Hi! I recently just got back into Criminal Minds. I'd stopped watching somewhere in season 10, and I've watched the last five seasons after work over the last couple months. I LOVE Morgan and Garcia's friendship, but the Luke/Penelope relationship became my favourite of the entire show. This sort of just came to me lying in bed the other night. I'm not sure how consistent I'll be with updates because my work is really busy right now but I'll do my best!

Luke Alvez took a long pull from his water bottle as the treadmill slowed to a halt. He was the only one in the basement gym at work since Matt had bailed on him to watch the kids so Kristy could get some much-needed sleep. A light in the corner flickered gloomily as Luke made his way over to the squat rack.

Roxy had whimpered when she watched him lace up his running shoes but not reach for her collar on his way out. Normally, Luke would be running outside with her, but four inches of snow had shown up overnight and he knew his usual trails would be impossible to navigate.

The rest of the team was making the most of their rare weekend off, but Luke found himself too restless to stay at home. He had always been an early riser, since his Army days, so after spending the early hours of the morning finishing up odd jobs around the house and channel surfing, he'd grabbed his keys, looking to stave off some of his energy.

He knew JJ and Will were taking the boys ice skating, Rossi had flown out to see his daughter in LA, Prentiss had gone to Denver to see Andrew, Tara and Reid had signed up for some psychoanalysis conference that he knew Reid would be more than willing to fill him in on on Monday, and Garcia… well he had no idea what Garcia was doing, actually. She hadn't been in the office when the team had come back late last night, which was unlike her because she usually greeted them at the elevator regardless of what time it was. He'd overheard JJ say that her brother had called, so he figured maybe she'd gone out to see him again.

Hurry… please.

Luke secured another plate onto the squat rack before getting back into position. His body screamed in protest but he turned his attention to the burning in his legs, using it to tune everything else out.

45 minutes later, he hauled himself into the elevator, exhausted. He knew he would regret that extra set tomorrow.

He hadn't even realized he'd hit the button for floor 7 until he stepped out into the hallway leading to the BAU instead of the lobby. Course of habit, he shrugged to himself and made his way further onto the floor. The bull pin was completely empty, Rossi and Prentiss's offices dark, but Luke made his way to his desk anyways.

I hear something. I think its him.

The case file was still sitting on his desk where he'd left it last night. Prentiss had told him to take the weekend off, to finish filing his report on Monday, and he'd gladly obliged, needing to be as far away from there as possible.

Luke opened it despite himself. Teresa Thang's bright brown eyes looked up at him, along with the photos of four other girls. The smile was huge on her face, her cheeks glowing with health. He tried not to picture what she'd looked like when they found her.

Please Luke!

He closed the file again, putting his head in his hands, trying to massage away the tension headache that was forming.

She was a senior in college. Pre-Med, top of her class, due to start at Columbia in the fall. Her whole life ahead of her. Until yesterday.

"Luke?" He was startled out of his thoughts to see Penelope standing behind him. "Are you okay?"

Penelope typed furiously at her keyboard. She'd spent most of the morning pacing around her apartment waiting for Carlos to call her back, until the nerves finally got to her. Even Sergio, ever the cool cat, had been irritated by her constant fussing. Finally, she'd grabbed her bag and called a cab to work, seeing as her car was out of commission with the slightest dusting of snow. She had a bunch of paperwork to catch up on, and it was better than sitting at home with all her nervous energy.

She had been working for about an hour when she heard some movement outside. She thought it was a bit early for Paula, the weekend cleaner, to be working but Penelope hadn't seen her in months so she excitedly made her way out to greet her.

Who she saw instead made her stop in her tracks. Luke was sitting at his desk, looking completely defeated. Penelope's heart broke for him. The team was like her family, and the last thing she wanted to see was one of them hurting. She noticed the case file on his desk.

Their last case had been brutal. They'd caught the UnSub, a twisted man who was targeting college girls under the ruse of needing a tutor and keeping them in a different storage locker each time. It was a sick game to him, letting them think they had a chance of escaping by leaving a phone with them, before cutting their fingers off and choking them with their own thumb as soon as they got off the call.

His last victim had called the police, just like the ones before her, but this time Penelope had rerouted the call to Luke, since him and Matt were closest to the general location, and they hoped she could help them find it sooner. Luke had stayed on the phone with her until almost the very end while Matt drove them to the scene. They managed to catch the UnSub, but it had been too late for Teresa Thang.

Luke shot up when he heard her voice, clearing his throat. "I'm fine… But what about you, Garcia, glued to your desk again? Ever heard of a day off?" he curved his mouth into that lopsided smirk that always made her blood boil.

There had been a time when she couldn't stand to be in the same room as Luke Alvez. Although, admittedly that had a lot to do with the fact that he had replaced Derek Morgan, her best friend and work husband, but that stupid annoying smirk of his didn't help his case either.

Still, she had to admit that he'd grown on her over time - although he would always be Newbie to her. Most of the time she could tolerate him and his annoying smile, and she couldn't help but notice that it seemed…forced today.

"Umm, excuse me Newbie, but from where I'm standing, you're also here." She crossed her arms defiantly, raising an eyebrow, causing his fake smile to be replaced with a more genuine one.

"I just came to use the gym," he shrugged, and not for the first time Penelope looked at his tight gym tee that still had traces of sweat and the pair of sweatpants that sat just right on his hips. She shook the thought out of her head. Why was she checking out what Luke was wearing? Regardless of how good he looked in it.

No. Not good. He didn't look good. He was just Alvez. Newbie. That wasn't what she meant.

"And here I thought you just always dressed like a scrub when you weren't working" she shrugged nonchalantly.

Luke laughed, "We can't all look like a thousand bucks all the time, Garcia." He had meant to say something cheeky, but those words slipped out instead. And he meant it. Her outfits were always quirky and cute, just like her. He couldn't help but notice how the dress she was wearing now clung to her curves.

"I'm going to choose to ignore whatever you meant by that and take it as a compliment," she said, turning away from him, "I know for a fact Reid keeps those chocolate covered almonds that I love in his desk," she walked over to the Reid's desk and rifled through the top drawer, where he kept his stationary and snacks, "I know he doesn't mind me taking them, I'll just replace them on Monday."

Penelope didn't really care about the almonds at the moment, but she continued focusing on them, her back to him so Luke wouldn't notice the colour that had creeped up in her cheeks at his words.

She tore open the bag and tossed him one, which he caught and popped in his mouth. They sat in silence for a few moments as she watched his eyes lose focus while he stared at his stapler. She asked again, "Luke, are you okay?"

"I'm fine…" he started to say again, before he made eye contact with her and lost his resolve. Something about the way she was looking at him with so much concern in her eyes made him want to tell her, more than anyone else, what was on his mind.

She waited patiently for when he was ready.

"I can… I can hear her voice in my head. I keep replaying it, her talking with me on the phone."

"Oh, Luke. What happened wasn't your fault. You have to know that."

"I know. But every time I stop and have to be alone with my thoughts, I hear her…pleading for us to save her, for me to…" he broke off.

Penelope's chest tightened at his words. This was a different side to the man who usually acted so tough, like nothing ever bothered him.

"So then don't be alone." She got up, reaching out a hand to him, "I happen to have big plans to binge watch The Office this weekend, but I guess you can come. We'll go get Roxy and some clothes for you that don't stink" she pointedly looked down at his outfit again, "And I've been told that I can be a great distraction. Apparently I'm known to talk anyone's ear off when needed."

It took him a moment, but he reached out and took her hand, that same smirk appearing on his lips "Oh trust me, I know"

She shoved him on the shoulder before leading the way to the elevators.

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