Several weeks later

"Penelope, would you marry me," Dave said been down on one knee, holding a ring box.

"I'll be happy to," Penelope squealed happily, flinging herself into Dave's arms. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Dave grinned happily. "This something I need to tell you though before we start talking about weddings."

"What's that?" Penelope asked.

"Why don't you sit down first," Dave calmly suggested hiding his nervousness.

"This must be some news if you want me to sit down," Penelope said.

"It's more the fact that it's unbelievable," Dave admitted.

Dave then explained all about immortals and Penelope didn't look as disbelieving at he had thought she would.

When Dave finished Penelope just sat there observing what she had been told.

"Say something," Dave suggested. "You're making me very nervous just sitting there, staring off into space."

"I knew there was something you were hiding from me you and Aaron," Penelope explained finally coming back to herself. "I saw the two of you talking several times, conversations you stopped as soon as I entered the room. I was kind of surprised when Emily joined you for several of those conversations. I'm not unobservant like a lot of people, I just didn't say anything, thinking you'd tell me in time."

"Emily did say that you were like the red queen that believes in six impossible things before breakfast," Dave said cautiously relieved. "So does that mean you believe me or do you want me to prove it?"

"Oh, I want proof of course, just to make sure you aren't feeding me a line," Penelope grinned adorably at him, telling Dave easier than words ever could, that she didn't expect to have her faith in him betrayed, but was prepared for it just in case.

"Okay then," Dave said calmly and Penelope relaxed farther at the calm tone. "Why don't you go get me kitchen knife and I'll do that demonstration. Don't forget the paper towels."

Penelope rose from where she was sitting and went into the kitchen area to get a sharp knife and some paper towels. She returned just a few seconds later with these items and handing them to Dave. Dave put the paper towels on the coffee table, then took the knife and sliced his palm. Penelope watched as the wide slash healed in just 30 seconds.

"Wow!" Penelope said blinking her beautiful brown eyes in amazement. "I wasn't actually sure I believed you until that demonstration. I might be like the red queen from the looking-glass, but that doesn't mean I'm not always looking for deception as I'm not one of those people that believe without proof."

"I didn't expect you to be," Dave said calmly, as he used several paper towels to wipe the blood off his hand. "I figured I'd have to give you a demonstration."

"So I'm assuming there's a way to turn me immortal?" Penelope asked.

"Of course there is, as Aaron did it for Emily. We can't have children until you're like I am," Dave told her.

"Then I definitely want to be turned immortal as soon as possible, because I want children like Emily I'm not getting any younger," Penelope requested and Dave grinned at her.

"I'll be happy to fulfill that request, my lady. Nothing would please me more," Dave told her kissing her passionately. "I am very old, as I'm sure you can guess and have been around for very long time."

"What about Aaron?" Penelope asked.

"Oh, he's immortal to, but started off like you and Emily," Dave said.

"Okay, so you turned him immortal at his request?" Penelope asked.

"No, at mine," Dave said then explained the story.

"So Aaron lost his whole family to influenza," Penelope said trying to absorb how much tragedy Aaron had survived.

"Yes, he did. There was no cure back then," Dave said shaking his head. "He lost his wife and all six of his children. We had met several weeks before and I had seen he was an honorable man, one that was trying to support his family on very little money or resources. As I told you, I had been wanting a companion someone that I could be friends with, as it's not like I ran into other immortals very often and when I did, there was no guarantees that we'd get along."

"Or stay together long enough to truly become friends," Penelope suggested

"That too," Dave agreed. "I made a good choice and we've been best friends for centuries now. That won't change just because he married Emily and in fact, I'm hoping that we can travel together."

"So you told me that Emily is the reincarnation of his long dead wife," Penelope said.

"Yes, she is and Emily will confirm this to for you, once I tell her and Aaron that you know our secret."

"But she's never told me she was reincarnated," Penelope said trying not to be hurt.

"She didn't know until after she met Aaron again," Dave told her soothingly, putting an arm around her back. "Hanging around Aaron, one of the people that was at the center of her life before, helped her remember. It took several weeks, a couple of months really, for her to remember completely, her whole former life and how she died. She took it rather well, I must say, but that's probably because she had Aaron back in her life. She might very well have reacted differently if Aaron hadn't been there when she found herself remembering."

"I can't help but think it must've been a true love match if Emily was reincarnated to be with Aaron," Penelope said suddenly.

"I think you'll fit right in, Penny," Dave told her affectionately. "That's exactly what I thought as well and also Taro and his wife. All of us agreed that Aaron must've truly been the love of Berenice's life in order for her to come back to him, even if it's centuries later. I have never seen Aaron as happy as I've seen him ever since he and Berenice, who is Emily now, met. He was always a serious man, but he has joy in his life now and it's changed him a lot. That's not to say he hasn't been happy, in his centuries with me just that he lacked joyfulness most of the time."

"I'd be serious too if I was worrying about where my family's next meal was coming from. Six children back then, might not have been a lot, but it is when you lack funds. He probably didn't have time to feel joy, at least not very often," Penelope suggested.

"That's a good point," Dave said thinking about it. "A very good point actually and he wouldn't have been constantly joyful once he was immortal, because his family was dead not even one of his children survived. He was always an excellent companion, intelligent and kind. He learned how to read and write fairly quickly considering."

"So you taught him those basic lessons," Penelope said and Dave nodded

"Yes, I did, because while those skills were mostly for the high class and the priesthood in the time we were both born, I was taught how to read and write by my parents who you met at Emily and Aaron's wedding. I won't say it wasn't a struggle, especially the writing because he already knew how to read a little. I know it was a skill that he would make good use of and and I thought that, maybe in the future more people would be taught to read write as society advanced."

"Well, that was a good guess on your part," Penelope said admiring Dave's perception.

"It wasn't a guess so much," Dave protested. "It was more the fact that society had advanced a lot from the time I was born to when I met Aaron. Really, it just seemed logical that society would advance to the point that most people would be taught to read and write at least the basics. As an immortal you learn to predict a lot of things with surprising accuracy."

Penelope said nothing, but she still thought Dave had basically guessed and he had been right, likely because of his vast experience up to that point.

"So my lovely, what kind of wedding do you want," Dave asked his lovely fiancé. "Money is no object, as I never intend to get married again."

Penelope blushed at being called lovely, but didn't bother to protest. That was one reason she loved Dave so much he was very good for her fragile ego. His compliments were sincere and not false, which was another reason she loved him so much.

"My family can't afford a big wedding," Penelope protested.

"I'm planning on paying for the whole thing my lovely," Dave told her. "Tradition be damned."

But Emily's mother paid for their whole wedding," Penelope protested.

"In that case, the Prentisses are more than well-off and that makes a difference," Dave told her firmly. "You know this Penny, as you aren't stupid. No, you're very intelligent and that's one of the reasons I love you so much. I could never live with one of those silly, shallow females that all they care about is fashion or who they're friends are marrying or other shallow subjects."

"You need to quit giving me so many compliments or they will go to my head," Penelope teased Dave.

"Never going to happen, sweetie," Dave said smiling. "I plan on complimenting you often, so you know I truly love you."

"If I didn't already know that I never would've dated you for so long," Penelope told him. "and I definitely wouldn't have agreed with your marriage proposal, especially after you told me such a fantastic tale."

"I know," Dave said softly. "Believe me, I'm well aware of it. I'm serious about planning the kind of wedding you want. I don't want you to worry about money I have more money than I could ever spend, even with rising inflation."

"Alright then," Penelope finally agreed feeling very touched. "I don't need as big a one as Emily was forced to have, because so many politicians, businesspeople, senators and governors had to be invited. It'll still be fairly large with probably at least a hundred people there."

"Whatever you want is fine, Penny," Dave reminded her.

"Alright then, I'll start planning and it shouldn't take me more than a few weeks. You can take care of the honeymoon, just so long as it is somewhere nice and warm and definitely not as cold as New York in the winter."

"I'll take care of everything," Dave promised. "I know the perfect place for nice long honeymoon, though after that, I'll probably be gone for a few weeks as Aaron and I help Taro out with his project."

"We'll talk about that later," Penelope promised. A plan was already forming in her mind but for now she would say nothing.

Dave wouldn't know what hit him Penelope thought, but that was for later. Right now, she was just going to enjoy being in love with a wonderful man.

~~~Criminal Minds~~~