AN: Hello all! I am so sorry it's been almost a month since my last post. With the holidays and family emergencies, unfortunately this got put on hold. Still got a bit of a journey to go, but if you stick with me I'm gonna keep putting chapters out til I'm finished.
Penelope dropped Derek's go bag unceremoniously onto his stomach before walking back to the kitchen to grab the two cups of coffee she'd poured a minute prior.
Sleeping had been impossible after he'd shown up at her door. She'd found the go bag in the hall and after having wrangled him mostly on the couch passed out she had proceeded to half empty the contents of her closet. She was partly packing, though she had most of that done already, partly cleaning, though ironically it was creating more of a mess, and completely internalizing and ignoring anything she was feeling. She had to be on a plane and on point in less than three hours and that left absolutely no time to fall apart.
Derek was half grumbling and sitting up by the time she'd returned.
"Good morning to you too," he half muttered.
"Just be thankful, I realized you had the good sense to take a cab here last night or it would have been an ice water wake up call," she responded handing him a mug.
He half grunted in response rubbing his head and taking a drink of the coffee.
"Hungry? I've got bagels," she asked.
She took his third grunt that morning as a yes and trudged back into the kitchen.
Derek felt awful. Not only had he been stupid enough to drink last night, but he had done so on an empty stomach. His body hated him, though he couldn't blame it.
Setting the coffee down he noticed a stack of photos spread haphazardly about her coffee table. They were clearly from Pen's recent trip.
Derek moved a few of the pictures aside revealing the one that caught his attention. Penelope looked like she'd walked out of some '40s glam magazine in a black sequined full length gown. It clutched to her curves and the back laced up like a corset. Her lips were cherry red and she was half falling forward clutched to Agent Jordan mid laugh. He was in his best black tie apparel, arms wrapped around her on the dance floor, and smiling himself. The moment was so incredibly intimate; Derek almost felt intrusive staring at it.
"Looks like you had a fantastic trip," Derek stated hoping he didn't sound as dejected as he felt.
"It was a fantastic time," Penelope said returning with bagels and cream cheese.
"Agent Jordan…seems like you and he have a great time together."
Penelope laughed, "It's hard not to with him. He's very 'in the moment.' You tend to get swept up."
"It's really great to see you smile like that," he said handing her the photo. "It seems like it's been ages."
She looked down at the photo and sighed, "I don't think I realized just how exhausted I've been. And now with the job opportunity and everything, I just, I'm not sure whether California was a long overdue vacation or if I found something so much more."
"And Bryce helped with that?" he asked hoping he sounded nonchalant.
"Bryce reminds me a lot of me, at least how I was back when I first started at the BAU, and a lot of how I want to be again."
Derek nodded listening. Even though he'd directed these questions a big part of him wanted to talk about anything other than Bryce Jordan.
"Derek, are you okay?" Penelope asked finally resting her hand on his knee, misreading the brooding as something else. "It's not like you to drink like that, except when things are really tough. I know you just lost your aunt and Savannah not even 2 months ago, but from what you were telling me things were going okay for you."
"Yeah baby girl…I, it's not anything like that." Derek said fighting himself not to say more. Even that light touch of hers sped his heart, but if she was happy…
"I'm here, always," she said hoping it didn't sound as defeated as she felt.
He looked up at her and even with her still holding the photograph all thoughts of her happiness with Agent Jordan disappeared. Ever since the dream last night, he couldn't get the feel of her against him out of his head. He reached up and tucked a rogue curl behind her ear.
"Penelope…"
Her cell started going off from the kitchen. After a few moments, she returned.
"That was the cab company. They hit traffic but will likely be here in a half hour. You should go shower and I need to finish grabbing the last of my things."