Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or the characters. Some "guest stars" are based on or named after people in my life while others are totally made up, as are some places and events.
Chapter 50
"You know, you're the only guy in the world I'd let see my wife naked," Derek joked as he handed Reid a pair of sweats and an FBI hoodie. He partially closed the bedroom door and waited for his friend to change into the dry clothes. Penelope had fallen asleep as the three of them had their hands on her belly as the baby kicked up a storm. She told them everything she remembered, which was everything they had seen on the streaming videos and then some. Both men had to put on their profiler's mask on to keep their anger in check. Almost as soon as she fell asleep, the baby did, too. Derek had already brought in Penelope's walker in case she woke up and needed to relieve herself and left her phone and the TV remote within reach.
"I didn't even notice," Reid admitted when he emerged from the bathroom. "All I saw was my best friend scared and hurting. I remember what that was like. I'd go through it all over again... and if I could've taken her place while they were hurting her, I would've in a heartbeat."
"You and me both," Derek replied. "To tell you the truth, I was hoping she'd never remember what all happened. I thought that once those first few flashbacks that started back in the hospital in Indianapolis never grew worse, that was it. The nightmares she gets from those are bad enough. If I would've been here when she was served, I would've tried to protect her from it."
"I know."
"And look at this!" Derek ranted. He and Reid had walked into the kitchen. "She worked hard to surprise me by cooking dinner while I was at work."
"You're a lucky man, Morgan," Reid said wistfully.
"Don't stop looking. One day you'll find someone who'll make your heart feel complete."
"I did have that. I didn't even know what she looked like and I had fallen for her. I fell for her voice, her humor, and her intelligence."
"I know, Reid."
"I don't want to meet someone and forget about Maeve," the genius argued.
"Pretty Boy, you have an eidetic memory. I don't care what they say or the stats. You'll never forget Maeve."
"You can't possibly know that," Reid argued.
"Do you really think I'd let you forget Maeve, or the BAU, or anything else important to you? Do you think the team would let you forget? Do you honestly think Penelope would let you forget?"
Reid smiled. "Of course not. I mainly meant I don't want someone to replace Maeve."
"Maeve will always have a special place in your heart. She was your first love. Nobody expects you to replace her and if someone asks you to, run for the hills, because if they won't respect her memory, they won't respect you."
Reid grinned. "This whole 'marriage and fatherhood' thing really suits you. You're not getting all soft on me, are you?"
Derek growled menacingly, then grinned back. "I'll be as soft a teddy bear as my Baby Girls need. That doesn't mean I won't kick ass at work." He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Do you want some stir-fry? It looks like Pen made more than enough."
"Yeah, that sounds good," Reid nodded. He thought about the spaghetti he was planning on making before Derek called him. It was still in its box on his kitchen counter along with a jar of Rossi's marinara sauce.
"She made it with both tofu and chicken," Derek explained as he got down two bowls from the cabinet. "Do you want me to take the tofu out of yours?"
"No, thanks. I'll take both."
Derek whipped around. "'Both'?" he echoed. "Since when do you eat tofu?"
"Since Penelope last cooked for me. It was a few days before Kevin's wedding. She made stew and used tofu instead of beef. It was really good."
"I'm still not a fan," Derek confessed. He dished out two servings and divided the chicken and tofu between the bowls and the wok. He put the two bowls in the microwave. He got the sauces out again while they were warming and retrieved a Tupperware and lid from a different cabinet. He dished out the rest of the vegetables and tofu into it. He put the lid on it and put it in the refrigerator. By the time he was finished, Reid had found the oven mitts and removed the hot bowls from the microwave. He also had gotten out a pair of chopsticks and a fork and put them on the table with the bowls of stir-fry.
The two men ate in comfortable silence, each enjoying their dinner and lost in their own thoughts. After they finished, Derek cleaned up their dishes and the wok while Reid retrieved his packet of papers from out of his Volvo. He sat down at the table and compared the two sets of papers. Aside from the names on the envelope and first page wherein the individual recipient was addressed formally, the papers were identical.
"We need to call the others," Reid announced when Derek rejoined him at the table. "All seven of us are listed in the lawsuit."
Derek looked down at his watch. "It's getting late."
"I know but I think they'd all appreciate a heads-up. I would've called you and Penelope right away in I had gotten served first."
"I'll text them," Derek compromised.
Within two minutes of Derek sending the text all four had responded. They all agreed to meet at the Morgans' first thing in the morning.
"Don't be stupid like I was," Derek announced. He had gotten up and pulled a bottle of beer and a bottle of soda from the fridge. He handed Reid the soda and opened the beer.
"Sorry?" Reid replied.
"Don't be stupid like me. Don't let your past dictate your future. If I had grown up and admitted my feelings years ago, I wouldn't have gone from woman to woman, even though what I wanted was right in front of me the whole time. I wanted a Penelope of my own." He paused. "I told her I loved her after she was shot."
"What?!"
"Yeah. The night I brought her home from the hospital. I thought I knew her. I saw her apartment for the first time and it was so her. Then I saw her counseling schedule. As much as the job affects her, she still takes part of her down time to help victims' families. That is... I couldn't do it."
"We all handle the job differently. I've seen the houses you've restored. I saw what this house looked like before you fixed it up. That's what you do. I just keep getting degrees and reading. Penelope has her survivors group," Reid explained.
"It was then I knew she was the perfect woman. Too perfect. I already knew I was not good enough for her but that... that proved it. I didn't care, though. I had to tell her. So I did," Derek explained.
"And...?"
"She took it so far out of context. I didn't pressure her because I knew she was still hurt by our fight and by what Battle did. She was actually suspicious of Battle because he was good-looking, as if she wasn't good enough. I couldn't believe it! She was sad that someone who looked like him... and me... would never go for someone like her. After we solved Rossi's cold case in Indianapolis, I knew I couldn't wait anymore. I spent the whole trip home planning a date. I made reservations, was going to get wine and sweets and candles for my place. Then Kevin was there, waiting in Rossi's office. I was crushed and pissed off. I got halfway to her office to confront her and stopped. I had no right to be pissed off. She wasn't mine and she had every right to be happy. I had time to make my move and didn't. If Kevin made her happy, I was happy for her."
"What about when they broke up?"
"I was furious at Kevin. He actually thought about proposing to her over tacos and Red Bull! Over four years of dating and that's the best he had to offer? I bit my tongue because if he only knew I had thought about proposing and had the perfect idea for doing it he'd use it for himself. Then she rejected him and the idiot broke up with her. That was... it took everything to not destroy him. She said no to him and he cared more about his wants than her needs. He made her cry, man. Made her question herself and her feelings. He had no right to hurt her like that and he knew she didn't say no to him to hurt him.
But I wasn't perfect, either. I still wanted her. I wanted to marry her and have babies with her and grow old with her. But she didn't want that. I respected her for standing up for herself. I wanted the same things Kevin wanted and she didn't. Sam gave her what she needed. I was happy to still be her best friend, because the thought of her not being in my life at all..."
"I know. I couldn't live with myself. I wanted Dilaudid." Reid confessed. "When they were hurting her... I hadn't craved that hard since I was detoxing. That's why I left when they drugged her. I was already worried sick about my friend and the way she fought... I had to get away. I channeled everything on finding her and saving her."
"Derek?" a soft voice called from the top of the stairs. Derek bolted out of his chair and ran up the stairs to his wife.
Reid stayed back to give the newlyweds privacy. He gathered the papers and put them back into their envelopes. He heard Derek walk down the stairs and go into the family room. He walked in there and watched as Derek placed Penelope on the sectional sofa .
"Reid, you're still here," Penelope smiled shyly.
"Of course I am," Reid replied.
"I'll go warm up your dinner, ok, Princess?" Derek kissed the end of his wife's nose and she nodded.
Reid sat down gingerly on the other side of the sectional. "Reid, would you be a sweetie and grab the blanket behind you?" Penelope asked. Reid jumped up and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch. He shook it out and draped it over her lap. He went to sit back down but felt Penelope's hand close around his.
"Sit here." She tugged him down gently next to her. She placed her head on his shoulder and started playing with his hair. She figured he'd be getting a haircut soon. He rarely let it grow longer than it was and the curls nearly reached his shoulders. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Reid frowned. He had no idea why she would say that.
"For you coming here. Ruining your evening. For being a mess..." she rambled.
"Penelope, I'm here whenever you need me. If I'm away, I'm always just a phone call away. "You're more important to me than any case." The genius blushed. "I even updated my smart phone so I can FaceTime now."
Penelope squealed. "Oh...em... gee! Spencer Reid, FaceTime-ing. I'm so proud!"
Reid blushed even deeper. "You're worth it. Besides, I was able to look up some newspapers and subscribed to them."
"Actual newsprint newspapers?"
"Yeah. Kind of backwards, but with a lot of places now you have to order your physical copies online." He shrugged.
"Oh, hun. I've worked on computers since I was a kid. I still don't understand some of the things people do with technology."
"That's because you're too sweet and nice to think about doing them," Reid blurted out.
Penelope blushed. "Aw, that's so sweet of you to say," she giggled.
"Hey, Pretty Boy... shove over some," Derek ordered. He balanced a tray in his hands and set it down over Penelope's lap when Reid moved over.
"Did you..." Penelope began.
"Yes, Baby Girl, I picked out all the chicken. It's just the veggies and tofu in there." Derek grinned. He walked over to the huge rack of movies. "Want to watch something?" he asked.
"Yeah, something funny," Penelope called out. She looked at the labels on the sauces and moved the napkin and large lidded tumbler, napkin, chopsticks, and fork. Reid watched as she added both teriyaki and sweet and sour sauce to her stir-fry. She picked up her fork and skewered a piece of red pepper and tofu. She closed her eyes and savored the food. She then picked up the big tumbler and took a drink from the straw. She looked up at Reid's stare. "What?" she asked when she swallowed the bite of food.
"Apple juice?" he smirked and gestured to the large cup.
Penelope narrowed her eyes, then smiled mischievously. "The baby loves it. She'll probably wake up soon after I drink it."
Derek put in the movie and Penelope and Reid both grinned when the opening credits of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" started. Penelope ate her food and made Reid feel the baby kick after she woke up. They had bowls of ice cream halfway through the movie and when it was finished they started a new one. Derek helped Penelope lay down on her side and she fell asleep to him stroking her hair. She woke up suddenly to the second movie's end credits and looked around. She smiled when she saw her husband was cradling her head in his lap with one hand on her belly and looked up to see that Reid had put her feet in his lap. Both men were sound asleep. She closed her eyes and shuddered as she remembered being taken away. She snuggled deeper into her blanket and felt Derek tense up in his sleep. She smiled and she felt truly safe for the first time in weeks.
A/N: I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas. I tried to update on Christmas but I woke up not feeling well on Christmas Eve. I'm anemic yet again. Feeling better after sleeping about 15 hours on the 26th. My mother-in-law called on Christmas to report it was 80° at her place in Georgia. I looked out into the ice fog we had all day and shook my head. I know we can't spend every Christmas at the beach like last year but damn, it would've been nice.
XOXO,
Pita(MoreLikeMaxThePuppyThanTheGrinch)Cake
