Hey-o. This is my first fic so please be kind.

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or the characters. Some "guest stars" are based on people in my life while others are totally made up, as are some places.

Set in the near future, this is a M/G story but involves the whole team.

Chapter 1

"Penelope Garcia, if you keep me waiting much longer I'm going to drag you out as you are!" Derek Morgan called through the closed bathroom door.

"I'm almost ready!" Garcia called back. Morgan furrowed his brow. You did not need to be a behavioral analyst to hear the nervousness in her voice.

"Baby Girl, you OK?" he asked. He stepped back as the door was suddenly wrenched open.

"Yes, I'm fine" the lovely blonde snapped. "Sorry, no, I'm not. Am I doing the right thing? I mean, I'm thrilled for Kevin but am I making a mistake..."

"Hey... HEY. Baby Girl, relax. It's going to be OK." Morgan tried to smother a grin.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Are you gonna finish getting ready 'cause I know you don't wanna go out like that?"

"Like what?" her eyes narrowed as she stepped back into her bathroom and looked in the mirror. "Oh!" she squeaked and slammed the door closed. Between the nerves and Derek yelling she got distracted mid-makeup. One eye was finished: pale gold eyeshadow with hints of green, black eyeliner, and mascara. The other was untouched. Her lips had been lined but not filled. She leaned over the sink and took a few deep breaths before finishing her face in record time. She sighed as she grabbed the dress bag from the back of the door. She ditched her robe and slipped on the knee-length dress. After one last hair and makeup check in the mirror she again wrenched the door open. The usually calm and collected Agent Morgan must have jumped a good foot backward as he held his fist to the door.

Garcia grinned and turned. "Hey, Hot Stuff, zip me up, will ya?" He did look especially hot in his back suit and green tie. They looked like a matched set with her dress and his tie.

Morgan took a deep swallow. He had jumped when Garcia had opened the door just as he reached up to knock again. After twelve years of working together she still took his breath away. Sure, he'd grown accustomed to her unique style and bold use of color. He loved her spirit and the way she lit up every room she was in, even if it was through a screen.

Her dress today was a bit understated for her usual style. Green like his tie, it was sleeveless and had a simple yet glamorous sheer black overlay with a pretty design. She wore a black headband with a green flower and her hair was perfectly curled and shiny. The glasses she wore were black with green rhinestones dotting the frames. Even understated she radiated warmth.

He swallowed again as he tugged the zipper up, careful not to snag her black lacy bra. "There, you're all set," he announced.

She spun around to face him and bit her bottom lip. "Do I look OK?" she whispered. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

Morgan placed his hands on her shoulders. "Baby Girl, you are absolutely stunning." She sniffed. "Hey, none of this now," he soothed. "Seriously, Garcia, I've never seen you look more beautiful."

"Sure, that's what you say to all the girls," she teased and smacked his arm playfully. She walked over to the couch and slipped on a pair of strappy black heels. She quickly stuffed objects from a large bag into a much smaller clutch and grabbed a pale gold cardigan.

Morgan tried not to stare at her but it was hard. It was true, what she said. Every girl he'd ever been with was beautiful and he said as much, but none of them had ever stayed in his mind. During a case, as he rested, he always thought of Garcia. When the case was over he couldn't wait to see her again. The other girls were all different- shallow, deep, smart or clueless- but never enough of one or too much of another. He always compared then to Garcia. He'd never met a wittier, brighter, positive force in his life. No other woman had ever measured up to her.

"Are we picking up Reid on the way?" she asked as they left her apartment building. "And are you still coming over after the reception?"

"Yeah, he asked for a lift. And is the offer still on the table?"

"Yes. It has been too long since we've talked properly and not over the phone."

"We don't have to do this, you know." He glanced over at his best friend as he drove. She was fidgeting and drumming her fingers.

"Of course we do," she sighed. "Amber is my friend and I was the one who introduced her to Kevin. Plus you all got the weekend off by some miracle and you promised to be my date.

"Why did they invite the BAU?" he asked

Garcia shrugged. "Kevin thinks the world of the BAU ever since Battle."

Morgan chuckled. "Then why does he act all terrified of us?"

Garcia snorted. "Like you really need to ask, Mr. Profiler Man." Morgan remained silent. "You all pick apart the minds of some of the sickest minds out there. Hotch still terrifies me sometimes, so imagine how other people who don't know him as well feel. Reid is like a walking encyclopedia with a gun. JJ and Kate are beautiful, badass women who could easily kick his ass. Rossi is one of the BAU founders. He literally wrote the book on what you all do, plus everyone knows you should never cross an Italian, and you... well, you're you."

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "And I'm what?"

"You... I've seen you kick down doors, Derek, and leave them in toothpicks, without breaking a sweat! You're the muscle of the team. You're terrifying!"

"You're not scared of me," he pointed out.

"Only because you love me and would never hurt me," she grinned.

"Of course I do," he grinned back. "I said I'll always protect you and I meant it." He sighed. "But I really wish you'd stop saying 'you all'. You are just a big a part of the BAU as any of us."

"I'm just a tek..."

"No, you are NOT 'just a tekkie'. You make our jobs a million times easier. Reid may disagree but you are the heart and soul of the team. You have never let us down. You are the best analyst in the FBI and the scariest one of all of us!"

"I am not scary!" Garcia laughed. "God, my love, you really do know how to flatter a girl!"

"One of my many talents, Princess," he laughed.

They pulled up outside Reid's building. "Reid, am I scary?" Garcia turned to face the youngest member of the BAU as he climbed into the backseat.

"Excuse me?" Reid looked bewildered.

"Morgan and I were discussing why Kevin is afraid of everyone in the BAU and he said I was the scariest one on the team!"

"Right. Well... I'd have to agree with Morgan."

"What?!" Morgan and Garcia exclaimed in unison, he in amusement and her in horror.

"Garcia, you can hack anything. The amount of trust we have in you... you can turn peoples' lives upside down with a few keystrokes. You are more powerful than any of us. I'd never want to be on your bad side. We trust you with our lives."

"Yeah, because my alternative was prison," Garcia shook her head.

"No, because you are a good person," Reid replied firmly. "You have a gift; these amazing skills that you taught yourself and you never used them for evil. Illegal, yes, but legal doesn't always mean good, we all know that. You've never once used your knowledge to hurt anyone, even before you joined the FBI."

"And she still refers to the BAU as 'you all' instead of 'us'," Morgan shook his head. "And she argued with me about it."

"Derek Morgan, I did not... I just meant I'm usually at home, safe, in front of my screens, and you all are actually out there catching the bad guys."

"Garcia, you might as well be with us in the field. We know you're always just a phone call away. We know you have our backs. You don't see the looks you get from the locals when we call you and you give us all the information we need in seconds. They are awed, intimidated, and jealous. As they should be," Reid smiled.

"Wow, both Morgan and Reid compliments in one day," Garcia sniffed. "I'm touched. Must be something in the water."

"Water additives don't determine a person's opinion or the truth," Reid looked confused again.

"Never mind, Reid," Morgan replied with a roll of his eyes while Garcia burst out laughing.

"Is that them?" Alfie Jackson asked his older brother, Grant.

"Sure is," Grant grinned. "This'll be perfect. Much better than waiting for them to leave again."

"She's pretty," Alfie mused as he stared at the laptop.

"Don't even think about it," Grant warned. "We're forbidden to touch her that way."

"I know, just saying she's pretty," Alfie grumbled.

"We've hacked the cameras so all we need to do is wait for her to be alone, then... " Grant waved a phone in the air.

"We got it, now all we have to do... look, they're leaving!"Alfie sat up straighter in his seat as people poured out of the church. The brothers spotted their target, a bubbly blonde, laughing with her co-workers, whom the brothers knew by name and title. They watched as she climbed into the passenger side of an SUV.

There was no reason to follow; they knew where the SUV was going. They let a few more cars leave before leaving themselves. They pulled into a parking lot and was surprised to see the spot next to the SUV vacant. The brothers shared a look, each recognizing their good fortune.

They climbed into the back of the van after parking and opened laptops. Each computer had a block of live security camera footage on the screen. It wasn't very long before Grant sat up. "She's leaving by herself!"

"She's going to the bathroom," Alfie whispered.

"Are you ready? Grant smirked as he grabbed the phone.

"Let's do it," Alfie grinned and grabbed a ski mask.

A/N: I can't read the Tara character yet so I put Kate in. I didn't mind the character so I wanted to give her more life here.

I hope y'all enjoyed the first chapter.