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Home for The Holidays

Morgan and Garcia

Chapter Nine

December 2007

Penelope had a tiring day at Derek's Aunt's house but a good day, all the same. She got to be introduced as his girlfriend, meet a whole bushel of relatives and hear a lot of stories about her Hot Stuff when he was a kid.

They had given presents to his mother, sisters, brother in law and nephew, to take home with them that night, and brought a present from his aunt's home, to thank her for hosting the party. By the time they made it back to the hotel it was late, they were weighted down with gifts, stuffed from dinner and tired.

Once they got inside the room they peeled off their coats, scarfs, hats, and gloves and then took out their phones and keys. Penelope turned around and asked Derek "Can you unzip me? Just unzip. Don't get frisky. I need a hot shower. My bones are weary, love."

Smirking, he unzipped her. "Already denied. Do I gotta sleep on the couch cause you're not in the mood?"

She giggled. "Watch it. You just might."

He smiled tenderly as he watched her kick off her heels and head into the bathroom. When she came out a half hour later she only had on a white terry cloth robe, with her hair in a messy bun. He nearly drooled all over himself as he sat with his back against the headboard, his chest bare and pajama pants on.

Penelope asked "Have you seen my jersey?"

"Don't you mean my jersey?"

She smirked. "Didn't you give that to me?"

"Didn't you steal it from a federal agent?"

"Would I do something like that? I'm very law abiding."

"Ha! Baby girl, you only got the job you got because you had no regard for the law."

"Hush. I need my jersey." She rifled around the drawer. "Did you steal it back?"

Derek jumped up, smacked her ass, and said "I think its probably in the other bedroom. You last wore it on the train, remember?"

"Oh yeah! See. You do know where it is." She headed to the other room and found it. She slipped it on and sighed happily, because she loved the soft feel of it against her skin. Then she took out her phone and they spent the next hour calling different team members to wish them a Merry Christmas, but they didn't mention to anyone that they were now dating.

Rossi was at his mother's home. There were his other relatives there too. Hotch was with his brother. Emily was stuck at in a hotel suite with just her mother in Europe. JJ was in New Orleans with Will's side of their family.

Reid was the last person they talked to. He was in Vegas visiting his mother. They joked with him about picking up a showgirl by doing some magic tricks.

He replied "They've seen it all already out here."

Derek joked "Then maybe she could show you a trick or two."

"I doubt she could teach me anything I don't already know."

"Kid, I bet she could teach you everything you don't already know."

"Oh...you mean intercourse?" Reid dead panned. "When it comes to coitus, its not quantity of partners but the quality of the interactions with your partners that determines a good lover. And I know enough to manage. So I don't need any showgirl."

Penelope said "You tell him, boy genius. But if any chick-a-dee asks you for your number totally give it to her. It can't hurt, right?"

Reid answered "It could hurt. She could be an unsub."

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Aren't there any nice nurses at the sanatarium?"

"In most cases an angel of mercy works in the medical field."

Derek cried "You're never gonna get laid if you keep this up!"

"Why must we always talk about my sex life or lack therefor? Is there nothing else you two think about except intercourse?...Forget it. Look who I asked."

Derek and Penelope laughed. Penelope said "We gotta go. We love you, Reid. Merry Christmas, smart ass!"

"Love you, Reid!" Derek said "And if you get a chance to get some, for God sake's, just take it!"

Reid replied back "Merry Christmas and congratulations on admitting, after one thousand three hundred and thirteen days that you two have romantic feelings for each other." Click.

Penelope looked at Derek. "Wow, he's some profiler."

"I sent him a text yesterday. I had to tell someone."

Penelope tackled him and he fell back on the couch. "You silly man! Way to keep our secret till we get back. What happened to that?"

"You suggested that after I had already sent the text. Sorry, baby girl. You can spank me if you wanna."

She giggled and kissed him.

XXXXXXXXX

Derek crawled out of bed, after making love with and cuddling with Penelope, and walked, naked, over to the closet, took out his bag and unzipped it, pulling out her Christmas present. Then he came back to the bed.

She watched him. "God, you are one gorgeous drink of water. And I'm feeling thirsty again."

"Simmer down," he teased. "First you need to open your present before midnight when its not even Christmas anymore. I'm surprised you've lasted this long without begging for it. I know you love presents."

"I have my present already," she said, giving him tender eyes.

Derek kissed her softly. "Damn woman, you know how to make me forgot what I was even talking about. I think you do it on purpose. You know what batting those pretty brown eyes at me does to me."

"Yep and I know what my throaty, sex Goddess whisper does to you too." She then babbled on in French till he was growling at her and kissing her neck. She squealed and gently pushed him away. "Move, Hot Stuff! Don't get in the way of a woman and her present."

"Oh, now you're interested?"

"You piqued my interest but before I open this can you do me a favor?"

"Anything for you, baby girl."

"Go to the other bedroom and get your present off the dresser."

"Be right back, Hot Stuff." Derek did as she wanted and then came back and watched her open her present.

Penelope said to Derek "Season tickets to the National Theater. I do love to go to plays. Thank you, baby."

"I figured maybe it would give me some chances to take you out...as a friend or whatever."

She smiled at him and gave him a sweet kiss. "For real, were you nervous to ask me out?"

"Garcia," he smiled at her "what do you think? Duh. You're my world, angel. A guy don't wanna mess up all that."

"You had to know that I'd say yes, sweetness."

"You know better than anyone that I'm a bad bet. At least on paper. A lot of strikes against me. And I didn't want to risk stepping up before I was ready to be all you need."

"I think the fact that I got shot kicked you into gear."

"Maybe. But so what? It just showed me that I was being a jerk for letting day after day go by leaving you thinking I don't really love you. That you're just a buddy or a fun game for me when you are so, so much more, baby girl." He took her hand. "You are the light of my life, and I mean that. Garcia, you keep me sane. When I'm around you I feel like it all makes sense but when I'm away from you it doesn't make a damn bit of sense at all. You're good for me. You make me happy. And you're sexy as hell. You're everything to me."

She cupped his face and gave him a kiss. Nipping at his lips she whispered "Open your gift, baby, cause its almost midnight."

Derek pulled back and opened his present. "A comic book?"

"It's a Frank Miller graphic novel. He's the writer who said the quote I told you about. About the noir knight."

"Right, right, right. Thank you, baby girl."

She also gave him a scarf that she had made for him. Derek smiled when he saw it. "I remember you knitting this when I was staying at your place last month."

"I expect to see you wearing it, mister."

He gave her a kiss. "You will, missus."

She smiled and threaded her arms around his neck. "I'm so happy that my chest feels tight. Its almost too much happiness to be real."

He whispered "We're very real. Most real thing ever in my life."

"Mine too. I can't believe I was almost too chicken to go for you. Wowza. That would have been tragic."

"Forget all that, baby girl. We went for each other and that's all that matters. We both got us here. It ain't been easy but its been life changing and its gonna keep being life changing." He hauled her onto his lap, till she was straddling him. "Every year now we'll be back here seeing our family for Christmas. This trip is just the first of many."

She got teary but this time she didn't tell him to slow down. She just kissed him and let herself believe. Because it was exactly the dream that Penelope desperately wanted to come true.

THE END