AN: And the next Criminal Minds character is turning up. So who will it be? In what occupation? well, read and find out :)
When Emily had brought her the cupcake, Penelope had already thought she had heard familiar voices, but assumed she now heard things she wanted to hear just to find a little bit of ease from the mess she was currently in. She was constantly looking at the cupcake, brushing her fingers of the icing and then licking it off. She wanted to savior this - the little bit of goodness in this otherwise rather dark day.
"Penny, are you okay?" she heard the familiar voice again and a moment later saw her brother standing in front of her.
"Pa-Parker, what are you doing here?" she asked almost shocked. She got up and walked to the bars of her cell, just making sure this really wasn't her imagination.
"Um… I was just answering a couple of questions," her brother confessed, looking worriedly at her. And that was his thing – he was the oldest of them all, he always wanted to take care of everyone, especially Penelope, who was the youngest amongst the five of them. And did he just say he answered questions? Was he a suspect now as well?
"But no worries, nothing bad. All cleared. I just wanted to make sure you are okay… So how are you holding up, sis?" she heard him say almost immediately after.
Penelope shrugged, looking at her brother for a moment. Somehow she was just happy to see a familiar face – and for the moment it didn't matter why he was here. "Okay, I suppose. I even got a birthday cake," she said, holding up the untouched cupcake and smiled cautiously, feeling more like crying, but she wouldn't. Not now, not in front of her brother who already looked concerned enough as it was. No reason to add to that. And certainly not in front of Detective Morgan. She saw her brother smiling at her and Detective Morgan somehow looking slightly pleased when she held up the cupcake.
"There you go, princess. I know it probably isn't anything like the party your friends had planned, but for what it's worth, we can just celebrate once we have you back. More reason to celebrate then," Parker said, smiling softly at her and Penelope had to agree with him. This was nothing like she ever had imagined for her birthday. Seeing at least one familiar face today made it all a bit more bearable.
"I still can't believe Lynch got you into this," he said the next moment, and Penelope needed to shake her head. This certainly was everyone else's fault, but for once not Kevin Lynch's.
"He didn't get me into anything. I think he didn't plan on dying really. It all is just rather… unfortunate." Penelope said and saw Parker smiling somewhat, probably figuring his logic was strange.
"And that's what I love and hate about you to equal parts. You are just never… mad. You always see the good in people. Maybe that's what keeps getting you in trouble. You care too much and are just too nice of a person," Parker confessed a moment later. And Penelope really needed to let out a sigh. Maybe he was right, maybe he wasn't. Maybe she just was too much of a trusting person.
"I am sure there are worse characteristics to have nowadays than being a nice person and caring too much," Penelope said dryly.
"At least I won't have to worry about you, while being here. Clearly you can't get into trouble while here," Parker said and Penelope wasn't sure this was supposed to be a joke or not. She laughed regardless and saw Detective Morgan do the same.
"You mean any worse than the trouble I am in right now? Being held as suspect for murdering someone? God, why did I get involved with Kevin Lynch again in the first place? All of you said this wouldn't end well. Although I suspect none of you saw things coming like what they are now…"
"Well, Kevin Lynch really wasn't the best of choices for a guy, but he kind of fit well with all the other guys-" her brother started again. Here we go again, Penelope thought to herself. In all fairness he hadn't really brought his 'not a good boyfriend' speech in a while, but Penelope also hadn't provide anyone who he could have given the speech about since her split from Kevin.
"Or losers as you like to call them," Penelope interrupted for a moment, seeing her brother smile. It wasn't as if she didn't know he wanted to say it so badly. It was after all his opinion about her previous boyfriends. And maybe he wasn't entirely wrong.
She saw Parker taking a breath, before continuing. "-with all the other guys you have been dating throughout your life. Promise me your next boyfriend will be normal and a clear improvement from all the previous ones. A good guy, who knows how to treat a girl and maybe has goals in life that can be considered real goals and not just passing ideas…"
And great, now he probably wanted to give pre-approval. And for a moment Penelope wondered what her brother would make of Derek Morgan. Would he pass his brothers critical evaluation? Not that it mattered much, she was a suspect, he had her locked up. It wasn't as if he kept her only here for personal entertainment.
"I could, but well…" Penelope finally smiled at her brother and a moment later Parker step closer to the bars. Penelope did the same, until they were so close, that Parker could lean forward and press a kiss against his sister's cheek. And that was another of his things he did - showing her he loved her.
"I love you, sis, and we will somehow figure out what happened. Or he will, right?" Parker said, and pointed towards the detective the next moment. Penelope almost needed to smile, almost. She had heard in the past – though the papers and news – that some police people did everything to close a case quickly. What if detective Morgan was one of them and just adding the last finishes to a whole list of evidence that suddenly turned up?
"That's my job," the detective just smiled and Parker looked happy enough with that answer.
A moment later both men were gone, leaving Penelope back on her own. But not for long as it would turn out.
About roughly an hour after the first visit of detective Morgan, he came back. This time surprising her a lot. She didn't realize at first that he had come back, just when she heard chattering and looked up a moment later, seeing him carrying a few things towards her, opening the cell and placing a tray in front of her. A tray with not very cheap looking food on it.
Looking confused at the handsome detective, he just smiled at her.
"I would be lying if I'd say this is standard dinner for detainees, but … well, I figured it is your birthday and seeing that I got you here…" he explained, smiling softly at her. "Call it a little peace offering. It might not change anything about the fact that you are in here for tonight, but for what it's worth you won't be alone …"
"There aren't any rats here, are there?" she asked, half joking. She had to admit the food was a nice thought. He didn't have to do this, but he did. And it looked really good, and if she wasn't completely off the emblem on one of the containers belonged to a rather pricy, upscale restaurant.
She saw Detective Morgan shake his head, a smile on his lips. "No, there aren't," he said and a moment later she reached for one of the plastic containers and a plastic fork. Yes, it wasn't the most classy set-up for a birthday dinner, but it could have also been worse.
"You… you care for some company?" she heard him asking a moment later and Penelope looked at him surprised, before warily nodding, not entirely sure who he was talking about. When she saw him leave and then come back a few seconds later, pushing a chair ahead of him Penelope still wasn't sure what to make of this.
He carried something that looked like food as well, although not the same she had and a bottle of cherry coke – her favorite soda. "It's not Pinot Noir, but well…close enough," he laughed, before sitting down, filling a coffee mug with the fizzy drink and handing it to her.
Penelope needed to laugh for a moment, really hard, for the first time that entire day. And it felt good. She took the mug and had to admit this was kind of surreal.
"So… do you do this often?" Penelope asked curious and saw the handsome detective take a large bite of his food.
"What?" he asked, looking slightly confused.
"You know, having dinner with detainees?"
"Only the pretty ones," he smiled and Penelope felt a blush coming up. She wasn't used to a lot of compliments, especially not guys that looked like him.
"No hot date or something similar?" Penelope asked curious and before she had even realized that she said it out loud, it was already done.
There was a moment of silence and Penelope saw him smiling broadly at her for what seemed forever before he replied.
"The job makes that kind of difficult. Long hours, tiring cases…"
"Shouldn't that be even more reason to go out and have fun?"
"Oh, trust me, I am having fun. Plenty of it …" he said and Penelope could have sworn he winked at her.
"You aren't the dating kind of guy, are you?" she asked, understanding what he was referring to.
"That I didn't say either," he smiled, a twinkle in his eyes. And Penelope couldn't help but think he seemed to be the kind of guy you could have a really good time with. Between the sheets and elsewhere.
"Let's just say you are not the commitment kind of guy then," Penelope mused and saw him laughing once more.
"I have a feeling that no matter what I am going to say to that, it will come back to me anyway. So I am just not gonna answer at all."
"My brother used to be like that as well…" she smiled shyly.
"What changed?"
"He met the right girl…"
At that she heard Morgan laugh once more.
"So there is still hope for me?" he asked and Penelope just nodded.
"If my brother could do it, than yes, there is still hope."
For a moment their eyes locked. It was a moment that somehow felt intense to her, but then again her whole day felt like that so far and Penelope was sure that wouldn't change anytime soon.
He was about to say something, she saw his lips move, but before anything could be said, Penelope heard another familiar voice and a moment later her best friend JJ was standing more or less in front of her.
"Thank God, you are okay," she said, looking concerned.
"Ma'am, you can't be back here," she heard Detective Morgan say the next minute.
"That is okay. She is with me," a man all of a sudden said and appeared behind JJ. He had dark, short hair, was tall and looked very professional.
"And you are?" the Detective asked the man.
"I'm Aaron Hotchner and I'm Penelope Garcia's legal representation."