"Can we have minute?" Garcia asked the bartender in a way that clearly meant he wasn't asking.
The bartender nodded his head respectfully and turned his gaze to Garcia. "No problem. I guess I really should go pay attention to the customers. I have your number Miss Penelope." He added with a sly grin on his face. "I'll call you."
Penelope blushed, never before had a man acted this way towards her with Morgan in front her, usually they just scampered off, but not this one. She loved it. "I hope so, sugar."
He chuckled. "It's Jake, but sugar works just fine. " He replied and walked away, still holding that sly grin on his face.
Penelope sighed and then turned to face her headache.
"Agent Morgan, what do you need from me that is so important you have to ruin my chance on getting a piece of that-" she nodded toward the bartender. "honey over there? "
"You'll be fine. I'm sure he'll have another woman to sweet talk in a few minutes." He regretted the words as soon as he said them because Garcia had thrown up her walls and her eyes hardened.
She took a sip of her drink, glad it was strong. "Not everyone is you, Derek." His name burned her throat as she said it, but she wanted to get that insult across.
He took a deep breath, trying to tamp down his anger. This was not getting him anywhere. "Garcia. I just want to know that's got you so cold the rest of my team can't seem to enjoy themselves anymore. You care to explain that?"
She snorted and looked away from the chocolate eyes she had so fallen in love with. "Oh my. I'm so sorry I'm ruining your team's night. "She bit off, wishing she could just haul her fist into his face. "Tell them I sincerely apologize and next time I will call ahead to let them know which bar I got to so we won't have to run in to each other so awkwardly."
"Goddammit. That is not what I meant and you know it." He retorted, staring down at her now with rage clearly in his eyes.
She stepped up to him, if she was taller they would have been nose to nose. "Oh yeah? Then what did you mean?"
When he said nothing she rewarded him with an icy smile. "Admit it. The fact that I'm not over there pretending like everything is okay gets to you. The fact that I'm not over there playing nice and letting your conscious get off scott free bothers you."
"Woman, you have no idea what you're talking about." He said fiercely. "If this is about what I said to you about Tamara, fine. Act like a child, but in the end it doesn't change anything. It's none of your damn business and you need to stop taking it out on everyone."
She didn't realize that she smacked him until a dead quiet fell on the small bar and her hand stung. For a few moments she shook with rage, not even feeling the stinging of her palm. Her heart was pounding in her ears and the look of utmost shock on his face did nothing to calm her.
"Go to hell, Agent Morgan." Was all she could manage to say as she pushed past him and out of the bar.
...
"Holy shit. Did she just slap him?" JJ asked in shock, as were the rest of the team.
Standing up she was about to approach them when Rossi grabbed her wrist and shook his head at her.
"It won't do them any good JJ. I knew the moment he got up, that Morgan was going to cross a line with Garcia." He said and gently tugged the blonde back into her seat.
They watched in silence as Garcia stormed out and Morgan stood stock still, a hand still pressed to his cheek.
He sighed. "Unfortunately, I believe this is the breaking point for Garcia. Her time with us... with Morgan... is over."
His ominous words had the rest of the team looking down in shame, confusion, sadness. Each pondered their own contribution to the rift that hurt the team. All hoped Morgan would gather his senses and when he did leave the bar a few seconds later, prayed he would do the right thing and win Penelope back.
...
She slapped him. That was all he could think of as he ran out the bar to chase after her. Never in his life would he have ever expected for his Baby Girl to slap him out of rage. Guilt settled inside of him as he saw her retreating figure and his shock wore off slowly. Again he had said something completely uncalled for to her. Derek never wanted to hurt Penelope, ever. He had promised to be there for her when she needed him and now the only thing he has ever done was push her away and beat her down.
"Penelope!" He called after her, heart pounding in his chest and the fear of letting her go with this memory making him sweat.
She whipped around and froze when she saw him, but then she shook her head and got into her car. It was obvious she didn't want to have anything to do with her former Noir hero. Still, he ran to her and when she pulled out to whip away he banged on her window, willing her stop.
"Penelope wait! Wait, please I'm sorry!" It was futile she just rubbed away tears and moved her car into drive. "Baby girl, just give me a minute!"
It didn't matter though. She hit the gas and with one last hit to her trunk she was gone. Away from Derek. Away from everything. And Derek Morgan could do nothing to stop it.
...
On the drive home she cried. The hot tears blurred her vision and the world around her. The pain that was radiating inside her threatened to pull her apart. She had never felt so hurt, so humiliated in her entire life... especially when it was by someone she loved. She wiped furiously at her tears, but it was no use. They continued to fall on her cheeks and run down her face until she was forced to pull over on the side of the road.
She laid her head on her Mickey Mouse steering wheel and sobbed. She cried because the man she loved broke her heart. She cried because the man she loved didn't even care for her. She cried because the man she loved didn't even care that he did so. She cried because she had let him to do it. But what Penelope Garcia cried for the most was the fact that when he was pounding on her window, begging her to stop, she had wanted to. She had wanted to stop and let him back in. She still wanted to.
...
Thanks for the reviews! This one might be a fast one because I'm so into it. I'll have the next chapter up soon, I promise.