Instead of going after Derek, J.J. decided to let him be for now. They were both experiencing incredibly intense feelings and emotions at the moment and she knew he probably needed a few minutes to regroup as much as she did. The rest of the team would be here soon and she needed to take the time to get things back under control and back in perspective before they arrived. Strangely enough though, despite the emotional upheaval and the impact of Derek's stunning confession, she felt better and calmer then when she'd first arrived. Much like the aftermath of a vicious storm; debris everywhere, but yet the air still somehow oddly refreshing and filled with the promise of a new beginning.
Ten minutes later she had everything set up and ready to go for the team's arrival. Derek still hadn't returned, so she decided to see if she could find him and make sure everything was okay. Heading down the stairs, she could see at a glance that he wasn't in the Bullpen so she headed for the break room area. She found the area empty, but spotted signs of his presence in the freshly made coffee and spoon in the sink. With one more destination in mind, she headed back to the one place she'd avoided like the plague for the last year. No matter who occupied it these days, to her, it would always belong to Penelope and that was exactly the reason she still wouldn't – couldn't go inside. And guessing from Derek's hovering perch in the doorway, she wasn't the only one who felt that way. Leaning hard against the door frame of Garcia's bunker, he was an imposing figure with unfocused eyes staring blankly into the room, obviously reliving memories belonging only to him.
"Penny for your thoughts?" She enquired softly, but then immediately winced at her poor choice of words.
"If only it were that simple. If it were, I'd gladly give every thought in my head, past and present, for the most important Penny to ever enter my life. Though Lord knows she'd kick me where I stand for ever calling her Penny." He turned to face her and offered up an echo of his normally infectious smile.
"I'm sorry Derek, I didn't..." J.J. began before Derek pushed away from the door frame and placed a finger to her lips to silence her apologetic words.
"Girl, haven't we walked around each other on eggshells long enough? You can't censor every single word you speak for fear that you'll say something that reminds me of Penelope and neither can I. Everything reminds me of her – she was and always will be, my Baby Girl. We had a lot of history and made a lot of memories together over the years." He continued when he saw her face was alight with skepticism. "Sweetheart, I promise you I'm okay. In fact right now, I feel better than I have in a long time. Pen always said that talking things out somehow made everything easier to deal with and she was right, as usual."
J.J.'s doubt turned into a smile because she knew he was right and with a satisfied grin, she offered up further vocal agreement. "She wasn't called the 'Queen of all knowledge' and the 'Oracle of all things knowable and unknowable' for nothing, ya know."
Derek's eyes twinkled in merriment before laughing and playfully tapping the tip of her nose in response. "That she was, girl. That she was. C'mon Princess, let me buy you a cup of Joe before we have to get this show on the road." He flung a friendly arm around her shoulders and led her back towards the break room.
Like Derek, Emily and Reid made a pit stop at their desks to get rid of their coats and bags before heading back to the break room for some much needed coffee. Middle of the night cases always threw their systems out of whack for a day or two, and there was nothing like an instant caffeine jolt to get them through and back on track. When they walked in the break room, followed closely by Hotch and Rossi, Derek had just finished pouring J.J. and himself a second cup of coffee.
"I don't suppose by chance that you left any coffee for the rest of us mere mortals?" Emily asked Derek with a hopeful look on her face.
"Now Prentiss, do you really think I'd leave you high and dry?"
"In a word, yes," Emily replied instantly.
"When it comes to coffee...without question," Reid piped in.
"In a heartbeat," J.J. added.
"You wound me! Hotch, man, are you going to let them talk to me like that?" Derek turned to his Unit Chief in both mock appeal and feigned hurt.
"If it gets me a cup of coffee? You bet." While they were arguing, Hotch had reached up in to the cupboard and pulled down a mug for him and one for Rossi. Taking the last of the coffee, he passed a smiling Rossi his cup, then picked up his own before turning away from his astonished teammates with a slight smirk on his face. "Since it seems the coffee pot is empty, I guess they were right. Conference room in five everyone."