Disclaimer: I do not own a thing...
A/N: So I've kinder disappeared, but I'm taking a break with Emzypemzy, so writing is difficult. However, you get this oneshot to make up for the lack of 'Rhythm of Love' updates (for those who read), which I hope pleases you, because this ended up quite long! =P
Song: Clare Maguire –The Last Dance
So enjoy, and I'll be back soon =)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- My Last Dance -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Today I feel the mood
And I don't feel like talking oh ho a waha
I wasn't ready to lose you
You're the first man to move me yeah
You help me feel alive
Got me up from 9 til 5 oh ho a waha
I could get through those days
With you on my mind yeah
Penelope looked around the room, it was all for her, the balloons, the presents, the smiles, the love, the atmosphere, the ring on her finger, but she felt so disconnected from it.
The surreal feeling that had settled around her the moment she had uttered the word 'yes' had only got significantly worse as the days passed into weeks, and weeks rolled into months.
Soon years would've flown by and she'd have known that she wasn't living the life she wanted.
Yet she felt far too deep now, too deep to just pluck the ring away from her finger and walk away.
She needed a saviour, not Kevin Lynch.
Looking out she saw Derek, sitting alone, which shocked her because Kevin had invited a lot of relatives that he claimed would've been ready to kiss the ground Derek Morgan walked. Much to her dismay, she'd been told that that way if anything serious happened, Morgan would be a part of the family. Kevin thought that would be an almost marvellous revelation, Penelope would be his wife and Derek would be concerned with someone else, but still be close to Penelope like they were. Eliminating him as a threat.
Penelope saw that as a mess, it didn't make sense and she didn't want it to.
She watched him down another gulp of beer before setting his bottle down and he looked directly at her and smiled, raising his bottle up.
All she felt was another ounce of dread drop upon her.
She smiled lightly, and then went over to him. Her face drawn and almost miserable, but the closer she got to him, the calmer she felt, the happier she felt and she realised it was Derek that made her happiest and kept her at her ultimate.
Getting to his table she set her glass down and put her hand out to him.
"One dance?" She asked him gently, a smile on her lips, showing how ready she was for him to whisk her off of her feet.
Derek looked at her hand and shook his head, "Not tonight Baby Girl," he told her and Penelope felt her heart bottom, "Kevin's your dance partner."
"C'mon Handsome, just the one, you looked a little lonely." She told him, reflecting how she'd felt that night, how she'd watched him be lonely on one side of the room, while she'd done the same on the opposite side.
"I said no," He said and grabbed his beer again.
Penelope dropped her hand in disappointment, "Okay then," She said and grabbed her glass of wine and looked at him; she didn't want to sit with him when he was being off with her, and she didn't know why.
All she wanted was to talk to him, but he obviously felt differently, and he obviously didn't want to know.
"Sorry I asked, Hot Stuff, maybe if I warm you up with some more beer later," She trailed off, trying to joke with him, tried to make light of the moment and then she just left, her happiness from Derek completely squished and vanished by this point.
Gotta try and move on
But I promise you
I will kiss your crown when life takes me down
Derek watched Penelope as she sat back down at her table; he was pissed off with the entire debacle. He knew it was down to Kevin because Penelope wouldn't have been this inconsiderate.
Firstly, the place didn't scream anything of Penelope, there were no intricate details that she thrived for, or bold colours that set her mark and the seating plan was nothing to do with her. Penelope would never, in a million years, have stuck him in the deep end with a table full of women, and she would never have separated the team up, and lastly, she would never have put them on the other side of the room, splitting her from her family with a sea of Kevin's.
It might only be the engagement party, but Penelope was already being dominated by Kevin, and from experience, Kevin's mother.
He looked back up and over at Penelope, she sat looking down at the near empty glass of red wine, twisting it around slowly and he'd never expected to see her look so unhappy on today of all days.
Derek glanced up at the team, dancing and laughing, JJ getting some rhythm into Hotch with the help of Jack as Will stood dancing playfully with Henry, Emily trying to get both Reid and Rossi to bust some type of move. He then saw Kevin, dancing with a beautiful blonde, having the time of his life, while ignoring Penelope.
When he glanced back he saw her ran a hand over her cheeks and sit up, looking out and he saw her expression darken with knowing as she set her eyes of Kevin and the next thing Derek knew was that he was marching towards her.
If there was one gift Derek could give her, then it was sense. Give her the common sense to realise that there was always something better outside of Kevin Lynch. To realise that he was there waiting in the wings of her life.
Reaching her, Penelope looked up at him, her eyes glassy, her cheeks drying with old tears and she didn't smile, just looked at him somewhat perplexed, her lips pursing, ready to speak.
"I saved my last dance for you," Penelope admitted delicately, with a shrug, "Guess it was a waste of a dance," she carried on, looking down and she felt Derek lean down, and kiss the top of her head.
"Good thing I came to my senses sooner rather than later," He told her and she looked up as he straightened up, "May I have this last dance, beautiful lady?"
Penelope genuinely smiled for the first time that night and took his hand, accepting his invite to dance.
I saved my last dance for you
My friend
I saved my last dance for you
My friend
Penelope stood in his guarding arms, happier than ever, loving the moment she was in. This was the man that she had wanted, the man that had on so many times just captured her heart repetitively and how, from day one, had been the man of her dreams.
Yet as her hand arm of his shoulder and she saw the glint of the ring she knew it was too far. Too much had happened for him to believe what her mind was screaming. If she loved him, she would've told him wholeheartedly, taken that moment after she was shot, not gone to another man. If she'd loved him she'd have told him and not accepted to marry that same man she'd treated like a safety net.
And again, one realisation hit her hard. She'd allowed herself to get too deep in familiarity with Kevin, allowed him to take over her hectic life to give her a misleadingly good life.
Penelope didn't know how to word that clearly. How she declared her love for another man and fight for him without making it dramatic and without making her have to fight the entire Lynch clan at once.
She needed her saviour, and then she wanted to gain her clarity, gain her nerve, and then do what she'd wanted since Kevin had proposed.
She wanted to finally say no.
In the gentle sway of Derek's arms all seemed to make so much sense, but her heart clenched the entire time, making her tears fall steadily. She didn't want a dance like this in this place. She didn't want perfection with another man at her engagement party.
Derek felt the most at ease with Penelope close against him. He was still calculating ways to steal her away from Lynch's clutches. To give her a happier life because she blatantly wasn't happy with him right now and that hurt Derek most.
Yet as he had her in his arms, and a clear view of Kevin's expression he continued to keep her close. If Kevin dare step close to Penelope in this moment then he would kick off.
He wasn't in the mood for listening to Kevin claim Penelope as his. The man didn't get the chance to declare that after he'd spent half the night dancing with the bimbo who was a college friend.
Derek wasn't a fan of double standards. Especially where Penelope was concerned.
Shooting one last death glare at Kevin, Derek went back to giving Penelope one last dance.
Whilst not giving up hope.
And all the seats in the crowd
Oh people love to move now oh ho a waha
I just can't feel the beat
Cos my heart's fallen out yeah
Kevin's mom went to make her opposition to Penelope's dancing clear, but Kevin stepped in and stopped her, before dragging her for a dance. Penelope's pent in air just got released and warmed Derek's chest through the shirt.
"You okay?" Derek asked, his hand coming up the nape of her neck protectively, he felt her nod and let the matter go. "She seems a bit of a slave driver."
"Control freak more like," Penelope muttered, her tone lifting from miserable to a higher octave, showing her ease and happiness at this event.
"Sure you're gonna cope?"
"Well with the little fishes Kevin and his mom chose for you then I think I'll have you as part of the family to keep my sanity in check." Penelope dreaded, "Don't think I'd like that."
"Why not?" Think it'd be quite fun." Derek told her, regretting this, if he wasn't such a coward he would've taken Penelope and kissed her, shown her the real love of a real man. He would've wiped the floor with Kevin and ran off with Penelope into the sunset.
"I guess," She shrugged, clinging on more. Penelope pulled back a little then, looking up at him, "I love you, you know that right?" She asked him, and watched him smile, the only response she got was a kiss pressed to her forehead and a smile.
Penelope's heart lay bare then, beating hard, revelling in the love she had for Derek.
"I'll always love you," He told her proudly and pulled her close, awaiting the end of the song.
Taking his grasp again, Penelope held on, as songs flowed by and people came and went and then her heart seemed to stop, almost instant with the next second that ticked.
She was done waiting, believing she'd never have this chance to make things right.
She pushed away fiercely, as though Derek was toxic for her, that holding him would hinder what she had to say, but as she finally parted from his body she just stared.
Her throat now dry and wordless.
And it seems I can live my life with you as my rhythm.
Derek looked into Penelope's bright eyes, the tears lining them in perfection, her heartache so clearly defined in those irises, pleading with him to rescue her, to do the right thing in that moment.
His own heart panged, he didn't know what she needed exactly, whether it was him or Kevin she was calling out for, so he looked around and then back at her.
His hand slid up her jaw line, cupping her cheek gently.
He was done waiting on someone else to tell him what to do and what not to do.
"What's a matter, Baby Girl?" He asked her delicately, not caring about who could be watching as they stood centre on the dance floor.
Penelope's eye released a tear drop, its track down was slow and sporadic in its direction, but the slowness was all the more heart wrenching.
"Rescue me?" Penelope finally mastered, the lump in her throat making air difficult to inhale and exhale, "Please, take me away from this."
"Why?" He asked worried, people bumping into their static forms, "You're happy."
Penelope shook her head, his hand still on her cheek, "This isn't what I want." She confessed to him, her eyes surveying him intently, "I don't love him, Handsome." Her hand came up and took his hand and she kissed it, keeping it clasped in her two little hands, the colour contrast even noticeable in the flashing beams of the disco lights, she closed her eyes tight when he remained silent.
Her mind rallying that he didn't want her, not like that, and she guessed if this failed then she would marry Kevin just to get some future.
Derek watched her halt a sob and took her in his arms, a tight grip around her body and he put his mouth to her lip.
"Just say the words and I'll take you. Say what you want, Penelope..."
"You." Was all she said and he wasted no time to take her from the dance floor, to the door and out into the open.
For the first time in months, maybe almost years, Penelope felt like she could breathe.
Finally she had her saviour.
I got my life in my hands
And your love in my heart
I got my life in my hands
And your love in my heart
I saved my last dance for you
My friend.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- My Last Dance -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
A/N: Who wants a Derek Morgan saviour? *hand goes up*