Derek knocked timidly on Penelope's dressing room door and waited for her gentle invitation before slipping inside.

"Hey," he greeted her softly. He held out the bouquet of flowers he'd brought and tried to gauge her reaction. Was that anger or just surprise in her eyes?

"You came," Penelope observed just as quietly. She took the flowers with a vague sound of thanks and laid them on her dressing table before crossing her arms and giving Morgan a puzzling look.

When she started staring at him, any hope he'd had about mending their relationship tonight started to dissolve under her gaze. "Look, Garcia, if you don't want me here, I'll go," he stammered.

She shook her head and wrapped her arms gently around his neck. "I'm glad you came, Derek," she whispered, then leaned back to look him in the eyes and added, "Really."

He smiled at her reassurance and said, "That was a really great performance, Penelope."

Garcia broke into a wide grin. "Well, thank you, Agent Morgan," she said in a flirtatious voice that Derek hadn't heard her use in far too long. "My costume sure is silly, though."

"I like it, mama," Morgan purred, following her lead and easing back into their old manner with his eyes locked on the way her costume accentuated her generous cleavage.

"You would!" Penelope laughed out loud but wrapped herself in a nearby jacket, much to Derek's disappointment.

There was a moment of silence before Penelope ventured to address the elephant in the room. "I've missed you, Derek."

"I've missed you too, Baby Girl," he assured her, and wrapped his strong arms around her shoulders. She smiled as she buried her head into his oh-so-familiar chest.

"Morgan, would you maybe want to get a drink with me?" She asked a little nervously.

Derek stepped back, sighed deeply, and ran a calloused hand over his head. "God, I wish I could, Penelope," he lamented, "but I've got plans with Savannah."

Penelope's heart dropped to her stomach and she could feel her face blushing deep red. She should've known better. Still, she couldn't help but call him out on the way he was acting.

"You shouldn't have even come, Derek," she snapped. "I'd hate to interrupt any of your time with your precious Savannah." She knew she was being petty, but at the moment, she didn't actually care.

Morgan, caught odd-guard, stammered for a response, but Garcia interrupted him, saying, "Did you even remember it was my birthday today?" Seeing the deer-in-the-headlights look on his face, she laughed humorlessly and spat, "Some best friend you are. Just get out, Morgan."

Realizing it was futile to argue, he hung his head and took his leave, feeling about two feet tall and wanting nothing more than to blow off his plans, run back to Penelope, beg her forgiveness, and piece back together his relationship with the best friend he'd ever had. But he couldn't.

On the other side of the door, Penelope's shoulders shook with silent sobs. She should've known better than to think she'd ever be more than an afterthought in the perfect little life of Derek Morgan.