Something Else

A/N: Hello all! Happy 2020! May this year be good to you and everything you do. Now with my dear Derek Morgan currently romancing the good doctor Reid, I decided to jump on the Garvez train and boy have I enjoyed the ride. I'll be so sad if they don't end up together. Until next time, ENJOY! R&R PLZ!

Luke watched solemnly as Garcia handed out gifts around the bullpen. He should be happier. She'd given him a gag gift copy of Punkie Brewster, the complete DVD set of Luke Cage and a copy of the VR game London Heist, plus treats and toys for Roxy. He should be thrilled the tech remembered him, grateful, content, but he couldn't unsee it. Not when he was so acutely aware of her. Smiles that didn't reach her eyes. Laughter just shy of being forced. It was all there. She was hurting and Luke couldn't overlook it, not that he ever could overlook Garcia. Penelope returned to her lair with a kiss and a chirpy 'Merry Christmas' that faltered just at the end and he grimaced.

"You are so damn lucky that woman isn't a profiler," Simmons commented from his desk.

"Seriously," JJ agreed. "Stare any harder and she might have felt it."

"It's nothing," Luke denied. "And I didn't watch her that hard. I was looking to see what everyone else got."

"Clearly it's not nothing," Reid said. "And you literally did not take your eyes off her for 32 minutes and 46 seconds, despite ulterior stimulus. The rest of us were in your periphery at best."

He knew he really shouldn't argue with Reid but he had to try anyway. "That's not true."

"Oh yeah," JJ challenged. "What were my presents then?"

"Um," had he really zoned out that much? "Two gifts cards and bottle of perfume?"

"Not even close," JJ showed him her bag. "I got a tin of homemade of praline, a necklace with matching earrings, and a spa day package."

Luke flushed, "I could have sworn you got perfume."

"Well she did get some cologne for Will," JJ smirked.

"You could've given me that one!" The team snickered. "So who got the gift cards?"

"I got a year long subscription to Netflix," Spencer spoke up.

"I got one for Disney Plus," Matt chuckled.

"Ah," Luke said shortly.

"Yeah," Emily at least tried to be gentler. "So if I may make a temperate suggestion, don't sit on this. Talk to her. Thing is," she stepped a little closer, drawing him aside from the team. "This is her first Christmas without Derek. And Hotch for that matter."

"I can't compete with him Emily," Luke frowned.

"Then don't," the Unit Chief replied simply. "He's her best friend; you want to be something else entirely." Luke flushed and Emily patted his arm before walking away.

Rossi casually strolled by and handed Alvez a business card. "Best florist in town." The Italian winked. "Great Christmas selection. The rest is on you. Che Dio sia con te."

Luke contemplated the innocent card in his hand before grabbing his coat. "Here's to hoping for a Christmas miracle."

One trip to a florist, a trip to the pet store, and some research and phone calls later, Emily let everyone go home early for the holidays. The team patted his back on their way out and Luke gathered his courage to walk down that narrow hallway to Penelope Garcia's domain. He knocked before opening the door and was greeted by the low tones of Baby It's Cold Outside. "Hey," Pen semi-smiled. "I just got the message from Jayje that we're free."

"Mhm," Luke hummed. "Penelope I just wanted to give your Christmas present."

"Well I'd rather hoped those attractive flowers for me but I didn't want to be presumptuous," they giggled and she accepted the bouquet. Red velvet roses, holly, spruce, and red berries held together by metallic burgundy ribbon. "Thank you Luke," she said sincerely.

"Oh we're not done yet, there's a second part of your gift," Luke jabbed his thumb out the door. "You, my fine furry friend, are coming with me."

"Where?"

"It's a surprise now come on, we'll take my car."

They stared each other down for a minute then Pen relented. "Fine newbie, you win. Let me get my coat."

A few minutes later, they were out on the road. Both of them had never spent much time together alone but they chatted easily enough, about games, Roxy, movies, TV shows. Penelope was overjoyed to learn that Luke was just as big a nerd sci-fi/fantasy as she was. "I do not have anyone to talk about this stuff to except boy wonder," she crowed. "You have no idea how refreshing this is."

"Derek never watched?" It came out before he could stop himself and he winced.

Garcia deflated some, "It wasn't really his thing. I mean it sort of was. He loves Kurt Vonnegut and we had movie nights every two weeks but it was different."

"I know you miss him Penelope." Luke comforted her. "I'm sorry this year has been so rough for you."

"I miss my family but there are worse ways to lose them," Garcia sighed. "Believe me."

"I do." Luke tentatively grasped her hand. "Hey no downing on the Christmas. You're gonna need your energy up for your present."

"What exactly are you up to Alvez?"

"You'll see," Luke grinned. "Now close your eyes." She shut her eyes just as they pulled up to their first stop of the night. Ordering her to keep her eyes shut, he got out of the SUV and circled around to help her out and lead her to the back. There she finally opened her eyes and saw four massive gift bags of animal toys and treats in the trunk.

Penelope raised an eyebrow "For a man who believes in moderation, that's a lot for one dog."

"It's not for one dog oh Queen of Moderation," Luke lifted out one bag and handed it to her. "It's for them." He closed the trunk and she saw that they were at a local animal shelter. Garcia's jaw dropped, head swiveling between the shelter, the bags and Luke, connecting the dots.

"You didn't," she breathed. "One for-"

"Yup," Alvez confirmed. "I checked them out. All no-kill shelters, great standards of care across the board. Just missing some of that special Penelope Garcia magic for the holidays." He was pretty proud of the idea, even more so just looking at the dazzling smile on the beautiful tech's face.

"This is perfect," Pen said through glassy eyes. "Thank you, oh my god thank you so much Luke." She pulled him into a tight hug.

"That's the second time you called me by my name."

"Just bask in it."

They made to pull away but something brought them up short. Penelope flushed and Luke cupped her cheek on impulse. Garcia froze, lips parted and Luke swayed into her, a hair's breadth away from kissing her like he wanted to. But he didn't. Instead, he swallowed thickly, "We...should go."

"Yeah," his companion nodded timidly. They took the toys in and went to see all the animals. Garcia was like a kid in a candy store; she personally handed out toys to each animal and dropped treats into their respective food bowls. The workers allowed them to play with them and Luke had to physically restrain Garcia from adopting ten different cats and three dogs. Pictures were taken and cuddles were had, not to mention the copious amounts of face and hand licking. Occasionally there'd be a tender moment and the pair would share a look and soft smile before looking away. Still, it was only by reminding Penelope that they had three other stops to make, did she finally drag herself away from the cute critters.

"Sergio would adore a brother or sis-"

"In the car woman."

Shelters 2 and 3 were repeat performance but the later hour meant that closing time was near and that prompted them to hurry a bit more. They got to shelter 4 in the nick of time and spent a few moments with the animals before they had to go. In the parking lot, Luke produced was smaller gift bag hidden in the stow-away compartment of his trunk. "I thought this was our last stop," Penelope said, accepting the bag. "I mean not that I'm complaining, I love me some doggos. The more, the merrier."

"Slow down," Luke chuckled. "That is for Sergio. I may have cheated and asked his other mommy for help."

"Just as well," Penelope hugged it. "Really Luke, this has been wonderful. I'll be thanking you into next year."

"You don't have to keep thanking me but I do enjoy the use of my name for a change," the other agent teased.

"Yeah," Garcia became a bit sheepish. "That."

"Hey don't sweat it," he assured her. "I get it."

"Doesn't mean you deserve it," they leant against the SUV. "Derek was my best friend, my platonic soulmate. We were magical together and now that he's gone, the magic went with him. I could count on him to make the cases easier. My screens would be filled with serial killers and murder and then the phone would ring. I'd hear 'Hey Babygirl' and we'd flirt and laugh. For a few minutes, there was something beautiful and pure in the middle of hell and – I don't have that anymore."

"And then I show up."

"And then you show up," they laughed. "It just reinforced that he was gone, the magic was gone."

"Didn't stop the sass from flowing my way," Luke pointed out. "Although from the stories, you and Derek were quite the scandalous double act. How many workplace seminars did you two cause?"

"Four," Penelope replied. "We were naughty, extremely so, but that was our rapport. Try as I might, I'm not going to get that back with anyone other than him. Our sass is worlds different from that sass."

"Good, I wouldn't have it any other way," Luke moved to stand in front of her. "Penelope I don't want to replace Derek. Ever. The place he holds in your heart, that's his forever. I want us to be something else."

"Like what?" Penelope stepped up to him. "What do you really want Luke Alvez?"

"Isn't it obvious? I want you." Luke said simply. "We can make our own magic. To be honest, I think we already do; from the moment I stepped foot in that elevator until now, I haven't been able to see anything else besides you. You're always with me. Let me be there for you."

"You already are," Garcia stretched up and brushed her lips against his. It was sweet and tender and slow and Luke savoured the every moment of it. Pen pulled away with an amused sound. "Do you have any idea what you're signing up for?"

Luke wrapped his arms around her, "Penelope Garcia say the word and you and Sergio and the inevitable ten dogs and cats that you're gonna adopt can move in with me and Roxy, no questions asked. I'll even buy a bigger place for your…stuff."

"Now that is love," the tech beamed.

Luke pecked her forehead, "Yes it is."