Author's Note: I've been rewatching my boxed sets and had a little idea after watching 'Penelope.' This is set post Penelope.

Morgan/Garcia pairing. Can be read as friendship or the beginning of something more.

Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I do not own Criminal Minds in any way shape or form.

Penelope flew up from her bed, soaked in sweat. Her heart hammered painfully in her chest. Had those been gun shots? She ignored the pain in her abdomen as she forced herself to sit up. She was listening intently to every little noise she could hear, from the dogs barking outside to her own heartbeat and the panicked sound of her own breathing. No, there were no gunshots. It was just a dream, but she was shaken up anyway. She anxiously rolled over on her bed, again. She would go back to sleep. She was safe, her team had made sure of it. JJ had ended the threat against her. Oh, her poor JJ. She still couldn't believe JJ'd had to do it, but Garcia would be lying if she said she wished Battle had simply been arrested. It hurt her heart to think about what JJ must be feeling. Penelope made a mental note to check on her friend. JJ was tough, that was for sure, but she knew JJ would never want to take a life. Him being dead did help her sleep a little better, though here she was awake now at two in the morning. Garcia had to try and get to sleep. She had to try.

"Hey, Garcia?" his voice had called out, sounding so innocent. He sounded interested in her. In her. That was hard to believe, but he had been so sweet to her. So kind to her. She had such a wide smile on her face. This was the moment of the date she'd been waiting for.

She'd spun around quickly, expecting to see a smile, or for him to ask her to go on another date. And lastly, she hoped he might kiss her. Her heart thumped nervously in her chest. Though Penelope put on a tough front filled with bright colours and confidence, deep down she struggled a little with her self esteem. It was so rare to find someone she was attracted to, who was interested in her, too.

"I've been thinking about doing this all night," he said, with a huge grin on his face.

Garcia's heart fluttered. Was he going to do it? Was he going to kiss her? Was that what she wanted him to do? What happened next she hadn't expected, not at all. And that's when she saw it. He had pulled out a gun. There was no time react before a shot rang out. It didn't sound real. It didn't seem real. This really happened to people? Penelope dealt with tragic stories every day at work, but you never imagine it happening to you. Even if you do work a dangerous job. How had this happened? She'd thought she'd met a nice guy, someone that liked her, for her. And this is what happened? She'd hardly had time to dwell on this, before it all went black.

This was why Garcia wasn't getting any sleep. Each time she closed her eyes, she saw him. She'd been betrayed, tricked into thinking he had actually wanted to be with her. It had been a lie. The tears sprang to her eyes but she fought them back. Penelope couldn't allow him to haunt her any more.

Several minutes dragged by, and she still had no success in getting to sleep. "That does it," she muttered under her breath and pushed herself up into a sitting position, a little too fast. Garcia let out a small gasp as she grabbed the place where she'd been shot. How long would this pain last?

It took her a few moments to manage it, but she stood up beside her bed, inserting her feet into her little pink bunny slippers. She padded softly into the kitchen, trying to be careful and avoid making a sound.

Garcia was unsuccessful, as she tripped over a chair in the dark. The dragging sound on the floor sounded much louder than it was. The light was flicked on almost immediately.

"Baby girl?" the tired voice asked her and she looked over to see Morgan rubbing his eyes as he sat up on the couch, the lamp beside him now flicked on.

She'd tried to convince him to go home. She was after all, safe. Battle was dead. He'd insisted, having seen the fear that remained in her eyes. She was glad he had.

"Sorry," Garcia whispered, covering her mouth with her hand.

"There's no point whispering now," Morgan said with a laugh, now standing up, "What are you doing up? Get back to bed! I said if you needed anything, to let me know." He frowned at her. He'd wanted her to go back to the hospital, but she hadn't been willing to do it. Garcia had insisted on going home.

"I know, I know. But you've just done so much already, and I just wanted a drink of water, and," she broke off, realizing she was babbling.

Morgan chuckled softly, walking over to her. He raised his eyebrows when he saw Garcia look away quickly. He glanced down. He was only in his boxers, and he stifled a laugh at her reaction.

"Let's get you back to bed," he murmured softly, steering her towards the bedroom. She listened, wrinkling her nose and heading towards the bedroom. Morgan looked through the cupboards, and followed after Garcia as soon as he had a glass of water in his hand.

He watched her carefully, and when he saw her struggling, set the glass on the desk and moved over to help her into bed. It took awhile, but soon Penelope was settled.

"Get some rest," Morgan lectured, turning to make his leave.

"Wait," she called out, feeling panic rising in her chest as he turned away, "Could you maybe just stay, until I fall asleep?" She tried to fight back the trembles she felt.

Morgan turned to look at her and noticed the fear in her eyes. "Of course," he replied, "Anything you need." Garcia felt a warmth in her chest. He didn't even hesitate. He was there, and he was ready to be there for her. Just like he promised.

He waited until she was positioned comfortably before crawling in beside her. He'd do whatever it took to make his Garcia feel better.

Garcia smiled, feeling content and safe for the first time since before this had all happened. Now, in Derek's arms, she was finally able to fall asleep, her glass of water forgotten along with all her worries.

Author's Note: This has made me realize how much I love Penelope and Derek! I love these two. They have such a unique relationship.

I must write more of them in the future. And will make sure to do so!

Reviews are always loved. How was my first Penelope/Derek fic?

Thank you so much for reading!