Chapter 9　
AN: One more, I think, then we're done....
She didn't say a word. She hoped he'd just disappear. Maybe a fairy with a big wand would come to her door, wave said wand and *poof*! No more Mr. Heartbreak---
"Garcia, come on," he begged.
She liked that. Beg, you sucker, beg! she thought viciously. He could beg all day; she wasn't going to let him in.
"I will stand out here and yell all day and night, yowling like a cat in heat."
She opened the door and glared at him. She was more mad than sad right now. "Listen. As far as I know, I'm not pregnant. That's the only reason you want to keep contact with me. So, if you don't mind, get the hell out of my doorway!" She went to slam it shut, but he put his foot in the way.
"Penelope, please," he said. "I know I don't deserve it, but-"
"No, you don't," she said, putting her hip into the door to shut it in spite of his foot being there.
"Would you stop being unreasonable?" he said, pushing the door open, easily sliding it and her.
"Get out, now," she growled.
He sighed. "Fine. We can lose a whole bunch more years that we could've been together, and then you can decide to talk to me. I'll still be waiting."
That gave her pause. Years that they could've been together…
"What do you mean years?"
"Penelope," he said, then stopped. He was trying to find the best way to mention all this, to bring everything in the open.
Then he realized, that was his problem in the first place. He should've told her when they made love. He should've told her when she went out with Lynch. He should've so many times.
He was going to tell her now.
"Years for me, Penelope," he said, feeling better than he felt for months. "I have loved you for years. Just before Battle shot you. You opened my eyes when you said I was too superficial to cross a bar for you. I really looked, and stopped teasing long enough to know what I really wanted."
"Years?" she said, her heart accelerating at the same time aching just a little bit more.
"Yes, years. I even told you, don't you remember? After I took you home from the hospital."
"Oh, Derek," she said. "I thought you meant it like we always meant it when we said it."
"I know how I always meant it, Penelope," he murmured, reaching out to hold her hands. "It wasn't what you thought."
Her heart was beating triple time. She wanted to just launch herself in his arms, but her heart and her pride wouldn't let her. She had to say what she really felt. "You hurt me, Derek. I never thought you would hurt me like that," she pulled her hands away and looked at him with wounded eyes. "You were so cold, so cruel."
"Penelope, I know I hurt you, more than I ever meant to." There was such intensity rippling through the air like electricity. "When we made love, I wanted to think that everything changed. It did change everything for me. I lost my heart to you, and my soul.
He drew in a deep breath and shook his head. "I tried to show you how much I loved you. But it backfired. I thought you didn't want me, that you wanted to forget it happened."
"But I thought you regretted it, that's why I said that!" she cried.
"I didn't know that, though," he said, shaking his head. "Instead, I chose to lash out, to try to make you ache like I ached. If I could take back all that I said, I would. I never want to hurt you, angel."
"I'm sorry, too," she said, tears in her eyes.
"Seems we cross purposes a lot, baby girl," he said with a bittersweet chuckle. He reached up to hold her cheek, stroke her neck lightly with the back of his fingers. "And you were right: I was jealous of Lynch. You said, 'What does Kevin have that you don't?'"
She couldn't help but smile at him. "I think I can guess now."
"I love you, sweetheart," he said, cupping her face in both hands. He leaned in to kiss her lips lightly. "Not like a friend, not like a buddy, and sure as hell not like a sister!"
She giggled a little bit, then reached up to hold him and kissed him too. "I love you too, Derek. Exactly like the man I was destined to love."
He smiled then held her tight. "God, I love you. I am so sorry for saying what I did, I know I don-"
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him hard, pressing herself against him as much as she could. It was a sensual kiss, one with all her tender ardor packed into it.
When she finally pulled away, he had a bemused expression on his face. "Did you just try to shut me up?"
She guiltily grinned at him.
"I can take the hint," he murmured against her lips, before capturing them, and her heart, in a passion-filled kiss.