Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. It was actually very fun to write. Now, onward and upward to the next chapter. I can't believe this is chpt 21.
Anyways, I do not know Criminal Minds. Sadly.
Penelope woke to the April sunshine streaming into her bedroom window. She put on her glasses and glanced outside.
No clouds.
Good.
Putting on her slippers she shuffled to the bathroom. She turned on the light and looked in the mirror. 365.
365 days ago, in the late hours of the night, she had given birth to two children that had changed her life for the better.
Walking into the nursery she saw their Grandfather looking into the cribs, he had probably gotten up a couple hours ago. "Hi David."
"Hi Kitten. Hard to believe, isn't it?"
"Yes." Leaning down she touched Grace's cheek. "They are a whole year old..."
"I know." David wrapped an arm around Penelope's waist and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Kitten, despite almost losing you, that day was the best day in my life."
"Mine too."
They both watched as the babies began to wake. Moments like this were hard to come by in the chaos of the house and within their lives.
"Here Gracie, come to Mommy. I'll give you a clean nappy and will get you ready for your big day." Leaning over she picked her daughter up.
"Momma!"
"Yes, Momma's here." Laying Grace down she removed the dirty nappy and replaced it with a clean one. "Alright Miss, what shall I put you in today? Seeing how the party is still a few more hours away, I think I'll save the pretty dress your Nanna gave you for later..."
Taking a pair of small blue overalls and a grey shirt she slipped them onto her. Penelope brushed her hair and clipped it back.
"There, you look presentable enough for now." She kissed Grace and handed her over to David. "Can you bring her downstairs and get her some cereal? I'll be down soon with Ricky."
"Sure. Come to Nonno, Gracie." He plucked her from Penelope's arms and playfully bounced her in his arms.
She squealed in delight. "Nonno! Nonno!"
Penelope smiled at the two before getting her son.
"Hey Ricky. Your turn. Come here hun and lets get you ready so you can join your sister."
She slipped on a clean nappy and threw the soiled one in the trash, "So Mr. what to do with you... I think I'll put you in those tan overalls and a grey shirt. We'll save your little sailor suit for when I put Gracie in the dress."
Before she dressed him Penelope bent over and gave him raspberries, making him squeal and giggle. "Momma!"
Penelope slipped on the clothes. "There, now you are ready to start your big day. Come on and lets join everyone in the kitchen. I am betting your Nanna is already down there cooking something up."
Sure enough, Fran was making her famous breakfast dish: eggs, hash browns, ground pork, and cheese, all mixed into one giant bowl.
"Morning you two."
"Morning Fran," She set Ricky into his highchair. "can you say hi to your Nanna?"
Ricky's face burst open with a giant grin. "Mning Nanna!"
"Good boy." She playfully bopped a finger on his nose. "Now how about we get you some Cheerios."
He gurgled in response.
His mom grabbed the cereal and put a small plastic bowl of it on his tray before grabbing herself a coffee.
"I can't believe it has been a whole year. Seems like yesterday they were in the natal ICU." Fran dropped a glob of the yummy mixture onto Penelope's plate. "Here, Dear. Eat up, you'll need your energy for today."
"Thanks Fran." She grabbed the plate and her coffee, and took a seat beside David at the table. "So, when are people supposed to be coming over?"
"Emily said everyone was coming around 11ish to decorate. And before you say anything J.J. is taking you and all the kids out for a bit before the party starts so they can decorate."
"But I want to help." Penelope pouted.
"No. You have thrown parties for everyone. Now, it is our turn to do the same for you and the twins. I advise you to go along with it."
"Alright." Penelope mumbled. She would go along with it, but it wouldn't mean she was happy about being excluded from the party prep.
/
At around 10 J.J. arrived with Will and Henry to pick up Penelope and the twins.
"Hey Penelope, ready to go?"
"Almost. Just want to get their outfits ready for when we come back. I am really not happy about being forced out of this. I should be doing this." Penelope grumbled as she laid out the dress and sailor suit.
"Who planned Henry's first birthday?"
"Me."
"And Andrea's?"
"Me."
J.J. grabbed her friend by the shoulders. "Does it not make sense that, after you planning all those events, you let us do this one little thing for you?"
She pouted. "A little... Alex and Em know that Gracie loves chocolate and Ricky hates it, right?"
"They know. I gave them the list a week ago. Don't worry. Now come on. I need to get you out of here before everyone else shows up."
/
About fourteen minutes later J.J. managed to get Penelope, Henry, Grace, and Ricky, all in the car. It was no easy challenge. Penelope had been talented in finding ways to delay her departure. In the end J.J. was almost ready to hog tie her and drag her out.
"Alright, now that's over where do you want to spend the next forty five minutes?"
"Hmm... I am not sure. I know I want to spend it in the house," J.J. glared at her friend. "but, I know I can't so... let's visit Derek."
J.J. nodded her head in compliance. "Good idea." She put the car in drive and left the Rossi mansion as fast as the speed limit would allow her.
/
Penelope, J.J., and Henry stood in front of the stone. Fresh spring grass had begun to spring up from last year's dead patches. Beside the grave the young maple had grown a few more inches and sported the buds that would soon give way to new batch of leaves.
"Hey Derek." Penelope pushed a strand of hair from her face. "It's us. J.J., Henry, me, and the kids. It's their first birthday today."
She knelt a little ways away the stone. "You remember that day, I know you do. You said you would always be watching over us. I've never doubted that for a moment, my love.
Penelope turned to Grace and Ricky who were holding onto J.J.'s hands. "Come here you two."
Letting go J.J. watched as Grace ran, and as Ricky stumbled his way, towards their mother.
She wrapped her arms around them and drew them in close. "That's your Daddy." She used her head to motion to the stone.
Grace looked at her mom and then to the stone. "Dadda?"`
Penelope nodded, the tears had begun to form in the corners of her eyes. "Yes, that is Daddy."
Grace cautiously made her way to the stone. In her mind she had remembered something of this place from the few times her mom had taken her here... but something about this place made everyone sad, and Grace didn't like that.
Touching the stone she was shocked. She expected it to be cold, like the morning air around her. But it was warm. And it felt familiar. The feeling surrounded her body, making it feel as if there was a pair of arms around her that she could not see. Her one year old brain couldn't fully comprehend the moment, but she knew something special had occurred.
She looked back at her brother, her eyes beckoned him to come forward so he could experience this too.
He came, and Grace took his chubby hand in her own and placed it on the stone. His eyes opened wide as soon as his hand made contact. He looked at Grace, his eyes filled with amazement. They were not identical, but they had spent their entire lives together, so there would always be some things that they never needed to verbally communicate to each other.
This was one of those.
The adults and Henry looked on. J.J. and her son were oblivious to what had just happened. But, Penelope knew that Derek had touched their children. She just knew.
She gave their children a moment before walking up and kneeling beside them. "This is Daddy... I know you feel him. Guess what? Grace, Richard, I feel him too." She reached over and placed her hand on top of their children's. Closing her eyes she went back to the moments since Derek's death and allowed herself to open up that hidden part of her heart. They stayed there for a few moments. Frozen in the moment.
After a while, Penelope picked Grace and Ricky up in her arms and nestled them on her hips, she glanced on last time at the stone before turning around and walking back to the car. It was time to properly celebrate today.
/
Walking through the arches with her babies nestled on each of her hips, Penelope gasped. The yard had been decked in pink, blue, and white. It looked far better than she thought it would. In her arms Grace and Ricky's eyes lit up at the sight before them.
The somber moods that had hung over them on the car ride home vanished and was replaced by feelings of excitement and happiness. All around them were people they had known all their lives and their attention was solely on Ricky and Grace.
Penelope let her struggling children down, as soon as their feet touched the ground Grace made a be-line to Spencer and Ricky went straight to his Nanna.
"Hey there sweetie." Spencer picked Grace up and the little girl snuggled into his chest. "You're getting to be such a big girl."
Anna smiled, stroking Grace's hair she looked at the pair and allowed her mind to wander to thoughts of him holding their first child.
Fran knelt down and scooped up Ricky. "Nanna."
"Hi little guy. You look so cute in that suit." She tickled Ricky under his chin, causing the child to giggle.
"Hey Penelope," Will called. "I've been put on bbq detail again, do you want anything? You must be famished after chasing those two terrors around."
"Sure. If you have one ready I'll take a hot dog for the kids."
Grabbing a knife, another plate, and two forks from the table she sat down and began cutting it up into tiny pieces.
"Fran, Spencer, if you can, bring them over here. They're gonna want their lunch." Her breasts ached to feed them but she had started the weaning process. Penelope would have to ignore the ache for now and accept that another tie with her babies was about to be severed, by her.
Once the two were seated beside her with Fran and Spencer, Penelope went to go get herself something to eat.
Grace reached over trying to pull the plate towards her. Spencer took her hand and pulled it back. "No sweetie. You need to let your brother have some of it too." Spencer reached over and slid half of the hot dog onto the spare plate. "Here," He forked a small bit of hot dog and placed into the eager mouth. "you like that, don't you Gracie."
"How are you doing over there Fran?"
The older woman smiled. "I am doing just fine. You forget young man that I've raised three babies. It is you, Spencer, that should be paying attention." She picked up a piece of hot dog. "Do you want this Ricky? I think you do."
/
Aaron had stepped inside to check up on the bakers.
"Hey ladies, how are things in here?"
"Fine. We are just putting the finishing the cakes. What do you think?" Emily stepped back to enable Aaron to see her work.
He looked over the two cakes. They had begun to decorate one with pink and white icing, the other was already covered with white and blue. Both had been baked in the shape of a '1'. "So far they look good."
"Chocolate for Grace's?"
Emily nodded.
"Vanilla for Ricky's?"
Alex nodded.
"Good, if we didn't get everything just right, I doubt Penelope would have allowed us to do anything like this again." He dipped his finger into the bowl of pink icing. Before he could pull it out Emily had slapped his hand with a spatula.
"No, bad FBI agent. This is for the cake."
"I just needed to conduct a quality assurance analysis to make sure the icing was... sugary enough."
"Trust me Aaron, it is sugary enough." Alex turned Aaron around and began pushing him back outside. "Now go and enjoy the party, we have everything covered in here."
"Can I at least take Andrea off your hands? It looks like she is getting a bit antsy just sitting in her high chair."
"Sure," Emily began to spread the pink icing onto the cake. "just keep an eye on her out there."
"Of course, now, come here missy and I will get you away from here." Aaron lifted the little girl up.
"Good," Alex took the canisters of sprinkles from the drawer. "he's gone. I know this will sound sexist, but I can see why my mother banned my father from the kitchen."
"I know. Here, I'll finish icing Grace's cake. You take care of the lettering on Ricky's. We need to get this finished before the birthday momma comes in."
/
Penelope watched as Grace, Ricky, and Andrea, played in the sandbox. They all had such different personalities. Ricky was quiet and reserved, not liking any change in his life. Grace was bold and daring, not afraid to take a risk. And Andrea, Andrea was kind and gentle, not as bold as Grace, but not as cautious as Ricky.
Maybe that is why the three of them got along so well.
She leaned against the fence, closed her eyes, and recalled the first moments she held her babies.
The shock and wonder that flooded her heart when she held Ricky. He looked so much like his father, and with each passing day he looked more and more like Derek.
The wonder and amazement when she held Grace. She could tell from first glance that her daughter would be unique. Ricky may have looked like Derek, but Grace behaved like her father. And despite the challenges of keeping up with Grace, she had no wish to ever break her daughter's curiosity and spirit.
In her mind she knew that the pivotal moment would stay etched in her mind for the rest of her days, but she couldn't help but wish that she could re-live it for real, at least one time.
Her hands moved towards the scars that laid buried under her clothing. One marking the first time their father had confessed his love for Penelope, and the other marking the day in which the fruits of that love came into the world.
"Hey, are you alright?"
Penelope opened her eyes and looked at J.J. "Yeah, I was just thinking of when they were borne. It was... so hectic. When my... when my heart stopped... I thought about giving up. I remember. I remember being given the temptation of staying with Derek... or coming back. It felt like a dream, and I know I sound crazy, but I know there was some reality to it.
I remember thinking, of how nice it would have been just to give up. And after, the thought still crossed my mind. But, looking at them now, I am glad I didn't give up. He was right... this was far better."
J.J. reached around Penelope and drew her close. "We are all glad you stayed. And I can tell your new godson will be very happy that his fairy godmother will be there to spoil him." J.J. winced as she felt the baby inside of her kick in response.
"Yup, very happy."
"When are you due? I know you told me but it didn't stick."
"June. I'm happy that I won't be pregnant during the whole summer. I remember doing that with Henry and it... sucked."
"Penelope. I think the girls are gonna be bringing out the cakes. You might want to wrangle your babies."
"Thanks Will. I'll take care of Grace, J.J., can you get Ricky?"
/
The candles had been lit, and the cakes had been placed on the picnic table."
"Who's first?" Aaron asked.
"Well, Ricky was borne first... it makes sense that he would blow out his candle first. Here sweetie, come to mommy." She took Ricky out of Fran's arms and leaned towards the cake. "Ok buddy, see that candle? You need to blow it out. Do you think you can do it?"
Ricky clapped his hands in response.
"I take it as a yes. Ok, on the count of three. One. Two. Three."
With the help of his mom, Fran, and J.J.,, Ricky blew out his candle while the cameras flashed around him. Looking up he gave the guests a grin, showing off the teeth that had come in.
"Fran, do you want to hold him again while Gracie blows out her candle?"
"Sure Dear, hand my Grandson over here." She took Ricky and snuggled him. "You're officially a year old buddy."
Spencer handed Grace to her mother. Who straitened the pink bows in her hair. "There, picture perfect. Now, Gracie, your turn. Are you ready?"
Grace looked around at the guests and squealed.
"I think that counts as a yes. Alright. On the count of three everybody. One. Two. Three!" Leaning over, Grace, Penelope, and Spencer, blew out the candle as the rest of the party cheered and snapped pictures.
The little girl looked at the cake, took one handful, and smushed it into Spencer's face. She let out a giggle at the sight of her uncle's normally clean face, covered in chocolate cake and pink icing.
Smiling, Anna took her camera and snapped a picture before her fiancee could wipe the cake off.
"So, who wants cake?" Will asked, knife in hand, ready to start cutting.