A/N Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, but my muse wants to borrow these characters for a bit. Warning: this will be a chaotic story delving into some serious subject matter. Also, any misspellings are my own.

Please, enjoy!

Lunar Cocoon

Chapter I:

"One…two…three…in." She chanted the simple mantra to herself, hoping to ease her mind.

Clutching the sink till her knuckles turned white, she exhaled the breath she had been holding. Though as the seconds continued to tick by, her frustrations only grew.

"Frack!" was her last coherent thought as her stomach clenched, twisting into tight knots of anxiety.

Gritting her teeth and snapping her eyes shut, she braced herself even as the sob broke past her lips. Blindly reaching for the handles of the sink, she managed to knock over several items before twisting the water on. Splashing the cold water on her face had shocked her senses and brought her a brief moment of reprieve, but it was quickly shattered by the harsh knocks on the door.

"Plum sauce?" His nasally voice barked outside her bathroom, or rather the little sanctuary she had cocooned herself in for the last hour.

The fact that he had waited this long to follow after her, was a glaring contrast to the other main man in her life, one she knew would have never let her storm off while she was in a state of distress. His face flashed to the forefront of her mind and she quickly reprimanded herself, "Stop it, Penelope!"

Yanking a towel off the shower bar she pressed the harsh cotton against her face. Finally opening her eyes, she instantly regretted it. Staring into the mirror, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her bright hazel eyes were red and swollen, and the light purple underneath her lids was a stark reminder of the sleep she wasn't getting. It also didn't help that her makeup was now completely smeared, adding to her look of dread and dampening her mood.

"Pennky-kins!" Rattling the doorknob this time as he knocked again.

"One…two…three…in." She mumbled once again, hoping the calming breath would give her the energy she was searching for.

"Come on Penny!" He whined. "We can still make it if we leave now."

"I told you I'm not going, Kevin!" She could only rasp out, her voice still tight and weak from crying.

"But I already told them you would be there!"

She could only roll her eyes at his oblivious nature. Her Hot Stuff would know instantly by the tone of her voice that something was wrong. "No, stop it!" Once again chiding herself. Kevin was not a profiler. How would he know? "But he is your boyfriend." The thought entered her mind and her stomach once again somersaulted, forcing her to bite back the nausea. Shaking her head, she was definitely going to have a migraine tonight.

"I don't feel well."

"We don't have to stay the whole time." The doorknob rattled again. It was quiet for a moment until "You promised."

She did promise. Had known about it for weeks. Dinner with his parents, how could she forget. Guilt began to seep into her veins, pumping anxiety through her system. Penelope knew how important this was for him. A chance to impress his family and few close friends. But not tonight. Not when she felt so broken and alone. Her anger flared back up again as she remembered why she had locked herself up in the bathroom to begin with.

Flinging the door open, she didn't even stop it as it banged against the counter.

Having not expected the sudden outburst, he jumped back, his eyes widening at her appearance.

"Oh Penny!" he cooed. "You don't have to be nervous."

The harsh laugh that erupted out of her mouth, surprised even her. As a new set of tears sprung forth, she quickly wiped her cheeks, wondering how he could be so clueless.

"Nervous?" she gritted out.

"They're going to love you." A crooked smile graced his lips as he stepped forward, reaching a hand out to place a curl of hair behind her ear. She didn't miss his eyes narrowing as she reflexively tensed beneath his touch. "Penelope." His voice had lost the once-upon-a-time-endearing whine and had turned serious.

"Please. Not tonight."

"I never ask you for anything. Why can't you do this for me?"

Her eyes closed, willing the pounding headache to fade away. Before she could even defend herself, he continued his rant.

"You know. I'm trying, I really am. But you're not making this easy for me." He awkwardly went to place his hand on her elbow, shifting it at the last moment to her shoulder, giving it a squeeze that was a little too hard for comfort.

"I'm sorry. I just, I can't go see your parents tonight. After everything that's happened this week I'm not-…"

"Of course you're not up for it! How could you be when you won't let me comfort you?" His voice rose, obviously a nerve had been struck and she stepped right on it.

"That's not true and you know-…"

"Oh isn't it! You go to Alaska and you come back…and…and-…" His shoulders slumped and he looked away, taking a moment to compose himself. "Let me help you." Grabbing her other shoulder, he tried to bring her into a hug but her hands shot up and pushed against him.

"Damn it, Penny!" Her dismissal was like a slap to his face. His pain of rejection was evident, as was the quick flash of anger, which she didn't miss. She had seen that look across her computer screens enough times to recognize it.

Garcia couldn't even say why she did it, since her body was begging for human contact. The desperate desire to connect with somebody was so strong it was making her ill. She needed something, or someone, to chase away this horrible feeling that hadn't left her since she washed that man's blood off her hands a few days before. She tried to clear her mind of the horrible image only to have it replaced with an image of Him.

His face, with a pair of what she believed to be the most defining eyebrows known to man, would be crinkled with concern. His big hands resting upon her chin forcing her to look at him, demanding she seek his comfort. She had to bite her lips to keep them from quivering as a shudder rippled through her body. Unfortunately, she wasn't aware of how closely Kevin was watching her every move.

"Oh. Okay. I get it." He had taken a few steps back. "I'm not Derek."

Her eyes flew open wide, mouth slightly parting.

"What! Kevin, no that's not it. I just don't feel well." Her body was aching with exhaustion, yet a fight was not what she needed. Forcing herself forward she tried to console him. "I just need to go to sleep."

"I'm not stupid, Penelope." Oh, boy. The use of her whole name, he was mad. "He's been here every day this week and you have no qualms cuddling up with him, but me…I try to hug you and it's world war III!"

She hated confrontation. "One…two…three…in," reminding herself to calm her breathing she forced a smile upon her face "Okay, wait! Just give me twenty minutes to shower and change and I'll be ready to-…"

"No! Forget it." He shook his head, rolling his eyes.

Her generous heart didn't want to hurt him, wrapping her arms around his waist she hugged him, hoping it would calm him down. It usually worked. As his arms slowly started to wrap around her, she knew it was going to work. Then her cell went off on the dresser next to where they were standing. A message blinking "Baby Girl" flashed across the screen.

Shoving out of her embrace, Kevin glared at her. "Oh look! It's your Hot Stuff. Wouldn't want you to miss it!" Storming out of the room, she flinched as the front door slammed shut behind him.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she sunk to the floor. The sobs that wracked her body, were raw and resembled that of a wounded animal. The emotions she had been suppressing all day were finally emerging and she had no energy to fight them anymore.

It wasn't until the ringing of her cell phone that her idled mind came crashing back to reality. Looking around the room, she wasn't sure how much time had passed. Though if the street lights were any indication, she had lost an entire evening.

"One…two…three…in" Taking a deep breath, she stood back up and entered the bathroom. The soft click of the lock, encasing her back inside her cocoon.

"One!" He thought to himself.

The sharp crack of wood echoed throughout the field as the ball flew across the night sky. He hadn't missed the fact that the evening breeze carried the familiar scent of blooming flowers. The distinct smell of Jasmine filled his senses to be forever engrained in his mind as belonging to her. Shaking his head he braced himself to swing again.

"Two!" Teeth clenched, his hands gripped the wood. Breathing deeply, he tried to relax his shoulders, only to once again swing too aggressively, sending the white speck spiraling out into the distance.

"Derek!" He almost dropped the bat. Her voice whimpering his name with need hadn't left his thoughts since they took off from Alaska. Shifting his pants, he reached for the bottle of water next to his gym bag, hoping to swallow the desire that's plagued his body for three days.

Stepping back up to the plate, he wasn't even surprised as he completely missed the ball. Nor the next two. Both went flying past his head, and with a near miss to his elbow, he finally decided to call it a night.

After tossing his gear into the trunk, Derek found himself sitting in his SUV. Eyes closed as he rested back against the headrest. His body still strumming with tension. He had fully intended on bringing some random, nameless, female back to his house to take away the ache, only to dance half the night away to discover that what he desired was across town, probably cuddled up next to her Lynch. Hence how he had ended up at the batting cages instead, hoping to find some satisfaction in the familiar sport as he swung out his aggression.

Repulsed with the image of that geek touching her, especially after he had more knowledge of what it felt like himself, he couldn't stop his mind from wandering. Heck half, if not all, of his fantasies already involved her, so it only took but a mere second to conjure up the image of his best friend. His Baby Girl.

Vibrant and curvaceous. Kindhearted and compassionate. His perfect fit. His God Given Solace that kept him grounded, always lighting his way back home like the North Star. "Easy Morgan. She's your friend." Even with that reminder he couldn't stop the smile that graced his lips as he thought about her new red locks. She probably had the softest hair he had ever touched. And then it happened, the image of him grabbing her neck, fingers tangling with her loose hair as he brought her face closer so he could kiss her. Both of them trying to consume each other with an urgency that had left him feeling like he had been set on fire.

Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to relive the moment.

_ Flashback _

Derek stood outside their door. JJ had left a little bit ago, saying Penelope was taking a shower, and yet he couldn't find the courage to walk inside yet. Having just viewed the body of the man Garcia had tried to save, had left him feeling panicked, the kind that chilled his body to the core. Flashes of seeing her in a hospital bed after almost being killed by Battle, was still a sore wound, one that probably would never fully heal. His mission to protect her at all costs, was a pledge he took that night as he rushed his way to the emergency room. Tonight, though, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had once again let her down.

Walking inside, he swiftly swept his eyes across the quaint little room, noticing the light was on behind the bathroom door. Taking off his coat, he was going to sit up and wait for her, until he heard it. He would have missed it, if his senses weren't already in overdrive, but the muffled sob behind the door sounded like a bomb going off to him. Reacting instantly he went to the door, hand ready to knock, when it opened.

Startled at his presence, Penelope gasped, barely masking the shriek that tore from her lips. Having thrown her hand that was clutching her glasses to her chest, she tried to catch her breath. Derek, however, had forgotten how to breathe.

Once the steam that had emerged with her from the bathroom disappeared, the sight before him had the usually stoic, alpha male ready to beg on his knees and praise at her alter. His Baby Girl was nothing short of a Goddess.

Having not expected to see him before she had a chance to settle into the bed, Penelope had opted for pajamas that were obviously more for comfort than for cover. The pale yellow thermal long sleeve top and matching pants were littered with little pink and white stars. It screamed Garcia, though it was the fact that said thermal was well worn and practically see through that had his eyes and jaw lock in place while something else stirred below. She wasn't wearing a bra after all and the light next to her did a damn good job of forcing his attention to the small taut peaks upon curves he had dreamed about for five years.

A gentle cough shattered his thoughts and forced his eyes to drag slowly back up to her face. Being completely free of makeup, with eyebrows knitted in confusion and full lips pouting but trying to smile, she stood before him. Derek's heart clenched at how innocent and lost she looked. It was a rare sight to see her defenses down and to be so visibly vulnerable. He had all it could take to not pick her up and cocoon herself into his arms as he drove her fears away on that bed. He decided to grab her glasses instead.

Gently taking them out of her hands, he wiped them clean on his cotton shirt, using the extra time to calm his nerves. He wasn't going to do his best friend any favors if all he could think about was ravishing her. "Stop it, Morgan," he chided himself.

Then he looked at her. Her hazel eyes, red and puffy from crying. Face still flushed from the heat of the shower. Taking a deep breath he slid the glasses back on her face, the small gesture making her smile.

"Thank you, Hot Stuff," came her soft reply. Her eyes were sad but briefly sparkled with genuine gratitude and though he believed he hadn't done anything worthy of such faith that was all it took.

Stepping forward, he invaded her personal space. Placing his hand firmly on her shoulder, he slowly but surely snaked it around her neck, fingers tangling with the curling red locks. He didn't even remember how it happened, but the minute his lips touched hers, he knew he would never be the same.

As her breath caught and her arms wrapped around his waist, clutching to his shirt for dear life, he waited for her to give him permission. Hoping the litanies he was sending up to whoever was looking out for him, would grant him his wish and that she wouldn't reject him. He finally felt his nerves stop spiraling out of control when the small whimper of desire left her lips, and she began to return the kiss.

Backing her against the nearest wall, his other hand reached up underneath her shirt, finding its resting place right above the curve of her ass. Gently nibbling on her bottom lip, he easily became overwhelmed with everything that was Penelope. From the shampoo that filled his senses with the light aroma of Jasmine, to the gentle press of her breasts against his firm chest, which had him pushing her even closer against him. It was this moment when he realized that his hands were greedily seeking the warmth of her supple body, and he truly thought he had found a piece of heaven.

Until she parted her lips.

Her sharp nails dug into the back of his hips, pulling him even closer, forcing his knee between her legs. The soft keen from the back of her throat, caused him to yank her head back and his tongue to delve further into her mouth. While their tongues dueled for dominance, he felt the shift in Penelope from passive to active participate. Shocking him with her bold movement of running her hand across the front of his pants, resting against the evident bulge. She hesitantly and then firmly squeezed him, gently running her thumb back and forth.

It was like a fire had been ignited inside of him. His hand which had somehow ended up cupping her ass, was now fondling a breast. He couldn't help the grin that covered his face and if he was less of a profiler he would have asked her to pinch him, though the weight of her breast in his hand was proof enough. They were firm and perky and more than a handful, and as his fingers slipped to her nipple he couldn't help but tweak it, tugging on it gently until a small moan escaped her lips.

His other hand had taken on a mind of its own and was descending into the front of her pants. He could only groan, when he didn't discover any underwear and the tips of his fingers graced the small trimmed hairs above her sex. Through the haze of lust he barely recognized the soft clink of his belt being undone and the hiss of his zipper being pulled down. He was just about to drag them over to the bed where they could better enjoy themselves when it happened.

The breaker outside shut off again. Covering the pair in complete darkness. Penelope, whose eyes had still been closed, took another full minute to realize what had happened. Though once she did, he noticed her body was still taught with fear and had begun to shake as she tried to wipe the tears off her cheeks which she couldn't blink away. Wrapping his arms around her swiftly, he pulled her into a hug. Her comfort and safety his first priority, dousing the fire that had been ablaze between them in an instant. They stood there for a moment, both heavily panting and hands still under each others shirts, holding on to the intimacy that would be lost when the lights came back on.

Cooing softly into her ear, he rocked her back and forth, promising her everything was going to be alright. Then the lights flickered back on and his fears came true. Though her crooked shirt and slightly fogged glasses were adorable, it couldn't hide her doe like expression. She looked absolutely confused and lost, perhaps even broken. And though her eyes were still fully dilated with desire and as her heartbeat coursed through her veins against the palm of his hand where it rested against her neck, he knew he had crossed a line.

He almost lost her tonight. His worst fear, leading him to forget that she was taken. His Baby Girl wasn't single, but tonight that hadn't mattered to him. Not when she had put herself into harm's way. Every nerve in his body needed to feel her, to make sure she was still there, still alive.

"Derek." Her voice was barely above a whisper. It was questioning and yet, full of need.

He was about to reach out for her, desperately wanting to continue...

"Knock...knock…knock!"

_ End Flashback _

The harsh knocks against the window of his SUV brought Derek back to reality. Taking a minute to reorient himself, he had to close his eyes against the flashlight that was shining directly into his face. Looking up, he was relieved to see it was only Jeff, the ball park security guard. And considering how often Derek frequented this place, he knew Jeff was just starting his nightly patrol, which made him realize how long he had been sitting there.

"Sorry Morgan. I would of let ya sleep, but I have to lock up." The older man apologized.

"It's okay. Sorry I made you stay late," came his short reply, too exhausted to offer up a proper explanation.

Starting up his SUV he began the short journey home, regretfully leaving just as anxious as when he first arrived.

To be continued...