Chapter 06

BAU Headquaters
Quantico, VA

Spring 2005

Penelope

Over the months between when they were infected and the following summer, when Elle left under a cloud of suspicion and their newest member, Emily Prentiss, joined the team, the Alien Virus slowly but inexorably crept from LA to the major cities. And wherever it went society changed with it.

As Gideon had predicted the rates of child abuse skyrocketed at first, as more and more reports were made. But after the first thirty days the rates dropped precipitously, as parents realized they could no longer take out their negative emotions on the children in their lives without another adult being aware of it and contacting law enforcement. Then the police would subpoena the courts for the contact info for the reporting child's mate and begin an investigation, which always bore fruit. At the same time rates of divorce started going up, as those same parents started taking it out on their spouses instead, and the rates of kinship adoption, children going to live with grandparents or aunts and uncles, also rose. The end result would be happier, healthier children, and the conditions that made abusers mostly dying out with that generation.

But other positive changes happened. When word got out about the Alien Virus the behavior of many teens and college students seemed to change overnight. Grade point averages went up over one semester. Rates of teen and college drinking and drug use had already been dropping, but now they went down even more. More young people started joining gyms and Googling information on nutrition. And the rates of teen pregnancy and sexual activity almost dropped off a cliff. It seemed that everyone was waiting for the mate they just knew was out there. And everyone wanted to be the best they could be for that other person, now that they knew that he or she would find them, sooner or later.

It quickly became a thing. When you turned sixteen you went to the DMV and got your license. When you turned eighteen you went and released your contact information for your mate to find. If you were lucky they were waiting for you. If not the agonizing period of waiting began. But sooner or later your email would ping with the notification that you had been matched, and you would meet the one person who would be your best friend for life. And nearly always your romantic partner as well.

Only among the very oldest infected were people more hesitant. Maybe being out in the big, bad world, having dated and hooked up only to find that whoever that was they were not The One, made them more reticent, more suspicious, but people infected between the ages of 22 and 25 tended to wait a bit before releasing their name. They just weren't certain it was the best idea.

Which meant that their mates had to wait too.

Of all people, Penelope Garcia turned out to be the primary support systems for her 'kittens', as she called JJ and Spencer. "Ugh! I hate this!" She overheard JJ say one morning.

Penelope went into JJ office to find her staring at the database screen, showing no matches for her. "You hate what? Waiting?"

"Of course! Who doesn't?"

"You know, there are things you can do in the meantime."

"Like what?" JJ asked with a sigh.

"I read about these classes people are taking." Penelope replied. "Supposedly you can use meditation techniques to focus your mind, so when your mate is infected you can more easily separate what he's feeling from what you're feeling."

JJ groaned. "Oh come on, that's a bunch of hooey."

"Okay. What else are you doing on Wednesday nights?" Penelope asked.

JJ thought about this. "Only if we get Spence to come too."

Logan School Condos
Apt #13
Washington DC

"Okay, explain this to me." Penelope asked.

Spencer took a deep breath. "I know I'm not anyone's idea of a catch."

"Ohhh, of course you are! Don't be silly."

"No, Penelope, I'm not. I'm funny looking, I know it."

"No you're not. Besides, you don't even know what she looks like yet."

"It doesn't matter what she looks like. She's already the most beautiful girl in the world to me, or will be. I've been reading the reports analyzing the alien technology; I trust it to be accurate. But, it's just, what if she doesn't like me."

"Why wouldn't she like you?"

"Because I'm weird. I slouch. My hair is too long. My tie is perpetually crooked. I have to wear glasses every time the cherry trees bloom. I'm only home nine days out of every fourteen on average. And I've never..."

"Never?" Penelope blinked a moment. "Oh, never. Never?"

"Never." Spencer replied, ignoring the heat in his cheeks.

"Okay, even if all that was true you'd still be a catch. You're really well educated, gainfully employed, don't have any weird habits or hobbies..."

"I babble, Penelope. I never realize I'm doing it until I've driven people crazy with it. I work with so much insanity and evil that I find slasher horror movies comedic. I'm a complete nerd, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr. Who, all of it. And I may be gainfully employed but I'm also supporting a sick mother. And I like to knit. That's weird on a guy, I know."

"Yeah, how is that Dr. Who scarf going?"

"Three feet and growing. I just want something else to bring to the table, something to make the time that I am home special."

Penelope took a deep breath. "Well, when you put it that way...okay, what do you want to learn how to cook first?"

BAU Headquarters
Quantico, VA

"Hey Penelope." JJ called to her friend as she came into the lobby

"Hey, JJ. Please tell me we do not have a case."

"Not at the moment. No, I was wondering if you thought Morgan would help me with a project."

"What kind of project?"

"Well, I've been thinking about this whole mate thing..."

"I know you have. I don't think he could get whoever he is infected any faster."

"I know, but I thought...you know, you want to bring your best to the table, and I..."

"Oh come on, you totally are already. Any guy would have to be a complete idiot to turn you down."

"Okay, that is flattering. I don't know, maybe I'm just looking for something to keep my mind off waiting."

"I can see that. So what are you looking at?"

"Well, you know I went home for the holidays, and ate all of my family's cooking and I kinda put on a few..."

"If you did I can't tell where you're keeping them."

JJ groaned. "Look, there is only so much I can bring a guy, okay."

"Yeah, a lot." Penelope replied. "I mean look at you. You're a perfect size six, educated, really well employed, ambitious..."

"Yeah, but I'm lousy at the traditional stuff. I can't cook, I have a housekeeper come in, I take my laundry out..."

"So you're not into that stuff. Don't change yourself into something you're not, it never works."

"I'm not. I just want to improve the stuff I have. Not so much lose but maybe tone up a little, take some yoga..."

"Yoga?"

"Yeah, you know. For..."

"For..." All of a sudden Penelope got it. She lowered her voice. "Oh, I get it. You want the whole bedroom goddess package. Strength, stamina, flexibility, good, giving and game all in one."

"Of course." JJ lowered her voice as well. "I mean, might as well make a good thing mind blowing, right? So, do you think Morgan will help? With the strength and stamina part, you know, gym stuff."

"I am so certain he will. Come on, let's go ask him."

YogaNoMa
1200 First Street NE
Washington, DC

"That was weird." JJ said as they left the yoga studio.

"Yeah, but kind of relaxing." Spencer replied.

As it turned out the class was for infected only. But Penelope was going to meet them at the sidewalk café across the street. "But do you think it will work?" JJ asked as they headed that way.

"We won't know until our mates are infected." Spencer replied. "Personally I'm hoping it will. It's a fascinating experiment, either way."

"You would think of it that way."