A/N: This story is for the uber fabulous KLCM... I hope she enjoys!
Assigned prompts are: Last Christmas (Wham!), a Christmas memory, mistletoe, fairy lights
This will be a multi-chapter fic...
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my OC's, who I think are pretty cool, by the way.
Detroit, Michigan
December 25, 2020
Derek hated weddings. Specifically, he hated Christmas weddings. Yet, as he stood in the middle of the floor his arms wrapped around the bride, he held his temper and his attitude in check. It wasn't about him, and if you were to ask him, none of this had anything to do with him. It had everything to do with the young woman he was spinning around the dance floor.
She had requested two dances with him. She had put the request in the day she told him he was getting married. The first one was Chrisette Michelle's Your Joy. And as he held her in the crevice of her arms and felt his blood coursing through her veins, he felt like the luckiest man in the world. Because he was here with her, dancing right into her fairytale wedding.
She had never asked him for anything, personally. She never begged and pleaded with him about anything either. He had instinctively provided for her, no questions asked. Yet, she had humbled herself enough to ask him to walk her down the aisle and to dance with her on her special day.
And so here he was dancing with her, taking the un-rehearsed steps with ease. As they glided around the floor, they made one compelling picture and it was enough to make the bystanders cry.
As Chrisette finished the final strands of the song., he escorted her off the floor. He helped her to her seat and placed a kiss on her forehead, before he took his seat. He sat down next to his best friend and looked on, as the speeches began. He was the last to go, the wildcard, because no one had believed that he was going to come.
He had cleared his calendar, took vacation time and gave the direct order to not call or bother him on this day. In his mind serial killers and the like could wait, because he was going to be here, come hell or highwater. She had asked him to be here, personally. And he wasn't going to let her down, not when she willing came to him, not when she willingly was letting him in.
He took a sip of water and listened to the speeches. He rolled his eyes as he listened to the rehearsed, droll speeches and bided his time. He ate, laughed, mixed and mingled and was ready to call it a night. Yet, he knew that he had to be here, he had to do all the grand-standing and stick around through all the bullshit just to keep a smile on her face.
He felt a nudge in his side and his eyes met Cheyenne Bluefire's. She nodded at him and his gaze turned towards the floor. The MC was standing there trying to figure out exactly what to say next. Derek excused himself, champagne glass in hand and walked out onto the floor. He stepped next to the MC and took the microphone from him.
"I'll take over from here," Derek said softly.
The MC gave Derek a grateful smile before stepping off the floor. All eyes were on Derek, his fingers gingerly held the microphone as stepped into the center of the floor.
"My Dearest Sympathy," He said softly as he looked up to the podium. " I stand here before you on this day, your special day, to honor you and all of your accomplishments. I know it may not mean much, but I am so very proud of you. I know that I haven't been there for every important moment in your life. And I know I missed out on a lot, but I don't want you to ever question how much you mean to mean to me, how much I love you."
Derek paused for a moment and looked over to Cheyenne who was nodding her head in encouragement. He turned back to the bride whose gaze was leveled on him.
"You'll always be my Princess, Sympathy. You'll always be my joy, Sympathy. In fact, you'll always be my greatest gift. If it wasn't for your mother, I would've never found the peace that I've searched a long time for. If it hadn't been for you, my darling, I would be the man that I am."
He paused again as he shifted his gaze, to the groom, Gavin. "Gavin, I never expected anyone to be good enough for my Sympathy. There's something about a man's relationship with his daughter, that allows him to think that no one would ever be good enough for her. In fact, it allows him to think that he'll never be good enough for her, as a father and a provider. Hopefully, with the grace of God, you'll understand that predicament. I charge you with the job of protecting my daughter, or loving her with every fiber of your being, with treating her the respect that she so righteously deserve. I trust that you will honor her, and as you continue on through this journey of life together, that your love will continuously shine through and stand to the test of time."
He lifted his champagne glass in the air and smiled. "To my daughter, Sympathy and my son-in-law Gavin, I wish you a life, filled of love, passion , trust and honor. Cheers."
Everyone in the room lifted their glasses and saluted them with a resounding 'Cheers'. Derek stepped closer to the wedding table and pulled a white envelope with the words, "Mr. and Mrs. Gavin Prescott" written lavishly on the envelope.
"Merry Christmas, " Derek said as he placed the envelope between them and walked back to his seat.
Without hesitation, Sympathy reached for the envelope and opened it. She glanced at the document and let loose a heavy sigh. She turned to Gavin and handed it to him. He read it quickly, his face myriad of emotions, before he turned back to Sympathy.
"Is this real?" He asked her quietly as to not bring attention to them.
Sympathy looked up to find her father standing at his seat, looking down at her mother, his eyes unreadable. She turned her gaze back to him and nodded.
"Yes." She said her mouth barely moving.
"Why?"
Sympathy smiled, "Because he's my Daddy and that's what Daddy's do."
She pushed her chair back and Gavin stood quickly to help her stand, "He's getting ready to leave. He owes me one more dance."
"How do you know?" Gavin asked her.
Sympathy turned to Gavin and lifted her hand, to his face, "He doesn't like weddings, nor does he like confrontation."
Gavin kissed her palm and took her fingers in his, "Then I guess , we better catch him then, huh?"
Sympathy and Gavin walked away from the wedding table hand in hand and approached Derek with a smile.
"Daddy?"
Derek looked over at Sympathy and Gavin and smiled. "Hey, it's the married couple."
"Gavin and I wanted to personally, thank you our wedding gift, it was beautiful."
Derek stared at the two of them and shook his head, "It wasn't a wedding gift. It was a Christmas gift. The wedding gift is inside of the Christmas gift."
Sympathy shook her head, "Well no matter what, it was still a beautiful gift."
"Nothing's too much for my Princess."
"Thank you." Sympathy replied. "Can I get that last dance, before you go?"
Derek smirked as he offered his hand, "How'd you know?"
"My Daddy's not a profiler, for anything," She said as he guided her onto the floor.
Gavin walked over to the DJ table and cued up their song. And as Beyonce's voice came blaring out the speaker, Symphony looked up to her father and smiled. "Everytime I hear this song, I think of you."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Because I know you've always been there for me and that you'll always have my back."
"I'm glad that you know, Princess."
Symphony chuckled, "So, am I Daddy. So am I."
And as they moved across the floor to Beyonce's Daddy; Sympathy sang to her father. And she meant every single word of it too. Her relationship with her biological father, was a complicated one. One, that most folks on the outside looking in, wouldn't understand.
Yet, Sympathy knew that her father, her biological father, Derek Morgan, loved her unconditionally and no matter what she did or what she had become. She had only had the few weeks in the summer and those random school breaks that she had spent time with him and those just so happened to be the best times of her life.
Even if my man broke my heart today,
Now matter how much pain I'm in I will be okay
Cause I got a man in my life that can't be replaced
For this love is unconditional it won't go away
I know I'm lucky
Know it ain't easy
For men who take care of their responsibilities
Love is overwhelming
Lord why did you pick me
Can't stop my tears from falling
I love you so much Daddy
Derek looked down at Sympathy to see the tears coming from her eyes. He took the pad of his thumb and wiped her tears away. He stopped dancing for a moment and held his daughter's face in his hands before giving her a soft smile.
" I love you to, Sympathy."
The breath that Sympathy didn't even know she was holding was released and she let go of a choked filled cry as Derek pulled her closer to him and finished their father/daughter dance.
Across the room, Penelope Garcia, stood in silence and watched as her daughter moved around in the arms of the only man she loved, but could never commit to. She took a sip of the sweet champagne and quickly blinked back the tears in her eyes. It was a beautiful day and her daughter looked gorgeous in her Winter Wonderland themed dress. She was pushing herself to focus in the positive of the day and not the negative. She took another sip of the champagne and smiled at the memory of how it felt to be in Derek's arms.
She let go a sweet heavenly sigh, she had her chance and she blew it, besides that sweetness she felt was from many, many, moons ago. Yet, as she stared at her daughter's light golden skin tone, with her golden brown hair.; the perfect mixture of her and Derek, she couldn't help to think about the should've, could've, would've.
She downed her champagne set her glass down to only come face to face with her sister, Cheyenne Bluefire. If you took one look at Cheyenne and Penelope you would instantly know that they didn't share any of the same DNA, but if you asked there response would always be the same….They were sisters through and through.
"You're about to bolt, aren't you?" Cheyenne said softly as she placed the book she was holding in her hand down.
"And if I was?"
Cheyenne turned to glance at the dance floor and chuckled, "Then, I would've been right all along when I say that you are a spineless, cowardly, bitch."
Penelope didn't even flinch she just stared at Cheyenne with incredulity, "You have your reasons, for believing that and I-"
Cheyenne cast her gaze on Penelope, her brown eyes, a blazing inferno of anger. Penelope's words halted on her lips as Cheyenne stared her down. It was only a matter of seconds before Cheyenne's eyes cooled, along with her already stilled features.
"You still just can't grow up; can you Penelope? You can't admit that everything you've done was to keep a man, who didn't even love you for who you were, but for what you could become."
"Cheyenne, what do you want me to say, I messed up? I made a huge mistake? I should've left Kevin? I should've confessed to Derek how I felt? What the hell do you want from me?"
"You just don't care about all the pain you caused, do you?"
"You act like relationships have been broken."
Cheyenne replied, "You know that Blue and Derek don't talk like they used too."
Penelope rolled her eyes, "We don't talk like we used, too."
Cheyenne placed a perfectly manicured hand on her hip. "You know why we don't talk the way we do."
Penelope turned on Cheyenne ready to spit fire, "Because you betrayed me."
"I didn't betray you, you betrayed yourself."
"I told you not to tell him, I begged you not to say anything."
Cheyenne stared at her for a long period time before she spoke, "I suggest, you get your affairs together quickly. You have one hour to say and do what you have to do and then I want you to get the hell out of my life and off of my land."
Penelope shook her head, "You don't mean that, Cheyenne."
Cheyenne picked up the book that she was holding earlier and looked out onto the dance floor and watched as Derek and Sympathy left the floor.
"I do believe I said those words to you twenty some-odd years ago. I gave you a second chance, Penelope and you blew it," Cheyenne turned her gaze to Penelope. " You of all people know I don't give out second chances let alone third ones."
Cheyenne didn't give Penelope a chance to respond; she had left as quickly as she had come.
Derek had stood to the side and watched the final exchange between Cheyenne and Penelope. He said nothing as he watched Cheyenne make her way towards him. He knew by the fire that was in her eyes that she was angry and he also knew that her anger had everything and yet nothing to do with him. It had been that way for years now and each time Cheyenne and Penelope got together the rift got bigger and bigger.
"You'd think that they'd kiss and make-up, by now." Derek mumbled as he watched Penelope turn and walk away.
"The only way they'll make up as if Penelope admit's the truth," Gideon Bluefire announced, as he sat down next to Derek.
"And what truth is that, Blue?"
Blue turned his dark blue eyes on his cousin and smiled. "You really want to know what that truth is, Derek?"
"I asked didn't I?"
Blue looked at Derek for a long moment before turning back to face the crowd. "You aren't what she expected. You didn't do what everyone expected you to do."
"And what exactly was that?" Derek asked as he leaned back in his seat.
"Bail. Everyone expected you to do what you do best, Derek. And that's bail."
"I never would've left her alone, Blue. You know that."
"You're the one that left the next morning without a word, Derek."
Derek placed his hands flat on the table, "What was I supposed to do? Beg her to stay? It was not and it will never be that serious."
"You didn't fight for her, Derek. You and I, both know that."
"I was a one-night stand, remember. I could never be man enough for her, remember. I was the pool boy and she was the suburban house-wife. These are the roles we played, Blue. And I was stupid, Blue. Stupid enough to believe, that she could actually like me enough to date. Stupid enough to believe, that after all that time she and I could actually do this thing right. I was stupid enough to believe that I'd have what you and Cheyenne have."
"What Cheyenne and I have is a mutual respect and love for each other, Derek. It what keeps us strong."
Derek laughed, "Like I said… I was stupid enough to believe that we could have what the two of you have."
"Now, this is what I like to see, my two favorite men, actually talking to each other."
Both Derek and Blue turned to see Cheyenne standing behind them. She offered them a soft gentle smile, making her seem younger than what she already was.
"We weren't talking," Blue replied gruffly.
"We were disagreeing yet again," Derek replied in the same tone.
"I see. Well, I just wanted you to wish you a Merry Christmas, Derek." Cheyenne said softly as she placed the book in her hands in front of him.
Derek looked at the white and gold book with his daughter's name written in a beautiful, flowing cursive across the cover. He didn't even move to touch it.
"You know what I really want for Christmas, is for you and Penelope to make up." Derek replied as he looked back at her.
"Yeah, well. That's never going to happen. So, I'm sorry to disappoint you."
"You know, the issues that Penelope and I have, shouldn't affect your relationship with her."
"My relationship with Penelope was affected way before you two hooked up."
"I just feel-"
Cheyenne waved her hand, "Derek, Penelope and I relationship turned ugly a long time ago. Neither of us wanted to admit it though. And it's okay, because I know who and what I am. I've accepted what we are. I just don't think she's accepted it yet."
"She's your sister," Derek countered.
"She doesn't know what it means to be a sister. Hell, she doesn't even know what it means to be loyal, Derek. You of all people should know that by now."