Game Changer

Chapter Four

2004

Day 143

He came off the elevator feeling like the world was a sick freaking place and he hated it. The case was all about teen boys being molested by a sadist freak who then encouraged them to kill themselves. Two did it and that made Derek so pissed he couldn't see straight.

Never before had Garcia been waiting as he walked off the elevators. She must have had security alert her when the team came in the building.

The team stalled in their tracks. No one said anything to her.

The moment was thick with tension as Derek stood there, looking emotionally beat down, and staring in her eyes. He knew she could tell from all their phone calls where his mind was at during this case.

The rest of the team walked off as Derek walked close to Penelope. He didn't trust his voice in that moment so he just looked in her eyes.

And she hugged him. Their first hug.

From then on everyone knew they were best friends and a lot more than just flirting partners.

XXXXXX

Day 227

"Merry Christmas, princess!" Derek called out as Penelope walked into the office party. "Are you going to give me some sugar for my present?"

"You couldn't handle getting any sugar from me. You just might die before the New Year if I gave you some."

"Die from joy."

She raised her eyebrow at him and dead panned "From exhaustion."

Reid asked "When will this end?" to Gideon.

Gideon replied "Some things have no natural end."

Derek drug Penelope under the mistletoe. She startled and blushed. He brushed a kiss on her cheek, the first time he ever did that, lingering for a long moment and then whispering in her ear "I got you a present, baby girl. Lets go to your office."

She nodded and headed that way quickly. He smiled. It looked like she wanted some breathing room from him. Being close to him got to her. He liked knowing that.

For all their time together- in the conference room late at night, at the bar, on the phone, hanging in her office- he still was learning things about her and still wasn't sure about how she felt about him. Sometimes he thought she had a wild crush on him. Other times he thought she was happy enough with the way things were. He never felt like she would be "lucky" to have him into her cause he was so damn great and she was just a geeky girl who loved her computer and Star Trek. She sometimes alluded to that being the case and, when she did, he would work overtime with the flirting to try and convince her that was far from the truth.

One of these days, he vowed, she would know just how absolutely amazing he found her. She'd have no doubts she was the light in his world. One day. Somehow he'd let her know she was the woman who made him see good on the worst days.

Derek walked into her office a minute after her. He had stopped at his desk to get her gift.

She was back to her sparkly self. She cried "I got you something too, Hot Stuff!" She handed him a card and a present.

He opened the card and saw it was made on the computer. It had a picture of the whole team on the front of it. It was a day they celebrated JJ's birthday in the office.

Inside it said: Merry Christmas from someone who thinks you rock hardcore, you hunk of studly man flesh.

He laughed so hard his stomach hurt. She was adorable and funny all at once. He couldn't imagine his life without her now.

He asked her "Studly man flesh? Really, Garcia?"

"What?" she teased "Are you disputing that?" She touched his arm. He looked at the place where she was touching him...thinking, wondering, warning....she let go.

Penelope gave him his gift next. He shook it. "Hmmm......whips and chains?"

"Don't you wish, Hot Stuff!"

"No, not really."

She pouted.

He went on "My baby girl deserves to be treated better than that, don't you think?"

She smiled. "Open your present already. It will be 2005 before you do it at this rate!"

"Before I do you? Is there an offer on the table, Garcia?"

"Do it, I said." Their eyes locked on each other. "Derek...open your present and stop giving me that look."

"What look?"

"The I-want-Christmas-nookie look."

He laughed. "Garcia! You imagine things!"

"Sure I do, hotness."

He opened his present. It was a set of Star Trek DVDs. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Watch it. Learn it. Love it."

"I can't do anything with this, baby girl."

"Sure you can. It's the key to knowing more about what I like and you want to know how to please me, don't you?"

"When you put it that way, mama, I love it. Thank you." He gave her the present he had for her.

She opened it. It was a box full of clothes that all had Chicago written on it. He bought it when he was home earlier in the year and missing her.

He said "JJ gave me your size so if its wrong then take it out on her not me." He threw his hands up.

She looked at the clothes. "Are you trying to brand me or something, Morgan?"

"What do you mean?"

She just smirked at him. "This is like writing your name on me. You get that, right?"

"What? It is not! Its just some sweat shirts, jacket and a hat. Don't try and be a profiler. It's a Christmas present, baby girl. If you don't like it-"

"I like it. I'll think of you whenever I wear any of it."

He stared deep in her eyes. "Good."

"Thank you, sweetness."

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

"Going home for Christmas?"

"Not this year."

"Why not? You can't just sit here all alone."

"We don't have enough time off to make it worth it. Just three days."

"So what are you doing instead?"

"I'll come up with something. What about you?"

"Something, I'm sure. Hanging out with JJ, probably. She wants me to go to her parents place in Pennsylvania but I don't want to intrude."

"You get bored you call me."

She grinned. "Seeing you outside of work all alone?"

She brushed her hand over his chest and he felt shivers race down his spine.

He teased her "Don't get any naughty thoughts in your head. We'll see a movie or something."

"Rated R?"

He laughed. "You are relentless! Its Christmas, woman. A holy time of year."

"I'm sorry. Are you very religious?"

"Not very. And, besides, even God knows that you can't help yourself when you get around me."

"That's true. Luckily you can't help yourself either."

"Oh, I could, if I wanted. I got reserves you know nothing about, Garcia. I could outlast you in a No Flirting Contest."

She stuck out her hand. "Bet?"

"What?"

"See who lasts longer. Absolutely no flirting or nicknames."

"Are you serious?"

"Are you scared?"

He shook her hand. "Baby girl, you're going down."

"You lose!" She smiled and walked out.

He chased after her. "What?! What did I say?"

"We said no nick names."

"I didn't know we had started yet, sweetheart."

"You lose, again!"

"Garcia-"

She walked into the party. "Hey, everyone, guess what just happened between me and Morgan?"

He clamped his hand over her mouth. "Carry on. She's a little tipsy."

Penelope giggled against his hand.

XXXXXXX

Day 228

Derek opened the container that held his Star Trek movie. He planned to check it out and see if he could stand watching it. The DVD inside was not Star Trek though. It was Training Day.

He laughed. His baby girl got him something she knew he would like. But she also told him what she liked and to learn about it. If he did he would show her he cared about her in a way that went deeper than flirting. He decided then he would watch all the Star Trek he could stomach.

For his baby girl.