Title: I Think I Love You
By: bahjcb
Pairing: Morgan/Garcia
Rating: PG
Note: I recently heard the song I Think I Love You sung by the Partridge Family. I started laughing to myself when I thought of Derek singing that song. This is what came of that.
Summary: Derek has a problem that ignoring just doesn't seem to help.

***

Derek knew something was wrong. Sure he actually traveled with the team on cases and he even stopped coming up with excuses to call Penelope every forty-five minutes, but he was still calling her more often than before she was shot. Then again, it wasn't the telephone calls that worried him.

It was the fact that every night he seemed to dream about Penelope. If they were erotic dreams, Derek knew he could deal with that. Instead they were these bizarre images of the two of them doing things together. They were intimate in the dreams, but that wasn't the…best part. It was the simple fact that in his dreams with Penelope, Derek was just—happy.

The longer he worried over his dreams, the more they bothered him. Soon Derek was obsessing over what would happen when he went to sleep. At odd times throughout the day, the dreams would take his attentions and he found himself smiling.

At first, Derek thought he would just ignore it. He wouldn't talk about these dreams or thoughts. He wouldn't acknowledge them. Of course, once Derek realized that he had an insatiable urge to pound Kevin Lynch into a pile of quivering jelly every time the tech so much as looked at Penelope, Derek acknowledged that ignoring his problem wasn't helping.

So, trying to be objective, Derek put his psychology skills to use and profiled himself. It didn't take him long to figure out his problem.

"I'm in love with Penelope," he groaned, sinking into his couch.

Petting his dog, Derek said, "Clooney, what do I do?"

Clooney seemed to regard his master for a moment before giving a short, staccato bark.

Derek nodded in agreement and continued to scratch Clooney's ears.

"I'm going to have to tell her."

"Derek," Penelope exclaimed as she opened her door Saturday morning. "Did a case come up?"

She didn't actually think that was why he was there, but she couldn't come up with any other reason off the top of her head.

"Baby Girl—Penelope, can I come in? I have something I need to talk to you about."

Worried, Penelope immediately stepped back to let Derek in.

Sitting down next to him on the sofa, she took one of his hands in hers and said, "Derek, what's wrong?"

"I'm afraid…"

"Of what?"

"I just want you to be happy, Pen."

"O-kay."

So far, all Penelope could say for certain was that she was completely confused.

Derek, on the other hand, turned and grasped her other hand in his free hand. Taking a deep breath to gather his courage, he just blurted out, "I think I love you!"

"What?" she exclaimed, pulling her hands back.

"I've never felt this way before, Baby Girl. You're all I think about."

"I know you've been worried about me since I was shot…"

"No, Mama," Derek argued, clasping her hands in his once more. "You don't understand. I'm not talking about friendship. I love you that way, but I've come to realize that my feelings are deeper than that."

Penelope was quiet for a minute before asking, "What do you want?"

Looking deep into her eyes, Derek released one of her hands and raised his hand to her face where he then gently caressed her cheek.

"I just want to love you. I want you to love me in return."

Swallowing her instinctive answer, Penelope asked, "What are you scared of?"

"Being without you."

Derek then punctuated his statement with kiss that left Penelope glad that she was sitting down.

When they finally pulled back for air, Derek asked, "Do you think you love me?"

"I know I do, Handsome," Penelope replied with a grin, just before she pulled him back into another kiss.

***