A/N I do not own Criminal Minds! Thank you to everyone who voted on the Profiler Choice Awards, this story won for Best Characterization of Penelope Garcia! I am beyond flattered and extremely grateful for all of your wonderful support! So to show my thanks, here is a big ole update!

A/N2 My heart aches after that episode, so here's my gift to you all, I hope it helps =) Also, another update will be out soon!

Please, enjoy!

Kismet

Chapter V: Part III

"Nelly, calm down," her friend fussed; staring up at the ceiling, as she twirled in the swivel chair.

"Calm down!" Penelope sputtered, stopping her quick pacing to glare at the woman, who had so comfortably made herself at home in her 'lair'. "Calm down? He knows I'm not wearing any panties, and that…that man!" she cried, once again, running a hole through the dark carpet; hands fluttering excitedly in front of her. "Gave me a frickin' hickey!" taking a deep breath, wildly waving her hands around. "And did I mention he knows, Nicole! My boss, knows!"

She wheezed; startled out of her animated rant, nearly stumbling over her dangerous stilettos, when Colie suddenly jumped up and brought her into a fierce hug. "Shh…breath Nell, breath," slender fingers running through her soft honey curls, only to rub soothing circles on her friend's tense back.

Penelope held her breath, refusing to give in, only for Nicole to pinch her arm and force her to surrender. Gasping in shock, filling her burning lungs with air…and then again, and again, until her cheeks finally cooled down and her mind wasn't so dizzying.

"Thanks," she murmured, giving the taller woman a sheepish smile – grateful when Colie helped her into the chair and pulled up one right next to her.

Basking in comfortable silence, until Nicole had enough. "Okay, Nervous Nelly," flashing a knowing grin at the flustered blonde. "Let's try this again."

Penelope groaned, hands reaching for something to fiddle with – once again reminded of the fact that she needed to fill the space with her much needed colorful knick-knacks, only to grab a boring navy pen off a scribbled notepad and tap it frantically against the desk.

"So, you're in the elevator…," she prodded, hoping to pick up where they had ended the juicy conversation.

"What elevator?" Garcia furrowed her brows, licking her lips as wide hazel eyes darted across the flashing computer screens.

"Where you lost your panties!" Nicole bellowed, throwing up her hands in frustration.

"Shh, someone could hear you!" eyes flashing towards the locked door. "And it was a storage closet," dropping her voice as she huffed in embarrassment, only to start clicking the pen furiously instead.

"Whatever," reaching forward, Colie ripped the pen out of her hand. "I'm sure by now, the whole damn bureau knows about your…sexual rendezvous," she chuckled, enjoying the scarlet bloom of Penelope's cheeks.

"You think they do?" she cried; sparkling nails clutching the arm rest as tears pricked her eyes.

"Hey," Nicole laughed, only to quickly regret her teasing remark. "Hey!" giving her friend a pointed look. "No one knows!" bringing the pen to her mouth in faux contemplation. "Well, except for your boss…that is."

Penelope reared up out of her seat with a terrified wail; hand on her forehead as she fanned herself and started pacing the poorly lit room once again.

'Oh, Colie!" she whimpered, only to whirl around with an explosive second wind. "You should have seen his face!"

Nicole raised her legs onto the desk, and scooted lower into the seat – ignoring Garcia's annoyed scowl, "Tick tock, my breaks almost over," gesturing for her to continue. "Tell Mama, what happened."

Penelope bristled for a moment, nibbling on her bottom lip – maybe, she was overreacting? Catching sight of her bestie's amused face, and knowing the only way to quell her nerves was to…talk about it.

"Okay, so the doors open up…,"

_ Flashback: Twenty Minutes Prior _

"H-Hello Sir!" she stuttered; managing a timid smile as she cringed with embarrassment – fumbling with her flashy compact mirror, just to have it go flying across the cramped elevator and skid underneath her boss' shiny black shoes.

Panicking, she quickly bent to pick it up only for her large overfilled purse to topple over – spilling all of its contents onto the cool linoleum floor.

"Oh, oh…shit!" she cried; face crumbling with mortification, as her personal items laid bare beneath the harsh fluorescent light.

She stood there, taking in the stoic man's stern arched brow and narrowed gaze; feeling just a smidge of relief when she caught the slight quirk of his lips.

Then the elevator doors started to close, only for the man to block it with his foot, as he bent down to grab her mirror. Imbued with shock, she jumped when Derek's dark arm came around her, as he quickly tried to gather the colorful mess that cluttered the floor.

Orange purse dangling in the crook of her arm, as she swallowed her parched tongue; licking her dry lips as she stood there blinking – hoping this was all some crazy dream that she would awaken from at any moment. Clamping her eyes shut, briefly counting to ten, only to squint them open, then widen in shock when the man in the suit held a bunch of items in his hands.

Sputtering, letting out a horrified squeal as she stared at the brightly colored tampons and pads, hairbrush, lotion – that she quickly realized wasn't lotion but was that strawberry lube; a gag gift from Colie, she had forgotten to take out, and a half eaten chocolate bar…all just there, in her boss' hands.

"Oh…umm," she mumbled, stumbling to a stop – not having realized they had taken a trip three floors up, as the doors once again opened.

And if Penelope wasn't already dying from embarrassment before, she certainly was six feet under now.

Standing outside was a group of young male agents, whose lively chatter came to an abrupt halt once they caught sight of the chaos inside the elevator.

"Can we join the party?" came the joking bark of a rather short, chubby man – causing a few low whistles and amused hoots from the crowd.

Her boss gave them all a reprimanding glare, though it lost the impact as he too started to fumble with the handful of goodies in his overflowing hands. Dropping a hot pink wrapped tampon that fell to the floor and cruelly landed by her red lace panties, an emergency pair she always kept in her purse in case of emergencies,

Penelope gasped, tears prickling her wide hazel eyes as heat infused her already flaming cheeks.

Without hesitating, Derek grabbed her panties, giving the men a simmering glare that shut them all up. "Catch the next one," he growled, as the doors closed; once again encasing the trio as they took the trip back downstairs.

"I-I…I'm so, s-sorry," came her choked sob, and what she was apologizing for, she hadn't a clue.

Derek gently grabbed her purse, quickly tossing items inside the large compartment, only to hold it open for the other man to drop the items in as well.

Feeling suddenly useless, and needing to fill the awkward silence that surrounded them, Penelope teetered on her heels, bending down to pick up the last few items.

Some fruit snacks for her boys, a bottle of hairspray, a smooshed PB&J sandwich – the sad remains of her breakfast that morning, and a pair of sheer black stockings; giving up on neatly rolling them, instead tucking the items clumsily against her, as she finally dared to look back up and meet their eyes.

Derek was grinning, clearly amused, though there was no mistaking what she thought could possibly be jealous heat, flashing behind those bright amber eyes.

"Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia, I take it?" came the man's firm greeting, pulling her attention away from the Chocolate Adonis who had gotten her into this whole mess in the first place, to land on the serious face of her boss. "I'm Agent Aaron Hotchner."

"I have panties!" she shouted, only to mentally face palm herself with her broken filter. "I-I'm wearing panties. I have panties!" she babbled, trying to explain herself and failing miserably, only to hear Derek's sharp intake of breath as Hotch raised a knowing brow. "I mean…I came to work with panties…I-I…umm," awkwardly trailing off.

She had forgotten she was working with a team full of profilers, and his suddenly scrunched expression; a cross between amused discipline, let her know, that he knew damn well she was lying. Needing to back track, before she dug herself a bigger hole that she couldn't get out of, she prattled on. "I mean, yes…I-I'm Penelope! Hi! N-Nice, to meet you, Aaron…I mean Hotchner! Agent Hotchner…Sir!" coughing, letting out a shuddering breath, wanting to curl into a ball and cry.

Only to be saved by the chiming ding of the elevator doors opening, revealing the BAU floor and she suddenly felt the nerves flare back to life.

"I'll see you in the meeting," giving her a small nod, eyes twinkling with amusement, as Aaron made his way towards his office.

"Baby Girl," Derek's husky voice washed over her; standing by the glass doors, and she had to fight the grin that quirked her glossy lips as he held her bright orange purse, which looked oddly out of place and tiny in his strong grasp.

Nodding her head, hastily making her way towards him to throw the last of her things into the purse; gratefully taking the bag back and hauling it over her shoulders, where she secured it with her slightly shaking hands.

"Ya ready, Sweetness?" he purred, opening the heavy door with that charming toothy grin of encouragement.

Adjusting her blouse and tweaking her rumpled skirt, she took a steely breath, raising her chin and headed towards her own lair, only to be stopped by a chipper Agent Jareau.

"There you two are," hands full of thick manila folders, as she munched on a banana. "Where have you been?"

"Why!" Penelope croaked out rather severely, causing the friendly woman to startle. "Here…we've been here, inside this building. The whole time," letting out a nervous cackle when Derek's strong palm rested on her lower back.

"I believe you," giving the duo a knowing smirk, as she handed them both a file. "This one's a doozy," tossing the banana peel in the trash as she gave them a few quick details, twirling on her black heels as she made her way over to another tall Agent, whose nose was buried in a book.

"See you later, TA Garcia," Derek whispered into her ear, causing a shudder of awareness to flutter down her spine and curl her toes with need; long, fingers brushing against the soft flare of her hip as he headed towards his own desk in the middle of the bullpen.

Taking a full minute to stand at the entrance, she tried to collect herself.

_ End of Flashback _

Sinking into her seat, shoulders slumped as she finished her tale of that mornings shenanigans. She took her glasses off and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to alleviate that pulsing tension headache.

Penelope had been grateful to see the familiar face of Nicole; needing a small reprieve to bask in the comfort of her brassy best friend, which she had lovingly grown accustomed to and had dearly missed these last few months.

"So, are you and your Hot Sauce dating now?" grinned Colie; waggling her manicured brows.

Making Garcia second guess her decision to let her friend follow her back to her office, glaring at the blurry woman who had returned to spinning in the swivel seat. "It's Hot Stuff," she duly corrected, having regretfully spilt that nick name during her earlier retelling of her tryst with Derek. "And no! We are not dating!"

"Oh…," stopping mid twirl, as she tossed her thick locks over her shoulder. "You just ride him in storage closets…at work, is that it?"

Penelope angrily shoved her glasses back onto her face, mouth hanging open like a guppy fish at her friend's blunt observation. Though as her fair skin began to heat, she was forced to swallow the bitter truthful pill of what had taken place that morning.

Then like a blistering taunt; pent up emotions swarmed through her, bringing up her past failures and dousing her tense body with a frigid chill.

"It's happening again," she whispered; voice strained with anxiety, causing Colie to suddenly shift and scoot closer to her and reach for her hands.

"Hey, look at me," giving a gentle squeeze. "Nelly, stop it!" bringing a hand up to wipe the stray tear from her red, puffy cheeks. "This is different. We're not in San Fran anymore."

Penelope shook her head, overwhelmed with the callous remarks of her subconscious; too stubborn to listen to reason.

"I ruined everything," she sniffled, dabbing her nose with the back of her hand. "It hasn't even been a w-week, and I already fucked somebody…on my team."

The dejected admittance was the last straw to break the proverbial back of her already burdened camel, as the chaotic week and this morning's actions came colliding like a hurricane of regrets and insecurities in her already frazzled mind. Feeling shame for having so easily fallen for the enigmatic charm that was Derek Morgan; face still tainted a scarlet hue of embarrassment from that abysmal elevator ride - not wanting to even think about what kind of reputation she had conjured up for herself, and suddenly Penelope felt the tears spring back to life.

Nicole wrapped her into a tight hug, whispering comforting words as she let her bestie release those nagging emotions. Minutes seemed to coalesce together, entrapping them inside the safety of her lair, only for the Agent's cell to ping with an alert, and then several more – indicating she should get back to her own department, but as the woman sobbed uncontrollably in her embrace, Nicole knew she wasn't leaving.

"Okay Munchkin," grabbing the squirming baby from the car seat, as he swung the heavy bag over his shoulder and locked the SUV. "Just, try to be on your best behavior," chuckling when his daughter stared up at him with big chocolate eyes, only for her head to dart around the unfamiliar place.

Having felt Hotch's stern gaze upon him all day, while also receiving a narrowed scowl from what he had quickly learned was Penelope's best friend; Derek had blessed his lucky stars when the case had been solved before they had even made it to the jet. Giving him the perfect opportunity to make up for what had surely been a hectic morning for the beautiful Goddess he was coming to admire.

Stopping in his tracks, as he tried to ignore the weight of impact that discovery had coiled inside of him. He had a fleeting moment of hesitance, thinking about turning around and nixing the whole apologizing idea, when he spotted two little heads staring back at him from the bay window – one obviously excited, while the other looked rather suspicious.

Making it to the doorstep, he nudged the doorbell with his elbow, took a deep breath and waited, only for the door to swing wide open and knock the wind right out of him.

Hair up in a flattering messy bun, an enticing swirl of pink and honey atop her head. Face bare of makeup, bright hazel eyes hidden behind simple black cat eye frames, as she stood there stunned, wearing a tattered magenta cotton nightgown, which billowed lovely between her large rounded breasts; taking a moment to appreciate her decision to go without a bra, only to grin at her purple heart printed shorts and bright yellow striped fuzzy socks.

Her shocked gasp brought his focused gaze upon her chest back towards her narrowed, annoyed expression, and before he could utter a word, the door was slammed in his face – causing Briella to hold her hand out and loudly babble her confusion.

He stood patiently waiting, hearing her fussing behind the door as Liam knocked excitedly on the window and waved. Good, at least someone in the Garcia household was on his side.

The door opened, revealing the red plaid button up she had hastily thrown on over her jammies, arms crossed over her chest as she glared.

"Agent Morgan," she huffed, eyes softening when they landed on his daughter.

"Can I come in?" gesturing to the heavy bag against his side, and then pulling out his favorite trick, he leaned in close to Briella and told her to say hello.

The baby squirmed, little ruby lips spreading into a grin as her hand shot up and waved, and Derek sighed with relief when the door opened and Penelope stepped aside.

Placing the large duffle bag on the kitchen counter, he turned around to three expectant faces.

"Hi, Dee!" Liam cooed, walking towards him with a big grin. "That's a baby!"

"Is she poop'n?" demanded Ollie, who was peeking around his brother; arms crossed exactly like his mother's.

"Oliver," Penelope groaned, giving him a pointed look as she scooted him back towards the cluttered coffee table.

"Yes, this is my baby," Derek smiled, crouching down, balancing his daughter on his bent knee. "Liam, Ollie, this is Gabriella."

"Mama, lookie she's tiny!" Liam stood mystified – her normally obnoxious son, seeming to have swapped places with his brother.

"And she smells funny!" came Ollie's stern observation.

"Oliver Garcia!" Penelope shouted, blushing with embarrassment. "Go eat your dinner."

Oliver huffed, and slowly clomped back to his seat by the coffee table, where he plopped onto the floor and picked at his now soggy cereal.

Derek eyed the three bowls and burnt toast and tried not to laugh. Oh, this woman, was something else.

"Did you need something, Morgan," sitting on the arm rest of her purple sofa, staring at him over her glasses.

"I was gonna make dinner," noting the constant use of his last name, deciding to just be honest, and hope she wouldn't kick him out.

"Well, I have that taken care of, so-…" she started only for him to stand back up, and switch Briella to his other arm.

"And apologize!" he quickly added, grinning when his daughter cooed and held out her chubby little arms for Penelope. And he could have done a jump of triumph at how good his kiddo was at winning the woman over; watching as she nibbled on that plump bottom lip for just a second, giving an exaggerated sigh, only to eagerly take the baby into her arms.

He took a moment to stare at them, grinning when Briella clutched the colorful flannel in her hand and poked at the pretty magenta underneath.

"She certainly takes after you," Penelope noted; arching a manicured brow in his direction, as she gently bounced the baby on her hip. "Or…you've trained her well," lips quirked into a coy, little grin.

"Dee," came a small voice, surprised to see Ollie standing next to him; hands clasped in front of him, suddenly appearing shy.

"Hey little man, what's up?" Derek grinned, feeling more at ease as he ruffled those strawberry blonde locks.

"Did you really…," glancing at his mom, before dropping his voice to a whisper. "Bring dinner?"

Bursting into hearty laughter at Penelope's miffed expression and her sons' hopeful gazes, only to hold his hands up in surrender, when the woman he was trying to impress looked genuinely upset.

"She burnt the mackers and dogs!" Liam smacked his forehead, shaking his bouncing curls in frustration. "Twice!" he added.

Giving Penelope a confused grin, only for her to cuddle Briella, as she sought out comfort from her kids' betrayal. "They mean hot dogs and macaroni and cheese."

Oh, so that's what that smell was!

"Mama, can't cook!" Ollie tutted, glaring at his cereal.

"Can I borrow your kitchen," jumping in before her feelings got hurt; flashing her that toothy grin she seemed to love so much, only to rub his hands together when she nodded in defeat.

"You boys wanna help?" headed towards the giant duffle bag and when he got a chorus of joyful screams in response and their mother's urgent 'be careful', he knew he had made the right decision.

The kids ran ahead and he swiftly turned around, stopping Penelope in her tracks. Reaching forward, lifting her chin to look up at him. "I just wanted to say, that I'm sorry about today," running his thumb along those full pouty lips. "And that dinner will be in an hour," leaning forward, giving her a searing kiss that held so much promise, only to step away and do a slow perusal of her lush body, as he lowered his voice. "And don't forget about…dessert."

Grinning when she stood there blinking, face bloomed with an adorable rosy tint – quickly saving that mental image before turning back around and getting ready to cook.

To be continued…