A.N.- Thanks for the love on this story! You are all so great! Hope you like it! Send me love! See you at the bottom! ;)

Disclaimer: In case I haven't said... I own none of it. Sadly...


Chapter Three

The silence was deafening. She could hear others outside the room, a low hum of activity outside the four walls she was currently in. It had been a half hour since she last saw someone, and that was the female guard coming in to take her to the bathroom. The past few hours though, she felt as if she was being watched, which was obvious that someone was behind those glass mirrors, but she felt like something bad was going to happen. She just knew it.

Sighing, she saw that the female officer had set up the room, with a video camera, and her files, along with a voice recorder. Well that was telling, she thought. She thought about calling a lawyer, but why do that when she has no idea why they even called her in? Well, she had a pretty strong guess. She was far from innocent, but still she had no idea what they knew.

Since no one was coming in yet, she figured she'd peek at her folder. Worst case scenario was that the person who was watching her would come in now to stop her (or so she'd hoped) or they would let her see what they know about her.

Reaching over, she grabbed the file, and had a sly smile. She opened it, but didn't look in it yet. "Buzz! I'm going through all your private stuff! You better come out and pound me!" she yelled into the empty space in front of her. It was a quote from the movie Home Alone, and she found it quite fitting for this moment. She was in a pretty bad situation, but she found humor in the weirdest of places throughout her life, so how is now any different?

Giggling, she looked down at her file. She only had enough time to see some charges they had on her, and she gasped as the door handle jiggled, and her world stood still.


Penelope POV

Aaron focused on basketball now that the football season was over, while I did quite a bit of swimming. There wasn't a competition for our age group but would be in a couple of years. Sean filled his days gaming, and found some soccer friends, but we hung out almost every day.

Eighth grade was the same essentially as the previous year, but our teachers had taken note of how well we were all doing academically. They gave us challenging classes, but we turned out to be quite bored. Well, except for Aaron. Not only did he like his classes, he actually studied a lot and really applied himself.

Summer came, and it was right before we would enter high school. Sean and Aaron were much more popular than I was, but I was able to hold my own. I ended up being one of those kids who were friends with everyone in all groups.

Sean had been invited to a lot of parties, and some Aaron was invited to, as well (at least from what I could tell, because Aaron never liked being away from Sean in a dangerous situation, so it was a safe bet that if Sean went, so would Aaron). They had been pretty tame parties, a couple of make out parties, and some had drinking, but nothing worse than that.

Our friendship was strong, which had brought such a comfort to me. Aaron had been hanging out with other kids that we knew, and about once a week he'd hang out with us. Our families had gotten together a few times to celebrate a holiday, and our mother's instantly clicked. They couldn't have been any more different, but they had a great time together, drinking some wine and handing out appetizers.

Ninth grade started, and we were terrified to start a new school and being at the bottom of the totem pole. But Sean and Aaron transitioned beautifully, which was no surprise. What was great that year was that Sean and I hung out as usual, but we noticed Aaron spending a little more time than he used to with us. All in all it was a great year.

We all made it on the Honor Roll, and in early May we were all called down to the principal's office. I wasn't nervous, but the boys sure were. They had a disgusting way of looking entirely too innocent when it came to teachers, though, so I didn't know what they were so afraid of.

They called us in, and they had been aware that we were all really good friends. At first, they honestly thought we copied off one another, but after testing us carefully, they deduced we were being held back and that we should all be in our senior year.

We thought it was a joke until our parents were called. So, after thinking it over, we all took a leap and that following that summer, we became seniors. It was amazing and terrifying. Also, totally awkward if I was being honest. I was fifteen, going to be sixteen in four months and I was sitting in a class with a guy that had a goatee.

Aaron blended just as seamlessly as a senior, already put on the varsity team even though he was benched at first, and the team took him almost as a make-shift brother on the team. Sean did well, focusing on his studies since the classes were much more challenging than they used to be. He always managed to find the time to hit up the parties on the weekends. Dragging me along, I went with him to watch over him. He didn't seem to get the concept that there was a possible limit when it came to drinking.

One night, I came over to do some homework, and it got pretty late. Aaron put his books away, so I could admire him for a few moments without looking weird. He had changed so much from a couple short years ago. He was so tall, almost six foot, broad shoulders that were visible through his tight shirt. His raven locks were still short, but he had styled it more than he had before, with a small amount of cheek stubble that was more prominent than it had been before.

His body was much more muscular now that he was in football. He gained fifteen pounds of muscle, and he seemed like he had something to prove. He was constantly working out, and he finally made first string as a running back. He was amazing, and any chance we got we were at the football games cheering him on.

His eyes, still seemed cold and emotionless but his eyes never lied to me. I always found some hint of emotion crack through the surface. We weren't friends exactly, but it wasn't like he hated me, yet he always made sure to keep a width of distance between us. Which sucked. I knew he cared about me as much as I cared about him because he had defended me when people talked behind my back, and every dance he always saved at least one dance for me. Even when he was dating Natalie Berg, when he had been dating her for three months. Besides, it was kind of hard to not spend time with him since his twin was my best friend.

I was head over heels in love with Aaron Hotchner, and it never got any easier. Each time Sean had asked me who I was in love with, my mind would scream his name, but since I wasn't sure how he'd feel about it, I always lied and said no one. Sean had a different date every week, and I could never keep up with who he liked from one day to the next.

Sean's new girl, Samantha or whatever, had studied with us. The usual Hotchner bed-time ran to eleven 'o clock even, and it was a few minutes past. I shrugged, and yawned, knowing full well I was going to have to crash there tonight. We didn't bother asking each other's parents anymore, which was a lot easier. Sean kissed Samantha goodnight, and threw me a pillow.

Samantha went to the door, and tapped her foot, giving me a dirty look. "Well...?" Samantha questioned as she adjusted her backpack on her shoulder.

"Well... what?" I asked, as I was thrown a shirt by Aaron to sleep in. My blush must have given me away, and Aaron looked at me with a coy smile and I swear his eyes trailed up and down my body but I must have been imagining it.

"Aren't you leaving?" she questioned with narrowed eyes. I could see she was not happy I was staying there.

"No. I'm crashing here tonight with my boys." Samantha gave me a dirty look as she walked to the door.

Aaron sauntered over, and grabbed his usual pillow and blanket from the top of Sean's bed. Samantha waved as she left, and Sean waved with a goofy smile on his face.

"You know what would be fun?" The guys looked at me, asking the question with their eyes. I bit my tongue, and grabbed my pillow. "Let's go to Aaron's room tonight!" I cheered. Sean's eyes lit up and grabbed his stuff as well. Aaron shook his head, and waved his hands for emphasis.

"No way! Not happening!" Sean huffed and threw his pillow at Aaron. "Come on Aaron! You know you have the best TV, bunk beds and we have never got to sleep in there! Come one, let's go!"

"Not happening, Sean."

"I'll do your chores tomorrow." Aaron rolled his eyes and threw the pillow back at him.

"Yeah, right. You still owe me a week's worth of chores."

"Okay, two weeks." Rolling his eyes, he didn't even dignify it with a response.

"Month, take it or leave it, Airhead," he teased. Aaron narrowed his eyes, always hating the nickname, but looking in my direction, his eyes seemed to soften and he held my eyes for a few seconds longer. Looking back to Sean, he narrowed his eyes once again before his shoulders visibly relaxed.

"I get top bunk!" he screamed, darting out of the room. I jumped in excitement, and grabbed my stuff. "Fine, you take bottom, G," he grumbled. Sean was used to getting his way, and he wasn't thrilled he had to give up his free time and get a shitty night's sleep on the floor.

Walking into his room, it smelled like him. It was a navy room, that was a tiny bit larger than Sean's that had dark-stained bunk beds that lined across from the door. His room had an adjoining bathroom, that connected to Sean's room. One thing that struck me, was that there was very little personal effects in the room. As if he never really lived here. It was neat for a teenage boy, and everything perfectly in place, even a bible on his desk.

It was apparent that Aaron slept in the top bunk, with his red duvet that had an iota of personality compared to the beige duvet on the bottom bunk. I sat down on the bottom one, and crossed my legs. My style had changed since seventh grade, that had turned to a more vintage feel.

I went from wearing a t-shirt, overalls or jeans to a retro 1950s halter dress. It was an eclectic ensemble that switched from the forties or fifties, mixed with something that is modern, and I wore mostly dresses, now. There is just something so... feminine about them, and they accentuated all of my assets, which was perfect. I may had gotten teased a time or two over my choice of clothing, and I was also teased for my body, and while I wasn't fat, I had wide hips and large breasts, larger than most girls my age at the time, and large black framed glasses. The teasing that hurt the worst, however, was the school's disgust that I was best friend's with Sean and Aaron. It was always some new rumor running that I was with them both, or they only hung out with me because they felt sorry for me.

"I almost forgot! I just got the new album! Check it out!" Sean yelled enthusiastically. He ran to Aaron's computer and turned the volume on high. I loved the song that played and from the looks on the boy's faces, they loved it too. Before we knew it, Sean and I were belting out the lyrics (albeit totally wrong and completely off-key) and Aaron was dancing in front of us.

I couldn't stop staring at him, and I hoped he didn't notice. I swore I could hear his deepening voice vibrate against the walls, but every time I looked to see if he was singing, he wasn't. His voice has gotten a lot deeper since puberty, and it sent my hormones into overdrive. It was almost... comforting, hearing his deeper voice. We danced for a few more songs, and after we ate our weight in more junk food, we decided to sleep.

Lying in bed, I borrowed a pair of Sean's pajama bottoms and one of Aaron's sleep t-shirts. It was huge on me, but I couldn't help but breathe in the detergent he used. It never affected me when I smelled Sean's clothing, which was weird, but I suppose that's because I wasn't in love with Sean.

Sean took a sleeping pill, to help him from tossing and turning on the hard floor, and Aaron went to sleep right away in his bed. Shutting my eyes, I went right to sleep.

A while later, I woke up and heard something. Looking around, I noticed Sean still asleep on the floor, and the lights were still off. Groaning I readjusted my bra, since I had been rolling and it moved sideways, and stretched my arms over my head. Feeling the urge to use the bathroom, I got up and peeked at Aaron.

Except, when I glanced up, he wasn't there. Scanning around, he was absent from the room. Sighing, I went to the bathroom and noticed my throat was a little dry. Walking down the stairs, I shivered, the cold house stripping me of all my heat.

I turned the corner and saw Aaron there. He was in the fridge, and looking around, it was clear he was alone. Not wanting to disturb him, I turned around to leave, when my hand knocked a Halloween skeleton that rested on the table over. He jumped, and I felt my heart smash against my chest. His eyes were filled with anger once he saw me.

I winced, and chewed my lip. "Sorry! I was just coming down for some water. Are you alright?" Aaron turned back to the refrigerator, and I looked closer at his shirt. Without realizing it, I walked over and brought my hand up and gently ghosted over the bloody splotches on his thin white t-shirt.

His chest was heaving, and he must not have noticed how close I got because he jumped away and shakily moved to the other end of the counter. He looked ashamed... and terrified.

"Wh-What was that? Is that... blood...?" I could barely say it. I wanted to throw up. Tears pooled in my eyes, and I closed the distance. "Please, let me help?" I asked softly. He looked away and for a moment I didn't think he was going to, but he frowned, and lifted his shirt.

There were marks all over his back, a lot were bloodied, but there were so many scars there as well. I gasped, and for a second I looked away, until I willed myself to get some balls, and grabbed some paper towels.

"Come with me." I walked him back upstairs, and brought him to their adjoining bathroom. I checked Sean, and he was still asleep. "Do you want me to wake him, or should I grab someone for you?" He suddenly became alarmed, and grabbed my hand. I jumped, but I didn't free it from my grasp. His hands were shaking slightly, but his large hand fit perfectly into mine.

He looked down to our adjoining hands and he lightly rubbed his thumb over mine, as if he was trying to reassure me. I couldn't wrap my mind around all this but I was pretty sure he needed reassurance more than I did. The hurt and fear in his eyes was something I never thought I'd see, and I wanted to snap the neck of whoever would hurt him.

Knowing it wouldn't do any good to do that right now, I focused on Aaron, and tried to do whatever I could to make him better. His intense gaze moved from our hands clasped together to my shirt, well, his shirt against my skin. Ever so slowly, he looked into my eyes, and he seemed so lost, I couldn't breathe.

Looking away, trying to focus, I squeezed his hand reassuringly before letting go, and grabbed the first aid kit. "Would you mind taking that off? I have to clean your... wounds," I frowned. This was too horrific. Sliding his shirt off slowly, he winced when the fabric grazed his wounds.

Inspecting closely, I could see huge bruises splattered all across his sides and back. There was an indent in a lot of them, and it seemed to be the reason he was bleeding. Wiping a tear before he could see, I grabbed a hand towel and soaked it in warm water. "Aren't we going to wake Sean?" I asked. It was too sad and too lonely in that small bathroom.

"No! He doesn't know. Well, he knows some, but not to this extent. Please, promise me you won't tell him! Or my mom!" he pleaded. Not desperate, but in a melancholy tone. "So is your dad the one who...?"

"Yes. It was my fault. My room is directly above theirs, and the music was too loud and we were horsing around. I knew better," he said blankly. Gasping, I covered my mouth and backed away. "What? I-I-It's my fault! If I didn't come today, or asked to go to your room maybe it wouldn't have-" I cried silently. I hated myself.

Aaron shook his head, and looked at his own bruised arms and ribs. "No. You being here has made it tolerable, believe it or not. My father doesn't like to punish me as much when you are around, and Sean knows I have gotten hit, and there were times I couldn't protect him but you being here does. That fucking coward won't take the risk of someone outside the family finding out."

I thought about what he said. "Wait, I have rarely seen a scratch on Sean. Do you... Do you take his beatings as well?" I wondered. I knew Sean, and I knew his big mouth and loud personality. There was no way he had stayed out of the line of fire. Aaron looked away and I walked closer. I put my hand on his, and gave another reassuring squeeze. He looked at me, and shrugged.

"Yes, he's my brother and that sick, disgusting son of a bitch of a father isn't going to touch him! I am almost out of here now. It's my senior year and then I'm getting out of this hell-hole! I will never have to see that bastard again!" he seethed. His muscular body was rippling in rage, and all I could do was comfort him. I wrapped my arm around his neck, near his hairline, away from his fresh wounds and rested my face against his bare chest.

Hugging him tightly, he melted into my arms and I closed my eyes. I felt some tears slide against my shirt, and I waited for him to end the embrace. When he lifted his face, he quickly wiped the tears away, and I pretended I didn't see it. Before he fully pulled away, he looked between us, and pinched his moss green t-shirt I was wearing, rolling it between his finger. "I like this shirt on you," he murmured. I blushed, and looked to his pinched fingers. Of all the things I thought he would have said it certainly wasn't that.

Before I knew it, he let go, and looked away for a minute. The usual blank face was back on, and I sighed. His intense gaze never left me, even when I was behind him, wiping the blood away and applying ointment, I could see and feel his eyes on me through the mirror. When I finished cleaning and bandaging his wounds, he went to his room and pulled out another shirt.

When he put it on, he hissed at the pain, and walked back into the bathroom and helped clean up the garbage. "You need to tell the cops, Aaron. This is fucked up and if you don't tell them I will." He grumbled under his breath and shook his head. He gave me a pitying look and sighed. "You don't get it, do you? Do you know who my dad is? He is a prosecuting attorney, that rarely loses a case! How would I be able to convince them? I did this for my brother, and I am so close to leaving. I have worked so hard on my grades and now football so I could make sure I can leave this house. Just... trust, me, okay? Please?"

I took a shaky breath, and nodded, not trusting my voice. I didn't like this at all. I trusted Aaron, but I didn't trust Mr. Hotchner. I made a promise to myself that if it got worse I would call for them, because I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something were to happen to either of them. They were my family, no matter what.

He smiled, relieved, and walked to the door. "I'll always be here for you, Aaron. You and Sean, always," I told him. He gave me a crooked grin and opened the bathroom door. We walked to the bed, and got in our separate beds.

After lying there for I don't know how long, futilely trying to get the horrible images out of my mind I gazed at the clock and it was really late. Looking over, Sean was still out, and I could hear Aaron's breathing even out above me, and it relaxed me enough to go to sleep.

After that night with Aaron, I avoided their father at all costs. It was too disgusting to even look at him, but I didn't want to throw suspicion. Sean had no idea I was avoiding his father, but Aaron could see it. After that, I noticed Aaron had been spending more time with Sean and I, and of course I loved it, but I couldn't help but feel he was there because I knew his secret. Which I know wasn't true, but what had changed?

We began applying to colleges, and looking through our choices, it was easy to see we all wanted to leave Colorado. I applied to a few Ivy Leagues schools, but I wasn't sure I wanted to go to them. Considering we were much younger than our fellow seniors, we were adjusting well. I learned to drive before I got my license, thanks to my brother, and when I was going to turn sixteen, my mother promised I could have my older brother's car. It was barely alive, but it was all I needed.

Now that I was the only kid in the house, since my brothers all went off to college and moved out, it felt too lonely in our house. As much as I disliked Matthew Hotchner, Sean and Aaron's father, I ended up there most of the week. We were hitting up parties more and more, and I couldn't wait to leave that dumb town.


The door opened, and two agents walked in. They were both surprisingly incredibly beautiful. Like they were in a cop show and she was the nasty perp. One was a tall man with dark skin, the color of milk chocolate goodness and the other looked as if he was still in diapers, for crying out loud, yet he was very, very cute. And awkward. Yet he made it work. He was lanky, and looked as if he had no muscles whatsoever, and she wanted to tuck him into her pocket and feed him a cracker, he was so cute. The tall cup of cocoa had very short black hair, and a five o' clock shadow, with eyes that could make any girl swoon. He seemed apprehensive, and took a seat next to the boy with medium length, dirty blonde hair, and large innocent eyes. If she could describe them in a sentence she would say they resembled a nerdy surfer and sex personified.

She zeroed in on their tags, and she could see Sex was Agent Morgan, and Nerdy surfer's name was Agent Reid. She wasn't going to lie, she was terrified. She didn't want to go to prison, and she had a feeling this conversation was headed in that direction. Agent Morgan's face was unreadable and yet Agent Reid had a lazy smile on his face, and if she didn't see him staring into her hazel eyes she would have thought he was lost in his own thoughts, instead about to interrogate her.

Agent Morgan leaned over the table, and grabbed the file from her hands. She knew they were more than your average cop, so she buried the emotions that threatened her future, and with a deep breath, she felt the lock click into place.

"Hello, Ms. Garcia. I'm Agent Morgan and this is Agent Reid. We want to ask you some questions."

She smiled, and tilted her head slightly. "I didn't know I auditioned for Law and Order. I think you are a little too into character, there Agent Morgan. Maybe you should dial it back a few... like this cutie-patootie." She motioned to Agent Reid, who's demeanor was almost as if they were about to go to a fair, while Agent Morgan's pursed lips and unflinching gaze made her a little nervous. Yet she supposed that was the point.

Agent Morgan smiled coldly, and opened her folder. He peeked at her, before presenting some pictures in front of her. She knew exactly what the pictures were about, because she did them. She was involved if not the muse behind every one of these hacks. She kept her face blank, and shrugged.

"What is this?" she questioned, yet she already knew the answer. Agent Morgan smirked, and shook his head. "Your handiwork, your Majesty, what else?" he stated simply. If she hadn't seen the pictures in her face before she heard, "Your Majesty", she would have freaked out, but seeing the pictures she knew they knew who she really was, so she kept her face blank.

"I don't know what you're talking about, sweet cheeks."

Agent Morgan gave a brilliant smile, and it took her breath away. The man should not be stuck in a stuffy office and should be modeling underwear. Or maybe a full frontal spread of just socks.

"Actually," Agent Spencer started, "we have evidence you are responsible for hacking into that animal testing lab. That picture right there," he stated as he pointed to the picture that she already knew which one it was.

She shook her head and shrugged. "It wasn't me. Sorry."

She knew that it was going to be a long night.


3rd Person POV

Penelope's birthday was a week away, and Sean and Aaron had been planning a fantastic outing. Penelope walked inside and noticed Elena making dinner. "Would you like help, Mrs. Hotchner?" she asked. Elena lit up, and waved her over.

"Come here, Penny. I want to show you how to make my top-secret macaroni and cheese! Here, start grating this cheese." She handed her the cheese and they got to work. Penelope loved Elena like a second mother, and she enjoyed helping her. When they finished, they called the family down and ate in the usual silence that their father insisted upon. She had once heard him say that he didn't come home from a long day of work just to hear screaming brats all night as well. If that were the case he may as well go back into court.

When they finished, Penelope grabbed Sean's hand and ran to their backyard. They climbed up their tree house, one that Penelope decided it would be a perfect place to store their secrets, and they went in there often. Hearing something, they quieted down. Aaron opened the bottom latch, and climbed in.

"Hey! I was just about to tell the most disgusting story ever! Okay, so..." he was cut short by Aaron waving. "Yeah, I can't wait, but Julie called and she is asking for you inside," Aaron said in a sing-song voice. Sean's eyes lit up, and a goofy grin enveloped his face. "Be right back, G. This is a matter of life and death," he said quickly, climbing down.

Penelope giggled and rolled her eyes. She was used to it by now, so she knew he would be on the phone for a while. Aaron smiled, and sat near her. Penelope, suddenly keenly aware they were now alone, tucked a blonde lock behind her ear, and made sure her dress wasn't revealing too much. For some reason, whenever they were in the treehouse she seemed to forget she was in a dress. By now, she was positive Sean knew every kind of panties she owned, as embarrassing and gross as that was to admit.

"I loved dinner. Thank you. You gonna make that for your family now?" he asked quietly. She nodded and turned toward him a little.

"Yes. Your mom is an amazing cook, Aaron! By the way, I wanted to tell you I got accepted to my first choice school." Aaron, excited, held out his fist. She fist-bumped it and giggled. Her heart was thundering in her chest, and the way he had been looking at her lately sent shivers down her spine.

"I got into mine too! Do you wanna say at the same time?" She blushed, and nodded in agreement. "Okay, one... two... three... go! University of Michigan!" she yelled. At the same time, Aaron gave a crooked grin and yelled on the top of his lungs, "U of M!" Penelope's eyes became saucers, not believing it. Yes, they have all talked about going, and even though Sean was hoping to go there, she always figured Aaron would go to some Ivy League school.

"Hell yeah! We are gonna have the best time! What is Sean deciding? Is it U of M too?" Aaron shrugged, and leaned back against the wall. "As long as it ain't here, I don't care. Here, I got you something," he said bashfully.

Getting to his feet, he opened one of the barely used cupboards and handed her the gift. It was poorly wrapped and the bow was on the bottom, but it was adorable. "Aww! Did you use the whole roll of wrapping paper or did you save enough for a Christmas present?" she snarked. He playfully rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Yeah, yeah. You're welcome! Come on, open it!" It was a little large, and when she jiggled it, it felt like nothing was in there. Giving him a suspicious look, she ripped it open and looked inside. It was a blank piece of paper.

"Gee whiz, Aaron. Please don't break the bank or anything..." she joked. He chewed his lip, smiling a little. Leaning over, he put his lips against her ear, brushing the small fake diamonds in her ears. "Bring it home and use your sonic screwdriver on it," he whispered near her ear. Her breath hitched, thinking how dirty that sounded for a moment before shaking herself out of it. This was Aaron they were talking about.

Gazing into his intense eyes, she cocked an eyebrow, and nodded. Sean knew she had a sonic screwdriver from the Doctor Who series that had a black light on it for invisible ink. However, she couldn't recall Aaron knowing about it...

Her head was turned and Aaron was still close from whispering in her ear. She suddenly was very aware once again of how close they really had gotten. He licked his lips, and he didn't move away, which sent the butterflies that now officially inhabit her stomach doing gymnastics and back flips. His eyes darted from her lips to her eyes, and she moved her hand slightly, finding his. She fluttered her fingers on top of his, and when she didn't feel him flinch away she grabbed his hand.

He slowly moved closer, turning into her body more. He moved their entwined fingers, so he was loosely holding them on his leg. Penelope was surprised at their position, but couldn't complain. His pink lips drifted so close, she could smell his breath was minty, but not too strong. When she thought he was just about to close the distance, they heard Sean climbing up the tree screaming, "I got her to say yes! Finally!", before they could even see him.

He flinched away and she regretfully let go of Aaron's hand. Looking at her hands, she noticed she was shaking violently, and after putting the paper in her jacket, she gave a nervous glance at Aaron. He seemed annoyed, and he rubbed his hand that clasped hers and peeked at her. His smile was genuine, but his eyes darted to her lips before they heard the hatch open.

When Sean rambled about his upcoming date, he gave her a quick look before making an excuse to leave. Sean watched him go, and turned to her. "What's his problem?" Penelope swallowed visibly, and shrugged. "I don't know. I should head out, anyways. I got to get home. My mom has been so bitchy lately, complaining I'm never home. See you tomorrow," she said. It was true, her mother had been getting more on her case since her last son left the nest.

Sean said goodbye, and Penelope ran home, her heart flipping wildly. What just happened? If she didn't know better... No. No this was Aaron Hotchner! Yet those eyes... She had to know what he wrote, but she couldn't help but wonder if she is making more of it than it is. Either way, she'd know in a minute.

Walking in, she greeted her cat, Stitch, and checked in with her mom. Her birthday was in a week, on a Tuesday, and they were going to go to a restaurant with Sean and Aaron to celebrate. As long as they didn't sing to her she was down for it.

Going into her room, she locked her door, and got into her pj's, doing her nightly routine. When she laid down, she grabbed her sonic screwdriver and her notebook. She needed to know what he wrote, and so she settled into bed, hitting the button on her sonic screwdriver and began scrolling the invisible ink.

-P-

Whenever I walk into a room, the first person I always look for is you. Yet when I see you, my heart stops. I hoped you didn't know this, but I have had a crush on you since fifth grade, when you threw mud all over Sarah Jacobson's dress for smacking that stray dog in the face that came up to everyone at recess. I sat in your spot that day in 7th grade, not realizing that I took your seat, but now I know I will never regret it, because it brought you into my life.

You're laugh is so infectious, and you're more amazing than you realize. I think you are the most beautiful girl I've ever met. When I am in the same room as you all I want to do is run up and kiss those gorgeous red lips.

This all may be cheesy and girly, but I can't keep my mouth shut anymore. You are more beautiful and unique than anyone I have ever met, and I am an absolute chicken when expressing myself. I love that you are oblivious when other guys flirt with you, and I like that you make me genuinely laugh, and I can be myself when I am near you.

It's better you know now, than to have never said anything. I don't know if you like me, but I was hoping you would like to go on a date tomorrow night? You can tell me tomorrow at lunch, and if you say no, I will never ask you again (Okay... I may not give up that easy, but you know what I mean). By the way, your other present (even if you say no) is in this clue. Go to school early tomorrow.

-A-

-In the library, there is a silver shell that glitters on a turtle's back-

Biting her lip, she stared in shock, not believing it. She re-read it over and over for a half an hour, scrutinizing every word before she looked up again. "He has liked me? What? No, he can't mean that! If he's lying he is going to limp all through college!" she grumbled.

The next morning, she rode her bike to school, her head spinning. Walking into the usual empty library, she first looked around for an obvious turtle lying around, and when she didn't see it, she sat for a minute, and took out the sheet of paper that she wrote the clue on. "In the library, there is a silver shell that glitters on a turtle's back..." Suddenly, it hit her where to look. She looked in the S's, and found a Shel Silverstein book, and she ran her finger along the spine, replaying a million memories in her head when she younger, this was one of her favorite books. She told him once that she loved that poem, but it was over three years ago and she only brought it up because she was leaving early to finish her book report on it.

Opening it, it opened to the section that held her gift. It was a necklace of a turtle, that glittered in jewels. It was beautiful. Looking at the page it was opened to, it was her absolute favorite poem. It was called, "The Bagpipe Who Didn't Say No", and after giggling loudly in the silent library, she put her necklace on, and walked to the counter where an extremely old woman was there.

She checked out the book and went to her locker. Opening it up, she tucked her answer to his question in the front of her backpack and grabbed the books for the next few classes that she had coming up.

When lunch came, Sean said he would be over later, he had to finalize his date with Julie for that night, and so she walked shyly over to Aaron, who had been sitting with a couple of his jock friends. "Hey, can I sit down?" she asked, a deep blush covering her cheeks. Aaron gave her a crooked grin and glanced from her eyes to the necklace she wore.

"Sure. Did you like your present, Penelope?" he asked quietly. The cafeteria was completely packed, and if felt like they were the only two in there. "Yes! Thank you, it's so beautiful! Obviously, besides my love for the turtle poem they are my favorite animal." She couldn't stop playing with the foreign necklace around her neck.

She always liked jewelry, but she had a habit of playing with them and putting them down and forgetting about them because she was never used to wearing it. She loved rings, but she had to have lost over ten of them because she slipped them on and off her fingers so many times.

"I'm glad. Emerald is a very nice color on you..." he trailed off, staring at her skin before bashfully looking away. She grinned, and grabbed her backpack.

"Here. I answered your question. But first, I need to ask you some things before you read it, alright?" Suddenly serious, he nodded, waiting for her to go on.

"Okay, so if I do happen to say no, would you hate me and never speak to me again?" she asked. He smiled and rolled his eyes, but she could see he was hurt a little, and she chewed her lip. "Of course I wouldn't hate you! My pride may take a beating but we are friends. Always."

She narrowed her eyes, and waited for him to fidget, and when he narrowed them playfully back, she giggled. "Okay... next question... oh, um say I say yes, and we date but we break up. Who gets Sean in the divorce?" Aaron, his serious face on again, nodded slowly. "That's a good point. Boys need their mothers, so I guess you? But I can have him on alternative weekends and holidays. Except I get him on his birthday. Non-negotiable, you know how it is..." she nodded, understanding.

"Of course! Okay. But what if-" he cut her off, laughing. "Are we really going to go through every possible scenario or are we going to take a chance? I hope you know by now I would never hurt you. Sean would kill me, and then kill you for making him kill me," he smiled. She nodded, and Penelope couldn't help but worry what this would do to their friendship and more importantly, their lives.

Worrying her bottom lip, Aaron grabbed her hand under the table, rubbing soothing circles into her skin. "So... what is your answer going to be?" She let go of her lip, and looked down at their hands. Letting go, she reluctantly reached into her backpack and pulled out the slip of paper.

She handed it to him, and before she could see his reaction, Sean came over. "Hey guys. I'm going to that new yogurt shop with Julie tonight, want to come?" he asked them. Penelope looked at him, and shook her head, her throat was suddenly dry. Sean looked to Aaron, who shook his head quickly and abruptly got up from his seat, storming out of the cafeteria.

Sean looked back to Garcia, confusion written all over his face. "What was that about?" Penelope, worried, shrugged in response. "I should go see if he's alright. I may have lied and said that his hair was sticking up," she lied. Getting up, Sean rolled his eyes and grabbed Aaron's lunch bag. "Figures. Now he'll be in the bathroom forever. The man needs to get laid... fast," he said as he stuffed his face in Aaron's sandwich.

Throwing her food away, she wrung her hands, worried where he would be. It wasn't the reaction she was hoping for, but maybe after seeing her answer was yes, it made it clear to him that they shouldn't do this. Turning the corner, she was pulled into someone's chest.

Squealing, she looked up to see Aaron, smiling the brightest grin she'd ever seen and he squeezed her and lifted her off the ground. Shocked, she laughed, and slapped his shoulder. "Put me down, you jerk! I thought you changed your mind!" he set her down, and cupped her rosy cheeks.

"Never." Leaning down, he kissed her on the cheek, and held her, rocking their bodies a little. "I didn't want Sean to see my reaction, and if I stayed any longer I would have done that in the middle of the cafeteria." Letting go, she looked at the clock in the hallway. It was close to the next bell, and she smiled. "Well, I should go to my class. Where are we going for our first date?" she asked, still not believing it.

He grinned mischievously and shook his head. "Nope. Not telling. I'll come get you at five!" With that, he strutted away, and Penelope couldn't help but feel giddy.

Later that night, with Sean on his date, Aaron came to get her at five, exactly on time. Her parents were gone on their usual date night, so it was just Penelope answering the door. She didn't know what to wear, so she opted for a knee-length blue dress with a black cardigan and jacket. She wore heels, not unusual, but stilettos that she had bought a year ago and waited for this kind of occasion.

Penelope grinned, and looked at Aaron. He was dressed nicely in dress khakis and a nice navy button down shirt. "Wow, Penelope. You look... stunning." She blushed, and looked away, and when she looked back he was staring so intensely into her hazel eyes, she felt woozy.

"You don't look so bad yourself, handsome. Is this not a formal attire date?" she teased. He gave her a disgusted look, and walked her to the car, holding her hand. "Gross, Penelope. I wouldn't be caught dead in a suit and tie, thank you very much," he said indignantly. She laughed and played with her new necklace.

"Well then... I see your job in the future will be of the uniform kind. Would you like fries with that?" He narrowed his eyes, and closed her car door before going around and climbing into his seat. Buckling his seat belt, he turned to her. "I could always be a wrestler. Or a surfer," he wagged his eyebrows and Penelope nodded.

"Ooh! A porn star! Or better yet a fluffer!" she exclaimed, blushing. Aaron, confused, started to drive off. "What exactly is a fluffer?"

"Oh, sweetie... if you have to ask, you probably don't wanna know..." She said slyly. She knew Aaron enough that he wouldn't just let it go. It would fester in him until he will finally explode, and she decided to have her fun.

"I want to know! Wait- would I even want to be a 'fluffer'?" he wondered, staring ahead, trying to figure it out. She held back a giggle, and shrugged. "Well I don't know. Depends on what makes ya happy..." she said nonchalantly.

She looked at him, and she could see him still trying to figure it out, and knowing it wasn't exactly a great thing to talk about on a first date to the biggest crush of your existence, she decided to let it drop.

They went out, and Aaron had just gotten his license when he turned sixteen on November 1st, so they drove in his car. It wasn't an old car, by any means, but certainly not new. It was a Chevy Impala, and it was completely different from Sean's, who had a Ford Explorer, only two years old.

Driving to a fancy restaurant, The Stone Lodge, they went inside. It was much more fancier than Penelope thought it would be. Aaron seemed fine with it, but Penelope felt slightly weird. She took a deep breath, and looked at the menu. After they ordered, they laughed about some of their best days hanging out with Sean, and even when the conversation came to a stop, it was quite comfortable.

They were served their food, and they talked about themselves and some things they didn't know about each other, and talked about what their plans were going to be when they went to college. Aaron talked about his future, and all he was sure about was that he wanted to help people. Penelope loved that about him, and she couldn't agree more. It would be a perfect field of work to look into. She confessed she wanted to work on computers, and maybe design her own video games in the future.

Aaron, after they finished eating, took care of the bill, and waved off her offer to help pay for the meal and they drove to the next place. They went to the movies, and when he paid for their tickets, they had a lot of time to talk before the movie was open.

Walking to the concession stand, Aaron took out his wallet again. "No, Aaron! Please, I want to at least buy this. You've already spent so much, just please... let me do this?" she pouted a little. Aaron groaned, and reluctantly put his wallet away.

"Like I can resist that... fine. What are your thoughts on sharing?" Excited, she pulled out her purse and they shared a medium popcorn and a medium soda. Penelope bought some junior mints, and waited for Aaron to grab a candy. She knew what he was going to pick, but she didn't want to presume.

"I'll take some Reese's Pieces, please." When they grabbed their stuff, they sat a table that was near their movie, waiting for the previous show to be over. Luckily, it was only a few more minutes until they could get inside.

"I can't wait to see this movie! I'm glad you asked me," she said. Aaron smiled, and grabbed her hand.

"I'm glad you said yes. I wouldn't hate you but I'm not going to lie... it would have been a little awkward when you came over to see Sean," he winced. She agreed, and ate some popcorn. He grabbed some as well, and looked at the popcorn.

"So, what is a fluffer?" Aaron questioned again. Forgetting for a second, she nodded, it was all coming back to her.

"No way. Why don't you tell me what you think it is?" Aaron looked up, his fingers now steepled between his eyes and tapped them quickly together.

"Fluff pillows for a living?" he asked, uncertainly. She giggled, and crossed her legs, his eyes caught the movement.

"Nope, I heard it's much more... lucrative than that." She chewed her lip, trying to contain her laughter. Looking into her eyes, he gave her a sassy look, his eyes playfully narrowing before grinning.

"Okay, after this you have to tell me. Is it... I don't know! Is it... like... when you get your hair done and get a 'blow out' or something?" he shrugged, completely giving up. You're on the right track there, chief but still not it... this is too cute he's actually blushing! He is so adorable, she thought.

She was about to tell him, even though she didn't feel comfortable saying it out loud in public, when the doors to the theater opened, allowing them to head inside.

Getting in their seat, it wasn't too crowded, which was nice. They sat in the back, and they were thankful for the privacy. Aaron had practically been right when he danced with her on Halloween in 7th grade and told her they had run off most of the boys away from her. She had been on a few dates since then, but a lot of them didn't feel comfortable with her relationship with the Hotchner brother's. It was never a choice and she would never give them up.

Now, she had a few kisses under her belt, and not even with tongue, either, so that was as far as she had gone. She was positive Sean and Aaron had much more experience than her, which made her quite nervous. She didn't know if he was going to kiss her, but she kind of hoped he would.

Some people started filing in, and Aaron kept glancing nervously to her, and the screen. Now that they were sitting next to each other, his nerves were kicking in. Trying to calm his nervousness, he leaned in.

"So... if I may not want to be a fluffer, would I want to be the one fluffed?" he asked lowly. She cracked up, laughing so hard. Aaron grinned, loving her laugh. It was so infectious, and the excitement in her eyes made his stomach flip.

"I suppose you would, but then again... I wonder if it all depends on who is fluffing?" she shrugged, smiling. He narrowed his eyes, and turned to face her.

"If you don't tell me what it is... I will bring destruction upon you..." he threatened. She put her hands up in mock surrender and pretended to be afraid.

"Okay, Penelope... don't say I didn't warn you." A few seconds later, he reached over, and tickled under her chin. She flinched back and squeaked, not expecting it. He used his other hand to tickle her stomach, knowing how ticklish she was. There were many times he saw Sean and Penelope tickle each other and he remembered where the spots were. She giggled, and tried to move away from his hands, but the limited area in the movie seat was all she had to work with.

Finally, after a few more seconds, she couldn't take it anymore and held up her hands, really surrendering this time. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you!" she laughed. He stopped, and moved his hands back, but kept them out, showing her he would still attack if she lied.

Leaning over, she crooked a finger, telling him to come closer. "A fluffer is someone behind the scenes who gets the real porn stars ready for their performance..." she whispered against his ear. Covering his mouth, he looked at her, completely shocked.

"What? Really?" he asked. She nodded, and rubbed her pointer, and middle finger against her thumb and winked. "No suits and the pay isn't bad... you know, as long as you can still hang on to your dignity," she smirked.

Aaron thought for a second, and nodded. "Yeah, you know you may be on to something, there? Well, hmm... I don't know, I mean look at this mug. This beautiful face isn't meant for behind the scenes action." Aaron waved his hand, circling his face, emphasizing. She giggled, and threw popcorn at his face.

"A face is all and good, but its your other... assets that get you to the big leagues, or the softer leagues" she smirked. Realizing she just talked about his junk on the first date, she looked down, mortified.

He blushed, and looked away as well. Taking a drink of the soda, he took a shaky breath. Now that was all he could think about, and his nervousness came back tenfold. "Here's your candy," he breathed, trying to change the subject. She held out a shaky hand, and he gave her the Junior Mints. She blushed, and peeked up at him.

Aaron's nervousness wouldn't dissipate, and all he could think about was her, and how beautiful she was, and what they had just talked about. Closing his eyes, he figured maybe focusing on food will help to focus.

Grabbing his Reece's Pieces, he pinched the top of them and pulled bag apart, but it wouldn't open. Penelope stared at him, and silently ate some popcorn, and popped a junior mint in her mouth with it. He pulled again, and it wouldn't open.

"You mix your junior mints with your popcorn?" he asked, smiling. She nodded. "Of course! They taste amazing together. Wanna try?" she asked, smiling. He wanted to, but first he needed to open the stupid bag.

Penelope watched him try to pull it open again, but it wouldn't budge. She was about to ask him if he needed help, when it finally broke open, and they all went flying high into the air. The entire bag opened and Aaron turned bright red. The other people in the theater turned to them, and only a couple people had seen the actual event unfold, and the others who hadn't seen it, put it together when all of the Reece's Pieces rolled downward by their feet.

Penelope hid her face, laughing uncontrollably. Aaron, laughed, even though he was embarrassed, redder than her lipstick, and got to his feet. "I'll be right back." She nodded and he came back a few minutes later, and had another bag of Reece's Pieces.

Aaron sat back down, and even though still redder than the theater seats they were sitting in, he tried again. He pulled and pulled once again, and it was still difficult to open.

"Why are these so hard to open today?" he asked, nervously. He really hoped it wouldn't happen again or else he'd die. Aaron tugged again, and the bag once again burst open, but luckily he was sort of expecting it, so he managed to save a fourth of them from flying out. Penelope bit her lip, trying her best not to laugh but she couldn't help it. Everyone was staring again and she could still hear them rolling down the aisles.

Tears rolling down, she looked and Aaron was laughing just as hard, his face beet red. She reached over, and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. His laughter died and he ran his thumb along her hand, and brought it up to his lips, kissing her hand softly. She blushed, and looked down.

The movie started, and Aaron let go of her hand, and draped it across the back of her seat. Moving closer, she leaned over and rested her head at the crook of his neck. They watched the comedy they went to see, but they could both feel the tension mounting.

Normally, Penelope wouldn't care at all about kissing someone and she wouldn't even consider kissing on the first date. However, this is Aaron Hotchner we're talking about, and her crushing has been going on for three years solid. She wanted to kiss him, and kept thinking that maybe she should just go for it, but she wanted to see that look in his eyes. The one that says, "You are the only person I want to be with in the entire universe".

She felt his arm close tighter against her shoulder, and gave him the popcorn to hold. He ate some popcorn, and Penelope grabbed a junior mint, and gave him one. He gave her a questioning look, before reluctantly putting it in his mouth, followed by a few kernels of popcorn. Sifting it in his mouth, he looked down at her.

Breaking from his grasp, she waited for the reaction she was hoping for. His crooked smile turned into a full blown grin, and nodded enthusiastically. Nodding as well, she stared at him with a sparkle in her eyes. Aaron swallowed the combination, and cupped her cheek. He waited for a few seconds, waiting for her to back out, and when she didn't, he leaned in, and gave her a searing kiss.

Penelope felt her heart leap into her throat, and as much as she wanted to deepen the kiss, she was glad they didn't. She didn't want to be so girly but she swore she would have fainted if that happened.

When the movie was over, and the credits started, they stood up. She leaned in, and pulled down his tall six foot two frame and kissed him on the lips. He wrapped his arms around her, and when they broke from the kiss, he kissed her on the cheek, yet lingered there for a minute.

Walking out, he grabbed her hand, and they threw away their leftover food. When they walked into the lobby, they were broken out of their staring at each other when they heard a familiar voice. "Aaron? G.? What the fuck?"

Penelope looked over, and Sean was there with his girlfriend, Julie, staring at their intertwined hands like it was an alien latched onto their hands and melted their skin off. They both broke apart instantly, and awkwardly looked away. "What are you doing here?" Aaron asked uncomfortably.

Sean growled, and looked at the both of them, and Penelope could see he was really angry. "What do you think? I am on a date! Like you two are, apparently, right? How long has this been going on behind my back?" he asked, with an accusing tone. Penelope furrowed her brows, not understanding his anger.

"This was-is our first date." Aaron said, his stance defensive. Sean looked at his brother, and his rage was building. Julie looked at Sean, and wrapped an arm around his. He flinched away from her, and his blond, shaggy locks whipped around, looking at her.

"Go in there! I will be there in a second," he snapped. Julie flinched, taken aback, and looked from the Hotchner's to Penelope and awkwardly walked off into the movie they just came from. Narrowing her eyes, Penelope was getting pissed. "Don't you ever talk to your girlfriend like that, Sean Joseph Hotchner! Go in there and apologize!"

Sean looked guilty for a second, until he looked at the couple again. "Do you even realize what this will do to all of us? Did you ever think this through or are you both so selfish you just don't give a fuck?! I will never forgive either of you! Go to hell!" he growled, low enough for them to hear but the others walking around couldn't hear it. After Sean stormed into the theater, Penelope stood there in shock. What was happening?

He had never been so angry at her before. Once he was angry for a day, but he told her he actually got over it after she left, he just watched a bunch of cartoon reruns and got sidetracked. She turned to go talk to him, when Aaron grabbed her wrist.

"Just leave him to cool off. He will be better in the morning. I promise." Nodding, she shuffled out of the movie theater into the cold night air. It started snowing, and so Aaron clutched her arm tightly with his and walked her to the car.

The drive home was tense, and they were too shocked to say a word. Walking her to her door, she opened the door and waved for him to come inside. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Your parents are gone tonight, right?" he asked, unsure. She smirked, and shrugged a shoulder in response.

"I suppose they won't be back until after midnight. Why?" she teased. He seemed very nervous, but she knew he wouldn't pressure her until she was ready.

"I had a great time, Penelope. Tonight was amazing and I was wondering... will you be my girlfriend?" he asked, eyes hopeful. Tears sprang in her eyes, and she wanted to say yes. Wanted to tell him she will always say yes, but she couldn't. If someone would have told her that Aaron Hotchner was going to ask to be her boyfriend and she'd turn him down, she would have died in laughter. Now all she wanted to do was be selfish and run into his arms and tell him yes.

She walked into his arms, and he held her waist as she put her arms on his delicious chest. He grinned, and as soon as he really looked-really looked- into her eyes, he frowned."I want that more than anything, Aaron. I want this, but not at the destruction of my friendships. I don't know why he acted that way, but if he can't be okay with this... I don't think we can go forward," she trembled, tears sprang into her eyes.

Aaron nodded, but seemed upset. Coming closer, he kissed her on the forehead, and whispered, "This was the best date I've ever been on, Penelope." They rested their foreheads together, and relished the moment. If they never had another, they weren't going to waste this one.

Taking a shaky breath, he intertwined their fingers, and he brought it up and kissed the top of her hand softly. Her breath hitched, and she wiped the tears that slipped down her cheek. He waved, and opened the car door. Heartbroken, she walked upstairs and took a shower, and cried herself to sleep. This was not how she imagined this night ending, and she was going to confront Sean tomorrow.

Sean dodged her the rest of the week, and Aaron had said he had ignored him as well all week, not even staying in the same room as him. He wouldn't listen to anything they had to say. Penelope didn't understand, and she knew that no matter what, she would get her friendship back. The next day was school, and she was positive that she could get him to talk then.

The next morning, she rode her bike to school and searched for Sean. When the bell rang, she couldn't keep her mind focused in class, and she asked to be excused. Walking to his class where he was supposed to be, she yelled his name over the teacher telling her to leave, but he wasn't there anyways. Annoyed, she got on her bike, and rode to his house.

His mother, Elena let her in, and he walked to their rooms, and both were gone. Huffing, she looked outside and saw the latch was closed on the tree house. Narrowing her eyes, she ran outside and climbed up.

Knocking, he didn't reply so she climbed inside. He was lying on his back in the tree house, not bothering to look at her. "What do you want, Garcia?" he asked, angry.

Lying next to him, she stared blankly at the ceiling too. "I came to yell at you, and then cry it out. You?" she asked. He looked at her and rolled his eyes.

"Please, Sean! Talk to me! What the hell was that about that night?"

Sean sat up, and ran a hand through his hair. "I was shocked and... hurt! I thought my best friend had been keeping this a secret from me and my own brother! I didn't even know you liked him!" he exclaimed.

She frowned, and sat up as well. "I always have liked him, to be honest, and that was our first date, but I never thought he liked me like that. I would have just been happy being friends with him. Look, he got me this," she held up the necklace, and the little jewels inside sparkled when it hit the small amount of sun shining through the tiny window.

Sean smiled, but she could still see he was upset. "It's nice. I just... I don't want to lose us, and now I won't know if you are coming over for me or to see him, you know? And what if you break up? Who would I side with? It's the worst since I can't decide bros before hos because he is my brother and you're my best friend!" he frowned. She rolled her eyes, and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"Really? That's what you're worried about? You are my best-est-est friend! If I come over, I'd come over to see both of you, the same as before, dude. If you say no, I won't be with him. Your friendship is too important to me. I love you Sean!" Penelope said sadly. She meant every word, but saying she would give up Aaron was a little harder to say than she thought.

Sean sighed, and rested his head on her shoulder, and she played with his hair like she always did. He seemed relieved, and nodded against her shoulder. "Okay. It is a trial basis! Got it?" he said grumbling. She smiled, knowing he was actually okay with it. "And don't worry. We already talked about who gets you if we break up," she grinned crookedly. Sean laughed, and visibly relaxed.

"I need to go find Aaron and tell him. I told him we couldn't be together if you weren't okay with it." Suddenly, Sean jumped away from her. Confused, Penelope moved away to give him more room. Sean moved to the door and opened it. "Shit! We have to go now! I need to apologize!" He scurried out, and Penelope furrowed her brow. She didn't like where this was going...

"What do you mean, you have to apologize? What did you do?" she asked as they ran to his car. They drove out of the driveway and headed towards school.

"I may have called him a, um... a 'home-wrecker' last night and punched him in the jaw," he winced. Penelope gasped, covering her mouth and after the initial shock wore off, she clenched her fists and growled.

"You asshole! I can't believe you- you know what, no- I can believe it!" she huffed. If he wasn't driving, she would have slapped him for it. Instead she took her nails and pinched his arm.

"Ow! G, that hurt! I couldn't help it, he was bugging me all week and I snapped!" he tried apologizing. They pulled up to school, and hunted down Aaron in Psychology. Knocking on the door, they made up a lie to get Aaron out, and seeing Aaron's purple and swollen jaw, she covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Aaron. I felt really bad after I did that. Will you forgive me?" Aaron narrowed his eyes, and looked to Penelope, his eyes were more hurt than Penelope could take.

"Whatever." Penelope walked up to him, and leaned up and ghosted her lips against his bruised jaw. Aaron's eyes wide, he didn't understand. She grabbed his hand, and he held it tightly. "I talked it over with Sean, and he thought we were keeping it from him, and he lashed out. We worked it out," she said softly.

Grinning, he spun her around again, and when she yelled at him to put her down, he reluctantly listened. Leaning down, he pressed his lips against hers, and hugged her tightly. Sean cleared his throat, and waited for their attention.

"Yeah... this is weird for me, so I need to take some time to adjust. It's pretty gross," He stuck his tongue out, and shuddered. Aaron shrugged, and held her hand, walking out to their cars. When Penelope got in Aaron's car, she buckled her seat belt, and smiled brightly at him.

"So, you ready for your birthday, Penelope?" he grinned. Looking away, she felt content. Everything she ever dreamed of was happening, and she had never felt happier.

The next day, it was her birthday. They all got together, and celebrated. She got her car for her birthday, and earlier that day she passed her driver's test, but when she got home that night, she didn't have a car. It turns out, it was a little worse than her brother had said and needed to have some work done. They would need more time than they thought.

Aaron stayed longer, and had to withstand her brother's who came back for her birthday. They circled him like vultures, and each took a turn to threaten him in some horrible manner before the end of the night.

Aaron seemed a little green by the end of the night, most would have run away, but he definitely didn't. Saying goodbye, he didn't want to kiss her with her brothers peeking behind the door, so he kissed her cheek and after saying "Happy Birthday, Penelope", he left.

Aaron and Sean had decided that they would really celebrate that weekend. They were going to Donnie Groves' party that Friday night, then the next night go to a rave in Denver. She was really excited.

When she went to the party, she got a little more drunk than she intended, but she had a great time. Fumbling in her house completely drunk, she got home thanks to a sober Aaron, luckily, but it wasn't good enough where her parents were concerned. They were livid saying she was so irresponsible, getting wasted and staying out way past her curfew.

"You're grounded Penelope! You are going to stay home and you are not to go to the Hotchner's for a month!" her step-father, Rich had exclaimed. His face was beet-red, and the vein in his forehead was poking out, which was never a good sign.

"I'm sorry! To be fair, though, I think that keeping me from the Hotchner's will hurt them more than it hurts me, here," she slurred. He brought her into her room, and she laid down, giggling uncontrollably.

Her father was not pleased, and he walked to the doorway. "You aren't getting your car tomorrow, either! Have fun walking to school on Monday!" he yelled. Her mother said nothing, she just looked utterly disappointed, which pissed off Penelope.

Her father slammed the door, and knowing there was nothing more to be said, she passed out. Waking up in the morning, she was hungover, her honey blonde hair was still in her previous up-do, and the makeup she wore was completely smudged across her face. Her breath smelled horrible and she needed her toothbrush immediately.

Walking into the bathroom, she cleaned herself up, starting with her teeth and followed by a shower. Once she was out, her head was still pounding, but she felt more like herself. Changing into her "grounded clothes" which consisted of sweatpants and a Doctor Who t-shirt with a messy bun hairstyle, she shuffled downstairs.

Her parents had made breakfast, and seeing her hungover granted her no sympathy. Sighing, she grabbed some breakfast and ate some, but she felt like she could throw up any minute. Glancing up from his paper, her step-father gave her the "look" before getting up. "I am leaving for work. I'll be back later tonight. Your mother is about to go to work soon, but you are still grounded! No Hotchner's, no phone, and no leaving the house. Got it?" Sighing, she nodded, and rolled her eyes.

Rich walked over and kissed her hair before kissing his wife and leaving to go to work. Penelope's mother looked crestfallen, and remained quiet. After soaking the dishes, she grabbed her purse. "Okay, I am leaving. We will be back before dinner. Make sure to do your chores and I was hoping you could get dinner started. There is stuff to make a pizza in there. Sound good?" Penelope nodded, and shrugged.

"Whatever. Bye," she said coldly. She couldn't believe she had to stay home on the day her friends had a party for her. She was really pissed, and wanted her mother out of her sight. Her mother frowned and looked away.

"Love you Penelope. See you in a bit. If there is an emergency you can use the phone to call Daddy and me, okay?" Penelope was getting really annoyed, and gave her a quick nod before stomping into the living room.

When her mother left, she worked on her chores, getting them out of the way. She did the dishes, vacuumed, swept and dusted. Some time after noon, the phone rang, and it was Sean and Aaron on the phone.

"Hey, G! What ya doin'?" Penelope frowned, and sat down, taking a break. "I'm doing my chores, and I have to make dinner soon," she said. "No! That sucks! I wanted you to come over and get ready here!" Biting her lip, she felt her heart sink. She supposed she had to tell them about last night.

"Do you need help, Penelope? We aren't doing anything right now. Hey! Knock it off, dick!" Aaron yelled. Penelope could hear the smack from Sean over the phone, and as much as she didn't like her new boyfriend to be hurt, she laughed. They were so weird.

"No thanks, Aaron. I'm almost done. So where is the party again?" She knew she had to bring up last night but it was hard to do that when they seemed so excited.

"It's gonna be great! We will be in Denver, in an old warehouse! The rave is gonna be amazing! I heard that there is gonna be the hottest DJ in Denver that is gonna make an appearance! Ooh! And a chimp!" Sean rambled, his voice went higher than usual.

Smiling sadly, she sighed. "Sounds awesome! Listen, um... I can't make it tonight. My mom woke up and saw me last night. I'm grounded for a month, and I don't get my car yet," she grumbled. She knew not to bother asking about his random ramblings. Silence was heard over the phone, and Garcia felt her anger boil over. This sucked.

"Really? Can't we talk to them? Wait... that may make it worse, huh?" Sean asked. Rolling her eyes, she smiled, but she was far from happy. "You think? Ugh! This is so stupid! I have been looking forward to this for a couple of weeks, and now I have to stay home and watch reruns of classic TV with my mom!" She snapped.

"Do you want me to sneak into your bedroom to keep you company, Penelope?" Aaron asked, too innocently. Thank God he said that over the phone and not in person because she would have maroon cheeks for a week. That would be very enticing, but that is exactly why she would turn that down.

Clearing her sudden frog in her throat, she was about to say something when Sean piped in. "Ew, Aaron. Look what you did! She is trying not to puke!" A giggle escaped and she covered her mouth.

"Sorry, Penelope. I just meant..." Aaron said regrettably.

"I know. And I would, but I think that it could get me more grounded if that were to happen," she hinted. Aaron laughed lightly, and there was a silence that followed for a few seconds.

"Why? Why do you have to turn it gross! Ugh!" Sean whined. Aaron and Penelope laughed and this time she heard another loud smack, followed by Sean yelling this time.

"So... I suppose we'll have to see you on Monday, then?" Aaron asked, disappointment lacing his tone. She bit her lip, and nodded, even though they couldn't see.

"N-Yeah? No. Yes? No, you know what? It's my damn birthday party with you guys and I am not going to miss it! I'll be there! I'll meet you in the tree house at nine!" she said, determined. Sean cheered and Aaron, his usual quiet self, didn't cheer, but she heard another loud smack and this time it sounded like they high-fived each other.

"Yeah! That's my girl! I love it when you get all naughty! This is gonna kick ass! We'll have ya back before like, I don't know... five? Six in the morning?" Sean asked casually.

"Sean..." she warned.

"Okay, okay! Like, maybe four thirty? Okay, ouch! Aaron! Okay like two? Sound good?" She smiled and agreed.

"Okay. I got to go. See you then!" Hanging up, she got her stuff done as quickly as possible. She just finished the pizzas when her parents walked in. Eating in a strained silence, no one looked at her, and it made her more angry.

Later, after her father cleaned the dishes, they sat down and watched reruns the rest of the night. Luckily, her parents were exhausted from work, so they wanted to be in bed early. It was eight thirty when they went to go to sleep, so Penelope went to her room to quietly get ready.

Sneaking out the back door, she walked to Aaron and Sean's house to the back yard. Waiting in the tree house, they came out a little after nine, when their parents went to sleep. Aaron smiled, and hugged her when he came inside first. She blushed and made room for Sean to come up as well, covering herself with a blanket.

"You look so beautiful in that dress," Aaron said lowly. His eyes roamed, from the top of her head to her high-heeled shoes. She was wearing a dress she had made herself with a red winter jacket over it. It was a pearly colored dress, that clung to her curves, and tulle puffed out at the hips, the dress stopping mid-thigh. Her hair was half-up, with soft curls cascading down, and her shoes were high-heels that were a bright red.

"Thanks, so do you. I mean, you look handsome," she sputtered. Looking at Aaron, he was gorgeous. He had on a white hoodie, with jeans and his hair parted a little on the left side. His dark and haunting eyes were locked with hers, and his smile sent shivers down her spine.

She heard a cough next to them, and she momentarily forgot about Sean. He was his usual handsome self, with a large white sweatshirt as well with a dark wash jeans and converse sneakers. His body had filled out, much more muscular now that he started soccer and swimming. His blonde shaggy hair was in his face, as it usually was, and his bright blue eyes made every girl in their class swoon, even though he was considerably younger.

"Hey Sean. You look quite handsome as well," she smiled. He scoffed and shook his head. "What else is new, G? Hey! You ready to go? It's cold out here!" Getting up, Aaron crouched and offered a hand to Penelope.

"Ladies first," Aaron murmured, letting her make her way through the cramped space to the latch. She smiled, grateful since she was wearing a dress. Climbing down after two boys was quite embarrassing, so she moved quickly down.

"I'll say it again, G, I am still impressed you can get up and down this tree house in your heels. I couldn't do it," Sean called out, as she stepped down on the last board that was nailed to the tree. She laughed, remembering last year he took a pair of her shoes, because they fought over going to practice soccer with him. She didn't want to because her feet hurt from wearing high heels.

He didn't believe her, and he said women make up that excuse for foot rubs. Grabbing her favorite pair, which he couldn't even fit in, they made a bet and walked around his house in them. When finally he walked out onto the grass, and almost sprained his ankle a few times, fumbling towards the tree house, he gave up.

Needless to say, he humbly apologized. She told him that after a while they don't hurt very bad once you're used to them, but she just got that pair so she had to break them in. After handing them back and calling them "death traps", he went and asked for a foot rub. She smacked him and she went to the park so he could practice, and she could watch.

Sean and Aaron made it down, and walked with her to the car. "That was the best bet I ever made, Sean. As long as we still have our date to get mani-pedis twice a month for the rest of our lives it's worth it."

Aaron froze, and looked at them. "Date? Wait, mani-pedis? Really?" Aaron smirked at his brother. Sean blushed deeply, and self-consciously shrugged.

"I don't use colors! Besides, it's relaxing..." he grumbled. Aaron laughed hard, and clutched his stomach. Garcia smirked and walked up to the car door. They were using Aaron's car, and Aaron ran up, after wiping the tears from his eyes and opened the car door for her.

She said thank you, and got in the passenger seat. Sean got in the back, and Aaron drove. Driving away, they had to pick up Sean's girlfriend on the way. It was a bit of a drive, but they sang songs and joked around until they got there.

They partied that night, mostly dancing, and even though there were drugs and drinking all around, they refrained, since they were in an area they weren't comfortable in. Sean and she danced a few times, and they mostly just jumped around, holding hands and laughing. She glanced to where Aaron was and she could feel his eyes on her before she even found him. He watched as she danced with him, and she could see he was happy, yet his eyes were burning with such intensity she shuddered.

Aaron danced with her all night, their bodies sweating from the packed crowds and their own tension building. Penelope grinded against Aaron, her arm draped over his neck, and rolled her hips. Aaron groaned quite a bit, and when she looked up into his eyes they were dark, and consuming. His hands stayed on her hips, but a few times he moved one of them to the underside of her breasts, and she could feel his bulge grinding against her, and she never felt so amazing. He looked at her as if she was the only one there, and even as women came up to him, he practically ignored them and hugged her from behind, kissing her neck. She had such an amazing time, and she loved that she was there with him. Consequences be damned.

Around midnight, Aaron grabbed something to drink for the both of them, and they moved to the edge of the large warehouse. Their bodies were covered in a sheen of sweat, from the jumping and so many people there. "Thanks for tonight. If I get caught it may be a while until I see the light of day. This is so worth it, though, being here with you," she yelled in his ear over the music.

He gave her a lop-sided grin, and grabbed her free hand. "I am just happy you are here, babe. There's nowhere else I'd rather be than here with my girlfriend," he said in her ear. She froze, and couldn't believe she actually heard him say "Girlfriend", again.

Moving slowly away from her ear, his hot breath skated across her cheek, and lifting up his hand, he cupped her face more softly than she would have imagined. Pausing, and looking deeply into her eyes, she could see he was waiting for her to stop him, and she looked at his lips, and closed her eyes. His lips brushed against hers like a whisper, and she couldn't stand to be apart from him any longer. She closed the distance, and hearing Aaron gasp into her mouth brought on a confidence she wasn't aware she had.

He pulled her tight against his body, and they were swaying to the music in the background. She honestly couldn't tell if it was slow or fast, considering how light-headed she was. She felt every inch of him, and it felt a little scary, but at the same time not nearly enough. He wrapped an arm around her back, resting his hand above her ass.

She had never felt this way, and in the moment it was just them. Everything faded, every noise, color, smell, aside from him. He lightly grazed her bottom lip with his tongue, silently begging to enter, and she gasped this time into his mouth. He kissed her hungrily, and explored her tongue with his, barely taking a breath. It was everything Penelope dreamed of, and she felt like she was flying, she was so deliriously happy.

He was assertive, yet not too dominating. When they broke apart, she saw a flash of lust fill his eyes before grinning down at her. Blushing, she took a deep breath to calm her frantic heartbeat. All too soon, the background came back into focus, the smells and colors whirled around, and the magic was gone.

Looking away reluctantly, she saw Sean holding a couple of red cups in his hands, looking at them. Sean smiled, happy for them. Aaron followed where Penelope was looking, and he stared blankly at his brother. "Yeah. It's gonna take some time to get used to you eating her face, but I am not throwing up in my mouth anymore, so I guess that's a good start."

Penelope crinkled her nose in disgust, and wrapped her fingers around Aaron's hand. "Sean, don't be gross," Aaron said disapprovingly. Shrugging, he looked around and his girlfriend slid into his arms, holding tightly around his torso.

Sean handed her the other drink in his hand, and kissed her temple. Aaron looked at the tiny group, and grinned brightly. "Come on! Let's party!" he screamed. Everyone shouted in earnest, and started dancing to the fast beats.

They partied until three, and they knew they had to head back. It was a long trek, and they had to sneak back in the house, still. When they got back to the Hotchner's house, Aaron wanted to walk her back to the house.

Declining, she said it would be fine, and that the less noise near the house the better chance she had to getting back with none the wiser. Biting her lip, she turned back and kissed him soundly on the lips, and waved goodbye to everyone. Sean paid no mind, making out with Julie in the back seat.

Garcia hummed happily until she made it near the front of her house. This was the happiest day of her life so far, and she couldn't believe they were together. It felt like fate. Sneaking in, she climbed into bed and waited for a few minutes to see if her parents would come barging in. Luckily they didn't, so Garcia got up and got ready for sleep.

She woke up earlier than she thought, it being near eight in the morning, and Penelope woke to the doorbell ringing non-stop. Grumbling, she got up and walked downstairs, and opened the door.

"May I help... you...?" she faltered, seeing two policemen standing at her door. Her heart smashed violently against her chest, and she looked around. "Mom! Dad! The police are here!"

"May we come in, miss? What is your name?" Penelope chewed her lip, and hesitated.

"Penelope Garcia. Is this about Jason? My mom will be down in a minute and she can sort this out." She said sweetly, fearing for her brother. It wasn't his first time involved with the police but she was pretty sure it was nothing too crazy. Her brother may have made mistakes but he was no idiot.

"Miss-" he was cut off again by Penelope.

"Sorry, she will just be a second. Mom! Hurry up!" she called up the stairs.

The policemen looked at each other, and the silent one up until now, Officer Clairmont cleared his throat. "Miss Garcia. We came to let you know there has been an accident. May we come in?" Penelope gasped, and took an involuntary step back.

"Accident? What accident? Is it one of my brothers?" she asked, her eyes blurring with un-shed tears. The policemen invited themselves in, and took off their hats. Penelope froze, and she looked away.

"We found your parent's car in a ditch on the highway. A man driving a semi had been drunk driving and hit your parent's car. They passed away last night. We have to bring you down to the station, okay? We can't tell you how sorry we are for your loss," they said sincerely.

Garcia looked up the stairs, confused. It didn't make sense, they were there last night, and went to sleep. Why would they have left? Suddenly, it dawned on her. Running up the stairs, she grabbed her cell phone. Looking at it, she had a few missed calls.

Feeling tears silently run down her cheeks, that was all she felt at the moment. Checking the number, it was her mom. Gasping, she fell on her knees. The policemen ran upstairs and grabbed her phone, and escorted her into their vehicle.

It turned out, her parents had found out that she snuck out, and went looking for her. Penelope was beside herself, taking all of the blame. Her brother's came to the city for the funeral, and along with the Hotchner's they buried her parent's into the cold ground. Aaron had comforted her as much as he could, and it helped, but when his arms were not around her she felt this deep ache, like a chunk of her heart had been cut out and nothing was able to take that pain away.


They interrogated her for hours, and she remained firm that she wasn't who they were looking for. She didn't know why she was fighting for her innocence so much. It's one thing to be a masked gunmen or bank robber, but being a hacker comes with issues. When you are a hacker, it is a sense of pride to leave a signature on your work, and you rarely get the anonymity a mask can bring, especially when you want to show the world you can change it for the better.

She had just got back from the bathroom, and Agent Morgan was momentarily in the other room, leaving her with Agent Reid. She was so tired, and if they didn't let her go in fifteen minutes, she was going to lawyer up.

"Penelope, I am going to be honest with you. I think what you did for those women was amazing. I am so glad they were investigated, and shut down. That was a great thing to do." Penelope looked down, and said nothing. She knew what she did was good, but what the problem was the gray area, and that was why she was there currently.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" she groaned. She was so tired. She can't remember the last time she slept. Suddenly, the door burst open, and her heart stopped.

A man burst through the doors, his eyes wild and so intense she would have dropped to her knees if she wasn't sitting down. From the corner of her eye, she saw Agent Morgan stroll in behind him, but didn't walk up to her. He walked to the far corner and stood there, crossing his arms.

The moment she saw him, however, she felt her heart rip out of her chest. His eyes were almost crazed, and his tie was hanging loosely around his neck, like he had been tugging on it for a while. He was almost the same as he was ten years ago, and it was like seeing a ghost. A ghost that she wished she could block out, but it was impossible to any other time, why should now be any different?

She wasn't dumb. She knew she would run into him eventually, but did it have to be when she is handcuffed to a table in an FBI interrogation room? If God was real, he had a sick sense of humor.

The man stood in front of her, while the cutie-patootie kid walked to Agent Morgan, and almost had the same exact posture. Like they were waiting for something. Now she really felt out of place, because another Adonis was right in front of her. What are they putting in the water here? she wondered.

She needed to distract herself, and it was easier to focus on them while she collected her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, and tried to keep the tears at bay. She would not cry right now. Definitely later, but not now.

She held her breath as she looked up, and saw the only eyes that have ever captured her soul. "Hi, Penelope," the man said softly, and she felt a shiver run down her spine as she heard his silky tone and her name fall off his lips like he has said it to her every day.

"Hi, Aaron."


A.N.- Hello! Just saying I don't own Shel Silverstein nor do I own Home Alone. :(BTW if you aren't familiar with the poem, you can google it. That Google, man... anyways... Hope you liked it. Let me know what you think! BTW- I found out about "fluffers" because my ex turned into one! LMAO! the reeces pieces story is legit true. My Husband was so nervous on our first date it happened 3 times in a row not twice! Haha! I died. Anyways have a good one!