Chapter 1

"Woman, pump your breaks!"

Penelope Garcia slowly turned and watched Derek Morgan stand up from where he had been perched on the corner of one of the junior agent's desk. He stood up to his full height of six foot one, walked over to her and crossed his arms over his chest. He angled his head to the side so that his chocolate brown eyes caught the light in just the right way to make her heart skip a beat. She immediately lowered her own gaze because she knew that even if Derek wasn't an excellent profiler working for the FBI, he would still be able to easily read the tumultuous emotions that were tearing her up inside. "Is there something I can help you with, sir?"

His eyebrows shot upward. "Sir?"

"Sir," she repeated firmly. "Unless you would prefer Agent Morgan, in which case I can refer to you by that name instead—"

"That's enough. Come with me," Derek rasped, cutting her off and reaching out to grab her arm. He felt her immediately stiffen before trying to pull herself from his grasp, but his fingers only tightened as he led her past several curious eyes and up the stairs to the hallway where his new office was located. When they reached his door, he shoved it open and pushed Penelope inside. "Now, I want an explanation," he told her, his voice unusually deep because he was so angry.

The look on her face was equally indignant. "I would also like an explanation because I can't see that there is any reason that would necessitate you manhandling me and—"

"Manhandling?" he scoffed. "I remember a time not so long ago when me "manhandling" you certainly wouldn't have gotten any complaints. In fact, I believe it would have provoked exactly the opposite response. Isn't that right, Baby Girl?"

"Don't call me that!" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't want to hear him call her that. Not now. Not after what he did to cause her to feel this way.

He let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed a hand over his tired eyes. "Okay, Penelope. I don't know what's going on, but I know something's wrong. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone through such a tremendous amount of effort to avoid me for the last two and half weeks. Now spit it out."

Penelope had never been good at lying, especially where Derek was concerned. But she couldn't possibly tell him the real reason she was angry with him. The truth was much too revealing. Even she was still reeling from the gravity of it.

Aiming her gaze somewhere above his left shoulder, she said, "Under the circumstances, I think it would be best if we discontinued our highly flirtatious banter."

"What?"

"I think it would be more appropriate if, from now on, I address you a Sir or Agent Morgan and you address me as Garcia or even Penelope, if you wish. But no more with the pet names like Baby Girl or Doll Face or Princess or—"

"Mama?"

"No, definitely not Mama."

"Why?"

"Because it's too…" Intimate, she started to say, but bit her tongue just in time. "It's not professional. We're two co-workers. No, no. Actually, you're my boss now. So, we need to act like it." Feeling proud of herself for coming up with a practical explanation to hide her real emotions behind, she finally lifted her gaze to Derek's.

He stared back her, disbelief and confusion clouding his eyes. "I hardly think of myself as your boss. I'm only going to be the unit chief temporarily. Hotch is taking his position back right after we catch The Reaper."

"It doesn't matter. Things between us still have to change. A lot has happened lately to make us all stop and look at our lives to see where we're going. Now I think we're all starting to realize that, while we're out there working to save other people's lives, our own are passing us by. So now we're trying to build something for ourselves before it's too late."

"Penelope, what are you talking about?" Derek asked, stepping forward and placing his hands on her shoulders. "I don't understand."

"I know you don't, Derek. And it's okay because I really don't understand it either. The only thing I do know is that it will be better this way. The less time we spend with each other and the more professional we are when we do, the better this situation will be for everyone involved." With a sad smile, she pulled away from him and hurried out of his office.

He was left staring after her and shaking his head. "Everyone involved? Who's involved besides just you and me, Penelope?"