She settled on her couch with his arms wrapped around her holding her close. Having come back from dinner all they wanted was to relax and just enjoy being together.
Sam looks down into the Penelope's eyes. "We haven't really planned anything for our vacation, did you want to do anything special?"
"I thought we would play it by ear, did you want to do something special?"
"I thought we could go see Niagara Falls, I've always wanted to see it and I read that they are going to shut them off on the American side do some work on them."
"Buffalo, New York ?"
"Yes, We could even got to Canada for a day if you want, I thought we could go sight seeing too. If you don't want to we can do something else."
"I've never been to Buffalo, Sam I'd like to go. Do you want to fly or take the train?"
"Fly, if we can get affordable seats."
She smiles coyly at him. "Never mind forget I asked."
"So ten days and an affordable hotel. Go home and pack then come back" She tells him as she reaches for her laptop.
Just after noon Tony walks into the BAU, not seeing anyone that he knows he makes his way over to where the coffee pot is. Knowing just how much coffee team A drinks its a sure bet that's where he'll find them.
"So nice to see my taxes dollars so hard at work." He says with a chuckle making the agents turn and look at him.
"Tony, what brings you to the enemy as Gibbs likes to say?" Emily asks.
"Lunch, I was wondering if any of you were free? My class was pushed back something about a hostage training exercise."
"I'll go with you, I 'm hungry."
"I'm in." Spencer says with a smile.
Tara turns and looks at Spencer. "When aren't you hungry, Spencer?"
"Me too, I'll go." JJ and Emily chorus.
"What about Penelope should we ask her?" Tony asks.
"She's not here she is on vacation with Sam, they left yesterday." Hotch informs him.
Rossi pours the last of the pot into his cup. "You kids go Hotch and I have a meeting to go to."
She looked beautiful with her wet hair and skin from the water spray from the boat tour. The yellow rain poncho did very little to keep her face dry. He smiled as she pulled the hood down once they were on back on top by the guardrails.
"Penelope." Sam says softly.
Turning her attention away from the falls she can't help but smile as she looks at him. "What is it Sam?"
"I love you, very much. I, Penelope will you marry me, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Yes, Yes Sam I will marry you, I love you too, very much." she replies then leans in for a kiss. "But . ."
"But what Penelope?"
"Your mother Sam she hates me, she doesn't think I'm good enough for you. She told me that it would be a cold day in Hell before she would let you marry me."
He slips the ring on her finger , smiling he holds her hand tightly in his. " You let me deal with my mother. So let's get married , here now, in Buffalo."
"We can't as much as I would love too. We need birth certificates, ID's, passports. I don't exactly know what we do need."
"But I do. I have everything we need."
She arches an eyebrow. "Sure of yourself weren't you?"
"I believe in always being prepared, so how about it want to get married today?"
"Yes. Always yes!" She says then smiles as he leans into her for a kiss.
The decided to come back a few days early, in order to move everything into Sam's apartment. It was bigger and nicer than the one Penelope had. Besides Penelope's rent was month to month, she didn't have a lease, all she had to give was one month notice to leave. They packed up the things she was going to take which wasn't much , her clothes and jewelry the good and valuable pieces, and the chunky she wore to work, a few trinkets and her computers. Her eight mm projector and the films of her parents. Her bed and the living room furniture were not needed so off they went to the community center to be used as needed. Along with all of her kitchen things except for her favorite mug and travel mug for her coffee. It was time she let go off the past, a fresh start with Sam they could get what ever they needed together. All that was left to do was a good cleaning and repainting of the walls.
Walking back into the office on Monday morning she finds that her team is out on in field they left on Saturday afternoon and were still trying to work the profile to get the unsub. They were having a hard time finding the link. The victims died by different means one was found choked to death being forced fed cheap fast food, one by a hose down their throat stuffing them with grain, another one was found trussed up like a chicken ready to be roasted. The list went on four more victims all by some sort of cooking process.
She wasted as little time as possible reading the file and seeing just what the tech had down and what was still needed. She reran everything that the temp tech had just in case something was missed.
They she ran all of the victims through her system. That's when she hit pay dirt.
All of the victims had given bad anonymous reviews to a restaurant, a small out of the way place that promised fresh food and wine. Four star dinning and three star prices.
Besides the restaurant reviews they were all foodies, being on the same mailing lists of magazines. Gourmets food boxes that you make at home with recipes from four.., star chefs.
She didn't call the team she just send the information to their tablets bombarding them with everything that she found.
They she counted she got to five before her desk phone started to ring.
"Technical analyst Garcia, how may I help you?"
"Kitten, thanks. And we're so glad you're back."
They were back in the office in twelve hours. But she was gone, having left to help Sam to paint and clean her old apartment.
She smiled as she walked into the conference room the next morning seeing her team and family.
"Did you have a nice vacation Penelope?" JJ asks as they settle down for the briefing.
"I did JJ, Sam and I had a great time."
Putting his cup down Reid looks at her. "Where did you go?"
"New York, we went sightseeing."
"Garcia?" Hotch asks trying to get the meeting back to the business at hand.
"Nothing pressing sir, for right now at least. Over the phone consults and paperwork."
Tara passes her the tea bags. "New ring? I haven't seen that one before?"
"Yeah, I mentioned to Sam that I was looking at some Mexican fire opals earrings he bought the matching set for my Birthday they were waiting for us when we got back."
"It suits you, all that color." JJ tells her as she looks closer at the ring.
"I don't know about that, it is pretty though. I wonder if I mentioned that I liked emeralds around Christmas if I would get new earring as well."
"That Kitten, is sneaky." Rossi says as he grabs the coffee pot.
"Just think he wouldn't have to guess what I want." She smiles then leaves the profilers in her wake.
"She seems happy. Happier than she has been in a long time." Reid observes.
"Sam is good for her, he understands the hours, the job, just how important we are to her. I like him." JJ counters.
"You have anything to add Hotch, about our Kitten?"
"Her personal life is her own, unless it is interfering with her work, just like all of you. Now do I have to find work for all of you?"
They get the hint leaving as Hotch pours a cup of coffee He turns a slight smile on his face. "You know something." Rossi challenges as he looks at his former student.
"I know lots of things."
"Are you going to share? Is it a good thing or bad?"
"Get to work Dave. I want to get out of here on time today."
Yes sir." He replies with a laugh.
"Don't be an ass Rossi or I'll give you cold cases." Hotch responds all the while both men realize it is an empty threat.
Penelope knocks on the open door waiting for Hotch to lift his to see her. "Come in and close the door will you, please."
She closes the door then moves closer to his desk. She knows that something is up he hardly ever asks her to close the door. " I have those reports and files you asked for sir."
"Thank you, and congratulation Penelope, to you both."
She laughs slightly then tilts her head in question. "Human resources, you updated your personal information they let me know."
"I didn't think they would let you know that fast."
"Why didn't you tell us. We could have a party to celebrate."
"Well, call it an experiment of sorts. You're all hot shot profiles, I just wanted to see how long it would take for you to guess that I was keeping something from you. It's really hard to have a so called 'personal life' with all of you around. Anyway it was a surprise to me too, Sam asked me spur of the moment, he even had all the paperwork in his bag just in case I said yes. So who do you think will guess first?"
They smile, at the same time say. "Reid."
Five months and not a word from anyone of the profilers, well they had been exceptionally busy. It was one case after another, it seemed like they had just come back from one case before they were off on another.
They were given the weekend off including Monday, it was a well earned rest, all of them were trying to finish the paperwork for the last case before any calls came in for emergency consults or worse their weekend went poof because off an unsub.
It was JJ who looked up and gasped when Penelope came in to the bullpen. "Got a hot date?"
Emily smiles as he looks at her friend. Out of all of her friends Penelope is the only woman she knows that can pull of a conservative black dress and make it look beautiful with just the right jewelry and bright pink silk shawl.
"Did you hint to Sam you wanted a necklace to match your ring and earrings, too?" Tara asks as she steps in front of Penelope then straightens the necklace.
"It was a birthday gift from Henry and Jack. So how do I look." She asks then spins so her friend can see her.
"Beautiful, if you ever decide to dump Sam, I'd love to take you out to dinner and a play." Rossi tells her
"So where are you going?" Reid asks just before he take a piece of lint off of her shoulder.
"His company is having an awards dinner, on account he just got promoted he has to attend he asked me to go with him. Think I'll pass ?"
"You look fine, just promise me when you go to our awards dinner you wear more color, be the Garcia we all love and see everyday." Hotch tells her then he walks quietly away.
It is the rapid knocking on his door that made Hotch look away from taking the movie he just watched with Jack, out of the Blu-ray.
Looking in the peephole he sees Rossi and Hayden, his ex-wife hopefully his new life partner.
Rossi knows better than to stall so he comes straight to the point. "There's a problem with Garcia. Hayden volunteered to stay and watch Jack."
"What happened?
"There's a mass shooting at the awards dinner it was on the news we were watching the weather, we were thinking of going to the cabin for the weekend, they broke in with the report. If anything happens to Sam she is going to heartbroken they haven't even been married six months."
"She tell you?" Hotch asks after stepping aside letting his friends into his apartment.
"Would you believe Sam came to a book signing and asked my permission. He told me that she didn't have anyone else for him to ask and she thought of me as sort of an older brother slash uncle. Of course I said yes, I also told him that if he hurt her, well we take care of our own. He smiled and told me that I would have to stand in line."
Turning he goes to talk to Jack only to stop when he sees the news cast of the shooting. "Dad, look Miss Penelope is on the T.V." Jack tells him as he points to the video of Penelope walking with the police looking like she is in shock.
Hayden turns Jack away from so she can see his face. "Jack how about we turn the T.V. off and I show you how to make rice pudding. You know it's suppose to be eaten cold, but I'm of the opinion that it's so much better warm." She suggest as Rossi turns the set off.
"Dad?"
"Sound like fun Jack, then you can teach me how to make it. I got to go out Buddy please behave for Miss Montgomery."
"I will dad. I hope Miss Penelope is okay." He watches as his father takes his weapon out of the safe along with his credentials before he leaves with his uncle Dave.
Both agents knew it would be pointless to go to the crime scene instead they went to the hospital. Finding Penelope was a different matter there were so many people it was controlled chaos. They watch as police detectives and uniformed officers question victims and witness alike.
