JJ pulled up to the sidewalk in front of Garcia's house, noticing the light on in the living room. It wasn't often that she came over to Pen's. She tended to be fairly guarded about her home and usually came to visit JJ's apartment instead. She buzzed up to the apartment and heard the door open with a click.

When she opened the door, she saw that Garcia was upset, but her eyes were clear.

"Hey girl." Garcia let her in and she dropped her coat over the back of a kitchen chair.

"Do you want something to drink? I just made some tea."

"Yeah that'd be good." JJ sat down on the couch, curling up with a pillow in her arms. "So. What's going on?"

Garcia paused for a moment over the teapot, her back to JJ.

"I don't know."

"Did Morgan do something? Say something?"

"You know, I never actually said that this had anything to do with him."

"But it does." JJ said with a convincing tone.

"And what makes you so sure?"

"Well last I heard, you went to dinner with Derek, and….next thing you call me." Garcia glanced over her shoulder at the table.

"Oh."

"Come on Garcia. I know something happened. And you dragged me over here at half past eleven, so it'd better be juicy." JJ shifted on the couch to get comfortable and smiled. Garcia came from the kitchen and put a mug beside JJ on the table, sitting down with her own clasped tightly in her hands.

"Morgan…" She started, before glancing down at her lap. JJ observed her introverted, almost nervous behaviour. "Derek." She almost sighed at the soft intonation her friend put into her voice. JJ reached over and squeezed her wrist encouragingly. "He kissed me."

JJ's mouth dropped open.

"Wow. I didn't think he'd get the balls to do it, but…." She leaned in with a teasing grin. "How was he?"

Garcia couldn't help giving a choke of laughter, but she looked back down at her lap. "It wasn't a real kiss. And…I got mad at him. I told him to go."

"Why? Okay. Lets start from the beginning, what happened?"

"We went to dinner. At this place Atomico." Pen twisted the ring on one of her fingers. "And it was…great. Even though he insisted on paying for dinner. He drove me home. We came inside-" JJ tilted her head, trying to catch Pen's eyes. "And we hugged." Pen glanced at her, frowning.

"And?"

"And he kissed my hair, which he does now… and then my temple and my cheek, and I though he was just playing around."

"Pen." JJ said softly, beginning to see why her friend was upset.

"And then he said my name, and JJ, I swear if my heart didn't stop." JJ laughed quietly.

"Then I felt…he kissed my neck, twice and then I thought he was going to kiss me."

"And?"

"I pushed him away. Told him it wasn't fair for him to tease me just because he didn't think anyone could possibly think we were seriously involved. I told him he had to go."

"And he just left?"

"He said… He told me he wasn't teasing me. Said that he seriously wanted to-" She paused for a moment, wrapping her fingers around the warm mug. "Kiss me. I wanted to believe him, but…"

"Garcia." JJ said scoldingly, but sympathetic.

"I can't help it! I'm scared JJ."

"What if he was telling you the truth?"

Penelope took a deep breath.

"I think that might be even scarier."

JJ shifted closer and gently stroked her friend's hair.

"You need to let him earn your trust Pen."


Derek dragged out of bed. It was grey, and cold, and damp out. And the last thing he wanted to do was go for a run. But years of discipline nagged at him. Maybe it would clear his head a little.
JJ stood at the doorway.

"Garcia? Are you coming?"

Garcia hurried from her bedroom.

"Hold your stallions Jayje. I can't find my-"

"Purse?" JJ held the purse up from where it had been on the entrance way table. Garcia rolled her eyes at her and took the purse.

"Yes, thank you. Come on. We're going to be late." JJ rolled her eyes and followed Penelope out the door of her apartment.


"Hello?" Morgan snapped his phone open with a frown.

"Derek? Where are you? I've been calling for the last twenty minutes."

"I was on my bike. I just got to work. What's wrong?" Derek leant up against his motorcycle, wrapping one arm under his elbow.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong…"

"Come on Desi, spit it out before you give me a heart attack. Is mom okay?"

"Yeah, no, mom's fine. It's Sarah."

"Sarah? What'd she do this time?"

"She got a transfer. Guess where?"

"A job transfer?"

"Yeah! She got the VP job at her agency, and she's moving."

"Where to?"

"Baltimore."

"Baltimore? As in the city an hour away from here? Are you and Mom okay with this?"

"Yeah, of course! Mom just said that it would be an excuse to come down and see both of you more. Sarah's pretty excited." Derek shook his head and started walking towards the doors.

"That's great Desi. Tell Sarah congrats."

"I will. So……"

"So what D?"

"Nothing really I was just wondering. How are you doing little bro?"

"Fine? I work, I run. The usual."

"Hmmmm." Derek could hear the smile in his sister's tone. "That's good. How's Garcia doing?"

"Desiree." Derek groaned. "Look. I don't want to talk about it right now." Morgan backed through the door, nodding at the security guards posted.

"Then something happened?"

"No."

"Well if nothing happened then there wouldn't be something that you didn't want to talk about."

"You're driving me crazy girl."

"I'm your sister, it's my job. What happened."

"Ugh." Derek stopped and leant against the wall. "I…..asked her out."

Morgan rolled his eyes at the soft squeak Desi let out.

"Derek! You should have told us! It's so great! You guys are perfect for each other."

"Yeah well at least someone thinks that."

"What? Why?"

"I…We were at her place, talking after dinner, and…...I wanted to kiss her. And she kicked me out."

"Derek. There has to be something more. She….something else must have been wrong."

"Yeah, she won't believe me."

"Believe you?"

"She thinks I'm….not serious. I don't know Desi."

"Derek."

"Look. I have to go."

"Are you….?"

"I'll call you later girl, okay?"

"Derek. She'd be crazy not to care about you." Desi said softly. Derek sighed.

"I love you."

"I love you too baby brother."


"Look. I have to go."

Penelope stopped suddenly. It was Derek. Around the corner.

"I'll call you later girl, okay?" Girl. Girl? She couldn't help feeling slightly indignant, and a little sick in the bottom of her chest.

"I love you." How could he have said anything last night, and the next morning…


"Whoa!" The force of the collision knocked Penelope backwards a step. "Sor- Pen…Garcia. I uh, sorry, I must have been distracted." He scratched the back of his head, looking awkwardly down the hall.

"Yeah, well your phone call was probably very absorbing." There was more sharpness in her tone than she intended, but she tried to ignore it.

Had she been eavesdropping? Derek didn't think that was possible But how….His fingers gripped and he noticed his phone was still open in his hand. Oh.

"Yeah….I uh….My sister Desi."

"Oh." Penelope felt stupid. Still a little guarded. But mostly stupid.

"Yeah." Derek glanced at her eyes, but only for a moment. "Sarah got a promotion, and she's going to be moving to Baltimore."

"Oh!"


"Oh!" Garcia felt an actual smile form on her face. "That's great!"

"Yeah. It'll be nice to see her more. And my mom and Desi will probably be visiting more, so."

"That's great."

"Yeah." She stared at him. She had to be the one to say something. He started to nod politely and move to pass by her, but she clasped a restraining hand on his arm.

"Derek."


"Derek." Her voice may have actually flitted through the nerves in his arm. That's what it felt like at least. "I…I'm sorry. I… think too much sometimes, or not enough, and then I just." She gestured her hands in frustration. Derek leant against the wall, sliding a little closer to her.

"I screw things up Derek. I'm sorry."

"You didn't screw it up."

"I did. You were great. And dinner was….wonderful. And I'm sorry."

"So you've said." Derek let himself smile a little. "And I should have talked to you instead of leaving." He sucked up a little of his usual courage with women, sliding his fingers over her temple to smooth her hair behind her ear.

"Jayje just said that I need to let you earn my trust, that I won't get hurt." Penelope said, thinking back to her talk with JJ.

"Whoa whoa whoa baby girl." Derek frowned and his posture stiffened. "When did I betray your trust?... Or did I never have it? Was I just making this whole….friendship…. Did I make that up?"

"Derek. No." Penelope replied quickly. Derek's face was tight with unhappiness.

"Why are you so convinced I'm doing this to hurt you? Is this what you really think about me?"

Penelope wrung her hands, opening her mouth without knowing what she was going to say. She stepped forwards.

"It's not that. Sugar-"

"You know what, no." Derek raised his hands in surrender. His eyes dropped to the floor and he slowly stepped backwards. "No more of this. I…Penelope I have to go." He turned around on his heel and walked away down the hall.

Pen opened her mouth, but her voice only came out weakly.

"Derek…No. Ugh." She sighed, wanting to hit herself.


He still had work to do, but it was five thirty, he couldn't focus, and JJ kept glancing at him.

"Hey Derek, do you have the, um-" Spence jumped as Morgan slammed a desk drawer shut.

"I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow." He pushed back, and grabbing his jacket, was quickly striding out of the bullpen.

"Where's Morgan going?" Hotch asked, having stepped out of his office at the noise of the drawer shutting.

"Um. I think he's heading out early. For an…appointment?" Reid lied awkwardly.

"You need to work on that Reid." Hotch commented. "As long as he has his phone on him, I don't want to know."


Garcia pushed open the door to the bar. It was lit by a green glass lamp over a pool table and the sconces on the walls of booths. It had an Irish name and sports on the TV.

Morgan was sitting at the bar, leaning against the edge with a beer in his hand and his eyes on the football game. She was able to come up behind him without his notice. Her hand grazed his shoulder.

"Morgan." His posture snapped taut and he turned. His eyes met hers for a moment before focusing on the surface of his beer. Garcia shifted her bag from her shoulder onto a stool, and she moved her free hand to his elbow. "Come on hot stuff. What are you doing here."

"Relaxing after work Garcia." He replied, still looking down, his mouth taut.

"You don't look too relaxed."

"How did you find me."

"I put a trace on your phone." Morgan laughed a little, shaking his head.

"Yeah, you would. But I'm surprised you did." Garcia frowned. Her hands hesitantly rose up, straightening the collar of his shirt.

"Come on gorgeous." She said quietly. "We need to go talk."


They sat down in a booth that was tucked into an alcove near the front of the bar.

"I'm sorry." Morgan's eyes finally rose up at the sound of her voice. "I don't…It's hard for me. To accept that someone like you…. You aren't supposed to like girls like me. No. No, let me get through this. You're the football star, superman, super-smokin' hot guy. And I'm… I'm not the head cheerleader sorority girl."

Derek felt his front soften at her tone. He sighed, running his hands over his head while he thought about what to say.

"Baby girl, I don't want that-"

"I just…If you're doing this to be nice Derek, I want you to know that I'm okay. You don't have to protect me, or… prove me wrong about some of the things I've said by doing this. "

"Is that what you think? That I'm just doing this to prove something to myself? Baby, why can't you believe that I want you-" Derek reached across the table, just barely touching one of her hands.

"It's not that I don't want to believe you-" Pen cringed as her voice broke a little. She wanted it. It just wasn't… plausible.

"Tell me one thing. It doesn't matter about what's supposed to be, or who, or….All that matters is whether or not you want to be with me." Derek wrapped his fingers around her hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Derek." She looked up at him, looking distressed.

"Just answer me honestly. Nothing else matters. All that is important is whether you want to be with me like I want to be with you." She could almost believe him. He was watching her intently and Pen almost felt like her face must be radiating embarrassed heat. She wanted to say something romantic, or brave, powerful or sexy to this. But she couldn't. All she could do was draw her eyebrows together in worry.

"If I say yes, do you promise you won't take it back?"

She shifted closer to him, her breath slow and shakey.

"Most definitely sweetness." He said quietly. She hesitated for a moment, and Morgan could see the fear in her eyes, before she pressed her lips softly against his. His hand slipped up to her face and he returned the kiss, pulling back for a moment to look her in the eyes, to let her know he was sure, and not lying.

"Baby girl. Pen."

"Derek." His name was a sigh and he swallowed thickly. All he could do was squeeze her hand tightly and lift the other to her neck, letting his thumb play there for a moment before he kissed her again.