Emily quietly tiptoes into Penelope's lair. For some unknown reason they've hit a dry patch in the murder business. Penelope dutifully sits behind her computer.
"Em, are you trying to sneak up on me?" She questions as her chair swivels around.
Emily folds her arms across her chest, "I was certainly considering it."
"Do we have a case?"
"Ugh," Emily groans, "No. I am trying to get out of finishing monthly budget reports."
"You thought I would help you get out of monthly budget reports?"
"I thought we might as well go to lunch."
"Oh."
"You don't want to go to lunch?"
"I didn't say that."
Prentiss stands in front of her with a pair of charcoal, cropped slacks, a white blouse, and a black blazer.
"Your tone suggested it."
"I'm just not really up for lunch today," Penelope insists.
"Have you suffered some immeasurable trauma recently?"
Garcia scoffs, "What would make you think that?"
"You have been unusually quiet, and honestly kind of withdrawn."
"I know your job is to analyze people, but there is no huge case here. Unfortunately, I just haven't been sleeping very well. New neighbors moved in upstairs, and they're noisy."
"Oh."
"You sound disappointed."
"I just thought there might be more to it than that. You haven't been your bubbly self lately."
"Sorry, it's just some sleep deprivation."
"If it were more than that you would tell me, right?"
"I assure you that you would be the first person I would alert."
Emily scowls, "Somehow, I don't believe you."
"You're really making a mountain out of a molehill, you know. I just want to rest here to the hum of my machines during lunch. There is nothing wrong with that, is there?"
"You're doing okay mentally?"
"Emily, I'm great."
Eventually Emily disappears, and Penelope continues to do her monthly security updates. As she pulls open her desk drawer to fish out a snack the door swings open, and closed. Dave hovers over her.
"You're tracking me down because your computer just rebooted? Dave, if you had read your email, I was very specific about…"
He waves his hand, and cuts her off, "No. I read the email. I was sitting in my office eating my lunch."
"Yet, here you are in my lair."
"I needed to talk to you."
"About your cyber safety, and security needs?"
"No. With no cases for two entire days I have just been processing some things."
"Do you require assistance with that?"
"No. I came in here because I have a bone to pick with you."
"Oh. About your technical issues?"
"I did the mental math."
"Mental math? Rossi, what in the hell are you referring to?"
"Last week I saw you at the vending machine collecting a sleeve of crackers."
"Snacking is suspicious?"
"Then yesterday when you briefed us that you would be forcing a temporary downtime for a network patch, I noticed something else."
"Do enlighten me."
"You're not wearing any perfume."
"I am really not sure where you are going with this conversation."
"But I do. I know."
She furrows her brow, "Okay."
He touches her arm, "I know."
"About the perfume?" She tilts her head.
"Sometimes there is no zebra."
"I think you should go finish your lunch. Your blood sugar is probably crashing," Penelope suggests.
"I know about the… intruder."
"What?!"
"You have an intruder. You have been infiltrated."
"When was the last time you had a full night of sleep?" Penelope questions as he rambles.
He pulls a paper bag out from behind his back. He places it on her desk.
"What's this?"
"It's the good kind you can only get at the liquor store."
She eyes the bag suspiciously. He gesticulates. "Trust me, it works."
She unfolds the top, and peers inside. A can of ginger ale stares back up at her.
"I assume you're not ready to say anything to the rest of our peer group, so I just thought I would bring you a little something to let you know your secret is safe with me."
She remains silent. Her eye practically involuntarily offers him a wink. He pats her on the shoulder, and slinks out of the room.
That evening, as Penelope reaches her door she finds a familiar figure leaning against the wall outside of her apartment. A pair of brown eyes looks over at her.
"What are you doing here?"
He shrugs, "I was elbow deep in paperwork all day. I guess I just wanted to see your face."
"I'm not sure why. This face is exhausted." She quips as she unlocks the door.
He follows her into the apartment like a lost puppy.
"Do we have a game plan here?" He asks her.
She sinks into the cushion of her pink couch. "I am worried about all of it."
"I'm listening," he plops down beside her.
"I need to tell Emily, but I can't tell her all of the details, because I don't want to be fired."
"Why would you get fired?"
"The fraternization policy," she reminds him.
"You don't have to worry about that."
Penelope furrows her brow, "That is what I am most worried about."
"I'll resign."
"What?! Why would you do that?"
"You were at the FBI first."
"I think we need to have a big picture discussion."
"I'm listening."
"First of all, I had a doctor's appointment yesterday."
"Which I'm still not clear why I wasn't invited," he points out.
"This is all very foreign to me. For so many years I have stayed sane by compartmentalizing. Which, by the way, is impossible to do with something inhabiting one of your organs."
He smirks, "How is the amoeba?"
"According to the professionals she is currently half gestated, and appears to have all major anatomical body parts."
"Hold on a second."
"What?"
"You said she," he points out.
"I did. You know I had to reschedule the anatomy appointment twice because of work. I didn't ask them to tell me. I just kind of saw what I saw."
"A daughter?"
"That is what they confirmed," she nods.
"I knew it."
"You knew it? What are you talking about?"
"You had a dream about a cactus, and I had a dream about something else."
"What, an avocado?"
"This is going to sound so ridiculous. I totally forgot about it until you just said it was a girl. About a year ago I dreamt that I was at the park pushing a little baby girl on a swing. Ever since you told me about the bun in the oven, every time I would think about the inhabitant of your womb I assumed it was a girl."
"Luke, if I'm being honest, I'm not sure I know how to do this."