Penelope was in her pyjamas on the couch of her livingroom. It was the night before Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve Eve. She leaned back and watched the old super eight flicker through pictures of her and her parents. She always did it on this night, remembering how they'd gotten a Christmas tree each year, even though her parents had railed against the destruction of a living thing to celebrate another birth. But Penelope remembered how she had watched from the stairs when she was supposed to be in bed. Her mom would lean back into her step-dad's chest and smile up at the ornaments that were mostly handmade. Her brothers would start to fight, and she would run back up the stairs quietly to tell them that if they didn't shut up, she'd be the only one getting any presents. It usually got them to quiet down. Tomorrow night she would talk to them over webcam, and wish all of her nieces and nephews Merry Christmas. But tonight she would stay here, with a mug of hot green tea and watch super eight films over and over until she fell asleep on the couch arm to the rhythmic clicking of the finished reel.
The morning was softly gray, with snow clouding the view of the street. Penelope rolled into the warmth of the duvet she had brought in from her room. She could wake up as slowly as she liked, there was nowhere to be today. The television turned on with a buzz, and was showing the black and white version of Christmas Carol. The broad accents mixed with the wind against the window as it picked up.
She padded into the kitchen, smoothing down her hair and rubbing the side of her nose. Shredded wheat for breakfast in a deep bowl, and she returned to the couch. The duvet covered up her bent legs again. The ice blue aluminum tree in the corner had presents under it that were waiting for tomorrow. Christmas Carol played on, with Scrooge seeing the error of his ways and Tiny Tim getting his second lease on life.
She set the webcam up on the shelf above her desk and opened her laptop. It only took a few keystrokes and clicks to open up the programs she needed. She would start with the youngest brother. He wasn't the favourite, but it meant that she could avoid her eldest brother for a time.
"Penny!"
"Hey Phin. How are you?" She grinned as the sight of her brother. His dark blond hair was cut short .
"I'm good. Doing okay and stuff. Working."
"Where's Dee?"
"In the kitchen!" A voice called out from behind her brother.
"We've got Desi's parents coming over for Christmas Eve. It's a good thing about the time change." Phin lived in Northern California with his fiancée.
"Yeah. So, anything new? Wedding planning?"
"We set the date for sure. Put a deposit down on the spot. Dee loved it so, I'll just go with whatever doesn't bankrupt us. Are you still going to come out?"
"Of course. Unless they really need me for a case."
"Riiiiiight FBI girl. Have you got your super-suit yet?"
"Christmas wishes sometimes come true Phin, you never know. Maybe it's my lucky year."
"Did you get our present, by the way? It's not a superhero suit, sadly.
"I'm sure I'll like it."
"Good. And Pen, are you…alright?"
"Alright?"
"Like healed up and everything"
"I'm fine Phin. Good as new."
"Good. Good." Her brother nodded, frowning for a moment. "Look, we should talk more Penny. We don't talk enough."
"Sure Phin." He said this every year.
"Okay good. I should go help Dee in the kitchen. Say hi to everyone."
"I will."
"Merry Christmas." Garcia smiled at him, and cut the connection, quickly uplinking with the next.
"No Duke, I'm not 'packing heat' now."
"It's dangerous where you live Penelope."
"No, it's not."
"You got shot."
"Once!"
"How many times do you need."
"Duke!"
"You know I'm right."
"I know you're ridiculous. Close enough."
"Penel-"
"Deucalion." She replied staring him down. He rolled his eyes and shouted behind him.
"Anna! Why don't you bring Ace and Maggie over to see their aunt."
"Aunt Pen!" She suddenly saw a dark brown head of hair crowning a round baby face appear in her sister in law Anna's arms, and a blond boy climb into his father's lap. Ace was five and trouble, and Penelope had been sure to get the messiest present she could find for the boy. Maggie was still spitting up on shoulders. Garcia had gotten her a stuffed animal for her to spit up on too.
"Heya Ace! How are you?"
"I wanna open presents!"
"You have to wait for Santa though sweets." Ace sighed dramatically, his arms flopping to his sides.
"Santa takes forever!"
"Yeah, but it's worth it. I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to you guys. You be good for your mom and dad right?"
"Yes Aunt Pen. Are you gonna come visit soon?" Ace asked hopefully.
"Sometime babe, sometime." She said that every year.
"Danny sweetie, you look amazing." Danny was her favourite of the four boys. They were closest, if that was what you could call it.
"Thanks. New sweater. Owen got it for me for Christmas. Which I know is tomorrow." Dan preempted Penelope's comments about present opening. "But he gave it to me unwrapped and told me to put it on. What could I do?"
Penelope smiled softly. Danny lived with his boyfriend Owen on a hill in San Fran. They had been dating for eight and a half years, and Penelope was rather fond of Owen. He was a bit bookish and straight laced, but it was good for Danny.
"I guess nothing, sugar."
"So, do you have anyone special around these days." He always asked her that. And she didn't mind, not too much.
"Danny, you're going to be worse than Phin. I'm hoping that he has his wedding before Christmas next year so he can't drill me by webcam on whether I'm bringing a date to the wedding."
"Are you?"
"No, I'm not seeing anyone."
"Come on. Any leads at least?"
"Danny."
"Okay, okay. Let me go grab Ty. He wants to say hi to his aunt." Penelope smiled softly, leaning back in her chair. Danny returned in front of the webcam holding the two year old in his lap. He and Owen had adopted a year and a half ago.
"Hi there Ty!" She grinned, waving at the little boy. He hid his face in his dad's shirt, but peeked out under his arm with a shy smile.
"He's still a little shy." Danny said, looking down at his son. "But he loves his cousins. Duke's coming over for dinner tomorrow night."
"That should be nice." Danny looked up at her.
"You should really come visit more Pen." She shook her head.
"I have work."
"All the time? I don't want you-"
"I'm okay Danny, really. I've got people here….I'm okay."
Danny sighed.
"You're too stubborn for your own good."
"Yeah, I guess it's a family trait." He laughed in response.
"Merry Christmas Penelope."
"Merry Christmas Dardanus. And Ty. Say hello to Owen for me."
Penelope sat back and thought for a few moments. She did not want to call Evan. They never really got along. He was her only older brother, and he had always lorded it over her. And he never understood what she had done after their mother and step father had been killed.
Derek parked his car where it couldn't be seen behind the courtyard walls. He sat in it, drumming his fingers against the wheel as minutes flicked by in the digital clock face.
The door eventually was slammed shut behind him as he rounded the front to reach the pavement. Five steps to the entranceway. He stepped up the walk, burying his chin into the collar of his coat. Derek stopped for a moment at the stairs. He looked at the right side of the cement. It washes off. He told himself that again.
At the front door he was able to slip in without buzzing as another occupant left. He found the door with the right number and reached forwards to knock. And stopped.
"NO. Evan, what have I told you. NO. I don't want to come live in Flagstaff!"
"It's not about what you want, it's about what's best for you." Penelope rubbed her forehead.
"Evander, I'm an adult. I can do whatever I like. I have a job here, and friends, and…."
"Then why are you alone on Christmas?"
Penelope tightened her jaw. Evan smirked like he'd made a winning argument.
"Why do you do this Evan." Evan rolled his eyes.
"Don't get dramatic Penny. Be honest, it just make sense. You can come live around here, take care of the kids."
"I'm not a nanny! I love your kids, but I have a real job, that I'm good at. Ridiculously good at. I'm not giving that up to come and look after four kids in Flagstaff.
"You're being unreasonable."
"Unreasonable. I'll show you unreasonable."
Derek slid down the wall across from the door. He couldn't knock yet. He ran a hand over his head, frowning.
Derek was staring down at the patch of floor between his feet, but his head snapped up. There was yelling from inside the apartment. It felt like he was trying to swallow a wooden block. He stood up and was knocking on the door before it became a second thought.
Penelope turned towards the door, cut from her irritation with her brother.
"Don't even think about going anywhere Evan." She spun around in her chair and crossed the room to her door. Looking through the spy glass, her brow rose in surprise.
"Derek?" She was asking before she even slid back the lock and chain. The door opened and he was standing in front of her.
"You okay baby girl?" He looked concerned and scanned the room behind her.
"Yeah, I'm….I didn't expect you."
"I heard you yelling."
"From your apartment?" Morgan drew his eyebrows together.
"No. I was…in your hallway. And I heard, so I knocked."
"What were-" Penelope saw the hint of hesitation in his face. "I'm okay. I'm just talking to my brother."
"I should go."
"No, no, it's okay. Grab a seat on the couch, I'll be done in a minute. You can get a drink from the kitchen or something if you want." He slid his coat off and draped it on his arm, but Penelope took it and hung it on the back of a chair. She crossed the room to where a laptop and webcam were set up.
"Evan."
"Who is that?" His voice was suspicious and faintly aggressive.
"He's a friend. From work Evan. Look, I can't fight anymore now. I'll connect with you again tomorrow to say hi to Vittoria and the kids."
"Penelope." His voice threatened her with irritability on her next call, but she snapped down the top of her laptop, and turned around.
"Did I interrupt?" Morgan was sitting uncomfortably on the edge of the couch.
"Relax." Penelope sat down on the couch, curling her legs under herself in the opposite corner. "And no. Just the yearly joy of talking to my brothers." Morgan frowned at the sarcastic tone.
"So you guys don't get along?" Penelope took her mug from the coffee table and looked into it, swirling around the contents.
"No, just-" She glanced up at him for a moment. "Evan and I…clash. He's the older brother type."
"What about the other three?"
"Danny's a good guy. The other two, Phin and Duke. They're way younger than me. Half brothers, so we weren't ever really close."
"You have interesting family names." Penelope rolled her eyes.
"Duke and Phin? It's Evander, Penelope, Dardanus, Deucalion and Phineus. My mom was a hippy, with a university degree in classics." Morgan laughed.
It got quiet in the apartment, the only noises from the heater beside the couch and a ticking yellow alarm clock.
"Why were you…in my hallway." Penelope asked, glancing at him sideways. Derek sat back against the opposite arm of the couch.
"Knocking on your door."
"Oh, cause…" She smirked coyly at him, a soft grin giving away her teasing. "The way it seemed to me was you were out there for a while. Too nervous to knock?" Derek stared at her for a moment.
"It that what you think?" He cocked his head to the side a little.
"Well. No. I don't…know." Derek's face stayed placid. She didn't know what to do or say. Then his hand was in his pocket, reappearing with a package covered in green paper. The wrapping was clumsy and took lots of tape.
"It's good to know that you aren't actually good at everything." She smirked at the tape as a spare corner stuck to her finger.
"Just open it smart mouth." He nudged the package encouragingly. He shifted on the couch, moving towards the middle and closer to Penelope. She slipped her finger under one of the edges, glancing up at Derek. Her eyes caught onto his. He shifted closer again, legs pressed against each other.
"Open it."
Penelope pulled the paper apart. There was tissue paper around it underneath.
"It's a….." The tissue paper came off. "A new phone?" She picked up the phone and smiled at it. "A new, purple phone."
"Yeah. I thought of you the moment I saw it. I don't know anyone else who would fit it. Here." He reached across her to flip the phone open. "Top of the line video and pictures. Music player. Service is all taken care of for the year, texts, voice mail all that."
"Sweets-"
"No." Morgan insisted. "Really, it's a selfish gift anyways." He commented quietly. Penelope turned towards him.
"What do you mean by that?" Derek hesitated for a minute.
"I had them program some of the speed dials for you already." He pointed towards the key pad. "Number one has duel dialing and messaging function."
"For what?" Garcia looked with interest.
"It dials emergency." He said, looking at the phone. Penelope sighed.
"Gorgeous-"
"And it sends a text to my phone at the same time. See. Selfish. Second number is BAU. And then JJ, Spencer, and my cell numbers. Em, Hotch. And I left the other ones open, so you can put whatever you want in there. Or switch them all around. It's all up to you anyways baby girl."
"Hey. Hey." Penelope tried to interrupt him, eventually clamping a hand over his mouth. He stopped and she pulled her hand away, only to grab onto his. "I'm okay Derek. Alive and stubborn as ever." He let out a laugh, letting his finger squeeze tightly around her hand.
"Yeah. I won't fight you on that one." They smiled for a moment. "Thank you." She said quietly, admiring him in a sidelong glance. He leant over, lifting his free hand to her hair and leaning forwards. He pressed a kiss against her temple.
"What do you have planned for Christmas dinner?" He asked as he pulled back, standing up and moving to grab his coat.
"Muppet Christmas Carol and some pasta." She replied.
"Come to my place for dinner. My mom and my sisters decided their Christmas present to me was there presence at my apartment for a few days."
"I don't want to intrude on your family."
"Come on. I already convinced Reid to come. Sarah finds him amusing apparently." Penelope gave off a melodramatic sigh.
"If I say yes, will you give me some peace?"
"My word doll."
"Fine. I'll come to dinner, but I'm bringing something." She pointed at him.
"Good." Morgan grinned. "My sisters won't let me cook."
"Really?"
"One cake on fire, you're banned from cooking ever again in the Morgan house." Penelope laughed, and stood up to see him to the door.
"I'll look forward to it."
"Six o'clock." Morgan warned her, raising an eyebrow.
"My word hot stuff." She smiled at him, then started shooing him away.
"Now give a girl some peace. I need to get my beauty sleep."
"You're already beautiful enough, baby girl, but I'll let you go anyways." He wrapped her in a quick, tight hug. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Merry Christmas sweetness." Penelope said, opening up the door for him.
"Merry Christmas." He lingered under the doorway for a moment, then with a quick movement, was down the hall. Penelope went back inside and watched him down the stairs and through the courtyard.