Chapter 11

AN: Thanks so much for the reviews. You are all so wonderful to me. Each one makes me want to type and type and type...(Ask Naidoo, Harley, and my hubby... it's so totally true! They read a lot of my ramblings!)

"Hey, sweetness," he said, calling on the phone Thursday morning. He was in the SUV, a moment of quiet, while on the road. Late Wednesday afternoon, they'd received notice they were wheels up; he didn't even get a chance to kiss Penelope goodbye. They'd been working non-stop, and now he and Prentiss had been sent up into the mountains of Idaho to interview a victim.

On the way up, Prentiss had run in to get a cup of coffee for both of them at a gas station, and so he'd dialed the phone, eager to speak to P.

"Hey," she said, sounding sleepy. She stifled a yawn, and asked,"What time is it?"

He smiled, picturing her, cute and sleep rumpled. " Five thirty. I know it's ungodly early for you, but I wanted to talk to you. I'm heading into the mountains, so I probably won't have cell reception the rest of the day."

"Oh, okay." He could hear that she stopped to yawn again. "What's up?"

His voice automatically dropped an octave, and he could feel his cheeks heating as he said, "Nothing, really. I just wanted to wish you good morning."

Every morning since the last weekend, they'd kissed each other a warm good morning. It was a wonderful thing for him, started his day on a damned good note. He knew she smiled the day away, too, he'd seen her at her desk. Except for yesterday, something was off. She was a little standoffish when he kissed her.

She paused for a second, before sighing happily. "You are so sweet sometimes, Derek Morgan. Even if you do call way too early."

He smiled, then sighed. He was still a little worried about yesterday. He decided to ask her. "P, is everything okay?"

She paused again, then answered, "Yeah, Hot Stuff. It's all good."

"Are you sure?" he questioned, wishing he could see her face. "You know you can talk to me, Baby Girl."

"I know, cupcake." Her voice was husky; he heard her clear it. "You're the best friend I've ever had."

"Of course, sweetheart," he said. He could sense the sadness in her voice, and it broke his heart. Something was definitely wrong, but she obviously wasn't going to talk to him about it. Not now. He'd try again later.

When it came to his Baby Girl, he never gave up.

"I'll miss you," she said softly.

He smiled again as his heart skipped a beat. "I'll miss you, too. I better go; Prentiss is back."

"Bye, love bug. Hurry home."

With that, she clicked the phone off.

Early morning in the mountains was gorgeous. There was mist rising all around the road they were going to travel, and the sun was just coming over the first peak.

"Who were you talking to?" Prentiss asked, handing him a cup of terrible coffee from a convenience store. It was bitter as hell; she knew it, but it was better than nothing.

"Penelope," he said. "Just wishing her a good morning."

She smiled over her cup at him. She was surprised he was so forthcoming with her. She kind of wanted to have a talk with Derek, after she flubbed things around at lunch with Garcia. See if she could set things right. "I talked to PG at lunch about you the other day."

"Really?"

Emily looked over at Morgan. He just smirked like he usually did, not giving anything away, unfortunately. It was common place for him. Prentiss thought sarcastically that getting information from Derek was easy...like peeling a turtle.

"Something big going on there?"

Derek glanced at her, then started the truck and began driving. A while later, he surprised her again, and answered, "Might be."

"Oh, that's good." Emily let out a sigh of relief. To say might be was huge for Derek. Usually he answered, Hell, no, when she asked that question or any question about his love life!

Derek chuckled a little, sounding confused. "What?"

"Well, to hear Garcia tell it, it sounds like a friends with benefits sort of thing," Emily replied, testing the water. She wanted to see his response on that, gauge his thinking, before she continued like she did at lunch the other day with the BAU girls.

Unfortunately, he didn't give anything away yet again.

"Is that what she said?" Derek asked awhile later.

"Yes, she did," Emily said. "She made it sound like it was very casual between you two... which, by the way, I am going to say it, I think is a really bad idea."

He didn't say a single word, which frustrated Emily, but she felt she had to continue, for the sake of both Morgan and Garcia.

"She's not that kind of girl, Derek."

Still, he said nothing.

"I know you're both adults, and I know you can make those decisions... but you and Penelope are way too close for something casual. You'd never be able to go back to being just friends," she added a moment later, very softly, "Someone is going to get really hurt..."

She watched him carefully, watched his jaw tighten. He was obviously a little angry, but he needed to hear this. She didn't worry as much about him, Derek was tough and used to fucking around, having a good time, lots of affairs, but PG...she was so vulnerable and soft. He was thinking with his dick, not his head, if he thought they could withstand something like that.

"You're going to lose a friend, and you're going to break her heart." She took a deep breath and finished, "Like I said, someone's going to get hurt... and you don't want to do that to her."

For a long time, he was quiet, saying nothing, that muscle in his cheek still twitching, but there was something else, a slight tightness around his eyes that she couldn't quite pinpoint.

He turned and looked at her. "What in the hell are you staring at?" he snapped.

She cringed, but just a little. Emily was one tough girl. Plus, something about that look bugged her, started making her feel really, really uneasy. "You okay? You look...unhappy."

He answered in a voice that was too calm. "I'm fine."

She sighed again and said, "Morgan, if you're not happy about the situation, she probably isn't, either. You need to talk to her, and-"

"Emily."

She quieted immediately. He rarely called her by her first name, and he never interrupted her or anyone else, usually. "What?"

"Lay off, okay?"

They were quiet the rest of the way up the mountain. She knew it then, exactly what that look was that she couldn't figure out. It was in his voice when he said that last comment. Something he couldn't hide.

Hurt.

She'd made a mistake yet again. Sighing, she couldn't help but think that sometimes it would be better if she kept her big mouth shut. They were silent until they arrived at the scene, and later back at the precinct, neither mentioned a word about it again.