Title: Leaving
Author: AussieStar
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Pairing: Morgan/Garcia
Rating: FRK
Disclaimer: I do not own criminal minds. I am just having a little fun.
Summary: Penelope decides it's time to leave.

***

Penelope was sitting in the coffee shop at a table in the back of the cafe and she was lost in thought. She was seriously thinking about taking her latest job offer.

It wasn't that she didn't like the job she had now. It had more to do with the fact that she'd been working at the BAU with the FBI for six years now, six years of lusting after a guy that would never be hers.

She wonders why she can't just over him and move on. But truthfully Derek Morgan is a hard man to get over, It's not just his looks it's the whole package he is kind, considerate, funny, charming, and he had a body to die for! From the day they met, she knew she was in trouble and there was not day that went by that she didn't tell herself not to do it.

But she did, she went and fell in love with him. And he doesn't have a clue and as far as she is concerned he never will, as she knows that men like Derek don't go out with girls like her. She had come to terms with that fact but lately she had been getting antsy she didn't want to have to hide her feelings anymore but she wasn't willing to tell him because it would ruin their friendship and that is one thing she would never do.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her cell but she ignored it. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone at the moment. Yes she had come to the conclusion that it was time and, that she was going to hand in her resignation as much as she was going to miss everyone she had to do it for her own peace of mind. And of course she was going to miss Derek more than anything but she knew this was the only decision she could make. Because one day he was going to meet someone that he was going to fall in love with and she knew she just couldn't bear to stand by while that happened. So with her decision made she picked up her bag and left the cafe.

***

As Derek walked into the bullpen he saw that JJ and Reid were there and they were deep in discussion he didn't know about what but he could see Reid's blush from where he stood. Oh Derek thought to himself they had finally got it together. The two of them had been dancing around each other for the last 4 years.

"Morning JJ, Reid" Derek said as he sat down at his desk.

"Morning Derek" JJ responded with a smile.

"So you finally got up the nerve to ask her out Genius boy?" Derek asked Reid

Reid blushed deeply and just nodded.

"What about you Morgan when are you going to ask Garcia out?" JJ asked with a grin.

"Penelope and I are just friends JJ" replied Derek.

"Um yeah sure you are" JJ said with a smirk.

But even as Derek answered JJ's question he felt the stirrings in his gut the one's that start every time he thought about her. He had to admit the thoughts he had been having lately about Penelope had been anything but were almost x rated and he couldn't understand it, this was his baby girl. His best friend He just shouldn't be thinking about her like that. Just the other day he had looked up from his desk and saw her talking to JJ, JJ said something that had made Penelope laugh and Lord for whatever reason the sound of her laugh made him want to kiss her.

Suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he knew that she had just walked in, also there was the smell of her perfume, he knew her scent. He doesn't know what is wrong with him. God Penelope thought of him as a brother, what would she say if she knew he was lusting after her. For God sake he should be shot!

"Good Morning, Goddess" Derek said.

"I'll show you a good morning hot stuff" Penelope replied with a wink as she passed him. "Coffee baby girl?" Derek asked with a smile.

"Oh yes please, your a life saver hot stuff" she answered. Derek walked over to make his baby girl a coffee. As he passed JJ she was grinning "What?" Derek asked "Nothing" JJ said

Derek just frowned at her as he walked away. "Here you go baby girl" Derek said as he handed her the coffee. "Thanks sweetness you're a doll" she said as she took a sip of her coffee.

Derek felt like he had been sucker punched as just then she licked the coffee off her lips and he had the urge to lean over and lick those lips himself. Oh my God Derek get a hold of yourself this is Penelope for god sake.

"Er, I have to go" he stammered as he raced out the door. Penelope frowned as she watched him go out the door. " What the hell has gotten into him?" she wondered.

Derek's heart was beating a mile a minute when he got back to his desk. Morgan get a grip he thought to himself, he was wondering what the hell was the matter with him Penelope was his baby girl, his best friend he had no business lusting after her.

JJ who was sitting at her desk, had seen Derek come back to his desk almost at a run, and the look on his face almost had her rolling on the floor laughing it was priceless. She was wondering when he was going to wake up and realise what everyone else had known that he and Penelope were perfect for each other. And it looked like he was starting to wake up she thought with a smile.

***

Derek was sitting in his easy chair thinking thoughts he had no business thinking. He just couldn't get her out of his head. She had planted herself in there and she had no intention of leaving. He thought back to the date he had the night before.

He had picked Lisa up from her apartment. They went to dinner and then dancing. She was a very beautiful woman with curves in all the right places.

They got up close and personal on the dance floor it was going good. Well at least it was until he called her Penelope. He can remember it all clearly he was holding her close he bent down near her ear, "God Penelope, baby girl, I am so hot for you right now" he whispered.

"Who the hell is Penelope?" shouted Lisa.

Oh my god, Derek. Thought in shock. Did he just say that.

He could count the times he had been embarrassed on a date on one hand.

"What the hell has the bloody woman done to me?" he wonders.

He has never in his life called one of his dates by another woman's name before. Hell, what is happening to him? It's not bad enough that he has been thinking about her constantly for the past three days, not to mention that the thoughts are enough to keep him up nights in more ways than one.

Penelope, his baby girl, his goddess, the woman he has sworn to protect has taken up home in his head and she seems in no hurry to leave.

Never in his wildest dreams did he think that a woman could tie him up in knots like this.

***

Derek was at sitting his desk doing reports trying hard not to think about the woman down the hall in her office. When he heard someone calling his looked up from the reports to find Hotch at the door of his office. " Morgan my office," sighing Derek got up wondering what he had done now. Have a seat Hotch told him, Derek sat wondering about Hotch's frown and wondering what could be up.

"Derek did you know that Garcia has handed in her resignation?" asked Hotch.

"She What?" Derek Shouted leaping out of the chair.

"I take it you didn't know?" Hotch asked him.

"No why the hell is she leaving?" Derek asked, pacing the floor.

"That's what I was asking you, as you two are pretty close so I thought you might know. She said she had a better job offer she asked me not to say anything to anyone I guess she wants to tell you all herself. Hotch said.

"No she never said a word to me, I didn't even know that she had received one." Derek said sitting back down in the chair.

He thought about all the times he felt intense jealously at some guy when he saw them talking to her, And of all the uncontrollable thoughts he had been having lately about kissing Penelope and more. And about how the other night he had called his date by Penelope's name something he had never done in his life.

And the thought of her leaving was terrifying. He cared for her,their friendship was instant. They had been friends from the first day they had met and that friendship had grown stronger every day. And just then it struck him as to how blind and stupid he had been.

"Oh my god! I am absolutely and hopelessly in love with Penelope Garcia." He didn't realise he had said it out loud till he heard Hotch say "Tell me something i don't know, we wondered when you were going to figure it out" he said with a smile.

"What" Derek asked.

"Well lets face it " Hotch replied you have been acting like a bear with a sore head for the last few months and it all has to do with Penelope the frowns you have been giving any guy who even dares talk to her. Did you know the guys down in the tech department have been drawing straws to see who would be the one to enter the lions den if they needed anything from Garcia" Hotch said with a laugh.

Derek just shook his head. 'That doesn't help me much Hotch Penelope thinks of me as a brother, she's not in love with me."Derek said.

"Oh my god Derek and you call yourself a profiler?" Hotch said with a shake of his head."

What the hell does that mean?" Derek replied with a frown.

"Just talk to her" Hotch said. "you might be surprised with what you find out."

Derek left Hotch's office and went back to his desk he thought about what Hotch said. Wondering if it could be true and that she felt the same way. They were always flirting it was like second nature to them but he never thought anything of it so maybe Hotch was right.

He liked to think he was, because it would be easier to convince her that they were made for each other. And for her to stay here with the team, with him.

God he'd never been this nervous about a woman before, But then again he'd never been in love before either.

***

Penelope was sitting in front of her computers when she heard the door open and she didn't need words to know who had come in. Whenever he was near every fibre of her being went on red alert. "Hey baby girl what are you up too?". Derek asked. Oh boy, his voice was just like the rest of him it was enough to make a girl go into overdrive. "Just getting ready to shut my babies down for the night, "what about you?" She replied.

She bent down to pick up her purse while asking him if he wanted to grab a coffee. Derek leaning against the door almost had heartattack he never realised just how cute her rear end was. It made him want to caress it.

The urge to reach over and touch was almost irresistible but he also knew that if he did she would give him a hard smack which he would have deserved.

He had come to the realisation just days ago that he was madly and passionately in love with Miss Penelope Garcia now all he had to do was convince her that they were made for each other. If he was ever going stop her from taking that job offer.

"Hey Goddess how about dinner?" Derek asked

"Sure why not" she replied.

"Great I'll pick you up at seven" He said as he walked out the door.

Penelope sat down in her chair as he left and tried to still her beating heart as it was racing like a train, she was wondering what in the world possessed him to ask her out on a date. It didn't mean anything did it? It was just one friend asking another friend out to dinner,

After all they both had to eat didn't they? She knew she shouldn't get her hopes up but there was always that little spark of hope when it came to Derek Morgan. The hope, That one day he would wake up and realise that he was in love with her, she couldn't completely kill that bit of hope.

***

Penelope was just putting on her shoes when she heard a knock at the door. Her heart skipped a beat because she knew it was Derek, she opened the door to the hottest looking guy on the planet. Well, as far as she was concerned he was. "Hey gorgeous, you look hot" she said.

"You look pretty amazing yourself princess" Derek Replied.

"Why thank you kind sir" Penelope said with a smile," You ready?" Derek asked.

"Yeah just let me get my purse" she said with a smile. As they drove to the restaurant, Derek was wondering why in the hell it took him so long to recognize what was right in front of him all along. He realised that if it had taken him any longer he would have lost his chance at happiness, but considering she has already handed in her resignation he may have already lost his chance. But the one thing he knew for sure, was that he was not going to give up without a fight.

Penelope was acutely aware of the man sitting next to her, her heartbeat was always faster when he was near, there wasn't anything about him that she didn't like, the way he smelled, the way he looked, the sound of his voice he was every girl's fantasy. But even so she knew that this would properly be the last time they would go out together as she had already handed in her resignation.

And yes she admitted to herself she has had second and even third thoughts about leaving but just knowing that one day he would fall in love and get married was enough to strengthen her resolve and keep her mind focused.

Sitting in the restaurant she looked round it was very nice and it was romantic so she was wondering why he had bought her here this is where he should be bringing someone he was romantically involved with, not your best friend.

Derek was wondering if he should bring up the fact that he knew about her job offer, Hotch had told him that she didn't want them to know and that she would tell them in her own time.

But then knowing Penelope the way he did if he did bring it up and then say something about caring about her she would just say that it was because he didn't want her to leave. And yes that would be true but the main reason he didn't want her to go was because he was in love with her and he had to convince her of that.

They talked while they ate, they laughed, and joked it was the best time either of them have had in a long time all in all they had a wonderful dinner.

Penelope thought this is the way it's meant to be when you have dinner with someone you love and as she was in love with Derek the night was perfect. Even if it was going to be the last time they were together.

Derek had the best time with Penelope tonight and he knew it wouldn't be the last as he was not willing to let her go now that he realised that they were meant to be together.

"Goddess when were you going to tell me that you had decided to take a new job?" Derek asked.

Penelope gave a little gasp before she sighed "I should have known Hotch would have said something to you hot stuff" she said with a mumble. Derek took hold of her hand lightly rubbing it with his thumb.

"He wanted to know if I knew why you were leaving sweetness, Imagine, my surprise when he told me as I didn't know I thought we could talk to each other about anything why didn't you tell me sweetness". Derek whispered. Penelope looked up at him with such a look of love on her face that he would have had to be a blind man to have missed it.

She lowered her eyes and when she looked at him again she had managed to conceal what she was feeling once again.

"Look Derek I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I don't want to talk about it, just leave it will you please?" She managed to whisper around the lump in her throat. "Ok baby girl, we won't talk about it now" Derek whispered giving her a soft kiss on the cheek.

On the drive back to her place Penelope was fighting back tears as she knew that this was going to be the very last time Derek dropped her off at her house and at that moment she really wasn't sure if she could go through with leaving.

They walked up to her front door in silence when they reached the door Derek stopped it was now or never he thought if he was going to do it, It had to be now as he wouldn't get another chance. Derek turned towards Penelope and caressed her cheek with his fingertips letting his fingers lightly trace the outline of her lips.

When Derek turned towards her she felt her breath catch in her throat, she had never seen that look on his face that was there now it was a look so full of love that she forgot how to breathe, she could feel her heart beating like it was going to jump out of her throat at any minute now. "Baby girl I need to do this, I have been wanting to do this all night, god your so beautiful" he whispered as he bent down and captured her lips with his own.

***

As Derek's lips touched hers, Penelope wondered if this was what they talk about in the movies. She never knew a simple kiss could feel like this. But then, she thought, there's nothing simple about this kiss, before she lost the ability to think at all.

Derek thought he had never felt such a need to kiss someone before. He knew that one kiss would never be enough, that he would never get enough of this woman. She was the other half of his soul. She was his goddess, his baby girl, and if it took him a life time of making sure that she knew how much he loved her, then that's what he would do. He would follow her to the end of the earth if he had too.

As Derek ended the kiss, he leaned his forehead on hers and took her hand in his. He placed a kiss on her palm and then looked into her eyes.

"Baby girl, do you know how long I've wanted to do that?" Derek asked.

"No, how long?" she asked

"For the longest time, i have had these wild uncontrollable thoughts about you. I have had theses fantasy's and i thought i was going crazy, because you thought of me like a brother. Well at least i thought you did and i didn't want to do anything that was going to jeopardize our friendship, but baby girl i love you. I am in love with you. Crazy in love with you. I want to spend the rest of my life in love with you. Please don't take that job, i need you here with me, please don't go.

"Oh Derek i love you, you are the only man i will ever love, are you sure this is what you want?" Penelope asked.

"Oh baby girl, i have never wanted anything as much as i want this. I'll quit the bureau and move to wherever it is you have that job just to be with you, if that's what it takes to show you that i love you" Derek said with a smile.

"Oh Derek, you'd do that for me?"Penelope asked with tears in her eyes.

"My goddess, yes I'd do that for us. I'm not about to let the best thing in my life get away from me."Derek replied.

"But it's to late i have already given my resignation." Penelope said with a frown.

"Don't worry baby girl, if there's one thing i know about Hotch he is not about to let his best computer tech get away without a fight. Also you are not the only one who knows how to make red tape go slowly" Derek said with a laugh.

"I love you Derek Morgan. I don't think i could have survived without you in my life," Penelope said sincerely.

"I love you too Penelope Garcia and you are never going to find out. Now that i have got you, i am never going to let you go." Derek said as he pulled her close for a kiss that held the promise of all their tomorrow's to come.

***

Epilogue

Derek was sitting on the park bench and he was thinking about the life he had lived. And how good it had been. Before he met Penelope, he was a player and he admits it. He loved women and the thought of being with one woman for the rest of his life had never crossed his mind.

But from the day that he had realised that he loved her, he had been a one woman man. He thinks back to the night that he told her he loved her, it was the night that he found out that she had handed in her resignation and that she was going to leave. The night they had dinner.

And he had taken a chance and told her that he loved her and to his surprise she loved him too. From that day on, his life had really started. And after forty years together he was as much in love with her now, as he was the day they got married. They had rough times like any married couple but the joy by far outweighed the bad. They had four great children and six beautiful grand children.

"Hey hot stuff, what's got you thinking so hard?" Penelope said as she put her arms around him.

"Hey Gorgeous, I am just thinking about the night I told you I loved you." Derek said with a smile.

"The night you made all my dreams come true" Penelope remembered with a smile.

"I think it was the night that made both our dreams come true, and you are still the light of my life." Derek said, as he kissed the palm of her hand.

"And your still my chocolate prince, Handsome" Penelope replied.

"I'm just glad that you gave me a chance to prove to you, that my life would not be complete without you." Derek said.

"And thank goodness for Hotch, for knowing what was good for both of us, and not putting my resignation through the proper channels" Penelope said, with a hint of a smile.

"Doesn't matter baby girl, i would have followed you to the end of the earth to be with you. There was no way i was letting you go. My life would have been a poor substitute without you in it' Derek said.

Fin

***