Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Hi, all! I am at last updating my stories. Now that I've gotten my BA and graduated college, I'm working and should have more time to devote to writing without papers and school to worry about. I intend to keep writing Morgan/Garcia because they're still my OTP, even if I'm not watching Criminal Minds since Shemar departed.
I hope to continue my journey with Morcia with you guys :)
"Why are you so nervous looking?" Damaris asked, glancing sideways at Penelope as they were pulling into the parking garage at Derek's apartment building. Her mother had been acting strangely all evening. If Damaris was being honest with herself though, Penelope had been acting strange since the conversation they'd had about how she wanted to spend her birthday.
Penelope bit her lip. Her knuckles whitened around the steering wheel. Her eyes danced with unsaid words she had been keeping back for days. Even as Damaris pressed her for a response, Penelope remained locked away in her own thoughts. It'd been happening more and more since Derek returned to their lives.
"Mom?" Damaris asked. She poked Penelope's arm with her index finger, trying to draw her attention back to the car. Rolling her eyes, Damaris crossed her arms over her chest. "Mom, I think I'm going to try meth next week. Some guy is selling it behind school."
Blinking several times, Penelope looked over at her in horror. "Wait, what?" she demanded. "There's a guy selling meth behind your school?"
"Yeah, his name is Ty," Damaris went on, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "He's pretty cool, actually. Not sure how he got into – "
"Young lady, so help me, I don't care if it's your birthday," Penelope snapped, "I'll ground your ass for so long you won't be leaving your room until you're thirty. And that's not even including what your father will do if – "
Damaris interrupted her mother this time. "Relax, woman," she said with a laugh. "There's not a guy selling meth behind my school, I just wanted to get your attention. You were lost over there, and I needed something to get you to pay attention to me again."
"Oh," Penelope said in a small voice. "Well…don't do that."
Snickering, Damaris crossed her legs and grinned. "What's going on?" she asked. "You've been acting super weird the last few days."
Penelope swallowed hard beside her. She answered in a choked voice. "Nothing," she said. "I've just been working a lot lately, you know that."
"I think you're pissed off at Dad," Damaris said. She smirked triumphantly when her mother's eyes flashed, knowing she'd gotten it right. "You're mad that he wanted us all to spend my birthday together."
Penelope parked and turned off the ignition. "We've been fighting, but we're going to be fine. This is your day, and we're not going to be arguing at all."
Damaris noted that her mother kept referring to herself and Derek as "we." There was an air of distaste in Penelope's voice when she said it. Opening her door, Damaris frowned. She didn't understand the concerns her mother had about them spending the time together with Derek. Her parents were best friends, and while her attempts to push them together weren't exactly working out the way she wanted them to, they shouldn't have been avoiding one another the way that they were.
"Whatever you say," she said skeptically.
Mother and daughter headed inside and up the stairs where they knocked on Derek's door. Damaris watched as Penelope knocked on the door, her lips pursed at first. When she caught Damaris observing her, Penelope dropped the grimace and smiled.
Before Damaris could say anything to call her out on it, the door swung open to reveal Derek. Atop his head sat a shiny red birthday hat. He looked utterly ridiculous, but happy. The smell of whatever Derek had in the works wafted out the door and reached her nose. Her stomach growled, more than ready to eat after having fasted for the day in preparation for what Derek had promised to be copious amounts of food.
"My two favorite ladies in the world!" Derek grinned widely, opening his arms to wrap her in a huge hug. Damaris hugged him back, thrilled with his enthusiasm. She moved out of the way and waited expectantly for Penelope to go in for a hug, too.
Derek grinned cheekily at Penelope, opening his arms for a hug and waiting for her to cave. Giving him a small smile, Penelope went in and wrapped her arms around Derek.
"I thought you might forgive me by now," Derek said, planting a kiss on her cheek.
Penelope smirked, teasing him. "That cue ball head of yours is too cute for me to stay mad at for very long."
Tweaking her nose, Derek turned back to his daughter. "Now, I have a – "
Before he could finish his sentence, a sharp bark sounded from the kitchen. Damaris' eyebrows shot upward. Looking between her parents, she said, "What was that?"
Both Derek and Penelope exchanged smiles. Nodding toward the kitchen, Derek motioned for Damaris to follow the noise.
"Go check it out," he urged her.
With a grin, Damaris bounded off with a skip in her step. A small squeal followed her disappearance. Penelope looked over at Derek, taking his hand to give it a squeeze. He blinked several times in shock. She hoped her hand could convey how sorry she was for the fight they'd had.
"Thanks for organizing this," she murmured over the cooing of their daughter from the kitchen.
He shot her a wry smile. "Glad you warmed up to it."
Penelope gave his hand another squeeze just as Damaris reappeared. In her arms she carried a small bundle of fluff. The puppy wriggled excitedly, licking Damaris' face with joy.
"Mom!" she cried. Her face was lit up like a string of fairy lights as she cuddled the dog to her chest. "Mom, check it out, Dad got me a Husky!" She brought the dog closer, holding her up for Penelope to see.
"Your mama helped me pick her out," Derek chimed in, as Penelope ruffled the dog's fur. He put a hand on Penelope's shoulder
Tears of joy filled Damaris' eyes. "Guys, thank you so much," she said, still holding her dog close to her chest. "I'm so freakin' happy right now it's not even funny." She grinned at both of them. "I'd hug you right now if I weren't holding her."
Derek tweaked her nose. "Don't worry, Baby Doll," he said. "We know. Got any name ideas for the pup?"
"We're gonna have to talk about that at dinner!" she chirped, kissing her dog's head. "I'm not even close to prepared with a list. So, so many options."
Penelope's lips quirked into a smile. "Something nerdy I'm sure."
Derek shot her a glance. "Gets that from her mama," he said with a wink. He clapped his hands together. "Let's eat! Hopefully it tastes as good as it smells."
Damaris nodded vigorously, turning to head back toward the kitchen. Derek followed after her, leaving Penelope to trail behind them. She watched both carefully, thinking over the interaction between the three of them. Everything about this moment – the dog, the cooking, the forgiveness he'd displayed to Penelope just now – made her question everything about Derek's presence. Why couldn't she feel this way all the time? Why couldn't she feel that he was serious? They were closer than two friends usually were, and she would always love him for being the father of her daughter.
What would it take for her to get out of her own way and truly trust him?
XXXXX
"She's completely passed out," Derek said, coming into the kitchen with an empty bowl of popcorn clutched in his hands.
Penelope looked up from washing dishes in the sink. She smiled, thinking of how Damaris had curled up with her puppy, now named Demona, on Derek's couch and fallen asleep.
"She needed it," Penelope murmured, setting the plate she had just finished washing on the drying rack beside the sink.
He set the popcorn bowl on the counter, nodding. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the counter, close enough to touch her cheek. He didn't, but his eyes told her he did. She smiled. He arched a brow at her, a lighthearted glint replacing his desire to touch her. "What?"
"Just…" She paused. She wondered how she could answer. Their evening together with Damaris felt as if they were a family, like they had never been apart. It had been a long time since she felt this much inner conflict. The confusion that tickled her as she and Damaris entered the apartment earlier returned, hitting her full force as a tsunami instead of caressing her with a gentle wave. "This was a really nice evening."
He grinned, his perfect teeth blinding her. "Anything to keep my little girl happy," he said.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she shook her head. "No, I know you would do that for her," she said. She searched hastily for the words, but wasn't entirely confident she had found the right ones. "I guess, what I'm really trying to say is I'm sorry for everything since you've gotten here. I'm just so used to thinking of you as the boy I fell in love with in high school, the one whose jokes always made me laugh." She smiled softly, hoping he would feel her sincerity. "I loved you, but I always saw you as just a kid who gave me everything that ever mattered in my life. Seeing you here, seeing the man – the profiler! – you've become has made me realize I need to learn to trust you."
She truly meant it, and she hoped he would see it.
Derek remained silent for a long moment. She watched him as he watched her.
"I figured you'd come around," he said finally, grinning even wider. Leaning forward, he put his hand behind her neck and kissed her forehead. She smiled and pulled him into a hug, resting her head against his chest. She sighed as she inhaled his musky cologne, relishing the familiarity. Tingles of pleasure rolled through her skin as he hugged her back, running his hand through the waves of her hair.
Something awakened in her then, a carnal desire to return to her past and the pure joy she'd felt being with Derek. But they were grown now. They'd learned so much since their youthful romance, and all she wanted was him out of his clothes, both of them with each other as the grown people they'd become.
Looking up at him, Penelope locked their eyes. She touched his chin. Her fingers knew every inch of his body. He remained still as stone beneath her touch, but soon he grasped her hand within his. Inhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and broke their gaze. She knew he was fighting the urge to touch her more, but she was so overcome with the moment that she refused to accept his reluctance.
"Don't hold back," she whispered, leaning forward so her lips touched the tip of his earlobe.
His breathing became labored, each exhale growing more ragged. She ran her hand up his torso, fingering the neckline of his t-shirt. She still hadn't kissed him, even as her lips burned for contact. But her fingers worked diligently, another hand running up his chest.
When he could take no more, he pulled her tight against him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling his face down so his lips hovered above hers.
"We need to be quiet," he warned.
"How do you think we ended up with our baby girl?" She laughed, her voice soft as the twinkling of a bell. "Wouldn't have happened if we hadn't been quiet."
Unable to hold back anymore, she clutched the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Their lips danced. Fireworks exploded behind her eyelids, so intense that she forced herself to stifle a moan of excitement. Derek's full weight fell on her, and she landed against the counter with a dull thud.
"Bedroom," Penelope hissed. They needed to get behind a closed door before they became nothing but a mass of tangled arms and legs. Their hands were already meshing together.
Derek's hands clasped around her hips, and he nudged her upwards with his pelvis. "Wrap your legs around me," he murmured. She complied, and he carried her down the hall. They never broke contact. Waves of pure energy flowed through her limbs, driving her ferocity. And where her passion grew, so did his.
She didn't realize they had reached his bedroom until she heard the gentle tap of Derek's foot on the door. He laid her on his king size bed with its crisp linen sheets. It was so different from the twin size bed from high school, covered in a worn quilt. And despite the feeling of home and wistfulness that came from being with Derek, he was more practiced. In the soft light of his bedroom, she stared up at him. He removed his shirt, baring his muscular chest to her. Her breathing grew more rapid, and she sat up, greedily reaching for him and his sculpted abdomen.
"C'mere," she whispered, digging her nails into his skin.
Derek grinned at her, leaning down to cup her face in his hands. "Yes, ma'am," he murmured, capturing her lips with his.
The two of them rolled on the top of the bed, tearing at each other's clothes until there was nothing between them but a thin layer of sweat. Derek thrust his fingers into her hair, tugging gently so she tilted her head back and exposed the soft skin of her throat. He pressed a line of kisses down her neck, making her shiver with anticipation.
"Please…" Her voice sounded raspy, frantic.
His lips broke from her skin so he could lock their eyes together once more. Grinning, his teeth shone white in the dark room, brighter than the light on the nightstand. Not breaking their gaze, he slid his hand between her legs. She gasped, biting her lip to keep from crying out. "Please what?" he whispered.
Penelope arched her back, riding his hand in a desperate attempt to relieve the tension building in her groin. "I need you inside me," she murmured.
He knelt in front of her on the bed, straddling her. Every rock solid inch of him sent a delicious tremor through her body. His weight over her was heavenly. She wanted him to stay there, warm and comforting and unwavering. All of the sudden, Derek pulled her upwards. Their eyes locked. She sucked in a breath. His eyes blazed into hers, making her heart pound so hard she thought it might jump out of her chest.
"This is what you want?"
His voice sounded so serious, like he wasn't sure she was telling the truth. But she knew. She was so overcome with emotions, so wrapped in her desire to reacquaint herself with his body, that she needed this. Leaning forward, she brushed her lips against his in the gentlest touch. She moved to rest their cheeks together. She nibbled on his earlobe before whispering, "Yes."
Without hesitation, he lifted her as if she were a feather, and gently set her back in his lap so they slipped together. Biting down on her lip, Penelope suppressed a moan. They needed to stay quiet. As they rocked back and forth, Derek trailed gentle kisses across her collarbone. Her skin tingled and burned where his lips left their mark.
"Fuck, Baby Girl," Derek growled against her breasts. The sound of his voice, thick with desire, made her shiver.
Giggling, Penelope pushed him backwards so she gazed down at him. With one hand balancing on his chest, she used the other to push her mess of curls out of her face. She rolled her hips. She took his hands and brought them up to cup her breasts. He never looked away from her.
Moving faster, she arched her back. She gasped, desperate for air. Sex with Derek as a teenager had been an exhilarating experience. He was her first love, and that love had come with a beautiful way to lose her virginity. Sex with him now was an entirely different story. It was intense. He made love to her like he was drowning and she was the only thing that could save him. She didn't want it to end.
But gradually the feeling of climax started to grow. She sought to receive that climax. The moment she leaned down and kissed him deeply, they both got exactly what they wished for.
