A/N: Just a reminder, I do not own Criminal Minds, CBS does, I merely just put the one and only ship together.
Many thanks to HotchHoneyLC for all her support :)
Derek didn't waste any time with the always busy elevators, and instead opted for the seven flights of stairs down to the lot where Penelope always parked her old trustworthy Esther. Running as fast as he could, skipping several steps and coming dangerously close to the walls on more than one occasion, he nearly ran over a poor soul coming up. He didn't even bother apologizing, he was entirely too focused on finding Pen before it was too late. He pushed open the entrance door so hard that it came crashing into the wall, and quickly scanned the open space.
No sign of Pen or Esther. He continued running, sweat pearling on his face, his handsome features overcome with the blind panic he was feeling when he discovered she really wasn't there. He thought of going to the next floor, in the hope that maybe she had simply changed parking lots that day, even though he knew that was futile. Penelope ALWAYS parked there. His last bit of hope was crushed when he found Strauss next to the double doors leading to the elevators. She even had the audacity to smile at him, despite the anger flaring in his eyes at the sight of her, leaning against the white bricks.
"I'm afraid your friend had to leave rather prematurely." She was openly challenging him now, knowing she had him where she wanted him to be. With a little tug of her shoulder she pushed herself off the wall, slowly walking towards Derek who stalked up to her so forcefully she put a step back before standing face to face with him.
"My offer still stands, Derek," Strauss said with a sweet voice, trying to push herself against him, but he just growled, his face merely inches from hers, his fists clenched.
"I dunno what game you think you're playing..." His tone was cold and menacing, but Strauss didn't seem impressed, on the contrary.
"You know I love it when you really show your power," she whispered, her fingertips lingering on his biceps, "It makes you so..."
Derek grabbed her arms to keep her away from him, seeing red with anger.
"Derek, let go of her!" Hotch's voice resonated through the parking lot. He took Morgan by the arm, leading him away from a defiant Strauss who was now facing Rossi, who had come down with Hotch.
"Erin, your decisions lately have more than ... puzzled us," Dave looked her straight in the eyes, despite her glaring at him. In all the years he had known this woman, there had always been something about her, that made him not trust her even if they had once shared a more intimate relationship, before she began her steep ascent in the FBI hierarchy and he became a top profiler and bestselling author. He knew she was a master of manipulation, not afraid to scheme and trick to get her way. But even a brilliant profiler such as himself didn't seem to possibly be able to understand what Strauss was trying to achieve by separating Morgan and Garcia. "What, in God's name, are you trying to do here?"
He waited until Hotch had lead a still seething Morgan towards the elevators to grab Strauss's arms, not breaking their eye contact one minute. He noticed anger in her look, determination and ruse, but also a glint of something he couldn't quite describe, akin to madness perhaps but not exactly that either.
"Agent Rossi, I believe your questioning to be out of line. I am still your superior, and I do not have to answer to you."
With that, she turned around and left a pensive Rossi alone in the garage.
********
Derek was pacing around Hotch's office, his cellphone to his ear, silently praying for Pen to pick up her phone. His first three attempts to call her rang out to voicemail, he threw his head back, running his hand over his face.
"Try again, Derek, she's probably driving or maybe juggling boxes, you know she'll want to talk to you," Hotch said reassuringly, looking at the man he had never seen so decomposed in his life.
The fifth time was the right one. Hotch quietly left his office and closed the door behind him, leaving Derek the most privacy he could for what he was sure would be one of the most difficult conversations of his life.
"Baby girl," Morgan breathed in relief, his worries temporarily soothed by the sound of her voice. It was amazing what effect the simplest whisper could have on him. As long as she kept talking to him, he knew he was going to be fine.
"I'm so sorry Sweetness, I was hauling up the boxes up the stairs in the courtyard and struggling with the gate,..." Her voice was hoarse from crying, and from the crack in it he could tell she was long from done yet.
"It's okay, baby, doesn't matter, we're here now, you okay?" He knew it was a lame question, but he didn't know what else to ask. The enormity of what was happening to them had not entirely sunk in yet.
"I'm not Derek, I wanted to at least say goodbye to you but Strauss came in with an agent and told me to follow them, JJ got mad at Strauss but she told the agent to take me away while she dealt with JJ and then I was in the garage, I figured I'd stay there and wait for Jayje to relay the news to you so you could at least come but Strauss showed up and she reminded me of the deal I have with the FBI and if I didn't leave she would try and find a way out of it ... I can't go to prison Derek, she can't do that can she?" She was rambling, but she had to voice her worst fear, hoping to make it less real when shared with the love of her life.
"Nobody's gonna put you in prison my love," he said reassuringly, but he wished he could be as convinced as he made his voice sound for her sake. After all this was Strauss they were dealing with.
"When will I see you again?" The first tears started coming, when she thought about all the miles that would soon separate them.
"No matter how far apart we are physically, ain't nobody gonna tear us apart, baby girl, that's impossible," he almost whispered, a lump forming in his throat.
Just then Emily knocked on the door, and stuck her head around the door. She put her hand up, showing two fingers, signaling they had to leave in two minutes to catch the plane. She mouthed "sorry" but Derek didn't even notice her.
"Baby girl, I gotta go, you must know that I would drop this entire case in a heartbeat to be with you, but we don't want to give Strauss or any of the higher ups even more munition, you do understand why I'm leaving right now, do you?"
"I do sugar, I just wish..." Her words were drowned in a sob, and he closed his eyes, trying to choke back his own tears.
"So do I baby, so do I. I will call you as soon as we can and we will talk about this. Be strong for me Goddess, I love you."
"I love you too"
He stared at his shut phone for a few seconds before snapping out of his trance and heading towards the elevators where the rest of the team was waiting for him.
A/N So I ended up cutting it here because otherwise it would be one massive chapter. Next one will bring some temporary relief against the angst/drama, but then it'll be back full-force for a bit. I'm a horror/spec fic writer usually, but a real romantic at heart and I love this pairing so I'll be good to them ;) I'm a little unsure about the dialogues too, as I am not a native English speaker, on the contrary, I never speak it.
But it's up to you, want more? =D
