Chapter 11 – Past, Present, Future
Gas and Grocery store
"I could have taken the shot," the clerk states. "I was just afraid of hitting her."
"You get a good look at him," Hotch asks.
"Yeah, he came in," she replies. "Big ass bandage on the left side of his face. Bought a beer and some pumpkin seeds, went back to his truck and sat there."
"Was that his truck," the Sheriff asks.
"Yes, sir."
The Sheriff walks away. Dave steps closer, talking to Hotch. "That was their M.O. Frost chauffeured Goehring around. Goehring picks a victim, abducts her on foot, they drive off in separate vehicles."
"But this time Frost had to play both roles," Hotch points out. "And he got sloppy and left a witness and his car."
JJ shows a picture to the clerk. "Can you confirm that this is the guy you saw?"
The older woman gives the picture a long look. "No," she states firmly. She pivots and heads inside, they follow her into the store. She goes behind the counter and plays with the security tape for a moment before turning the monitor towards the team. "That's him."
The picture shows Frost at the counter, only he has dyed his hair and has a large bandage on his face as the clerk had described.
"He looks like Goehring," JJ utters.
"Or Frost's version of him," Dave interjects. He shares a look with Hotch.
"JJ, get a picture of this out to everyone," Hotch orders. "We need all hands on this."
"Yes, sir."
Hotch motions to Dave and the two men step outside. They walk over to the gas pumps where the actual abduction took place.
"Okay, you're Goehring. Sadistic bastard," Dave says as he starts to role play. "I'm Frost, a submissive, troubled, gay man. I need you to dominate me because it gives me direction and a purpose in life."
"And life is good," Hotch states. "And then one day, I pull the pin on a grenade."
"You die," Dave states as he paces back and forth. His mind reels with information. "And when I lose you, I begin to lose my identity because my sense of self was tied to you."
"You're showing classic signs of depersonalization disorder precipitated by the stressor of losing a loved one," Hotch cuts in.
"Now all that's left is me," Dave says.
"And you hate yourself."
"I do. Why?"
"Because I've brainwashed you with all my rules. I've told you over and over how weak you are, how you're nothing without me."
"Right," Dave agrees. "So, I go back to my home and annihilate everything I own, every reminder of who I am. I erase myself and become you."
"It's the only way that you can survive," Hotch continues. "The only way you can hold on to me."
An epiphany. "Frost transforms himself into Goehring and goes back to abducting women because that's what Goehring would do."
Hotch nods. "We need to stop thinking like Frost and start thinking like Goehring because he's still calling the shots."
Hotch informs the Sheriff about Frost and asks where Frost may have found higher ground to call his own. He also asks for a sharpshooter.
On the ridge
Dave kneels in the bush next to the sharpshooter, militia leader Harris Townsend. He peers through the binoculars at Henry, on the other ridge.
"You're the man that sent those two agents into my bar," Townsend accuses.
"I was," Dave replies tersely.
"To piss me off," the other man growls.
Dave ignores the tone. "If you have the shot, take it."
Townsend continues. "Innocent woman died at Ruby Ridge."
"As tragic as that outcome was, my order on that day was the same as it is now. This man is not going to be taken alive."
"You were there," Townsend says incredulous.
"I was," Dave admits. "Take the damn shot."
Townsend eyes Henry through his scope. "Maybe your partner will talk him out of it."
They watch in silence as Hotch tries to distract the distraught man on the ridge. The man stands and points his gun in the direction of the agents below.
A shot rings through the canyon as Henry's body jerks from the impact of the high caliber bullet ripping through the back of his torso.
Dave watches the body fall to the ground. Townsend rises to his feet. He tosses a bullet casing at Dave, who catches it with ease, and walks away with his rifle slung over his shoulder.
Dave examines the shell, weighing it in his hand. He looks over his shoulder at the ridge where Derek and Emily comfort the woman who was meant to be another victim.
He turns his back to them and walks away to the edge of a cliff. He sits on a rock and contemplates his reasons for returning to the bureau. 'Was he truly prepared to go through all of this again?' he wondered. Dave looks down the at the vehicles below and watches the agents and local cops scurry about. Pivoting away, he climbs the ridge then moves down the other side. He finds a large boulder to sit on and stare out over the canyon.
He sat and stared at the surrounding landscape for a long time before he heard the approaching footsteps. It didn't surprise him when Derek walked past him to the edge of the cliff.
The other agent stood for a few seconds in silence.
"It's quite a view," Derek said. "Reminds me of Idaho."
Derek pivots to look at Dave.
"Me too." Dave replies. He stands, moves down the ridge to the edge of the cliff just past Derek. "All anybody remembers is that an FBI sniper killed a mother while she was holding her baby. Six months later, Waco. Eighty men, women and children died. Not a single shot did we fire on that day. The legacy of those failures still haunts us. It's why some people don't trust us. Made me start thinking about leaving the agency."
"So, what started you thinking about coming back," Derek asks.
Dave tosses the shell casing to Derek. "Unfinished business," he replies.
Dave walks past the younger agent.
"You know, there's one thing you'll learn about me Rossi," Derek says making the older man stop and turn around. "I'm relentless. I'll find out."
Dave doesn't reply. He need not justify his reasons to anyone. Instead, he turns away and heads back to the vehicles leaving Derek on the ridge.
On the Jet heading home
The team sits quiet on the way home, each lost in their own mind. Dave sits at the table next to the window and faces the rear of the plane. Next to him sits JJ, across the table is Emily and next to her is Reid. Morgan stretches out on the couch eyes closed, but he is awake. Hotch is the only one sitting apart from the team as he works on the final paperwork.
Dave, Emily, and JJ each sip on an alcoholic beverage as Reid cups a large mug of coffee in his hands.
"I still don't understand," JJ murmurs breaking the silence in the jet. She meets each of their eyes before continuing. "How can people raised in this country hate and distrust the government so much?"
"People are going to believe what they want to believe," Morgan sneers. "These people believe that their way is the only way."
"Some are disillusioned by religion and or politics," Reid adds.
"And sometimes the government fucks up and earns that distrust," Dave says quietly. All eyes turn to him.
"That sounds like words of experience," Emily says.
Dave raises his glass in a small toast, takes a drink and places the glass on the table in front of him. "As they say, hindsight is twenty-twenty. I was a hostage negotiator with the Hostage Rescue Team when the siege at Ruby Ridge happened. I was on the plane with Richard Rogers when he drafted the Rules of Engagement. I was one of the people who suggested a shoot first ask questions later policy."
He pauses and looks at the eager faces around him. Each curious, but not judging. "We had what we thought was good intel from the U.S. Marshalls and ATF. From their reports, I built a profile of who I expected Randy Weaver to be."
"But those reports were tainted," Hotch pipes in.
"Yes, they were," Dave nods. "None of us knew that until long after Vicki Weaver was killed. Those two things combined led to a lot of people re-thinking their feelings about the Federal government, myself included."
Morgan sits up. Hotch puts his paperwork to the side and moves closer.
"Is that why you retired?" Hotch questions.
"Part of it," Dave admits.
"So, you left instead of trying to fix the problem," Morgan accuses.
"There were a lot of factors to my decision to retire," Dave refutes. "That was just one of them. My family was pressuring me, I was starting to get some traction with my books and, yes, I too was getting disillusioned. By then, I'd been serving my country in one way or another for almost twenty years."
"What changed your mind?" JJ asks. "Why did you decide to come back?"
He looks at her for a moment studying her face. "Ruby Ridge wasn't the only thing to haunt me, there are other things I'd like to finish this time. I hate leaving things undone."
The airport
Dave follows the rest of the team off the jet. Hotch pauses at the bottom of the ramp waiting for him. Together they walk towards their vehicles.
"How are you feeling?" Hotch asks.
The crease in Dave's brow furrows. "Fine. How are you?"
Hotch chuckles. "That was a nice moment… on the jet… when you opened up to the team."
"Was it?" Dave sighs.
Hotch stops and turns to him. Dave stops too.
"Sharing isn't easy, is it?" Hotch asks.
"Is that a rhetorical question?"
"It is," Hotch grins.
Dave takes a deep breath and lets it out. He takes a moment to watch the others leave in their respective vehicles.
"Listen. I don't know how long I'm going to be staying…"
"I know."
"I don't want to do or say anything that's going to scare these kids off."
"You won't," Hotch says with a shake of his head. "This team doesn't scare easily, and they are very dedicated to this job."
"You included?"
"Definitely me included. Look Dave, stay as long as you want, but remember, you are part of this team now. What you do reflects on the team and what they do reflects on you and me. Whatever it is that is haunting you, we're here to help. All you have to do is ask."
Dave smirks. "Easier said than done, my friend."
Hotch lays a hand on Dave's shoulder and squeezes. "I know. I'll see you later. Get some rest."
They part ways, each climbing into their vehicles. Dave pulls out his cell as it buzzes.
Penelope: Welcome home
Dave smiles wide.
Dave: Thank you, Penelope. I can't wait to see you tonight.
Penelope: Are you headed home?
Dave: Yes. Going to sleep for a bit.
Penelope: Sounds good, mon ami. Talk to you later. I'll be thinking of you.
Dave: Sei il mio pensiero perferito.
Penelope: You're explaining that tomorrow.
Penelope's Apartment Building
Dave's heart skips as the door to her apartment building buzzes. He pushes the door open and heads for the stairs. The small, ancient elevator looks sketchy, so he'd rather climb a few flights of stairs. Hitting the landing on the third floor, he looks around to get his bearings. The door marked with her apartment number sits at the end of the hall.
He raps on the hardwood twice with the back of his knuckles. After a moment, he hears the metal rasp as knobs turn and chains released. The door slips open and Penelope peeks around the edge.
"Hi," he smiles.
"What are you doing here," she asks sounding panicked. "Didn't you see my text?"
"No," Dave replies. He pulls his flip phone out of his pocket.
"What is that?!" she asks punctuating each word sharply. She opens the door wider and stares in disgust at the phone in his hand.
He takes in the house slippers and robe she is wrapped up in. He opens the phone and quickly glances at the message she sent. He pockets the phone and steps through the doorway before she can protest. "You're not feeling well?" He eyes her more carefully.
Penelope looks down and wraps her arms around herself. "No. We should maybe re-schedule. You should go so you don't get sick."
Dave stands there silently watching her.
Her eyes stare at his polished black shoes before slowly sliding up his white trousers. She continues to gape at the red vest and tie, over a black shirt, all of which are covered by a white jacket. A matching handkerchief peeps out of his breast pocket. Finally, her eyes crawl up to his.
"You look beautiful," she rasps out.
He smiles softly. "So do you." He cups her face in his hands and kisses her gently.
"David," she protests.
"It's okay," he whispers. He kisses her again. She leans into him.
They break the kiss, and she lays her head on his chest. He holds her close, kissing the top of her head and rubbing her back. "How about I make us dinner here?"
She draws back and turns away from him but not before he sees the tears. "I'm sorry," she says weakly.
Dave pulls her back to him. Gently he grabs her chin and forces her to look in his direction. "You don't have to apologize for not wanting to go out. Do you want me to leave?"
She makes eye contract, eyes brimming with tears. She shakes her head.
"Good," he says firmly as he releases her and walks to the small kitchen. "I wasn't going to leave anyways."
She laughs and sniffles as he begins to rummage through the pantry. "I'm going to go…" she waves a hand in front of her face.
He grins. "Take your time, I'm not going anywhere."
By the time she returns, the apartment emanates with the aroma of herbs and spices. "Whatever you have made, it smells delicious."
He turns around and eyes her carefully. She has changed into a red flower-print dress that clings to her curves with matching red, high-heeled shoes.
"I'm making minestrone," he smiles.
She stops in the middle of the room and stares at him. He has removed the jacket, vest, and tie. His trousers hang from his hips, held up by a pair of red suspenders. She takes in his bare feet and smiles. Her eyes meet his. "I have stuff to make minestrone?" She slips out of her heels and kicks them out of the way.
His smile widens. "Yes, you do. And cheese toast."
"Cheese toast?" she laughs. "Do you mean toasted cheese sandwiches?"
He frowns and shakes his head. "No, not a sandwich. Bread with cheese and garlic on it."
"OH! Cheesy garlic bread? You are amazing."
He chuckles and turns to take the cheese bread out of the oven. He plates the bread and hands it to her over the counter. She sets it on the table as he serves up the soup. She grabs each bowl individually and carries them carefully to the table.
"Do we want wine? I think I have a nice chardonnay," she tells him.
He scoffs quietly. "No chardonnay with minestrone, sweetheart. I chilled a merlot."
"A merlot? The merlot I was saving for a special occasion?"
He raises an eyebrow at her. "This isn't a special occasion?"
She frowns, looks down at herself, over at the table and back to him. She eyes him again, noting that he had unbuttoned several buttons of his shirt and a few dark hairs peeked out through the opening. A glowing smile fills her face. "Yes, it is."
Dave grabs the wine and joins her at the table. They enjoy the meal keeping the conversation to safe topics like the recipe for minestrone and the weather. Afterwards, they wash the dishes together and clean up the kitchen before Dave empties the bottle of wine into their glasses.
He turns off the lights in the kitchen plunging the room into a low din. He turns around to see Penelope has also turned off the lights in the rest of the apartment and lit some candles. He joins her on the couch. She takes her glass from his hand and curls up next to him.
Dave looks down and sees the top of her robe has opened to reveal her breasts covered in red lace. He puts his right arm around her shoulder and pulls her closer.
"Are you feeling better now," he asks.
She looks up and smiles. "Yes, thank you."
He leans down and kisses her. "We're you really sick or were you having second thoughts about going out with me?"
She shifts trying to pull away, but he tightens his grip and holds her close. "We're friends, remember? You can be honest with me."
She sighs and settles again. "It wasn't about going out with you," she says with a sigh. "It was the thought of people seeing me with you and making comments."
"What is that ugly guy doing with that gorgeous woman? How did a slug like him hook up with a butterfly? He's an old cock, what's he doing with that hot young chick?"
Tears stream down her face as she tries to hold in her laughter. Finally, she gives in and lets it out. Dave chuckles as he watches her. Once she has calmed down, he speaks again.
"I honestly don't care what other people think, sweetheart. To me, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, and I am the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet," he tells her solemnly.
She searches his face for a moment before dropping her gaze.
"Penelope."
She raises her eyes to his again. "From the moment I laid eyes on you, all I can think about is you. Sei il mio pensiero perferito."
She sighs. "That sounds even better than I imagined. What does it mean?"
"You're my favorite thought," he murmurs against her lips. He kisses her slowly. Lips and tongue lulling her into a stupor. Dave pulls back and watches her carefully through heavy-lidded eyes.
He touches the side of her neck with the tip of his fingers. Slowly sliding them down over her collar bone and further south until he feels the edge of the lace. He watches as her eyes dilate and her mouth parts slightly.
He leans over again, his mouth millimeters from hers. "I want to make love to you," he whispers.
Her head jerks into a nod. "Yes… please."
Their lips meet once more. Eyes close as their breath melt into one. His tongue teases hers as his fingertips rub slowly back and forth across the top of her breast.
She moans and turns more fully against him. Her left arm snakes around his side to cling to his back as her right hand, splays across his chest. She unbuttons the rest of his shirt as they continue to kiss.
Dave breaks the kiss, his mouth nips and nibbles a path across her jaw and down her neck. Penelope pushes the suspenders off his shoulders as he sucks at the pulse point on the side of her neck. She tugs the ends of his shirt out of his pants. Her hands find the soft skin of his back and sides.
He pulls back for a moment, unbuttons his cuffs, and removes his shirt. He lays it over the back of the couch as Penelope slides her fingers through the soft spray of hair on the middle of his chest. He grabs her hands and holds them still.
"Years ago, after my last divorce, I made a promise to my Mother that I would never be completely naked in front of a woman unless I was serious about her," he tells her quietly. "To this day, I've kept that promise."
She raises an eyebrow at him.
He smiles sheepishly. "Yeah, I've been with a few women," he confesses.
"A few?"
He gives her a hurt look. "Let's not take a poll, okay?"
She giggles. "Okay."
"I want you to understand that I'm serious about being with you, Penelope. This isn't just a fling."
"Same," she croaks. She gently clears her throat. Wide eyed, she watches as he rises to his feet, unfastens his trousers, and slips them and his underwear over his hips and down his slim, muscular thighs. She takes his body in from head to toe. "You really are beautiful."
He watches her, his face devoid of emotion. "I want to be perfect for you."
"You are," she replies. With a gentle smile, she stands and touches his face. She gently pulls him closer and kisses him. "I want you. Please. I want all of you naked, physically and emotionally."
"I'm all yours," he whispers against her lips. He tugs at the bottom of her dress. "I want to see you."
She stands and pulls the dress up and over her head letting it fall to the floor. She's covered by silky, black panties and bra. With a sly smile, she slowly pivots away from him. She reaches back and unsnaps her bra, her back to him.
Dave moans as she tosses the bra across the room then begins to shimmy her panties down her hips revealing her smooth, round ass cheeks. She drops the panties to the floor and steps out of them as she turns back to face him.
"Fuck." He moans softly. He reaches around her and pulls her tight against his body. "Damn you're sexy and beautiful."
He kisses her again. This time she wraps her arms around his neck and presses hard against him. Dave grabs her hips with both hands, his fingers flex across her silky skin. His hands slip down to the top of the back of her thighs. He dips quickly and lifts her in the air.
Her arms tighten around his neck. "David!"
"Bed?"
She giggles. "Yes."
He shuffles towards her bedroom. He sets her gently on the edge of the bed and takes a step back. David lowers himself to his knees. He leans forward and kisses the tops of her thighs. "I'm going to make this the most amazing night you have ever had," he promises.
He kisses his way between her thighs, relishing the feeling of her soft skin against his face. He spreads her thighs apart and buries his face in the curls covering her genitals. Flicking his tongue out, he tastes her for the first time.
She mewls softly as he teases her clit until she comes. Her hips rock and bounce from the power of her orgasm.
"David," she moans as her body shudders one more time. "I need you…inside me, please!"
He helps her move to the center of the bed.
"Do you have any condoms," he asks.
She stretches, reaching for the side table. He leans down and suckles at her breast. He feels her hand caress the back of his neck for a moment then the sound of tearing paper fills the air.
He sits up. "Put it on me."
She reaches out, her hand wraps around his erection. She slowly strokes him a few times.
"You're so hard," she whispers.
"Just for you, Kitten."
"Promise?"
He smiles and nods. She gives him another stroke before sliding the condom on. He sucks in a breath.
"Are you ready," he asks as he positions himself between her legs.
"Baby, I was born ready," she replies saucily.
He pushes forward sliding deep inside her. They both moan loudly. He leans over and kisses her deeply. He moves in and out of her slowly, enjoying the feel of her tightness around his cock.
"You feel so good, Kitten," he moans.
She giggles as she wraps her legs around him and clutches his shoulders. Her hips bounce up to meet his. "Kitten, huh?"
He grins ferally. "Soft, warm and cuddly. But watch out for the claws."
She digs her nails slightly into his shoulders.
He moans and bucks into her harder.
"You like that," she tells him.
"You can mark me if you want to," he whispers. "I'm all yours."
She slides her fingers into his hair and pulls him down for a kiss. Dave's arms give out and he partially collapses on her. His hips grind against hers. His pelvic bone rubs harshly across her clit causing her to shudder and moan.
"Fuuuuuucccckkk," she yells out as an orgasm courses through her body.
Dave continues his movements drawing out her pleasure for as long as he can. She rakes her nails over his shoulders once again then up and down his sides causing him to shudder in pleasure. Her fingers tweak his nipples and caress his biceps, moving from one part of his body to another as his cock slowly takes them both to a higher sense of pleasure.
"I'm going to come again," she tells him through gritted teeth.
"Do it, Baby. Come for me."
"Come with me," she pleads. "Please, David!"
Her back arches as her mouth opens in a silent scream as her orgasm overtakes her body once again.
Dave allows his mind to go blank and lets his own body succumb to the pleasure of sex. His body tenses momentarily before he orgasms.
Seconds later, he breathes deep and slowly becomes aware of his surroundings. He has once again collapsed on top of Penelope. She runs her fingers up and down his back as her thighs squeeze gently around his waist.
"It's okay," she whispers. Her lips press a kiss to his temple. "Rest easy, it's okay."
He lifts his head and smiles a lazy smile at her. "That was amazing," he breathes.
"Agreed," she smiles.
He can feel his cock softening inside her, but he doesn't want to move even though he knows he should. Slowly, they disentangle as he moves off her and wobbles to the bathroom. He disposes of the condom, wrapping it in toilet paper and placing it in the waste bin before cleaning himself up.
He rinses the washcloth and takes it out to the bedroom with him. Penelope lays still sprawled on the bed, eyes closed and a peaceful smile on her lips.
"You sleeping?" he asks softly.
She opens one eye to peer at him. "Not yet."
He moves onto the bed and shows her the washcloth. "May I?"
She blinks at him as he begins to clean her up, gently washing her vagina. He finishes and takes the washcloth back to the restroom, rinses it and hangs it to dry. He grabs a hand towel and takes it back. "I probably should have brought this with me the first time."
She laughs and reaches for the towel, finishing the job herself. "Are you staying the night?"
He tugs the covers down and helps her underneath before climbing in next to her. "I was planning on it."
"Good," she whispers as she cuddles into his chest. "I'm going to need some more loving soon."
The next morning
Dave rouses from sleep as the sound of his cellphone rings in the other room. Spooned around Penelope, he is not prepared to wake her unless it is for another round of sex. Though, he isn't certain if either of them could do a fourth round this morning. He was happily surprised to discover that his kitten was insatiable in bed. The only thing that stopped them from going all night was exhaustion.
He closes his eyes and tries to go back to sleep when his phone goes off again. Cursing to himself, he gently extracts himself from the bed. He pads naked into the livingroom and hastily searches his pants for the offending object.
Glancing at the screen, he sees that he has missed several phone calls. The phone rings again.
"Reeni?" he frowns as he answers the phone.
"Porca miseria! It's about fucking time," she growls.
"It's six a.m., I was sleeping," he says quietly. He moves away from the opening to Penelope's bedroom. There's no door and he doesn't want to wake her.
"You need to get your ass home," Reeni barks.
"Che cazzo? What happened," he asks with concern.
"Poppa's in the hospital."
"Cazzo! I'm on my way," he hangs up before she can reply. Blindly, he grabs for his clothes. He struggles to dress; his coordination seems to have disappeared in the night. He puts his underwear on backwards, twice, before pulling on his pants. He slips into his shoes and perches on the edge of the sofa as he ties them.
Penelope emerges from the bedroom, hair mussed, sleepy-eyed and wearing just a robe. She's absolutely beautiful he thinks as he pauses from pulling the t-shirt over his head.
"Hey," she sighs.
"Hi. Did I wake you?" He slides the t-shirt over his head then pulls on his button-down.
"I got cold. What's the rush?"
He grabs his jacket and stumbles to her. "Something happened to my dad, I have to go. I'll call you later to explain."
He kisses her hard and leaves before she can say another word.
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Dave enters the front doors of the hospital and strides to the information desk. "My father, Stefano Rossi was brought in here earlier. Where can I find him," he demands.
The woman behind the counter smiles at him. She taps a few keys on her keyboard. "He's in a private room on the fifth floor. Room 502," she tells him.
"Thank you," he replies. He walks away but can feel her gaze on his back. The elevator ride to the fifth floor is uneventful, he steps out of the elevator.
"Fratello!" Reeni yells from his right. He turns as she runs across the tiled floor.
Reeni wraps her arms around him hugging him tightly. He holds her gently for a moment. He's glad that he took the time to go home, shower and change into fresh clothes. She would have skinned him if he had showed up smelling of sex.
"It's about time you got here," she growls.
He pulls back and looks at her. "It's not like I'm around the corner, Reeni."
"Exactly," she fires back. "You should be closer."
"Davey?"
He turns to his oldest sister, Sophia. "Hey, Soph. How's Poppa?"
She hugs him. He hugs her back and kisses her cheek. "He's doing okay. He has pneumonia. Why are you here?"
"Reeni called me," he tells her.
Sophia gives Irene a stern look. "I told you to tell him what was going on, so he wouldn't be worried."
Reeni shrugs but still looks chagrined. "I can't help it if he hung up on me before I could tell him."
Sophia glares for a moment longer before turning back to him. "Did we pull you from a case?"
Keeping his arm around her, they walk towards room 502. "Just got back yesterday. It's the weekend so I have a couple days off. Is Bella coming?"
Sophia shakes her head. "I told her to stay home. She wanted to come sage the hospital or something."
Dave chuckles. "I'm sure she's whipping up a batch of some horrid tea thinking that will cure Poppa as well."
The three siblings share a laugh. Sophia hugs him tightly. "Momma will be happy to see you."
"How's Poppa?"
"He's resting. They have him on antibiotics and gave him something to help him sleep. You should go in, let Momma know you are here. Maybe she will agree to go home with you," Sophia urges.
He nods and kisses her cheek. He taps once on the door before pushing it open and walking in. He stops and carefully closes the door. Momma, sound asleep in the chair, sits as close to the bed as the equipment will allow. Poppa, also asleep, lays partially on his side facing Momma – they hold hands.
Quietly, Dave moves to the opposite side of the bed, leans over and kisses Poppa on the cheek. He carefully settles on the edge of the bed and puts his hand over Poppa's free hand. He watches over them both as they sleep and wonders if he will ever find anyone who would love him the way these two love each other. Married for over 60 years, his parents don't know how to live without one another. Dave would be happy if he found someone to be with for ten years at this rate.
He sighs and stares at the monitor that tracks Poppa's heart rate. He watches the numbers fluctuate up and down.
His phone buzzes in his pocket. He pulls it out. Penelope has sent a text.
Penelope: Is everything okay? You haven't called.
With one hand, he awkwardly texts back.
David: Just arrived at hospital, will call soon.
Penelope: HOSPITAL?! Call me now!
David: I'll call soon.
He flicks the phone closed as another message comes through.
"Davey," Momma says softly.
He turns to look at her. "Hi."
"Come give your Momma a kiss," she demands.
He slides the phone in his pocket and goes to her. Leaning over he presses a kiss to her cheek. She grabs his face and holds him close.
"You look different," she muses softly.
"It's the facial hair," he replies.
She shakes her head. "No, figlio, it's in your eyes."
He smiles ruefully. "Momma… you're hallucinating."
"Hey," Poppa growls. "You don't talk to your Momma like that."
Poppa starts coughing.
"I'm sorry, Momma," Dave says contritely. Dave moves back to the other side of the bed and helps Poppa sit up. "How are you feeling, Poppa?"
"How am I feeling? How do you think I am feeling?"
"Come una merda?" Dave inquires which causes Poppa to laugh and cough again.
"David," Momma admonishes.
"Oh, leave the boy alone Momma," Poppa cuts in. "He's only telling the truth."
"You be quiet," Momma orders. She fusses with the bed covers then looks at Dave again. "Are you still seeing that girl? What was her name? Gwen? Jen?"
Dave frowns as he thinks. "Are you asking about Bren?"
Momma nods. "That's her."
"She's my manager, Momma. Not my girlfriend," he says as he shakes his head. "Why does everybody think that she's my girlfriend?"
Momma shrugs. "You never bring anyone around, and she is the only one you talk about consistently."
"Manager, Momma – that's all."
"Mmm – hmm."
"What?"
"That's not what your sisters tell me," she admits. "If you're going to sleep with the woman, you should at least introduce her to your Mother. It's been how many years?"
Dave rolls his eyes. A knock at the door cuts off his reply. A beautiful dark-haired nurse walks in. Dave steps back and leans against the wall. He pulls out his phone again and looks at the series of messages that Penelope had sent.
"Hello Mr. Rossi," the nurse says with a smile. "Time to check your vitals. How are you doing? Are you breathing better?"
Poppa nods. He waves a hand in Dave's direction. "This is my son, David."
Dave looks up. The nurse smiles at Dave. "Hi. I'm Nancy. I've heard a lot about you."
Dave returns the smile then raises an eyebrow. "Really? How much?"
Her smile widens as she gives him a meaningful look from head to toe. "Enough to know that they weren't lying."
Dave nods slowly. He types a quick message to Penelope about his Father and reassures her that everything is okay. He watches with indifference as the nurse moves about the room. After several minutes, she leaves the room.
"She's pretty, huh," Momma says to him.
"I suppose," he replies. In fact, Nancy was very pretty. Long dark hair, green eyes, slim with an athletic build and shapely legs – she was exactly the type of woman Dave would have jumped on had this been a few weeks ago. Now, all he wanted was a sassy, blonde-haired, curvy, technical analyst.
"What are you thinking about," Momma asks. He looks up to see that she is watching him. "Or better yet, who are you thinking about?"
"Momma…" he says warningly.
"You might as well tell her, Davey," Poppa says. "She's not going to let it go."
"Don't try to lie to me," Momma scolds. "Normally, you would have been chatting that girl up and following her out the door until you got her number and a date. Except you're still standing here. Do you even remember her name?"
Dave takes a breath and lets it out slowly. Momma was right. Before Penelope came along, he would have been all over that nurse and most of the other women he came across in the hospital. Instead, he was content to leave them alone. "Maybe I'm just getting wiser in my old age."
"Pffft," Momma replies. "The day you get wise will be a strange day for the world."
Dave chuckles. "Thanks, Momma."
He strolls back to his father's bedside. His gaze settles on their entwined hands and a feeling of longing settles in his chest. He takes a breath and lets it out slowly. "Her name's Penelope," he admits.
"Penelope, that's a pretty name," Momma says with a grin.
"She's a pretty girl," Dave replies.
"When are you bringing her home?" Poppa asks.
Dave shrugs. "We are just getting to know each other. I don't want to scare her off."
"So, you are serious about this one," Momma inquires.
He shrugs again and shuffles his feet. "She's special… different."
He looks up to see both of his parents grinning at him. He shakes his head and rolls his eyes.
"Momma, you want me to take you home?"
"I go home when Poppa goes home," she says firmly.
Dave sighs. "Well, that's very touching. However, who is going to take care of Poppa when he gets home and you're in the hospital for exhaustion?"
She glares at him.
"You know I'm right," he tells her. "The nurses will take care of him while he is here. But you need to take care of yourself."
"He's right," Poppa interjects. She turns her glare to him.
"Are you trying to get rid of me? You want to make eyes at the nurses?"
"I only have eyes for you," Poppa tells her lovingly.
They share a look as Dave watches and smirks. Momma catches his smirk. "Smarty pants," she growls.
Dave laughs. He heads for the door. "I'm going to call Penelope. I'll wait out in the hallway."
He exits the room. Sophia and Reeni sit on the hard, plastic chairs next to the door.
"Well," Sophia asks.
"I'm going to take Momma home in a few minutes," he tells her.
Sophia nods. "I'll stay here with Poppa."
"I can come back after lunch," Reeni offers.
Sophia smiles and pats her hand.
"Do you need a ride?" Dave asks.
Reeni shakes her head. "I have my car. I need to get the kids from school, they have a half day today."
"Okay. I'll bring Momma back around three," he says. He glances around and sees Nancy and the other nurses watching him. He looks back at his sisters. "I'm going to make a phone call."
"Uh-huh," they reply in unison.
Dave rolls his eyes and walks away pulling his phone out at the same time. He goes about twenty feet away, leans against the wall and dials Penelope's number.
She answers immediately. "What happened? Is everything okay? How's your Dad? How are you? How can I help?"
Dave chuckles. "Take a breath, everything is fine. Dad has pneumonia. The doctors have him on medication. They are going to keep him for a few days."
"And you, my liege, how are you?"
He pauses. "Missing you."
"Aww," she sighs. "I miss you too. When are you coming back?"
"I probably should stay until Poppa goes home."
"Poppa? Oh, that's so sweet!"
"Yeah. I guess so," he agrees. He feels the heat in his cheeks. Good God, he hasn't blushed in thirty years. Penelope made him feel like a school-boy again.
He glances down the hallway and sees that Momma has stepped out of the room.
"I have to go, Kitten," he tells. "I'm taking Momma home."
"Okay," she breathes. "I miss you. This really sucks."
He smiles. "I miss you too. Trust me, leaving you this morning was not in my plans at all."
"No? What was in your plans," she teases.
"Cuddling naked to your sweet ass, waking you up in a few hours and ravishing your delectable body over and over again," he says softly into the phone.
She moans into his ear. "Hurry back."
He glances over to Momma and sees her watching him. "I'll do my best," he promises. "Have a good day, Sweetheart."
He hangs up reluctantly and slips the phone in his pocket as he heads over to his family.
"Ready Momma?"
She nods. "Was that your girlfriend?"
He sighs as he takes her arm and gently leads her towards the elevator.
"I could use a few more grandbabies, you know," Momma tells him.
"You tell her about Penelope?" Reeni asks. He glances over his shoulder, Reeni is barely a step behind them.
Momma twists around. "You know about Penelope?"
Reeni grins. "I've talked to her."
Momma gives him a hard look. "When are you bringing her home?"
He leads them both into the elevator, punches the first-floor button and glares at his sister. "It's not that serious yet."
"Really," Reeni questions. "That blush on your cheeks tells me something different."
He glances at his reflection in the mirror. Damn, he was blushing. A fucking schoolboy, that's all he was now.
End Chapter 11
