Penelope sat up with a start, both of her phones ringing at once. Pulling her personal device out of her shirt, she saw that Erin was on that line, while Aaron was calling her work phone. After a moment's hesitation, she answered Erin first, hoping that Aaron would understand. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"I got into a fight with Alan," she replied, a definite slur to her words that told Penelope she was already drunk. Frowning a little, she texted Aaron to let him know that she was on another, important, call at the moment and would get back to him as soon as she was finished. "Penny, I hate to ask this of you, since I know that the team is coming home, but I need you tonight. I've had more than enough to drink, but I know that if I don't reach out to someone, I'm going to keep drinking, and…"

"And I will be there for you. I just have to touch base with Aaron before I can head for your house. Please, start making us a pot of the strongest coffee that you have, and I will be there as soon as I can be. I promise you."

She knew that it was a bit presumptuous to make that a promise, since for all she knew, Aaron needed her, too. But this was more important, she could feel it in her marrow. "I will try to get that started, darling. I just don't know how steady my hands will be."

Penelope didn't comment on the fact that Erin had used a term of endearment for her, since she probably had loose lips due to the alcohol, and she gave a little nod as she saw that Aaron had texted her back. "Just try and focus on that. I'll be back with you soon." Ending the call, she unlocked the other device and hurriedly called Aaron back. "Hello, honey. You're on your way home?"

"I am, and Jessica said that you weren't home yet."

"She's right, I'm still in the office, I was just getting ready to leave when I received an important call. I, I won't be able to join you and Jack until tomorrow, I'm sorry. Something important came up with…"

"Let me guess. Erin called, and you jumped when she said to."

Penelope frowned at the angry tone in his voice, wanting to take him down a peg or two. "Actually, if you must know, it was a call from a member of my grief support group, and they are having an extremely rough night, as it's the first year after their husband's suicide. She was the one who found the body, and she's not processing things well. So I'll thank you to be kind and know that I will be with you and Jack tomorrow. End of."

"Penny…"

"No. You need to think about how you reacted tonight, as it hurt me. And I know that you're hurting because of the unsub's targets and what he did to those little boys, and you're thinking about what you would do if that had been Jack, and then thinking about the fact that it was only a year ago that he was in WitSec with Haley, and how everything still went to hell. You can't blame yourself for what happened, and you can't assume that everything bad will end up happening to him. I'm sorry that I can't be there for you tonight, but she needs me, too. Cuddle Jack close tonight, and we'll do something together tomorrow. I promise."

"You make a lot of promises, Penelope."

"And I always keep them. You should know that by now. I have to get going, before it gets any later, and she does something rash. I love you, even if you're making it rather difficult right now." Penelope ended the call with a vicious stab of her finger before tossing the work phone into her purse and then rising to her feet and heading out into the bullpen. Anderson was also just leaving, and she gave him a tense smile as she passed him by, hoping that he would understand that she didn't have time to talk. He gave her a small nod as they both stepped into the elevator at the same time.

"Rough night."

It wasn't a question, and she easily nodded in return. "And about to get rougher. I just had a fight with Aaron."

"Well, at least you can go home to Agent Hotchner and have him lick your wounds."

She snorted as she shook her head. "Wrong Aaron. He's mad that I'm not coming home to his tonight, but a friend needs me more."

"More than your partner?" She nodded. "It must really be serious then."

"It is, and he doesn't understand that he has Jack to hold on to tonight, and we'll be together tomorrow. I just don't…I need to keep my friendships close to me as well. I won't subsume myself to be his. And I thought that he understood that, but it's looking more and more like something that will become a major stumbling block between us. I love him, Grant, and I know that he loves me, but do you ever feel that maybe love isn't enough? That we all reach a point where the road beneath us runs out and the switch to gravel knocks everything apart?"

He turned to look at her, a sympathetic expression on his face as he reached out to curl his hand around her shoulder. "I'm glad that we're both here late tonight, because this gives us the opportunity to really talk. I see a lot more of what happens in the bullpen than most people think, because I'm quiet and unassuming. I blend in to the background so well that people say things around me that they might not normally. And I can say this honestly. You have two people who are falling in love with you."

"No."

"Yes. She looks at you as if you were the last good thing that might ever happen in her life, and she doesn't know how to make you stay. She throws heartbroken glances up at Agent Hotchner's office when she thinks no one is watching, and then slips her Ice Queen façade back on her face so fast I have to wonder if I really saw what I just saw. The friendship that you two share is special, I've watched her defenses slowly crumble around you, but she is still so closed off. And then you have Agent Hotchner who thinks that the sun and moon exist in your eyes. He loves you so desperately, as if you're the only thing making life worth holding on to."

"You're not supposed to profile your bosses," she whispered, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Grant might be correct in his assessment of the situation. "But it could just be a friendship love that Erin has for me. After all, I've been helping her with her children, and just being the friendly face that she needs right now."

His hand tightened on the ball of her shoulder as he shook his head. "I adore you, Garcia, but you are just trying to give yourself an out for this truth. You have two very different people who love you in a less than platonic way, and you'll need to make your decision between them at some point. You can't have your cake and eat it, too, in this case. Agent Hotchner despises her, and the feeling is most likely mutual. This won't end well for one of them, and you will get hurt."

Penelope took a deep breath as she looked down at the floor of the elevator. "I hate that you may be right. But I'm not going to mention the fact that you think Erin's falling in love with me to her, because she needs to heal from whatever demon is eating at her heart. I don't love her like that, and I refuse to cause her more pain by humiliating her with a truth that might not be true."

"I understand, Penelope. Just know that you're not alone in liking her as a person, even if she gets upset with me more often than not. So I'll make certain to ease things between you and the others, if things start to change. Remember, as I've told Agent Jareau, I am more than just a pretty face."

"You're a good friend and ally," she replied softly as she looked up into his smiling face. "Just, look out for her when I can't, be my eyes and ears. There are things that I can't talk about, that are affecting her, but I need an ally in the office who can help me take care."

"I understand, you don't have to say more. Enjoy your evening with her, Penelope, and I'll do damage control if that's necessary."

Penelope gave him a small smile as they stepped out of the elevator and headed for the carpark. He had given her a lot to think about, even though she wasn't ready to admit that he was correct in his assessment of how Erin felt about her. She had to focus on getting her friend healthy so that she could get custody of her children while focusing on her relationship with Aaron.