They were all seated around the small table in the break room trying to decided on the best course of action, with the least amount of fall out. By way of mutual, unspoken agreement, they knew it was Derek that would be the most adversely affected by any decision they made, so they were leaving the final decision up to him.
"So what are we going to do guys?" A concerned J.J. asked quietly, her small hands wrapped loosely around a fresh cup of coffee, and her shoulders hunched slightly in worry. Normally she had no problem deciding on a course of action and following through, but this time she didn't feel the decision was hers to make, at least not alone. She directed the question at the group, but she looked at Derek for a solution.
"I'd be lying if I said I was sure I could do this. To be perfectly honest, I don't think I can. She just reminds me too much of what I've lost... what we've lost, and I already feel like I'm back to square one and she just got here. And what happens when the job is done and she leaves? It'll be like losing Pen all over again and by God, I won't go through that again. I just can't." He bit out, the last three words barely a whisper, his eyes deeply troubled in remembrance.
Derek knew his words were harsh and unyielding, but it was the truth and he wasn't going to hide behind lies in order to to do his job or prevent someone from getting their feelings hurt. There was more than his career riding on all of this. His very sanity was at stake. When Penelope died, she took part of his soul and all of his heart with her. He knew with absolute certainty if he had to go through this past year again, he wouldn't make it out the other side whole a second time. As it was, part of him was already afraid it might be too little, too late.
"Do I get a say or have I already been voted off the island?"
All four heads turned towards the entrance and Derek inhaled sharply. One glance of her was like a sucker punch to his gut and it stole his breath away, each and every time. If he'd questioned his decision for even one moment, he couldn't ask for more potent proof that he was right. Everyone else seemed a little uncomfortable and a bit lost for words, so he took it upon himself to try and explain as gently as he could.
"Look Angelique..."
"Angel. My friends call me Angel for short, or Devil from my last name, if you prefer," Angelique said with a small half-smile, her eyes somewhat mischievous.
Outwardly he gave no sign of the inner turmoil caused by her words, other than a quick flex of his cheek muscle when he clenched his jaw against bombarding memories. Not only was her smile the same smile Pen often shot his way over the years, but combined with her offer to use one of their shared nicknames, and it was nearly his undoing. Three words crossed his mind. Oh hell no!
"Angelique," he started again, watching the light fade from her eyes and the smile falter on her lips, with his continued use of her full name. He got up and poured himself another cup of coffee, needing something to focus his attention on while he talked so he wouldn't have to face the disappointment written clearly on her face. "This has nothing to do with you and everything to do with us."
"The hell it doesn't," she stated quietly, deceptively calm.
"Excuse me?" His head whipped up to look at her incredulously.
"This has everything to do with me and saying otherwise won't make it any less true," she replied succinctly, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance.
"You shouldn't go around commenting on things you know absolutely nothing about, little girl," Derek practically growled. He turned to face her, leaning against the counter and crossing his own arms in return. You could see the intimidating flare of heat flow into his eyes, a tell-tale sign he was beginning to get angry and it was at this point that most people backed off, knowing not to push him any further.
Unfortunately, Angel wasn't one of them. Instead, she scoffed at him, not intimidated in the least. J.J. tried to interject knowing she was treading on dangerous ground, but Angel just raised one hand without even glancing in her direction, effectively silencing J.J.'s budding protest. For whatever reason, Angel's wrath was focused on Derek and Derek alone. Emily and J.J. looked at each other before grabbing hold of a protesting Reid and slipped wordlessly from the room. For some reason, call it woman's intuition, they instinctively knew this was something the two people in the break room needed to privately settle amongst themselves.
"Oh that's where you're wrong Agent Morgan. I'm actually quite the expert on this particular subject." Angel carried on completely unaware the others had left them alone.
"I don't..." Derek began, but Angel didn't let him finish.
"All my life I've been judged on my looks or lack there of, so don't you dare tell me that I don't know when my looks are playing a mitigating factor in a decision being made about me. Do I look stupid to you?" She began to advance slowly toward Derek, her hands now clenched into tight fists at her sides.
"That's not..." Derek tried once more, only to have her interrupt again as if he hadn't spoken.
"Because if I do Morgan, I for one, don't have much faith in your profiling abilities. I am neither stupid nor am I naive. Believe me when I say, I'm fully aware that you don't want me here because of what, or rather who, I look like – consequences be damned. I knew it from the second I walked through the blasted door and that was only solidified when each and every one of you hightailed it down here at the first available opportunity. I just didn't know the exact details which Agent Hotchner and Agent Rossi were kind enough to rectify for me just a moment ago, after you all jumped ship. And to some extent, I get it, really I do. But what I don't get is how you're all willing to walk away and risk the lives of 13 women and children just to ease your own damn pain and discomfort. Don't you even care?" The end of her tirade brought her toe to toe with Derek, her chest slightly heaving with the force of her emotions.
Angel's cheeks were flushed with anger, her eyes were spitting fireworks in Derek's direction, and all of a sudden all he could think of was how beautiful she looked when she was angry. In that single moment, the heat in his own eyes tumbled over from ire to arousal and he became hyper-aware of the her body heat as she stood invading his personal space. When his eyes unconsciously focused on the fullness of her crimson lips, all rational thought was lost along with all sense of propriety and self-control, both flying out the proverbial window in the face of his unforeseen desire. Before he could stop himself, his hands were framing her face and Derek began greedily drinking from her intoxicating lips, completely losing himself in their texture and taste.
With the first unexpected touch of Derek's mouth, everything else faded away entirely forgotten, and Angel was unable to do anything else other than surrender herself over to the total magic of his kiss.