Chapter 4

AN: So sorry--for some reason, I am not getting the reviews in my home email. When I do, I will respond. I think my email server is being an idiot.

Derek couldn't believe what happened this afternoon. The woman who mattered more to him than anyone, the one he was closest to in this world, just called him a liar and a prick and stormed out of his office. It absolutely hurt, she completely misjudged him.

So he didn't tell her right away. He'd been weighing things in his mind about Tamara. Originally, he didn't know what he was going to do with her. He liked her. She was a kind person, a good person. She was also nice to look at.

He also thought a lot about what he needed to do with his life. He was pushing forty; it was time to think about settling down. Being a player at thirty-five was a lot different than being a player at forty. He started to think he'd be a dirty old man at sixty, shaking it on the dance floor like he had it going on still. He shuddered at the thought.

Fact is, two years ago, he was ready. He was in love. But the girl wasn't willing. He told her, she told him; it should've been a done deal. Nope, she wanted stinking Lynch instead. He seriously thought she would change her mind, that she would come to him and say she loved him again, but she didn't.

He even kind of waited. Rather pathetically for two stinking years. He wasn't celibate, he dated the most unsuitable women out there for the occasional "stress release," but she stayed with Lynch. She seemed to actually love Lynch. It killed him slowly, every time he saw them together.

He laughed, a bitter ugly laugh. Out of all the women in this world that wanted him, he had picked one who didn't.

Enter Tamara in his life. She played to his nurturing side, his caring side, which he absolutely loved. He needed closure, he needed to move on. And he was finally ready, so damn ready, to be over Garcia. She could have her Lynch, he could have Tamara, they could have their friendship, and life would be great.

But that was before she pulled this jealous crap that she did today. What was she doing? She didn't want him, not like that. She made that abundantly clear. But he wasn't supposed to have a life? It was fine, as long as it was a tramp, but someone decent wasn't good for him? Fuck her!

Just then, he heard the knock on the door. Great. He was definitely not in the mood for company. Not now.

It took all the power in Garcia to knock on his door. She wasn't looking forward to eating crow. And Morgan looked like he wanted to tear someone's head off. Never had she seen him in such a foul mood before.

"Derek, I'm sorry. You were right. I was jealous," she said in one breath. He was still glaring at her.

"You're forgiven. Go home."

"No, Derek," she said, her heart breaking a little more. " I have to tell you. See, I was jealous that I wouldn't have you as a friend anymore, that I would lose you. You mean so much to me." She shut his door, obviously not leaving. She took off her jacket and threw it aside. "We need to talk."

"Talk," he growled menacingly at her. "Let's talk." He took a step closer to her, backing her against the door. "I finally decide to have a real relationship, with a woman I want to see more than once, and you decide I shouldn't have that chance. That I should sit around, doing nothing."

Oh boy, she made a big mistake; she should've left when she had the chance. Before this all went horribly wrong. He was absolutely fuming. "Derek, I should go," she tried to say.

"Oh no, baby girl," he said, holding her back. "Let's hash this out, shall we? It's absolutely fine for you to have a real relationship, to flaunt fucking Lynch for two years, as I stay along as a friend. But when I try to have someone, I'm the bad guy?"

Her mouth fell open and close like a fish out of water. Where the hell did that come from? she wondered. She never said that, not like that! Quickly, the anger was building. This time, she didn't try to tamp it down.

Kevin again? He always resorted to Kevin! "Well, at least I didn't lie about Kevin, or hide Kevin from you, or act like a different person when I got together with Kevin!"

"This is such bullshit," he scoffed. "You're so full of it-"

"You did, Derek," she cried. "I tried to decorate your office, do our fun friendship stuff, and you pushed me away! You changed, because of her!"

There was a huge amount of passion burning between them. The air was crackling with electricity, and both were beyond angry to something else that they couldn't explain. Neither of them were making much sense to anyone but themselves. Sensible went out the door.

"Oh, go to hell, Penelope," he swore. "You changed too, with Lynch!"

"What do you have against Kevin?" she yelled. Then she thought about it for a second, and it hit her. She knew exactly what the problem was. She started to laugh. "Oh, God, Morgan; you're the one who's jealous! Of Kevin, of all people!"

"Fuck no!" he was warning her; he was at his limit.

"For two years, you've been a bastard to Kevin, and I couldn't figure out why!" she questioned him. She finally had the upper hand, the floor, the attention. "Tell me Derek: what does Kevin have that you don't?"

He growled, taking a step closer, pinning her with his gaze. Anger was radiating in waves off of him. "He has a lot of things, baby girl, that you couldn't possibly understand, even though I am the better man all around."

She knew she shouldn't say it, there was too much tension, too much pain already. She could feel the passion there, they were about to ignite. Intelligence said to walk away. She didn't need to thrust a challenge out there. But she wasn't always intelligent. "A better man?" she taunted.

There was deathly silence around them; you could hear a pin drop.

"Prove it."