Title: Morgan's Musings
By: roguewriter04
Pairing: Morgan/Garcia
Rating: PG-13
A/N: I don't own any of these characters. I merely borrowed them for a short time. This is set at the end of Penelope and it's only what I wish would happen.
Summary: Post episode Penelope - Morgan has to deal with some issues concerning his favorite Goddess.

***

Morgan paced the office. His eyes watched Garcia. She seemed calm. She was talking to that other techie, Kevin. If everything was okay, why was that feeling still in the pit of his stomach? He watched Garcia's face light up as she spoke to him. Morgan began to feel even more uneasy. What was baby girl doin'?

"Sweetheart, you've gotta go back to the hospital for now? Okay?"

"Whatever you say."

"May I drive you? I'd love to discuss your system with you." Garcia actually blushed.

"Well, if it's okay with Morgan…"she glanced at him for permission. She looked so happy at the prospect.

"How about I drive and you two can talk?"

"Sounds good."

"Shall we?" The tech offered his arm and they were off. Morgan didn't even try to follow the fast-paced conversation that occurred as he drove the car to the hospital. All he knew was that it had something to do with back doors and the way she'd beaten him out of her system.

"We're here, Baby." An orderly met the group at the door and escorted Penelope and Kevin to a room. Morgan filled out Penelope's paperwork and then headed up to her room. He stopped just inside the door and watched as Penelope's eyes lit up and she gestured with her hands. She looked like she was actually going to be okay for tonight. Maybe a guy like Kevin will be good for her after all. The two had both begun talking rapidly, sometimes even speaking over each other. They were laughing and Garcia's eyes were glowing.

"Garcia, I'm heading out. If you need me, you've got my number. Kevin, you're schedule has been cleared for the day. Just…make sure that the Goddess over there gets a little rest."

"No problem, Agent Morgan."

"See ya, Hot Stuff." Morgan waved and drove back to the BAU trying to figure out why it bothered him to see her with that guy. He knew that the tech wasn't a bad guy. In fact, he was perfect for Penelope. Just the kind of guy she needed to get her mind off of a tough case. Tough cases came around far too often for the BAU and Garcia always protected them. Obviously, the team couldn't protect her. That was her job. She got to worry while he…they threw themselves into danger. She never knew what would happen when Morgan ran after a suspect. All she could hope was that he would have the sense to come home alive. Morgan hated to admit that it sucked to switch places. He'd rather risk bullets than have to answer his phone and hear the those three words again. "Garcia's been shot." It made him sick to his stomach just thinking about it. That bastard was lucky that JJ had killed him, because if Morgan had gotten his chance alone with him… Morgan didn't even want to think about what he would do if he'd had the chance to get his hands on that…waste of human flesh.

He pulled back into the office and settled down at his desk, catching up on the reports and other paperwork he'd missed since he stayed with Garcia. He left work early, heading home to shower and relax. He figured on Garcia calling sometime that night and he wanted to be rested, especially if there had been a nightmare. Nightmares were common, but it helped to call someone that you knew would listen and understand. Garcia had been his rock for a few of those breakdowns. She had wormed her way into his heart and become his best friend. When he'd first heard about how severe her conditions were, he had wanted to rail at God. But as he thought about it, he realized that he had come back to his faith at just the right time. Only God could have saved Garcia. That deputy was a pretty good marksman and he had been at point blank range. Garcia should have died, but she hadn't. Thank God, Morgan thought.

He made it home, ate dinner, watched some TV and waited. No phone call came. He woke up the next morning with the phone still sitting in his hand. He left early for work and stopped by the hospital.

"Good morning, Gorgeous."

"I'll show you a good morning, Hot Stuff." She called happily.

"How did you sleep last night?"

"Not so great, but I called Kevin and he helped me take my mind off everything. Ya know, Derek, maybe that's why this whole thing happened. I mean, I'm pretty much in my own little world in my office. I would never have met Kevin if this whole being shot thing hadn't come up.

"You could've called me, ya know?"

"I figured you had enough to deal with. I didn't want to bother you or anyone else on the team. I know you would have been patient, but Kevin doesn't have to deal with any of it in the same way that we do. He can honestly listen. Plus, I don't get profiled." Garcia grinned. "Now, if I'm not mistaken you have to get to work and I need my beauty rest if I'm going to get out of here today." The blonde grinned. "I'll be back to work tomorrow or so. Won't that be great?"

"Yeah, Baby, great." Penelope watched the man of her dreams walk out the door. Maybe her being shot had a purpose behind it. Maybe it was telling her that sometimes the man of you dreams should stay in your dreams. Kevin was sweet, nice, and funny. He understood things about her that Morgan or any other BAU member never could. But when she'd called last night, he hadn't known that she needed to talk or the nightmare would never be gone. He couldn't understand how a dream could haunt her. Derek would have, but…she couldn't always expect him to be there for her…could she?

Work at the BAU went slowly for the next week. Garcia was given the whole week off and remarkably, the team didn't have to leave town. Everyone at work could feel her absence, mostly because they had all felt Derek's temper at some point. Most assumed he just missed his blonde goddess of a best friend. None knew that they talked every night or that Penelope had gone out with Kevin twice since she'd gone home.

When Morgan walked in the Friday before Garcia's return, all it took was one look at him to clear the bullpen of everyone…except Hotchner.

"Morgan, can I talk to you?" Morgan followed his boss into his office, mostly because he knew that saying no wasn't an option.

"What's going on? This is more than just missing Garcia isn't it?"

"Missing her? I talk to her every night."

"Then why have you been acting like an ass?" Hotchner's calm voice asked, hoping to solve this problem before their next big assignment.

"I have!"

"You yelled at JJ yesterday. Everyone has been afraid to come near you. We knew that you and Garcia are close and so everyone assumed that you were cranky because you missed her." Morgan's face grew dark. "But there's more to it…what? I can't let this screw up the team."

"I'm…not sure. She started dating this tech…the one that was looking at her computer. They've been out three times…and he apparently spent the night at her apartment last night!"

"Well, she is an adult and they're both of consenting age. Where's the problem?"

"I can't figure that part out. She's my best friend. I should be happy that she's finally found a man that enjoys her brains, but…I'm not. I pretty much want to kill the guy."

"You're jealous." Hotchner said simply. "He's getting what you want."

"What? I want Penelope? Since when?"

"Since your flirting became serious, since you started caring about her as more than a friend, probably around the time you started threatening to spank her." Hotchner smiled. "Gideon wondered who'd figure it out first. Or at least who would act on it."

"Oh my God, I'm in love with Garcia…and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Who says?"

"I can't date someone on the team, plus she has a boyfriend."

"I think she'd be persuaded to change her relationship status or at least transfer the title. As for work, it can be your little secret."

"Won't you have to report it?"

"Report what?" Hotchner said, in feigned ignorance. "Just don't let it hurt the team."

"Okay, man. Thanks." He smiled for the first time in days and walked out of the room and out of the building. He walked all the way down to his car, climbed in and just sat there, trying to absorb what Hotch had just pointed out.

"I love her. I love Penelope Garcia," he said it slowly, trying out the sound. He liked it. He also knew how true it was. "She really is my baby girl, after all." He started his car with the same surprised grin remaining fixed in place all the way to Garcia's apartment.

Garcia stretched at her keyboard. The BAU had forced her to take a week off and she'd enjoyed it immensely. She'd caught up on a backlog of programming that she'd been meaning to do, and having Kevin take her out had helped and his staying over last night had been pretty great too. She frowned as she remembered their conversation this morning before he left for work.

"Penelope, this has been amazing. These past few days have just been unbelievable."

"Well, thank you."

"I wish you had told me in the beginning though."

"About what?"

"Your feelings for Agent Morgan."

"Derek's my friend, that's it."

"That may be it on his end, but Pen-you dream about him."

"WHAT?"

"You dreamt about him last night at least. You said his name and then said that you loved him."

"I did."

"Yeah." Kevin looked down. "Penelope, I enjoyed last night, and if you get over Morgan, I'd love to be with you."

"But that's not fair to you. I can be yours, just give me a day or so to get use to the idea." Penelope said, then paused, thinking. She always compared the poor guy to Derek anyway and that wasn't going to stop. "You're right. I'm in love with my best friend." The blonde paused, surprise in her voice. "I never realized it. I'm so sorry, Kevin."

"Penelope…I'm just glad that I got to spend the time with you that I did. And I'm more than a little jealous of Agent Morgan, but I'll get over it, somehow." Penelope smiled and hugged him.

"Friends?"

"We better be." He said. "You still have to show me that new upgrade you gave yourself."

Garcia stirred out of her reverie at a knock, or rather a pounding, on her door.

"Who is it?"

"Open up, baby girl." She opened the door.

"Good morning." She said.

"I'll show you a good morning." Morgan's lips crashed against Garcia's. The words would come later, but Garcia knew at that moment that her dream had become her reality.

The End