Note- Takes place following Season Five Episode Fourteen which was titled Parasite. The first few lines comes from the CM transcripts. This uses the premise that Morgan and Garcia started sleeping together recently.

A Beautiful Thing

February 2010

"Hey, baby girl, its me. You're on speaker."

"Oh, sug, I don't care who hears. Its always been you."

Derek kept going back, in his mind, over and over to those words as he finished up the case in Florida. Each time he thought about Penelope cooing them out to him he got a small little grin on his lips.

No doubt about it, he loved hearing her say that.

Lately he loved everything about how they were together: the days off they spent more in bed than out, the plans to vacation together the next time they got a week off, the way her clothes and books and electronic gadgets were all migrating from her place to his little by little.

The way they were becoming a couple.

Just thinking about that, them as a couple, had another smile on his face. He sat on the jet with his headphones on and let his mind wander to the night before when they lay in his bed together watching TV. It wasn't anything overtly romantic. But it was comfortable, good and right.

They were about so much more than the hot sex they had.

Derek had never be in a relationship like this before. Hell he used to run from the R word. Relationships meant feelings and expectations. Back in the day he wanted nothing to do with any of that. Till she was all he wanted and then he would have given anything for her to say she wanted a relationship with him.

A few weeks back she finally did.

--------------

Mid- January

He was sitting at his desk doing paperwork when he heard her voice behind him saying "There he is, the only man who has ever made my heart skip a beat."

A small grin curved his lips as he turned around with a feeling coming over him that only happened when Penelope was near- this relaxed, nervous, comfortable, shaky state that had his skin tingling. That was one thing he could say never changed since they met. Even five years back when they were only co-workers who flirted he still got all turned on and hyperaware whenever she was nearby and the years did nothing to dull it. It blew to hell the theory he had before he met her that he would grow bored with every woman he ever met. That no one would mean enough to want year after year. That no woman could keep him interested or really get under his skin, really know him as more than a sexy man who said sexy things.

Now he knew better.

And now Penelope was single again for the first time in a couple of years. Derek found that out after their vacation at Christmas time. That's when he went home to Chicago and walked the snowy streets brooding and missing her. Thinking about how his failed try at romance with Tamara had broke down before it got started because Tamara could be a lot of things to him (a beautiful woman to physically admire, a friend, kind, caring and attentive) but what she could never be, through no fault of her own, was his baby girl.

Once Derek heard that Lynch was out of the way he vowed to give Penelope some time to heal, not bum rush her when her heart was all in shreds, but then, if she seemed open to it, he wanted to ask her to dinner. Dinners, actually. Months and months of dinners with her. Making up for lost time and all the times he thought he'd never get her back.

Now it was a few weeks past her break up and he was still biding his time.

Spinning his chair around he took in the sight of her and his smile grew. "Hey, baby girl."

"I need a favor," she said, in the cutest begging tone that she used to get her way with him.

"Tell me what I can do for you." He stood up and angled his body so he was close to her.

"There's this movie I wanna see tonight and I really want you to join me. The only thing is: its a chick flick," she paused, still giving him a begging and teasing face that she knew he'd never say no to. "I think you would enjoy this one though."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, dragging out the words as their eyes held on each other.

She nodded, still wearing her pleading expression that was all a joke to get his defenses down and not make this too serious. She knew how to keep things light for him and he knew how to calm her down when things were deathly serious and scary for her. They complimented each other well. Perfectly.

Stepping closer to him she cooed "Will you please take me to a movie and buy me popcorn, twizzlers and milk duds?"

"Yes, baby girl, anything for you."

Her whole face brightened. She hitched a thumb over her shoulder. "Get done with your paperwork then. I'll be waiting in my bunker for you to pick me up for our date, sug."

She turned and walked away, looking back once to tease, "And I want my own twizzlers because I'm not sharing," before continuing on her way.

He was left standing there, hands shoved in his pockets, his eyes on her retreating form, chuckling over her antics. Later he drove to the movies, walked over her side of his SUV and opened her door, then offered her his arm and they walked inside. She bought the tickets after saying "Fair is fair, I did ask you on this date after all. And, anyway, you've going to blow your paycheck at the concession stand."

He gave her a playful pretending to be frustrated look. "Woman, I don't want you paying for anything when you're on my arm."

"Too frickin' bad," she teased.

They watched the movie, touching often during it as they shared the snacks, and then they walked back to his SUV, with her arm wrapped around his. He could act like that was because it was icy in the parking lot but he knew the truth: he liked feeling as if this was a real date. He loved having his baby girl as all his tonight.

Derek asked "What do you say to getting some food?"

"Where are you going to fit it? I'm stuffed from all the junk food you let me have."

"Let you?" he laughed. "Baby, I don't let you do anything. I couldn't control you if I tried. You're too hard headed for that."

"True." She smirked at him. "But I know you usually like to be healthy, except when I'm around to corrupt you and make your life so much more interesting."

His voice dropped when he told her "Tonight was fun, sweetheart. Thank you for asking me." He went to go around the SUV again. After all it was chilly outside and, as much as he did enjoy standing there with her and didn't want it to end, he did want out to get her out of the cold.

Penelope touched his arm and stopped him from moving too far away.

She said "Tonight isn't quite over yet."

He raised an eyebrow.

And then she stepped closer and, before he really registered what was happening, she was stretching slightly upwards and her lips were connecting to his as her hand rested against his cheek. It only lasted a second and then she pulled back, all wide eyed and searching his face, looking like she could freak out at any second.

His heart was racing, fast and furious, and his whole body was on high alert, savoring the brief feel of her lips that he had and the knowledge of what that meant. Of how very brave his girl was and how she would risk so much for him.

Just as Penelope went to back away, her mouth opening to, he was sure, run a mile a minute with some explanation as to why that kiss was just friendly, Derek wrapped her in his arms and kissed her again. Just softly and sweetly, but making it last long enough to leave no doubts it was not out of pity or to save her embarrassment but instead out of true desire for the amazing woman she was.

He broke that kiss and was relieved to see all the fear gone from her face. She smiled brightly at him.

Penelope purred "You sure do know how to tell a girl good night." After staring in his eyes for a moment, still with his arms around her back, she added "I'd like to do this again."

"Woman, that goes without saying." He grinned and then got her in the SUV so he could take her back to Quantico to get her car.

That was the start of many dates. Every single night that he was in Virginia they were together. They didn't always go out somewhere, sometimes they stayed at his house, and they didn't always have sex, but they never slept apart. No one said "I love you," again yet but they were enjoying each other and Derek felt lucky to have her.

Blessed.

Like those prayers he said in that empty church about finding his way home and making peace with all his past pain were finally answered. Because now he was whole for the first time since he was fifteen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

February 2010

After knocking on her door he walked into her office. "Hey there, gorgeous, time to shut down those babies and let me buy you some dinner. Its late and whatever you don't have done can wait."

"You won't hear any complaints out of me," she said, while closing down her computers. Then she turned around. "I'm beat."

"Not up for going out?"

"I just want to go home and get in bed, to tell you the truth."

His face fell. "Oh....okay."

"I'm sorry. Did you have your heart set on somewhere? Maybe we can do take out."

"No, that's all right, babe. Go home and get some rest." He gently tugged her up and out of her seat. "I don't want you getting run down. I'll just have to try and remember what its like to sleep without a Goddess next to me. I'll survive."

Her face showed confusion for a long moment and then she said, her tone even, "Oh. When I said home, Morgan, I meant your place but if you want me to go to my place, that's cool. I haven't been there in days anyway since I was taking care of Clooney. The mail is all piled up and we both know that's just asking to be robbed."

Penelope moved out of his arms.

"Garcia?"

She busied herself with getting her purse and coat. "Yes, baby?"

"You need to pump those brakes."

She turned and met his eyes.

Derek said, his tone very tender, "I just didn't know that you feel like my place is home now."

She went to explain and he cut her off by saying "Come home, baby girl. I'll feed you dinner and I'll get some actual good sleep because I have my girl with me. Don't even think about being hard headed right now." He helped her into her coat and then lifted her hair to put her scarf on. "We're going home together."

In her adorable, sweet tone that she used when he made her very happy she said "Okay."

Right before they left her office, after he flipped off the lights and they were about to step out, Derek said "Oh and one more thing, baby.......Its always been you, too."

The smile on her face made her feel like there was nothing dirty or broken in him anymore. There was just love for her. She made life a beautiful thing.

THE END

Note- this one is not inspired by a mvid. But it is inspired by You're My Better Half by Keith Urban.