A/N: I'm sorry it has been so long since I last updated. It's a combination of lack of time and inspiration for this story but I will do my best to keep the updates coming.
As always, I do not own any of the content or characters of CM.
"Oh my goodness, look at that beautiful baby." Those are Penelope's first words as she exits the terminal at Denver International Airport.
"Say hello to Aunt Penelope." I say, raising Stella's little hand and waving it for her as Penelope approaches. Within seconds, Stella and I are wrapped in a tight hug.
"Will you come see me, sweet girl?" Penelope asks Stella as we part. Stella coos, leaning out of my grasp without hesitation and into Penelope's open arms. "Oh my darling, you've gotten so big."
"It's good to have you here. Come on, baggage claim is this way." I say, leading towards the escalators. When we find the correct carousel, Penelope points out two multicolored suitcases as they appear from behind the flaps. The suitcases are surprisingly tame in color for Garcia, a simple orange fading into purple and then blue, but the size of them… they are huge! Seeing as Penelope is holding Stella, I move to retrieve the suitcases from the belt. "Geez, what on earth did you pack?" I ask, chuckling. Surely the suitcases were over the 50lb limit.
"It's Christmas!" Penelope exclaims. "Stella needs gifts, as do Keely and Hank and little baby Morgan. How is Jace by the way? Have you met him yet? Derek needs to send more pictures. Does he send you pictures? He…"
All I can do is smile as Penelope rambles on and even Stella looks at the woman holding her with big eyes. Jace Everett Morgan had been born three weeks earlier, right on time and perfectly healthy. Derek and Savannah's families had visited the week he was born but Penelope decided to visit over Christmas. She would stay with Andrew and I, though surely we would spend plenty of time at the Morgan house this upcoming week visiting with the new baby.
"Alright, this is us." I inform as I hit the unlock button and pop the trunk on my Toyota Highlander.
"And here I thought you'd be a minivan mom by now." Garcia smirked as she looked at the vehicle.
"This is mom car enough, believe me." I replied, unable to help the smile on my face. As soon as her bags were loaded in the trunk, we were on our way back to the house, Penelope opting to sit next to Stella for the drive.
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"Aww, look at those sweet little cheeks and those fingers, oh and his toes, oh my gosh he's just so tiny!" Penelope squeaked, continuing to comment on every little part of Jace as she held him in for the first time.
Savannah and I smiled at each other as we watch from across the room. "How are you feeling?" I asked.
"Honestly, pretty good. Recovery has been a breeze this time compared to the c-section I had with Hank. And Jace is such an easy-going little guy, the total opposite of how Hank was as a baby."
As if he heard his name, Hank trudged down the stairs, his eyes still sleepy from nap. "Hey my big boy. Did you have a good nap?" Savannah asked as he crawled into her lap. Hank nodded against her chest and then, finally seeming to recognize I was sitting next to them on the couch, sat up and said, "Auntie Em."
"Hi sweetheart." I smiled.
"Stella here?" He asked.
"No, Stella and Keely are both at home with Uncle Andrew. You'll get to see them later tonight, at dinner."
His eyes lit up and he beamed, looking to his mother. "For Christmas?"
"For Christmas Eve," Savannah corrected. "We still have one more sleep until Christmas, remember." She said pointing to their advent calendar across the room.
"Oh, ok." He said, leaning back against Savannah's chest. He was silent for another moment before his eyes widened in horror and he asked. "Is Jace going to get any presents? He didn't get to write a letter to Santa."
Savannah and I looked to each other and then Penelope and smirked. "Don't worry buddy, I'm sure he'll still get plenty of presents."
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That evening, after we all had feasted on far too much delicious food, Penelope handed out her gifts for the kids. Hank was thrilled, eagerly ripping open box after box of new toys and clothes. Stella was, quite frankly, more impressed with the bows and ribbons than her gifts but had fun nonetheless. Savannah simply gawked as she opened easily a dozen new outfits for Jace, Derek reminding her that was a typical gesture for Penelope Garcia. And Keely, who was surprised to be included in the gift giving, tackled Penelope in a hug after opening a set of new camera lenses that would suit her perfectly for her new hobby and unofficial role as a sports photographer for the school.
Derek and Savannah left with the kids soon after, needing to get them (mostly Hank) home to ensure they fell asleep in time for Santa to come. I looked forward to the years where Andrew and I would get to entertain the idea of Santa with Stella but for now she was too young and Keely had outgrown the notion years ago, though she played along well for the younger kids.
Christmas morning was cozy and relaxing. Much to Penelope's dismay, Keely slept in until she was finally awoken for brunch at 10am. We indulged in monkey bread and eggnog before tackling stockings and exchanging presents, Andrew laughing as Penelope's excitement far outweighed the rest of us combined.
That night, after everyone else was in bed, Penelope and I sat together on the couch sipping mulled wine. "It's good to have you here." I commented, situating a blanket on my lap.
"It's fun and a good distraction." She smiled.
"Distraction?"
Penelope sighed. "Luke's parents invited us both up for the holidays."
"Oh, you didn't want to go?" I ask, trying to remain impartial. It was always clear that there was an attraction between Garcia and Alvez, but I had to admit they didn't seem to fit as a couple.
"I just, don't think we're there yet." She smiled sadly. "Luke never said anything directly but I could tell he was nervous about me meeting his parents, like I needed to tone myself down beforehand. He's a good guy and I know he likes me but he doesn't appreciate my antics the same way Kevin did, or even Derek, not that we dated. Maybe I do need to tone things down a little, I mean, I'm almost 40."
"Hey, look at me." I said, reaching for her free hand and waiting until she met my eyes to continue. "You, Penelope Garcia, are a bright light in this world. Yes, you're flamboyant and maybe a little unorthodox but you have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known and I would never ever want you to change who you are, not even a little."
"Thank you." She smiled, leaning in for a hug. Pulling apart, she shook her head and wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks. "Ok, no more of that. It's Christmas and have I three more days to soak up my time with you and Derek and your beautiful families. So tell me, how are you and Andrew going to celebrate your one year anniversary?" She asked, eyebrows waggling in anticipation. I laughed, happy to indulge Garcia in talks about the weekend getaway I'd been planning if it brightened her mood.
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All too soon I was driving Penelope back to the airport but it was with a renewed promise to visit DC soon and plenty to look forward to in Denver in the meantime.