Disclaimer: I own nothing.

So here's a little oneshot that I've been pondering for a long time. The song used is by one of my favorite bands, and consequently this song is one of my all-time favorites. It's "Poison and Wine" by the Civil Wars. Excellent, beautiful song. Hope you like the oneshot! Please review if you have a moment :)

He wasn't good enough for her.

Of this, he was sure.

Derek sighed as he rose from his chair and pulled his briefcase up to start packing it up with case files he had to look over. It had been a few weeks since he and Penelope had split. It was a mutual decision; they'd both decided it would be better for both of them.

One thing he was also sure of, though, was that he still loved her with all his heart. She understood him like no one else. She loved him like no other. And why, he had no idea. There were so many things about him, so many demons that haunted him. He spent much of his life hiding in the dark, never trusting anyone. Buford had left his mark on him, leaving scuff marks that he couldn't get clean, no matter how hard he scrubbed. He wasn't warm and fuzzy, he was coarse, he was broken.

But she loved him anyway. She saw beyond his flaws and held him as tenderly as if he were the most important treasure in her life. Even if he didn't want her knowing anything, she knew it anyway. She saw through his barriers and knew what he was hiding. When they had problems or fought, they would end up kissing as a way to makeup and fix things. It was a delicious way of fixing things, like a glass of the richest wine. But in other ways it was a poison that could bring them down, and in the end it eventually had. They shoved their problems under an imaginary rug, and the problems they did that with showed up later to bite them in the ass.

It was what brought them down in the end.

He rubbed his face and sighed. It had been a long few weeks without Penelope. He felt empty, emotionless. His passion had been sucked out of him. All he wanted was to hold Penelope in his arms and never let her go. He wanted them together always. Hell, he wanted to marry her.

But it was over, and unless something changed dramatically, it always would be.

Feeling utter defeat weighing down on his shoulders, he started for the door, turning the lights off on the way.

XXXXX

Penelope began turning her computers off at the end of the day and rubbed her temples. Her life felt like it was slowly collapsing around her. She missed Derek every second of every day. It was true that she got frustrated with him at times for hiding himself away, even when she knew exactly what was going on. But that didn't change anything about her love. She couldn't let go of him. Her heart didn't have room for anyone but him, no matter what he decided to share, or what he decided to hide.

Sometimes she would pull away from him just to see what he would do, to see if he would come to her.

The results varied, but it didn't matter. They would always come back to one another.

Some said that people don't get to choose who they love, and she tended to agree with that. And even if they did get to choose, she wouldn't change it for the world. The only person she wanted to love was Derek.

Even if they were apart, she would always love Derek Morgan. He was imprinted on her heart and in her soul. No one could replace him.

Once her office was completely shut down, she grabbed her bag and turned the lights off. It was time to go home.

Her heels clicked against the hard floor as she went towards the elevator. She pushed the button and waited for the doors to open. She could hardly wait to get back to her apartment, pour herself a glass of wine, and drown in drunkenness. Her nights consisted of alcohol these days.

She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. She was so tired, she could fall asleep standing up. The doors started to close and she was thrilled she might be able to have a few minutes of alone time.

However, she wasn't so lucky. The doors were shoved open again and she forced herself to open her eyes so she didn't look completely ridiculous.

She wished she hadn't.

Derek was there in front of her. For a moment they just stared at each other. The doors had closed, but they were there in a standstill. Clearing his throat, he moved to stand next to her. Both of them stared at their own feet.

Penelope could hardly stand the silence. Here she was, standing next to the man she loved, the man she was no longer with, and she was at a loss for words. Her tongue was literally tied up in a knot. Slowly, her body began to shake and she wobbled on her feet. She grasped the railing behind her until her knuckles were white. Tears burned in the back of her eyes and her throat constricted until there was a lump that she had to choke past.

She couldn't stand being apart from him. She had to tell him, even if it meant making a fool of herself. She didn't care how much they argued or how much he closed herself off from her. They could work past it...if he wanted her.

Finally, she couldn't take it any longer, she dropped her bag and lunged for the emergency stop button. Bending her head, she turned around and looked at Derek, worried she might see irritation. He just looked at her with his heart in his eyes.

"Derek..." she choked out.

He didn't say anything. He simply dropped his briefcase in the same way she had dropped her own bag and strode towards her. Their arms wrapped around one another and their lips met in a viciously hungry kiss. A fire began to burn in her that she hadn't felt since they separated. It was so intense, she felt like she was drinking the richest, sweetest wine in the world, no trace of poison whatsoever. Her hands clutched at his button down shirt and his hands tangled in her hair.

When they finally broke apart, both of them breathing heavily and their foreheads resting against the other's, Penelope touched his cheek, tears rolling down her cheeks. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"I can't -" she wept. "I can't go any longer without you. Please...I know we fought and we had problems, but I -"

Derek cut her off and put his finger to her lips. "I know, Baby Girl," he whispered. "I can't go without you either. I don't care how much we fight, or how much we have communication problems. I love you. I have always loved you. I will never stop loving you."

She leaned up and kissed him softly. "And I won't stop loving you either." Leaning behind herself, she released the emergency switch and the elevator started moving again.

"I love you, Penelope." He took her hands and kissed both palms.

"I love you, too, Derek," she said, holding him tightly around the waist.

"Where do we go from here?" he asked softly, holding her just as tight.

She leaned her head against his chest. "I don't care where we go, as long as we go together," she whispered, squeezing his hand.

It's a little different than my usual stuff...at least I think so. Let me know what you think!