a suitable apology?", JJ guessed. "I don't know. Whatever it is, it couldn't be that serious, right?"
"Maybe..", Penelope hesitantly agreed, drifting deep into thought. Why had she fought with Derek? What was so bad that she had considered ending their friendship? Was it just the alcohol talking? All of these questions were making her already dizzy head spin..