2007 - Washington D.C. Area:
Amber Rossi retrieved her bag from the luggage carousel, and turned to make her way through her fellow passengers that were crowded around looking for their own baggage. The flight from Texas had been smooth and had arrived at Reagan International airport on time. Now Amber just hoped nothing had come up that would keep her father from picking her up. She had talked to him earlier in the day, before her flight had left Texas and he had assured her he would be there. She had also asked about his co-worker, Garcia, who had been shot last night. He had told her that she had made it through surgery and the prognosis looked good.
As she walked through the baggage area toward the exit, she turned her cell phone on. If he couldn't make it, she knew her father would have left her a voice mail. Though she really didn't feel like getting a cab and going out to her father's house alone, she knew it was a possibility. The big house outside of McLean, Virginia that he had bought when she was in college, had always seemed a bit spooky to her.
"I'm here," she heard a familiar voice say. Looking up, Amber saw SSA David Rossi walking in her direction. "Did you think I wouldn't make it?" he asked.
"I know how your job can get in the way of things," Amber replied. "I was prepared for that eventuality."
Agent Rossi smiled, as he reached out to take one of her bags from her. "Well, we are working on something. The team is looking into who would shot Garcia last night, though we have to keep things a bit under the radar. The team can handle things without me for a few hours. Aaron told me to tell you he said hello. He's looking forward to seeing again."
"It'll be nice to see him again. I haven't seen him since I graduated high school," Amber said, thinking of her father's best friend, whom she had met when the two had worked together years before.
"It's been that long," Rossi said, having forgotten the last time Hotch and Amber had seen one another. "We had dinner with him and Haley when you were out that summer, didn't we."
Amber nodded in response. She still found it hard to believe Aaron and Haley were no longer together. Not for the first time since her father had mentioned the marriage troubles for the two of them, Amber wondered if that was sign for her. A way for someone up above to tell her that getting back with Spencer was a bad idea.
"Reid said he would call you later, by the way," Rossi commented, bringing her out of her thoughts.
"I hope you're not giving him a hard time," Amber said, thinking of the conversation she had with Spencer.
"No more than any of your other boyfriends that I have met," Agent Rossi replied. "Just want to make sure he treats my little girl right."
"Yeah, well don't scare him off in the process," Amber told him. "I don't know if Spencer and I can make this work. Our careers already got in the way once, and I'm not sure either one of us is any more ready to give up our careers to be together than we were to give up on the pursuit of those careers back then. If it doesn't work though, I want it to be because of us and not because my father frightened him away."
Agent Rossi held his free hand up in surrender as the two of them reached the exit of the airport. As they stepped into the cool D.C. air, Amber was glad she had thought to put on her jean jacket when she disembarked from the plane.
David Rossi's voice was serious as he spoke. "I'm not trying to. I want you to be happy. To be able to find in a relationship what I was never able to."
"Maybe you just didn't look hard enough," Amber said, without really thinking. It was the first time she had ever openly criticized her Dad about anything, despite having arguments with her mother over her relationships. She wondered if the comment was going to start an argument in this situation to.
"Perhaps I didn't. Or perhaps I didn't try hard enough. Guess we'll never know, will we?" David Rossi said, a touch of sadness in his voice. "You've still got a lot of your life ahead of you. I don't want to see you spend it alone like I did."
"You're not alone, Dad. You've got me."
Agent Rossi reached out and put his arm around his daughter's shoulders, pulling her close as they walked. "That is so true," he told her. After a quick hug he let up on the pressure but left his arm across her shoulders.
"Just be careful what you say around Spencer, Dad. He's not like the other guys you've met. He takes things more seriously. While the others knew you were joking about some of the stuff, he's going to take you seriously. He told me one of your conversations ended with a veiled threat? He never did elaborate."
Agent Rossi tried to recall what he could have said to the younger agent that Reid could have taken as a threat. It didn't take him long to think of something. "I only told him that if he ever hurt you then I would probably have something to say about it. Just a normal father looking out for his daughter statement."
"No wonder he thinks you might shoot him."
"I wouldn't shoot him," Rossi said defensively.
"I know that. Trying to convince Spencer of that is a different story."
"Okay. I get your point. I'll be on my best behavior when I'm around him. Scout's honor."
"Dad you were never a scout," Amber replied, to which her father merely shrugged. "He's a big fan of yours you know. Even before he knew you were my father."
"I've figured that out. It still takes me by surprise when he starts citing stuff word for word and not just my books either," David Rossi said, shaking his head as he and his daughter made their way across the parking lot to his waiting SUV.
"It's nice if you go to visit some place historic. You don't have to worry about a tour guide if you've got Spencer around."
"I bet," he said. "Well, if this does work out between the two of you there is probably one thing I don't have to worry about."
"What's that?" Amber asked.
"I don't think Reid would ever get up the nerve to ask me for your hand in marriage before he proposes to you. Honestly, I think you'll have to propose to him if this all works out for the two of you."
"Be nice," Amber scolded, swatting her father's arm playfully.
"If you expect me to be on my best behavior around him, then you're going to have to take the teasing yourself. I've got to get it out of my system somehow."
"Like you wouldn't have teased me anyway."
The SUV was in sight now. Agent Rossi took out his key and unlocked the doors. After storing Amber's luggage in the back the two of them got into the vehicle. Rossi started it up and soon they were on the road toward his home in Virginia.
Amber had been to her father's house before, though this particular one he had bought after she had moved back to Texas. The place always seemed so empty. It was way to big for one person living alone and Amber often wondered why her father had moved here. Even with wanting to have room for family when they came to visit, the place seemed much too big for a single man.
As she followed her father up the steps, their footsteps echoed in the stairwell. The place would seriously creep her out if she stayed here too long. Behind them, Mudgie followed them up the steps trying to keep his owner and the new comer in sight.
They reached the top of the stairs, and David Rossi headed for the first room across the hall from the stairs. Opening the door, he walked into a bedroom decorated in blue and white. It was the room Amber always used when she came to visit him. He walked into the room and placed the luggage he was carrying next to the bed.
"The other stuff you had shipped out here, arrived yesterday. I've got it stored in the family room downstairs. I didn't see any point in bringing it upstairs, though if there is anything you're going to need, I certainly can bring that stuff up."
"No need. I don't think I'll need anything in the stuff I shipped until I get a place of my own, which I guess is one of the things I'm going to need to do soon."
"Not that I'm trying to rush you to move out or anything, but I've been thinking about that. Why don't you get settled and I'll make us something to eat and we can talk about that and any other details I can help you with, getting settled out here."
"Dad, I do appreciate your help but I am capable of getting myself settled. Besides, I thought you had an investigation to help out with."
"I do, but I also want you to know that I'm here for you too. As for you ability to get yourself settled, I'm sure you can, Sweetie, but as I'm around, and I haven't seen much of you over the past few years, I want to help out. Are you really going to deny an old man being able to fuss over his daughter a little."
"Well, when you put it that way," Amber said. She was thankful for the help. She remembered what it was like getting settled in Sitka and then again in Kodiak. In those places she didn't know anyone. She had only her fellow Coasties to rely on. It would be nice to have family in the area this time around.
"I'll be downstairs in the kitchen," David Rossi told her as he walked toward the door of the room. "Come down and join me when you're ready."
Amber nodded as she watched her Dad leave the room, Mudgie right at his heels, closing the door behind him. She looked around the room. Though well furnished there wasn't much to make it feel like home but then again it really didn't need to. As much as she loved her dad, she wasn't sure she could stand living with him for too long. She knew it wouldn't take long for her to feel like it was a restraint on her freedom. He was her Dad and it was his house, which meant his rules. Not to mention, she had a feeling Spencer wouldn't want to spend much time with her here.
As she looked around, she noticed something on the dresser. Walking over, she picked up the frame that was sitting in there and smiled. She couldn't believe her father had left the picture there. It was a picture of Vince, Maria, Mark, Vanessa and herself during their senior year at Caltech. They had been celebrating the football team's division Championship. Mark was in the middle of the group, still wearing his football uniform. She had left the picture here after spending that Christmas with her father.
Looking at the picture, she couldn't help but think about how long ago Caltech seemed. How young she had felt. Excited to try out new things. To spread her wings and chase dreams.
Well she had found her dream and deep down she knew she wouldn't give it up for anything. She was proud to be an officer in the United States Coast Guard. Proud to call herself a rescue swimmer. Honored that she had been able to make a difference in so many peoples lives. If she had a chance to go back and do things over, she wouldn't change that, not even if it had let her be with Spencer these past four years. She also couldn't deny that doing her job had worn her out. That those lives that they hadn't been able to see had tore at her soul. She needed a change. A new focus to her life.
That was what she was in Washington to do. She wasn't giving up her career, just redefining it. If she and Spencer could find a way to make their relationship work in that redefinition, then all the better. Amber knew that staying under her father's roof, though the safer way, wasn't the way she needed to go. She needed to be out on her own, as soon as possible. Her father understood that. Wanting to be out on her own didn't have to mean not accepting help from him.
She place the picture down on the dresser and then turned to her luggage. The first thing she planned on doing was unpacking her bags. She hated feeling like she was living out of a suitcase. She had a lot of things she needed to get done over the next couple of days before she reported for duty at Station Washington. Getting out from under her father's roof in that time frame wasn't realistic and she wasn't going to try. Still, she needed to decide what was going to need to get accomplished first.
After putting away her clothes and the few personal items she had brought on the plane trip with her, Amber stored the suitcase and bags in the closet where she had hung her Coast Guard Uniforms. Feeling at least temporarily settled, Amber left the room and headed downstairs. She walked slowly through the house, taking time to see what knew acquisitions her Dad had made since the last time she had visited him. By the time she walked into the kitchen, David Rossi had finished making a chicken stir fry and was placing two plates of it on the small table in the room.
"Glasses still in the same place?" Amber asked, as she headed for the cupboard they had been kept in the last time she was there. Mudgie, who had found a spot near the doorway to lay, watched her as she walked across the room, but didn't move from where he was.
"Yeah. You should know by now that your old man doesn't like rearranging things."
"Ain't that the truth," Amber said, thinking about the picture that was up in the bedroom. She wondered if her father even realized the picture was still there, or if it was a case of her having left the picture there and her father never finding any reason to move it.
After getting a drink for both her and her father, Amber sat down across the table from her father.
"So, you said you have been thinking about a place for me to live. Let me guess, you've already been out scouting available places, trying to weed out places that aren't appropriate for you daughter to be living in."
"Am I that predictable?"
"Dad, the year Maria and I decided to live off campus, you insisted on coming apartment hunting with us and I swear that poor land lady was scared to see us for any reason, out of fear that if she didn't get any slight problem that came up fixed pronto she'd have you knocking on her door next."
"I wasn't that bad. I just asked questions that two college students, living on their own for the first time, wouldn't have thought to ask."
"More like questions that most people looking for an apartment wouldn't think to ask. I'm surprised you didn't have a criminal background check run on her."
"Who says I didn't?" David Rossi replied. He smiled at the look his daughter shot him. "I'm only kidding, though the thought did cross my mind at the time."
"Somehow I don't doubt that," Amber said, stabbing a pea pod with her fork. "So, any decent apartments turn up in your hunt?" she asked before putting the pea in her mouth.
"I haven't exactly been looking at apartments," David Rossi replied. "Now, wait hear me out before you start firing protests at me. I know that you probably are not interested in owning a home right now. You're single and your job with the Coast Guard means that you could very well find yourself transferred to another post in a year or two. So here is my proposal, we find a small single family home or townhouse that you like and I'll buy it. You can then pay me a monthly rent which if you later decide you want to keep it, will go toward the purchase price of the house. If not, and you move out of the area, then I'll have a rental property I can find a tenant for or I sell it."
Amber thought about the deal. Her father had a point, that at this time, she wasn't sure what her future would hold or how long she would be in the D.C. area. The question was, did she want to deal with some stranger as a landlord or her own father. The prospect of being in her own house rather than an apartment was appealing. It also wasn't as if her father was out right buying the house for her, which she was sure he would do if he thought she would accept it.
"What kind of rules am I looking at?" Amber asked, thinking about rules she had to deal with in the past. Things like no pets or no putting nails in the wall to hang things up. Some more reasonable than others, but things that you had to deal with when you were renting or leasing a place to live. Being her father, she wasn't sure what kind of things he might come up with in this case.
"No opposite sex visitors allowed," he told her, managing to get the words out with a straight face.
Amber plucked another pea out of her stir fry and threw it across the table at him. As he dodge the flying pea, David Rossi smiled. It was exactly the reaction he had been anticipating. Mudgie, seeing the opportunity to get a hold of people food, got up off the floor and went in search of the vegetable.
"Okay, seriously I don't see the need for any rules. You are my daughter and I know you're responsible. You pay your 'rent', utilities, and don't burn the place down and we'll be good. We'll handle repairs as they come along," David Rossi told his daughter. "I'll even call and ask if I can visit before I come over."
Amber thought it over. She wasn't going to get a better deal anywhere else no matter how much she looked. It also gave her options for the future, and allowed her father to feel like he was helping her without it being a handout.
"Can I look at places before I give you a definite answer?"
Rossi nodded. "I was hoping you'd say that. The real estate agent is willing to take us to some of the places I've looked at, so you can see them as well as a few new ones I haven't seen before. Let me know when you want to go, and I'll give her a call."
"I'll let you know," Amber told him. "I've got some other things I need to get settled and you've got other things you need to concentrate on. We'll set something up after you catch the guys behind the shooting."
David Rossi opened his mouth to protest. He had put his job in front of his family so many times before. He hadn't liked where that had got him before. Could see exactly how unhappy that course of action was making Hotch. He was part of a team now. He didn't have to do this by himself. Except this time, it was one of the team that they were trying to help.
"Dad, it's okay, really. I know how much co-workers can start feeling like family when you spend long hours with them. Know how I would feel if this was happening to one of the members of my old flight crew. I appreciate you taking a few hours to pick me up from the airport but as soon as we're done eating, you need to go rejoin your team. You'll be miserable if you don't."
"As soon as we catch this guy, I'll give you whatever help you need getting settled," David Rossi promised.
The two of them continued to talk while they ate, David Rossi telling Amber about some of the properties his had already seen that he thought she might liked. When they had finished, Amber offered to clean up while her father went back to work. As she put the dishes in the sink, she heard the front door shut behind her father. Once again, she was hit with just exactly how big the house was.
By seven o'clock, Amber was ready to call it a day. Her father wasn't home yet, and the quiet of the house was a stark contrast from the arguments she had been witness to during her time in Texas. Heading for the upstairs bathroom, Amber drew herself a hot bath. As she lowered herself down into the steaming water, she felt some of the aches from traveling over the last few days fade away. The water was starting to feel cool, by the time Amber finally pulled herself out of the tub and changed into pajamas.
Returning to her room, she picked up the current novel she was reading from the dresser where she had placed it earlier and climbed onto the four poster bed. Propping the pillow up against the headboard, she settled back on them and opened the book. As she was reading for pleasure and not to try to drown out muffled voices, Amber was able to totally immerse herself in the book. So involved in the book she was, that the sound of her cell phone actually made her jump.
After realizing what it was, she marked her place in the book and sat it on the bed beside her. Reaching over, she took the cell phone off the night stand and looked at the screen. Spencer's name was showing.
"Hey, Spencer," she said, answering the phone.
"Hi. I was starting to think you might have already gone to sleep."
"No, I was just reading a book. What time is it anyway?"
"Almost nine o'clock."
"How's your friend."
"Holding her own," Spencer told her. "Garcia's still in ICU but she's awake and has been talking to us. We don't seem to be any closer now then we were this morning. This UnSub is smart. He's covering his tracks."
"You guys will figure it out," Amber told him reassuringly.
"I sure hope so. I hate to think that this guy might try again if he finds out that he didn't kill her the first time," Spencer said. "I just can't understand how this could happen. Garcia is the kindest person I know. She only ever wants those around her to be happy."
Though Amber had never met her, she knew a lot about the FBI tech from what Spencer had told her about his co-worker over the years. She also knew how much Spencer treasured the friendships that he did make.
"Life doesn't always make sense. A lot of people get wrapped up in what is best for them and have no regard for who they hurt to get what they want. If they see someone as a threat . . ."
"Who could ever see Garcia as a threat?"
"People fear what they don't know or they don't understand," Amber replied. "To someone who isn't capable of seeing the good in the things around them, someone who looks for the good in everything around, which is how you've described Garcia to me, is something they fear."
Spencer didn't reply to her last comment but Amber heard him yawn over the phone. She realized that Spencer was probably more tired than she was herself. Had probably gotten less sleep.
"Why don't you try to get some sleep. We'll talk later," Amber told him.
"This isn't how I wanted your first day here to turn out. I was looking forward to spending some time with you."
"I know. It's not like you planned this to happen. We'll see each other soon. I'll be around for awhile."
The two of them talked for a little while longer before they finally said good-bye. As Amber placed her cell phone back on the bedside table, she heard the front door open and knew her father had gotten home. Climbing out of the bed, she went downstairs to greet him before she turned in herself.
Tag to the end of the episode - "Penelope":
"Are you ready to go home, Baby Girl," Morgan asked, as he walked up to Garcia and Lynch.
SSA David Rossi didn't hear the technical analyst's reply as he continued walking toward JJ's office, putting his cell phone away as he walked. Things were finally starting to get wrapped up. Battle's body had been removed and they had all given their statements. This whole ordeal was finally over. Battle couldn't hurt Garcia again and their technical analyst would soon be back at work. Things would be able to get back to normal.
It was Wednesday night. Amber had been working at Station Washington for the past two days now. Two days that Rossi had barely seen or talked to her. He wasn't even sure how well she was fitting in at her new assignment. He planned on changing that tonight although, he had a feeling there was someone else Amber would rather spend some time with first, which was why he had called Amber a half hour ago, and suggested she come give Reid a ride home. She had just called and said she was in the parking lot, and Agent Rossi had told her he would send Spencer down.
Reaching the office, David Rossi knocked on the open door.
"Come in," JJ replied, looking up. She was sitting behind her desk, Reid occupying the seat across from her.
"You doing okay?" Rossi asked, looking directly at the blonde media liaison
"Yeah. All things considered," she replied. "Thanks for asking."
Rossi nodded and then let his gaze drift to Reid who was looking at him over his shoulder. "Just wanted to let you know, your ride is here," Rossi told the younger agent.
"My ride? I didn't call for . . ."
"I called for you," Rossi told him, interrupting his protest. "Figured it was about time that the two of you got to spend some time together. If she's anything like her father, she won't like being kept waiting either."
Reid flushed slightly as he caught on to what Rossi was telling him. He looked across the desk at JJ. Other than Rossi, she was the only one of his teammates that knew about Amber and him knowing one another. The reference hadn't been lost on the blonde agent either.
"Go on. I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow, Spence," JJ told him, before he could say anything.
"I'll see you tomorrow, then," Reid said, as he got to his feet.
He headed out of the office, slipping by Rossi who still stood near the door. "Can I offer you a ride home?" Rossi asked JJ, as he watched Reid head toward the elevators.
"You know, I think I will take you up on that," JJ said, as she got to her feet. "I'm still feeling a little shaky. Thanks."
"Not a problem," Rossi told her.
He waited for JJ to put on her coat and grab her purse and then the two of them left the office.
"That was a really nice thing you just did," JJ remarked, as they stepped onto the elevator.
"Just offering a colleague a ride home," Rossi replied, purposely referring to the wrong incident when he knew the blonde was referring to the situation with Reid.
Rossi had figured out that Reid had confided in JJ about his relationship with Amber, when the media liaison had started asking him questions about his daughter. He had noticed how protective JJ was of Reid and knew the questions weren't just idle curiosity. The blonde had been trying to figure out what Amber was like and if she was good enough for Reid.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it," JJ told him.
"I just want to see my daughter happy," Rossi commented, choosing not to elaborate any further.
Besides, it was the truth. Despite his own failings at any meaningful relationships, he wanted more for Amber. He wanted his daughter to find someone that she could share her life with. If Reid was that person, then he didn't plan to get in the way of the two of them. No, he hadn't quite figured out how to take the youngest member of the team sometimes. The things the kid knew took him by surprise sometimes and David wondered at times if there was anything new the kid could learn and yet Reid did seem to continually be learning new things. Had a constant thirst for knowledge that seemed to be unquenchable. Nor did Reid have that air of superiority that Rossi had come across with other people with high IQs. He was down to earth, respectful and sensitive to others people feelings even though he was often awkward in social situations. Reid got excited about sharing information and sometimes didn't think about how the other person would react to what he was saying. Yes, Reid could get annoying at time but he wasn't insufferable like a lot of people David Rossi had met over the years.
~She could definitely do worse than Dr. Spencer Reid,~ Rossi thought as the elevator started its downward journey to the ground floor.
As soon as Reid stepped out of the building, he spotted her. She was standing off to the side of the main entrance, just within the light of the outside lights. Even on the edge of the shadows, Amber Rossi looked just as beautiful as he remembered her. He couldn't believe that it had been three years since he had seen her last. Three years since they had said good-bye at LAX. Though they had stayed in touch, had talked on the phone, it just wasn't the same.
Reid let go of the door, letting it close behind him but didn't take another step away from it. Instead, he stood there staring at the only woman he had ever truly loved. Sure there had been Lila, whom JJ and Morgan still liked to tease him about at times, but that hadn't been anything like what he had shared with Amber.
Hearing the soft sound of the door closing in the quiet night, Amber looked in the direction of the building entrance. Unlike Reid, she wasn't frozen in place at the sight of her former boyfriend and current friend. Not caring who might be around, Amber hurried toward Reid. Before the FBI Agent knew what was going on, she had thrown her arms around him and hugged him tight. It wasn't long before he was returning the gesture, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. The feel of her head on his shoulder, and her hair on his face. He closed his eyes, wanting to believe that there was no one else around except for the two of them.
"I've missed you, Spencer," Amber said, the words low though there was no one else around to hear them.
"This feels like a dream," he told her. "Like if I open my eyes, you won't really be here."
"Oh, I'm definitely no dream," Amber told him, finally taking a step back breaking the hug. She let her hands run down his arms, until they finally found his hands. "Look at you, agent for the FBI. I knew you could do it."
"It sure wasn't easy, not to mention if the powers that be didn't think I was too valuable of an asset to lose for other reason, I probably wouldn't have ever made it through the academy training. Your encouragement through those months helped too."
"Everyone needs someone to believe in them. I was just helping someone I care about realize his dreams and you did it."
"I only realized one of my dreams. My other dream seemed out of reach."
"Seemed?"
"Well, here you are. Our pursuit of our dreams have brought us to the same town once again. Maybe this time it will work out."
Amber heard more than just the words. She saw hope in his eyes. The same hope she had felt since hearing of her transfer to Station Washington.
"I think that's a dream we share," Amber told him softly.
They stood there, looking into one another's eyes, until finally Reid pulled his hands out of Amber's grasp. Amber was waiting for him to stuff his hands into his pocket, just like he had always done in college. Instead though, Reid put his arm tentatively around her shoulders.
"So where did you park?" he asked, as Amber slipped her arm around his waist, moving in close to him.
"Over there," she said, pointing with her free hand, as she felt him pull her closer, becoming more comfortable with the physical contact. She almost felt as if nothing had changed between them and she buried the lingering doubt of what the future held in store for them, choosing to simply enjoy the moment. She could deal with her worries in the days to come.