A.N.- Hello! I am so sorry I neglected this story! I have most of the first half written on this one, so it could be that I'm two chapters ahead on this, but i am not exactly sure. Either way I promise I will definitely make this one a priority! Unless, of course, I get writer's block, but I'm sure that won't happen. Right? ;) Again, sorry for the wait. Can't wait to hear what you think! Send me love! I love you all to pieces! Thanks for taking the time to read my story!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. *sniff*
What Could've Been
Chapter Four
"It's been a long time," he breathed. Penelope looked at him, and her heart shattered. God, he was so beautiful. He always was, but age just added to it. How are men so amazing at that? He was so gorgeous before, and now she needed a tall drink of water just to make up from all of the saliva that had evaporated from her internal panting. Ugh. Seeing his warm, dark brown eyes staring into hers sent her stomach tightening. How she secretly wished she was there to see who he became today.
Seeing him again after all of this time, made her want to play with her necklace she was wearing. She did that when she was nervous or stressed, so she supposed it was a good thing to be shackled to a table, at the moment. The chain was chilly trailing down between her cleavage, and it was then that she realized she would have to part with it. She didn't know if she could, to be honest. It was the one thing she felt was still hers in this world.
His eyes were almost the same, but there was more pain in them than he used to have. He was still as tall as ever, and it was clear he still worked out, unlike her lazy ass. While she gained some weight in these past years, he seemed to just pack on the same weight in muscle. It made her want to puke and pant in equal measure. Stupid pretty man.
"It has. I'm sure you didn't call me here, however, to hang out like the old days. Did you miss me that much you had to arrest me... Agent Hotchner? A simple phone call would do," she winked. She remained calm and collected, but inside her heart was racing and the pain began to amplify. Oh shit, she thought. Not the smirk. Don't do the-
He smirked, for a moment, before his face turned to stone. A look that was very familiar when it came to the Hotchner's, but only in their father. It made her fists clench on top of the table, and she looked down.
"I wish I had seen you again under... different circumstances, G.,"
The term of endearment raised her hackles. He didn't get to use that. Not now, not ever. He never used that with her before, only Sean had ever used it. She didn't know what to make of it. Did he feel nothing for her anymore? Is that a bad thing? She didn't know. All she knew was that felt like a bucket of ice water dumped over her head. She now knows that he is to never to call her that. Not when he arrested her and certainly not because of the way they left things. She could see the two agents in the corner murmuring to each other, and she couldn't help but wonder if they knew about her? If they knew Aaron used to be with a felon?
"That isn't my name, Airhead. Not to you, anyway." Aaron gave her a withering scowl, and his eyes were becoming intense once again.
"What would you like me to call you?" he asked, genuinely curious. Garcia looked down, and cleared her throat. This wasn't right. None of this was right. She always imagined how she would see him again, since she knew it was only a matter of time. She was still best friends with Sean, after all, and they had an understanding that there was no talk of families, and certainly nothing about Aaron unless it was life or death. It was too painful how everything ended. Sean respected that, so he kept his word. At least to her, anyway.
She imagined reuniting him while standing under mistletoe at a Christmas party held by Sean who had casually seemed to forget to remind her that Aaron was going to show up, or maybe knocking on her door because he couldn't stand another minute without her. Every dream she had since it ended was to find their way back to each other in grandiose scenarios, or just a simple way. Hand-delivering an old letter, or when Sean had his first child, or when she rolled into town and their carts crashed into each other at the grocery store, or anything to see his smoldering gaze once again. Not like this. Not here. This was horrifying.
Aaron sighed, and pulled on his tie. When she looked up, she noticed his eyebrows furrowed and his jaw clenched tightly. A tell tale sign he was extremely exhausted. He rarely used to show any weakness, so she had always been keenly aware of subtle cues to figure him out.
Looking at his hand that pulled his tie, silver glinted brightly in the harsh light, and that's when she noticed it. His wedding ring, right there on his left ring finger. She looked away, and felt nauseous. She should have expected it, given how gorgeous he still was, it was only a matter of time, but she was lost in the way his eyes had focused on her. For a moment, when he first entered the cold and stagnant room, he looked at her like she was the only thing worth focusing on like he used to do every time he saw her. Like time had frozen after all of this time. Like he had been waiting for her as long as she had waited for him. But that was impossible. He had opportunities to call her. To go to her. Yet, when he finally saw her again it was being arrested for stuff that she did for the right reasons.
Now it all felt so wrong. Was this some ploy to get her to confess? Was she a joke to him? Both of their actions felt wrong. His hand went under the desk, and when she locked eyes she swore she saw desire shining in them. And just like that it was gone. Looking at that ring made her heart shrivel and dry out, crumbling away. She didn't want to look at him anymore. Too many painful memories. She missed him more than she realized, and tears welled in her eyes. Crying wouldn't do her any good, however, so she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, fighting the urge to leap into his arms and cry like she had done so many times before.
"I don't care what you call me, Aaron. I'm certainly not your wife anymore, so you can call me whatever the hell you want! I don't know what you think you have, but I can't be here anymore! I-I can't. I am getting a lawyer." She turned away, fighting the tears, when suddenly he stood up. He smashed his hands on the table, and she jumped, and found his eyes boring holes into her. She wanted to shrink away from his glare, wanted to apologize for whatever would have caused that type of reaction. That wasn't the Aaron she knew.
"Damn it, Penelope! We have proof it's you. It was you on the footage, and I know with every breath in my body it was you! You are looking at twenty years minimum, since your partner," Aaron sneered at the word, looking completely irate, "has everything pinned on you!" Penelope swallowed thickly, and shook her head. Great, she thought. The love of my life is going to arrest me for life.
After the funeral, Penelope's brother's didn't know what to do. They were young and just starting out in life, and could barely function let alone take care of her as a guardian. Penelope had been spending the nights at Aaron's and Sean's house, and they kept her company and watched chick flicks with her to help get her mind off of it. Now that was love.
Penelope could barely eat, let alone pay attention long enough to watch any movie. The thought of knowing she was responsible for her parent's death choked the life out of her. She was so stupid. So reckless. She didn't have to go, they could have went when the next one came or just not gone at all, but she wanted to be selfish, and defiant, and now she was paying for it. Sean and Aaron tried to console her, and do all they could to bring back their Penelope they knew and loved. They told her over and over that it wasn't her fault. Blame them, blame the drunk driver, blame fate or God, but not herself. It all fell on deaf ears.
A couple weeks after their funeral, Penelope and all of the family members congregated at the Hotchner's house. Penelope assumed her brother's were going to sit down and fight over who was going to get custody of her. She wouldn't be eighteen for a couple of years, but she would be off to college at the end of summer. She wasn't really up for it, but she knew she better go down and veto at least one of the brother's choices. She loved her brother Daniel, but he reminded her too much of her mother, and that was the last thing she wanted right now. Not to mention he can barely cook water without burning the house down. Also, she didn't know what she was going to do. They all lived too far away, which meant she would have to give up everyone she loved to move away. It was enough to make her not want to live anymore. If she didn't have those boys within driving distance... she didn't know what she was going to do.
When she walked in, her brother's waited on the side of the wall, and they had gloomy faces, some of them were even crying. They didn't even cry at the funeral. Surprised, she looked around, and Sean and Aaron were looking at her with sympathy, but didn't come to her. Chewing her lip, she jumped, suddenly feeling someone touch her shoulders. Looking behind her, she relaxed, seeing Elena Hotchner smile reassuringly at her.
"Penelope, sweetie? Can we discuss something with you in the other room, please?" Elena asked sweetly. Confused on who she would be actually talking to, she nodded and gave her a small smile and nodded.
Leading her down to the den, there was just Matthew, Sean's and Aaron's father in the room. Her body tensed, and now when she looked at him all she could see was the pain on Aaron's face. She hated this man. The sinewy man was seated at his desk, nursing the umpteenth whiskey in his hand, she was sure. Usually, this time of night was when he seemed to be loose, and a little dangerous, but the closer she looked, she realized that wasn't the case tonight. He was calm, and controlled, and his eyes weren't bloodshot, which is a normal look for the man during the day, but at night? Not so much.
Elena had her take a seat by the fireplace, and she was glad she wasn't directly in front of him. When she sat down, Aaron and Sean stood by the door, and looked over at her. Aaron gave nothing away in his face, looking blankly ahead. A usual look when they were in his father's presence. Sean gave her a small lop-sided grin and clasped his hands behind his back.
Elena stood near her, and she seemed to not find the words. "We asked you in here, Penelope, because we went over your parent's will. You know that Mr. Hotchner is a lawyer, and he had done your parent's will a little before they happened to... pass." Penelope didn't want to look over at him in recognition, she just wanted her to get to the damn point.
"Well, you know your mother and I had grown closer since you had started coming over, and..." she faltered, wiping some tears on her face with her trembling hand. Mr. Hotchner got to his feet abruptly and walked over.
Penelope tensed, and when he got near them, he forcibly moved Elena out of the way so he was near Penelope. Looking into his eyes, she saw the inscrutable face that Aaron held so often. "Honestly Elena. Stop whining and clean up your face!" he snapped, anger flashing in his eyes. He was handsome, and she could tell that when he was younger he must have been the one every girl in town flocked to, before his temper and drinking got in the way.
She grabbed a tissue, and held up a hand to him, letting him know that she could do it. Mr. Hotchner narrowed his eyes, slightly before going to sit back down. As Mr. Hotchner sat down, he shook his head. "Blubbering fool..." he muttered, and Elena tensed, and dabbed her eyes. Taking a few deep breaths, she calmed herself down enough to speak.
"Your parents were so proud of you when you jumped up to being a senior this year. They had a life insurance policy in place for all of the children, and you will get yours for college. The thing is, however, where you will go. I'm sure you want to go with one of your brother's but I have to let you know, that your parents asked us if we would take you in. Your brother's do want you, but your parent's wanted you to stay in the same school, and wanted you to have some normalcy in your life. If you went with one of them, you would have to move away. Your closest brother, Jason, can't take you since he lives in the dorm, still. Daniel lives the closest beyond that and he is a thousand miles away, honey. So what we are asking is, would you like to live here?"
Penelope was numb, listening to her speak, and it felt like she was speaking in a foreign language or something. Looking at her, she seemed sincere, but she couldn't imagine living in that house with them. Yes, she did spend most of her time there, but now that Aaron and her were dating, everything was different. Sean was her brother, and Elena felt like a second mom, but could she really live with someone like Mr. Hotchner knowing what she knew now?
She loved her brothers, but she knew that it would never work living with one of them. They lived too far away for her to remain at the same school, and they could barely take care of themselves. No doubt the boys did end up getting some money in the will, but she wouldn't be surprised if they just went and bought bulk Pizza Pockets and Mountain Dew with it.
Living at the Hotchner's wouldn't be the best idea, but then again, it would only be for another eight months, max, and then she will be moving away to go to college in Michigan. With Sean and Aaron. Biting her lip, she looked over to Sean and Aaron, who tried to look casual, but she could see the excitement linger in their eyes.
Mr. Hotchner looked cold and aloof, which was nothing new but you would think that he would have some feeling towards adding someone to the family, right? But he didn't have a single emotion crossing his features, and it sent chills down her spine. Sighing, she nodded. "Yes, I would like to live here, as long as everyone was fine with it," she said, scanning their faces once again.
Sean and Aaron smiled identically, and ran over colliding with her. They hugged her tightly, and Elena laughed in earnest. Mr. Hotchner took another drink of whiskey, and looked down at some papers on his desk. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth shut.
After talking with her brothers', they all wanted her to be happy, and they said they would visit every holiday. Her oldest brother, Zach, told her he was moving with his girlfriend, Melissa, to Florida. Apparently, he was saving up for an engagement ring. She was a beautiful woman, with cinnamon colored, almond shaped eyes, and small stature and tiny frame. Her raven-colored hair was straight to her shoulders, and she was so warm and sweet. Her family came from Japan, and she was born in the U.S..
They all had to go back to school and work, so after saying goodbye, they made arrangements to move her stuff in. The guest room was now to be hers, and since they were dating, there were no more sleep-overs in either of the rooms.
The next six months were hard, for everyone involved. Penelope went to therapy, for about a week, until the therapist kept harping about her unusual relationship with Sean, and how he thought Sean was in love with her. She laughed, and told him when she got home, and Sean looked grossed out. So did Aaron. Needless to say, she stopped going.
A few months after the funeral, her brothers had long since left, and things had begun to feel normal. Well, as much as it could when her parents were gone. It was almost their curfew, and Penelope was changing into some pajamas after a long, hot shower. She was in the bathroom downstairs, since Sean and Aaron were using the other bathrooms upstairs. Penelope had on a short violet tank top and boy shorts that ended on her upper thigh. Since she was still uncomfortable being at their house, she wore a robe usually late at night or in the mornings.
When she went to reach for it, she realized she had forgotten it. Groaning, she roped the hair tie one last time around her french braid and opened the door. Not wanting anyone to see her, she ran upstairs quickly, and right before she made it to her room, the door to the other bathroom opened.
Aaron was standing there, with a towel around his waist, and some stray droplets of water he missed were sliding down his body. Penelope couldn't help but to gawk, and neither could Aaron. His eyes that were usually warm and kind, were then hooded and unwavering. She felt her stomach tighten, and for a moment all of her pain and guilt slipped away, and it was replaced with longing. She missed her old self. She missed having a life. She missed having a life with her boyfriend and her two best friends. She missed laughing without suddenly feeling guilty. It was then that she knew she needed to let it go. As much as she could, at least.
"Hi."
"Hi."
Aaron gave her a crooked smile, and moved a tiny bit closer. "Aaron?" His eyes roamed across her body, and he looked like his control was about to slip. She loved how he made her feel. Like she was the only person in the room. Except that time, she was.
"Yes?" he asked, his voice deep.
She drank in his toned, muscular chest. The small trail of hair on his chest, like an arrow pointing south past his navel. How his breathing picked up a little more than it had before. The droplets cascading down, lower and lower until they disappeared under the towel on his hips.
"Like what you see?" he asked. He already knew the answer. He had said it plenty of times to her, and she always said something innocent, or she would use humor as an escape from the question.
"Yes," she breathed. Her breathing picked up, and her hard nipples were poking out of her tight top. Large breasts tightly pressed against the short tank top, her hard nipples were poking through the shirt, now enhanced by her quick breathing. Her eyes trailed along his body, and she left white-hot flames in her wake. He suppressed a groan, and watched as she licked her dry lips, staring directly where his towel was.
He took a step forward, and she angled herself closer to the wall as he did so. Since the accident they rarely touched. The most she would take from him was cuddling while they watched a movie, or if she had a bad dream, she would wake and walk into the kitchen, where he would finish his homework late at night, or have a snack. If they kissed, it was soft and quick pecks. Nothing close to the kisses they used to share. There were few before the accident but how they kissed used to leave earthquakes in their wake.
"What do you like, baby?" Her breath hitched at his words, they were oozing in confidence. A crooked smile just for her, and as he closed the distance, she gently placed her hands on his hard body. He closed his eyes, enjoying her light touches. He missed her so much he could barely breathe. He wanted her so much it was all he could think about. He wanted to be there for her, but it had been hard to keep his distance. To not kiss her or hold her the way he wished he could, to not make her smile all of these months or laugh had been torturous.
"What isn't there to like?" He didn't let her have time to take a breath before he crashed his lips to hers. The smell of mint invaded her senses, and his tongue swiped her bottom lip softer than she thought it would, considering how desperate the kiss was.
Without a second thought, she parted her pink lips, and whimpered as he explored her mouth. God, she missed this. Missed him. His strong arms wrapped around her tightly, her breasts pushed tightly against his chest. "I miss you so much, Penelope."
She ran her fingers through his hair, and kissed him with everything she had. She needed him so much. His hands moved from her hips, upwards, and brushed against her heavy mounds. She gasped as his hands moved lower again, and as he was about to grab her ass, her hands slid down the hard planes of his ab muscles. "What do you think you are doing in my house?" they heard screamed behind them. Jumping apart, Aaron hooked his finger with her own, and guided her a little back behind him as his father stomped closer.
"Aren't you supposed to be in your room, boy?" Aaron didn't want to leave. He didn't trust his father, and she mattered more than anything to him. Yet it could only get worse. He turned to her, and as a small act of defiance he knew he would pay for later, he leaned down and kissed her cheek with a ghost of his lips.
"Get some sleep, Penelope." Aaron squared his shoulders, and walked to his room across the hall.
"Goodnight, Mr. Hotchner." Before Penelope could take a step forward, Mr. Hotchner closed the distance between them. She wasn't expecting it, since he had never really come near her.
Her breath hitched, and her nerves amplified with every second. "I will not keep a slut under my roof. So help me, you will regret it if you whore your way into his bed! You will not sully his life and future, do you understand me? One wrong move and you will be thrown on the streets with nothing but the clothes on your back!" he hissed.
His cold eyes locked on hers, and she bit her cheek to stop the smirk from coming out. He couldn't send her out on the streets, and not to mention penniless. She had her parent's money, after all. Still, she didn't want to upset anyone since she was still trying to move forward.
Before she could even think of a response to that random statement, he stormed off, into his own room. She crossed her arms, and walked to her room. When she laid down, she heard a knock on the door. It was so soft she thought she imagined it.
Aaron peeked his head in, and relief washed over him. Running to her, he hugged her tightly, stroking her golden locks. His heart was thundering out of his chest, knowing something horrible could have happened. Letting her go, he scanned her, taking in every millimeter of flesh, hoping his worst fear hadn't happened.
Cradling her head, he swallowed thickly. "Are you alright? Did he-?" she cut him off with a shake of her head. "No, I'm fine. He just wanted to tell me to keep my hands to myself, in not so kind words." she smiled.
Aaron's eyes darkened, and his face became as stoic as the day she met him. "My father isn't one to threaten for no reason. I don't want to get you hurt, Leannan."
She smiled at him, loving to hear how much he cared. She was so lucky to have him in her life. "I admit, he scares me, but I don't care. You are all I need. Sean too, of course." She thought that would put a relieved smile on his face, but that wasn't the case. His eyes stayed as guarded and as cold as ever.
"If-If we stop this now, before you get hurt, then maybe we can be together once we are far away from here. If he ever hurt you because of me, I..." he trailed off, looking down. It was then that his eyes shut tightly. He didn't want to do this, to break up with her. He just got her, for fuck's sake. Anything but this, but what choice did he have? He couldn't control how he felt about her. The way he felt about her in such a short period of time was something he never expected. She was everything to him, and he would never let anything happen to her.
The shock was palpable, as was the pain in her eyes. She never hid how she felt, always displaying her heart on her sleeve. "What? You don't want to be with me?"
"Of course I do! I want you so much, you are all I think about! You are my best friend first and foremost and I'll be damned if I let that man touch you. Please, you are more important than my own happiness, Leannan," he pleaded.
"Leannan?" she asked. She heard him say it a little here and there under his breath, but she thought she misheard him. Now she distinctly heard it twice.
He blushed, but his small smile faded into one that seemed like a smirk. "It is Gaelic for lover."
She crashed her lips against his, and kissed him with everything she had. He groaned, and returned the sentiment, his breathing going ragged. If he didn't leave soon...
"I am not going anywhere, Aaron. I know you want to protect me, but I don't care. We are finally together, and if you want to be with me then nothing else matters. I can't keep away from you." She put her foot down, and Aaron reluctantly relented. He decided then that it was them against the world, and with Sean tagging along for the ride, they would fight to make it out of there.
Overtime, the guilt started to ebb about her parents, but a small amount hardened inside her heart, and she knew it would never really go away. But instead of getting wrapped up in that depressing fact, she knew she had to just let go. Move on and be free. Aaron and Penelope had grown closer, and four months after the funeral, they went on a date for the first time since the accident.
He told her he loved her, and she knew she loved him too. Telling him was terrifying, but it was just as amazing. Sean had been dating someone for the last six months, which never happened before. He never dated anyone longer than a month, and he was really into her.
Her name was Haley Brooks, and she had just moved there after Christmas break. She was the same age, but she wasn't a senior like them, she was a sophomore, since she was actually the normal one and stayed in her year. Her blonde hair was short, almost a pixie cut, and her small frame made her look like a fairy. She was so adorable, and Penelope had never seen Sean so happy.
Since Penelope had been there, Mr. Hotchner locked himself in his den most of the time. Which was fine for everyone involved. She didn't know if it was because she was constantly in the house or that he knew he couldn't control Aaron like he used to, but he seemed to leave Aaron alone for the most part. It had been rare that she saw a scratch on him, and she was so thankful. Not only for his reprieve from his father, but that she didn't have the constant guilt of whether or not she should call the cops every time she saw a mark.
Aaron was doing well, and even though he didn't get a football scholarship, he managed to be valedictorian. His father wasn't very impressed, and was angry that he had to shell out money for his education instead of being proud that he was at the top of the Senior class. Aaron didn't even want his money, so he declined, and said he would take care of it himself. Of course, Mr. Hotchner couldn't have that, for appearances, so he told the boys their education was already set up in a trust fund.
Later that day, when Mr. Hotchner went into his room, Elena came up after seeing everyone upset. She kissed Aaron on the forehead, and grabbed his hand. "Don't worry, darlings, it isn't your father's money. It was from my father, when you both were born." Feeling better about that, they could finally be relaxed about college.
Penelope wanted to make sure she had little debt as possible, so she made sure to get as many scholarships as she could, and it worked. She ended up with half of her college already covered and she still had her money from her parents.
Summer came, and they spent it mostly at the pool, which they had in their backyard, and made sure to enjoy their last few months before everything would change. Penelope's old house was still owned by the Garcia's, but no one lived in it. It was just a husk that was depleted of the love they used to fill it with, and now it was vacant aside from the gardener that the Hotchner's had hired to take care of the mowing and planting of the flowers.
Penelope couldn't bring herself to be in there, so she asked for her clothes and toiletries to be delivered, so now living at the Hotchner's, she only had her electronics, and necessities. Aaron had been asking if she had wanted some things in there, but she refused. Too many memories.
Now that Penelope and Aaron had been living together, their relationship progressed more quickly than they thought it would. Penelope hadn't had sex with him, but they had definitely came close a few times. She wasn't ready, and even though they had to stop, she was a tiny bit relieved, but on the other hand, disappointed. She did want him, and the look in his eyes was indication enough he felt the same way. His body felt so good, and sometimes she was the one to throw caution to the wind and have him right then and there, but Aaron had a touch more control than she did in those moments, which she was thankful for. He was so amazing.
Still, she didn't want to rush, and they had all the time in the world. Just to make sure, she wanted to be prepared and went on birth control, and had Aaron buy a box of condoms. Every time she looked at the location in his room that held the condoms, she blushed a deep scarlet.
Sean who had already lost his V-card few months ago, with Haley, had been MIA since the summer began. Ever since he had lost it, he had barely been around. It was cool, though. They caught up with each other at night or in the morning if he came in too late.
Once they moved, Sean had the hardest time. He had really cared for Haley, but she was going to move with her parents to Texas at the end of summer to run their small, family-owned grocery store in town. He had missed her, and Penelope and Aaron couldn't do anything aside from being there for him.
It was a month before they left college, and Sean had gone out with Haley on some special date before he had to leave. Penelope washed the dishes, and had went to her room to grab some laundry. Elena insisted on doing things like her laundry and cleaning, but Penelope didn't mind doing it herself, and she felt like she was helping in some small way.
She walked by the den, when she heard Aaron and his father with the door closed. "What did I tell you, boy?" Mr. Hotchner screamed, and a loud smack filled the air. She heard Aaron grunt, and it felt as if the pain shot through her. She heard him punch him, and Aaron hissing in pain. "I'm sorry, sir," he ground out, but his voice sounded hollow.
"You're sorry? Sorry? That's all you can say while you fornicate in my house under my roof! You think I didn't hear that whore in your room last night past curfew? What did I say, boy? What did I say? That whore will ruin all you're working for!" Penelope couldn't listen to his drunken lies anymore. It was bad enough she heard him go along with whatever he screamed, like some robot, but to be the reason he was hit tore her to pieces.
Penelope couldn't stand this anymore. Something snapped within her. She didn't even realize she was opening the door until she saw Aaron on his knees, holding his head, trying to block the blows. Her eyes darted to Mr. Hotchner, who just saw her enter. Aaron hadn't noticed, his head still buried near the floor.
Seeing the love of her life crumpled to the floor, defenseless, she saw red. She wanted to gut him, to make him suffer. Penelope ran at him, and she threw her hand back like she was going to punch him, and when he saw it coming, Mr. Hotchner grabbed her arm, stopping it from moving forward. She knew he would see it, so she did a move her brother's had taught her. Well okay, they may not have taught her, exactly. She witnessed them doing it whilst fighting each other. While he tried to force her arm downward, she closed the distance and kneed him. When her brothers had done it, they aimed for their stomachs. She didn't take into Mr. Hotchner's tall frame, so instead of kneeing his stomach, she cracked him in the nuts.
He keeled over, but kept his grip against her arm. Suddenly, she felt a fist crack her in the jaw. She cried out, and fell to her knees. Mr. Hotchner seethed over her, and he raised a fist once again. She cringed, and moved over to be in front of Aaron, who watched with horror the scene in front of him.
Tears spilled down his cheeks, shocked at what just happened. One minute he was getting beat, ignoring his father's stupid yammering when suddenly he heard a scuffle. Looking up, he saw her knee him, and his arm suddenly shooting out, punching his Penelope in the face. How did that happen? Where did she come from? His mind was hazy from the harsh hits, and suddenly, he heard his father's booming voice once again. She leapt over to Aaron covering his body with hers, and shoved him, silently telling him to leave. "You ungrateful whore! This is my house! A house I let you live in and you dare to interfere?" Before his fist could come down, Aaron shot up like a bolt of lightning, and ran at his father.
Fists flew, and Aaron was moving so fast, Penelope could barely register what was happening. Finally, she realized that Mr. Hotchner was on the ground, and Aaron took out a fire poker, holding it against his throat. "I fucking hate you! You are nothing to me! You are never going to touch any of us again! We are done!"
He turned around and grabbed Penelope's hand. He dragged them out the door and ran to his car. Penelope, in shock, clumsily got into the car with him. Aaron peeled out of the driveway and sped to her old house. Garcia felt her heart jolt out of her chest, and she quickly shook her head.
"Aaron! Aaron? What-? No, not here, please!" she stuttered. He grabbed her hand once he parked and kissed it softly.
"You don't have to go in, baby. I need something and I stored it in here. You aren't mad are you?" she shook her head, and took a deep breath.
"How's your cheek?" Turning toward her, he cradled her face and tilted it, inspecting it to see the damage.
"It's fine. It hurt, but it was worth it. I couldn't let him hurt you anymore." she told him. Her eyes welled with tears and Aaron leaned down for a kiss. It was deep and darker than they had before. Something that felt as if any moment she would be snatched out of his grasp.
"I love you. I am so sorry he touched you. He will never touch any of us again. I swear, Leannan." Hugging her tightly, he ran into the house and after a couple of minutes, he ran back in the car.
"So what are we going to do, Aaron?" Aaron's eyes were wild, almost frantic, calculating their options. Running a hand through his hair, he turned the car on, and drove.
He parked in a parking lot across town, and turned to her. "Let's run."
Penelope looked at Aaron, and she bit her lip closed to keep her from saying anything stupid. God, did she miss him. She missed their late night talks, she missed the smell of his natural scent. Not really the cologne, but how his body smelled right when he woke in the mornings. She missed how he snored softly after a long night of work, or how he absentmindedly reached for her hand when they walked to the market. She missed everything.
He ran his hands through his hair, and she could see how exhausted he really was. He stood up, and that's when she noticed the two cuties in the corner. They were worried. Did they know he married a criminal? Did he give them warning in advance? She assumed Aaron had told them, so could it have been love and care that these agents were showing to her ex-husband? As he turned toward them, he whispered to them, and they reluctantly nodded. Agent Morgan gave her a wink, and shut off the cameras before leaving with Agent Reid.
Now she was nervous. With those cameras off, they could do or say anything to her to break her. How easily she was about to now, she couldn't take much more. What made her the most nervous now, however, was that she was alone. Alone with Aaron, her only love.
"You look good." He turned to her a little before turning back to the side of her. It was like he couldn't look at her. She had the opposite problem. For her, he was like a beacon, one that she couldn't stop staring at and if she looked away for a moment, he would disappear.
"Good? I'm in a shift, handcuffed to the table with no makeup on, Aaron. Not my best look," she smiled self-consciously.
She looked at his ring, and she felt her blood run cold again. "You look good, too. It's been-" he cut her off, looking at her. "Ten years. It's been ten years."
The hurt flashed in his eyes and just as suddenly, it was gone. Seeing the pain of someone you were once so close to shredded her insides. How she wished she could still run to him and hug him tight, whispering her sorry's and offering him comfort. That wasn't how it was meant to be, apparently.
He cleared his throat, and sat down. "Penelope, please. I know your work. I have seen your signature. Although the name is different than it used to be, Your Majesty," he tensed as he said her name, and wouldn't meet her eyes.
"I don't know what you mean." She watched as he rubbed his eyes, exasperated.
"Yes, you do, Penny. It's just us. No one is behind the mirror, and the cameras are off. Just you and me in here. Please. No more games."
She looked down, and she hated how affected she was by his pleading. At one time she would have given him anything, and she had. She had given him all of her, and it didn't matter in the end.
She couldn't speak, too afraid of saying the truth. She could never lie to him, at least for long. He growled, and took off his suit jacket. She couldn't help but look, watching his muscles ripple a little as he pressed his chest up to his shirt as he took off the coat.
After setting it on the table, she couldn't help but stare as his right fingers played with his ring, and she felt her heart pound in her ears. "I want to help you. I do, but you have to tell me. You have to come clean so this will all be over. You have two choices, Penelope. One is prison," he warned. He was intense, almost manic in his need to emphasize that horrible and terrifying word.
"The other one is that we are willing to help you. You come clean, give us your partner and everything you know, and we are willing to put a new offer on the table. Other than prison. Only if you are honest, Penelope." She was so confused. So her life was in his hands, but why is there even an option to help her? This didn't make sense.
"I don't understand- why would you help me? Why are you helping me-?"
Aaron smiled to himself, and looked down. "I made a promise. I promised you I would always protect you. I would never let anything bad happen to you."
"Run?"
He nodded and grabbed her hand. How could he let her back in that house knowing it was too late? His father knew that she knew his dirty secret. He had no idea what his father was capable of, and why bother to go back?
"Yes, love. Tonight. Now."
"Baby, come on. We aren't even eighteen. They could drag us back in an instant." Aaron's eyes darkened, and he shook his head.
"I know how to stay buried. Trust me."
She scoffed, and rested her head on the head rest, her body now completely facing him. He frowned, seeing the lump on her cheek was even bigger than before. He didn't want to go back. He didn't know what he would do if he saw him right now. It took all the restraint in him not to kill him with that poker. He was so close, so close to finishing this once and for all.
"I won't leave without you, but I can't stay there anymore. I can't. I can't take it anymore," he told her. His heart thundered in his chest, and Penelope's eyes softened.
Grabbing his hand, she nodded. "I want to go with you, but how is this going to work?"
That was all he needed to hear. Smiling, he leaned in, and cupped the cheek that didn't have a bruise on it. "I have a plan. We go to college early, and use some cash I've been storing away for a cheap hotel, or hell, sleep in the car. I don't care. Whatever we can do until the dorms open. I have more than enough to leave, and maybe we can take a road trip. I have never been more serious in my entire life. I never want to see him again. You, me, Sean... isn't that what we've been waiting for? To leave this hell-hole? There is nothing for us here."
She grimaced, and looked down. "Your mother, but yes, I suppose you're right. I mean, Sean doesn't even know about any of this. Are we sure that he'd even come with us? Leaving parents, that is hard, no matter the circumstance. What if he wanted to stay? Would you change your mind then?" she asked. She would gladly run away with him, but she wanted to know exactly what the plan would be before she agreed. If they do this, there was no going back.
He frowned, and looked down, thinking over what she said. She was right. There was always the possibility of Sean staying. Aaron couldn't, though. He loved his brother, more than anything, but he couldn't. He felt something lately, like this hollowed part of his soul, that was slowly filling with hatred, like tar and oil oozing, beginning to taint every aspect of his life, and he couldn't do it anymore. Seeing his father ruin her beautiful skin was something so horrific, he wanted to throw up. It made him ache in his chest just remembering the sound...
"We'll see what he says, but I don't think I can go back."
"If he doesn't come, I am calling the cops, like I should have done a couple years ago," she said, her guilt amplifying as she saw the anguish at the thought of his brother may not join them. Sean is going to be so pissed, but she had a feeling it would be mostly at her.
"Let's see what Sean has to say."
They called him on his cell, and he got there ten minutes later. Sean noticed her bruise, and cradled her face in his hands. Sean was used to seeing bruises on Aaron, but he always thought they were from some sport he was in, or getting in trouble with their father once in a while. Not like this. They told him everything, and Sean's tears soaked into his sleeve.
"Why didn't you tell me, Aaron? I knew his drinking made him angry, but fuck! Why couldn't you tell me!" he screamed at him. Penelope couldn't control her tears, seeing how much they were both hurting.
"I couldn't! I did this all to protect us! To protect you! You have so many things going for you, Sean, and I know the toll this pain takes on me. I could never imagine that on you. You would never be the person you are now and I do not regret this. I wanted a life for you! You're my brother, damn it!" Aaron cried. His good intentions were being thrown in his face, and he knew he should have told him, but he loved Sean's innocence, his positivity and the fun personality he had. He would never take that away from him.
The anger melted away, and all Aaron could see was pain remaining in his cobalt eyes. "I'm so sorry, Aaron. I should have looked harder. I thought maybe as we got older, Dad drank and just hid in his room. I didn't think-" he winced, and grabbed Aaron by his shirt. He forced him into a hug, and Aaron embraced him, clutching to him as he cried.
"I'm sorry, man. I'm so sorry," Sean whispered on his shoulder. Penelope wanted to look away, to give them privacy, but she couldn't. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, and she covered her face. She loved those boys so much, she was really lucky to have them.
When they let go, Sean turned to her. His anger was back, but seeing how much Penelope was crying, Sean gathered her into his arms. "You should have told me, G."
She clutched him just as hard, and she nodded. "I know."
Aaron wiped his tears on his hands, and took a step forward. "Don't be angry at her, Sean. She only did what I promised. I made her, she was only just being a friend to me when I needed one."
Sean grumbled, and swayed her back and forth as he held her. "I know. Why do you have to be so freaking awesome, G.? Thank you for being there for him. But you better squeal next time something like this happens. Got it?" She laughed, her nose stuffed from crying and nodded into his hard chest.
"So are we going to the cops? Are we killing him? I vote for killing, or hacking some limbs off." Sean asked them.
"We have an idea."
Sean agreed to leave without a moments hesitation, and they grabbed supplies and hit the road. They decided to do a small road trip, heading through Wisconsin, then traveling north through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, then heading south down to lower Michigan to Ann Arbor, where the campuses were. When they had been in the car, and about to leave Colorado, they called their mother. They told them they were leaving, and weren't coming home. She begged them to come back, and suddenly Mr. Hotchner got on the phone.
Screaming into the mouthpiece, he told them to get back now or they would be sorry. Aaron smirked, and told his father to check his cell phone. As he checked it, Aaron told him that he had taken pictures since he was a little kid. Every bruise, and every cut was secretly recorded, and along with the picture of Penelope's bruise, he would send those into the cops.
"You wouldn't dare!" he seethed.
"Try me. You don't ever lay your hands on the people I love again. That goes for Mom, too. If I see or hear that you have hurt her, I will turn those in. Got it?"
With that, he hung up, and they drove on.
In college, it was an amazing experience. They partied, but not too much, and although she was recruited to join some sororities, she didn't want to. She had a roommate in her dorm, who was alright. Her name was Megan James, and she was rarely there in the dorm. She lived really close, so she always went home to spend the night instead of coming back to a dorm that she had to share with someone she had never met.
All in all, they had an amazing freshman year. Sean and Aaron had both been drilled and forced from an early age to become lawyers, so they focused their classes on that, while Penelope knew she wanted to work with computers, and she took any programming and design classes she could. Their jobs were awful, but they helped them pay for the things they needed. Penelope worked at a run-down, old-school library, Aaron worked at a local Pizzeria, and Sean worked at a gas station.
Penelope was about to turn eighteen soon, and Christmas eve was going to be a lot different that year. It was their sophomore year, and they had finally gotten into the groove of college life. They went back one random weekend to see Aaron's and Sean's mother in Colorado, and that had been the only time they had seen her since that night at the house. She wouldn't stop hugging them for an hour. They were meant to go back to Colorado for Christmas that year, but a blizzard tearing through the area left them stranded in Michigan. They were kind of glad, though, since none of them were really ready to see Mr. Hotchner. Her roommate never came back once winter break happened, so Sean, Aaron and Penelope celebrated on campus in her room.
Sean, Aaron and Penelope went and grabbed a bottle of whiskey, and headed back to Penelope's dorm. Sean had started to really enjoy himself lately, going to a lot of fraternity parties and pretty much forgot about Haley, by finding the closest female around.
That night they decided they were going to party with just the three of them, and open gifts Christmas morning. Later on, Aaron had a date planned with just the two of them, and Sean said he helped set up, before he got elbowed by Aaron for blabbing. Sean planned on having a party, and they would meet up again for it later. Penelope also knew a friend to introduce to Sean, who was sticking around campus as well. Her name was Carly, and she was modeling part-time.
They drank half of the bottle, and passed out, singing inappropriate versions of Christmas songs. Sean slept in her roommate's bed, and Aaron cuddled Penelope on hers. She never thought she could feel this way, and she loved him more than she ever thought capable of. She knew that their relationship may not last, it was a strong possibility, given the facts, and statistics, but right then and there, she knew they would be together. They would beat the odds. Always.
He moved his body to get better adjusted, and she could feel his hand moving along her body, cupping her ass, before moving along her curves. He grazed her tits, but kept moving his hand.. She bit back a moan, and her hands began moving as well, from his chest to his abs, all the way down to his clothed, hard cock.
He furrowed his brows in concentration as she began to rub him. Draping a leg over him, she scooted him closer, and started kissing him. His breath smelled of whiskey and coke, and it was intoxicating.
Looking to Sean, she could see he was still drunk, since he ended up drinking much more than them, and he was still softly snoring across the room. When she checked Aaron again, his eyes were open this time, and he was intensely staring at her with hooded eyes. The room was lowly lit by the moon outside, leaving it dark, but not dark enough to not make out anything. It was right before the blizzard was supposed to hit. Sometime the next day it was coming, and she had to get prepared in the morning. Now, however, was just about them.
She smiled, and leaned in, kissing him passionately. He ran his fingers into her hair, and slowly slid his hand down along her back and cupped her ass, squeezing it. Gasping, she could feel herself getting wet, and she went to his belt buckle and expertly opened up his pants.
They may not have gone all the way yet, but she definitely knew what to do to make him lose his mind. She loved that she could do that to him, and it sent thrill through her knowing her touch made him come undone.
Aaron's eyes, even in the darkness of the room was impossible not to guess what he was feeling. His eyes were so hungry for her, and he reached down near her inner thigh and grabbed her pussy tightly, and she gasped, about to let out a long moan before his hand went covered her mouth.
Letting go, he put a finger against his lips, signaling her to be quiet, and brought his hand silently back down to her thigh. She had pajama shorts on, and Aaron slowly slid his finger down inside the fabric, along her ivory thigh and grazed a finger along her panty-covered pussy.
She bit her lip, and threw her head back, trying her hardest to be quiet. Her body trembled with pleasure, but the tickling sensation just made her feel empty, and she needed more. Leaning in, he whispered against her ear huskily, "Fuck, Leannan. You're so wet for me." Proving that, he dipped his long, dextrous fingers into her panties and ran them along her heated slit. Gasping at the contact, Aaron then brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked on them.
She whimpered, feeling the loss down there, and brought his fingers to her mouth and sucked on them, mimicking the motion. His eyes were half-lidded, and his lips were parted slightly, mesmerized by her tongue.
Kissing her, he moved his soft lips from hers, down to her jaw line, before making his way to her neck. Kissing her there, she let out another whimper that sent the blood flowing even more to his cock. Raising her shirt high, he reached behind and unclasped her bra with one hand, and now had a full view of her large breasts. They fit perfectly in his large hands, and he squeezed her tit roughly, just how she liked it.
She gasped, and whimpered near his ear that shot straight to his cock. Her rosy colored nipples were as hard as glass, and he couldn't keep his hands off of her. Taking her small and hard nipple into his mouth, he sucked softly before adding a strong amount of pressure in intervals. Writhing, she reached for his shirt, and started to raise it up.
Groaning, he didn't budge. As much as he wanted to get undressed, he knew his brother was passed out across the room. If he saw what was happening it would be evident to what they were up to. Also, he knew that wasn't how their first time should happen. Buzzed and holding back their moans and cries. No, he needed to remain in control to stop himself from crossing that line. In some ways, keeping his shirt on felt like a tether to reality, and he was gripping it for dear life.
"Fuck, Penelope. You have no idea how much I want you," he breathed. Reaching down, he slowly slid her panties to the side and grazed her clit once again. Gasping, she was about to moan when Aaron came up and kissed her again, silencing her.
Before they went further, he moved his hand away. "Your pussy tasted good on my fingers. Do you want me to touch you? Or lick your tight pussy?" he breathed into her ear. She bit her lip, and whimpered again. How could she decide?
Her breathing picked up exponentially, and she whispered so softly, he barely heard it, not trusting how loud her voice was. "I want you to touch me baby, please. Please."
Groaning, he took his thumb and pressed down on her clit, and kissed her. Slowly, he circled his thumb on her, before dipping a digit into her tight pussy. His cock was so hard, he could barely focus. Seeing her wild and begging for him was too much. He could come just by seeing her like this.
Slowly, he entered another finger in her tight pussy. Moving his thumb and fingers in the same fluid motion, he could feel her walls beginning to clench his finger. Her head was back, her lips parted widely, barely breathing so she wouldn't cry out, it was overwhelming. Leaning in, he breathed in the shell of her ear, her eyes rolling in the back of her head as he softly moaned in her ear.
"Jesus, you're so fucking tight against my fingers. Come on my fingers baby," he breathed. Panting, she moved out of his grasp and got a better position to kiss him, trailing white hot kisses on his chin and neck, she pulled his shirt off without him noticing. He was barely holding on, and as she kissed and nipped his ear, his chest rumbled in almost a growl. Whimpering, she slid her hands along his muscular body, until her hand softly dipped inside of his opened jeans.
Hissing at the contact, he stuttered a breath and halted all movement as she wrapped a small hand around his thick cock, and slowly began pumping him in his restricted clothing. After the shock of her hands inside of his boxers subsided, he began to move his fingers once again, now quickening his speed.
Noticing her movements on his dick were pausing, he could see Penelope lost in the haze of pleasure that he was giving her. Her breathing was picking up, and her back was arched, and he could feel her inner walls begin to tighten.
"Fuck, I'm gonna..." she breathed. Suddenly, he felt her come all over his hand. Groaning, she trembled, giving into the need for release. Slowly opening her eyes, she stared into Aaron's crazed ones. Now that her haze was clearing, she could see how horny he was. His breathing was ragged, and his eyes devoured her.
She wanted him so badly, but it hadn't been the right time. They had been so swamped with schoolwork, or their new interests and hobbies that it hadn't been a priority. Okay who were they kidding? Definitely a priority, and the more they saw each other, the more she couldn't keep her hands off of him, but it had never been the right time. Sean liked to hang around, there were new parties, new friends, and they all worked a couple jobs, since they didn't take their father's money. They used it for the education aspect, but any money they needed for books or food or clothing or even some dorm stuff, like bedding or shelves, were paid for by them.
She had stopped pumping his huge cock as she orgasmed, but squeezed his cock tightly, the way he liked as she rode it out. He was big, much bigger than she thought, to be honest. It was so long and thick, it made her mouth water. "I can't wait to make you come inside me, but I guess tonight you are going to have to settle for my mouth," she whispered in his ear.
He licked his lips as her hand slowly began to stroke him. He was wild, unhinged and he looked so sexy as his eyes darkened. She loved his sweet nature, but she loved the switch that he pulls in the bedroom for her. He turned savage, and so sensual she can practically come just hearing him speak dirty to her. "I suppose I'll survive. Such a hardship with that pretty mouth of yours," he told her. She laughed, and brought his lips to her neck, and he nipped at her skin, down to her collarbone.
"I need you so much, Penelope." Grabbing her golden locks, he kissed her passionately. His heavy breathing was making a lot of noise, and as much as she wanted to keep kissing him, she figured she would give him what he needed.
"Shh... Sean," she whispered in warning. He gave her a wild look, one that said, "Like I fucking care," and she smiled, rolling her eyes. Sure, he says that now. Luckily for both of them, Sean is a very heavy sleeper. He usually took a sleeping pill, but that night he didn't. Luckily, the alcohol would keep him out for a while, at least. Or so she hoped.
She kissed the tip, before she kissed the underside of him, and she felt it throb under her fingers. He threw his head back, and clenched his fists, holding back the need to shove himself in the back of her throat. He wouldn't really do it, but the haze of lust and love and need was too overwhelming. He wanted to bury himself inside her tight heat, and never leave.
She could see how much he needed her, and even though she liked to tease him, she didn't want to tonight. She took him in her mouth, sucking him to the back of her throat, and bobbing up and down quickly. He was so crazed, she didn't know if he was going to last long.
Her one hand grabbed his hip, while the other massaged his balls. Her hot tongue swirled against his tip, before plunging down on his cock. She could barely fit him in her mouth, and just knowing she could make him lose his inhibitions made her moan around his cock.
"Fuck, you feel so god damn good. Faster, baby," he groaned. Aaron couldn't control himself, and she was getting soaked at how hot that was. God, she really hoped Sean doesn't wake up.
She plopped him out of her mouth, and her hand took over in intervals as she took his balls into her mouth. Sucking them inside, she let her tongue massage them as she lightly sucked. He then covered his mouth to keep from moaning. She knew just how to send him over the edge, and couldn't believe the chemistry they had. It was so intoxicating.
"I am so close," he warned her. As she heard that, she moaned around his balls, and after giving one bold tug on his balls, switched back to his length. Her blond curls splayed over his thighs, brushing his sensitive skin as she bobbed up and down. Her cheeks hollowed out, and her hazel eyes peeking over his cock sent him over the edge. He moaned raggedly, and she took everything he gave her into her mouth.
Swallowing, she wiped her lips, and Aaron pulled her to him. She moaned as he kissed her, and even though the taste of himself wasn't very pleasant, he didn't care. She was still turned on, that much he knew, but as he tried to slip his fingers inside her, she stopped him.
"Let's not push our luck. You covered my mouth when I should have been covering yours," she giggled softly. He blushed a little, but luckily she couldn't see it in the dark.
"I can't help how crazy you make me, love. I can't help but show you what you do to me."
"I make you crazy?" she asked uncertainly. The man in front of her was every girl's dream. Tall, dark, handsome. Loving, caring, and completely hers. She was just plain old Penelope Garcia. Short, blond and pretty. She wasn't even in the same league as him, but he seemed like he only wanted her. It made her heart soar and plummet knowing one day he would realize it.
"Penny, you know what you do to me. Then again, maybe I just have to show you right now..." he suggested. She giggled, and squeaked as he leaned into her, and kissed her lips.
The following morning was Christmas, and Sean woke them both up. "Come on! It's Christmas! Santa came!" he said excitedly.
Penelope groaned, and Aaron rubbed the sleep from his eyes. They were both exhausted from the previous night's events. Turning over, she saw that Sean had put their presents for each other under the tiny aluminum tree she had. They each got something for each other and Sean was bouncing in his seat, excited to unwrap all of the gifts.
"You are not opening a damn thing until I make my coffee. Got it?" Aaron warned, his voice thick with sleep, all gravelly and groggy. She could listen to that forever. He needed his coffee like he needed air. Their workload was astronomically harder, and they were lucky to get a decent night's sleep.
Sean scoffed, and pointed to the night stand. "What do you think I am, an amateur? Now hurry up!" He was always antsy for presents, even on other people's birthdays.
Aaron looked to where he pointed, and saw the local coffee shop trio of drinks they get often. Along with some doughnuts. He slipped his pants back on, and grabbed a coffee and a tea for her. Handing it to her, he gave her a relaxed, lazy smile, and leaned in. He looked so sexy in the mornings his hair was messed up and his eyes were all squinty. He remained shirtless, and she couldn't keep her eyes off of him. He seemed so serene and happy to see her. As his eyes roamed a little too long on her, she was about to kick Sean out and get another gift. Instead, she took a sip of the hot tea, and stood up.
"Here, let me get your gifts, hold on. I think I put them... where are they again? I could have sworn they were over here." Penelope told them. She searched under her bed, and didn't see them there.
"You mean these? Get your glasses on, Stevie Wonder." She rolled her eyes, and ignored the annoying remark.
Aaron handed Penelope her glasses, and as she slipped them on, he leaned down for a kiss. "Merry Christmas, Aaron."
"Merry Christmas. Come on. If we don't hurry, he'll begin opening ours, too." he joked. Agreeing wholeheartedly, she tugged him down to the floor next to Sean.
It was great. They exchanged gifts, and they were mostly stuff the other needed, like a notebook or a desk organizer. Aaron wanted to hug his, he was so happy to get one. He wasn't particularly a neat freak, but the lack of organization had been having an impact on his studying. All in all it was a great morning.
Sean went to his dorm to get the party ready, and later that afternoon, Aaron took her to his dorm. Penelope couldn't believe it. He set it up with a couple movies ready to be watched, candles, and wine. She didn't want to drink, since she normally didn't do a whole lot of that, but she may have a glass. She was nervous, after all. "You like it?"
She turned around, hearing the excitement in his voice, and grinned from ear to ear. This was so beautiful and perfect and sweet of him to do. "I love it. You are the kindest, sweetest man I've ever known, do you know that?"
His smile turned a little cocky, and nodded. "I don't listen to you yammer on for nothing. Ouch! Kidding, baby. Only kidding. No, I wanted you to have a relaxing night. It's the least I could do since you had to take on that awful job. I thought I could give you a massage, watch some movies, relieve some tension..." he said as he kissed her neck from behind. He rubbed his finger she bent it back a little from that little remark, and chuckled into his skin.
She leaned back against him, and inwardly smiled. She could not love him more. She was so excited to give him his gifts, she wanted to scream. Opening their presents earlier that day, she got him a DVD of Star Wars, Episode three, and a new copy of The Lord of the Rings, since he had to leave those behind at his home, and he never had enough room to grab them, since Sean packed the car to the gills with nonsense that he called, "crucial". Really, it was all of his dirty laundry he needed to clean there since his job wasn't very lucrative. Aaron loved Star Wars, and she had hooked him on The Lord of the Rings.
"Awful job? Come on, it could be worse." Aaron gave her an incredulous look and shook his head.
"Worse? You work in the library. You stock shelves all day and if you so much as sneeze, you get written up."
"I guess you're right." she laughed. She was never one to stay quiet, and having to keep her voice to a whisper was killing her. She was already written up five times, and one more and she would have to be demoted. She wasn't sure, but she may have to be the gum scraper. Another write up after that and she is fired.
"Before we start watching movies, I want you to open this." She had brought in a gift bag holding his gift, and she was too excited to wait.
She handed him the package, and he rolled his eyes as he inspected it. He opened it up, and found a Star Wars coffee mug, and two tickets to a U of M football game sticking out from the cup. He was ecstatic. She knew his love for anything Star Wars and to top if off were great seats to the game to next years rival game against the Spartans. It was going to be amazing.
He hugged her, and said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
She giggled, and shrugged. "I figured you would like it." Aaron set them down, ran to his bed, where her gift was.
He looked around, and sighing, he came back to hand her the gift bag. "Here, Leannan. Open it while I look for your other present. I know I left it around here somewhere. A day too late for my damn organizer." She giggled, and opened the gift bag.
"What the-? How did you-? How?" she stammered. Opening it up, she saw a framed family photo album. The album was new, but not the pictures. In the fame in front, was a small clown she had updated from her room. It was Smeagol, from The Lord of the Rings. One of her best, according to Aaron. When she opened the book, there were more on the inside, and the first pictures were of her mother, father, brothers, Sean and Aaron. Her family.
He grabbed what he was looking for, and when he turned around, he could see how upset she was. He ran to her, and hooked her chin upwards to look at her. "You like it?"
She couldn't find the words. After they died, she wouldn't go back in the house. She couldn't. She didn't know how long it would be for her to see their faces and old pictures again. Let alone those God awful clowns. It made her heart ache, but it felt so good to see them again. He wiped the tears from her cheeks, and concern was etched on his face.
"I couldn't have asked for anything more. This is so perfect. Thank you, sweetheart!"
He leaned down, and kissed her softly before his eyes turned sassy. "That's not all. You have one more gift. Here."
After handing it to her, he grinned, excited to see her reaction. Bringing it closer, it was an envelope. She narrowed her eyes playfully. "It isn't a jet, I take it?" she laughed.
"Not really, but it does involve travel." She looked at him suspiciously and tore open the card. She felt something inside, but she didn't want to be rude and not read the card. Looking at the card, it read. "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Merry Christmas! Read The Card Later What Are You Waiting For?", on the front. She giggled, and looked at her gift, and she almost fell over.
"What? How did you-?" she couldn't believe what she was holding. It was three airplane tickets, and three tickets to Comic-Con.
"I know we planned on it before- uh, you know," he said, wincing. Now was not a great time to bring up her dead parents. They had agreed to go once they all turned eighteen, but now that dream to go was so far away since they had to work so much and were independent from their parents more than they were expecting. Aaron had pulled some extra shifts at the pizza parlor he worked at and saved some from their emergency funds.
"But I thought it would be fun, and it'll be summer at the time, so we won't have as much of a workload." She squeaked and jumped into his arms. Wrapping his arms around her, he breathed in her scent. She smelled so good, like apples and summer.
"That's not all... the fun is just beginning, because we also are watching, a Christmas tradition- The Nightmare Before Christmas. All set up and ready to push play."
"What did I ever do to deserve you, Aaron?" She didn't let him have the chance to belittle himself or turn it on her like he always did. She pulled his lips to hers, and kissed him as hard as she could. She could never get enough of those lips, those eyes, and smile. He deepened the kiss, and clutched her tightly to him. She felt so incredible in his arms. He never wanted to let her go.
Breaking the kiss, she lightly pushed him to the bed. As he sat down, he gave her a puzzled look and waited for her to speak. She felt her heart thunder out of her chest, and her smile was a little shaky. "That is not all the fun I was planning tonight, love."
She swallowed thickly, and turned around, looking over her shoulder at him. "A little help, please?" she asked. Her hands were shaking, but she knew it was just nerves of what to expect. She didn't doubt him, or him being the person she would give herself to, but just the act in general. She'd heard all kinds of stories, some where it hurt, some felt nothing, some hated it and some loved it. She always hoped she would be the one to love it, but she supposed everyone else did as well.
"Baby, we don't have to do this. I am fine if you want to wait. I love you so much, Leannan." He stood up, and walked a step closer, and he did as she asked, untying the string on the back of her dress, but didn't want to touch her, not until she was sure.
She looked at him, and gave him a kiss on his jaw. "I want you to make love to me, Aaron. I don't want to say you are my first, since I don't want anyone other than you. Only you."
His breath hitched at her words. He wanted nothing more than that. She was the only woman for him. She was his best friend. "I feel the same. No one else. No one will ever make me feel the way you do, Penelope. I can't imagine my life without you. I love you more than my own life. Always," he rasped.
She kept her back to him, and he lightly touched her jaw. His fingers ghosted across her skin, sending shivers through her. Sliding down, his fingers slid under the strap, and peeled it off of her skin. "Your skin is so soft, so smooth."
She closed her eyes, and her chest heaved against her tight dress, loving every touch, every kiss. He kissed her neck, and turned her around, now facing him completely. He ran his fingers through her hair, and slipped his fingers under her clothing, tugging it until it fell on the ground.
Looking down, he saw the lingerie she had on underneath, and he bit his lip, trying to distract himself. Normally, he didn't really care about that kind of stuff, but it just seemed like a present, only he could unwrap.
Her hands slid down his hard chest, grabbing a hold of his shirt and lifting it off his body. His eyes were dark, and all consuming. She could feel his eyes cloud over with lust, and as he licked his lips, he grazed her breast over the corset. She slid her hand lower, and grabbed him over his jeans.
"I can't wait to feel you inside of me." She looked at him bashfully, and Aaron couldn't take it anymore. She knew just what to do to make him crazy.
"You are so gorgeous," he whispered against her lips. As his pants dropped to his ankles, he slipped off the last of her lingerie, and pulled her down on the bed. As he cradled her face, he smiled into their kiss. He couldn't believe he was this happy. She made him happier than he could ever imagine. She was all he ever needed. All he would ever want...
It was amazing. Everything they both imagined it could be, and more. She felt a little silly being so worried on how it would go, since she knew Aaron wouldn't have hurt her. At first it hurt, of course, but after... it was so incredible. She could feel, taste, touch how much he loved and wanted her. She had never felt so loved, and beautiful than in that time.
He was on cloud nine. He made sure they were careful, doubling the birth control, and she was so sexy, so passionate and as delicate as he thought she was, she was anything but. He couldn't love her more, and he was glad she was the one he lost it to.
Their remaining months of school, it was harsh. The illnesses between the three of them were crazy. There wasn't a day that one of them wasn't sick by the time April came around. They had the flu, colds and Sean had gotten mono. It finally ended with Penelope, who had a sinus infection, and he nursed her back to health. She told him she loved him in a nurses uniform. Still, they managed to find time for their new "extra curricular activities".
Sean began to date a woman named Hannah, who was in his Philosophy class. They had been together for a month, and he was crazy about her. She was very funny, and a lot more abrasive than his other girlfriends. Not in a bad way, but this one definitely said her mind, and loved to antagonize people. Aaron didn't like her a whole lot.
Penelope liked her, but Sean wasn't around much, since he was now with her. When their finals were hitting, Penelope was exhausted, and with her heavy workload, didn't hang out with anyone too much. Her job asked her to take on more hours, since the other one hated the job so much, as he quit he grabbed books and threw them as high as he could into the air as he exited the building. It was a lot of books. If she was home, she ate little, too stressed, and slept as much as she could.
Aaron understood, but he missed her like crazy. He wished he could help her, but every best intention he had, turned into a make-out session instead of studying, or another way to relieve her tension. Now neglecting her studies, she told him she needed to focus on that, and then they can hang out.
When May rolled around, she finally passed her exams. Still, she was exhausted, but much more calm than she was before that. They hung out a little more, but her job was still packing on her workload. All she wanted to do, was hang out with her two best friends and relax, but she had to get as much hours as she could in, so that they could do some actual fun activities, like God-forbid a date, and to save all their money for their trip around the corner.
She saw how hard her new little family worked, and she wanted to make them as happy as she was. They meant the world to her, and she couldn't believe how lucky she was to still be so close to them after all of these years. She hoped it would stay that way for the rest of their lives. She was positive it would happen, and she couldn't stop thinking about how amazing their lives are going to be. Everything was more than she could have ever asked for.
She wiped away a stray tear, and realized she had been crying without noticing. He pulled a handkerchief from his suit, and handed it to her. She used it to wipe her tears, but didn't hold it. She knew that she would cry like a baby in a matter of seconds, and she couldn't stomach doing it in front of him.
"You don't need to protect me anymore. Go home. Go to your family and let me pay for what I've done! I don't need you to feel sorry for me. I knew the risks! I wanted those people to suffer! If this is about you being associated with a criminal, then don't bother. Let me rot." She looked away, and saw her tear-stained cheeks in the reflection of the mirror. She was angry. She didn't need his help.
Before he said anything else, she turned to him holding her head up high. She'd be damned if she let the pigs get the best of her. She was not sorry for the things she had done. She fought for justice. She fought for freedom and she wanted nothing more than to burn those horrible people down. "I helped those people! I fought for them when no one else would! They called me their Queen because I helped them instead of turning a blind eye like the rest of them!" she cried. She knew she admitted to what she had done just then, but she didn't care. Anything to get rid of the pain throbbing in her chest. Pain caused by being so close to him.
He looked down. The pain etched on his perfect face mirrored her own, and as he winced, he slid the ring on his finger around. She suddenly was curious about all of this. Why was he here, investigating her? Surely they would have someone else here and Aaron stuck behind the mirror.
"Why are you even here? Were you looking for me on purpose?"
Aaron's eyebrows shot up, and he leaned back on the chair. "No."
She looked away, and Aaron tugged on his ear. "We weren't looking for you. We were looking into the Black Queen. We thought at first she was a run-of-the-mill criminal, until we really looked into all of the acts she had committed. They were admirable, but still illegal. We were looking into arresting her, when I saw your signature."
She gave him a puzzled look, and sat up straighter. "Why were you looking into her-me in the first place? What exactly is your branch, Aaron?" she wondered.
Aaron smiled softly, and looked into her eyes again. "I am an agent of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. We study behavior of criminals to give a profile of who they are looking for. They are called Unknown Subjects, or better known around here as 'Unsubs.' We were surprised at how much compassion this 'heinous criminal' had shown and how much effort and care went into your plans. Your signature did confuse me at first, and maybe it was denial. Maybe it was coincidence, but I knew it was you, even before you left the breadcrumbs. But by the time I realized who it was, and thought of what I was going to do, it was too late. The next day we discovered your name."
"Breadcrumbs? What do you mean?" She knew what he was talking about, but she was so shocked he caught onto them.
"Come on, Lean- Penelope. You were never found for years, and suddenly you left a recording at the scene with the refugees. You didn't use as many walls in your encrypting as you usually had and you told a woman you saved, that your name was Penelope to calm her down. It was like-" he cut himself off, shaking his head.
"Like what, Aaron?" She felt all of the wind blew out of her sails, and now that the truth was emerging, it was like she could finally breathe.
His gaze moved to hers, and it was as intense and as intimate as their wedding. She was locked in his trance, and she didn't want to look away. He was burning her, even after all of this time. "It was like you wanted to be caught. Like you gave up living."
She hated how right he was. She used to be so careful. So mysterious, until finally, she didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. The guilt and shame of the past buried her deeper everyday, until finally she couldn't see the sky anymore. She had hoped that she could be free a little longer, but she knew it was only a matter of time.
Without answering, because they both knew he was right, he went on. "We study people, why they do what they do. We narrow down suspects based on their behavior, and we were intrigued with the Black Queen. She could have done anything. Yet you chose to help others. Other people you didn't know. Those women, refugees, animals, not to mention those children. We could see your heart in all of your deeds, and that is something that we were not expecting." he said.
Yes, she did help others. Now it was biting her in the ass. She knew it was only a matter of time, however, but right now, she wished it was anyone but Aaron in front of her. As much as she missed him, it was hard to stomach that he first thought of her as a heinous psychopath.
Aaron saw the broken girl in front of him, and he could barely contain his guilt. This beautiful woman, now with inky black hair and shaking like a leaf was someone he loved more than his own life, and now he could barely look at her. He felt so many emotions that he felt like he was drowning. Her eyes were the dark, and vast ocean, and he couldn't help but want to drown in them once again.
Even with her different appearance, it was like time had frozen. On the surface, nothing had changed since those days when they would cuddle in their tiny apartment, or how he would wake up to her golden hair tickling his nose. Yet watching the pain pulsate around her, coupled with her different look, he knew he missed too much.
He missed her blonde locks, and he missed how easy it was to look at her and know everything she was thinking. The more he watched, the familiar it became, but he wished they could go back in time. To change all of this. So she wouldn't be in front of him, about to go to prison.
A.N.- Hello! oh, man... I love these two. Of course, anything Hotch/Garcia related makes me love them. teehee. Thanks for stopping by!
