JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS

DEREK

The car ride from the mall to Pen's was filled with awkwardness and silence. Neither one of us knew what to say, or how to say what we wanted to say, I knew then that when we made it to her place, I wasn't leaving until we talked things out. I can't keep going on like this. I thought as I looked out her window as she drove down the busy streets to her place.

We finally made it to her place, and into her apartment, she left the living room as I took a seat on the couch. When she came back into the room she had changed from her high heels to a pair. She glared at me as she sat on the far end of the couch, I gave her a small smile and moved over closer to her.

I let out a breath "Ok now miss thang, what in the hell made you think, me and Prentiss were in a relationship."

"Derek, I don't know I thought she was the reason we fell off. I know after I dumped Lynch, we kind of fell off and you moved closer to her. I mean you guys were basically throwing it around the office that you guys were together. And you haven't been talking to me, you've been taking her to our favorite spots-"

"Pen listen to me ok. Let me explain some things. You have no idea how upset, and hurt I have been, over the past couple of months. A lot of things has happened between us, some really bad things has happened with us and I take all the fault for it. I should've made some things clear from the beginning, I should've talked to you instead of running to Emily. You're my best friend and I'm supposed to be able to talk to you about whatever and I didn't do that. I'm so sorry I have let this go on for too long." I took a breath and studied her face, to make sure she was following along with me.

"Derek what are you talking -"

I held up both of my hands singling that I wanted her to just wait and listen. "Please let me finish, I'm afraid if I don't say this now it won't ever get said. Penelope that day, when you finally witnessed what a lying cheating asshole that Kevin Lynch was, and you broke it off with him. I couldn't help but think hmm maybe this is my chance, maybe now I can finally tell her how I really feel. But then I began to think its too quick, maybe i should give it a couple of months, give her time to heal, she has just witnessed her boyfriend of three years cheating on her there's no way she's going to jump into a relationship right now.

And when we finally got Lynch out the house and closed the door, you fell into my arms, you beat at my chest and you cried and you told me that you hated me, because I was just like him. I knew that was true, because I use to do, what he did, all the time. I tried to give you some space, I knew then that you weren't ready for a relationship. Soooo I pushed all those feelings to the side because in that moment you didn't need another boyfriend, what you needed was your best friend, soo I continued the best friend role, our flirting picked back up to the way it was before Lynch even appeared. I thought maybe you were ready and that I could slowly gain strength enough to tell you my true feelings.

I was ready Pen, that day when I showed up to your house and you had a guy over, a new boyfriend, and you introduced me to him as "Morgan your friend from work." I was crushed Pen, I knew then that the feelings I had for you, you couldn't return them. Soooo I completely backed off, you didn't even notice, but the team did. Emily did, she noticed it was effecting my work. Sooo she forced me to talk to her, and that's what I did. She became a friend that I wasn't afraid to let in to my personal life. Yes we've gotten closer, yes i have shared things with her that i would've only shared with you, when cases begin to get to me I talked to her, because you weren't there. And even though me and Prentiss are closer, no one and I mean no one will ever get as close to me as you are." I finally stopped talking and turned my head to looked at her.

"Derek you weren't the only one hurting over these last couple of months. I've lost my best friend, the one I depended on for everything. There were times when I really needed you, you weren't there for me when Kevin came back a couple of weeks later, and accused me of being the unfaithful one in the relationship, he called me a cheating whore, because he thought I was sleeping around with you Derek. You don't know how bad i wanted you too come and soothe me, and comfort me but you were no longer there either. Derek, We both promised that we would never stop talking to each other, and we did. I don't know about you but I don't want us to ever experience this again, I was lost without you." She said as tears fell from her eyes and she fell against my chest. I pulled her in closer to me, as I began to run small circles on her arm.

"I know baby girl, I know I was lost too, I wish I would've handled things differently. We left each other when we really need each other the most. And I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me and lets move on from all of this. I hate when we're like this baby girl, can we please, please just put this in the past. Can we just focus on the future, our future."

"Yea. I'm tired of fighting, I want to go back to the way we were, Derek"

"Me too Penelope. But there's something else I need to talk to you about." I told her. Since we were laying our true feelings on the line, now would be a good time to tell her what I have been trying to tell her ever since she was shot. I was going to lay my heart on the line once again, and hopefully she will take.

"Sure what is it hot stuff. I miss saying that" she said and I gave her a small smile.

"Baby girl, I'm tired of running from us. I feel it and I know you feel it, there's so much more to us than just friendship. When I go to bed at night you're on my mind, when I wake up you're on my mind. I feel like I have to hear your voice every damn day, and if I don't I can't function right. I guess to make the long story short, what I'm trying to say is, I love you Penelope "baby girl" Garcia." I told her. I looked down at her. Her mouth was hanging open, her face was expressionless. After a few moments of her not saying anything, I begin to worry, maybe it was too soon, or maybe she doesn't feel the same way... "Well can you at least say something so I won't have to just sit here like a damn idiot" I laughed.

She blinked her eyes and smiled at me. "Wow, Derek not that I don't feel the same way, because i totally do, believe me i do, but i just want to know, when did you realize all of this. I mean you've never acted like I was anything more than a friend to you. What's changed"

"Nothing has changed I have always loved you, but what made me realize that I was deeply, deeply in love with you, was the day when you were shot. I promised myself that day that if you made it through all that, I was going to prove my love to you. I told you I loved you Penelope, and you said it back to me, but then you were with Lynch. I'm not letting you get away this time, I'm not losing you to someone else ever again."

PEN

My mind is going crazy right now. Who would have ever thought, that I would be sitting on my couch, with Derek Morgan confessing his love to me. Today has been a crazy day.

"Oooooh Handsome, I love you too, I thought that day you were just caught up in the moment. I am so sorry Derek, if I would've known I wouldn't have started anything with Lynch, I would've -"

"Baby, baby shhhh ok, we are no longer living in the past. It's all about right now and our future. We can't change what happened in our past, but we can make sure we have a damn good future. I love you and that's all that really matters right now"

"I love you too hot stuff." I said as I wrapped my arms around him. "I have missed you sooo damn much"

"I know baby, I know but I won't be leaving anytime soon." He said as he leaned down and kissed me. This was Our first real kiss, and he was really making it memorable.

When we finally pulled away he smiled over at me. I will never get tired of seeing that smile. "That's good to hear Handsome"
"Can I you a quick question" I said as a thought popped into my head.

"Yea shoot, what is it"

"Exactly how much did you and Emily flirt" I asked. "Not that I'm trying to be jealous or anything, I just wanted to know who's the best flirt."

"Oh god, we didn't flirt at all. That would be like flirting with Sarah or Des. Ewww" He said as He squinched up his eyebrows and shivered. "I mean me and Em knew that there were certain things we could and couldn't talk about and say to each other. It would've been sooo damn awkward, and weird to call her "baby girl" and "doll face", no thank you."

"Hahahaha. I could only imagine." I laughed.

"Yea but anyway lets stop talking about all that past drama. What are you're plans for Christmas." He said as I laid my head back across his lap. He immediately picked up one of my curls and began twisting it in his hand.

"Um, I don't know I've decorated as you can see. But I'll probably just go to the Christmas party on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas Day I'll probably, just watch christmas movies all day with Peyton. What about you"

"Well probably the same thing on Christmas Eve -"

"Yea I know, And you'll be heading to Chicago, that night"

"No I'm not going, to Chicago this year."

"Why I thought you go every year for Christmas."

"Well yea, I do, but I just figured that, maybe they should come here for a change, their actually coming here and staying for a month. Soooo I pick them up from the airport bright an early Saturday. They are attended the annual family christmas party thing with me at work too. Hey I got an idea why don't you and Peyton spend Christmas with us, My mom will cook a big meal, there will be lots of Christmas music, and lots of gifts. So what do you say, want to spend christmas with us"

"Yes of course I would love too, but I'll have to ask Peyton. So are you done decorating yet"

He laughed "Done, baby girl I haven't even started, I have no tree, no lights Up, I haven't even bought gifts yet. I just wasn't in the mood."

I raised an eyebrow at him "are you in the mood now." I smirked.

He laughed, "Yea I think I feel a little christmas spirit somewhere up in me"

"Ooooh lets decorate, and go shopping. I have things to pick up as well. Oh my god we can put an inflatable snow globe out front, and some reindeer on the roof, and -" I said as I started to clap my hands. The thought of being able to decorate an actual house instead of an apartment excited me.

"Baby, baby listen, let's decorate the inside for today, and tomorrow we can go shopping, and decorate the outside. I haven't even cut the grass and all of that. And plus I kind of need to go get my car, from the bar around the corner, I rode with Em, to the mall."

I pouted "Ok handsome we can go get your car, buttttt bright and early we're going shopping and were going to get the biggest christmas tree in the land of Christmas trees."

"Yes I know baby, when you do christmas, you do it big."

"Well handsome, that's not the only thing I do "big"."

"Women how I have missed that dirty mouth of yours." He said as he laughed and leaned down to kiss me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "Mmmm baby" he said as he pulled away "if you want to go so we can decorate, I suggest you stop trying to attack me and lets go"

"awww you ruining all the fun. But you're right lets go."

"I love you baby girl" he said as I grabbed his hand, and pulled him towards the door.

"I love you too hot stuff."

Isn't it funny how three little words can make your spirits brighter. Make you laugh more than you have ever laughed before. Saying those three little words came just in time for Christmas too!