Disclaimer: As ever I do not own Criminal Minds

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Sitting in the bar that night was reasonably okay, no one asked questions, they just sat and drank in their own little worlds. Penelope was fully aware that Andrea's eyes were firmly on her from time to time and that unnerved her a bit but she relaxed when after an hour no one asked her about Kevin's whereabouts. Oh how wrong she was to let that wall drop.

'So Garcia where's Lynch tonight?' Rossi asked politely, swirling the scotch around in his glass.

'He's working late.' She replied almost instantaneously.

'Again? He seems to be doing that a lot lately.' JJ dropped in a little miffed.

'He wants to get some more money in, pay off his student bills and stuff.' She replied, lying through her teeth. 'Next time.' She said and smiled slightly before sipping at her drink.

'Maybe we should give him a call, tell him to join us after.'

'No, he'll be tired.'

'Pen...'

'It's okay.' Penelope replied sweetly. 'I'll see him later; I'll let him know you wanted him here.'

'Okay... well come on then Prentiss lets go bust a move.' Hotch said taking Emily's hand and dragging her to the already packed dance floor.

'And you Reid.' JJ said with a smile and Reid eagerly complied and followed.

'How about you baby? Wanna dance?' Derek asked Andrea as she finished up a sip of her drink.

'Sure thing stud.' She replied as her lips curled into a joyous smile and she led him to the floor sharply.

'You don't want to dance Rossi?' Penelope asked as Rossi remained unmoved, much like she felt.

'Not my cup of tea... so you going to tell me what's happening with Lynch?' Rossi said and saw Penelope gawp in the half light. 'You've become awfully withdrawn and quiet on us all Garcia.'

'It's nothing.' Penelope said softly and quietly used her drink as a distraction, taking small sips from it hastily.

'It's something to be nothing.'

'It honestly doesn't matter.' She said back and watched as Andrea snaked herself around Derek's body, her mind pacing, her heart pulling tight with those jealous feelings. She watched Derek laugh with affection, with lust and she felt nauseated. 'I'm going to head home.'

'Why?'

'I don't feel great.'

'Garcia.' Rossi warned as she stood up grabbing her purse.

'Just tell them to enjoy their evening and I'll see them bright and early Monday morning.'

'Come on stay a bit longer, its only coming up 9.'

'No, I just want to go home and wait for Kevin.' She lied again but was awarded with a nod that allowed her to sneak out of the bar. She left and immediately caught the first cab she could hail. She then just got in and went home.

Derek grabbed Andrea's hand and led her back to the table, his frowned, his eyebrows knitting together as he found only Rossi. 'Where's Garcia?'

'She headed off home, she wasn't feeling great.'

'Is she okay? Maybe I should pop by.'

'No need Derek, she said she's going to go home and wait on Kevin to go home. She's got it all covered.' He then saw Derek slump on the chair, no attention on Andrea, all of his attention on Penelope's near empty glass.

Penelope had rendered herself responsible for any actions she did in her life from here on out, and once she was in her apartment, the alarm went on, the lights off and in the bath she went, she let the hot water loosen her tensed up muscles and then climbed out, on autopilot she dried and dressed and then got into bed. Pulling the quilt up higher than necessary she hid and welcomed the night.

Penelope opened her eyes to hear his voice speaking to her. 'You need some rest.' Derek spoke to her softly and unmoved.

'You're right. Go. Be free my love.' She said almost automatically, she hugged his god like body and then separated, feeling a huge dose of déjà vu settling over her.

'Hey, I'm not going anywhere.' He said and her mind swam and she skipped some moments that she knew happened after, her lips curled into a sweet ingenious smile.

'Hey silly girl.' He spoke, now behind her and she spun around to look at him. 'You know I love you right?'

She smiled harder at that point. 'I love you too.' She spoke those four little words and then shot up in bed, it wasn't real, it was a tortuous dream of the past. She looked at the clock, 4:27am, she fell back and rendered the sleep, she had 2 days to herself, how much more harm could her unconscious play on her?

Come Monday morning everyone near enough slumped into work, the idea of work not a front runner for motivation. They all took to their desks and did the paper work that needed filling.

'How was your weekend kid?' Derek asked Reid as he sat down with a fresh cup of coffee. 'Get up to much?'

'Just hung out with JJ that was about it. How about yours?'

'Spent Saturday with Andrea, then took her to the airport yesterday, she's going to her parents for a week or so.'

'Not going with her?'

'Nope... next time.' Derek said with a smile on his face and then looked to see Penelope as she pushed through the glass door to the bullpen, she looked a little less like their Penelope Garcia than usually but he didn't want to pry. 'Morning baby girl.' He saw her jump and dropped the few files in her hand. He heard her swear and jumped up to help her. 'I've got it goddess.'

'It's okay Derek, really.' She said as she worked hastily to gather the files together. 'See got it.' They stood up and she looked at him, giving him a small smile.

'Everything okay?' Derek asked curiously. 'You seem a little bit like you're off with the fairies.'

'I'm fine... really... lack of sleep.'

'Kevin keeping you up?' He teased and flashed her a smile that she realised burnt to look at now.

'Yeah I suppose he is.' Penelope said a little unconvinced that she had just agreed with him on that stance of her life. 'Right I've got your files; got anything else you need me to look up?'

Derek frowned at her and her attitude that was so alien for the pair of them, or the for the team, he saw she wasn't in any mood to have a heart to heart with her later. 'Nothing to look up.' He said taking the files off her.

'Okay well if you need me just call or whatever.'

'Pen... will you go to lunch with me?'

'What no lunch date with Andrea?' She asked a little miffed.

'She's gone to her parents for a bit.' He saw Penelope hesitate. 'Come on, one lunch?'

'It's okay Derek, Kevin's asked to go out.' She lied again, but she really didn't like to be a second thought when he had no one else to go out with. If she had to admit that hurt her more.

'Oh okay... well if he cancels, then you know where I am.' Derek decidedly hurt by her reaction. 'I feel we need a chat.'

'Oh?'

'But if you have plans then no worries.'

'Okay.' Penelope said and putting her head down slightly she walked back to her office, her emotions ranging anger, sadness and then shockingly jealousy crept in. What did she have to be jealous of? Andrea wasn't even in the same state. Then it clicked. Everyone had someone and here she was having to lie about still having someone to turn to in her darkest hours.