Penelope Garcia didn't like mornings—had never liked mornings. But this particular morning…well, she despised it. This particular morning came after last night. A night of which she'd gotten three hours of sleep at best. Stupid Derek Morgan. Granted, it had been eighteen years, but she'd practically just gotten over the guy. She'd just stopped googling him within the last few months. Boy was that a big mistake. If she'd searched the FBI's system for his name, at least she would have gotten a heads up about his joining the BAU. That would have been helpful. She dropped her bag next to her computer and yawned loudly. Coffee. She really needed coffee.
Even concealer, foundation, and powder hadn't managed to cover the dark circles under her eyes this morning. She didn't usually cake on three layers of makeup, but this was Derek, for crying out loud! She had to look her best when he was around, no matter what it took.
Miraculously, she found her way to the kitchen and the smell of coffee greeted her. "Merciful heavenly angels," she said in a husky voice. "There is a God and he loves Penelope Garcia."
Prentiss, doctoring a coffee of her own, snickered at Garcia's comment.
"So, what do you think of the new guy?" JJ asked.
Prentiss shrugged. "Easy on the eyes. A little too pretty boy for me," she admitted.
Penelope inhaled the scent of coffee as it flowed into her cup. "He gets my panties in a bunch," she said.
Prentiss and JJ froze.
Penelope chuckled. "Actually, one tug and he rips the damn things right off me."
The other two exchanged surprised glances and then JJ cleared her throat. "Fantasizing on the clock, Garcia?" she teased.
Penelope nodded. "And off," she told them. "I've been fantasizing about Derek Morgan for the last eighteen years."
"Eighteen years?" Prentiss asked doubtfully.
"Mmm-hmm," Penelope said, following the admission with a grin. "Ever since he robbed me of my virginity."
With that, she tossed her coffee stirrer in the trash and left the room.
"Boy can she deliver a line," JJ said.
Prentiss nodded, still in awe of Garcia's perfect timing.
___
Four cups of coffee later, Penelope had cleared the counter space in her office and was putting packets together when Derek walked in. "Hey, Baby Girl," he said in his seductive tone. The man didn't even need to try.
Her eyes widened and she looked around to see if anyone was within hearing distance. "Don't you call me that here!" she hissed.
He smirked at her. "So…ahhh…does that mean that…there…will…be other opportunities for me to call you that?"
She rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Derek?"
He cleared his throat and leaned against the doorframe. "I was so hot to get my hands on you last night—"
"You mean your lips?" she shot back.
He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "Whichever body part got to you first, darlin'."
She tried to ignore him by continuing her task. It didn't work. She groaned inwardly. Why did he have to smell so damn good? And she knew it was all him. The man wasn't wearing a drop of cologne.
"I forgot to ask you about your name," he told her.
She cringed at his inquiry. She knew he was going to ask and she'd been dreading having to address it.
"Perhaps you didn't notice, but this…is my office." She stood up and gave him a gentle shove into the hallway. "Yours is out there."
"What's with the Garcia?" he pressed, stepping back into her office.
"It's my married name," she told him with a sigh.
"You're married?" he asked incredulously.
"Divorced," she said matter-of-factly.
"How did I not know this?"
"You must not have gotten the memo," she replied shortly.
"Well…how long were you married?" he asked.
"For six blissful weeks," she told him.
"And then what happened?" he asked softly.
"If I tell you, will you leave me alone so that I can get some work done?" she asked distractedly.
"Maybe," he said in a teasing tone.
"Fine." She took a deep breath, put the packets down on her desk and crossed her arms over her chest—a telltale sign of protecting herself. This wasn't a subject she liked to discuss. He studied her face curiously.
"I…came home from work too late one night," she told him. "My husband didn't like it and he…told me with his fists. I didn't like that, so I decided to leave him. He got…angry and beat me enough to put me in the hospital. I got a restraining order, and a divorce to boot. Haven't seen him since court."
The thought of any man putting his hands on Penelope was enough to put him in a rage anyway, but to think of a man trying to purposely hurt her, well that was just too much. He clenched his teeth, trying to stop the ticking that was sure to start in his cheek.
"Are you OK?" he asked tenderly, taking a step towards her. He couldn't help himself. He stopped when she stepped back, putting his hands in his pants pockets as a sign of surrender. He wanted her to open up to him.
"It was seven years ago, Derek. I'm fine."
"That's not what I mean."
She cleared her throat. "Don't act like you care."
"I do," he told her. "What was his name?"
"Why?" she asked.
He grinned at her. "Because I have target practice this afternoon and I like to name my UnSub," he said in a teasing tone as he turned to leave. He could hear her laughing as he walked out of her office door.
___
"If we're gonna do it, we gotta do it now," JJ said in a low tone. "The guys are gone, and this might be our only chance." The three of them, Hotch, Reid, and Morgan had left for target practice a few minutes ago. She and Prentiss had already gotten their time in for this month.
Prentiss nodded. "It's only nine o'clock and Morgan's already been in her office. He can't stay away from her!"
"Do you really think they slept together?" JJ asked. "I mean—what are the chances that one of the guys we've slept with—much less lost our virginity to—would show up at the FBI? And in our unit!?"
Prentiss stared at her. "In my case? Pretty good. The number is high, and the law enforcement boys are plentiful."
JJ laughed. "Nice, Prentiss."
Prentiss shrugged. "I am a woman, and I have needs," she said. "I make no apologies for that."
JJ rolled her eyes. "Let's go," she said, leading the way to Garcia's office.
___
Garcia blew her bangs out of her eyes as she started working on the last set of packets. This was the most boring job they'd had her do since arriving at the BAU. She hit the stapler, probably harder than she needed to, to get the packet together. Her electronic stapler was empty, and she didn't know how to change it. It was something Reid would always do for her, but he'd left with Hotch and the new guy a few minutes ago, just before she'd run out of staples. She turned around when the doors to her office opened.
"It's like Grand Central Station in here today," she said. "No one ever comes to visit me, and then all of a sudden, it's not even nine o'clock and already, three visitors? I don't think I like it. Suddenly my job just got a lot less predictable."
JJ laughed. "Sorry to encroach," she joked.
"What's up, girls?" Penelope asked.
"We're here to pump you for information," JJ said with a grin.
Penelope straightened and turned around so she was fully facing JJ and Prentiss. "Seriously? They have me putting packets together because you have too much on your plate and you're in here grilling me?"
"Gotta love hierarchy!" JJ said cheerfully.
Garcia wrinkled her nose. "What do you want?" she whined. "I'm tired and I have work to do. Your work," she said, glaring at JJ.
Prentiss sat down in one of the rolling chairs and sat back as far as she could in it, getting comfortable. "So, you lost your virginity to the new guy," she said approvingly. "Do tell."
Penelope glared at her. "Let me get this straight. You came in here to get the lowdown on Derek?"
Prentiss grinned shamelessly. "Yep."
Penelope sighed. "Thank God!" she said, sinking into her chair as JJ found an empty spot on the desk. "I have been dying to talk to someone about it! I didn't think you two would ever get in here. How many hints does a girl have to drop?"
"Stop lecturing and start spilling," JJ ordered.
"He is as good in bed as he is looking!" she told them.
Prentiss moaned and Penelope flinched. "What the hell was that?"
"It's been a looong time," she told them.
"I hear ya," Penelope murmured. "Anyway, I'm not going to go into my entire history with him. Suffice it to say that at eighteen years of age, this girl fell into Derek Morgan's bed, and it was the best night of her life."
"And that's it for the details?" Prentiss asked in disappointment.
Penelope lifted an eyebrow. "He can do the most amazing thing with his tongue," she said.
"And what's that?" Prentiss asked.
"That…is my secret," she said with a wicked grin. "Do you guys want to have a girls' night tonight?" she asked. "Go to that bar across the street?"
"You're not gonna tell us?" Prentiss asked in disappointment.
Penelope grinned again. "Maybe we can get you hooked up!" she said excitedly, slapping Prentiss on the arm.
"That would be nice," Prentiss admitted.
"Then it's a date?" Penelope asked, looking at JJ.
"I just need to call Will and tell him I'm gonna be home late tonight," she said.
Penelope nodded. "Good idea," she said. "Prentiss?"
"I'm in," she said, standing up with a frown. "And since you're done spilling, it's back to paperwork."
"Who knows?" Penelope said. "Maybe tomorrow it will be you with the juicy details to spill."
"Are they?" JJ asked. "Juicy?"
"Oh…so…juicy," Penelope taunted.
___
"Hey, Kid," Derek said to the skinny blonde.
Reid looked around and didn't see anyone else, so he looked at Derek cautiously.
"What do you do to unwind after work?" he asked.
"I…usually go home and…read," he admitted with a shrug. "Or I take files home that JJ has passed over to see if I can piece anything together."
"How about a beer?" Derek asked.
"I don't drink," he said.
Derek grinned and walked over to him, giving him a slap on the back. "Great. Then you can drive. I saw this bar across the street today on my way in."
