Till There Was You

Morgan and Garcia

Chapter Four

May 2010

Once the team returned back to Quantico they put a few hours in doing paperwork. Quitting time came but Morgan had more work to get done and since they would have a day off tommorow and a new case when they returned he wanted to be caught up.

Purposefully he stayed away from Garcia's office. Their kisses shared outside the inn came to his thoughts over and over, distracting him and prolonging how long it took to finish up his paperwork, but he was trying not to fixate on what had happened and what may happen next.

She had been with Lynch for a couple of years now. It wasn't like Garcia could just hook up with Morgan tonight and they would be all good from now on. Those days were long gone. The days when they were younger and it was still pretty simple. When the stakes didn't feel so high.

Loving her like he did- as a friend and his feelings of lust and questions about what it might be like to be her man (to finally actually be a woman's man, and not just her fling)- all made the situation fraught with tension. Derek wasn't sure what to say to Penelope to make her know that he was cool with her taking time to figure out her feelings.

He knew it might take a while before she knew what she wanted to do. That was the day he was most concerned about: the day she decided if she was staying with Lynch or not.

Derek tried to convince himself he would be able to handle it okay if she did...but he wasn't sure if he was just fooling himself. Penelope was the woman who had been by his side for years now as a buddy. The woman who had grown into feeling like a piece of his heart, his soul, like she was in his blood and bones, in all his best memories from the last half decade and in his future dreams. But what kind of future would they share?

That was the million dollar question.

Even thinking about what he wanted was too much for him that day. Because if he let himself imagine it all working out it would just hurt that much more if it didn't.

XXXXXX

Penelope was surprised when Derek didn't visit her in her office to say goodnight. He usually stopped by before he left for the day.

Memories of what had happened in Alaska- witnessing a murder, Derek holding her last night till she fell asleep and then slipping away to sleep on the floor, and then kissing him this morning- consumed her mind. Guilt over cheating on her boyfriend tugged at her heart. Worries about what would happen next tortured her thoughts.

It was impossible to work so after a few fruitless hours she gave up and shut down for the night. When she walked through the bullpen she noticed that it was mostly deserted. She looked at Derek's desk and saw some files sitting out.

From behind her she heard a gentle, teasing, deep voice ask "Looking for me, sweetness?"

She turned and saw him walking from the break area, coffee mug in hand. Looking as good as ever. Even better actually. Now that she knew the wickedly erotic feelings he could send shooting through her with his kisses, Derek Morgan looked somehow more sensual to her. Just a few days ago she wouldn't have thought that was possible but surprisingly it was true. Her breath hitched as he came nearer.

She asked "Burning the midnight oil?"

He smirked. "Its not quite midnight yet but yeah. What about you? Finally done for the day, huh? Ready to go home and soak away your worries?"

"You've got my number, Angel fish."

"I sure do," he flirted with her, now standing right next to her.

She looked up and into his eyes. "About what happened earlier-" she started, nervously, wanting to tell him that they had both gotten carried away and see if he agreed.

But he stopped her from going any further by pressing his finger against her lips. "Hush. Lets not go there tonight."

Her eyes searched his and then she relaxed, her shoulders losing their tension. He lowered his finger and she cooed at him "Just so you know we will have to go there eventually, handsome." She stroked her hand over his upper arm and then walked away, feeling his eyes on her as she made her way out of the bullpen.

A shiver shot down her spine at the idea of him watching her. Of maybe his eyes being hot with desire like they were this morning. That look was so intoxicating. It made butterflies explode inside her stomach and her skin prickle, her knees turn to jelly, her get panties wet.

Derek Morgan got to her like no other man ever could and today was the day that she had always wondered if it would one day arrive. The day they kissed. It had and she was thankful for every kiss they shared, every beautiful memory.

But what would tommorow hold?

XXXXXX

Penelope and Derek next ran into each other in the break room two days later. The only contact they had between them on their day off had been a few simple texts saying good morning, good night, thinking about you.

"Good morning, princess."

"Hey," she said, in a lackluster way, eyes downcast on her coffee.

"Hey," he said tenderly, turning her shoulder to make her look at him and then lifting her chin so she was staring in his eyes. He saw how tired she looked, how weary and sad. His shoulders sank. "Talk to me."

"Its not you...us...that has me feeling like a walking zombie today. So have no fear, my love. You did not send me into a tailspin when... you kissed me." The last few words were whispered, since other people may walk up at any time.

He teased her "Lets get one thing straight, mama, you kissed me. Best brilliant thing you've done in years." Growing more serious he asked "So, let me guess, you told Kevin about it and he flipped out?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. "I didn't kiss you first. I think kissing a Goddess has melted your mind and you're lost in a lust fog because you, Mr. Amazing, kissed me."

"It doesn't matter who kissed who first. Just tell me what Kevin said about-"

"It matters to my boyfriend. We spent all day yesterday fighting. All day! Have you ever been in a seventeen hour arguement? Its exhausting."

"Seventeen hours?"

"Yeah and its not over yet. I finally pushed him out the door at nearly two in the morning but that was just pressing pause on it."

Derek let out a long breath. "I'm sorry. If you wanna talk to me about it you know I'm all ears." He caressed her arm. Heat shot through him and he quickly let go of her and stepped back.

"None of this is your fault. I'm the cheater and I have to bear the burnt of the consequences for what happened."

"Look, I get that he's hurt but-"

"Kevin has every right to feel betrayed and I have to live with that. But I don't blame you." She smiled slightly, her eyes still weary. "Some things are just meant to be, right, my love? And us kissing eventually is one of those things that was bound to happen before the earth stops turning, like a volcano that you know will explode but you just don't know when. We're the Mount Vesuvio of Lust."

She walked away, leaving him watching her go with the corner of his lips quirked up in a small smile but his eyes filled with questions. He had no clue what she was really feeling today and that unsettled him. Was she actually trying to work things out with Lynch?

XXXXXXXXX

Derek went away for a case and didn't get to come back for four days. While he was away things became a little clearer for him with what was going down between Kevin and Penelope.

Though Derek didn't mention it to Penelope, Kevin Lynch had started to call Derek several times a day, at all hours, whenever Kevin was pissed off (probably right after having it out with Penelope again) and curse Derek out for messing up Kevin's relationship.

Derek apologized for the pain he had put Kevin in but told Kevin he wouldn't take back what had happened for anything. He ended up just letting his phone go to voicemail whenever he saw Lynch's number after the first call.

The more pissed off Lynch got the worse Derek worried about Penelope. He knew that it was her business to deal with her boyfriend and, of course, they would be fighting right now considering Penelope had kissed another man but Lynch better made sure he didn't take it too far because Derek knew no self control when it came to finding out someone had hurt his baby girl.

When he came back home from his case Penelope was walking through the bullpen as the team arrived. Derek was surprised when she rushed over to him, flung herself at him and hugged him with a needy desperation.

He wrapped her tight in his arms, sucking in her sweet scent and the feel of her soft body against his, and tried to soothe her pain. This is what he loved doing most in his life: caring for his girl.