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This is a CCOAC Happy New Year's Challenge Pinch Hit for SlasherrGirl featuring the assignment pairing of Morgan/Garcia and the three prompts were a giant countdown clock, champagne, and fireworks. The guidelines stated that two of the three prompts must be used within the story; I used champagne and fireworks. Also, the Country Song Prompt You Lie by The Band Perry was used. Please let me know, what you thought of this story, because this was the first Morgan/Garcia that I have posted. I hope you that you enjoy it!

Her Secret Truth

"Secretly, I'm wanting you and I'm hoping you want me too." – Secretly, Jennifer Lopez

Penelope smiled as she wiped away a stray lone tear from the side of her cheek near the tip of her eye. She blinked every time that she heard the fireworks discharge throughout the neighborhood, and she would smile a little wider when the fireworks would burst into the multi colorful display against the dark purple of the Chicago skyline. The cold brisk wind gently blew by and she tucked her hands underneath her arms a tad snugger than what they had been originally.

She sighed and hummed melodiously to the soft music that played inside the Morgan family home. The loud snap of the storm door closing made Penelope jump guiltily and she sharply look over to the front door in surprise. It was Derek. The person that she had been trying to avoid for most of the night. Tagging along with him to visit his family had been a bad idea. The more she saw of his family the harder she fell in love with him. Her heart hurt, because the harder she fell, the harder it would be for her to keep her love concealed from him. He loved her as a best friend.

"Hey Baby Girl," Derek greeted softly as he walked across the front porch. She tilted her head to make eye contact. He grinned at her and tapped her nose before he stated. "What'cha doing out here?"

She smiled and blinked back tears before she looked away from his concerned gaze. She sighed. "I just needed some fresh air."

"Bullshit. You lie." He stated as he stepped up behind her and brought her flush against him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his clasped hands on her abdomen. "You've never lied to me before so don't start now." He stated as he settled his chin on the top of her head. "What's wrong?"

She closed her eyes at the warm sensations that crawled slowly up and down her skin. Her throat burned as she held the cry she desperately wanted to release. She had never lied to him. Is that what he really thought of her? Dear lord, she had been lying to him from the moment he had first called her Baby Girl. She had fallen in love with him the moment he had said Hey, Gomez. He literally had her from hello. She did not answer his question. The silence between them grew as the crickets chirped and more fireworks boomed throughout the neighborhood.

She felt his arms leave her abdomen and wish that they had not. Even though, it hurt her to be so physically close to him, she liked to be held by him, because she knew that was as close to him as she would ever be. Reality hurt. She felt him slowly and smoothly slide his fingertips up her arms and pause at her shoulders. He cupped her shoulders and softly squeezed. She prevented a moan from escaping her mouth by forcefully biting on her bottom lip, which slightly broke the tender inner flesh.

He broke the silence as he gingerly turned her so that she was now facing him. "Penelope."

"I love your family." She exuberantly confessed as if to distract him. She hid the fact that he had aroused her and she continued to hold tightly to her secret truth; that she loved him more than a friend did, or even, a best friend should. Their friendship had originally been based upon sexual innuendoes and flirtatious banter yet she did not feel comfortable with him knowing that he had aroused her with the simple of touches.

She perplexed him with the change of her demeanor and the random confession of love for his family. His eyebrow slightly furrowed, as he felt disappointed that she had not said that she loved him. He shook his head before he titled his head down to stare into her eyes. He grinned down at her as he inwardly berated himself for wanting more from her and their friendship.

"I'm glad. They love you too, baby." He stated as he trailed his fingertips down around her shoulders and down her arms only to stop them by threading them with hers. He felt her resist the action, yet he did not pull his fingers away from hers, he actually tightened them. His eyes narrowed at her resistance. She had been rather jumpy around him the past few days. They had arrived in Chicago four days ago at the bequest of his mother who wanted to meet the woman that he called his Baby Girl.

Derek inwardly snorted at the thought, because his mama had wanted to meet Penelope from the time he had mentioned her. Yet how was he supposed to tell her that his mother wanted to meet her, but oh by the way disregard anything incriminating that she might or might not say? It had been a gamble, but his mama and his sisters had behaved. They had not told Penelope that the man of the family was knee deep and head over heels in love her.

"Are you having fun?" He asked as he caressed the back of her hands with his thumbs. She jumped, blinked, and parted her mouth before she closed her eyes.

He regarded her for a moment before he noticed the beginning stages of a blush on her cheeks. His mouth slightly opened in surprise. Was she? Yes, she was. His grin turned into a sly smile. If he could not get her to love him, he would begrudgingly settle for her wanting him. He deliberately took a step closer to her and tugged on her hands for her to rest flush against him. She resisted slightly, but did not pull away. He saw the confusion flit through her brown eyes and her brow furrowed. He released one of her hands and slowly ran that hand up her arm, neck, and across her ear and jaw until he reached her chin. He tilted her chin up. Her mouth opened in shock. He bent down to kiss her, but paused when he heard the storm door ever so slightly closed.

"Yes, mama?" He asked as he tightened his grip on Penelope. He'd be damned if she would use his mama as an escape route.

"Derek?" Fran replied in question as she realized that she had just interrupted something significant between her baby boy and his baby girl. "How did you know it was me?"

"Desiree or Sarah would have made a ruckus coming out here. You being a lady did it gracefully."

"Derek, stop picking on your sisters." Fran warned before she added. "They are ladies too."

"Did you need something?" Derek asked and Penelope hit him on the bicep with her free hand at the dismissing tone he used.

"Yes," She replied and smiled at how Penelope had chastised him for his small infraction of disrespect. "Actually, I wanted to let you both know that the ball is about to drop and that Desiree is starting to pour the champagne for the midnight toast."

"Come on, baby girl, if we don't go in now, by the time we do, Sarah will have all the champagne drunken, she's being eyeing the bottle all day."

"Derek." Fran stated in a warning tone.

"Alright, mama," He sighed and added as he grinned widely. "I promise that I'll leave your baby girls alone until next year."

"Derek Francis Morgan!" Fran chastised as she laughed at her son's sense of humor.

Penelope rolled her eyes as she good humoredly tugged him toward the door, inside the house, and passed an amused and all-knowing Fran. Penelope felt grateful for his mother for inadvertently interrupting what Penelope thought would have been a disaster. Although, the actual act of being kissed by Derek would have definitely not been a disaster, but she felt that the aftermath would have. Penelope knew that if he had kissed her then she would have blurted out her feelings for him and it would have been embarrassing trying to endure her gentle let down that although he did love her, he did not love her in the way she loved him. She would not have been able to endure such an event and tonight she had been saved from doing so. Her secret truth was safe.

For now.