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Chapter 6 – Happiness

Of all the people Penelope expected to forget her birthday Derek Morgan was not it. Okay so he'd been away on a case for most of the last month but the team had returned three days ago. All day she had waited for him to give some indication that he knew what day it was and nothing. Emily and JJ had taken her to lunch. She'd received a card with a gift certificate to her favourite hair salon inside from Hotch and Gideon and Reid had somehow managed to get her a script autographed by Hugh Jackman for the X-Men origins movie that he was currently filming. She wanted to find out how Reid had pulled it off but she suspected a little starlet he'd left in California might have lent a helping hand. Even with all the attention from the team the one person she had hoped to receive the most attention from had let her down. It stung even more since he'd been at her house the very night they had returned from the case. They'd made out like teenagers instead of watching the movie she'd rented and then had sex well into the night before falling into exhausted slumber. Somehow knowing Derek had forgotten her birthday but not how to make her come twice in five minutes did not help right now.

Disheartened she got her stuff together and headed home. Sadly, she had refused all offers to do anything since she had presumed she'd be spending the evening with Derek. Arriving at home the first thing she noticed was the odd glow in her apartment windows. Garcia sped up a bit praying her apartment was not on fire to add to the hovering disillusionment of the day. There was a white sock hanging on the door to her apartment and immediately she understood where her best friend had disappeared to for the afternoon. Not knowing what to expect she unlocked the door and entered slowly.

The entire front half of her place was covered in candles including the small dining table, which was set intimately for two. Her missing best friend was headed toward her wearing an apron, what appeared to be the pair of low-slung jeans she'd helped him purchase a few weeks ago and a smile. His feet and chest were bare and he was carrying a glass of wine. If Penelope had not been prepared for just about any eventuality she might have moaned aloud. Just the sight of him, especially, like this was enough, to set her blood humming in her veins, with want for him.

"Welcome home birthday girl."

"I thought you'd forgotten."

He pouted at her. "You really think I could forget a day as important as this? Give me some credit, goddess. I've spent the last few weeks working like a crazy man to make sure we'd be home in time for this night. Honestly, I thought I was going to have to call Strauss and beg a family emergency when we still hadn't caught the guy by Monday. There's nothing I know about you, Penelope that I could ever forget."

She melted. "And that's why you are my one and only hot stuff."

"One of many reasons I'm sure." He led her by the hand to the table where he fed her. Not simply as in served her dinner but actually fed it to her. Once they were done eating he cleared the table while she enjoyed the bath he'd drawn for her. The water was the perfect temperature and scented with a combination of oils, which soothed away her remaining tension from the day. When she emerged from the bath he was there, waiting for her now wearing even less. He had removed the apron and his jeans.

"Are you my dessert," she asked playfully as he guided her into her bedroom. Derek shook his head as he suddenly scooped Penelope up and placed her gently on the bed. He followed her down holding himself up over her as he kissed her. Moving down her body he peppered her skin with kisses and varying licks. She had never thought before about all the ways a lick could change: from long and wet to short and almost dry and everything in between until he got to the top of her thighs. Nudging her legs apart, Derek buried his nose against her core and took a deep breath and held and then repeated the same action twice more. Penelope couldn't breathe.

"Delicious." His one word met her ears just as his tongue made contact with her clit. Penelope exploded.

By the time she was conscious again Derek had her cradled in his arms. "I hope you enjoyed your birthday, sweetness."

In lieu of speaking she kissed him and kissed him. She could still taste herself on his tongue and she couldn't think of any gift that could have made her happier than she was right now. Who needed a boyfriend when you had a best friend, like Derek. She mentally added the benefit of best birthday gift giver of all time to her list before returning her focus to the man who was fast becoming more things to her than she ever thought possible.

TBC…