Looking into the mirror, Penelope Garcia brushed her long, blond hair. She pulled part of it back, securing it with a bow that matched the ruby brocade top of her gown. Her shimmering tresses were her best feature, and she knew it. From the time she was a little girl, she'd been complimented on her glorious, golden curls. Of course, the compliments were often tarnished with the backhanded remark that she "would be so pretty if she'd only lose weight." Comments about her weight used to bruise her feelings, but her mother would reassure her. "Honey, you're beautiful just as you are. Besides, it's just baby fat. You'll outgrow it."

She skillfully applied her makeup and sprayed herself lightly with Mystic Night perfume. Her dress and the pricey scent had cost her a week's salary, but it would be worth it if it captured his attention. She stepped back and took a hard look at herself. The color in her gown enhanced her fair skin and blond hair, and the long, black taffeta skirt made her bulky figure look slightly thinner. She sighed. "Well, Mom, you were wrong about the baby fat," she said aloud, but she was not altogether displeased by what she saw.

Penelope had long ago given up the quest to be slim. Over the years, she had exercised, dieted, fasted, and even suffered short bout of anorexia, only to quickly gain back any pounds she had lost. She had learned to accept herself. Penelope Garcia, smart, successful, computer wiz, personable, loyal friend, passably pretty…and fat!

She took her favorite pair of long, hoop earrings from her jewelry box and clipped them on. She was just putting on some colorful bangle bracelets when her doorbell rang. She glanced at the clock on her dresser. As usual, he was exactly on time.

Penelope opened the door and greeted Kevin Lynch. He stood, smiling his familiar lopsided grin, dressed in his rented tuxedo. His hair was slicked down and he was clean shaven, but even at his most well-groomed, he had a way of looking slightly unkempt. "Hi, Kevy," she said, kissing him lightly on the cheek. She straightened his collar and adjusted his tie.

"You look beautiful," he said, sincerely, and he pulled her close to him for a longer kiss.

Kevin Lynch was in love with Penelope Garcia. Over the years, he had only been with a handful of women, and before Penelope, never had a serious relationship. He was shy, and he knew he was nerdy, but he didn't know how to be any different. Now in his mid-thirties, he resigned himself to being alone and focused on his work with the FBI. He had earned the respect of his supervisors and was regarded as one of the top technical analysts with the Bureau. He understood computers, more than he ever understood women, he would often muse to himself. When he met Penelope, it was like a dream coming true. He couldn't believe that a woman so alluring could be interested in him. They had been dating for over a year, and he was saving to buy her an engagement ring, which he planned to give to her on her birthday.

Lynch considered himself the luckiest guy on earth.

xxxxx

Derek Morgan pulled his silver SUV up to the entrance of the Washington Ritz-Carlton and quickly got out of the car. He handed his keys to the parking valet and looked at his watch. "Shit," he muttered, softly. He was fifteen minutes late. If he was profiling himself, he would have to admit to his own passive-aggressive behavior. He knew he didn't rush into getting ready for tonight's event. Hell, he'd hoped all week that he would think of a reason to get out of going. He had pretty much decided to play sick this evening, pick up a pizza and stay home to watch the Wizards and Bulls game, until Section Chief Erin Strauss stopped him on his way into his office this morning.

"You'll be at Director Muller's retirement dinner, won't you, Agent Morgan?"

Caught off guard, he hesitated. "I, uh….."

"Everyone who is important to your career will be there." She leaned in closer to him and rested her hand on his arm. "They're watching you, Derek. You need to make a good impression on the right people."

"Yes, I'm going," he said, resigned.

"Good. See you there."

Erin was a tall, attractive blond, in her late forties. She had an icy personality, and was generally forbidding to anyone who came into contact with her. As an administrator, she was highly respected, but "what a ball-breaker," Morgan thought, as he watched her walk away. He always pitied the poor guy who married her, until he found out she had recently been divorced. It was out of character for her to be friendly enough to call him by his first name. For whatever the reason, Strauss seemed to like him, although he couldn't fathom why. When he was Acting Unit Chief, he appeased her even less than Hotch did. Nonetheless, she seemed genuinely interested in seeing him advance at the Bureau. He'd even heard through the grapevine that it was Strauss who recommended him for the head job at the New York Field Office.

Derek was conflicted about his ambitions with the FBI. While he hated playing the political games that were necessary to progress in the Bureau, he enjoyed the leadership role, so as much as he disliked these affairs, he decided it was in his best interest to put on his tux and show up.

When he entered the banquet room, he was relieved to see that things were just getting started. He immediately spotted the table where his BAU teammates were sitting. Prentiss caught his eye and motioned to the seat between her and Spencer Reid.

He was surprised to see that Reid had a date. "Go on, Reid," he thought, amused. He didn't know the young woman's name, but she was a perky blond who'd just graduated from the New Agent Training Program. Morgan recognized her from the self-defense classes he taught.

Aaron Hotchner was with Jessica, his late wife's sister, an attractive redhead who looks remarkably like Haley. Hotch looked happier and more relaxed than he had seen him for awhile. He wondered if there was there more to their relationship than convenience.

J.J. and Will greeted him cheerfully. Since little Henry was born, nights out were rare for them, and they, too, genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Living up to his reputation as a womanizer, Dave Rossi was with an agent from Counterterrorism, a gorgeous brunette less than half his age. Morgan knew her slightly. Her name was Angela, and she seemed mesmerized by the senior profiler. "Looks like Dave is going to get lucky," he thought wryly, as he sat down beside Emily. Rossi caught him checking out his date and winked. He knew exactly what Derek was thinking.

Emily Prentiss wore a sleek, black gown, cut low to emphasize her voluptuous breasts. Her hair was up and she wore an expensive diamond heart necklace with matching earrings. He wondered if her jewelry had been a gift. "You look beautiful, Em," he said, feeling a little guilty. He knew she hadn't come with a date because she'd been expecting him to ask her.

He gave the waiter his order for a vodka and cranberry juice, and said a polite "hello" to Penelope and Lynch, who were seated directly across from him. Garcia looked stunning. Derek would have told her so, if Lynch hadn't been hanging all over her, which annoyed him more than it should have.

Three drinks in, Morgan started to unwind and actually began to enjoy himself. After dinner, Erin Strauss came to his table. "There are some people I want to introduce you to," she said, taking him by the arm and leading him into a cluster of people standing near the lectern. He was introduced to Director Muller and his wife, and the Director's replacement, H. Donovan Gray, who had recently been appointed by the President. He and Strauss were talking with DC Mayor Finlay and his wife, when the DJ announced "a song for all of the romantics here," and Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do" began playing.

"You'll have to excuse us," Mayor Finlay said, taking his wife's hand to escort her out to the dance floor.

"Well, it looks like this our dance, Agent Morgan." Strauss smiled at him, coquettishly.

xxxxx

As they drove south on the D.C. Beltway, Kevin reached down to caress Penelope's thigh. "Keep both hands on the wheel," she told him, trying to sound stern, but giggled in spite of herself.

He grinned, impishly. "I can't wait until we get home." He took her hand and placed it on the bulge in his pants. "We're having a sleepover tonight, right?"

"Watch the road, Kev," but she laughed again and rubbed him, just a little, before she removed her hand. He squirmed in his seat.

"Babe, any more of that and we're going to pull over right here."

"Behave!" She thought she'd better change the subject. Even late at night there was traffic on the Beltway, and he needed to pay attention to his driving. "It was a pretty nice party, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was. Bureau dropped a bundle on that little bash."

"I liked the DJ."

"I wish he'd played more slow stuff. I like dancing up close to my girl." He paused for a moment and took her hand. "You know, Pen, you were the prettiest girl there."

Garcia thought about all of the elegant women who were at tonight's event. Many wore chic, designer gowns. Nearly all of them were slim. She couldn't help but feel a little envious. No, she wasn't the prettiest girl there, but she knew that Kevin Lynch really believed that she was.

"Thank you," she said, quietly, and she squeezed his hand.

xxxxx

Derek emptied his pockets and placed the contents on his nightstand: wallet, keys, cell phone and two phone numbers that women had slipped him during the party. He slid off his watch, noticing that it was after three. He unstrapped his ankle holster and put his gun in the drawer. He quickly undressed and climbed into bed, grateful that he didn't have to get up in the morning. He was slightly buzzed and genuinely tired, but had too much on his mind to sleep.

As far as connecting with the "right" people, it had been a good night. To his surprise, Director Muller was familiar with his history with the Bureau, and complimented him on doing such "a fine job" when he stepped into the BAU's leadership role. If he was unsure of Strauss' interest in him, it became crystal clear when she began to press her body against him as they danced. An exceptionally handsome man, Morgan was used to women making overtures to him, but with Strauss, he never saw it coming.

He reached for his remote and clicked on the television. He was annoyed to find that the Wizards had lost and clicked it off again.

Maybe Strauss just had too much to drink? Perhaps his ego was reading too much into it? After all, she's almost fifteen years his senior. It troubled him to think that she had an ulterior motive for taking an interest in his career. If he advanced at the FBI, he wanted it to be on merit, not because he was fucking the boss. And, if he ignored her, would she try to sabotage his career, just as she had Aaron Hotchner's.

He thought about calling Garcia. Talking with her always helped him to sort things out. She should still be awake. She and Lynch left at the same time he did. He started to reach for his phone. Lynch! The damn reason why he couldn't call her! He and Penelope hadn't been close lately, not since Kevin Lynch came into her life. Morgan wasn't a man who would encroach on another man's territory. But damn, he missed her.

When he finally fell asleep, it was after four o'clock.

xxxxx

Kevin and Penelope lay snuggled together, enjoying the sweet moments after their love-making. "I love you, Pen," he whispered to her softly, just before he drifted off to sleep.

"Love you, too." Her response was automatic and she hoped that she sounded sincere. Sounded sincere? Of course, it was sincere! "I do love Kevin," she thought. "He's kind, funny, and we have just everything in common. A girl could do a lot worse than Kevin Lynch." Over the years, Penelope had suffered more than her share of hurt and rejection. She knew that Kevin had, too. He confided everything to her. He trusted her. She would never hurt him, and he would he never know how often images of Derek Morgan invaded her mind, even during their most intimate moments.

Lynch snored softly beside her, but she was wide awake. Her thoughts drifted back to the party. She loved seeing the lighter side to her co-workers; a tipsy Reid doing The Shag with his date, and Hotch laughing for the first time in months. She could sense that something was troubling, Morgan, however. He seemed fine until after dinner, until after he spent some time with Section Chief Strauss. "Well, that witch could bring anybody down. Hope she isn't causing Morgan as much grief as she's always caused Hotch" she thought, concerned for Derek.

She was jealous when she recalled how Morgan danced mostly with Emily. She wondered if their relationship was closer than she knew, but when the DJ began to play "Endless Love," Derek walked over to Penelope.

"Baby Girl?" Her pulse quickened, as he extended his hand to her. He hadn't called her that in so long. "Do you mind, Kevin?"

Lynch smiled, awkwardly. "No," he said, and sat down at their table. He tried to appear impassive while he sat sipping his drink, but he was intently watching his girl dance with Morgan.

For five extraordinary minutes, Penelope was in Derek Morgan's arms. Could he feel how hard her heart was pounding? "You look really nice, Pen. That perfume you're wearing must be driving Kevin wild."

"Oh Derek," she thought, wildly. "Don't you know it is all for you? My dress, the perfume, the time I spent on my hair and makeup, was all for you." Being so close to him made her feel complete in a way that no other man had ever made her feel. If only she could tell what was in her heart, but she knew couldn't. She couldn't bear to be rejected.

When their dance was over, Derek walked her back to the table. Kevin looked relieved when he went back out on the dance floor with Prentiss. He didn't care much for Morgan. For some reason, the guy rubbed him the wrong way.

Penelope replayed her moments with Morgan over in her mind until she finally fell asleep, just as the sun was beginning to rise. With her body pressed close to Kevin, she dreamed of Derek Morgan.