{"id":325,"date":"2021-02-24T06:51:15","date_gmt":"2021-02-24T11:51:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.wordpress.com\/?p=285"},"modified":"2021-06-04T11:13:22","modified_gmt":"2021-06-04T15:13:22","slug":"a-pleasant-ambush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/2021\/02\/24\/a-pleasant-ambush\/","title":{"rendered":"A Pleasant Ambush"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nbanner credit Writing & Junk<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Title:<\/b> A Pleasant Ambush
\nAuthor: <\/b>Sibyl Moon
\nFandom:<\/b> Criminal Minds
\nRelationship:<\/b> Gen, Penelope Garcia & Stiles Stilinski
\nPrompt:<\/b> Penelope Garcia meets someone new and interesting.
\nWarnings:<\/b> None
\nBeta:<\/strong> Grammarly
\nSummary:<\/strong> Stiles tracks down someone who used to know his mom<\/p>\n

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\u201cPenelope Garcia?\u201d<\/p>\n

She stopped, turning around cautiously. No matter what Derek and the rest of the team thought about her,\u00a0 she\u2019d learned a few hard lessons while working at the BAU, one of the hardest had happened right here on these steps not too long ago. She touched her side as a phantom pain flared briefly.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t about to forget it any time soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, that\u2019s me,\u201d She said smiling politely, even as she kept her hand on her phone, thumb on the panic button, and mace combo J.J. had insisted she start carrying. \u201cCan I help you?\u201d<\/p>\n

He was a kid, standing at the bottom of the steps under the lights. He couldn\u2019t have been too far into his twenties, he was tall, gangly, and a bit awkward. Deceptively so, she thought as he moved up the steps toward her, he reminded her of Reid, despite stumbling on one of the steps, there was a grace in him that spoke of hidden strength under the nondescript white shirt, tie, and black slacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cUm, I\u2019m really sorry for just showing up like this,\u201d The kid stopped a few steps away, he waved his hands around and then stuck them in his pockets rocking back on his feet, before he seemed to realize what a bad idea that was on a set of concrete steps. \u201cI\u2019m Stiles, Stiles Stilinski. I think, maybe, you knew my mom a long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Penelope slowly shook her head, thinking, but not quite relaxing her guard. She wondered if he was a kid that had come from one of her groups, \u201cI don\u2019t recognize the name, sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d Stiles frowned, chewing on his lip and staring at the ground before his head snapped back up, his brown eyes wide. \u201cYou probably knew her by her maiden name. She went to Berkely under Claudia Gajos. It\u2019s okay if you don\u2019t remember her, it was a long time ago and I didn\u2019t even know about you until a few days ago. I found a bunch of her old college stuff in the attic before I moved out here a few months ago and brought it with me. I didn\u2019t go through it until this last weekend and came across your name. I wouldn\u2019t have even recognized it, but we\u2019ve been studying case files and stuff at the academy and I came across your name. I know I shouldn\u2019t have been nosy and I\u2019ll probably get kicked out of the academy, but I had to find you, see if you knew her\u2026\u201d Stiles sucked in a gasping breath.<\/p>\n

Penelope was dazzled and impressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cClaudia Gajos,\u201d She felt her smile grow from distantly polite to enthusiastic as memories began to flood in, \u201cI remember her extremely well, she was a firecracker, and looking at you, I can see the apple didn\u2019t fall very far. My goodness, sweet pea, did you take a breath in all that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Stiles stared at her for a second before a smile spread across his face, doe eyes sparkling and nearly stopping Penelope\u2019s heart with how hopeful he looked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI babble when I get nervous, it isn\u2019t as bad as it used to be, but it still crops up from time to time,\u201d He said with a nervous laugh, shrugging his broad shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow is Claudia?\u201d Penelope asked, coming down the steps to stand in front of the boy. \u201cShe was quite a few years older than I was, I\u2019m surprised that she remembered me at all. I only knew her briefly during that one summer mentor program, but she made an impression.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh,\u201d Stiles rubbed the back of his neck, not meeting her eyes. \u201cShe died when I was ten, from frontotemporal dementia. I don\u2019t know much, but she saved a lot of things from that mentor program and was impressed with you as well. She made a note that you\u2019d disappeared and that she wanted dad to look for you, but then she got sick.\u201d Stiles shrugged again.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019m so sorry to hear that, Claudia was great, I had no idea she was keeping up with me,\u201d Penelope said. \u201cWhy would she want your dad to look for me though?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, my dad was a deputy sheriff at the time,\u201d Stiles said, pride oozing out of him. \u201cHe\u2019s been elected Sheriff for the last ten years though, he\u2019s the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Penelope laughed, \u201cYou said you were at the academy I think, in that long ramble?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes,\u201d Stiles blushed, biting his lip again. \u201cI\u2019m at the FBI academy in Quantico. I should probably tell you that I–uh–misused resources to get your address.\u201d He turned to look at the building and then back at her. \u201cNot to excuse me or anything, but whoever is doing the security for that might want to make sure that you\u2019re as covered internally as you are externally when it comes to things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Penelope couldn\u2019t help the laughter that bubbled out of her, \u201cI\u2019ll get right on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stiles winced, \u201cPlease tell me it\u2019s not you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot entirely,\u201d Penelope replied. \u201cI do usually cover it for my team though. Don\u2019t worry Bambi, it\u2019s a good thing to know now instead of later,\u201d She reassured at his look of chagrin.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill,\u201d Stiles said, his hands out of his pockets and twisting together. \u201cI suppose I won\u2019t be at the academy much longer now, but I couldn\u2019t stop myself from looking and next thing I knew I was here. I\u2019m getting better at curbing my impulsive reactions, no matter what Derek says,\u201d He grumbled before continuing, \u201cI just wasn\u2019t quite able to do it this time. It\u2019s just–my mom.\u201d He held his hands up as if helpless to come up with anything else.<\/p>\n

\u201cMoms are a tough subject,\u201d Penelope agreed, impulsively reaching out and dragging the boy in for a hug. Maybe the team did have a point about her sense of self-preservation, but she couldn\u2019t go through life keeping everyone in the world at a distance and she could tell that this boy needed a hug and family. \u201cCome on, I was heading out to get some dinner. We\u2019ll talk about how to sell this security breach without you losing your place at the academy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay?\u201d Stiles agreed hesitantly. He\u2019d stiffened when she\u2019d first wrapped her arms around him, before eventually melting into the hug, but pulled back when she began to speak.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d She crowed, skipping down the steps towing him behind her, and heading towards the car.<\/p>\n

Stiles looked at her with a bemused expression on his face, \u201cThis isn\u2019t how I saw this evening going. I mean, I\u2019m not complaining, but I don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere isn\u2019t anything to understand Stiles,\u201d Penelope said, practically shoving him in her car before getting in and starting the engine. She turned to look at him. \u201cI\u2019ve decided to adopt you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a little old for adoption,\u201d Stiles said, his eyebrows lifting. \u201cYou\u2019re kind of odd and I know odd.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToo bad, it\u2019s done and I wouldn\u2019t be calling other people odd,\u201d She replied ignoring his grumbling. \u201cSo, tell me about this Derek you mentioned earlier.\u201d She wiggled her brows at him when he groaned. \u201cOh, that sounds like a juicy story, tell Aunt Penny all<\/i> about him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAunt Penny?\u201d The incredulity in his voice was beautiful.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdoption,\u201d Penelope sang out turning on to the road and heading towards her favorite restaurant unless she missed her guess, Stiles would love the 24-hour breakfast specials and the ridiculously large hamburger plates. \u201cThat\u2019s what you get kid, you show up in your wrinkled slacks and twisted up tie, looking like you\u2019ve missed half your meals and a lifetime of hugs.\u201d She tossed a grin his way to take any of the sting out of her words. \u201cYou\u2019ve officially become my new nephew, what about that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Stiles mused as they pulled into the parking lot and she shut off the car. \u201cI\u2019ve been adopted into worse families I suppose and it turned out okay in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sound like you\u2019re full of stories sugar cookie,\u201d She laughed heartily, waving him out of the car. \u201cYou\u2019re going to have to tell me some of them, but don\u2019t think I haven\u2019t noticed that you\u2019re avoiding telling me about this Derek character.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek is…\u201d Stiles paused as they entered the restaurant and were seated quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cDerek is…what?\u201d She asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s complicated,\u201d Stiles shoved a hand into his hair. \u201cI need more than a car ride and dinner to get into him and his–everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFair enough, fair enough,\u201d She nodded. \u201cI have my own Derek and he can be just as complicated at times, more so probably since I\u2019m betting he\u2019s had more years at it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d take that bet,\u201d Stiles replied with a haunted look that spoke of things better left alone for now.<\/p>\n

The server came over and they ordered their food and drinks before settling back into their seats in comfortable silence.<\/p>\n

Penelope studied the boy–the young man. She saw him more clearly in the lighting of the restaurant and realized that her initial judgment about his age had been correct. He was barely in his twenties, the roundness of his childhood still clinging stubbornly to his cheeks. He looked tired, exhausted, and somewhat lost sitting there across from her and she felt her heartache for him. He had the look of Claudia, from what she remembered. Pale skin, beauty marks dotting it like paint speckles. Those gorgeous brown eyes sparkled with the same humor that Claudia\u2019s had, though Stiles\u2019 had shadows that hers hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

She remembered Claudia the more she sat there watching Stiles. Claudia had been a vivacious whirlwind. Always moving and laughing, she\u2019d been kind and caring towards each of the girls under her care during the program and Penelope had been grateful that she\u2019d been one of them.<\/p>\n

Claudia had been one of those people who naturally drew others into her orbit, they just wanted to be near her. To hear her talk or laugh or simply breathe sometimes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour mother was a force of nature,\u201d She murmured, the words leaving her mouth before she\u2019d realized it. \u201cI\u2019m sure you know that, but she was one of my favorite people during that period of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI–uh–I don\u2019t actually,\u201d Stiles said, he was twisting his silverware around in his hands, avoiding her eyes. \u201cNo one back home talks about her and even though I was old enough to have a lot of memories of her when she died, I was still pretty young.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought,\u201d Penelope paused, going back over their conversation. \u201cYour dad is still alive?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Stiles responded flushing, setting down the utensils with care and looking up at her earnestly. \u201cHe\u2019s a good man, my dad. A good sheriff and dad but he had a hard time when mom died. He doesn\u2019t like to talk about her, not even now. She was an only child and the rest of her family is all gone, so the only resources I\u2019ve had are the boxes of stuff I\u2019ve found in the attic. It\u2019s part of why I went a little–\u201d he paused and waved a hand indicating the two of them. \u201cAnd then came to find you when I discovered your name and everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Penelope thought on that, she’d already decided that Stiles was going to be one of hers, she didn\u2019t know why she felt so viscerally about the kid, but she did. The team would probably hate it. At least until they had a chance to meet the kid themselves and do their version of vetting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell then, if you won\u2019t tell me about your Derek,\u201d She laughed when Stiles groaned again and put his head on the table.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll tell you about the time that your mother led the girls in our summer dorm against the boys at the summer training camp in an all-out prank war.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe did?\u201d Stiles sat up and leaned forward, his eyes wide with excitement, sparkling with humor, the exhaustion that had been pouring off him moments before was almost nonexistent. \u201cDid you win?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid we win?\u201d She scoffed leaning towards him conspiratorially, happy to see the change in his demeanor.\u00a0 \u201cSpoilers child, spoilers. So, here’s how it all started…\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

banner credit Writing & Junk Title: A Pleasant Ambush Author: Sibyl Moon Fandom: Criminal Minds Relationship: Gen, Penelope Garcia & Stiles Stilinski Prompt: Penelope Garcia meets someone new and interesting. Warnings: None Beta: Grammarly Summary: Stiles tracks down someone who used to know his mom         \u201cPenelope… Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2,6,9],"tags":[26,27,30],"class_list":["post-325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-criminal-minds","category-prompts","category-teen-wolf","tag-penelope-garcia","tag-prompt-calendar","tag-stiles-stilinski"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=325"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}