Living minutes away from the BAU ensured that Derek would no doubt be the first to arrive back at the office, giving him plenty of time to make a quick pit stop at the 24hr coffee kiosk in the lobby of their building. After paying for his coffee, he took a moment to enjoy a few deep swallows of what he deemed to be nectar from the Gods, before heading over to the bank of elevators. Feeling more awake with each sip, he continued to pay silent homage to his fragrant brew all the way to the 6th floor, so much so, he was almost finished the entire drink before the elevator even reached its destination.
Once he passed through the BAU glass doors, he promptly began to scan the area looking for J.J., surprised to discover she was no where to be found. Something in her voice had him assuming that she'd been calling him from the office, but that was a ridiculous presumption for him to make and one he'd never made before, given that she'd received cases via her cell phone all the time. The thought brought a brief frown to his features and immediately prompted him wonder what caused him to arrive at such an outcome without any facts to back it up, especially since being who he was and what he did for a living, he normally wasn't the type to jump to conclusions.
Lost in his musings, Derek finished the remainder of his coffee as he dropped his jacket and ready bag at his desk before finally making his way upstairs, intending to get things ready to go by the time everyone else arrived. Soundlessly he entered the darkened conference room, not a small feat by any means for a man with his solid build and muscle mass, but it was both second nature to him and done without conscious thought. His almost feline grace and athleticism, along with the years of Martial Arts under his belt, gave him the stealth-like trait and it was a big part of who he was, who he'd become.
Suddenly, his mind registered a noise alerting him of another presence in the room. His deeply ingrained instincts kicked in and had him reaching for his weapon while slamming on the overhead lights.
"J.J.?" Alarm had Derek holstering his gun and crouching down at her side in seconds.
"Morgan, I'm fine. I...I just needed to close my eyes for a minute."
He'd seen her barely flinch when the lights unexpectedly shot on, never even opening her eyes at the unexpected intrusion. Instead, he watched her clench both her hands into fists and shut her eyes even tighter. Outwardly her voice was completely calm and controlled, but he could still detect the barely contained feelings bubbling beneath the calm exterior, thickly lacing each word with emotion as it left her lips. Her body was strung tighter than an archer's bow and tension rolled off her in waves, telling him far more than any words she could have spoken. He didn't have to be a Profiler to see her control was hanging by a thread and it was growing thinner with each passing minute.
Gently he took her clenched fists in his hands, his thumbs tracing soothing patterns across her skin. When he spoke, his voice was gentle and persuasive. "Sweetheart, over this past year we've become close enough for me to know with just one look when you're not telling me the whole truth. Come on girl, open up those beautiful blue eyes of yours and say what it is you're not telling me. Trust me when I say it never has to go any further than this room."
Derek's calming ministrations and velvet tipped voice encouraged the tension to slip from her body until her hands lay relaxed and opened in his. Slowly she dragged her eyes open and met his warm brown orbs filled with caring sincerity and protectiveness. Unexpectedly, she felt her eyes fill with moisture and she tore her gaze away.
"Nu-uh princess. No take backs. Look at me." A gentle finger under her chin turned her head back in his direction. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"
"I'll tell you one thing," her voice quivered and she took a couple of cleansing breaths before continuing. "If I could bottle that Morgan charm, I'd be filthy stinking rich. No wonder there's not a single woman on this planet that can resist you. On second thought, it would be registered as a lethal weapon and I'd end up in jail."
He threw his head back and his rich baritone laugh filled the room, effectively dispelling any remaining anxiety. J.J. grinned, pulled her hands from his and stood up.
"And if I could, I'd bottle up your diversionary abilities. I bet I'd have people flocking to me in droves just to get a taste. Think of the politicians alone! Of course it's a good thing that we both know I'm as immune to your diversions as you are to my charms, so I know you didn't really think you'd get away with it, now did you?" Morgan leaned a hip against the table and crossed his arms, a single eyebrow cocked in question, his eyes still dancing with unchecked mirth. When she remained quiet, he spoke once more, all humour vanishing with his next words. "And you also know I'm relentless when I want to be, J.J. so fess up and get it over with while we're still alone, 'cause I'm not going anywhere until you do."