AN: I was going to leave this as a one-shot. But my kids are both home sick and I am BORED SENSELESS. And need some serious Morgan/Garcia action with the bizarre episode schedule. So, here ya go. Not sure how long it'll last, but if it does it will loosely follow the season 8 episodes that follow Zugzwang.

Morgan wasn't sure how long they stayed like that—comforting one another on the couch on his office. Eventually his baby girl had cried out all of her tears and became quiet. He thought perhaps she had fallen asleep, but when he looked down at her he saw that she was staring off into space, as if deep in thought.

"What's going on in that head of yours, beautiful?" he asked.

She sighed. "It just doesn't seem fair, does it?"

"No part of this is fair, baby," he said, "but what do you mean, specifically?"

"That we can hold each other, but Reid never got to hold her. That he had to see her die. Any of it. Not a single part of this is fair. He just deserves more, Derek. He's been so alone his whole life."

Morgan knew what she meant. He kissed her forehead. "I know, baby, I know."

They sat there for a few more minutes. "You ready to go?" he asked finally.

"Yes. No." She sighed again. "I don't want to be alone tonight, hot stuff."

He gave her a crooked smile. He was glad she had said it so he wouldn't have to. All things considered, he would sleep far better tonight with his blonde goddess in his arms. "Well I suppose you can come home with me. If you must."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "How chivalrous of you," she said sarcastically. "I know it's a major sacrifice."

"Yeah, well, you win some," he grinned," and you lose some. Maybe I won't have to do any dishes while you are there." That earned him a whack from her. He pulled her up from the couch and pulled her to him as they headed out the door and to the elevators. They didn't say much. They both knew there weren't words that would make anything better. Derek didn't let go of her till they reached his truck. The moment she stepped away from him to go around to the passenger side, he felt lost without her presence. As soon as he had the truck backed out its spot, he reached over and took her hand in his. She looked up at him, sadness in her usually bright brown eyes, then squeezed his hand.

They drove to his house is silence. He opened his front door and motioned her in. "Hungry?" he asked. She shook her head, her back to him. He turned to lock the door and take off his jacket. When he turned back to her, he was surprised to see that she hadn't moved. Then he noticed her shoulders shaking ever so slightly. "Baby . . ." he started. She turned and was suddenly in his arms, in full on sob mode again. He tightened his arms around her, murmuring sweet nothings. He knew that she had to be exhausted. He considered for a moment, then gently led her to his room.

When he had been shot in his vest the previous month, Penelope had begun spending more time with him than she had in quite some time. She had slept in his guest room on more than one occasion. Morgan knew that she worried about all of them, and liked to be close to them when they were home. Hell, he liked to keep her close too. When she was near him, it was easier to keep all the darkness at bay. Tonight, though, he knew it wouldn't do at all to leave her alone in the guest room. She was too emotionally distraught right now. And, if he was being honest with himself, he needed to hold her until the sun finally shined down on them again.

He pulled back the covers on his bed and gently pressed her in the direction of the bed. She looked up at him, then around his room. She got that look in her eye that said she was getting ready to argue. "Derek . . ." she began.

"Hush, hard head," he whispered.

"I'm not sleeping in your room," she said, starting to get up.

She had so much doubt in her sad eyes that he couldn't help but say what was in his heart. "After what I saw tonight, I really just want to hold you while I sleep, okay? I don't want to be alone anymore than you do." He selfishly knew she wouldn't argue with him when he put it like that.

She sighed, then scooted over and patted the space next to her. He sat down and pulled her against his chest again. "He should have been able to hold her," Garcia whispered. "It's not fair that he never got to hold her, to tell her he loved her."

Morgan squeezed his arms around her, thinking again of the conversation he had with Reid earlier.

"What if that's all I get?" Reid had asked.

"Well, it's not." Morgan had answered him with conviction.

"You can't say that." Reid had said, with that same fearful look he had worn all day.

"Yes, I can. Because when we find her alive, and you finally get to lay your eyes on her, what's the first thing you are going to say to her?"

"That I love her."

Morgan sighed, again feeling the utter desolation of knowing that he lied to Reid. He had made a promise he couldn't keep.

"Do you know that every time something like this happens, what my first thought is?" She whispered, sounding troubled

He shook his head, looking down at her.

She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. "I'm always thankful that it wasn't you. When I heard shots had been fired, and that she was dead, my first thought was 'Thank God Derek is safe.' How sick is that." He heard the shame in her voice, and the sadness. "Poor Reid." And then she was crying again.

The cowardly part of him was glad she was sobbing into his chest. Because if they had been sitting on, say, the couch, face to face, he wouldn't have been able to stop himself from kissing her. It wasn't the first time he had wanted to. He had wanted to off and on for so long . . . but fear kept him from doing it. Because their friendship was rock solid. He would be lost without it. So they were stuck. And he contented himself with running his fingers through her hair. "Shh, Baby Girl, it's okay. It's going to be okay."

He heard Reid's voice again in his head. "What if that's all I get?"

Derek Morgan wrapped his arms tighter around the only woman, other than his mothers and sisters that he had truly ever loved, and whispered the words Reid had never had the chance to say. "I love you, Baby Girl."

He felt her warm hand slide over his. "Me too, D. Me too." And then, thankfully, sleep came.