A/N: It probably was only a matter of time until I would jump on the band wagon for a post-ep for Snake Eyes of season 7. Personally I didn't find it as bad as most of my friends, but than again things like that usually don't shock me much anymore. This story is a oneshot - for now - and pretty angsty. I could write a follow up I assume if there is any interest, but can't guarentee anything. The title of the story is inspired by a song that actually inspired the story: Little white doves by Dirty Vegas - but the song is in no connection to the story,other then lending the title.
Knowing something isn't right and doing the right things were two very different things. And Derek Morgan knew the fine difference. He usually would have always done the right thing, always. But this time, this time he knew that if he did things would never be the same again. Things would only get worse, fall apart and leave him without his best friend.
Derek had never lied to Penelope, and never did think he would have to. But having seen first-hand over the last few days what would happen if Penelope thought she had spent the night with Morgan was giving him a quick wake-up call.
Interestingly enough Morgan had always assumed if it ever should happen between the two of them things certainly would take a different course. A positive and much better course. He spent years, night after night fantasizing the night, when it finally would happen – and he was certain it would happen. He knew the day would come. But how things turned out even he didn't see coming. Sure, when she called him that particular evening a few nights back, in tears and on her best way to be drunk, he should have known better. Should have known that this could end badly, but he was her best friend, he was there for her all the day, on the good as well as the bad days. So he got his stuff and got to her place.
The two empty bottles of wine on her table should have told him all he needed to know, but he chose to ignore that first sign. An hour later, and several tear-filled and sobbing moments later he found himself kissing his way up and down his best friend's chest and tummy, hearing sounds coming from her he somehow assumed a Kevin Lynch never got to hear. He knew they would be good together, once he took that step, but boy, didn't he know how good. They were perfect – in every possible way. Derek had always felt great during sex, but with her, it was like an ecstasy, a high he never wanted to come down from. That night was like a drug that wouldn't leave his system anytime soon.
For four years he had to watch from the sidelines, see Lynch be the man in Penelope's life he himself wanted to be. He had to witness how Penelope threw herself head first in a relationship with a guy who didn't even appreciate Penelope the way she should be appreciated. He knew Kevin tried his best, and certainly was a good guy. But he wasn't right for Penelope. And Morgan would say he himself was that guy. The guy that was perfect for his Baby Girl. And last night just proofed that to him.
Waking up the next morning, her in his arms, snuggled firmly against him, he felt good for a long moment. Smiling to himself, he knew things certainly would change now and they were truly on their way where they should have been a couple of years ago already. But sometimes truly good things took a bit longer to get started.
Morgan was ready to confess his undying love to her, make sure she was aware of how he felt and that last night would be the start of many more. He would make sure she was aware that this was what he wanted as much as she did and then get them started on their relationship. But he never got that far.
Leaving the shower in one of Penelope's rather small towels, still half dripping from the shower – for the first time in a long while not a cold one – he saw her looking at him surprised for a moment. He could see her thinking, trying to piece together last night, before running around franticly and looking for clothes – the same ones he peeled off her last night, feeling more like ripping them off but she wasn't having that. Occasionally she threw him a piece of garment that belonged to him, before picking up all her clothes in a large pile and running, eye mask and morning coat and all to the door, into what looked like Kevin Lynch. And gone she was, leaving back a rather confused Morgan.
He certainly had other plans for how the morning after should have gone. And this was not even close to his ideas. And Kevin Lynch wasn't taking any part in them either. Standing in Penelope's living room for a while, with only a towel around his hips and a pile of clothes in his hands, he wondered what exactly just happened, but figured he could always ask her later. Just that later never really came.
Getting into work, he had to leave more or less right away again, on a case, having no chance talking to his Baby Girl about anything. When he had to call during the case he got rather short answers, no flirting, in fact sometimes she even seemed cold and rather distant. Since the case was rather of an urgent nature there wasn't much time in following up with his best friend's behavior either. Until their return to Quantico at least. And that's when he cornered her in her office, wanting an answer or two, getting potential issues out of their way before they could move finally forward. And regretting that almost immediately. When she told him she was back on good terms Morgan almost felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach. And when he saw her expression when she asked about what exactly had happened, he knew the last thing she wanted to hear was what she already assumed.
He knew technically what he had gotten himself into that night. Knew that things weren't definitely, finally over between Penelope and Kevin, and yet he had made the decision on moving them – him and Penelope – forward. He had known the background, that they had a fight, but also knew that neither of them had called it quits. They just had gone separate ways for the night until the other one would have cooled down and they could talk things through. He himself seemed in that moment hung up on an idea that a few days ago seemed to be the course his life would take. But now, standing opposite of Penelope, he had to realize he himself couldn't make that decision all by himself. She would need to have a say in it as well, and loud and clear did she speak that moment.
He saw her panic, her worry and her fear of what potentially could have happened. So Morgan decided that moment, to save them, their relationship and most importantly herself.
Watching a movie, too much wine and falling asleep seemed the most logical explanation – never mind them waking up in bed the next morning. But judging by the way she ate his story, it didn't matter what made or didn't make sense.
And maybe it was just too early yet. Maybe they weren't ready yet for that step in their relationship. Maybe it was just still too soon. Maybe they needed to wait a bit longer. But one thing was for sure: Their time would come. He knew it, could feel it deep down inside him. Sooner or later. And then things would be right. For always. All he had to do was waiting, and hope Penelope would at some point wake up, realizing it as well. Because for now that was all he could do: Hope and wait. Like he had done for the past seven years.
*-*-*-*-*-* THE END - for now anyway *-*-*-*-*