Caught in a Storm
Chapter Five
A/N - I'm posting two chapters today because I have my History exam on Wednesday and I need to concentrate on that so I won't be uploading any new chapters until afterwards. I didn't want to be cruel and leave you waiting to see what happens between Garcia and Morgan so here we go!
By the time Penelope arrived back at the lodge it was dark and it had began to snow once more. Emily and J.J. were sat in front of the fire drinking hot beverages when they turned to see their friend.
"Garcie! Come and sit down. What's happened?" J.J. asked concernedly
Garcia's face was cold and tear-stricken so there was no point hiding the truth from her friends, after removing her outer layers she sat beside them and retold the events of her day.
There was a momentary silence after she had finished until Emily clapped her hands together and said "well it's about time!"
As J.J. smiled in agreement, Garcia narrowed her eyes "what are you talking about?"
"Oh come on, you and Morgan were inevitable, we've even been having a wager for when you two were going to get together for a good few years now. We have no lives, we needed something to keep us occupied. Hotch never joined in but Rossi and Reid always placed their bets" Prentiss explained
She gaped at them, all this time she had felt stupid for liking Morgan, even loving him whilst her friends were betting on them getting together. "Even when I was with Kevin?" she asked
"As if we thought he was a real threat to you two" J.J. smiled "we did start to get a bit concerned after four years but then you got rid of him so it was alright"
"But why didn't you ever say anything to me? I've loved that man for eight years! But he doesn't see me as anymore than his best friend" she sighed
"Earth to Garcia!" Emily cried "We didn't say anything cause you wouldn't have believed us, anyway you were with Kevin, you never would have left him without proper cause, you're too nice. As for Morgan, I don't think a man could love a woman more than he loves you!"
"Think about how he treats you, how he cares for you! Garcia, I think you're the only person who is blind to it" J.J. added
Penelope's heart was beating fast with anticipation and excitement, this was too much for her to take in but it was all making sense. His reluctance to accept her relationship with Kevin and his obvious dislike of him, his constant protection of her and of course their continued flirtation, she just wished he'd have given some indication of his feelings rather than giving her the opposite idea by going off with different women every night. She needed to talk to him, properly.
"Where would he have gone?" she asked aloud, they had only been in the town four days there were not many places he would be able to go.
"The others said they were going to the bar in town, it's only a small place where the locals get together but he probably arranged to meet them there" Emily suggested
Penelope sighed and slumped back into the couch, there was the strong possibility that he would go and drown his sorrows and if that was the case she was not going to be able to talk seriously with him tonight, she just hoped that her terrified flee from the cave hadn't warned him off.
The local bar could be described as busy when Morgan walked in and brushed snow off himself. Although it was fairly small, each of the tables were filled with local men chatting and laughing amongst themselves, obviously enjoying 'man time' with their friends away from their wives and families. They rested a little easier now their serial killer was now gone, but there was a cloud that hung over as seats would be left empty for the friends and brothers who had died at the hand of 'The Hunter'.
In a table in the back corner, sat a three of the people responsible for the capture of the murderer and their praises were being sung by the locals, this meant each individual offering to by them a round of drinks. Morgan pulled up a stool beside Reid and quickly drank his untouched shot before slamming the glass back on the table. The three men looked at him wearily as he reached for another drink but Rossi placed his hand firmly on his wrist to stop him.
"Tell us what's happened, and then we'll decide whether you can drink yourself into an oblivion" he said simply before moving the drinks to the other side of the table.
He sighed and placed his head in his hands after his wrist had been freed.
"Whilst me and Garcia were out sledging we started making snowmen and having a snowball fight and it was all fine, but then the snow started coming down heavy so we ducked into a nearby cave for shelter. I made a fire and we huddled together to keep warm and then, we kissed. Afterwards, she looked horrified and ran away..." he trailed off sadly.
Hotch shook his head "I doubt she did it to be cruel, she may seem very confident but she can get very insecure, that's not her fault, trust has been a big thing for her since her parents died."
"It's obvious she loves you but she has never felt good enough for you" Rossi added
Morgan looked at him confused "why would she ever think that? She's perfection to me" he stated honestly
"Think of it from her perspective Morgan, she's not exactly the type you go out with is she?" Rossi asked "you act like the cheating husband, you use the lookers for sex but use Garcia for the homely things like going to the movies, talking your feelings through, being a friend, you've never given her indication you wanted more. No wonder she stayed with Lynch for so damn long!"
"We've all waited for you two to finally get together but you're both too stubborn!" Reid added
Morgan slammed his fist on the table in frustration "damn it! I've blown it now" he cried angrily still feeling as awful as he did when he watched her leave the cave.
Rossi clapped his hand onto his friend's back "a young man on a ridge in Montana once told me he was relentless, I do hope that man is still there"
Morgan knew what he had to do, he was still relentless. He had not waited in the sidelines for four years to give up at the first hurdle, he must win her back, and after learning from his friends that she loved him too, he hoped he still had a strong chance.
Penelope had just got into bed when I knock came at the door. She knew it was him and for the first time since meeting him, she was nervous. Her heart began beating faster, she felt hotter and her mouth was drier.
"Get a grip Garcie" she whispered to herself "it's Morgan, Derek, your same old Hot Stuff"
Throwing the covers back she walked to the door and looked through the peephole. There he was, tall, dark and so handsome. Every inch of him sculpted to perfection. Penelope began feeling hot all over again as she thought about that kiss, the most wonderful kiss she had ever experienced, so full of love it overwhelmed her.
Taking a deep breath she opened the door slowly, he looked at her and gave her a sheepish smile with his hands behind his back "hey, is it ok if I come in?"
She shrugged and returned his smile "it's your room too" and she stepped aside to let him pass.
From behind his back he produced a small bouquet of flowers "a peace offering, can we talk?"
"Thank you, I need to talk to you too" she replied placing the flowers on the side table before sitting on one of the soft furnished chairs in front of the fire.
Morgan sat opposite her, his usual cool, suave persona had completely gone, he had never been so anxious to talk to anyone before let alone his best friend, he was scared of her rejection.
"About before-"
"-No Derek you don't have to..." she interjected quickly
He held his hand up to silence her "Penelope, I promise I will let you speak but I need to say this or I never will. I love you and I always have. From that first time I called you Gomez and you came over to help us, I knew there was something different about you and the way I felt when I was around you but I was a young idiot with no prospects of love or being with one person. Then when you got shot..." he paused and took a deep breath "...it was as if my world ended, I could not imagine life without you, when I saw you lying in that hospital bed you looked so helpless and vulnerable, I just wanted to pick you up right there and look after you like you deserve. When I told you I loved you that night I took you home I truly meant it, just as I do now, I knew I had to make you know how I felt but I didn't expect anything back right away, you were so fragile, it would've been wrong to take advantage. By the time you were strong enough Lynch had edged his way in and I was left to love you from the sidelines but I vowed that I would always be there no matter what and no woman has ever come close to the perfection that you are to me Baby Girl."
Penelope covered her mouth as she tears fell down her face with happiness, she was beside herself, she couldn't believe what he was saying to her.
When she finally found the words she cried with joy "I love you too Derek Morgan, with all my heart, forever and always"
Effortlessly he stood up and lifted her out of her chair, she looped her arms around his neck and kissed him exactly as she had earlier that day "they all knew, how were we so blind?" she asked as he placed her down gently on the bed.
"Love is blind Baby Girl, it consumes each of us, and once it has us, it never let's us go..."
Hotch stirred his coffee and sat down with the remaining members of his team "I've had confirmation that the storm should pass over by tomorrow so we can leave on Wednesday afternoon"
Emily sipped her own coffee "excellent, I will not be sorry to see the back of this weather" she said giving a slight shudder.
J.J. looked up at the ceiling "oh I hope they sort it out"
Rossi smiled "coming from an old man with plenty of experience in this field, I am certain that they will. This storm has been the catalyst for feelings that have been bubbling under the surface for eight years, that kiss this afternoon was proof of that"
She sighed hopefully for her best friend, she had known all along how she said felt about Morgan even if they never spoke about it, she deserved true happiness more than anyone else.
The team all stared into the fire opposite as it crackled quietly sharing a communal thought, hoping that their colleagues and friends finally see sense so they can share the love and happiness that they find in each other. Emily broke the eery silence, "I doubt we'll know the outcome until the morning and until then, we wait."