Disclaimer: As always, I don't own a damn thing!
Finally getting around to posting this!
For C.C. Baptiste ... (and Christmas Gift Fix Exchange Challenge)
Pairing: Morgan/Garcia
Song: This Christmas – Donny Hathaway version
Three prompts: Strawberry lemon cheesecake/ Mistletoe/ Open fire
None are used at the moment...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A Tender Loving Christmas -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Penelope tried to be festive, God did she try, but she just couldn't master it. Not for love nor money. She looked around, there was tinsel, baubles, lights, hell, even a tiny fake tree, but Christmas was not what exuded her at all.
She huffed as she turned the channel over for the umpteenth time; finding either reruns on, an old and near enough forgotten rubbish Christmas movie or the news documenting yet more snow.
She gave up on the TV, leaving it to talk to itself and looked out of the window, even this high up she could see the snow falling heavily outside and she was cooped up away from it.
Some Christmas this was turning out to be.
Bah Humbug! She mentally screamed at herself.
"You know, you have every right to feel like that, Baby Girl," Came Derek's baritone voice from the doorway, he had one of those killer smile's on his face as he rested against the doorway, a present under arm. "Think I got here just in time."
"Handsome," Penelope started as she turned herself uncomfortably to look at him, "you're supposed to be at the airport by now, catching what limited flights out there are."
"I have other priorities." He told her and approached her, "so how you doing?"
"Even more annoyed for you being here," she said softly, a pout on her lips, "but thank you."
Derek smiled at her, and put the small brightly wrapped box on her lap, "considering you're locked up in this place a couple of more days, I thought I'd give you a little something to keep you going."
Penelope raised an eyebrow at him, but he prompted her to open the box up, so she obeyed. Looking in her confusion grew. "Derek?"
"Look, you've got a broken leg and well," he grabbed the fluffy key ring and pulled it out, "I thought this was your colour." He shrugged as he dangled the key in front of her.
"You're asking me to move in with you?" She asked him warily.
Derek grabbed the key as he held on to the purple fluffy key ring and nodded, "you cannot make it up all those stairs at yours so I thought this was the better route."
"You gave up Christmas for me?"
Derek frowned, "Now who said anything about giving up Christmas?"
Penelope sighed, the guilt riddling her, "You've been looking forward to Christmas since you were allowed time off, Handsome. Momma Morgan's big ole Christmas in the beauty of Chicago..."
"Shall I let you in on a secret?"
"Nothing's going to stop you." Penelope quipped.
"I would have got the grandbaby talk all over and I would, yet again, have no response for it, Baby Girl." Derek told her straight off, "Plus, if I'd gone, like you black mailed the others, then you would have had to have stayed in hospital until someone was around to look after you."
"That's a lie!" She exclaimed at him, "Not all of Christmas."
"I spoke to the doctor, with the damage that crash did, you would've only left this place if you could guarantee help, so I can." He said with a self righteous smirk on his face. "I can take you home, and give you the Christmas you so nearly lost out on."
Penelope's eyes watered, "Thank you," she said again and just felt Derek wrap his arms around her as she wiped her tears away.
"What are best friends for eh?" He asked her as he comforted her.
"Not for Christmas that's for sure." Penelope told him as she then went to cling onto him tightly.
Derek just held on because only 3 weeks earlier had he been pacing the hospital's walls in a mad panic after receiving a call to tell him that Penelope had been involved in a severe car crash.
Derek couldn't contain his anger as he paced the hospital corridors hours later; he rushed back and forth before repeating the pattern. His baby girl had been fighting for her life and it was only a couple of weeks before Christmas. It shouldn't have been like this, she should've been at home, wrapping presents like she told him she was planning to do.
He'd watched the team wait with the same nerves, this time was by far worse than when she was shot. They were altogether when he had gotten the call and they'd all arrived together to find out she was in surgery.
Likewise to when she was shot, they had all been together when the doctor came out to tell them the news. Unlike before he couldn't offer them hope or good news.
After having her car hit a patch of ice on the road she'd spun out only to be hit by a lorry, in turn her car had rolled over several times trapping Penelope in its process.
The entire accident left Penelope in a coma, and they'd all sat around waiting for a Christmas miracle.
They had their prayers answered when she woke up nearly a fortnight later.
Derek, ever since, hadn't left her side and refused to be anywhere else this Yule time.
"So Baby Girl," He started, bringing her attention back to him and away from the keys, "Seeing as I'm the one that's leading this recovery, what do you say to moving in?"
"Well, Cup Cake, I don't get much option so I guess; let's do this!"
Derek's smile literally exploded, "We can even make Christmas dinner." He said and leant in, "just think, our first Christmas alone."
"Probably my first not alone." She told him and her mood slipped a little, "so what other plans do you have?"
"That can wait, what do you mean your first Christmas not alone."
"Doesn't matter," Penelope shrugged at him, immediately wishing she hadn't done that as the pain rushed through her.
"No, Princess, what was that comment for?"
Penelope looked up at Derek, her eyes watering, her lips pinched as they held away the emotions waiting to burst.
"C'mon..." He prompted and took her hand.
She looked down, "every year I stick around here on my own." She then looked up and tried to smile, "I don't go anywhere for Christmas, and I never once got an invite to Kevin's so I just used to keep it quiet and stick around here and then hideaway."
Derek's look showed her he wasn't pleased.
"You had families to see, I wasn't going to interrupt that. I go help out with the plays at the centre and stuff, and do extra counselling sessions but since my parents died I've not really be one to celebrate this time of year." She looked at him more intently now, "Especially on my own."
"Baby, I would've taken you to Chicago."
Penelope shook her head, "I wouldn't have let you." She said with a smile, "I'd have done it this time had I not had that crash."
"Well, I never ever thought I'd say this, but I'm so glad you did have it." He smiled her, "Do you even bother with a tree?"
Penelope bit her lip, "just a tiny one."
Derek almost glared at her.
"C'mon! A tree for one?" She asked him and tilted her head, "I just never saw the real point, I put a few decorations up but nothing that's really mind blowing. I do that at work for you guys." She teased him lightly.
"Well, it's a good thing I am staying behind."
"Oh God," She started, dreading what was to come. "Why's that? Or do I even want to ask?"
Derek chuckled, his smile sticking firmly on his face. He sat down on the bed now, leaning over her, oh did he have ideas for this year, "Count Christmas 2010 as your best Christmas ever."
Penelope could fell his breath on her, the minty freshness of it, and she worried about her breath, something she'd never done before. She was aware of her probably haggard looking appearance; the cuts that sat on her features from the blast of glass from the initial impact of the crash, she was aware of her not properly washed hair and all because Derek was looking at her in a weird way.
She was finding this all too bizarre but in the same way, she was finally excited about breaking free of the hospital.
"We're going to put lights up everywhere and I'm going to get you the biggest Christmas tree ever and all your presents are going under it."
"Oh yeah?" She asked him, "What about yours?"
"I'm more worried about yours." He told her and sat back away, "and then on Christmas day we're going to open presents, have the biggest breakfast ever and then chill out while dinner cooks and then we will be pulling crackers over a Christmas turkey."
Penelope smiled at him, "you've got it all planned."
He looked at her with certainty, "we will have us the best Christmas in the history of us. We just need to get the ball rolling."
"We do, Handsome, when's that going to start?"
"Tomorrow when I get you out of here, that's when." He told her stood up after he winked at her.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A Tender Loving Christmas -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
A/N: So there it is =) The beginning of Christmas for these two...