Don't Want To Miss A Thing

Morgan and Garcia

Chapter Four

December 2007

He had never in his life went from such a low to such a high in a minute's time.

Derek Morgan's heart had been crushed and dragging on the ground when he left Penelope Garcia's office, after she told him she saw no harm in giving Kevin Lynch a shot to win her heart. That she wanted to move on.

He felt devastated, stunned, heart broken and lost. Just taking a step was hard. Thinking was impossible. His emotions were raw and he felt like anyone who looked at him would see the pain piercing his eyes.

He had such dreams for him and Penelope. Dreams that he only really allowed himself to start to imagine after she was shot. Before that everything was always fun between them. Always a crush. Always sexy and exciting. But neither of them pushed for more. He didn't think he was ready for a serious girlfriend and she meant so much to him that she could never be just his casual sex buddy.

No matter how damn hot he found her. He also respected Penelope. They were best friends and as close as family. She was in his heart.

When he heard she had been shot, on that night when he was already all torn up because they had been fighting and he couldn't seem to make it right between them, since she blew him off when he asked her out for that evening, Derek had felt like the biggest fool for never having confessed his feelings to Penelope. Hearing she was shot made it clear to him: I love her! She's everything good in my life! I will give my life just to protect her. I will spend my life loving her.

And a few days later he told her for the first time that he loved her.

Ever since then he didn't like to be away from her. He felt like they were, moment by moment, moving toward being a couple. That every time she said "I love you too," she was promising him that when she was healed they would go on dates. They would see what they could be together.

He made sure he said the words several times in the last few weeks, just in case his meaning was lost the first time or she thought it was said cause that night had been extremely emotional.

Today put in doubt all he was confident before was happening between them. Penelope had said all along that Derek needed to give her more space. He just didn't want to hear that though. He fought himself to pull back and had finally managed to do it a little bit.

He didn't understand that she had her eye on another guy that whole time. Leaving her office today, after she told him that, he finally got it through his hard head. She didn't want him.

Almost having made it to his desk he heard her call his name. "Morgan!"

Slowly he turned around and she plowed into him at a high rate of speed, wrapping her arms around him and speaking very fast "I'm sorry, Angelfish. So uber sorry! I didn't realize how you were feeling. Don't be silly and think I would want anyone else to be my noir hero but you. You are my heart's true deepest desire!"

Derek's eyes widened really big. His heart jumped to his throat. What was she saying?

"What, baby girl? You just said a minute ago-"

"I take it back! It could hurt to give him a shot. It could hurt my future more than anything else ever could and it could hurt your beautiful, faithful heart and I won't be the woman who does that to you."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I promise. Just follow your heart. Your heart will tell you where you need to be, not your brain and not guilt or pity."

"Derek Morgan!" she snapped, not liking those words coming out of his mouth at all. Her eyes were lit up with this sweet love but then the flashed with a little annoyance. "Do you want to stay on the grid? Then listen up and listen good." Penelope softened her tone, as she caressed his face, and added, speaking slowly and staring into his eyes, "I didn't know how you felt and now that I do it changes everything."

Derek felt his heart swell as he tried to really believe her words and let his mind wrap around what they would mean for the future.

Just then JJ walked toward them. As Reid sat nearby staring at this scene, along with some other agents.

JJ said "Sorry to break this up but we caught a case. Round table room in ten. And, Morgan? You're one lucky man. Remember that always cause I'm the one in charge of booking your hotel rooms and you could end up pretty darn miserable if you get on my bad side." Then she gave them a little smile and said to Reid. "Spence, walk with me."

He got up and followed her. Reid asked JJ "Is something going on with them?"

JJ just rolled her eyes because sometimes Reid could be oblivious, even though he was amazing when it came to profiling strangers.

Derek took his eyes off JJ and Reid, as they walked away, and gazed at Penelope again, this time his look was filled with tenderness.

Rossi, the newest member of their team, came strolling in. "Morning, love birds. This is what I like to see. PDA in the a.m. I remember those days well." With a smirk on his lips he headed for his office.

Penelope blushed and moved away from Derek. Hitching her thumb over her shoulder she said "We better get to round table room for the briefing."

"After you, princess." Derek followed Penelope with a smile on his lips. When they got to the room he poured them both coffee, adding sugar in hers, and then brought it to the table. "So, we have a few minutes still, tell me what clicked in your hard head this morning that hasn't every day for weeks now?"

"I kept wanting so desperately to go back to how I was before I was shot. I wanted everything to be like it used to be but it can never be that way again. I'm different and you're different. I didn't want to face that because I didn't want him to have been who changed my life...and so I guess I never could let myself see that going forward there could be this big, bright, shiny, sparkly, uber awesome life waiting for me. I was looking back at what I lost instead of forward at what I could have. I kept thinking I would be okay again only when things were back to how they had been and leaving no room in my mind for the idea that I could be okay if things are forever different from now on. I don't want to do that anymore cause it was stopping me from truly hearing what you were trying to say to me."

He ran his knuckles over her cheek. "I think I just need to be a little more clear when I say things so there are no more major misunderstandings. Cause I keep forgetting I'm dealing with such a hard head."

She smiled softly at him before grasping his hand and squeezing it.

Emily came walking in. "Ugh! It's a blizzard out there- oh!" She smiled at them when she saw the sweet way they were gazing at each other. "Well at least someone around here is getting some. Morning!"

"Hey, Prentiss," Derek said, as he still gazed at Penelope.

"Hey, Em," Penelope said, never letting her eyes leave Derek's.

"So I take it you two had a great Thanksgiving, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty good," Derek said, as he reluctantly glanced away from Penelope. "What about you?"

"I was stuck at a senator's house in Connecticut. My life would be so much better if I could just tell my mother no sometimes."

Hotch came strolling in. "Why am I hearing whispers about some kind of make out session in the bullpen?" he asked, shaking his head in a miserable way. He gave Garcia a narrowed eyed look. "Not inside the building from now on."

"Yes, sir! But, boss man, we weren't doing anything scandalous, I promise. We were just talking."

"I've heard you two talking before and its more than enough to turn heads," Hotch said, sitting down. "Looks like we have a triple homicide in Houston. It could be a spree killer so we have to get on this fast and be prepared to track him nationwide."

From then on the team was all about work till the briefing was over, when Derek walked Penelope back to her office. As soon as they were inside he pulled her into a tight hug. Against her ear he said "What I really meant to say, baby girl, is that I'm in love with you and I want us to start building a future together."

Holding him, as she pressed her cheek against his chest, Penelope whispered back "That time you were uber clear in your meaning."

He pulled back and look down into her eyes. His twinkled with love. "And? What do you say to that offer?"

"Hmmmmm." She pretended to contemplate it.

He chuckled. "Garcia!"

"Hmmmm. This is so sudden."

"Oh, woman, you're getting a spanking! Just as soon as this case is over you are in so much trouble."

Penelope giggled. Raising her hands to caress his face she said "Nothing means more to me than building a future with you."

He kissed her cheek in a very loving way and then whispered against her ear. "Thank God for that."

Moving back a little he asked "When this case is done would you like to go out to dinner with me?"

She smiled at him. "I'd like to ravish you till you can't move but if you are offering dinner first then I guess I could eat. But that will just be an appetizer because you're my main course."

"Behave!" he cried, even though her words turned him on. "I gotta go, sweetness." Derek gave her a huge smile, just like he had when he first saw her that morning. "While I'm gone, you do me a favor and make sure Lynch knows if he sends any more flowers your way I'll be going up to his floor to promptly shove them up his ass."

"Derek."

"Tell that guy the deal or I will."

"Handsome, don't you even try it."

He gave her a fake stern look. "Tell me what I wanna hear."

"I'll make sure Kevin knows that this tech Goddess is officially off the market."

Derek waggled his head at her "For good!"

"Oh, we shall see about all that. You should be so lucky."

He chuckled. "I have always been a very lucky and blessed man so I ain't gonna worry about it anymore. You and me are on the right track this time. About time too." With that said he headed out of her office to go grab his go bag.

His smile was so huge that anyone who looked at him could tell that Derek Morgan was a man in love.