This very small ficlet is my idea of what could have turned the finale around for us Morgan and Garcia fans. Remember the last part where Penelope is staring at Hotch as he leaves. The other BAU members have all left the conference room.

In this version Derek is the last to leave (other than Penelope standing there).

Would You Ever?
Tag to Supply and Demand

Derek Morgan walked out of the conference room, eager to head home, until he glanced through the window and noticed his very good friend Penelope Garcia staring into the distance with a concerned look on her face. It had been a long ass day for all of them, starting at the crack of dawn with a cryptic "We're having a meeting in an hour to discuss the team's future," message from Hotch.

A message like that could never be a good thing. It had freaked Penelope out and she hadn't been herself all day.

Going back to the door, Derek stood in the doorway and asked "Hey, mama, you coming?"

Her eyes flickered from the window to him. Distractedly she said "Yeah," before turning to gather her papers.

Derek sauntered closer to her, trying to help her get her stuff together so they could go. He needed some sleep desperately and he could tell that Penelope needed a break from this place, at least till nine thirty tommorow morning. Hotch was letting them come in an hour late. They needed and deserved some time off but the cases never stopped. An hour late was a gift and they all knew it.

Penelope was starting to get burned out from the pace of their job, the gore, the stress and strain of everyone always being in danger, and she was still reeling from JJ leaving the team and the death of one of their best friends, Emily Prentiss. Her loss would be one they'd never completely recover from. Still Derek knew Penelope had the strength to get through this hard time. He would be here to help her every step of the way too because that is just how they are to each other. They always relied on each other for support, even when the other was being hard headed and moody, not wanting to take it.

He handed Penelope her papers before rubbing his hurt arm. This job did take a lot out of all of them. Yet this is where they all belonged. Derek believed that one hundred percent.

Suddenly, apropos of nothing, Penelope questioned "Would you ever run away and live on a farm with me if I asked you to?"

"A farm?" He chuckled. Where was this coming from? "Since when do you wanna live on a farm?"

Derek gave her a tender look. He knew this place was getting to her badly lately but a farm, really? Sometimes she could be so adorable. She would shock him with her way of thinking and he couldn't help but laugh at how her mind worked.

Right at this moment she seemed very distracted, as if she was seriously mulling over huge life changing things in her mind. He found it odd she would dream of chucking it all to live on a farm. A tropical island, sure. Or Paris, hell yeah. But a farm? Seriously?

Still he smiled at her. At least until she started talking again, when his expression grew more shut down.

"I don't," she mumbled, speaking quickly. "Kevin wants to. He asked me give up my job and buy a farm with him. Would you ever do something like that?"

"Buy a farm with Lynch? No."

She smirked a little and laid her hand on his chest. "No. Would you run away with me, give this all up, if I asked? Just answer the question, my smoking hot cup of hot chocolate."

He reached up and stroked her chin, staring deep into her eyes. "Penelope, all you gotta do is ask."

She thought for a moment, seeming to come to some conclusion in her mind, before she said "Take me home, Prince Derek. Mama is whooped."

Smiling he wrapped his arm around her back and led her to the door, where she walked out first. Once they were in the hall they wrapped their arms around each other, her head leaning against him, and they made their way out of the office.

Penelope told him "I don't wanna live on a farm."

He chuckled. "No, really?"