AN: Three weeks between updates is probably away far away from any excuse I cpuld come up with. So, I just say it how it is. My muse has left me apparently and with it ironically the desire to update already fully written and beta'd stories. I am sorry, I wasn't aware that when you muse leaves, so does your desire for updating. I will stop that now and update again very regulary - I hope. I am really, deeply sorry for how long this story seems to take me to get updated. But for what it's worth, I appreciate every single review and fav/follow this story has received until now. You guys rock!

He brought Parker Garcia back outside, made him sign a few papers and then his second suspect was gone. And Morgan was pretty much back to square one. Yes, he still held Penelope Garcia, but both him and Prentiss were almost certain that she was definitely not their suspect.

"Listen…. I know you only do your job and … I assume people probably never much appreciate what it is you guys are doing… but go easy on my sis, okay?" Parker all of a sudden said, turning around and surprising Morgan. "I know Penny can be… irrational at times and come across a bit wacky and weird, with a tendency of making statements that land her in trouble, but that usually is the reason we love her so much. She is a sweet girl that could never harm anyone or set out to intentionally to hurt someone."

"I… didn't plan on giving her a hard time, intentionally at least. Despite what you might have heard of cops we aren't all badasses that do not care about anything else than closing cases, no matter the cost."

He saw the blonde man nod for a moment, seeming okay with Morgan and the detective had to admire him. How he was so committed to his sister. There weren't a lot of guys like that out there anymore. Nowadays barely anyone cared for anyone else other than themselves really.

With Parker gone, Morgan returned back to his desk. Everyone else other than him had already left for the night. The few colleagues that were on duty tonight were out and about D.C. So he was all by himself – well except for one Penelope Garcia of course. Penelope Garcia, who was all on her own back in a cell. On her birthday.

And just like that he had an idea. Sure, it wasn't standard with detainees, but then again she was she the regular thug they picked up from the streets. And he somehow felt like he needed to make it up to her. With the two of them down here together a nice dinner surely couldn't hurt.

About twenty minutes after the call was placed to a restaurant he knew was quite well known for their outstanding food, he got his order delivered and paid the guy generously. Funnily enough this usually was the place he would take one of his few dates to. It was a great place to make a first impression, to woo women really. Under different circumstances he actually might have taken Penelope Garcia there. Or maybe he still would if this case came to a closure. And she wasn't his prime and only suspect of course.

A moment later he had all the delivered food on a tray he found around the office and was on his way back to the cells. He was trying to find some candles as well, but maybe that was pushing it for sure. This wasn't a date after all. It was him being nice and trying to do good on his bad conscience.

When he saw her looking up, she was confused. Of course she would be. First he put her away and now he was serving her a three course menu.

"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 …"

She looked around worried for a moment. "There aren't any rats here, are there?" And funny, he wouldn't have suspected she might be scared of something like rats or mice.

Morgan just decided on shaking his head at her, smiling. It was a cute picture after all. "No, there aren't," he replied, seeing her reach for some of the food and a fork a moment later. He kind of hated that it were only plastic containers and plastic forks instead of real china and cutlery, but then again he needed to remind himself this wasn't a date. She was his suspect – although that thought drifted further and further to the back of his mind until it was almost forgotten.

"You… you care for some company?" he asked a moment later and Penelope looked at him surprised before giving him a wary nod. He left to get himself a chair and returned a moment later with his food, which looked less fancy. But he wasn't too hungry anyway.

From his 'tour' through her apartment he knew that his suspect was an avid fan of cherry coke. She had several cans in her fridge and a few bottles on the counter. Buying a bottle seemed the best substitute for not having any wine or similar. It felt weird, but also exciting at the same.

"It's not Pinot Noir, but well…close enough." he laughed at her, sitting down and then filed up a coffee mug that he had hunted down in the kitchen. He also knew her favorite wine seemed tp be Pinot Noir, due to quite a lot of bottles in her apartment and an unopened box that read it in her kitchen.

A moment later he saw her laughing. The first real laugh he had seen or heard from her today.

"So… do you do this often?" she asked the next moment and Morgan saw her taking a bite of her food.

"What?" he asked, his eyes more focused on how her lips wrapped around the fork than what she had been saying.

"You know, having dinner with detainees?" he heard her asking and needed to smile. He really did like her. No matter whether she was a suspect or not.

"Only the pretty ones," he smiled back at Penelope and saw her blush- which made her even more adorable in his eyes.

"No hot date or something similar?" he heard her asked a moment later and saw her sudden shocked expression about her own boldness. And her question definitely made him smile even more.

"The job makes that kind of difficult. Long hours, tiring cases…" he admitted a moment later. And why he said it he himself wasn't even sure.

"Shouldn't that be even more reason to go out and have fun?" Penelope asked and Morgan had to admit she had a point. In his line of work, you saw quite a bit of the worst side of people. Distractions from this certainly were welcome.

"Oh, trust me, I am having fun. Plenty of it …" Morgan said, winking at her.

"You aren't the dating kind of guy, are you?" she figured and Morgan was wondering what exactly gave that away.

"That I didn't say either," he smiled. Truth was he himself sometimes didn't know what he was or what he wasn't.

"Let's just say you are not the commitment kind of guy then."

That comment made Morgan laugh once more. Oh, he had the time of his life with this conversation.

"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," he decided, smiling at her.

"My brother used to be like that as well…" Penelope said after a few moments of silence, smiling softly at him.

"What changed?" he asked curious. Parker certainly didn't seem much like a player to Morgan.

"He met the right girl…"

Morgan needed to laugh at that once more. He wasn't sure whether he laughed about the simplicity, or because the moment she had said it a picture of him and her popped up in his mind.

"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." She laughed at him and for a moment their eyes locked. Morgan just found something so damn fascinating about her. Scratch that, he found everything so damn fascinating about her. And maybe he should mention that – when all of this was over – they should maybe go for drinks, or repeat their dinner, when he all of a sudden heard an ecstatic voice behind him.

"Thank god, you are okay," a blonde said, looking at Penelope.

"Ma'am, you can't be back here," Morgan said, already getting up.

"That is okay. She is with me," a man all of a sudden appeared as well. And Morgan had seen him before – he just couldn't exactly place him.

"And you are?" the detective finally asked, having to admit he was a bit annoyed that his little dinner and conversation with Penelope was interrupted all of a sudden.

"I'm Aaron Hotchner and I'm Penelope Garcia's legal representation."

And of course. Aaron Hotchner, the lawyer. He had read about him in the papers a few times, especially about his battle against the cities drug and prostitution cartels. How exactly someone like Penelope could have a lawyer like Aaron Hotchner was beyond Morgan, but he had to admit he was happy to see her in good hands.

"This is Jennifer Jareau," he heard Hotchner introducing the blonde, who was already next to Penelope, looking rather concerned.

A moment later Morgan left the three of them alone, deciding his paperwork was long enough neglected. Although he wouldn't have minded a few more moments alone with her.