**A/N: This is a one shot that I did for the Christmas Fic Exchange. I hope Teamshemar and you all like it! I tried to make it a bit different than normal stories.

A Very Happy Christmas everyone! **

Christmas Fic Exchange

Christmas Cab Ride

The BAU office was incredibly and eerily silent. The only noise was the angry hum of unused computers. Derek Morgan was finding it hard to concentrate in such quiet. He'd gotten used to working in a noisy and busy workplace, and now it was a strain to get any work done at all. Though he wasn't entirely sure why he was still working. He sighed heavily and leant back in his chair at the thought.

Christmas Eve was usually a happy time, but this year Derek had skipped going back to see his family. The weather was partly to blame. It seemed the snow had decided to settle in for the entire winter, blanketing the city in a thick cover of ice that would not melt.

The clock on Derek's computer monitor blinked 10:30pm. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and felt a little sad that he was probably the only person in the entire city working this late on Christmas Eve. Even Reid wasn't working. He bent forward and picked up a star shaped Christmas cookie. He took a bite and let the sugary sweet give him a little energy boost. Penelope had given him the cookies and he smiled at the thought of how she'd be scolding him now for working. She was too caring for her own good.

Derek couldn't put it off any longer. He'd have to go home at some point.

His body ached as he stood after hours of being in the same hunched position. He stretched himself out and tidied his desk a little. After he turned his computer off the office was plunged into darkness and Derek blinked a few times to adjust his eyes.

The elevators were out of order meaning Derek had to take the stairs. As he came out of the door from the stairs he looked over the shadowed empty foyer. Apparently even security didn't work on the holidays. He went to push open the glass door to the building but was stopped as he watched a flurry of snowflakes falling outside. They danced in the breeze, sparkling like small stars as they caught the light of the street lamps. But for all their beauty they left a deadly trap on the ground as the ice was steadily building under foot. Derek weighed up the idea of driving home on the iced roads and eventually came to the conclusion it was best not to.

So instead of heading to the car park Derek pushed open the door and headed down the street. He pulled his jacket tighter around him as the cold blasted against his skin. Christmas was all about cold, snowy nights but when the streets were deserted and the inky black of night made it difficult to see your footing it was less seasonal and more threatening.

Derek made it down a few blocks in relative safety. A horn suddenly beeped. It shattered the silence and Derek flinched, spinning on his heel to see who had made the noise. It was a cab. The driver inside was illuminated by a string of flashing multi coloured Christmas lights hung around the window. He waved at Derek. Derek frowned in confusion.

"Need a ride?" The driver asked as he pulled up beside Derek. Derek instinctively shifted his hand to feel for the gun resting on his hip.

"No, thanks." He said, brushing off the driver and making to continue on down the road.

"You can't walk in this though. It's a full scale blizzard." The driver called. Derek looked back at the driver. It was snowing, sure, but it wasn't…And then the snow suddenly thickened. The flakes which had once danced so gracefully fought for space in the sheer mass of snow that fell. Derek looked down the street and failed to see even an inch in front of him. "Come on. I got chains on the tyres, and really fast wipers." Derek could hear the sound of the cab's wipers groaning under the weight of the snow it was having to clear. Derek eyed the cab, then the driver and then got inside.

The vehicle was surprisingly warm and most importantly clean. Derek shook himself off a little, the snow melting instantly in the warm.

"See? Much better." The driver said. "So where you headed?" The driver shifted back to face the road and Derek gave him his address. The car slowly began moving. It was a slow but steady motion and Derek preferred that to a speeding lunatic who would definitely have got them killed.

"You the only cab running tonight?" Derek asked trying to fill the silence.

"Seems that way. Not many people working Christmas Eve, ya know." The driver smiled in his mirror and Derek gave a small smile back. "Most are too plastered after the Christmas party any hows." The driver laughed. "You have a party at your office?"

Derek smiled in memory. "Sort of."

"Sort of?" The driver asked confused.

"Penelope-one of my colleagues," Derek corrected himself, unsure why he was being quite so casual with someone he didn't know. "She tried to get everyone in the festive spirit. She did quite a good job actually." Penelope had brought in a variety of festive foods and a few decorations. When she'd begun hanging the decorations Derek had helped, by the end of the working day she'd managed to pull everyone in and the office looked like Santa had threw up in it with the amount of tinsel, lights and baubles that adorned the room.

"It's always good to have someone like that in the work place."

"Yeah." Derek kept his smile.

"You're friends with this 'colleague'?" The driver asked, though sounded like he already knew the answer.

"Some what." Derek continued to let his thoughts run around Penelope. This happened more often then he thought was necessary but never found it a bad thing. Derek knew him and Penelope were pretty much friends for life. There had been a time when he'd thought about taking it a step farther. She was quirky, sweet, generous and unbelievable caring, who wouldn't want to date her? But he'd never taken the chance. And now, years later, they both had a silent understanding that they couldn't take it any further. Their friendship had reached a point where if they did anything, the thought of ruining the friendship was just too heartbreaking to take the risk. Derek frowned at the thought and tried to put it to the back of his mind.

"That's a shame." The driver suddenly commented interrupting Derek's thoughts.

"Huh?"

"She sounds like a lovely girl. But if you have both decided to stay friends only…" The driver sighed. Derek stared wide eyed into the mirror in horror. Had he been saying his thoughts out loud? He looked out of the window in embarrassment.

The streets really were deserted. Christmas lights twinkled in shop windows and inflated Santa's decorated store fronts. The snow had settled somewhat though it was still falling down fast.

"You heading back to family?"

"No." Derek answered simply. He watched the cab driver in the mirror. He was an ordinary looking man, if apparently a festive fan. His red hair spilt out beneath a red Christmas hat, his hands were covered by bell adorned mittens and the rest of him was covered in what could only be described as a Christmas outfit jumble sale. "I couldn't travel in this weather." Derek admitted, though unsure why he was relating his life story to the driver. It was an unsettling feeling to be so open with a stranger. Derek shrugged off the feeling, when was it likely he'd ever see him again anyway.

"I know what you mean. Can't get to my people because of all this snow." The driver crooked his neck to see through his window. "But at least we'll have a white Christmas." This put a smile back on the man's face. "So, you spending Christmas with someone else?"

"No." Derek said almost ashamedly. It felt wrong to admit that he was going to be spending Christmas alone.

"That's a shame." The driver said repeating his comment from earlier. "No one should be alone on Christmas. Have you got many presents so far?" The driver asked changing the subject rather casually.

"Um, not many." Derek said. "Though…" Derek stopped himself before once again spilling his personal details.

"Yes?" The driver urged.

"I was supposed to be getting a Christmas wish."

"A Christmas wish?"

"Yeah." Derek smiled again. "My friend and I-"

"This will be the quirky colleague, Penelope?" The driver asked. Derek shifted in his seat uncomfortably certain he hadn't said his earlier thoughts aloud.

"Yes. We were not going to be getting Christmas gifts for each other. Instead we were going to give each other wishes."

"What a great idea." The driver said enthusiastically. "What did she wish for?"

Derek scoffed. "She wanted me to go carolling with her."

"Did it go well?"

"Yes." Derek said with a small laugh. It had been a lot more fun than he'd been expecting. Penelope had had to practically drag him to the park where the carollers were setting up. It had been cold, dark and snowing. It may have been Penelope's Christmas wish, but Derek didn't exactly feel festive that night. But as soon as the singers began and Penelope joined in Derek had felt suddenly better. She'd occasionally glanced to him encouragingly and laughed as he mumbled his way through Silent Night. But overall it had been one of the best Christmas memories he'd ever had.

"And what did you wish for?" The driver asked as if waiting for Derek to finish his thoughts.

"Oh." Derek said straightening himself. "I couldn't think of anything."

"Ah." The driver said.

Derek looked out of the window again. They'd moved out of the town and into the more suburban area. Houses were sparkling in the snow and Derek could see figures moving in the windows. He frowned. The driver had been right. No one should spend Christmas alone. Derek shifted in his seat and pulled out his cell phone. He opened the contact list and began scrolling through the names. There were many women who he knew would be alone and welcoming.

"You know, Christmas isn't always about thinking of things you want. Everyone can do that." The driver began. "It's about knowing what you truly need and then being brave enough to ask for it." Derek frowned at the man's words and tried to brush them off. But as he looked back at his cell phone his finger hovered over Penelope's name. He pulled it back quickly and took a small breath.

"I need to go to a different address."

Penelope turned beneath the thick covers. They hugged her body and made it perfectly cosy but still she couldn't sleep. She glanced at her clock: 11:45pm.

"Ugh." She groaned rolling over and trying to shut her eyes for the hundredth time. It still didn't work. She was used to spending Christmas alone. She had done it for years now. But this year it felt difficult. Tomorrow she'd agreed to spend the day volunteering at the local church, but even surrounded by people, it wasn't anyone she truly wanted to be with.

Penelope's eyes snapped open as a frantic knock sounded from her door. She felt around in the darkness by her bed, finally finding the can of pepper spray. In a steady motion she pulled back the covers and began walking across her small apartment.

As she reached the door and peered through the peep hole she was surprised to recognise the figure on the other side. She looked at the ground for a moment and pulled on her glasses. What was he doing there? Surely they couldn't be calling the team in on Christmas Eve?

Penelope pulled open her door and stared up at Derek. He was out of breath and his clothes were wet from the snow.

"Are you ok?" Penelope asked worriedly.

"I know what I want for my Christmas wish." He said.

"And you had to tell me now?" Penelope laughed lightly but was stopped as Derek's fingers wrapped into her bed messed hair. She watched with held breath and thudding heart as he leaned to her. His lips brushed lightly against hers making her skin tingle. When he finally kissed her, her entire body felt like it would explode. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. She didn't know if this was a dream, but she didn't want to wake up if it was.

Derek pulled his lips away but rested his forehead on hers. She was stunned, happy and confused. The mixture of emotions was unbelievable.

"Just give me tonight." He whispered. Penelope flicked her gaze to meet his.

"But.." She began to protest. She wanted to say yes, more than anything. But she valued their friendship too highly to have anything ruin it.

"Just tonight." He repeated. Penelope couldn't say no. She didn't want to. Derek kissed her again, his arm wrapping round her waist and leading her back into the apartment.

Neither Derek or Penelope cared to notice the Christmas light illuminated cab out front disappearing into the glittering snow fall.