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**CM**
D.C. Home of Emily Prentiss – Next Morning -
Emily lay blissfully in Avery's arms. They'd ended their evening of dinner and music at her place. She was thankful that she had kept the place after she moved to London. It was home, it was safe and now it was the place where a thousand memories flooded her mind.
"So, did you mean what you said, that you loved me?"
Avery leaned down and kissed her lightly on the forehead.
"Yeah, I meant it."
Emily snuggled closer into his side.
"Last night was amazing. Thank you."
He glanced down at her before kissing her again.
"For what?"
"For accepting my apology."
"Why is it so hard to believe that I would still love you?"
"I'm not sure. I guess I haven't had much luck in that department."
"Maybe if you stayed put long enough your luck would change."
"I stay put! I've been in London for five years now."
"I'm not just talking about your job."
"Then what?"
"I'm talking about your heart."
"Oh."
"I love you Emily Prentiss and I won't break your heart, I promise."
"Is that why you asked me to stay last time?"
"No, it's why I let you go."
Emily shifted nervously in his arms. The two were quiet deep in their own thoughts of the past and the present.
"I missed it here. So much has happened while I've been gone and I've missed it…all of it."
"Like?"
"Like my team…like you."
"Really?" Avery playfully ran his fingers through her hair. "Emily Prentiss the strong, independent warrior, missed me?"
She lightly slapped him on his bare chest.
"Stop." She exhaled before continuing. "A friend recently told me that life is short, and that tomorrow isn't promised."
"You should know that better than anyone."
"He also told me not to let what we do for a living rob me of a chance at being happy."
"Wise friend."
Potomac General – Morning – 2 Days later –
Derek frowned as Penelope fretted over him fluffing pillows and straightening the sheets underneath him.
"Baby Girl, please just leave it."
"Hush! You're in enough trouble, Mister!"
"Still?"
"Oh did you think just because I haven't strangled you yet that you're out of trouble with me?"
"I just thought…"
"Oh no, my delicious chocolate kiss! HELL no!"
Just as Penelope was ready to kick her ranting up a notch the door opened and her mother-in-law entered pushing her wayward husband's wheelchair through the door. Dave was wearing a frown that was identical to Derek's.
"Bella, honestly I don't need to be here. I can recuperate at the mansion…"
"Hush! You're lucky you still have keys to the mansion!"
"But, the mansion…"
"Dave, let it go, man just let it go."
Derek shook his head at the older man and placed his index finger on his lips as Fran shot a look at her son whom she hadn't said much to since finding out he was alive.
"Good morning, Ma."
"Derek."
"Come on Ma, how long are you going to give me the silent treatment?"
"Penelope?"
"Yes, Ma'am?"
"Get your husband! I mean it! Get him!"
Penelope shot a side ways glare at Derek. He got the message and shrunk quietly against the pillows.
Luckily for the two injured men, the doctor entered the room followed by Hotch, JJ and Reid.
"Well, I see you two are about settled in." The doctor began. "I think this arrangement will work just fine."
"What arrangement?" Derek asked.
"Oh I guess Penelope hasn't had a chance to tell you yet." Fran chimed in gleefully.
"Baby Girl, what, arrangement?"
"Your mother and I thought it would be a good idea if you and Dave were roommates."
"HELL NO!" The two men shouted in unison.
"But, but I'm supposed to be going home!" Dave whined.
"And you would be if you hadn't spiked a temperature last night!" Answered Fran.
"Yeah, plus Dave snores like a damn bull!"
Penelope stifled a laugh as she glanced quickly at Fran.
"Be nice Handsome."
Fran held onto the wheelchair as Dave stood and while favoring his left arm got into bed.
"I think it's a great idea! Plus you two geniuses…"
"Hey!" Reid interrupted.
Fran looked up and winked at Spencer before continuing.
"You two, geniuses can chit chat and figure out where your lame-brain idea went wrong."
"AND…you two, geniuses, can put your heads together and figure out how you can get back into your wives' good graces." Penelope added.
"I'm sorry but I can't let you ladies continue to insult geniuses like this!" Reid teased.
The doctor cleared her throat, which grabbed the attention of the rowdy group.
"Mr. Rossi you'll be happy to know that if your infection clears up, you'll be able to go home with your lovely wife in two days."
"Thanks, doc."
"And you, Mr. Morgan have about four more days with us if all goes well."
"Four days? C'mon, doc!"
"Penelope?" Fran started.
"Derek?"
"Fine." He snorted. "But I don't have to like it." He said under his breath.
One Year Later –
Home of Dave and Fran Rossi –
Emily stood in front of the large full-length mirror in one of the mansion's guest rooms. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined herself getting married but here she was dressed in white vintage lace and fighting back tears of joy.
Avery had convinced her that life was indeed worth living beyond the lonely life she'd created for herself in London and surprisingly Clyde had understood and let her go without putting up much of a fight. In fact, he seemed none too surprised when she broke the news that she had fallen in love and was moving home to the States to rejoin her team in Quantico.
Suddenly the door burst open and JJ and Penelope rushed in led by a precocious four-year old Saraya dressed in a frilly white dress with satin lavender ribbons holding her long auburn curls in place.
"Wow, you look amazing, Em!"
"Thanks Pen, I just hope Avery thinks so."
Penelope smiled and shot a toothy grin at JJ who moved quickly to Emily's side.
"Are you crazy? He's going to love you in that dress! Of course you could walk down the aisle in a burlap bag and he'd drool all over himself!" JJ assured her.
Emily turned from side to side looking at her reflection from every angle trying to believe that this was the best she could look.
"Relax my raven-haired beauty, relax! This is your day, yours and Avery's. You look amazing!" Penelope squealed.
"Thanks you two. I don't know how I would have made it without you both! I still can't believe that I'm getting married! Me!"
"Well you are!"
The three turned toward the door at the sound of the familiar voice. Each of them smiled at the man who'd been Emily's partner and friend since she'd joined their team twelve years ago.
"Derek, hi!"
He closed the distance between them and just before pulling Emily into a warm embrace he smiled lovingly at his wife and nodded at JJ.
"It's getting late and Avery is going crazy."
After a few more moments he let her go looking down at her and then at her reflection in the mirror.
"You look amazing Princess."
Penelope and JJ smiled and nodded in agreement.
"We better go and take our places." Penelope began. "Besides if we wait any longer I'm going to have to nurse the baby again."
Derek chuckled as JJ led them toward the door. Just as Penelope reached Derek he turned slightly and kissed his wife on the lips.
"Looking good, Baby Girl."
"Why thank you Handsome, you're looking quite dashing yourself."
He kissed her again and watched as Pen, Saraya and JJ disappeared through the door. Then turning back toward a nervous Prentiss he smiled at his friend.
"So, you ready for this?"
"If you'd asked me that a year ago, I'd told you, no. But I'm ready, I'm more than ready to get married."
Derek wrapped his arm around his friend's waist and exhaled.
"Avery's a good man and he loves you more than life itself."
"Yeah, I know. I can't believe he waited for me."
"Well, you're worth the wait. You do believe that don't you?"
"I don't know…"
Then he turned her to face him and waited until she looked into his eyes. He saw the doubt and the fear.
"No, no, no don't do that…listen to me. There was a time when I believed that nothing good would come from my life."
"Derek, you're a good man."
"I was broken in a thousand pieces, Emily. Shame and secrets kept me in this dark place where my life and my happiness didn't matter."
"What changed?"
"Penelope. She changed me just by loving me. She made me feel I was worth the wait, the fight and…"
Emily saw the tears welling up in his eyes.
"You getting emotional on me, Morgan?"
"Me, of course not."
The both smiled as he released her and took a few steps toward the door.
"Thank you, Derek."
"For what?"
"You've always been my friend and you've always had my back. You've been honest with me and protective…I still remember what you said to me about not letting what we do steal my chance at happiness."
"Em…I…"
"I never admitted this to anyone but I've always wanted this…love and marriage and children all of it, but I was afraid. When Avery came along he made me feel that it was possible."
"But you went to London."
"I did what I do best, I ran."
"I'm the last person who can judge you. I mean look how long it took me to tell Penelope how I felt about her."
Emily turned from the mirror and faced Derek again.
"No more running for either of us."
"No more running."
Emily headed toward the door. Derek smiled and held out his arm to her.
"Let's get you married."
Emily smiled at her dear friend and took hold of his arm and the two stepped into the hallway and headed toward the large backyard of the Rossi mansion.
Later that Evening…
Home of Derek and Penelope Morgan –
Derek stood in the doorway of the nursery as Penelope gently laid their infant daughter in her crib. It had been a long day but it had given them all a chance to be together and happy and it gave them a moment to forget about the danger and the evil that they faced each day.
Penelope joined her husband in the hallway and relaxed against him as he engulfed her pulling her into a tight embrace against his body. The parents looked back into the room before heading across the hall into the master bedroom.
The two undressed and quickly got into bed, Derek first then Penelope. He loved being home with her and the family that they had created together. She'd made him see the foolishness of his ways of thinking he could save the world all by himself. He loved her for knowing that no matter how many times he promised her he would change, he'd never stop trying to keep her and their family safe.
It was who he was plain and simple. He'd proven each day how much he loved her and so she'd stopped insisting he become anything but who he was…a hero. It was his purpose in life and for that she accepted him for all that he was and all that he wanted to be whether it was possible or not.
Derek slowly ran his hands over her body. Even though it had been a long tiring day, he wasn't ready for it to end.
"I love you Mrs. Morgan."
He kissed her passionately on the lips.
"I love you too, Mr. Morgan."
"How did we get so lucky, Baby Girl?"
"Lucky? I don't know if I'd call it luck."
"Then what?"
"Everything happens for a reason. Our lives…your childhood, losing your dad, Buford, me losing my parents and then going off the rails for a few years, I want to believe that all of that led us here to each other."
Derek ran his hand lightly up and down her arm while kissing her lightly on the head.
"Yeah, maybe your right. I can't believe I almost gave it all away last year."
"Derek, I thought we agreed not to talk about that anymore."
"Yeah I know we did. I don't know maybe seeing Emily and Avery get married today got me thinking…"
"About what?"
"Maybe we can have it all."
"With what we see everyday, do you really believe that?"
"I don't know but there is one thing I do know."
"And what's that my incredibly sexy husband?"
"I know that I love you, Penelope Marie Garcia and our two beautiful daughters."
She turned and kissed him passionately on the lips.
"We love you too…more than anything!"
Derek returned the kiss.
"You and Saraya and Eva are my life and as much as I love what I do every day. You three are my purpose, my soul purpose and I promise to do everything in my power to make you happy every day as long as I live."
"You already have, Handsome…You already have."
"To the people who love you,you are beautiful already.This is not because they're blind to your shortcomingsbut because they so clearly see your soul."- Victoria Moran
THE END.