Disclaimer: Refer to first chapter

"Your face will be the reason I smile

But I will not see what I cannot have forever

I'll always love ya, I hope you feel the same"

-Maxwell, Pretty Wings

Derek looked at the layout of Tamara's home; he could tell she did a considerate amount of planning. Her pictures were strategically placed according to the mood of the room she wanted to portray. When you first walked into her home, you felt welcomed. The family room made you feel the close-knit bond of her family, and the rest of the house had certain themes, but it match the house and didn't take anything away. Tamara had a few expensive items here and there, but she spent her money mostly on her appearance. It wasn't as if she was trying to put on a front for others, she just liked to look a feel nice.

"How do you like my home, Agent Morgan?" Tamara asked as she handed him a bottle of beer. Derek raised an eyebrow and smirked at the bottle. Tamara crossed her arms. "What? I drink beer."

"I see." He knew that she didn't, but was doing it tonight since he was coming over.

"I just prefer wine," She said softly as shrugged, and then sat on the couch and opened her beer and sipped it. Derek went to sit next to her and shrugged off his jacket after he sat down. "Anyway, back to the question I had asked you earlier, how do you like my home?"

"I like it, I like it a lot, but not for the same reasons as you." Morgan said as he took a huge gulp of the provided beer. Even though Tamara wasn't much of a beer drinker, she did her homework, which was to be expected. The beer she bought was high quality and he knew it wasn't a fluke. She wasn't a woman of mistakes or accidents.

"Oh really, so why do you like my home?" Tamara asked inquisitively as she pulled her legs on the couch, and then partially sat on them.

"I occasionally help build and flip houses, so whenever I see I house I tear it apart in my mind, and then put it back together. I appreciate the quality, and then the content of a house, not just what the occupant wants me to see." Morgan took another sip of his beer before he continued. "That was what made me notice the different structure of the wall compared to..."

Derek caught himself, and then looked at his female companion.

"I'm so sorry, Tamara. It slipped." Tamara didn't say anything. She simply stared at the floor. "Maybe I should go?"

"No, please stay." She whispered very softly. "The wounds are still fresh, so it is hard to hear about my brother without getting emotional."

Derek moved to sit next to Tamara and took her hand in his. She looked at him and squeezed tightly. The agent then placed a tender kiss on her forehead before wrapping his arms around her.

Unmoving, Derek laid on the couch with Tamara wrapped in his arms. Her eyes were closed, but she wasn't sleep. The rhythm of Derek's heartbeat soothed her, so she listened. This was how it was supposed to be like. Someone was supposed to be there to hold and care for her when she needed it or just because. She shouldn't have to cry herself to sleep at night, they should just understand and Derek did.

Moments later, Derek's phone rang, but he didn't answer it.

"You aren't going to answer your phone?" Tamara lifted her head to look at Morgan.

"No, it's not important," Derek said as he rested his thumb and forefinger on her chin.

"You don't know that." She countered.

"I do." Tamara looked at him with determination. Morgan pulled his phone out his pocket and flipped it open.

"Morgan." He said by way of greeting.

"Hey Derek," Penelope said cheerfully. "I was wondering if you had any plans tonight."

A smile graced Derek's face as soon as he heard her voice. Spending time with Penelope was always wonderful and he wouldn't exchanged those past moments for anything in the world, but now his life has taken a different course. Although his baby girl meant the world to him, he couldn't push pause on his life. Though no one ever asked him to, Morgan found himself holding his breath whenever it came to the computer technician.

He thought if he waited it out, she would come to him. So, he waited and waited and waited and, no no avail, she never came. Morgan knew that a direct approach wouldn't work with Penelope; she was too stubborn to see anything that wasn't her way. He focused all of his attention on his that he missed other opportunities, but that wasn't going to happen anymore. Morgan saw his faults and was going to correct them.

"Actually, I'm in the middle of something right now." Derek said while he stared a Tamara and gently placed a kiss on her lips. Penelope represented the old Morgan, she was the past; Tamara was his present, his future. He was tired living in the past.

"Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt." In the pit of her stomach, Penelope knew who he was with. Unknown feelings started to parade her heart and mind. "I'll see you Monday, bye."

"Bye." Derek said back to her. "I love you."

"Love you, too." The connection went dead.

"Told you, nothing important." He sat his phone on Tamara's table before placing more kisses on her lips. She reciprocated just as hungrily and pushed him further back on the couch. Derek rested his hands on hers and pulled her close.

Tamara then straddled Derek and stretched his arms behind his head. They looked at one another for a moment.

"I'm afraid that I could fall in love with you," She admitted. Derek stared at her and thought, 'Is that what is like to wear your heart on your sleeve?' Tamara was honest which meant he couldn't play any games, but he never intended in the first place.

"Don't be," Derek sat up so he could be eye level with Tamara. "Because if you get there, I would like you to show me how to love someone the right way."

Tamara's eyebrows wrinkled before she silently started crying. Simultaneously, Tamara and Derek wiped her falling tears as she laughed while crying. Derek's words were the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to her and he meant it. Tamara threw her arms around Derek to pull him close.

Without a doubt, Tamara was his future.