Chapter 8

The next morning, Dave and Penelope share a quick breakfast of fruit, yogurt, and bagels as they talk about their plans for the day.

"I feel bad," Penelope pouts. "Maybe we should have kenneled the animals in DC."

"It's only going to be a few hours," Dave points out. "They're used to being alone."

"I know," she sighs. "But the RV is so small. Jayje needs to get out and stretch her legs."

"She'll be fine. I took her to the dog area, she did her business and ran around for ten minutes. When we get back, we'll take her to the beach," he promises.

"And the kitties?"

He blinks and looks at her. "You want to take the cats to the beach?"

She shrugs. "We should at least take them out and let them explore, that is one of the reasons we got them harnesses and leashes."

"I thought we got those in case of an emergency," he frowns.

"That too," she agrees. "Please."

He sighs, knowing he has no control over his life anymore. "Fine. But not to the beach. I don't want to be sifting the sand for cat poop."

She grins in victory.

"We better hurry up if we're going to catch the next bus," he tells her. "It leaves in fifteen minutes."

"Ooh, I need a jacket and my bag," she says excitedly.

"You get your stuff," he says. "I'll clean up."

Penelope rushes to the sleeping area and grabs her jacket and her large shoulder bag. Her cell phone rings. She checks the number, it's Derek.

"Hey D," she says into the receiver.

The line is silent.

"Derek?"

She hears a soft click and checks the screen to see that the call has ended.

"Who are you talking to," Dave asks from the other room.

She steps out of the sleeping area as she drops her phone in her bag. "I thought it was Derek but there was no one there," she explains.

"Maybe Hank started fussing and he couldn't stay on the line," Dave suggests.

"That's quite possible. I'll call him back later."

They exit the RV. Dave locks the door before taking her hand and leading her to the bus stop. They get there just as the bus arrives and board with several other people.

The trip into town is short and quiet as most everyone stares out the windows. The bus pulls into a parking lot and stops. The driver pops the door open and shouts out, "Last shuttle to the camp leaves from here at 10pm. Don't be late, it's a long, dark walk."

Dave and Penelope get off the bus and follow the others to the main road.

"What would you like to do first, Kitten?"

She gives him a cheeky grin. "Shopping?"

"Really," he groans.

"We're going to take JJ to the beach later, so there's no need to go now," she explains. "I'd like to pick up a few souvenirs and maybe some night clothes."

"What do you need night clothes for? You've got me to keep you warm," he counters.

She puts a hand on his chest. "You do a wonderful job of that darling, but I'd rather not cook breakfast in my birthday suit."

He grins and leans over placing a kiss on her lips. "I don't mind," he murmurs.

"I know you don't."

He sighs. "Okay, souvenirs and nightwear. What else?"

She shrugs. "Let's just explore a bit."

"As you wish, your eminence."

She laughs and tucks her hand in the crook of his arm as she drags him down the sidewalk. He easily catches up to her stride as he walks closely next to her.

Two hours later, they meander back towards the bus stop. Dave holds a few bags in one hand and Penelope's hand in the other.

"That food was so delicious," she gushes. "I'm glad we went there."

"Me too," Dave nods. "When in a new city, always ask the locals where they like to eat. It's an absolute must that I learned early on in my career."

"From the outside it didn't look like much, but oh my God!"

"I agree," he says as they arrive at the bus stop. Dave checks his watch. "Three minutes to spare."

He squints up the road, looking for the bus.

"I hope Henry and Michael like the t-shirts we got them," Penelope says worriedly.

"Have they ever not liked something you gave them," he asks.

She thinks for a moment. "No, no they haven't. Are you sure we shouldn't get something for Jack?"

"He's in college, Kitten. All he needs is food and sleep," Dave jokes. He nods in the direction of the road. "Here comes the bus, right on time."

The bus pulls to the curb and stops. The door flings open. "Come on in, ain't no one getting off," the driver announces.

Dave assists Penelope up the steps and into the bus, following her in. They grab a seat near the front.

"You folks find everything you need," the driver asks.

"We did," Dave answers. "Thank you."

"Most people spend the whole day in town. It's rare that I get riders back to the camp at this time of day."

"We picked up some souvenirs and had lunch," Penelope says happily.

"Ooh, where did ya eat?"

"Mama's Café," Dave says.

The driver turns around and nods with a big grin on his face. "Best secret in town. You been there before?"

"No. One of the shopkeepers told us about it."

The driver nods again. "You're smart folks, listening to the locals. Most people see the outside and continue on their way."

"It did look a little daunting from the outside," Dave chuckles. "But we're not easily discouraged."

The driver nods again as he swivels back in his seat. He closes the door. "Guess it's just the three of us. Off we go!"

The ride back was just as uneventful as the ride to town. The driver even drove into the park and dropped them at their campsite.

"Thank you very much," Dave smiles as he descends the steps. He turns around to help Penelope.

"You're very welcome. You guys have a wonderful day."

The bus pulls away as Dave and Penelope head to the RV.

"He was nice. You should have tipped him," she admonishes.

"You don't tip the bus driver," Dave replies.

"He dropped us at our door," she argues. "He didn't have to do that."

"No, he didn't," Dave agrees. "I'm still not tipping him."

They open the door to the RV and are greeted by a cacophony of meows and a very excited dog.

"I would have tipped him," she continues as she pushes past the dog and into the RV.

He sighs as he greets the dog. "Well, you could have. Why didn't you?"

She shrugs. "He left before I could think of it."

Dave carries the bags to the sleeping area and sets them on the bed. JJ bounces behind him.

"You ready to get out of here," he asks.

She whines and barks at him.

"Okay. Let's get your leash on and go to the beach," he tells her.

Dave and JJ go to the front of the RV. Penelope stands by the door with the leash in her hand.

"Are we ready for the beach," Penelope asks. JJ jumps up and down barking excitedly.

Dave grabs the dog's collar and tries to get her settled as Penelope snaps the leash on.

"What about the cats," Penelope asks.

"We'll take them out and let them explore the campsite when we get back," he says evenly. "JJ's going to be enough for us to handle on the beach."

After locking up the RV, they head for the path to the beach. JJ excitedly yips and barks pulling Dave down the path. They get to the sand and the young dog stops in her tracks. She sniffs cautiously at the unfamiliar surface under her feet. She takes a few cautious steps after words of encouragement from both Dave and Penelope.

She quickly adjusts to the new environment but stops to sniff at everything before bounding forward once again. Dave leads her across the soft sand towards the water, the ground firms beneath their feet.

"If she jumps into the water, she's going to need a bath when we get back to the RV," Dave says matter-of-factly.

"Most likely. And guess who gets that job?"

He pouts at her. "Why do I have to do it?"

Penelope holds up her left hand still bound in the cast.

His pout turns to a frown. "Oh, yeah. That's a good excuse."

"I'm going to need a bath soon as well," she says suggestively.

Dave grins. "I am more than happy to help you take a bath."

Dave leans down to kiss her as JJ suddenly lets out a growl and begins barking. The two humans look to see that the dog is barking at the approaching waves. They laugh at her antics.

A seagull lands on the sand nearby distracting the young dog from the water. She stares at the bird and sniffs the air from a distance. The bird looks around for something to eat. After a few seconds it bounces across the sand startling JJ. At the same time, the incoming tide crosses the sand high enough to touch the dog's feet. JJ lets out a startled yelp and bolts away from the water.

The sudden jerk on the leash pulls Dave off-balance, he crashes to the wet sand. The leash yanks from his hand as JJ takes off running down the beach.

"Ah, Fuck," Dave curses.

"JJ! No!" Penelope yells.

Dave scrambles to his feet and chases after the startled dog. Penelope follows as quickly as she can. Soon the young dog is out of sight and Dave stops to catch his breath. Penelope hurriedly catches up to Dave.

"Oh my God! Oh my God," she cries. "What do we do? Should I call the police?"

Dave continues to stare down the beach. "For a lost dog?!"

He shakes his head and gulps in a couple more breaths of air. He looks down at himself and brushes off as much of the sand off his clothes as he can. He wipes surreptitiously at the tears on his cheeks.

"I don't know. I've never lost a dog," she says tearfully.

"It's okay, Kitten. We'll notify animal control. She's got an ID tag and has been chipped," he says calmly though his voice is slightly raspy. "Hopefully, she will calm down and someone catches her and take to the nearest dog pound."

She starts to cry. "I'm sorry."

He looks at her, puts an arm around her and pulls her close. "You have nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart. I'm the one who is to blame for not training her better."

He peers down the beach, but the young dog is nowhere in sight.

"Should we keep walking that way in case she turns around and heads back," Penelope asks as she wipes the tears off her face. She glances up at him and sees the tracks of the tears he tried to wipe away.

"Yeah," he sighs. "Damn dog is probably halfway back to DC by now."

She reaches up and gently wipes the tears on his face all the way dry. "We'll find her," she tells him firmly.

Tears begin to well in his eyes again as he nods. They hold hands as they trudge through the sand. Dave calls out for JJ every few minutes. They pass a few people on the beach and ask about JJ. A couple of people state that they saw her run past, but they weren't able to stop her. About a mile down the sand, Dave stops.

"I think our best option at this point is to go back to the RV," he says with a sniffle. "Maybe we can make and print some flyers that we can post as well."

"That's a good idea," Penelope agrees. "I can see if there is a local online community as well that I can post her picture to."

As soon as they arrive at the RV, Penelope digs out her laptop and sits at the table.

"You should change into some dry clothes," she suggests.

"Yeah," Dave replies quietly. He goes into the sleeping area and closes the door. A few minutes later, he returns in fresh clothes wearing a pair of loafers instead of his traditional boots.

"I don't want to take the cats out," he tells her as he walks past to where the cats are laying.

"I understand," Penelope says quietly.

She watches as Dave pets each of the cats, pressing a kiss to their foreheads. She smiles and watches through tears as each cat responds to him. Emily rubs her face against his, Penelope lets out a chirp and begins to purr loudly and BG gives Dave a headbutt and licks his chin. All three cats purr in a discombobulated symphony.

When Dave turns around, she sees that he is crying again. She reaches out and takes his hand pulling him down next to her on the bench seat.

"Oh honey," she says softly.

He sniffles and gives her a watery smile. "I bet you had no idea I was such marshmallow."

She smiles tenderly. "I like marshmallows. They're sweet and squishy."

He lets out a small laugh and shakes his head. "When Krystall left, it made me realize how truly alone I was. I had never felt like that before."

"Never?"

He looks at her and she sees the broken soul inside his eyes once again. "I'd been alone before, sure, but I guess what I am saying is that I now knew what I lost and never had before I returned to the BAU."

He sees her frown. He continues quickly. "Prior to my return at the BAU, I had my family and my wives but… I never really understood… I love my family and I loved my wives and some friends, but I never really needed them or thought about them when we were apart. After I returned to the BAU that all changed. You and JJ, Emily, Reid, Morgan and Hotch, as well as a few others that joined us, became my family."

Penelope sits quietly letting him talk without interruption. "My feelings for all of you were different, stronger than I had ever felt before. Of course, my feelings for you now are much, much different."

"I should hope so," she smiles.

"JJ…" he begins as he looks up at the cats who are watching him back. "And the cats have become a surrogate for all of you. I just…"

She squeezes his hand. "We're going to get her back. AND, you have the real JJ waiting back in DC. We're still your family."

"I know," he nods. He leans over and kisses her. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Half an hour later, Dave sits next to Penelope at the small kitchen table. He rubs his left wrist as she puts together a poster on her laptop.

"What's the matter with your wrist," she asks without looking at him.

"Nothing," he replies.

She turns and gives him a look.

He looks down at his wrist which is slightly red. "I think it got scraped when the leash was yanked off my arm. Nothing serious."

"You keep rubbing it, does it hurt or itch?"

"A little of both,"

"There's a medicated cream in the bathroom cupboard that will help with both of those issues," she tells him.

"It's fine."

She stares at him until he sighs. He gets up and heads to the bathroom. He returns a few moments later as his cell phone rings. It's a number he doesn't recognize.

He answers cautiously. "Hello?"

"Um, hi," a male voice says over the line. "Do you own a golden lab?"

"JJ," Dave says breathlessly. "Yes. She got scared by the ocean and ran off."

The man on the phone chuckles. "My son found her a few minutes ago in our backyard."

"Is she okay?"

Dave looks down to see Penelope staring at him wide-eyed.

"She's wet and covered in sand," the man says. "But she seems to be okay."

Dave lets out a breath. "Thank you. Where can I pick her up?"

"Are you familiar with the area," the man asks.

"Not completely but I have a really good navigator," Dave replies.

"Where are you coming from? I can give you directions."

Dave tells the man where they are staying. He lets out a whistle.

"Damn, that's a good seven or eight miles from here. Tell ya what, I'll bring her to you," the man offers. "I need to head into work anyways."

"I don't want to put you out any more than you already are," Dave protests.

"No worries," the man laughs. "We'll be there soon."

"Thank you. We're in section C, lot 23. You can call me when you get here, and I can meet you at the gate if you like."

"C-23. I got it," the man replies before hanging up.

Dave looks at Penelope. "She's wet and sandy. And apparently about eight miles from here."

"Eight miles! Poor thing, must have been scared to death."

Dave shrugs. "He's bringing her to us."

"Aww, that's sweet."

Dave pulls out his wallet and begins to look through it. "This guy definitely deserves a little something for his troubles."

XXXXXXXXXXX

A car door slams, drawing Dave's attention out the front window. He frowns as he spots a Sheriff's patrol car.

"Is that him," Penelope asks.

Dave shrugs. "Only one way to find out."

He gets up and heads out the door, Penelope follows behind him. The Deputy opens the rear door of the patrol car. It's then that Dave notices he is a K9 officer.

"Good afternoon," Dave calls out in a friendly tone.

The deputy looks up and smiles. "I believe I have something that belongs to you." He walks around the back of the vehicle with a soggy and sandy golden lab.

"JJ," Dave sighs.

The young dog lowers her head and shakes her tail so hard that her whole body wiggles.

"You're a mess," Dave says half-scolding.

"That's the reason she was riding in the back," the deputy laughs as he hands over the leash.

"Thank you so much," Dave says earnestly. "I'll pay to have the car cleaned."

The deputy smiles and shakes his head. "No worries. These things are made to be rinsed out with a hose. Riley there has made bigger messes."

Dave looks at the dark German shepherd sitting in the front passenger seat.

"Can I at least give you something for your troubles," Dave asks.

"I can't accept anything."

"I figured as much," Dave nods. "I was in the FBI, I know the drill."

The deputy perks up. "Oh really? Have we met?"

They give each other a good look.

"It's possible," Dave says. He holds out his right hand. "David Rossi, formerly of the Behavioral Analysis Unit."

"Ken Peters," the deputy replies as they shake hands.

Dave turns to include Penelope. "This is my girlfriend, Penelope Garcia. She's a technical analyst for the FBI."

The deputy smiles. "A pleasure to meet you ma'am. Smart and beautiful, huh? How'd you get so lucky?"

Dave chuckles. "I keep asking that myself."

Penelope puts her arms around his waist. "I'm the lucky one."

"Well, I hope this hasn't ruined your vacation," Deputy Peters states. "I'm going to hit the road."

"Thank you again," Dave says sincerely. "Not just for bringing JJ home but for what you do on the job every day. Be careful out there."

Peters nods. "I will. Have a good night."

They watch as he gets in his car and puts his K9 partner in the back before driving off. Dave and Penelope wave as the patrol car pulls out of the park.

"Well, I guess we better figure out how to get this one cleaned up and dried off before it gets late," Penelope announces as she looks at the dog.

Dave takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I know we agreed to take our time and enjoy ourselves, but would you mind if we left for Jacksonville tonight?"

She raises an eyebrow in question.

"I want to get my work out of the way, so we can relax and enjoy this time together," he explains. "Other than JJ running off, it's been a great day."

"Well, since you put it that way, how can I say no?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Dave took JJ to a nearby faucet and began to give her a bath. Penelope dug out a few towels and the shampoo they had purchased the day before, taking all of it to Dave.

"I'm going to fix us some food so we can eat before we hit the road," she tells him.

"You want to find us a place to stay once we get there?"

"Already working on that," she smiles. She looks at JJ. "Don't let her get too cold."

"I'll be quick," he smiles in return.

In less than an hour, JJ was bathed, dried and brushed. Dave and Penelope ate and so did the kids. Dave unhooked the RV from the power and water, doing in reverse everything Bob had showed him the night before. Soon, they were packed up and on the road again.

They stopped to stretch their legs and fuel the RV a few hours into the trip.

"At this rate, we'll be in Jacksonville before dark," Dave tells her as they head out on the road again.

"Good," she replies as she slips out of her shoes and puts her feet up on the dashboard. She sees Dave looking at her feet, so she wiggles her toes. "See anything you like?"

He grins and looks her in the eyes. "Always."

By the time they reach the Florida state border, Penelope has three cats sprawled across her legs and torso. JJ lays on the floor between the two seats snoring loudly.

"I think that run wore her out," Penelope laughs.

"I just hope she sleeps through the night," Dave grumbles. "How far to the RV park?"

"About an hour," she surmises.

He glances at her then back out the window. "We're about 30 minutes from downtown Jacksonville, where are we staying?"

"I got us into another park at the beach. Is that okay?"

He laughs. "As long as JJ doesn't mind."

"Where do you have to go for your research?"

"The main office in downtown," he replies.

She cringes. "I'm sorry. That's like thirty minutes away. I can see if I can find a place closer."

"Don't worry about it," he tells her. "I can take a taxi or something and you can enjoy the sea breeze."

"Are you sure?"

He winks at her. "I'm positive."

The time goes by quickly and soon they are pulling into their new home for the night. Dave backs the RV into their designated space and quickly gets everything hooked up. He and Penelope take JJ for a quick walk on the beach as the sun began to set behind them.

"Not too close to the water this time," Penelope warns.

"Definitely not," Dave agrees.

They head back to the RV for dinner and a few rounds of cards before calling it a night and heading to bed. Penelope takes a few extra minutes in the bathroom washing her face and brushing her hair and teeth before joining Dave in bed where he is already sound asleep.

"Somebody else had enough fresh air and exercise today as well," she murmurs to herself.

She crawls under the covers after turning off the lights and snuggles close to him. Soon, she is asleep as well.

XXXXXXXXX

Dave wakes early and makes a pot of coffee before taking JJ out for a quick walk. He feeds the dog and the cats then cleans out the litter pan. At least at home, the cats went outside in the back yard – no mess, no smell. He takes the trash out to the nearby dumpster. Coming back in, he washes his hands and pours a cup of coffee as Penelope joins him.

"You're up early," she says sleepily.

"I want to get a good start on my research. If I'm lucky, I'll get it all done today and we can enjoy the rest of our time together."

She wraps her arms around him and hugs him tight. "I can hardly wait. I miss you already."

"You going to be okay by yourself for a few hours," he asks.

"Yeah," she smiles. "I'm good now. You and Derek put my mind at ease."

"Good. Just remember, no one knows where we are," he reminds her. "You can just hang out in here with the kids if you want to."

"That's a strong possibility. I might go back to bed for a bit."

He nods and kisses her. "Maybe I should join you."

She laughs. "Go! Do your research and hurry back to me."

About ten minutes later, a car pulls up outside and honks its horn.

"There's my cab," Dave announces. He gives Penelope one last kiss, puts his coffee mug in the sink, grabs his satchel and heads out the door.

Penelope watches through the front window as he climbs into the back of the cab. He waves at the RV then closes the door. The cab pulls away.

Penelope looks at JJ. "I think it's naptime. Wanna come lay down with me?"

The dog looks at her and wags her tail smacking it loudly against the floor.

XXXXXXXXX

Dave closes the file folder and moves it to the large pile on the end of the table. He grabs an empty box from the floor and moves the pile of folders into the box. He puts the lid on it and moves the box to a pile of other boxes sitting on floor by the door. He takes a moment to stretch before crossing back to the far side of the room where two more boxes sit waiting.

He picks the top box up and puts it on the table, then sits back down. He flips the top paper of his notebook and begins writing down the information from the top of the box. His phone, sitting on the table begins to ring.

He picks it up and answers after the first ring. "Hey Emily, what's going on?"

"Dave. Where are you?" Emily asks briskly.

"Jacksonville," he answers vaguely.

"No, where are you and Penelope specifically," she asks. The seriousness of her voice makes Dave suspicious.

"I'm at the Jacksonville Police records department," he answers.

"And Penelope is with you?"

"No," he drawls. "She's at the RV park with the dog and cats. What's going on?"

"You stay there," Emily orders. "What's the address for the RV park? I'm sending agents in the area to get Penelope."

"I'm not liking the sound of this Emily. What the hell is going on?!"

"Both your house and Penelope's were blown up last night."

End Chapter 8