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The BAU were 2 team members down. Spencer was taking a sabbatical and JJ was taking a few days away to tend to a sick Henry. As a result, Prentiss had asked Garcia to join the team in the field on a case that involved a killer who was murdering the people who had put him in jail. Penelope had enthusiastically agreed to join them on the ground, bringing her laptop along with her to do her regular job in tandem with the role she was taking on temporarily. Little did she know how the consequences her decision would affect the team as a whole, one relationship in particular; for the rest of her life.
‘First he scares them, then he punishes them’ Rossi says, as they are all situated on the plane,
Penelope feeling excited but nervous to be in the thick of it with her colleagues. Seeing them all brainstorm fascinated her. And her breath hitched in her throat when she heard her favourite voice begin to speak, deep in tone and soothing she found herself staring at him as he aired his thoughts.
‘A guy this bold, this cold blooded, it feels like he’s out for revenge.’ Luke said as he noticed Penelope staring out of the corner of his eye he turned his head to look at her and smiled coyly, fiddling with the papers in his hands and blushing ever so slightly, as she mimicked the hue of his cheeks and, clearing her throat, looked away from him at the sound of Emilys voice.
‘I agree, we’ve got a lot to sort through, Tara and Matt go to the first crime scene, Dave, you and I will head to the latest crime scene, Penelope and Luke can you guys set up at the local PD and go through the numerous eye witness statements. If this guy sticks to pattern, he’ll strike again today. We can’t let him.’ Emily finished, before adding ‘Penelope, I know I’m throwing you in at the deep end with this but your presence on this case is very much appreciated. I’m sure Luke will be gentle and ease you into it.’
Penelope was sipping some water at the very moment Prentiss uttered the double entendre, and upon hearing the unit chief innocently say those words, in that order, she spluttered the water from her mouth and coughed aggressively , spilling the liquid down her dress as Luke covered his mouth to stifle a laugh, understanding the cause of Penelopes shock immediately. He looked over at Tara, who was conveniently looking out of the window of the plane and avoiding eye contact. That didn’t stop Luke clocking the shit eating grin plastered all over her knowing face at her understanding of both Luke and Penelope and the double meaning of Emilys words.
On the ground, the case was moving along and the team had figured out that the initial suspect had been used as a proxy. He had to kill the people he did to save his wife from harm from the real unsub. Garcia was finding it all quite overwhelming but being in Lukes presence calmed her down significantly.
‘So the unsub is a proxy killer ?’ the lead detective asks.
‘Puppet master, most likely orchestrating his kills out of a need for revenge.’ Emily replied
‘Forced into an impossible situation, Mark had to make a choice; either kill, or watch his wife be killed’ Penelope tentatively added, looking to Luke for reassurance and being met with an approving smile and encouraging nod, making her insides feel fuzzy.
‘Mark chose the former, just as our unsub knew he would. He turned Mark into a murderer for his own enjoyment.’ Rossi interjected.
‘This is a man with a fragile, yet oversized ego. Once he’s challenged, he won’t back down.’ Emily added.
‘So he’s what ? Trying to settle some kind of score?’ the detective questioned, puzzled by the developments.
‘To perhaps teach his victims a lesson, the victims our unsub targeted; Andrea, Mark, Paul... they’re all connected’ Luke concluded
‘We just need to find out how and when these people crossed paths. And that in turn will help us identify any remaining targets’ Emily clarified.
The team dispersed once more and Luke and Penlope were left to comb through the witness statements again, looking for any possible connection between this seemingly random group of people.
‘I’m struggling Garcia, you got anything because I’m at a loss. Maybe it’s just coincidence and they’re not connected at all ?’ Luke said setting down the papers in surrender and slumping his chair, staring at Garcia tapping away on her laptop as he lazily sipped his coffee.
‘Oh Newbie, there’s no such thing as coincidence, the universe is rarely that lazy. I’ll find something. You mark my words’ she replied, not taking her eyes off the screen, her tongue sticking out of her mouth in sheer concentration as Luke admired her determination- and her beauty.
‘Oh, I don’t doubt that for a second, Penelope’ Luke responded, tapping his fingers against the cardboard cup in his hands. He saw her stop typing and suddenly turn to face him, clearly wanting to talk about what had gone down with this case in such a short space of time. Luke leaned forward in his seat ready to listen to her concerns.
‘I can’t- I can’t believe how this has played out.. that poor man, Mark ? He only did those things to protect his wife and he was killed for it.. I just- and then his wife was-‘
She steadied herself by putting her hands on her thighs, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She felt hands on top of her own as she exhaled and opened her eyes to Luke kneeling in front of her staring into her soul. It was jarring seeing him this close but was an immense comfort all at the same time.
‘-its just a lot to process.. 2 innocent people who were living their lives together this morning are now dead because someone wanted revenge’ she said, her eyes not leaving his, the empathy in his evident in the way they twinkled at her own emotion.
‘Listen, Penelope any man would do the same. I can’t tell you how he felt but I can tell you if I had a wife and someone was threatening her life I would do anything humanly possible to save her.’ Luke commented, reassuringly.
‘You would ?’ Penelope asked, surprised.
‘Are you kidding me ? I think when you love someone that much all logic goes out of the window. If y- if my future wife was in danger, I- I- I can’t even repeat the lengths I would go to save her. Truly.’ He replied, hoping she hadn’t noticed his slip. If she did, noticed she brushed it off quickly, as she noticed another witness coming into the department. Penelope wiped the tears from her face as she stood abruptly from her chair, making Luke follow suit swiftly.
‘Charlie Sturgill is here’ she said as she walked over to greet him.
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‘So, Charlie, you were a witness ?’ Luke questioned as he and Penelope sat down with him.
‘Yeah, and this woman, Andrea, was a lawyer. Her client, the defendent, was nuts. He threatened to kill everyone after the verdict was delivered.’ Charlie said nervously.
‘Charlie, what do you remember about the case ?’ Penelope asked calmly.
‘It.. was a hit and run... the defendent was involved in a head on collision in front of the bar where I worked. Four people were killed’ Charlie replied.
‘Had he been drinking ?’ Luke said.
‘Erm, I remember serving him, earlier that night. His defence was that it was an accident.’
‘But it wasn’t?’ Luke probed.
‘No. He was playing chicken with on coming traffic. He claimed to gave only gotten behind the wheel on a dare. That him and some guy were playing truth or dare to impress some woman. It was a BS excuse everyone knew it. I saw the whole thing. He didn’t lose control, he didn’t even slow down.’
‘Thanks for your time, Charlie, your cooperation is appreciated.’ Luke said as he stood and shook his hand, leading him out of the room they had been talking in, Luke re-entered to find Garcia still tapping on her computer with all the new information they had just gotten.
‘I’ve found the case. Unsubs name is Casey Allen Pickner and he is a piece of work. Spent the majority of his misspent youth in and out of the system. He tried to go the straight and narrow in his early 20s. Took some odd jobs, but he has a problem with drink, as we all know, and it finally caught up with him. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, served 8. He was released 4 weeks ago... still trying to find his last knowns’ Penelope concluded, as Luke looked over her shoulder , proudly.
‘His defence was that this whole thing was the result of a game of truth or dare gone wrong, there was a mystery man.. that man could have been Mark, Penelope’ Luke replied.
‘Yeah, yeah, credit card records indicate that the bar in question is in fact one Mark frequented around that time’ Penelope confirmed.
‘And Mark never came forward so cops never pursued him as a lead.. Casey has been planning this for a while... he’s going after everyone involved’ Luke deduced.
‘So, who’s next?’ Penelope asks.
‘Thats what we gotta figure out, Chica. Can you compile a list of people who were in that courtroom ?’ Luke said, to the ire of Penelope.
‘Can I ? Is that a rhetorical question, Newb, because honestly you should know me better than that.. can I ??’ she replied, feigning annoyance.
Penelope and Luke combed through everyone who was in the courtroom that day and managed to speak to them all- except one. Judge Hamilton was failing to answer her phone and Luke knew she was in danger.
‘Penelope, ping her phone and let’s go, we’re gonna tail her car’ Luke said as he slipped his coat on and grabbed Garcias from her chair, holding it open as she slipped her body into it, the scent of her hair momentarily paralysing him where he stood.
‘Wh- me ? As in me and you are gonna tail Judge Hamilton ? Right now?’ she replied, confused by his words and flustered by his chivalry.
‘Yes you, Chica. Come on we’re the dynamic duo! Hit me !’ he almost sung as he lifted his hand in the air and waited. Looking at Garcia and the disgust on her face.
‘OK, I’ll come with you if you promise to never say that again’ Penelope responded.
They were pretty close to where the Judges phone was pinging and with Lukes driving, they caught up to the vehicle in no time. Penelope was clinging to the door of the car as she watch the judges cars movements, taking deep breatha to try and steady her nerves from Lukes reckless driving.
‘OK, we’re right behind her, so you can relax with your race car driving, Schumacher!’ Penelope shouted as she looked over at a laughing Luke, who took his hands off the steering wheel for just a second, earning another, more shouty telling off from his favourite technical analyst.
‘HANDS. STEERING WHEEL. EYES. ON THE ROAD !!’ Penelope roared as they saw the judges car veer off into a parking space and stop abruptly.
As came in to park behind the judge, Luke noticed the unsub exit the vehicle. He also noticed the gun in his hand and had seconds to react as he lifted it towards their SUV.
‘Penelope, put your head down !’ Luke screamed as he shoved her head into the footwell of her seat. Hearing the gun shots ring out and ricochet off the car, Penelope had no snappy retort; just the feeling of her heart beating out of her chest as Luke opened his door and hid behind it, returning fire as the unsub and the judge fled into a nearby store.
‘You ok ?-‘ Luke shouted as Penelope covered her head with her hands ‘-Hey, Garcia ? Are you OK? I’m going in after him you stay here and call Prentiss.’
‘No. I’m coming with you. She said as she unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door on her side of the car.’
‘No you absolutely are not, are you crazy?’ Luke pressed, incensed by her suggestion.
‘Listen you can argue with yourself because I’m not leaving you to go in there alone so you either agree or you don’t but either way ? You won’t stop me’ Penelope replied as she began to walk towards the store front.
‘Woman I swear to God...-‘ Luke panicked as he ran in front of her, turning to face her ‘-stay behind me at all times. I have a weapon. You do not. I cannot let something happen to you Garcia.. it would... I just can’t, OK?’ Luke said erratically. He waited for her to reply and saw her nod, before he took a deep breath and turned around ‘Keep your hand on my shoulder, Chica’ he muttered as he reluctantly entered the store where the clear and present danger was.
There they found Casey, holding the store clerk by her neck with a gun to her head. He forced her to bring the shutters down on the store, ensuring they were all locked in. Casey very quickly gained control over Penelope and Luke by disarming Luke and tying them up. Making them sit on the floor, they watched as he gave Judge Hamilton Lukes gun and ordered her to shoot the store clerk. Penelope watched as the judge shook in fear, the gun moving erratically in her hands.
‘Come on, she has nothing to do with this, just let her go’ Penelope said bravely, referring the clerk Casey was encouraging Judge Hamilton to shoot.
‘Shoot her !’ he shouted in defiance
‘Casey ! Shes not a part of this, OK. You’ve literally no reason to hurt her. Just let her go.’ Penelope repeated, moving back slightly as Casey stalked over to her.
Penelope shrieked as Casey crouched down and grabbed the back of her hair, pulling her head back as he did so. Every atom in Lukes body lit on fire in anger as he shifted in his place. Fighting to keep still and not antagonise him but desperate to help Penelope and furious at this man’s audacity in thinking he could touch a hair on her head in front of him.
‘Bastard !-‘ Luke spat as he lunged forward aggressively, stopping when Casey pulled Penelopes hair harder, illiciting a pained cry from her. ‘Don’t you fucking touch her !’ he finished as he frantically tried to manipulate his hands out from behind his back.
‘Shut the fuck up ! Or I’ll do more than pull her hair !-‘ Casey replied before turning his attention back to Penelope. ‘-and you- you can shut the fuck up too- because I wasn’t talking to you’ he finished, letting go of her hair and standing up, waving his gun between them both.
He moved back towards the Judge and the clerk, grabbing her and pushing her to the ground she knocked a hand mirror to the floor, shattering it into pieces as she fell, Luke saw an opportunity. Casey shot her as she lay on the ground, the sound of the gun making Penelope jump and burst into tears. Casey put a gun in Judge Hamiltons hands and ordered her to choose one of the agents to shoot. Becoming incensed by her hesitation, he waved his gun in her face and shouted. Wailing that he was going to kill her daughter, and watching her become more and more terrified. Penelope couldn’t bear witness to the scene any longer and so stood up.
‘Casey-‘ She said slowly,
‘Penelope-‘ Luke said nervously,
‘-if Judge Hamilton won’t play.. I will. Truth or dare, right ? That’s- that’s your game ?... I’ll play’ she continued.
‘OK... Agent ???’
‘Garcia..’
‘Agent Garcia... truth or dare ?’
‘Truth.’
‘If I think you’re lying, or stretching the truth in any way, I’ll kill him’ Casey said, pointing the gun at Luke.
‘You ever shoot anybody before ?’ he asked.
‘N- no I havent, I mean I’ve held a gun but I didn’t like it and I’ve never shot anyone’ Penelope answered honestly
‘Liar !’ Casey roared as he did a 360 turn and shot in Lukes direction, barely missing him and shooting a chair at the side of him.
‘NO PLEASE dont hurt him ! I swear I’m telling the truth I’m a technical analyst with the FBI I’m not even supposed to be in the field, I swear I’ve never shot anyone !-’ She screamed, her voice shaking in terror.
‘Its my turn now ! Thats how this game is played, right ? So.. truth or dare ??’ Penelope asked, trying to control the fear in her voice.
‘Truth’ Casey replied.
‘Whats it gonna take for everyone to get out of here alive ?’
‘I ain’t going back to prison ! My turn ! Truth or dare ?’ he demanded
‘Truth’ Penelope responded
‘I want you to say something you’re afraid to say. That you’d never tell anybody. And you better make it good, because if its not its gonna be the last thing you ever say.’
Luke was watching on in horror as Penelope had a gun waved in her face. His witness to her all consuming fear was almost too much to bear and the shard of glass he was currently using to cut the duct tape from his wrists wasn’t working nearly as fast as he needed it to.
‘I- I don’t trust very many people, I-‘
‘Ehhhhh, BORING !’ Casey exclaimed as he turned to the judge and shot her in the leg, her screams shocking Penelope more than the sound of the bullet. Returning his fury to Garcia, he held the gun upto her once more.
‘Next !!’
‘I- I blame myself for the death of my parents. It was my fault they were out so late and my fault they were killed’
‘Oh come on ! You can do better than that !!’
‘Casey !’ Luke said, trying desperately to calm him down before he hurt the woman he loved so dearly.
He saw him take 2 long strides towards Penelope, and shove her to the ground. The rage within Luke indescribable as he scrambled to free himself from the restraints he’d been placed in.
‘Last chance... something you’d never say aloud.. not even to your partner here.’ Casey repeated.
Penelope looked at Luke. Properly looked at him and saw everything all at once. She saw the life they could have together. She saw the love they could share. She saw the children they could make and the memories they had and could create. Tears filled her eyes as the realisation hit her like a bolt of lightening. She looked down to stop him from seeing her tears and desperately tried to stop them from falling down her face. When she looked up at him again she began to speak. The tears escaping her eyes like the secret she was about to spill.
‘I’ve always loved you, Luke. From the first day I saw you. From the first time you irritated me. From the first elevator ride we shared. From the first ever case we worked. I’ve loved you even though it seemed like I hated you. I was too scared to admit it so I avoided it. I buried it. I put you in a box in my heart and hid you away. To keep you safe. To keep me sane. You think I don’t notice the way you look at me.. I do.. you think I don’t clock when you say things meant for me and then correct yourself, but I do... I just- I was scared of the way you made me feel I have always been terrified because its been something I cant control... But yeah.. there it is... I’ve loved you longer than I care to admit.’ She finished as she stared at him, dumbfounded. It was everything he had ever wanted to hear from her lips and although she had just admitted it, it was almost like she had said it to someone else.
‘That’s what I’m talking about !’ casey started as he looked at Luke, who was still looking at Penelope.
‘Now those are some last words right there, but not good enough to save your life !’ he concluded as he shoved the gun at her temple.
Penelope braced herself for the impact of the gun and thought to herself whether or not it had been a good idea to admit her feeling to Luke. Now knowing she was about to die; would it be a help or a hindrance to him to know about her true feelings ? She pondered this with her eyes closed as she heard the gunshot and was perplexed to realise that not only was she still alive; but she wasn’t feeling any type of pain, which was odd, because she had been shot before and she remembered the searing, excruciating pain like it happened yesterday. She opened her eyes to see Casey falling to the ground. She looked to Luke who had a gun in his free hands and she wondered what the fuck had just happened. Her eyes wandered down to his pant leg and she noticed his ankle was exposed and a holster strapped to it. She stared at him as her chest heaved with anxiety and smiled. Nodding her appreciation at his saving her life.
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The team wrapped the case and flew home. Penelope and Luke barely spoke about the words exchanged between them in their hostage situation and when they say each other at Rossis wedding, it was awkward to say the least. Luke moped round her like a school boy and Penelope tried her best to ignore the situation entirely. She had managed to gaslight herself into believing it was the stress of the moment that induced such candor.
‘May I have one of your fancy drinks, Garcia ?’ Luke asked as he approached the bar she was standing at, serving her famous cocktails.
‘You may-‘ she replied feeling warmth run through her as soon as he spoke. ‘-Agent Alvez, I may have come to this party alone, but I will not be dancing alone, do you understand me’ Penelope said to a smiling Luke. He lifted his glass in her general direction and winked at her.
‘Whenever you are ready, Chica. Say the word and I’ll whisk you away.’ He replied.
With that Penelope held out her hand and Luke grabbed hold of it, putting his arm around her waist and guiding her to the dance floor. Once there a silence fell between them for a couple of beats as they both soaked each other in.
‘You know, if you want to talk about it, then we can’ Luke whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her body.
‘I don’t want to talk right now, I just want to dance.... But I will talk tonight ? Back at my place ?’ Penelope replied in a question, that was entirely rhetorical.
‘I would definitely have no problem with that’ Luke eagerly responded, his hand caressing her cheek, inducing goosebumps to invade her entire body.
The rest of the BAU were grouped together at the bar watching this monumental event unfold.
‘Hey, what’s going on there ?’ Rossi asked, his arms lovingly wrapped around his new wife.
‘Oh, come on, Rossi. You know!-‘ Tara exclaimed ‘-in fact, the only 2 people who refuse to acknowledge that Luke and Penelope are in love with each other; are Luke and Penelope’
‘Well they sure as shit look like they’ve acknowledged it now !’ Rossi countered, raising his glass of champagne in their direction.
‘And its about goddamn time too ! ‘ a tipsy Emily interjected to the hysterical laughter of the whole team.