Happy Criminal Minds Day! Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Several weeks later and the team was still working the Reaper case
On speaker at the Boston Police Department, the team brainstormed-
"Why did the Reaper leave Foyet alive?" Rossi asked
"We always said it was because it was his first kill—because his signature was being created but what if that premise is wrong," Derek suggested.
"Well, when they took his statement he said he and his fiancé were heading to the cabin." Emily replied
Garcia interjected via phone "fiancée, but she only knew him for 4 weeks? She was a freshman who moved there from Ohio – who falls in loves and get's engaged to their teacher that fast?"
"Garcia, what were Foyet's know alias again" Hotch asked
As she looked through them, she stumbled upon something odd.
"Guys this is weird – as Kevin Fuller, he was a computer science substitute teachers who was suspended due to allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior."
Reid, "Foyet is the Reaper—he made himself a victim so he would not be considered a suspect."
The team catches Foyet and place him in police custody. The team comes back exuberated — they captured the freakin reaper. She is in the kitchen making a tea humming Coldplay's Viva La Vida song to herself. Derek walks in the kitchen.
"Hi Garcia" he says without making eye contact. He reaches for the coffee
"You know you shouldn't have that … it is just going to keep you up all night- remember 3pm is your cut off."
"Your right." He said as he opted for tea.
"I know you just got back but let's get dinner. I've missed you and I would love to catch up. No heavy topics I promise."
"I have a lot of paper work to do and I just can't."
"Oh, but when then" she countered eagerly
He shrugged and replied "I don't know."
She watched him go—maybe this is what he wanted she thought. He seemed just as miserable as a she did, but maybe she was trying too hard. He wanted space she gave it—how much more space could he want – unless it was really over.
She was in the kitchen watching Morgan leave as Rossi entered.
"Give him some time Kitten—he'll come around, he's been in a horrible mood since we left" he said as he rubbed her shoulder.
"I don't think he will Dave—maybe this is why they have the fraternization rule."
"Kitten, I'm the reason they have the fraternization rule."
The laughed and head to the conference room.
Conference Room
They all congregated in the conference room to celebrate the Reapers capture. Rossi opened up a bottle of good scotch and the team toasted each other for the good work. She tried to chat up Emily and Jordan but they were on cloud 9.
"You did great work Penelope" Hotch said.
"Thank you, Hotch"
Strauss comes in and says you have to see this. She turns on the television and the announcer say:
"This just in The Reaper has escaped prison and is now at large"
"What?" the team murmurs
"Shhh," Hotch instructs them as he continues to listen to the broadcast.
"How did this happen?" asked Reid.
"They are saying he escaped through the tunnels in the infirmary" Straus replied.
"But they will catch him right?" Penelope asked
"No, they wont." Hotch replied
Derek Morgan's House
She got up early and put on her favorite dress, curled her hair, made her face and headed over to Morgan's house. This was her final attempt and she was pulling out all of the stops. She brought his favorite croissants and coffee from their French café. She even made note cards so she could stay on the course. When she arrived, he wasn't home so she sat on his steps waiting. About 20 minutes later she saw them running towards his house, Jordan and Derek. They were laughing about something.
"Garcia is that you? Oh no, do we have a case?" she said out of breath. She was wearing form fitting running gear and her hair was in a cute ponytail. She is a beautiful girl, Penelope thought
"Morning Garcia," said Derek.
"No case. Thank god," She smiled at them, "I was hoping to talk to you for a second"
Jordan turned to Morgan and says, "I'll go in and start breakfast."
Garcia watches her walk in the house, tilts her head. Could they be—but her thought was interrupted by Morgan.
"What do you need Garcia?"
She was still confused by what she saw, but stuck to her plan.
"I came bearing a peace offering"—she said handing him a coffee and croissants.
"I feel like, I've been very pushy recently and I am trying to give you the time and space you need to come around but I can never seem to pin you down—So I've taken to bribery—your favorite croissants and coffee from our café." She smiled
He took the coffee and bag as Clooney came running over to her.
"At least someone misses me," she said as she pets him.
"I wanted to talk about our relationship," she said hesitantly
"What relationship?" he asked sharply
"So this isn't just a bump in the road," she said leaning on the banister. "Why didn't you say something?"
"What else was there left to say Garcia?"
"how to fix this maybe—I've never been dumped before—so this is what it feels like when some just lets go." she says as she sits on his steps.
"My heart just aches for you. It hurts so bad- you see, because" she whispers as she looks at his feet "I love you—I'll always love you" she brushes away a tear and looks at her hands. "I thought I was giving you space" she looked up at him "I mean, I never imagined that we were over— I thought this was an extremely long first argument or fight," she said laughing and crying at the same damn time.
"Don't you love me?" She cried returning her gaze to her hands.
"Don't answer that" She sniffed – she reached into her pocket and pulled out her cards but she realized that they wouldn't help. Nothing would. She had to give up.
"I know that I love you with all my heart and I don't think I can stop" she cried as the salty tears hit her lips.
"I mean you don't have to do anything about it" she cried – "I know you're in a relationship or have a relationship but" she shrugs "I love you."
She wiped her tears and tried to compose herself. She looks up at the sky forcing the tears to stay in her eyes.
"Now, I feel insanely foolish—see, I've been sitting around waiting for you to realize that you actually love me when you obviously have moved on."
"Garcia…" he said moving towards her.
"How could you have ever loved me - when you have moved on so quickly, right? I mean that's what my brain is telling me but my heart"
She shakes her head
"You see Handsome, my heart is here," she says placing her hand over her chest "telling me something else."
"So if my heart is right and I know it is."
"You are going to walk over here and choose me,"
"Love me,"
"Fight for me,"
"Because we're worth it."
He just watched her in silence- His inaction made her burst in to tears again. He came over to console her and she jumped up as if she was touched by fire.
"Don't," she said
"Just Don't –" she said trying to regain composure. She wiped the imaginary dirt from her hands and dress.
"Do you have anything you want to say? —I have this habit of going on and on" she asked as she looked into the distance.
"Penelope, I thought this chapter was done—I'm mean what's love without trust?"
He sat on the step and watched her as she refused to look at him
"This is it," she said with a new sense of determination in her voice.
She nodded to herself as if she was answering her own question in slow motion.
"I am sorry I bothered you" she said straightening up her back and taking a deep breathe "—but I finally get it."
"Please" she gestured to the house as if she was a waiter show him to a table "Enjoy your breakfast."
She walked a way -
What was he doing? He wondered as he ran his hand over his head. He knew he should go follow her – tell her something. But nothing he said would be new. He loved her but could not trust her. She lied to the very end and now she was here with proclamations of love. How could this be love? And if it was love, logically love wasn't enough.
He spent the past 7 weeks working hard on the case and trying to forget about her while she was here waiting. She's just stubborn, he thought. She had to move on just as he did, because there was no future for them.
He had a beautiful woman inside making him breakfast he thought as he got up and headed inside. Come on, Clooney he called as the dog just stood looking in the direction of where Penelope went wagging his tail.
As he made his way to the kitchen, Jordan was chopping up the berries.
"What was that about?" she asked him
He took a deep sigh and said "Garcia and I were together. I loved her and now it is over." He said as if he were reciting details of a case.
Jordan was taken back by his honesty and decided to be honest as well.
"I didn't know," she said "Well, I like you Derek so if you need time—I don't mind waiting."
"Thank you for that" he said as he put is arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. He kissed the top of her head and said "but I am good."
"So what's for breakfast Ms. Todd?" he said with his signature smile.
"To say thank you for helping me train for my first warrior race—I made you French toast with berries" she said looking up at him.
Sounds good he said, as he poured out the coffee Garcia brought him. As he removed the sleeve of the cup, he saw that she wrote offering of peace, love PG on the paper cup. He smiled and instead of tossing out the cup -he rinsed it out and put it in the cabinet next to her Moroccan spices.
The conversation over breakfast was light and easy and when she was leaving, she kissed his cheek. He looked at her and decided to move forward. He held her chin and kissed her. She parted her lips and he explored her mouth. She tasted like a mix of berries and maple syrup. He realized at some point his heart wasn't in it but she took over and showed him her techniques. He smiled and parted from the kiss. He then, tapped her nose and said have a good day you. Giving her his signature smile, she smiled and headed to her car.
As soon as he closed the door, he thought of his last kiss with Penelope. It was at Pete's; it was a quick peck on the lips that she gave him before she started talking about Strauss. Just the thought of her sent his heart fluttering. Maybe he wasn't ready to move on
I have loved writing the last three chapters. My heart officially aches for Garcia—