DISCLAIMER: I dont NOT own Derek Morgan or any of the BAU team, I ONLY OWN Nikki, Mary King, Lisa Levy, Mark Levy, and Victors Law Firm! Criminals Minds is a TV Series and I do not own any of it, I simply use it for inspiration.

NOTE: Italicized are dreams and/or flashbacks. Bold and italicized words are thoughts from certain characters.

PS: I apologize for not updating sooner, I know many of you were anxious to read the next chapter, and as anxious as I was to write it I had a lot of things going on this past week. But keep posting those reviews, it may make me work quicker ;) Enjoy!

Chapter 10: Skeletons Don't Stay in the Closet Forever

Nikki`s POV:

I felt the SUV come to a soft stop and the ignition cut off soon afterwards, I turned my head from looking out the window at the dark of the Chicago night to looking into the dark depths of Derek`s chocolate brown eyes. I smiled softly and wrapped the newly used FBI blanket around myself, Prentiss had given it to me soon after I got into the SUV, she noticed how cold I was and figured my body was too much below the regular body temperature and offered me the blanket.

"Damien is really attached to you, you know?" Derek soon cut me from my thoughts for earlier in the day.

I smiled and sighed laying my head back on the head rest of the seat "Yeah, he`s something else…" I laughed softly "It such a shame what turned out to be of his father and then his mother leaving him like that, so young in life…" I paused and thought "Such a sweet little boy doesn't deserve that."

I saw him nod with a smile and his left hand resting on the steering wheel "Yeah but I see something special when you look at him, you may not know it but that boy has you wrapped around his finger."

I laughed and gave a small roll of my eyes "He`s just one of my kids in my classroom, all my kids are important to me."

Derek nodded with a laugh "Yeah okay but how often do you go visit them like you did Damien?"

I let a small amount of blush creep up in my cheeks, I guess there was some truth to that statement. As soon as we got away from the crime scene and I was feeling a lot more warmer and comfortable with Prentiss and Derek in the SUV, I knew right away before going home, I wanted to go and see Damien at Child services to make sure he was handling things alright, all he had were his parents, and they were both taken from him is such horrific ways, I cant imagine going through that at his age and the worst part is he had no living relatives, grandparents were dead and no godparents listed on the will to take care of him. It just so sad to see that little boy having to go through the adoptive system or from foster home to foster home.

After a small silence between the both of us, due to my random thoughts peeking up in my brain, I bit my lower lip and reached over placing my hand softly on Derek`s thigh "Derek" I began "I never got to thank you, I can begin to explain how grateful I am to have had you here and to literally save my life…"

He took my hand from his thigh and squeezed it tight and with his right hand he reached over and placed a finger lightly under my chin for my gaze to connect with his "Hey…" he whispered "Do you think I would ever let anything happen to you baby?" he questioned, a question that didn't really need an answer, I knew the answer to it all to well.

I let a small smirk play on my lips and removed my hands from his, changing my expression, crossing my arms over my chest "Now did I or did I not tell you to stop calling me that?"

He laughed; bowing his head, almost looking embarrassed "See, now I don't think you want me to." He stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

A raised a brow that same smirk still on my face "Oh really?" I licked my lips "And why is that Derek Morgan?"

He shifted in his seat to face me better "Ill explain to you Nicole Martins…" he replied now matching my own smirk "The minute you felt us gaining our spark and connection not but a minute ago, you pulled away, changing the subject…" he now spoke in a whisper and I felt his body leaning closer, his smirk now gone from his features "Now why would you change the subject the minute you felt a hint of connection between us?" his body, his lips, his face inching closer and closer to mine "Because you knew I would see right through you and find out you are still attracted to me and that you never…stopped loving me…" my breath caught in my throat, my legs got weak, even though I was sitting down it felt like I was standing and at any minute I would fall, my stomach was filling with butterflies as his lips were centimeters from mine, my heart was pounding. 'No Nikki, YOU CAN'T! Don't do it! He will hurt you again! He`s going to leave again anyway!' my defense walls came up and my mind awoke me from the beautiful sin I was about to commit.

I quickly pulled back and ran a shaky hand though my hair, biting my lower lip in the process. When I looked back at Derek he had that smirk back on his face, as if he had just won a major tournament. "What?" I asked a bit of shock in my voice laced with amusement.

"You did it again…" he leaned back in his seat, watching me squirm.

I sighed with an amused laugh "How about we go inside now? I mean this is Chicago and I'm freezing Derek!"

His smirk still spread on his face he nodded "Yeah sure," he opened his door and jumped out "I got the door for you Nikki." He stated as he slammed his door shut and walked around to the passenger side and opened my door, helping me out of the SUV, my ribs were still in tremendous pain from the kick Mark Levy had given me, which caused me unable to move in some ways.

"How are you ribs feeling?" he asked me walking me up to the entrance of my home, well my mothers home, she had passed it on to me in the will when she died of cancer when I had just started college.

I put one hand on my side and gingerly touched it and winced a bit "Mmm, they are still very sore but ill live." I smiled up at him.

"Still I want to be with you to help you, you need taking care of…" he stated as I removed my keys from my purse and slid he key into the lock opening the front door.

"Derek I have a couple bruised and sprained ribs, I'm not incapacitated." I laughed softly flicking on the lights to the foyer.

He turned my softly to face him and tucked a piece of fallen hair behind my ear "I never said you were baby, but if I am going to be here for a few more days, I am going to help you as much as I can."

I shook my head, Derek, here, with me? That was trouble waiting to happen, to many feelings surfacing, too many things being let out in the open. My defense walls came up again "Derek no, no, that's really not necessary, I'm fine!" I exclaimed setting my purse down on the center island table.

Derek crossed his arms over his chest and raised a brow, giving me a stern look. He wasn't leaving and there was no way anyone could make him budge, he was as stubborn as a bull and I certainly was going to have to deal with him here, at least for the night, I just hope nothing goes wrong cause when things go wrong, I hate to think what can be said.

I sighed and threw my hands in the air in defeat "Ok fine! Stay! But only for tonight, you hear me Derek Morgan?"

He smirked and then let his hands fall to his side "Your making it way too easy for me to win, sweetheart" he stated taking a seat on one of the stools in the center island.

I leaned against the counter behind me with my elbows propped up on it "Oh sweetie, you never really win…" I smirked "I let you win."

He laughed with amusement; almost shocked I was playing along with his game "Okay, then let me ask you this…" he began lifting off of his chair and slowly making his way towards me "When we were dating, do you remember how many times I would chase you, catch you, then slam you on the bed, tickling you until you gave in?" By this time he was inches apart from me, I could smell the scent of his Armani cologne, I could feel the heat of his body near mine, I slowly looked up into his eyes and swallowed the forming lump in my throat, my knees were giving out and I couldn't tear my gaze from his.

"M-Mmhmm…" I hummed this being the only way I could communicate at this point, he was paralyzing me.

His hands reached out and rested on the counter behind me, he had me trapped, his body was now so close to mine I could feel his breathe against my lips and his torso pressed against mine, my legs were now j-ello and I could hardly breathe "How many times did I win then?" was all he asked me below a whisper.

"I-Uhmm…" I began to loose track of my words felling his breath on my lips, I was dying inside and all I wanted him to do was grab me and kiss me, so hard, so passionately and if he didn't I would be left with aching lips the rest of the night.

"Can you tell me something else?" he questioned again not looking for a response, he leaned over and kissed along my jawline up to my ear "Can you explain to me why there is so much passion coming from you every time we get this close and yet…" he paused "You cant admit you still love…me."

My breath caught in my throat as I felt his kisses trailing again across my jawline and this time they were getting closer and closer to my lips. My breathing was getting heavier and my heart was pounding faster, alarms began going off in my head 'RUN' 'GET OUT!' and then my defense wall lifted up 'Nikki don't give in to it!' was all my mind kept telling me and I knew I had to get away from this situation, I couldn't let my guard down, only this was so much easier said than done. How much I loved this man, how much I wanted him back but there was no way that could happen again, he is leaving again in a few days and everything will go back to how it was, why should I trust anything now?!

His lips were milliseconds away from touching mine but I backed away and lifted his chin to meet my gaze, I bit my lower lip seductively and gazed into his eyes "Well baby, you know something?"

I felt his hand move from the counter to my left hip and my skin shivered under his mere touch, again I would not let myself give in "This is one time where I will not let you win…" I smirked and his eye widened in shock, I pushed my way free of him and walked away with a smirk on my face, I heard him call out to me "Nikki! You know that aint fair!"

I turned to him, seeing a smirk play on his lips and I put both my hands on m hips "Why? Cause you finally figured out that I have been 'letting' you win for all those years?" I shrugged my shoulder waiting for him to speak but when he didn't I just laughed softly. "I`m going to get ready for bed Derek…" I began to walk away "And don't even think about following me!" I yelled out to him.

Derek`s POV:

I laughed softly watching her walk away and shook my head "Damn…" my thoughts were cut short when I felt a buzz in my pocket. I unclipped my phone from my side and flipped my phone open "Morgan."

"Well hello my hot chocolate!" Garcia's voice rang through the other end of the phone.

I laughed softly at her antics "Hey baby girl, what`s up?"

She sighed and hesitated a bit "Well…uhm…I got that information you wanted me to get."

My face soon turned serious and I put one hand on my hip "Okay so what did you find out?"

"Derek...see…I don't know how comfortable I feel digging into Nikki`s past like this…" she began and began rambling at this point "She`s such a nice girl and she went through all those things, I mean why not cut her a break—"

I cut her off now frustrated knowing there was something serious "Garcia I want to know, now!"

I heard her sigh "Okay so you asked for information on Katie Morgan and…" she paused again hesitating to say anything.

"Out with it Garcia…" my patience were running thin.

"Katie Morgan died not even a day old, hours old maybe, she was a stillborn baby, and she died as soon as she came out of her mothers womb…"

My expression now changed to confused "Okay so why is she so important to Nikki? And why would Levy keep brining her up to me?"

"Ah let me finish…" Garcia began once again "So I checked hospital records and the reason she died upon being born was because she was strangled by the umbilical cord and her birth certificate stated that her parents were..Nicole Martins and Derek Morgan…"

My heart stopped, my body went cold and I began to shake "What?" I asked softly with confusion lacing my voice.

"Derek, Nikki was pregnant around the time you left, I assume if my calculations are correct and the baby died at birth…"

I closed my eyes and my jaw clenched, I had so many emotions running through my disappointment, anger, fury, astonishment, pain, but the worst of all hurt. I felt hot tears slip from my eyes and let out a long breath, 'how the fuck could Nicole keep something like this away from me?! What was she thinking?!' my mind battled my heart to get the answers.

"Derek?" I heard a small voice coming from the bottom of the stairs, I looked up with tears in my eyes right into Nikki`s eyes, her eyes changed from happiness to worry.

"Garcia I gotta go…"

"Derek wait!" she exclaimed "Don't be too hard on her, I know what she did was wrong but-" I hung up before she could finish her sentence and cleared my throat, crossing my hands over my chest just staring at Nikki.

Do we think Nikki is in trouble, she did keep this from Derek but does anyone understand why she did what she did? how will Derek handle this now. Nikki has been putting up a defense wall and hiding her feelings while Derek has been thinking of proclaiming his feelings that he has always had for her, do you think this will ruin things? Comments and thoughts m lovely writers?