Third Story: Nothing New

Derek Morgan had been slapped across the face more than once because of his wicked thoughts about Penelope Garcia.

Never by his baby girl. No, it was by other women that Derek dated who didn't like the look that came into his eyes when he mentioned Penelope.

He was reminded of just how hot he was for her, all over again, when she walked into work one day in a sexy dress that was just a little too much for him to handle. Sure she still had on all her wild jewelry and the dress had a crazy print to it. She looked like herself in it. Not like she was trying to impress him. Yet this particular dress hugged her just right and he nearly growled in appreciation of how damn good she looked when he saw her that day.

It was nothing new for him to be filled to the brim with lust over her. Same thing, different day.

His eyes followed her across the bull pen. He was sitting on a desk, making casual chit chat with Reid, but he lost his train of thought at the sight of her in that dress.

For the millionth time he decided he was an idiot to not try and get her to date him the day they met. Back then he wanted to stay professional at work and that made her off limits. Not that he resisted the temptation very well. He pushed the limits with flirting with her. He was always nearly at the end of his rope when it came to being able to resist kissing her. Somehow he found new reserves of strength each day but it was hard as hell to keep pulling off over the years.

"Talk to you later, kid," Derek told Reid, as he stood up and headed straight for Penelope's computer lab.

Once inside he told her "Baby girl, that dress should be illegal. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

She spun around in her chair and looked at him. Her red painted lips pursed sexily."You like, my love?"

"Don't try and pretend you didn't put it on this morning wondering how long it would take, after I saw it, for me to start thinking about taking it off you. I know how your mind works."

"Do you, handsome? Or do you just hope against all hope I want you as bad as you want me?"

He advanced toward her. "In that dress its no contest. I want you way worse right now. Baby girl, you got to give me a break, please," he teased. "I can't concentrate if you're looking this damn good around this office."

"I have to concentrate everyday with you looking like a Greek God, its only fair you occasionally see me in something a little more....distracting."

"I'm very distracted, woman. So distracted I wish I could get you somewhere alone right now."

"Maybe one day, my love."

"I'll hold you to that one," he said with a wide grin as he walked back out of her office.

XXXXXXXXX

That night he suggested they all hit the bar. His mind had been consumed all day with fantasies of taking Penelope up against all the flat surfaces in the BAU- the private ones that is, cause he sure didn't want an audience.

Since the whole place was wired with cameras it kept Derek, for years now, from acting on his desires when he saw her at work. They became friends and it got complicated. He wanted more than sex now. A lot more. He wanted to love her and cherish her- something he never even tried to do with any other woman before.

More than that he just wanted her happy though. So he wouldn't use her for sex now, even if he had the chance.

Still he was hot for her. So hot. All day long he was just under his boiling point and trying not to let it show to his co-workers.

When they were at the bar he found himself alone at the table with Penelope. "You wanna dance, baby girl?"

"Here?"

"This is where we are."

"I would feel too exposed."

"If you're in my arms why would your mind be on anything but me?" He held out his hand to her. "Trust me to take care of you, sweetheart."

Reluctantly she let him take her onto the dance floor. Holding her soft, curvy body against his felt so right that his heart turned over in his chest. It ached for her. She was all he ever knew about love. No other woman was love for him.

That was all and only Penelope Garcia's territory in his heart.

"Mmm," he said, with his mouth against her hair, "this dress needs to be retired. Its just too much for me, woman. Its like a weapon I got no defense against."

She chuckled. "Come on, Derek, its nothing special."

"On you its way too hot for words. You just don't know how my self control is slipping more and more lately."

"Sure it is. I'll believe it when I see it. You seem like your usual self to me. Big talker but no action."

"Keep wearing that dress and you'll see my self control crumble, believe that."

XXXXXXXXXX

That night Penelope got a ride home with the other women. Derek had to be satisfied with having a hot fantasy about taking her back to her place and kissing her in the hall, against the door, stumbling inside and ripping that dress off her. Kissing every place he dreamed about kissing for years and showing her he was the man who she needed to make her man.

A few months went by and then she wore the dress again. They were out of town for a case and she had come along this time. They ended up getting snowed in so they stayed in the hotel another night. The team met for dinner. Derek was at the table when she walked in, clad in his favorite dress ever with a flirty look in her eye.

All dinner long the team had to endure them flirting back and forth. They all moved to the bar for drinks. Once everyone else was gone and they were the last two people left there Derek leaned closer to her. "You wore that damn dress on purpose, baby girl, just to drive me out of my mind."

"And what would you do about if I did, handsome?"

"I'd have to spank you."

"Talk, talk, talk. I don't think you'll ever be more than a big talker, my love, which is really a shame because with a body like yours talking should be way down on your list of what to do when you have a woman who's interested in front of you."

"You're not just any woman though and I'd never treat you like some average hook up."

She got serious. "I know you see me as...different than most women. You want to protect me like I'm your little sister."

Derek roared with laughter. "Sister? Have you lost it, woman? You think I look at my sisters how I look at you?"

"That's just teasing. Its just our way to release steam and decompress in a stressful environment. In all seriousness, I do love how you care about me."

His voice was serious too when he told her "I more than care about you. You gotta know by now....I'm crazy about you."

"That's really sweet. I'm crazy about you too, Adonis." She stood up. "I should get to bed."

Penelope walked away. Derek paid the bill and found her as the elevator doors closed. He slid inside with her. "Baby girl....."

"Yeah?" she asked casually.

"Do you think that...are we ever gonna be together?"

"What? Together? Together how?"

"You know how," his voice dropped. "Are we ever gonna act on this thing between us? Is it just a game for your? Cause its not for me."

"Of course it's a game for you. What else could it be?"

"Woman, I love you and its damn sure not like a sister. This is not news for you so be straight with me-"

She squeaked "You're in love with me? Since when? Why are you saying this? Are you drunk?"

He lost his cool. Pushing her against the wall of the elevator, after he stopped it, he started to give her intense, sensual kissed. The elevator alarm blared but they were lost in their kisses and ignored it completely.

Breaking their kiss he leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm not drunk. I'm not playing, baby girl. I'm not looking for just sex. I'm in love with you...you know that right? You've known that for a while now, right?"

"I didn't think you really....I mean..."

"Baby girl! Why would you have any doubts? If you weren't taken I think my willpower would have snapped in two a long time ago. I was right there...ready to just say to hell with the rules at work...when you were hurt....but then..." Derek stepped back.

He started the elevator again. Soon the doors opened and a hotel clerk told them to keep their sexual liaisons to their room from now on.

"Sorry," Derek said as he placed his hand on Penelope's back and walked her to her room.

She was blushing deeply at this point and still shocked over his confession of love. He hadn't planned to do that tonight but the dress pushed him past his limit.

He knew the first time he saw it that it would be the last thing to chip away his armor. Penelope had already stripped him of most of it with her sexiness, her wit, her humor, her devotion, her big heart, her kindness and her strength. She taught him about love and he was her fool, in every way. He would never look at another woman the way he looked at his baby girl.

When they were together in her hotel room she turned toward him and blurted out "You meant it, when you said you loved me that night....when I came home from the hospital. You meant it as more than friends."

"Was there some question about that? You said you loved me too but then..." he rubbed the back of his neck. "Lets just forget about every thing that went wrong back then. It was a hard time. You were reeling and you found Lynch. He was a lifeline for you. I get it. He was someone you could relate to who didn't know you before you were shot....it makes sense. It just hurt me so bad, baby."

"Derek," she said, her voice cracking,"I had no idea."

"I tried to hide it but I don't think it worked very well. You didn't notice how I changed?"

"I didn't know what to think really. I thought so many horrible things about why we kept drifting apart....and every time I hurt over you I went to him."

"Do you love him, Penelope?"

"Like I love you? Never. Nothing is like that...nothing."

Hearing that Derek rushed across the room, scooped her into his arms and kissed her. They kept kissing until they started to take off their clothes and then they made love for the first time together.

There was still plenty left to figure out and forgive but as that sexy dress that Derek loved lay crumpled on the hotel room floor Derek and Penelope both knew one thing: they had been craving this day coming since the first time he called her Gomez.

Three words. Gomez. Baby girl.

And that's how forever got started.

THE END

Inspired by A Girl Like You. Sung by Nelson Morris. Mvid by SarahVanWijck.