AN: Thanks for the reviews. It matters more than you will ever know...On to the next chapter...Were you expecting this?

Chapter 7

Monday morning, Penelope entered the FBI headquarters, her stomach churning. She'd done the worst thing possible: she'd over-thought the whole situation to the point of near illness. Her head hurt, her stomach ached, and her heart was sore, too.

First of all, she still couldn't figure out why Kevin was suddenly becoming the boyfriend she'd always wanted. If he had done all of this three years ago, she would've been thrilled about it. She would've danced a jig and sung his praises. She would've counted her lucky stars.

She would've loved him the way he wanted to be loved...and the way she had wanted to love him.

Now, she felt like it was too little, too late. She'd gotten used to his lack of attention and manipulative, selfish little ways; she was angry enough to call it what it was now! His changing now felt wrong, distinctly un-Kevinish.

Putting a face on the neglect also made her come to the conclusion that she was better off without him. Working twelve hour days meant that she didn't see him very much, anyway, which was probably why the absentee boyfriend act had worked so well for the past four years. Instead, she'd shared a lot of things with her best friend.

Derek.

Seeing JJ and hearing her talk about being best friends with Will had her thinking a lot about Derek. She'd taken advantage of that friendship a whole lot, foxy, beautiful, sweet angelfish that he was. He'd let her, too, and supported her. She wouldn't be as reliant on him when she had her next lover; she'd find someone who could be her friend, too.

A niggling hope rose in her at who that person could be, but she kept it tamped down for the moment.

Before she could do that, she had to let Kevin down easy. She wasn't looking forward to this, but she had a feeling he'd be okay with it. They weren't really that emotionally attached; they were simply comfortable with each other.

Entering the double doors to the tech unit, she started down the hallway to Kevin's office. She made it halfway, when she saw something she never thought she'd see in a million years.

Derek Morgan exiting Kevin's "Kave."

He turned to start heading her way, so she ducked down the nearest hallway and pressed herself against the wall. Her heart was beating hard as Derek sauntered past, oblivious to her being there. She frowned, closing her eyes, her head aching more than it ever had before.

What…what…

O.M.G.

Suddenly, understanding dawned on Penelope so brightly, it was like a light switch had been flipped in her brain. She never in a million years would've guessed what was happening; she'd had to see it with her own two eyes. Even now, it was hard to believe.

Her best friend, her Hot Stuff, her knight in shining armor was apparently her Cupid, too.

She replayed the past few weeks in her head, and things became even more clear. Derek had asked about her relationship with Kevin, how things were going, how she was feeling. He hated Kevin; Derek barely tolerated knowing that she was dating Kevin, much less hearing intimate details.

She'd even asked him, "Why are you suddenly so curious about what Kevin and I did?"

"I'm not," he'd lied—she was sure he was lying now!—"I just want to make sure he's treating you right."

Of course he'd wanted to know; he'd spoon fed it to her boyfriend.

All the little things Kevin had done were because of Derek. The flowers—they were Shasta daisies. Kevin knew she liked flowers, but only Derek would remember she liked those specific ones. Kevin was allergic to flowers and shuddered when she mentioned them.

And the candy! It was perfect chocolate candy from the chocolate company that made it in downtown Quantico. She'd eaten that with Derek a few months ago and said it was orgasmic.

She'd even told Derek she'd wanted to see that damned movie Kevin had taken her to. She frowned. Kevin had even bought her favorite Twizzlers®, and she only shared those with Derek.

Now that she thought more about it, other little things Kevin had done—walks in the park, dinners—were things that she'd mentioned to Derek in the past. He took every request she had, every dream she'd shared with him…and relayed it to Kevin with quicksilver speed.

Lord, she'd been a blind fool.

She knew two things now, and neither of them were very pleasant.

She thought that maybe her best friend was playing her. He felt bad for her complaining and whining about Kevin and his lack of attention, so to shut her up, he'd given Kevin good ideas. Surefire winners that would appeal to her. Probably made his life much better, not having to listen to her gripe about her mistreatment.

Or he pitied her and decided to make Kevin a better boyfriend by giving him ideas. To Penelope, that was even worse than the first option. Perhaps Derek didn't think she could get a better boyfriend, or that she was worth someone else, but he never should've done what he did. Was he going to coach Kevin forever? Sooner or later, Kevin would revert to being Kevin. That was his nature; that was who he was. He wasn't suave, he wasn't meant to charm and seduce women. That was Derek's job—he did that so perfectly.

He was good; she'd fallen for his seduction plan hook, line, and sinker.

Her heart twisted uncomfortably in her chest, and she felt even more foolish. That niggling hope she'd had felt like a mockery.

She was far more angry at Derek than she was at Kevin. She could see Kevin feeling bad and wanting to make amends for past presents, but Derek…

It hurt. It hurt so badly.

She'd never do that to him, meddle in his love life and make him stay with someone unworthy. She thought better of him—that he deserved more. Why didn't he think better of her?

She started to fume, getting angrier by the second. What had he been thinking? Good Lord, if she'd complained Kevin was miserable in bed, would he have put a bug in Kevin's ear, saying "Kiss there. Stroke that"?

Oh, she was infuriated! Both of them needed to be taught a well deserved lesson for messing with her life. She didn't know what it would be, but she'd think of a good one…and soon.

Whatever it was going to be, it would be an excellent way to say sayonara to a mediocre boyfriend…and good riddance to a meddlesome, ex-best friend.

Like a bolt of lightening, the perfect idea came to her brain. She smiled wickedly as she walked toward Kevin's office and knocked on the door.