Standing in the shadows he watched as Tony and Tim tag teamed the probies in their exercise. The probies never knew what hit them, it was a beautiful thing to see, more importantly it would be a learning experience for the new agents.

"The two most important things Agent McGee and I can teach you is always have each other's six, and you have to trust your partner with your life. Without trust you'll never form a good partnership."

They two men sat there for a few minutes signing back and forth without any talking at all, somehow he wasn't surprised that they would become proficient as quickly as they did. It helped that the men had a healthy respect for competition. It was usually a fifty-fifty tie when figuring out who wins, McGee comes out tops for computers, and Tony well, for thinking like a cop.

They walked back into the bullpen signing away not even realizing they were doing it, it had become second nature to them, after taking the class together and studying all of those hours.

Abby stood next to Gibbs frowning as the men continued to ignore her, as Tim told Tony a filthy joke he had heard from one of the techs in the Cyber department.

"Gibbsssss!" Abby cries out.

"What?"

"They are signing, who taught them? I bet it was that tech from the FBI."

"If you mean Technical analyst / agent Penelope Garcia, then no Abby she didn't teach us." Tim says walking up to Gibbs desk. "We took a class and then studied like crazy, we had a bet loser pays for the class for both men."

"We tied and then we split the cost of dinner." Tony adds.

"I don't like it!"

"Why Abby? It's a good skill to have out in the field. I don't speak Italian or Spanish like Tony or Russian like Gibbs. But now I can sign. Are you afraid that you won't be the only one that can sign besides Gibbs, or is it that you can't say things about us behinds our backs anymore?"

Tony clears his throat. "I have to go, I'm giving a class at Quantico in an hour, so dinner tonight, Gibbs? I'm building a computer desk if you want to watch me."

"She buy it yet?"

"Same place she got the other stuff, solid wood. Pretty too, might need a drill, do you know where I can borrow one?"


"Well?" Rossi asks standing in front of the open office door.

"Well what?" Hotch asks as he places a complete file in the outgoing box.

"Are we going to go get Penelope back, or not?"

"Yes, right now in fact."

Hotch and Rossi walk into the cold case division hoping to see her, instead they see a room full of agents all busy working at their desks.

" Did you see this?" They heard one of them ask.

"See what?" The heard another agent ask.

"That new tech, found the information I requested five months ago. She found where the weasel is that we've been looking for, unbelievable the BAU's loss is our gain."

"I wouldn't count on it, agents Daniels." Hotch says as he gets closer to the man.

"You're going to steal her back aren't you?"

"How about we share her and her fantastic skills." One of the other agents in the room suggests.

"Were is she anyway?" Rossi asks as he looks around not seeing her or an office that she could use.

"She works from home. Somehow and I don't know how, but she got approval to work from her home, Aaron. But then you know her better than I do." Richards the unit chief tells him. "In all honesty I think it was a compromise, she wanted to quit, she's terrified that one of you could get hurt if she can't get the information to you fast enough."

Hotch looks at Rossi as he sighs softly. "I'll have to request a new tech won't I?" Richards asks the men.

"Afraid so, we need her more than you do." Rossi answers.


They clocked out for a couple of hours of personal time. Stopping only to get some coffee on the way.

Ringing the door bell they only had to wait a minute or so before she answered it.

She didn't smile just walks away leaving them to handle the door. They can see that she is not wearing any of her usual shields' in way of her clothing. A simple jean skirt and a pullover shirt in a muted mauve. Her hair in a simple French twist no clips or bows it looks perfect on her. Her feet surprisingly are bare except for the cotton separating her fire engine red painted toe nails.

Neither of them were surprised that she had transformed a corner of her living room into a sort of office, four computer and the monitors to go with them. All going at a fast speed. She goes to the small drawer and pulls out the keyboard for the TV. And the remote.

She quickly does what is needed. Then types. "Do you need something, sirs."

Leaving Hotch to do what is needed Rossi heads to the kitchen, curious to see if she has bought any food, or if the cupboard is still bare.

"I didn't sign off on you leaving, you didn't have an exit interview with me."

"Chief Cruz handled all of that."

"You want to try that again. Penelope."

"Do you know what you are Aaron Hotchner? You are the biggest pain in the. . ." She stops typing after seeing the corner of his mouth go up a fraction of an inch.

"Penelope. Please." He types.

She stands there and blinks away the angry tear that are threatening to spill. She opens her mouth and by pushing on the back of her ears she can almost get a level of her voice.

"I can't, I don't want any of you to get hurt because of me. I care about all of you too damn much." she tells him.

He goes to her he can see the hurt in her eyes and her body language is screaming scared, terrified. He signs to her the five words he learned from Gibbs. "We will make it work."

Seeing her start to cry he brings her into his embrace and hold her tightly against his chest. "I love you Penelope." He says to her knowing full well that she can't hear him, but it's enough for him that he said it to her at least for now. He pulls back from Penelope. He dries her tears with his thumbs.

Sensing Rossi behind him, he picks up the keyboard. " Rossi says he is buying lunch, go put shoes on. Just shoes please don't change you look perfect."

She nods her head then leaves the men standing in the living room.

"Now tell her so she can see you. I bet Gibbs or Tony for that matter can teach you the right sign." Rossi finishes by telling him. "The Aaron Hotchner I know isn't afraid of most things, what makes her so different?"

" If you only knew, and I already do know the right sign. I know how to use a computer too you know."