Dedicated to Smilemore21 who is an avid Derek/Emily shipper, this is my first Derek/Emily story, so please don't skewer me!

Enjoy and review, please!

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I do not own any characters belonging to the Criminal Minds TV series.

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Re-Connecting.

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Takes place around Season 7, Episode 3 'Dorado Falls'.

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Derek Morgan, "Emily, I thought I lost you, and I blamed myself. Now you're back, but I don't want to be worried about losing you again and get distracted."

After that, they'd met every weekend, unless they were out of town on a case, and worked on her take-down re-certification training classes until he felt he was comfortable with her again.

"Again!" He called out to her across the mat. "Come on, Prentiss!" He beckoned to her. "I'm the bad guy you want to get me and pound the shit out of."

Emily was breathing hard as sweat had matted her hair against her forehead as well as molding her shirt. "I'm tired, Morgan! My muscles are jelly!" she panted.

He shook his head, "Oh no, Prentiss," he began to egg her, "Bad guy is still fresh, he's not giving up on wanting to pound your fine ass and you're gonna give in? Come on, give it your best shot and hit me."

"Damn it, I told you, Derek!" she said heatedly as she rested her hands on her thighs as she shook her head. "I'm beat."

"No, Prentiss! You've got more to give, sweet cake!" He returned angrily. "What? You're giving up so easily? Is that what Doyle did to you when he drove that stick into you?" He saw her glare at him. "Did you let him beat you up, did you not fight back, huh? Tell me, Princess?"

"Stop it, Derek!" She yelled at him, her anger building as she clenched her fist but she was still holding back.

He shook his head as he continued to taunt her, "Oh, I'm just starting, babe. Ian Doyle." He said. "Did you enjoy the pain he laid on you, Emily?" She didn't respond but he heard her growled. "Oh yeah, you like it, admit it. You missed him, didn't you?"

"No!" She exclaimed. "No...no…no…NO!" and she charged at him.

Putting his hands up as a shield, he prepared for her onslaught but what he was not ready was when she jumped and bending her knees and kicked it out and connected her heels to his jaw hard as he bounced backwards and they both landed on their backs on the gym mats.

Panting hard, Derek felt for his jaw and was glad it was not broken but it hurt like a son of a bitch!

"God damn it! Prentiss!" He had not moved as he stared at the high ceiling of the Bureau's gym facilities. "Where the hell did you learn to fly-kick like that?" He was massaging his jaw as he turned to look at her.

Emily turned to laugh, "There was a podunk gym at the basement of the apartment building I was staying in Paris and I joined for a few months. They train all kinds of low-life free style kick boxers and Thai boxing was the thing there and I gave them some lame ass excuse I was a battered girlfriend of a mafia jerk face. So they took me in and helped me out."

He shook his head as he chuckled, "How about some damn warning next time?" He was moving his jaw now, making sure it was still not broken.

"You okay?" She asked him as she watched with a frown, "I didn't break your jaw, you'd know, Morgan. I mean I could have if I wanted to. The guys taught me how and where to hit." She pointed at the inner jaw bone.

He grabbed her hand and held it, interlocking them.

Emily was stunned by the sudden gesture, "Derek…what are you doing?"

He turned to look at her, "Isn't it obvious, Emily?"

"I…You…?"

"Yes…We…" He grinned as he teased at her stuttering incomplete speech.

"Derek, I don't think it's appropriate for us to…I mean, don't get me wrong I think you're a wonderful man and a great friend but we can't have anything more." She sat up and pulling her hand away from him she moved off the mat and ran into the locker room.

He stood up and watched her and closed his eyes, "God! You're a damn fool, Derek Morgan! You rushed…I told you, you rush…and now you'd scared her off." He shook his head as he muttered to himself.

He opened his eyes again when he heard approaching footsteps and saw Emily standing before him again. "No, you didn't rush, Derek." She said as she looked deep into his warm brown eyes.

"Em…"

She reached up and put her finger on his lips, cutting him off, "Don't." She said softly. "I …Oh, just shut up and kiss me, you big jerk!" she removed her finger as she wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him to her and kissed him.

As soon as the shock had worn off, he held her around her waist and picked her up so that her lips was at his level as he leaned in to kiss her properly, "You minx! You had me scared for a moment." As he kissed her more, effectively prevented her from replying.

Suddenly, they heard loud echoing applauses.

When they separated in a hurry, Derek and Emily saw JJ and Will and Reid on the side of the bleachers staring at them as well as smiling happily for them.

"So, is this what you call re-certification?" JJ teased Derek, she had taken off her jogging outfit revealing her training tops and shorts, Reid was also in his jogging outfit and looking uncomfortable.

Emily was smiling shyly. "We were training, if you guys were here a few minutes earlier, you'd seen I kicked Derek's ass to the ground."

Derek was chuckling, "That's because I let her beat me."

Reid frowned, "I thought it's re-certification, it should be natural to let your student to …."

"Reid! Shut up!" Morgan exclaimed to him. "Just shut your pie hold, kid."

Emily laughed, "I really did, did you want to see it again?"

"No!" Derek shouted as he rubbed his sore jaw. "You passed, Emily, with flying colors…I'm saw those colors as you kicked me!." He looked intently at her.

"Emily and Derek sitting on a tree…K. I. S. S. I. N. G.…" JJ was teasing as she sang the childish nursery rhyme.

"I fail to…I don't get… how …but JJ, Derek and Emily are not sitting on a tree and kissing…they're right here!" Reid was perplexed as he thought hard.

Derek and Emily exchanged looks as they shook their heads.

"I told you he was dropped on his head when he was little." Derek said as he laughed.

"Are you sure he has an IQ of 187?" Emily frowned at the young agent. "Maybe they'd made a mistake in the read out. They should retest him again."

"Come on, Spence… let's take a jog around the gym." JJ urged him; Will had already jogged on.

"You ready to go, Princess?" Derek smiled at Emily.

She nodded as they walked to locker room to change. "And then where to, O chocolate God?" She teased him in her best Garcia imitation.

He arched his brow high, "Well, speaking of chocolate …how about adding whipping cream and oh…cherries and spending a whole day in bed with me?" He wriggled his eyebrows for effect.

Emily blushed heavily, "Oh…I'd love that, except I just bought a hot tub last week and I was thinking of soaking my poor aching sore body in it." She pouted prettily.

Licking his lips, "Hot tub? Well, it's not fun using it all by yourself. I can provide some very handy company…?"

She giggled, "Who says I'd need company? I have Sergio."

He frowned, "Emily, you know that damn cat of yours doesn't like water but I do." He pulled her close to him and nuzzled into her neck, "Come on, Em."

"All right, you can come on over…later." She smiled.

He pause, "Later? Why later?"

"Because you are taking me to dinner, hotstuff." She tilted her head.

He chuckled, "Oh, I am, aren't I?"

Emily nodded her head.

He thought for a moment and nodded, "I guess so, woman. I'll pick you up at 7? And I'll pack my trunks for later."

She shook her head as a playful smile spread widely, "Oh, you won't need any trunks, Derek Morgan." She said smoothly.

He arched his brow, "I won't? But I don't want your nosy neighbors peeking."

She shook her head as she said, "Not where I'd installed the tub, handsome."

He frowned, "Okay, exactly where did you put it, Emily?"

She grinned evilly, "You'll see…later."

He shook his head, "Maybe we could skip dinner and go directly to dessert?"

"Oh no, you're not, truffles…pick me up at 7." She blew him a kiss and entered the locker room.

He looked after her, paused for a moment and then a smile began to spread slowly on his face before he turned to the men's locker room as he whistled.

Reid, who was panting as he jogged beside JJ was watching Derek's happy expression said. "Why's he so happy?"

JJ was laughing at Reid, "Oh my god, really Spence?"

"What, JJ?"

"You haven't been observing?"

"About?"

"Emily just bought a hot tub." Will LaMontagne who caught the last part was laughing too as he jogged past them.

"What's a hot tub got to do with Derek?"

JJ suddenly stopped on her tracks and stared wide mouthed at Reid. "You're serious, Spence?"

"I still don't know what you're talking about, JJ?"

"Spencer William Reid, I bet you were a blue baby when you were born." She then began to jog again.

Reid thought for a moment before he went after JJ, "Wait, I don't think I was, JJ! I was born perfectly fine….JJ!" She ignored him as she continued jogging.

…..

Later that night,

"This is the best investment, Emily!"Derek grinned as he held her close to him; the bubbles of the spray jet coming from the hot tub were heavenly soothing to their skin.

Her eyes closed, Emily smiled at him as he rubbed along her warmed back and then her eyes suddenly flew opened when she felt something hard pressed against her, "Derek!" She giggled

He grinned as he reached down and feeling her smooth and creamy thigh, "Remember that high kick you gave me earlier?"

She nodded.

"Show me again…"

"Here? In the water?"

He nodded.

She lifted her leg, he caught it expertly and wrapped it around his waist as he moved into her and leaned in, kissing her soundly and deeply. "I like this move, handsome."

…..

The End