Chapter Two

The conversation temporarily delayed as everyone climbed into their separate SUV's and made their way to the air strip. J.J. knew Emily had a point, but she really didn't want to betray her friends trust. But what if she told him and they got together. Penelope would understand then. She decided she needed to tell him. For one he deserved to know and for two, honestly she thought it would make a difference to him. She knew Morgan loved Garcia just as much as she loved him. He was just blind and hard headed like Garcie herself was.

As she boarded the plane she took the seat across from Morgan and sighed. It was no or never.

"She was going to tell you she was in love with you the day you told her about Savannah."

"What?" Morgan looked her shocked.

"Garcie. She was going over to your place to tell you that she was in love with you, but you told her about Savannah so she decided to just not say anything." J.J. said looking over to Emily. Emily got up and joined them at the small table.

"She was really going to tell me. You're sure?" Morgan asked J.J. and the approaching Emily.

"We met her for lunch earlier that day. She was so excited. She kept saying how she knew she had to tell you, that even if you didn't return her feelings she just had to tell you the truth that she was in love with you and had been for so long. She said she thought with the way things had been lately that she was starting to think, maybe you felt something for her too. She called us later that afternoon crying. We went over to her apartment and she was just laying on her couch so broken. She had been talking herself up for this for so long." Emily stopped talking. She had been so caught up in the memory of it she didn't notice that everyone was gathered around now listening or that Morgan looked so surprised she honestly didn't think she'd ever seen him so caught off guard.

"Morgan?" J.J. asked looking at him concerned.

"I've been so stupid." Derek replied.

"What do you mean?" Emily asked.

"I honestly never thought she felt like that. I've been trying to get her to see me as more than just her best friend for so long, but she always brushed me off. I thought she just didn't take me seriously. I didn't think she'd ever see me how I see her. I mean I tried after she was shot, and she started dating Lynch. Then when I was showing interest in Tamara, and she got so jealous I thought okay maybe she does see me like that, but she just went back to Lynch. I mean the only reason I started dating Savannah was to try to move on." Derek said looking at the table. He knew it was wrong, but he honestly he didn't love Savannah. He cared about her, he was attracted to her, but he didn't' love her.

"Derek, do you want to be with Penelope?" It was Hotch speaking now.

"Of course!" Derek didn't even have to think about it.

"Then you have to break it off with Savannah, and tell Penelope how you feel. Not in a joking way. Be one hundred percent serious, put it all out there. Leave no room for her to think your joking around." Hotch said giving him that serious, no nonsense look.

"She's with Sam though, are you sure she even wants to be with me now?" Derek asked unsure.

"Morgan, she loves you. She looks at you the way any man in the world would love to be looked at. If any of my ex-wives had looked at me like that we might have had a chance." Rossi said putting his hand on his shoulder.

Morgan sat back thinking. He knew what he had to do. He had to end things with Savannah. He knew his heart had never truly been in their relationship. The only woman to ever have his heart was his Baby Girl and he knew she was the only one who ever would. He just had to make her see they belonged together. He knew what he was going to do. He would have Savannah meet him at the BAU, and once he got back he take her to the park, and end things. He knew it wouldn't be easy to just walk past Penelope and not instantly tell her how he felt, but he wanted to do this right and that meant ending things with Savannah first. When they landed on the air way he sent Savannah a text asking her to meet him at the BAU. He was so ready for this all to be over so he could finally tell his Baby Girl how he felt.

Quantico, Virginia – BAU:

Penelope re-entered her lair. She had met Sam for a late lunch, or early dinner she guessed now. She had broken up with him. He was so nice about it, she could tell Sam was hurting, but honestly she felt so much better now. Penelope chastised herself. She shouldn't feel good about breaking up with him, but she really did.

She opened her purse and checked her phone. She had a text from J.J. letting her know they were on her way home and would be in around eight p.m., she looked at clock letting her know it was seven thirty.

Penelope headed down to the bull pen just in time to see Fran Morgan-Rossi getting off of the elevator with Henry and Jack. She smiled at her two beautiful god sons as they saw her and started running to her.

Fran laughed as the two boys hugged the young woman who had a special place in her heart.

"How are you doing Mama?" Penelope greeted the older woman.

Penelope loved, respected, and looked up to Fran Morgan-Rossi more than she did anyone in this world. Shortly after she'd met her they became so close. Fran insisted she call her Mama or Fran. There would be none of this Mrs. Morgan or Mrs. Rossi nonsense. She told her she viewed Penelope as family and that was how it would be. Penelope cherished her relationship with Fran, this was the first time she'd had a mother figure since she was eighteen and she loved it. Fran would babysit Jack and Henry when the team was out on a case, and whenever she did Penelope would come over for dinner, and help her get the boys to bed. They spent a lot of time together, talking, playing with the boys, Fran was teaching her Morgan family recipes and Penelope was teaching her how to operate a computer. The whole team would even get together every Sunday for a family dinner when they were in town. None of them had much family, and the family they did have none of them were really close to. It made them so much closer. They really were a family in their own way.

"I'm great. Just can't wait for everyone to be home safe. How about you honey?" Fran said taking a seat.

"I know me too. I'm okay, just ready to go home." Penelope said sitting and pulling Henry up into her lap, as Jack made his way over to Fran.

"Is something wrong Penelope?" Fran asked, noticing how quiet Penelope was being.

"Yeah, I just, it's complicated Mama. Don't worry, I'll be fine." Penelope said shaking her head. She really didn't want to get into it now. She was nervous enough to even be telling Derek how she felt.

"He loves you too, you know." Fran said with a knowing smile, and Penelope just stared at her, confused as to how Fran knew what she was worrying over.

"Penelope I've known you for almost ten years. I know you, I know my son, and I know you both love each other even if you claim to be nothing more than best friends, I know you both are in love with each other." Fran said answering Penelope's unspoken question.

Penelope kissed the top of little Henry's head. She knew Fran was the only person who knew Derek better than her. She took a deep breath and told her everything. Derek being shot, realizing she couldn't keep living like this. Breaking up with Sam. How scared she was. The battling butterflies in her stomach.

"How do you know he loves me?" Penelope asked with tears starting to well up in her eyes. She was so scared that he'd reject her, she knew he wouldn't do it to hurt her, but simply because he didn't feel the same way. She knew she wasn't the type that he dated, but with everyone telling her how he loved her and how she felt about him she knew she had to take a chance, even if it meant breaking her heart in the process. But that didn't stop her from being nervous and scared.

"Because I know how he smiles when he says your name, how his eyes light up when you walk in the room or he hears your voice, and how even before I met you I already knew so much about you from the years he spent talking about you. You Penelope Marie Garcia are the only woman my son has ever been this way about, and I knew from the time he started talking about you that he loved you, and always would. Even if he didn't realize it yet. Now when are you going to finally tell him this so you both can be truly happy, and he can get rid of that spoiled brat he is dating?" Fran asked Penelope causing her to laugh, and the sleeping boys to stir.

"Mama I plan on telling them when they get back, but I'm so scared. You see how he is with Savannah. What if he truly is happy with her?" Penelope asked, but before she could get her answer the elevator dinged. Both women looked up in anticipation of the team's arrival.

"Savannah?" Penelope asked seeing her step off the elevator.

"Oh, yeah Derek asked me to meet him here." Savannah said while looking at her phone.

"Um yeah they should be here any minute." Penelope was suddenly so nervous she felt like she was going to be sick. She couldn't do this with Savannah here.

"Oh hi Mrs. Rossi." Savannah said finally looking up from her phone.

"Savannah." Fran said shifting the sleeping boy in her lap. It was no secret that Fran had nothing for Savannah. Everyone knew it. She was polite, and she'd never say anything unless she had no other choice because this was who her son chose to be with, but she had nothing for her. Fran knew that all Savannah saw with Derek was his money, his body, and his status. Savannah didn't love her son, she loved what her son could do for her. She didn't take the time to get to know him, know his family or his friends. Anytime they were supposed to come spend time with the family she suddenly had work, or a headache, or at one point in time she swore she was just way too sick to go out. Yet every time she'd made excuses Derek had either come home to an empty house, or Savannah was just then getting home too, and she wasn't in her work scrubs. Fran just didn't know why her son put up with this when he had a girl who would do anything for him, loved him more than life, and wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

Finally after several awkward moments the elevator dinged again.

Penelope looked up to see her crime fighters coming in, without Derek.