A/N: This chapter title translates to past meets present. I went to amp for three weeks and forgot to tell my beta, which is why this chapter took a while. Thanks for all of the reviews and alerts, and thanks to my beta, Axellia. Enjoy!
Both Danny and Sheldon's pagers went off at the same time as Penelope and Don stared at each other, neither one able to say anything out of shock. Danny and Sheldon checked their pagers and gathered their things. Sheldon threw out his Diet Coke and Danny grabbed his folder and they headed for the door, Danny stalling at the doorway.
"We have to go, but I wanna know what this is all about when I get back!" he said, looking directly at Don when he spoke.
"Ditto!" Sheldon yelled as he headed down the hall toward the elevator. Danny left, leaving Adam and Stella still confused.
"Umm…This is awkward." Don rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand and then pointed the same hand at Penelope. "Guys, this is Penelope. We…."
"We grew up together." Penelope filled in, looking at Don and then switching her view to Adam and Stella, awkwardly standing at the counter of the break room. "In Washington Heights. We were neighbors. We also went to high school together."
"We were shocked because we haven't seen each other in a while." Don kept going, while Stella nodded in understanding and Adam rubbed the back of his as Don had just done.
"That's nice. Adam, didn't Mac need you to put a rush on something?" Stella said evenly, looking in Adam's direction.
"Uh, I don't know what you're talking about Stel…" Adam said quietly, then drifted off when it clicked. "Oh yeah! That thing. Uh, we'll see you guys later…" Adam rushed out and down the hall while Stella gathered her things quickly and gave a small wave. "Bye."
"Bye." Penelope said as Stella also left, leaving just her and Don in the break room. Penelope stood there quietly while Don went to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water.
"So I didn't know you worked here." he said with a slightly confused, slightly annoyed expression on his face. He sat down at a small round metal table and waited for her to say something. Anything.
"Today's actually my first day." Penelope said, joining him at the table and crossing her legs. "I didn't think we'd be at the same precinct." she whispered.
Don waited a moment before answering. "Well, I'm glad we were."
"Really?"
"Yeah. That way, I can keep an eye on you so you don't get into trouble." He smiled and leaned back in his chair.
Penelope giggled and uncrossed her legs. "I'd be glad to have you keep an eye on me, even if I can hold my own, which I can."
"I know, I know." Don smiled and put down his water. "So how's Mac been to you so far? Is he giving you a hard time?"
"Not really, but he put me to work fast. He handed me some stuff the minute I stepped off the elevator."
"That's just Mac, don't worry about it. He likes things to get done and fast. So how have you been?" Don switched topics. "How was working in California?"
"I liked it. The people were great, I was working good hours, and the weather was nice and warm…." Penelope smiled.
Don chuckled. "You never got used to the cold, even after living here for so long."
"Remember, I'm from Puerto Rico. Hace sol y hace calor is the weather forecast all year round."
"Of course. You and Adam would get along very well; he's from Arizona."
"Have you been brushing up on your Spanish?" Penelope asked, surprised that he knew what she said.
"Just a little." Don leaned in close to Penelope and smiled.
"Penelope looked at her watch to make sure she wasn't going over her break, which she wasn't, and continued. "How are you? How have you been?"
"Good, good. Nothing too exciting going on."
"Nothing? No girlfriend, no promotion, nothing?"
"Nope. No girlfriend, nothing."
Penelope decided to remember that small fact for future purposes and kept going. "How's Sammy?"
"She's okay. How's Sam?"
They were, of course taking about two different people, Sammy being Don's sister and Sam being Penelope's twin brother. They used the same distinction they had used as kids to separate them: Sammy for Sam Flack, Sam for Sam Diaz.
"He's good. He's getting married!"
"Yeah, I got the invite." Don nodded his head. "That's, uh, great for him. Who's the girl?"
"Some girl from Brooklyn that he met from work. She's pretty nice, I bet you'll like her."
Don was about to say something when someone walked in. She had shoulder length dirty blonde hair and brown eyes and looked to be about 5'3''. "Sorry, am I interrupting?"
Again, before Don could get a word in edgewise, Penelope spoke up. "That's fine. Who are you?"
"Lindsay Monroe. I'm looking for Mac Taylor. Do you know here he is?"
Don's pager went off right at that moment. He checked it and turned back to the new girl. "He's at the Bronx Zoo, crime scene there. You're supposed to go right over there. I'll take you, I'm supposed to go too." Don said.
"Ok. Thanks." She left and headed towards the elevators, the same direction which she came from.
Don got up to leave and threw away the water bottle. When he turned to leave, Penelope piped up. "You looked like you had something to tell me. Before she came in."
Don leaned in and whispered into her right ear. "I'm glad you're home." He smiled and left.
Penelope smiled to herself and whispered, "Me too."
A/N: Please review! Her first day is supposed to be during the episode "Zoo York", in case you couldn't already tell. I know Adam's first appearance wasn't for a few more episodes, but for the sake of the story i moved it up. Here are the Spanish translations for this chapter:
Hace sol y hace calor: sunny and hot