(AN: I don't own the rights to Criminal Minds or its characters. I also don't own rights to Life Ain't Always Beautiful by Gary Allen. This prompt came from Daisya'gel's Country Song Prompt Challenge: Pick a Pair challenge assignment)
"Seriously, Pen, what happened to you and Lynch?" Derek says without thinking.
Everyone just stared as Penelope ran from the bull pen. No one could believe what Morgan had just said to her. In fact, Derek couldn't believe what just came out of his mouth. It was something that he didn't even know where it came from. He was in big shit now. He knew he was lucky when he didn't get slapped across the face and when Rossi didn't pounce on him.
Penelope was mortified. Her best friend had said something just so mean and vile to her. She had just asked him if he would just be her date to Agent Samuel's Halloween party/dance. She thought that since she knew he wasn't seeing anyone and the fact that he was her best friend that he would willingly accept instead of go to the party stag; but then again Derek could now hit on all the eligible ladies. As she grabbed her stuff to leave for the day, because she couldn't deal with Derek anymore today, JJ tries to stop her but knows that it most likely wouldn't work. Derek tries to stop her as she gets into the elevator but the doors close just before he gets there.
Life ain't always beautiful
Sometimes it's just plain hard
Life can knock you down, it can break your heart
Life ain't always beautiful
Hotch just looks at the scene before him. He can't believe what Derek had said. Sure, Penelope hadn't told Derek that she and Lynch had split up a little over a month ago; but everyone had told her that she needed to tell Derek. He knew that she had asked him because she wanted to tell him what he truly meant to her. Thank God Rossi didn't hear the exchange was the thought on Hotch's mind. Hotch hated a hurting Garcia but Rossi, oh, Rossi would have torn Derek a new one even if they were on the same team.
As Derek sits down at his desk to think about what made him say what he said, JJ, Emily, and Reid just stare at him. JJ and Emily had managed to get Penelope to tell them what happened between her and Lynch and about her feelings for Derek. Reid was just surprised at what had happened but he knew that Derek was totally in the wrong with what he said; he just didn't know how much Derek was in the wrong. Derek looks over at Emily that is until he sees the look that she is giving him. She couldn't believe that he thought she would be willing to help him. Penelope was just as much her friend as Derek was, maybe even more. As he looks over at JJ, he sees the same expression and knows they aren't going to help him at all. Damn, he really needed to fix this before the party next week.
Rossi steps out of his office and sees the looks that everyone, even Hotch, was giving Derek. He then realized that Penelope had finally worked up the courage to ask Derek about the party. By the looks that the team was given Derek, he judged that Derek had done something stupid. He knew something was wrong when Hotch looked at him with a worried look and he knew right away that Hotch wanted him to go check on Penelope. He mouths to Hotch, "Where is she?"
Hotch walks over to tell Rossi what happened and to get him to forget about Derek for a bit to check on Penelope.
"She ran and got her stuff before leaving," Hotch says.
"What the hell happened?" Rossi asks. "She said she was going to ask him when she got a chance today."
"Oh she asked him," Hotch says looking down at the bull pen. "But evidently she didn't take either of our advice and tell him about her and Lynch."
"Since he didn't know, he overreacted, right?" Rossi asks.
"Sort of. He said 'Seriously, Pen, what happened to you and Lynch?' He said it without thinking about the possible consequences," Hotch says as he heads into his office. "Don't go talk to him. Go make sure Penelope is alright. Check the parking lot and her house."
"Fine but warn him that he's in big trouble with me the next time I see him," Rossi says as he grabs his things to leave for the day. "I take it everyone isn't too happy with him today by the looks he's getting at least from the girls."
"The girls know what's going on, I don't know when she told them, and had even helped her get things planned for today and next week; but who knows what is going to happen now," Hotch says as he looks out at the bull pen and the rest of the team again.
Penelope was driving home and trying to figure out exactly what she wanted to say to that dickhead best friend of hers when he decides to show his face anywhere near her. She thought that he had figured out that Kevin and her had split since Kevin hadn't been coming around. Hell, everyone else had figured it out with the exception of Derek and Dr. Reid. Hotch and Rossi were the first ones to ask what had happened, then the girls. She wasn't even completely sure that Reid didn't know. She thought since Derek and her were spending more time together that he had actually figured it out and decided that she would come to him when she wanted to talk about it. The words that he had said and the way he had said them still rang in her ears. She realized that it would have been better to take boss man's advice and telling him two weeks ago instead of just asking him to go with her.
Derek just sat at his desk staring at the papers that were on it. When it hit 3:30 he couldn't take sitting at his desk and shuffling papers around, so he grabbed his stuff and left. He didn't know where he was headed but he truly doubted that Penelope would speak to him let alone see him. Was he wrong in brining Lynch into the conversation? He thought that Penelope would have told him if they had broken up and she hadn't said anything to make him think any different. Sure she had made time to spend with him, more time than usual, but never told him that something was going on, let alone that she and Lynch had broken up.
That's why he was surprised when she came and asked him if he wanted to go to the party together. Hell, he definitely wanted to go to the party with her but he wanted to know why she wasn't going with her boyfriend. He had noticed that Lynch hadn't been accompanying Penelope to events that he normally would have but he just put it off as Lynch having to work. Maybe that wasn't it?
Had something happened and he just not notice? She didn't change much, she still acted like the same Penelope he had grown to love over the past 5 years. Wouldn't she have told him if something had happened? He had always told her that he would be here for her no matter what and he had meant it. If something had happened, why the hell hadn't she told him? Why was it that everyone else knew what was going on besides him?
As he headed to his place, he knew that he was going to have to find some way to talk to her without the boss man and Rossi getting mad at him, more than they already were. Maybe Clooney could be of some help. He sits inside his truck in his drive way typing a text message to her: "Pen, I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I just thought that you and Lynch were going to be going together. Please, let me try to fix this. Let's do dinner and a movie, please."
She's driving to the grocery store to get dinner when she receives his text message. She couldn't believe what he was asking her. She thought, "dinner and a movie when I'm pissed off at him, hell no." As she sits in the parking lot at the grocery store she typed this message: "Sorry Sweetness already have other plans for the night." She knows she shouldn't have but she didn't want to have to deal with him right now. After gathering things to cook herself a nice dinner, she drives home to find Rossi sitting outside her building.
"Thank God. You had me worried, hun," Rossi says as he helps her gather her groceries.
"Thanks. I just needed to get away. Want to help me with dinner?" she asks. "I take it Hotch asked you to check on me because of my dickhead of a best friend?"
"Yes to both. So have you talked to Derek since?" Rossi asks as he gets a few pans out to start cooking.
"He sent me a text message asking me to talk to him and to do a dinner/movie night. I told him I had other plans, which I do and now they include you," She says as she grabs a cutting board to start cutting vegetables.
"From that smile that just graced your lips, I take it you have plans for dealing with the way Derek reacted earlier," Rossi says as he oils the pan for the vegetables to go in.
"Oh I have a few things planned and he's totally not going to know what hit him," Penelope says as she thinks about what is going to happen over the next few days. "You are staying for dinner, right?"
"I wouldn't leave for anything, darling," Rossi says as he throws the vegetables into the pan.
After that being said, they continue to work on dinner in silence.
Derek knew she had said she had plans but he wanted to know who she had plans with. He saw Esther sitting in her normal spot but he also saw a black SUV right next to her car. He knew Lynch never drove an SUV and the team had all decided to go out after the long day they had. So who the fuck was with her? Derek was still sitting outside her place 30 minutes later, when Rossi walked out after giving Penelope a goodnight kiss. Derek was fine when he saw that it was just Rossi. He knew about how Penelope was like a daughter to Rossi and he was like a father to her. Little did he know that she had spotted him and was inside grabbing the rest of the cake that was from dessert that evening.
He doesn't even realize that Penelope was almost on him as she sends the cake flying inside his truck and walks back into her house. The thought on her mind was "that'll teach him to stop checking up on me constantly." Rossi had seen the exchange and just laughed as Derek started wiping the frosting off of his face. Derek looks over and sees Rossi laughing at him and then he looks up at his best friend's front door and sees her just waving back at him before closing the door. For the second time that day Derek was left wondering about what had changed in his best friend.
Penelope just waved at him as he looked over at her. She knew he was going to be pissed off at her but he deserved it. Coming to check up on her was normal but she was still pissed off at what had happened at work. She knew he was going to want to talk to her tomorrow but she had other plans since he had to be an ass and ask why she wasn't going with Lynch. She couldn't wait until tomorrow to start on her plans, as she got her outfit ready for the next day. Trying to get any sleep that night was futile she was so ready for the day to begin.
As she twisted and turned in her bed, she realizes that she isn't getting any sleep and decides to take a bath before getting ready for work. As she gets out of the bath tub she looks at her clock and realizes that it is only about 7 am and she doesn't need to go into the office until about 9:20; to make her grand entrance. She looks at her phone before heading to watch a little TV. She sees that she has one message from Derek that says: "Hey Baby Girl, want to do breakfast this morning before heading into work?" As she sits down and logs into her computer, she sees another message from Derek asking her the same thing. She finally types him a text saying: "Sorry Hot stuff. I have some online shopping to do for the Halloween party next week."
~Wednesday Morning~
At about 8:00, Penelope starts to work on her makeup and hair to get it just right. As she curls her hair into ringlets, she's thinking about how happy she is that the girls managed to talk her into wanting to go to this Halloween party. At about 8:45 she leaves her apartment to head to work. As she drives into her spot at work she sees that Derek is already there and then she notices an unwelcome surprise heading towards her car as she gets out.
"Penny, can we talk about us, please?" Kevin Lynch says as he walks up next to her.
"Kevin, there is nothing to talk about. I've finally decided that I wasn't putting my all into our relationship because I am never going to give up on my job to leave and go where you want me to," she says as she grabs her bag and heads toward the doors to get her away from her irrational ex. "I'm finally going after what I want in my life. Now, goodbye."
"Penelope, don't you dare walk out on me," Kevin says as she swipes her card to get into the building.
"I walked out on you a month and a half ago when I found out you were sleeping around. There is nothing that you can do to make me change my mind," Penelope says as she closes the doors to the elevators.
JJ sees the tension just rolling off of Penelope as she walks into the bull pen. This was not how the day was supposed to start off. She was supposed to be teasing Derek with her outfit not just brushing past everyone, heading to her lair. JJ walks out to the car park and sees the reason for Penelope's bad mood leaving. As she walks back into the bull pen, the rest of the team is looking at her to give them some sort of explanation. When Derek sees her face, he heads down to see what is going on with Penelope.
"Hey, sweetness, you in there? What's going on?" Derek asks as he knocks on Penelope's door.
"Yes, I'm in here. Nothing is going on. I'm working on a search for another team and don't want to be disturbed right now, Derek," Penelope says as she locks her door.
As he heads back to the bull pen, he thinks about how her mood had changed since she texted him earlier, from playful to downright pissed off.
"JJ, do you know what is going on with Penelope?" he asks as he sits down to finish a little bit of paperwork.
"All I know is that someone surprised her as she was coming into work this morning," JJ says as she heads back to her office to look at possible cases.
Derek looks at Emily to see if she has an answer to his question but knows that she wouldn't since she had been in here with the rest of them. Derek sees Rossi looking in the direction of Penelope's lair and tells him that she doesn't want to be disturbed while doing a search. What Derek said to him doesn't deter him from going to check on her. He knows that she doesn't want to talk to Derek right now and that the girls will get everything out of her later but he wants to know what is going on now.
"Pen, you ok in there?" Rossi asks.
"I'm fine," she says as she opens the door to him. "Just got a visit from my ex that has me in a bad mood right now."
"So plans still in action, just give you a little time to cool down?" He asks as he looks at her computer screens.
"Yea that is if you guys don't get a case," she says as she continues to type on her laptop.
"So what did Kevin have to say?" Rossi asks knowing that she needs to talk so that her plan will work.
"He wanted me to take him back and to talk to him about our relationship," she says. "The same stuff that I've been getting from him, in emails, since the day I walked out. Nothing that I can't handle."
"Ok, if you need anything you know where to find me," he says as he steps out and shuts her door.
Derek is waiting in Rossi's office when Rossi gets back there.
"So what's going on?" Derek asks trying to figure out what has been happening with his baby girl for the last few weeks.
"Nothing that she hasn't had to handle before. Derek, she's fine. Just give her a little space for a few hours," Rossi says as he leads Derek to the door to head into the bull pen.
Just as Derek hits his desk, JJ comes to tell them they have a case. Reid is the one who goes down to get Penelope to go over the case file. As she sits down, next to Derek, she feels all eyes on her wanting her to explain what was going on earlier. She just shakes her head to let everyone know that there is nothing to talk about. JJ starts to go on with telling everyone about the case but Penelope still feels Derek's stare on her face. Penelope just stares ahead and takes notes on her tablet.
"Pssss," Derek says trying to get Penelope's attention to talk to her. "Pssss."
JJ notices what Derek is trying to do as Hotch takes over filling in the extras on this case.
"Penelope, you are going to be needed with us on this case," Hotch says before telling everyone to grab their ready bags. "Everyone meet at the airstrip in one hour."
"UHH, sure. But I have to stop at home first since I don't have a bag with me today," she says as she walks to her office to grab her stuff before leaving to get her ready bag.
"Hey want me to pick you up after I grab my bag?" Derek asks Penelope as she walks out to her car.
"Sure," she says as she gets into her car to leave.
As she pulls into her driveway, she sees that Lynch was sitting outside of her place waiting for her.
"Seriously, what the hell don't you get about me telling you to leave me alone?" Penelope says as she walks up to her apartment. "I don't want to see you let alone talk to you about our past relationship, which has been over for a month now. Leave me the hell alone."
"Penny, please, let's talk about this." Kevin says as Penelope opens her door.
"I said I don't want to see you and there is no way in hell I want to talk to you. Now leave because I only came home to pack for a case and my ride will be here in about 30 minutes," she says as she closes her front door in his face.
As she runs around trying to gather all the necessary things to continue teasing Derek for the rest of the week, she hears that Kevin is still outside her apartment talking to the door. She sends a text to Derek asking him if he would mind going to the back of her apartment building instead of the front because of Kevin. When Derek arrives, he sends a text to Penelope to tell her that he was there. He still didn't understand why she wanted him to pick her up behind her building, it wasn't like her to come out that way. As she's coming out, he realizes that she doesn't have a bag instead she has a big suitcase.
"Hey, where's your ready bag, goddess?" he asks as he gets out to put the suitcase in the back of his SUV.
"The suitcase is what I'm taking. It has my computer instead of me carrying an extra bag," she says as she looks back towards the complex.
"Everything ok, sweetness?" he asks.
"Yup," she says.
The SUV is quiet as both are off in their own worlds on the way to the airstrip. Derek is still trying to figure out why Penelope wanted him to pick her up out back and how she has changed in the past month. Penelope is thinking of how to put her plan into action with being out on a case but she knows that she will totally have the girls helping her. Now if only Kevin would get that she is done with him and leave her the hell alone. As they arrive at the airstrip, they see that they are the last two to show up. All the guys stare as Penelope grabs her suitcase out of the back of the SUV as the girls head onto the plane. Hotch and Rossi look over at Derek who just shrugs and grabs his stuff to head onto the plane. Reid is the one who finally gets the nerve up to ask Penelope why she was taking a huge suitcase instead of her normal ready bag on this case.
"I'm taking this instead of carrying three separate bags. This has my computer and my clothes in it," she says as she climbs into the plane.
As Reid ponders this, one thought comes up in his mind, "you're still going to have 2 bags to carry to the field office while we are here."
"Yea but the suitcase makes it easier on me for the flight to and from where we are going," she says as she takes her laptop out of the suitcase to start working on the case.
As the rest of the males make it on board, they all see Penelope sitting there waiting for the rest of them to take their seats so that they can start going over things for the case. The two other girls just laugh at the reactions of the guys when they see Penelope already for action.
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