Sorry it's so short, but I really wanted to post it. Just an FYI, this story IS winding down, and I hope to finish it this month, if my muse decides to be agreeable.
Garcia was positively squealing with excitement as she drove home that night, the guidebook and Reid's medicine list in her hands. After a quick stop by the pharmacy to fill the prescription, she drove back to her little country paradise, pulling her car up the driveway to her warm house. Just the idea of Reid arriving in a week made it feel less lonely.
She opened her electronic babies, for even though she'd left the BAU, she still had several, and begin working on a new program for one of the many companies that had requested her services. While she had close ties to one, she worked with many, and they all paid well for the computer genius that was Penelope Garcia. She lost herself in coding, and didn't even notice as the hours ticked by, until she caught herself falling asleep on her keyboard. It was at that point she reluctantly left the programming for tomorrow and climbed into bed, but not before sending Derek an excited text.
He's coming home on Monday.
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Derek lay in his bed, about to go to sleep, when his cell buzzed. He unlocked it and scrolled to Penelope's message. He's coming home on Monday. He knew exactly who his Baby Girl was talking about. She would finally bring Reid home, where he'd belonged from the start. He fired back a quick Love you, and then fell asleep, still holding his phone.
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~One Week Later~
Penelope pulled up in Morgan's considerably-larger car, since her tiny car wouldn't fit all of Reid's books and clothes with room for both of them. She was dressed simply, without all of her many accessories, mostly to make the process of carrying all of Reid's books to her car go simply. As she pulled into the parking lot, she noticed, to her surprise, the entire team, including Emily, standing by the entrance, waiting.
"We wanted to help, and we wanted to be there," JJ explained, gesturing to the team. "Let's go bring Reid home."
Michelle and Reid were waiting as they walked in, and Reid looked like a kid on Christmas. He smiled as widely as they'd ever seen as the entire former BAU team, as well as Will, Jessica, Beth, Jack, Henry, and Emily walked in.
"Are you ready to go home, Reid?" Penelope asked. He nodded, not trusting his voice, and they walked to his room to gather his things. He was having a good day, and, for that, Penelope was thankful.
They gathered Reid's extensive book collection and his clothing, which they both handed off to Derek and Hotch, who looked slightly irked at the idea of being the one stuck with carrying all of Reid's things.
They gathered Reid's few pictures, including one of the entire team, and packed the last of his things into Penelope's borrowed car. As Reid climbed into the car, both his godson and Jack ran to hug him. He smiled and hugged them back. For once, none of his disease could touch him. This day would forever be a happy memory, preserved in Technicolor by his memory.
He only wished the rest of his life could be this way.