A/N: I was surprised to see so many people that actually liked a nice Lynch for once in a while. I know, usually we always make them look nasty and bad and a total douch, but isn't this a nice change? And guess what, that isn't his last good deed. LOL He'll have a come-back

Penelope dreaded Monday. All weekend long she had been screening her calls. Yes, it was that bad. She wouldn't pick up if she heard any of the BAU's profilers on her machine. How could she work with any of them now, after all what had happened? Okay, technically she was more worried about one in particular, but that didn't matter right now. They all had seen what had happened, in front of her boyfriend, no wait, that was her ex-boyfriend now. Even Hotch called, wanting to make sure she was okay. All of them probably thought Kevin had murdered her over the events and maybe she should just call one of them back. Or not. Email was so much better. Less personal interaction.

But eventually Monday came. And she wouldn't call in sick. It a) might look suspicious and b) she swore to herself to never become one of those people who called in sick in order to avoid someone or something, especially when it was due to a personal issue. So she decided to face work and her co-workers. How bad could it be anyways? They had seen her getting shot – although maybe not getting shot as such -, had seen her on bad days and good. They had been through one hell of a lot the past few years, this was just another issue they would look back at to in a few years and laugh.

Halftime through the day Penelope had to realize it had been easier than expected. Not. She also realized avoiding Derek Morgan was a whole of a lot more difficult than she had expected. But so far she had managed to see him. And every time she felt like he might be on his way to her office – call it intuition – she made for the door and needed desperately something from the supply closet. The one the furthest back in the corridor. On the top level. Where she got to by taking the stairs. Yes, it was ridiculous, but at least if she would keep this up for a week she would at least fit into that DKNY dress she had seen a couple of days ago in some window of a department store. Silver lining.

On her latest mission to avoid Morgan, she had to admit walking up the stairs to the tenth floor felt strange and she almost died of a heart attack when pushing the door to the floor open and seeing Emily and JJ standing there.

"Really? That's your great idea?" Emily asked.

"Well, it seems to work, doesn't it?" Penelope replied, walking ahead of her two friends to the supply closet.

"Yeah, but for how long do you want to keep this up? Years?"

Penelope took a deep breath and then turned around to face her two friends.

"Honestly, what do you expect? I mean… I told Morgan that I love him, in quite a very obvious way. With tears. And a whole of a lot of emotion as far as I was told…"

"I am pretty certain he kind of knew that already," JJ offered, but saw Penelope looking at her in a rather 'not helping' way.

"As well, you guys have always been incredibly close. I mean… what makes you think he might not feel something for you too. He certainly does not talk to us the way he does to you. And neither does he call JJ or me any of the names you get the privilege of being called."

"That's something different…" Penelope answered weakly.

"Oh isn't it always," Emily smiled at her friend.

"Is it really that impossible for you to believe that maybe he really might want something from you that you wanted from him for so long?"

"I'm not… Derek Morgan material, okay?" Penelope almost yelled, at which to her surprise Emily almost seemed like she might roll her eyes.

"Are we having that conversation again?" she asked no one in particular, but before Penelope could answer, the brunette profiler already went on. "Just because you … don't wear a size extra, double, super zero does not mean he isn't into you that way. And yes, we have seen the girls that were led home by Morgan… but has it ever crossed you way the only reason he took one of these girls home was simply because he couldn't have the real deal and didn't want to waste his time with a cheap 'almost Penelope'? Maybe he only went home with these skinny girls because he knew he wouldn't have to confront his feelings for one very good, best friend of his…"

There was a moment silence and Emily and JJ thought they had finally managed to get through to her.

But Penelope all of a sudden looked at her friends with an incredulous expression, before she started laughing.

"That's it? That's your explanation? Sorry, but I don't quite think so…" she said, before walking onwards to her goal of the supply closet.