In the morning, Penelope stretched and woke up slowly. Erin was still asleep and she stroked her face lightly. Erin blinked her eyes and then opened them, looking up at her. "You'll have to finish the story for me. I want to know how the troubadour saves the lovely princess."
"I never said she was lovely."
"But I imagine her to be. In my head, she has blonde hair and blue eyes, a quick smile, and an amazing figure. Am I far off the mark?"
Erin shook her head as she sat up. "I'm too transparent."
"I love the story, and I want to know more." She got out of bed and grabbed clothes for the day. "You know, we haven't christened this shower yet, my dove."
"That is true. And we both need to get clean." She joined Penelope, pulling out clothes for herself. "Let's make it ours."
They hit unexpected traffic on the way to the courthouse and so met Hotch in the hallway with three minutes to spare. "Everyone is inside already. Ms. Mohr is leading out with her closing arguments, so today begins the waiting time. I have a feeling that we're either going to get a decision right away or the jury is going to end up deadlocked."
"That would totally suck, Hotch."
"You're right, it would, Penelope. Let's go in there, though, before we're late." He led them inside and Penelope slid in next to Gideon once more. As soon as Erin was seated, she clasped her hand, wanting to feel some warmth in her suddenly freezing body. It seemed like they had just sat down when the bailiff came out and introduced Judge Piskun.
"Ms. Mohr, at this time do you wish to recall any witnesses?"
"No, Your Honor."
"Mr. Hotchner?"
"I have no witnesses to recall either, Your Honor."
"Very well, at this time you may give your closing argument, Ms. Mohr."
"Thank you, Your Honor. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, here sits my client, accused of crimes for which there is no defense. And yet, I maintain his innocence. It is very convenient that both Christopher Strauss and Kevin Lynch are dead. Both men have also been accused in participating in these crimes, and yet neither is here to give an account of what happened. For all we know, the Lynch letters are the deranged ravings of a mentally ill man. David Rossi is a celebrated author and dedicated profiler. When the BAU was in trouble, he came out of retirement to help them. Does this sound like a man who would rape, torture, and kidnap women? I think not, and therefore you must find him not guilty of the crimes he has been charged with." She took her seat and Judge Piskun nodded at Aaron.
He stood and made eye contact with all the jury members. "David Rossi is a man haunted by many demons. His teenage years found him running with a rough crowd and that has never really left him. The prosecution has shown you irrefutable evidence that points to what he did to terrorize Penelope Garcia and Erin Strauss. These two women did nothing to deserve the treatment they received at his hands. Ms. Garcia will carry a visual reminder of what he did to her for the rest of her life. More damaging than that, though, are the emotional scars that will linger in their hearts for years to come, bubbling to the surface when they least expect it. And yes, David Rossi is a celebrated author and profiler, but as Nietzsche said, if we look long into the abyss, the abyss looks back into us. The job we do requires us to see the evil in people and if we're not careful it can twist us. Mr. Rossi has fallen into that trap and now needs to be held accountable for his reprehensible actions. Please think about that as you make your decision."
As he took his seat, Judge Piskun spoke once more. "Members of the jury, I am now releasing you to make your decision on the verdicts. Please remember the charges against Mr. Rossi are as follows: rape, attempted rape, two counts each of attempted murder and infliction of great bodily harm, as well as kidnapping of a federal agent. As you begin your deliberations, please keep in mind all of the testimony and evidence that has been presented over the last two weeks. The bailiff will be right outside the door should any of you have questions or need to see any of the evidence." He banged his gavel and the jury filed out after the bailiff. "At this time, the court will be in recess until a decision is reached or five o'clock comes." He banged the gavel once more and they all stood, watching him leave to his chambers.
Penelope looked over at Gideon and noticed the smile on his face. "You were profiling the jury, weren't you?" He nodded. "And how does it look?"
"Very good for our side. In this case, having a majority of men on the jury may have hurt the defense. And you did the smart thing by not wearing makeup during the trial – it makes you look younger and more vulnerable."
"That was Erin's idea, actually. Do you really think it made that big a difference?"
"Jason's right, Penelope. By not wearing makeup, you played up that need to protect you. So, between all of us, I'm calling verdict in forty five minutes."
"I'll go with thirty minutes, Hotch," Reid said, smiling.
"No, that might be too short. I say give them an hour to deliberate and then we'll get the decision," Morgan said, putting his hand on Penelope's shoulder. "I'm going to grab a coffee from the kiosk across the street. Does anyone else want anything?"
"Do you think they sell whisky?" Penelope asked. "I suddenly feel the need for a stiff drink."
"No, Baby Girl, I don't think they sell that on the street. Anyone else?" They shook their heads and he left the room at a fast clip.
"There is a really good bar nearby. Drinks on me today, no matter if we get a verdict or not." Aaron looked around their group and they all nodded. "Good. I don't want to not celebrate the end of all this."
Morgan returned and they talked a bit longer. Penelope noticed the bailiff slip into the judge's chambers and felt her stomach drop. She reached out to Erin, who slipped her arm around Penelope's waist. Judge Piskun came out moments later and had them sit and then had the bailiff bring the jury in. "Mister Foreman, has the jury reached their verdicts?"
"We have, Your Honor."
"Very well. Please tell us your decisions." Turning to Rossi, he said, "If the defendant will please rise. On the charge of rape, how does the jury find the defendant?"
"We find the defendant guilty."
"And on the charge of attempted rape?"
"We find the defendant guilty."
"And on the two charges of attempted murder?"
"We find him guilty of both charges."
"And on the two charges of grievous bodily harm?"
"We find him guilty on both charges."
"And finally, on the charge of kidnapping, how does the jury find?"
"We find the defendant guilty."
As Judge Piskun asked each jurist if that was their vote, Penelope could feel tears flow down her cheeks. Gideon handed her his handkerchief and she dried her eyes with it, then wrung it around her fingers. "Thank you for giving you attention and time to this matter. Court is in recess today until one pm when we will begin the penalty portion of the trial."
Once he'd left the room, her group of friends turned to her and Erin, wrapping them in a loving embrace. "Thank you, Aaron," Penelope whispered as she broke from the hug.
"So, we do not want to brave the throng out there. I swear, those wolves are fairly salivating at the prospect of getting an interview from anyone in this courtroom. I'm glad you went with the media blackout, Hotch," Morgan said.
"I don't think I could eat anything right now anyway," Emily said. "I never expected today to be so nerve wracking, and I can't imagine how you two got through all of this."
"We had each other," Erin replied softly, looking into Penelope's eyes. They were red-rimmed and Penelope felt herself well up again. Erin opened her arms and Penelope stepped into them, letting Erin hold onto her tightly. "When it's two against the world, rather than you against the world, you can do anything." Penelope nodded at her words, a gentle smile on her lips. "What are we going to do for the next two hours?"
"I think there's a café in the basement of the building. We could head down there for a bit," Reid said.
"Sounds good to me," Penelope replied. She took hold of Erin's hand. "Lead the way, Reid." They followed him down into the basement and he ordered for all of them. Hotch, Morgan, and Emily sat with Penelope and Erin while Reid sat with Gideon, getting easily lost in conversation. "So, what comes next, Hotch?"
"The jury will recommend a sentence for Rossi and the judge will either accept or reject it. Seeing as how they found him guilty on all charges, most likely they'll hand out the harshest possible sentence. Honestly, he could be looking at 150 years or longer in prison, which is obviously longer than his natural life. Whoever inherits his estate will be thankful, though. Sales of his books are going to go through the stratosphere."
"More than they already have?"
"Oh yes. Good guy gone rouge? Those will fly off the shelves like the latest Stephen King novel."
"Sometime the world we live in really sucks," Emily said, sipping her coffee.
"Sensationalism, like sex, sells," Morgan said as he stirred more sugar into his coffee.
"But, if we look really carefully, we'll find exactly what we need most in this life," Penelope said, smiling. She had yet to let go of Erin's had, and she hoped her dove didn't mind. As if her mind had been read, Erin squeezed her hand, smiling back at her.
"Next weekend, during the first of Penelope's two week suspension, we're moving her things into our house. Once Jason goes back to Michigan, we're giving up the apartment. Since we don't have to sneak around anymore, it seems rather pointless to keep two places. Would you like to come help us and kind of make it a party?" Erin asked, though Penelope noted she was only looking at Hotch.
"They suspended you two?"
"No, Emily, I was suspended for two weeks. Sheppard forced Erin into an early retirement."
"You're not going to be the Section Chief any longer?" Morgan asked, actually looking somewhat upset.
"When you commit as large an infraction as I did, well, I was lucky to receive as good a retirement package as I did. I'll have time now to read and knit and do things I didn't have time for earlier."
"And for two whole weeks I get to be indulged. Well, save for the time you spend with us."
"Whoa there, Mama, I never said I was coming."
"Oh, I know you'll all be there. It's going to be our celebratory party."
Reid turned around in his chair. "Did I hear party?" he asked smiling at Penelope widely.
"Yeah, but she's making us work for it first."
"There's nothing wrong with a little manual labor, Morgan. Will Karen be there?"
"I think I can arrange that, Aaron. After all, the more hands, the lighter the work." Everyone pulled out their phones and added the information to their calendars. The conversations broke up into pairs and trios, and Penelope leaned back against Erin. "The tratoria tonight? After drinks, that is."
"That sounds wonderful. Did you think the verdict would come this quickly."
"No, I was certain they'd end up deadlocked, what with Rossi's fame. I guess I should have more faith in humanity." They both fell silent, and Penelope listened to the chatter of her teammates. The time passed quickly and soon Penelope was following everyone back up to the courtroom. Erin slipped her arm through Penelope's and she found she couldn't stop the contented sigh that came forth as she blushed.
This time, the team flanked the pair, surrounding them in the bench. The courtroom was packed with gawkers, and Penelope realized that word of the verdict must have gotten out. She watched the jury file in for one last time and wondered what was going on in their minds. The bailiff had them stand and Judge Piskun entered.
"Be seated. May I have the recommended sentence?" The foreman handed a slip of paper to the bailiff, who handed it over to Judge Piskun. "Will the defendant please rise? On each count, the jury has recommended you receive the highest possible sentence, and I concur. Therefore, I sentence you to live out the rest of your natural life in a maximum security federal prison, with no possibility of parole." He banged the gavel and the guard took Rossi into custody. Rossi looked back at them as he was led away and Penelope saw that the reality of his circumstances was finally hitting him.
She could feel her eyes tearing up and she tried to covertly wipe the tears away. Erin noticed, though, and nodded at her, trying to smile. "It's a waste of a life, my peacock. He could have done such good with the remainder of his years. It's okay to sorrow for that. It's better than carrying around anger for the rest of your life," she whispered in her ear.
Judge Piskun finally dismissed them and as soon as he was gone, Penelope and Erin turned and clung to each other. Penelope wept, all the tension and anxiety of the last month pouring out of her through her tears. Dimly, she could feel her own shoulder wetted with Erin's tears. A hand touched her back and she looked up into Aaron's face. "We should get going now. Stay in the middle of our group, you two. I'm certain the vultures are out there waiting to pick the carcass clean."
Together, they walked out of the courthouse and into the bright September sunlight. Almost as one, they put on sunglasses and stepped into the onslaught of camera flashes and microphones. Aaron and Derek pushed their way through the throng, while Jason and Reid flanked her and Erin. Emily brought up the rear, a grim look on her face. Finally, they were free of them and they walked to the bar Aaron had mentioned. While everyone else sat in a large, horseshoe shaped booth, Aaron ordered them drinks.
The waitress came by a few minutes later with seven shots of whisky. "You remembered," Penelope said as she picked up the shot glass, staring at the amber liquid.
"I did." He slammed the shot back and the others followed suit. The waitress brought another round, and Penelope followed Erin's lead and just sipped at hers. "I'm glad we were able to bring him to justice for you two."
"I'm glad Sheppard wanted you to prosecute the case. You knew how to push Rossi's buttons. His silence damned his more than anything, I think," Erin said as she took another sip of whisky. After an hour of being together, Erin looked at her watch. "We should be going. The weekend is young and stretches before us unfettered. We'll see all of you next Saturday at Penelope's apartment." Gideon slid out and they got out of the booth.
Penelope looked towards the courthouse and noticed most of the reporters had gone. As she got in the car, her phone vibrated against her stomach and she pulled it out of her purse. "Hello?"
"Do you and Mother have your phones on silent?"
"Yes, Karen, we do. You have to in the courtroom. Has it hit the airwaves already?"
"Uh-huh. Breaking news, even. George Stephanopoulos said it was the decision of the decade. Though what he was basing that on, since there was a media blackout, is anyone's guess. What time are the two of you planning on being home?"
"Not a clue. We're heading out to our tratoria now and will most likely head home after that. Why?"
"No reason. I'm just glad this nightmare is over now."
"So are we. See you later, Karen." She hung up and stuck her phone back in her purse, then set the whole thing on the floor. "Are we going to order gelato again tonight, my dove?"
"You know what happened last time we had that. And it's not like we can do that tonight."
"Oh god, I forgot about that. You know, I was never this randy until I fell in love with you. You are totally my aphrodisiac." A wide grin spread over her face. "Could we play with honey when we get home?"
Erin chuckled lowly. "Your sweet tooth will be the downfall of you someday."
"But honey's a natural sweetener. Not that you need any sweetness added to you. I love you just the way you are."
"Penelope," Erin whispered, and she turned in her seat to look at her lover. As she watched, her face crumpled and she bit her lip, trying not to cry.
"There's a parking lot here, pull into it," Penelope said concern in her voice. Once Erin had put the car in park, Penelope leaned over and pulled Erin into a tight hug. "Whatever is the matter, my dearest heart?"
"He's gone, Penelope. I'm free, and yet, it feels as if my heart just broke into a million pieces. Oh, this sounds so awful, because I love you, I'm in love with you, and I can't imagine spending a day of my life without you. But…" Her words were lost in a fit of sobs. Penelope stroked her back gently, letting Erin cry.
The sorrow her lover was displaying tore at her heart, and she began to cry as well. Unbidden, an image of Kevin, smiling and happy, came to the front of her mind and suddenly she knew what Erin meant. The finality of the verdict had slammed shut the door to their past, and while memories could poke and prod them, there was no returning to the life they had become accustomed to. The old was gone and they were facing a strange new world together. "I love you so much, Erin. We'll move forward together, I promise," she whispered.
Erin nodded and sat up, wiping her eyes. "I wish I could see as clearly as you do, my oracle. I must look a fright."
"You look beautiful."
"There's no need for flattery, I'm yours already."
"It's not flattery, it's the truth. You're real, you're here, and to me, you are entirely beautiful every moment of every day. Do you feel able to drive on now?"
"Yes." Erin kissed her cheek gently and put the car in drive. Then she took off into the late afternoon sun.
It had been a glorious week together. They spent the time taking walks around the neighborhood, knitting, and loving. Saturday morning rolled around and Penelope drove Esther over to her apartment, while Erin and Paul followed with his friends. The rest of her team was already there, parked in front of the building. Penelope let the boys in and she and Erin climbed the stairs slowly, savoring their last moments in a place that had so many sweet memories for them both.
Inside the apartment she found Gideon directing everyone on how to pack the boxes that littered the living room. "We left the dresser and closet for you two to pack. We didn't want to pry too much," he said as he handed Penelope a box. "All right, let's take the first load down and get it over to the house. You'll lead us, right, Paul?" He nodded and accepted the full box from Gideon. "Before we go, is there anywhere special to put the boxes?"
"Set them in the foyer for right now. We'll begin putting them away once we're finished here," Erin replied. Penelope heard everyone troop out as she opened the top drawer, pulling out what little remained of their undergarments. Erin emptied the hosiery drawer into the box and moved on to the sweaters in the third drawer.
"I can't wait for it to be cool enough so I can wear my sweater again," Penelope said as she watched Erin put it into the box with the others. They made quick work of the dresser and then moved on to the closet, Penelope handing outfits to Erin to fold and put in the box. By the time everyone was back, the bedroom was bare, save for the sheets on the bed. Everyone helping out made short work of what remained and they carted boxes and furniture down to the waiting vehicles.
Penelope drove Erin back to their home. Stepping into the foyer, they found all the boxed neatly stacked, though there was one in the middle of the room that was open. Karen bustled back into the room and smiled at them. "Hey, I've just started with getting this stuff put away. I thought the art could go in the den and your bedroom. Though I did gank a piece for my own room. Hope you don't mind, Penny."
"No, that's fine." Penelope began taking things out of the open box and putting them in the best place. By the time the others returned with the final load, the three of them had managed to get eight boxes put away. With the others pitching in, everything was soon in its proper place. Morgan helped Paul and his friends take some of the extra furniture down to the basement, and then they were finished. Erin called and ordered pizza delivered to the house and then pulled Penelope into her arms.
"Karen and Aaron have disappeared somewhere."
"That didn't take them long. I still think it's weird to encourage this."
"They're both adults and know what they're getting into. But this," she gestured around the room, "went more quickly than I thought it would."
"We have wonderful friends," Penelope said as she turned in Erin's arms to face the group, leaning back against her.
"You have wonderful friends, my dear," Erin replied, setting her chin on Penelope's shoulder.
"No, Baby Girl's right. We're bound together now and I, for one, consider you among my friends. Dude, you make Penelope glow – I haven't seen her like this in such a long time. And you are such a nice person, underneath the layers you've wrapped yourself in." Morgan handed them each a glass of wine and they sipped at it as Hotch and Karen came back in the room, glasses in hand.
The pizza arrived and Paul and his friends set it up in the dining room. Everyone made their way into the other room and grabbed something to eat. Once everyone was occupied, Penelope tugged on Erin's arm. "They'll be fine down here. I think I want to slip away like our two lovebirds just did, my dove."
"Sounds good to me," Erin whispered, setting her glass on the sideboard. Then she took Penelope's hand and they went upstairs to their bedroom, locking the outside world out of their personal paradise.