A/N: I just wanted to forewarn you that this chapter is a tad bit harsh. There are some prejudices in this chapter that will continue on with the story. I do hope that this chapter doesn't offend anyone, because that is not my intent.

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or any of the companies affiliated with the brand.


Twenty-Five Years Earlier

Wewoka, Oklahoma

December 22, 1995

7:30 a.m.

"Welcome to Seminole Country!"

Derek didn't say a word, he just adjusted his sunglasses as he stepped into the blearing sunlight, of the small sleepy town. Derek shifted his bag in his hands as he looked around the town. It had been at least four years since Derek had been to Wewoka and nothing had changed.

The bus stop was still in front of the Wildhorse Café, there was only one main light that lead into downtown and it was still the capital of the Oklahoma Seminole Nation. Yet, for all the similarities the town still held, Wewoka felt different to him. He didn't know what it was, but it didn't feel like the hidden oasis of his youth. There was something that was left lacking and he couldn't exactly figure out what it was.

Derek picked up his remaining pieces of luggage and carried them into the Wildhorse Café. He stepped in to find his eyes on Doreen Simms, as she was busy serving up piping hot cups of coffee. Derek found the nearest both and slid himself down as he reached for the menu.

"Are you lost?"

Derek looked away from the menu momentarily and stared at Doreen who was openly starring back at him.

"I hope not, Ms. Doreen."

Doreen didn't say anything, she just popped the gum she was chewing on before she nodded her head slightly. "You look like one of those Bluefires."

Derek chuckled and shook his head, "No'm I'm a Morgan through and through."

Before Doreen could respond, the front door of the Wildhorse opened and Racine Bluefire shot through the door and practically threw herself Derek. Derek had managed to get up and out the both before she launched herself at him.

"Look at you!" Racine gushed as she wrapped her arms around him. "You've grown tremendously. And just as handsome as ever!"

"You know him, Rae?" Doreen asked as she referred to Racine buy her nickname.

"Dorie, I know you remember my brother, Michael's son, Derek. He used to come and visit every summer."

"I knew he looked like a Bluefire." Doreen said with a shake of her head. "Y'all need anything today."

Racine shook her head, "No, we're good this morning, Dorie. I'll be back this afternoon, though."

Doreen nodded and gave her a small smile, "Good. Welcome to Wewoka Derek."

"Thanks, Ms. Doreen."

Racine waited for Derek to get his belongings before guiding him over to the large F-350 truck. She handed him the keys before walking around to the passenger side and letting herself in. Derek stared at the keys momentarily, before he went about securing his belongings in the bed of the truck; Derek had got his official welcome back to Wewoka and he had to admit he was satisfied.


Los Angeles, California

December 22, 1995

5:30 a.m.

"What the hell happened to you?" Cheyenne Garcia asked as she swung the door open to find Penelope Garcia staring up at her.

"Kevin and I, got into it again," Penelope murmured as she stumbled over the threshhold.

Cheyenne snaked her arm around her waist to keep her steady. Cheyenne propped her up against the wall as she went to bring Penelope's luggage into the house. Cheyenne shook her head as she rolled the large suitcase into the house. Every time she turned around Penelope and Kevin was going at it and it always had something to do with Penelope's unorthodox upbringing.

"What was the fight about this time?"

"My, going to your wedding."

Cheyenne stopped fiddling with the bags to give Penelope her undivided attention.

"What did he say?"

"He said that we shouldn't go to the wedding, because we wouldn't fit in there. "

Cheyenne cocked her head to the side, her glossy black hair shaking with her, "What the hell was that supposed to mean?"

Penelope lifted her gaze to met Cheyenne's, "He was objecting to the wedding because it's on an Indian Reservation."

Cheyenne sucked her teen as she rolled her eyes, " Are you kidding me? Blue is Black Seminole and Wewoka is his home. It's a family tradition that the oldest males marries at home and we're sticking with it."

Penelope nodded her head, "I told him if he didn't like it, then he didn't have to go to the wedding. And then he really got mad. He put me out and said he's calling the engagement off."

Cheyenne held her tongue. She knew how much this engagement meant to Penelope and she wasn't about to hurt her feelings with her screams of joy. "He just put you out, huh?"

Penelope looked away from Cheyenne, "How bad is it?"

"If you put an ice pack on and re-do your make up, some of the swelling will go down before we get to Wewoka."

"You must think I'm stupid."

Cheyenne placed a manicured hand on her hip, " It doesn't matter what I think Pen. All that matters is what you think."

"Does Blue hit you?"

"And mar this beautiful cocoa-almond-fudge toned skin of mine? Never."

Penelope didn't say a word, she just pushed herself up off the wall. "How much longer 'til we leave."

Cheyenne glanced at the clock, " Our flight doesn't leave until noon. You can still catch a few winks if you need, too."

"I think I'm going to go and lay it down."

"All right, I'll be here."

Penelope stumbled down the hallway and Cheyenne watched her in silence. It was no secret that Cheyenne loathed Kevin publically and privately. Her disdain for Kevin had to do with his messed up rational of the world. In his eyes women should be seen and not heard and people of color were of no consequence, which constantly brought up dissention between the two. What made the situation worse was that she wasn't sure who to be more angry at, Kevin or Penelope.

It was not great secret that Cheyenne was the old person out in the Garcia household. Cheyenne had been adopted before Penelope was born. As a child she had a creamy golden complexion that was just right complexion to be a representative of the Hispanic population in the North and South America. The only issue was her dark ears. As she got older she grew into the darkness of her skin tone. She was stared at often, but people automatically assumed that she was Cuban or Dominican Republican because of her last name and fluency in Spanish. She laughed at the thought, she was just a Spanish speaking Black girl, born in Lackawanna, New York and grew-up in Los Angeles, California.

Cheyenne, for the most part, tried not to let anyone discourage her or say anything to get her of her square, but she knew that people could unusually cruel when they wanted to be. Which is why she and Kevin squared off at all times. She refused to be downplayed and he refused to accept her. It was a bad atmosphere.

Cheyenne didn't know why Penelope stayed, but she was quite sure it had everything to do with their parent's deaths. Cheyenne never said a word about it, because she understood, that the scars from their parent's death would only heal with time.


Wewoka, Oklahoma

December 22, 1995

10:30 a.m.

Derek had managed to get through the large breakfast his aunt had made, relatively unscathed. Under normal circumstances, Derek's life would've been dissected by his nosy aunt, which would've brought about the three hour conversation of how his life, specifically his love life was in shambles. However, the excitement of his cousin, Gideon's wedding had been his saving grace.

Derek had excused himself from breakfast thirty minutes ago and he found himself standing outside the stall of Sir Nigel, the offspring of Derek's beloved horse, Charlevoix. It has been years since Derek had ridden a horse and it was clear from the way that he was pacing outside the door, that he was tempted to do it.

"You're an idiot you know that right?" Derek turned around to see Gideon standing in the middle of the barn.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you're here. Why, are you here Derek?"

"You're getting married and I'm your best man." Derek replied, with a 'duh' tone.

"You weren't do in until Christmas Eve."

"I showed up two days earlier, why does it matter?"

"You just don't show up, D. You plan everything. So, again I ask why are you here?"

Derek looked from his cousin to the horse and back again, "Want to go for a ride?"

"Am I going to get answers?"

Derek gave Blue a soft smile, "Maybe."

"Let's go. We can check the fencing while we're out."

Under normal circumstances, Derek wouldn't even contemplate going horseback riding at the end of December. However, he needed to do something physical. In a matter of minutes Derek had saddled Sir Nigel, while Blue had saddled his stallion Knight Ryder. They tore out of the barn heading along the south pasture. Blue held Knight Ryder in check, while Derek gave Sir Nigel his lead. Eventually Derek slowed up a bit and Blue caught up to him, the horses moving at nice even canter.

"You want to tell me why you're here early?" Blue asked as he tore his gaze away from the land before him.

Derek glanced at his cousin momentarily before flicking the reins, "Kelsey."

Blue shook his head, "What about her?"

"She's pregnant."

"And that brought you here? You're running away from your responsibility? Dude, she's your wife!"

"She's due next month."

Blue paused, "Oh."

Nothing more needed to be said. For the past two years Derek had been stationed in Germany. He served his country, missing his entire family only to come home to find out that his wife had been unfaithful their entire marriage. It had taken everything in Derek not to kill her. He had been loyal unto her, faithful and she threw his love and trust back into his face as if it was trash.

Blue sat atop his horse and stared at Derek for a long time. Blue knew that there was something missing from the story; he just couldn't figure out what it was. Blue sat silently his mind working in overtime, processing everything that Derek had said, well, rather didn't say. And then it hit him.

"We're family, right?" Blue asked, his voice quieter than usual.

Derek raised an eyebrow before answering his cousin, "I do believe so."

"And I can pretty much ask you anything, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Jaxon isn't yours is he?"

Derek brought his horse to a stop and whipped his head towards Blue. Derek never uttered a word, his answer was in his eyes. Blue shook his head and sighed as he stopped his horse. Blue understood Derek's pain to a tee. Prior to meeting Cheyenne, Blue was married to his high school sweetheart, Faith, and through there six years of marriage, he believed that he was the father of her three children, all girls, Hope, Charity and Serenity. It was during her pregnancy with Serenity when his paternity was called into question and she had explained all.

However, the pain that Blue felt was nowhere near as much pain as Derek felt. Blue married Faith because she was pregnant. It was the proper thing to do. Derek married Kelsey because he loved her, being pregnant with Jaxon was just the icing on the cake. Derek knew that Kelsey was the one for him when he met her in his Intro to Law class, his freshman year at Northwestern. He enjoyed everything about her: her smile, her laugh, the way she talked, the way she thought. Everything about her was compelling. Never, in a million years did he think that she would betray him.

"You know, if you want Cheyenne will whip her ass for you. Just say the word."

Derek stared at Blue and saw the seriousness on his face before he burst into laughter, "I appreciate the sentiment, but I think I'll be okay in handling in this. Besides this weekend is about you and Chey, it doesn't include my martial issues."

"Are you and Kelsey going to stay married?"

Derek looked at his watch. "We've been divorced for the past thirty-six hours. So no, we aren't going to stay married."

Blue was tempted to press the conversation, but he didn't. He knew Derek better than anybody and he knew that Derek had said enough on the conversation. Derek was going to move on.


Los Angeles, California

December 22, 1995

9:30 a.m.

Penelope and Cheyenne sat in the breakfast nook of Cheyenne's kitchen eating a sumptuous breakfast of bacon, eggs, hash browns, toast and grits, when there was a knock on the door. Cheyenne looked up at the clock, then back at the door before popping a piece of toast in her mouth. Penelope raised an eyebrow before taking a sip of coffee.

"Aren't you going to get that?" Penelope asked.

"Uh, no." Cheyenne replied as she reached for a piece of bacon.

"Why not?"

Cheyenne smirked as she sat back in her seat, "Because Kevin's not welcome here."

Penelope's eyes widened, "How do you know its Kevin?"

"Because the idiot is still knocking. Anyone else with sense would just leave," Cheyenne said as she began to munch on her bacon. "Besides, anyone who is important to me would know that I'm getting married. They'd wait until I get back or they'd see me at my wedding."

"I see."

"Are you going to answer the door?"

Penelope shrugged her shoulders in in difference. "Should I?"

"He's your fiance, not mine," Cheyenne replied.

Penelope got up from her seat, coffee cup in hand and headed towards the door. Her long blonde tendrils were pulled back into a chignon, with soft whispy curls framing her face. She sighed as she pulled the door open.

"Yes?" She asked as she came face to face with the supposed love of her life.

"Didn't you hear me knocking?" He asked his face contorted with anger.

"What do you want, Kevin?"

"Can I come in?"

Penelope shook her head and laughed, "I don't think that's a good idea."

He stood staring at her before rolling his eyes, "And why is that? Is it because you're afraid of, Cheyenne."

Penelope stared at him for a long moment, before she cut her eyes. Every time, Penelope told him no about something in regards to Cheyenne. He automatically suggested it was because he was afraid of her. Penelope wasn't hardly afraid of Cheyenne. In fact she embraced and loved her older sister.

Penelope knew that she may be naïve, about how the world worked, but she wasn't stupid. Inviting Kevin into Cheyenne's home would've been the start of World War III and no matter how smart and conniving Kevin thought he was, Penelope knew that Cheyenne was way smarter.

"My sister doesn't like you. This is her house and I respect her."

"So are you saying that you don't respect me?"

Penelope rolled her eyes. Every time she said something, anything, Kevin just had to find a way to undermine and any other time, she would've probably argued about it. However, she didn't have the time or the inclination to do so.

"What do you want, Kevin?"

"I came to get you. I was wrong. I shouldn't have thrown you out. I know that you have a special connection to Cheyenne, despite the differences."

Penelope raised an eyebrow, but she never got a chance to answer when Cheyenne's voice came through the living room "And what differences would that be?"

Penelope looked over her shoulder to see Cheyenne leaning against the archway that connected the living room to the hallway. Penelope knew under the cool, indifferent stance was a volcano ready to explode and Kevin was going to be the idiot to cause the eruption.

Kevin glanced at Cheyenne and sighed, "Listen, you and I both know that Penelope won't fit in there."

"Why wouldn't she fit in?"

"There are distinct cultural differences between Americans and Native Americans."

"Just like there are distinct cultural differences between Black Americans and White Americans, right. Because I'm quite sure when you said Americans you specifically meant White Americans."

Penelope sighed and begin to mentally count back from a hundred. She should've never answered the door. Because, now, it was all going to come out on why Kevin didn't want her to go to Cheyenne's wedding.

"Why is everything about race with you? I was just making a factual observation," Kevin replied curtly.

"As was I."

"Could you two please not now do this, now?" Penelope asked softly.

"Do you feel like you won't fit in at my wedding, Miss P?"

Penelope smiled, "Not at all, Miss. C. "

"Good. Now Kevin, if Penelope feels she's going to fit in just fine, what the hell is the problem?"

"You're getting married on an Indian Reservation."

Cheyenne stared at him blankly, "What does that have to do with anything?" Blue's Black Seminole."

"He's not even a real Indian," Kevin countered.

"Not a real Indian? That's like saying that I'm not African-American."

"But you aren't African-American, you're not from Africa."

Penelope quickly jumped into the conversation, "Do we really have to do this right now? This conversation is only not rude, but I'd like to think it's very inappropriate."

"I was just stating the facts."

"Kevin, do us both a favor and stop stating the facts," Penelope responded harshly.

Cheyenne chuckled, "Let me get this straight. You don't want Penelope coming to my wedding, because my fiancée is Native American and because it's on the res?"

"Don't say it like that."

"Like what? Like your prejudice?" Cheyenne countered with her hands on her hip.

Penelope threw her hands up, "This is why I didn't want to have this conversation. We're not going to get anywhere with this."

"There's no way to go with it. You're engaged to a prejudice asshole."

"Cheyenne, please."

"Please, what? I mean if he's allowed to spout factual bullshit, the least I can do is tell you the truth."

Kevin cleared his throat, "Technically, your opinion of me doesn't matter. Unlike Preston, Kyle, Adam and Tristan, you are not her real sister. You're not even her real family. You're adopted. Just like a stray cat or a dog."

It was silent only for a beat or two, before Cheyenne simply turned and walked away. Kevin stood there with a triumphant look on his face, before his gaze met Penelope's. The tears that were strolling down her cheeks were undoubtedly real and so was the slap she laid across his face. "How dare you? How fucking dare you, Kevin?"

"Penelope."

"No!" She practically screamed at him. "Who are you to walk up in this house and berate my sister. Who are you to disrespect my family?"

"I didn't mean-"

"You meant it. And to dehumanize-" Penelope paused taking in a deep breath. "Get the hell out."

"Penelope, I'm sorry."

"I'm not the one you should apologize to."

Penelope never gave Kevin the chance to apologize, she just pushed him out the door and out of her life.


"Ce-Ce, are you okay?"

Cheyenne looked up from the bag she was packing and stared at Penelope. "I'm fine."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't do that," Cheyenne replied quickly.

Penelope stared at her confused, "Don't do what?"

Cheyenne ran her fingers through her naturally curly tresses and sighed, "Don't apologize for him. In fact, don't ever apologize for him again. "

"I don't want you to think-"

"Think what? That we'll never get along. That when you marry him, we won't be cool anymore."

Penelope shook her head, "I'm not marrying him."

Cheyenne offered her sister a sad smile, "Sure."

"You don't believe me."

"It doesn't matter what I believe, P. All that matters is what you believe. I just don't know why anyone would want an existence in which they'd have to apologize constantly for someone else's ideas and thoughts." Cheyenne zipped her suitcase closed. "I get it, you love him. And as stupid and as idiotic as I may think it is. I get it."

"You can't help who you love, Ce-Ce. Ain't that what you always said?"

Cheyenne stared up at her sister, "When it's good and when's right, you can't help who you love. Blue, he makes me forget about the bullshit in the world. He helps me to see the good, he reminds me that I'm never alone. And that somebody loves me for me; not just because we grew up together."

Penelope didn't say anything and Cheyenne didn't expect her to. There was simply no way to respond to this situation, unless someone was begging to get there feelings hurt. Cheyenne had dealt with enough hurt feelings in her life. She didn't need to deal with anymore. "Did you finish packing?" Cheyenne asked changing the subject.

"There's just a few more items that I need to pack."

"Maybe you should go and finish that off. We'll be leaving soon."

"If you need anything-"

"I know." Cheyenne cut her off with a smile.

What Penelope didn't know as she walked down the hallway was that the seeds of doubt had been planted in her sisters head. Her relationship with Cheyenne was changing. And it wasn't for the better.