Mom and the Necklace

Derrick arrived at the Chicago airport ready for a visit with his Mom and sisters but feeling like something was missing. As he arrived at the house, everything seemed in place. The Christmas tree was decorated with no space for another ornament. The smell of Christmas cookies filled all the rooms. It was the Holiday season, and the BAU team had a few days off to enjoy it with their families.

Hotch could not wait to spend his first Christmas with Beth and to see how Jack enjoyed being a family again. JJ was busy being a Mom and wife and enjoying every minute of it. Reid has decided it was time to spend the Holiday with his Mother in Vegas. While Rossi had plans to fly out of the country on one of his famous "no one tells what happens" getaway. Garcia was the only one not willing to share her plans for the Holiday, which seemed odd to Derrick since she always shared everything with him. All she would say was go have a great time visiting your Mother and sisters. I know you miss them.

Derrick woke up on Christmas Eve morning feeling lonely even though he was in a house filled with noise and love. He decided to give Garcia a call and find out what she was up to and how his dog, Clooney, was enjoying his visit with his favorite girl. Garcia assured him all was fine and she was baking cookies to take to Christmas Dinner, but was still not willing to tell him where she was going. He decided she must be back with Kevin and he better drop the subject because the last think he wanted to do was fight with her on the Holiday. As he said Goodbye and Merry Christmas, Baby girl, his mother entered the room. She asked "who were you talking to?" He told her he was talking with Garcia to make sure everything was OK with Clooney. She smiled and told him they needed to have a little chat.

Derrick's Mother took him upstairs to her room and took out a necklace from her jewelry box. She asked "Do you remember our family Christmas when you were five years old?" It was before we lost your Dad. Your Dad sat you down on the rug in front of the fireplace and told you the story about how your father and mother found each other. Derrick has a flash of being a little boy and sitting in front of the fire. He was not sure if he remembered it or made it up in his mind. Your father had only been a police officer for a few months when he was called to the scene of a mugging. It was there he was had to interview a little 80 year old woman who was crying and saying in all her years, nothing like this had ever happened to her. Your Dad took her to the City Line Diner to help get her settled so he could get good information and find the guy who would mug a little old lady. Derrick's Mother smiled as she remembered, I saw your Dad enter the diner that day with her and thought, "How cute for a son to take his mother out to dinner." I found out as I waited on them that she was not his mother but a victim and he was helping to calm her down so he could help find the bad guy. I think I feel in love with him at that moment. As I dropped off their order, I heard him say "Excuse me, Baby girl, could we get some additional coffee here?" I was shocked someone would call me Baby girl but returned to the table with coffee for him and his little lady. The following day your Dad became a regular at the diner and asked me out a few weeks later. It was on that Christmas that he told you the story of our meeting then he said he had a special gift to give me but needed your help to wrap it before he could hand it over. I left the room and heard the two of you laughing as you wrapped my present. When I returned, you had this look on your face that I had never seen before and told me you now understood the girls and you would know when you met the one you would marry someday. I smiled because I had no idea what to say to a five year old who just declared himself a man. Your father then gave me this necklace. As she held out her hand to show Derrick the necklace a look of shock came over his face. The necklace was silver with a diamond on the letter "B" at the beginning of the word "Baby girl". The memories rushed back to Derrick as he remembered his father telling him while they wrapped that necklace how he knew he had met the woman of his dreams at first glance when he saw Derrick's Mother at that diner years before.

A five year old Derrick had decided he would know when he met the girl of his dreams because he would call her "Baby girl" automatically because his body would know before his brain that she was the one and only woman for him.

Derrick's Mother watched his face and then said now you know why I asked who you were talking to on the phone. She said, "Derrick, I want you to have this necklace, and I want you to give it to your Baby girl when you figure out who is the woman for you." Derrick tried to convince his Mother to keep the necklace but she insisted he needed to keep it and make sure it got on the neck of her future daughter in-law and mother her of grand babies.

Christmas Day came and went. The Morgans enjoyed their time together and promised to spend more time together in the coming year and not wait until next Christmas to get together again. Derrick tried to sleep on the flight home but kept waking up thinking about this necklace and what he should do with it.

Derrick decided he should talk with Garcia and try to figure out why he had called her Baby girl in the first place and if it meant anything. He knew he loved her but never thought he was in love with her. Besides he thought she was still seeing Kevin so how could he be in love with her.

Derrick arrived at the office extra early the next morning and when Garcia arrived he said his usual "Good Morning Baby girl" while she replied "I will show you a Good Morning, Hot Stuff." Derrick followed her to her office and closed the door. She turned and asked what was going on. He asked if she remember the first time he called her Baby girl and if she knew why. She said of course I remember, it was back in 2004, and you could not remember my name so you called me Baby girl. Derrick replied, that is correct, I forgot. Thanks. I will talk to you later.

Hotch asked Derrick later in the day if everything was OK since he did not seem to be himself. My Mom asked me a question that I have been unable to answer but cannot stop thinking about it. Hotch replied that he should ask Reid for the answer since he had read almost everything and would probably have a reference for Derrick to use to get the answer. Derrick smiled and said I do not think Reid can help me out with this one but thanks.

It was almost quitting time when Garcia came to Derrick's office to find out if he wanted to pick up Clooney or if she should drop him off. With everything on his mind, Derrick had completely forgotten about Clooney and agreed to stop by on his way home and pick up the dog.

Memories flooded Derrick as he walked up the stairs to Garcia's apartment from when she was shot and how scared he had been that he would lose her. She was his best friend, his solace and then he realized why he had called her Baby girl on that day way back in 2004. His body had known before his brain caught up to it. Garcia was his Baby girl and he wanted her and everyone else in the world to know it. But what about Kevin. Derrick had to find out how Garcia had spent Christmas.

The next few days were spent trying to find out how Garcia spent the Holiday but no one knew or no one was telling. It was New Year's Eve at the office when a gentleman stopped by looking for Garcia. Derrick told him he would show him to her office. As Derrick enter her office with this gentleman who called himself Bob, Garcia appeared a little nervous that Derrick was with him. Bob smiled at Garcia and thanked her for the box she was handing to him in her office. He asked if she would be attending the New Year's Eve party at the shelter since they had all enjoyed her visit so much on Christmas Day. She smiled and declined the offer to spend New Year's Eve at the shelter. Once Bob left Derrick took his turn to smile and asked why she would keep it a secret that she was helping out at a shelter on Christmas Day. Volunteering on Christmas Day is what the Holiday is all about said Derrick. Why would you not tell me? I was afraid you would think it was odd to spend the Holiday with strangers and do some weird profiling number on me.

A raised eyebrow and a wink was his reply and he told her, she was right to decline the New Year's Eve party because she needed to spend it with him.

Derrick, you do not need to entertain me on New Year's Eve. I know you have parties to go to with beautiful women to meet and kiss at midnight.

No Babygirl, what I need tonight is to spend New Year's Eve with you. Besides I have a special Christmas present I need to give you.

But Derrick you already gave me a Christmas present.

I know but this one is for family. I will pick you up at 8 p.m. tonight so be ready for a night of private partying and staying overnight at my place.

Are you sure? I really do not want to ruin your evening.

I am sure. Now no arguments.

Derrick kissed her on the top of her head and left the room. He had a lot of work to do if he was going to let Garcia, make that Penelope, know how he felt about her and try to convince her to spend the rest of her life with him.

Hotch was packing up his laptop to head out when Derrick rushed into his office with a crazed look on his face.

Hotch, I need your help.

Is everything OK?

Derrick closed the door and told a shocked Hotch that he needed to buy an engagement ring before 8 p.m. tonight.

Once Hotch found out the ring was for Garcia, he was on board and left the laptop and ran out the door with Derrick to find what was needed.

Arriving at Garcia's apartment parking area at 7:30 p.m., Derrick could not wait any longer when 7:50 p.m. came and headed up to her apartment to pick her up. Garcia answered the door wearing the red dress she had worn on Valentine's Day of that year. Derrick remembered how he had not been able to stop looking at her then and was glad to see her in it. He was wearing a black suit with a red tie so they matched perfectly.

Once they were on the road, Garcia asked where they were going for dinner and Derrick explained they were having dinner at his place. She looked a little disappointed when he told her but smiled when she saw how the dining room had been setup in his place for a private dinner for two.

When the three course meal was over, Derrick turned a slow song on the stereo and asked Penelope to dance. She replied with "If I did not know better, Hot Stuff, I would think you were trying to seduce me." As their bodies melted together during the dance, Derrick lifted Penelope's chin and went in for a kiss. Her first reaction was shock, but it passed quickly and the kiss grew into deep passion before either realized what was happening.

A bark of approval from Clooney broke the spell and Derrick asked Penelope if they could talk. She sat down on the sofa next to Clooney and waited to hear Derrick say how they were such great friends and he did not want to ruin the friendship by going any further. But to her amazement, he got down on one knee and told her the story his father had told him on his fifth Christmas about how Derrick's mother and father had meant. He then pulled out a necklace box and handed it to her. She opened it to find the silver necklace that said Baby Girl. As she looked at Derrick with tears in her eyes, he smiled and said, "this necklace needs to stay in the family" and proceeded to place it around her neck. He then handed pulled out a ring box and still down on one knee opened it to ask her "Will you marry me?" A speechless Penelope could only reach for him and give him kisses and hugs with tears coming down her face. Derrick asked if that was a yes and as she shook her head he grinned, kissed her and carried her off to bed.

When Derrick woke Penelope the next morning, he told her he forgot to tell her his mother said the woman wearing this necklace would be the mother of her grand babies. It was Penelope's turn to grin and tell him, they better get back to it and give her those grand babies as soon as possible.