The Radio Won't Let You Leave My Mind…I Know It's Over But I Don't Know Why…

Derek moved quietly to the side of the mattress and stood, breezing around the room noiselessly to gather his clothes. He'd gone out with the team last night (minus Hotch, who was always in a hurry to get home to Haley and Jack) and he'd picked up the sleeping woman at last call. He couldn't remember her name. Had he even asked her? He sighed as he pulled his t-shirt over his head. There were so many now, they were starting to blend together. Dark hair, dark eyes, and petite. He didn't care what they looked like…as long as they weren't blonde with bright eyes and generous curves.

With one last glance over his shoulder, he pulled her bedroom door open and made his way to his truck.

XXXXX

Reid grinned as Derek walked into the BAU with his sunglasses. "Late night?" he asked.

"No later than you," Derek reminded him. "So why are you so bright eyed and bushy tailed?"

"Because while you were drinking beer last night, I was enjoying my water. And because I didn't engage in any extra-curricular activities after last call," Reid informed him.

"Kid, that's not my fault. Maybe if you did engage in them, you'd be smiling a lot more."

"He smiles enough," Prentiss informed Derek. "Don't get snappy because you get any sleep last night."

Derek chuckled. "Darlin', I'm not snappy. Just satisfied. What I got was way better than sleep."

"Ewww," JJ said as she approached the group. "I knew I should have stayed in last night and cuddled with Will and Henry. Anyway, back to business as usual…Hotch wanted me to pass on some information. Apparently we have a new tech analyst."

Prentiss rolled her eyes. "I swear to God, if he spits when he talks like the last one did—"

JJ shook her head. "No chance of that. He's a she."

Derek took his sunglasses off. "Really?" he asked, suddenly interested.

"I forbid you to sleep with her," Prentiss said.

Derek grinned. "I promise, Emily. There will be no sleeping."

"Pig," Prentiss muttered.

"Is she hot?" Derek asked.

"I didn't get a head shot of her, Derek," JJ said dryly.

"It's not her head I'm interested in," he said with silky-smoothness.

Prentiss rolled her eyes. "Could you at least try to keep it in your pants?" she asked. "We've been through four technical analysts in the last year alone because they couldn't get the job done. We don't need to lose one because you ran her off."

"Hey, I'm all for monogamous sex as long as it doesn't involve spending the night or sweet talking," Derek told her.

"What happened to you to turn you into such a player?" JJ asked curiously. It was a question that had been plaguing her for years.

Derek grinned. "Nothing happened to me, JJ. I just like women." And women seemed to reciprocate the feeling.

Reid sighed. "This is going to be…interesting," he predicted.

"So what division is she from?" Derek asked.

"Hotch didn't say," JJ answered. "In fact, he didn't give me any details at all about her past experience with the bureau. But I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. She'll be in this afternoon."

"I'm teaching a self defense class this afternoon," Derek said.

"Thank God," Prentiss muttered. "It will give us time to warn her about your escapades."

Derek grinned. "But I'll make sure I stop by and say hello before heading downstairs."

XXXXX

"My God, Penelope. I knew you were into some shady shit, but I didn't think you were stupid enough to get caught!" Preston said not for the first time.

His wife cleared her throat. "Babe, I think you've made your point," she said as Penelope rolled her eyes and carried the next box into her new apartment.

"Helena! It's the F.B.I.! You think this is OK?" he asked angrily.

"No," she said calmly. "I don't think it's OK. But I don't think that raising your voice and yelling at your thirty-seven year old sister is going to help things. Do you?"

Preston sighed. "Well I feel a little bit better," he mumbled.

"This isn't about you," she informed him. "It's about Penelope."

"Yeah! And the fact that she has to move to fuckin' Virginia!" he practically roared.

Helena's eyes widened. "You're scared because you won't be here to take care of her," she said as understanding dawned.

"Yes, well…" Preston sputtered. "We see what happens to my little sister when left to her own devices."

He picked a box up out of the moving van and started stalking towards Penelope's new apartment. He was almost to the door when Helena caught up to him again. "Pres, have you stopped to think that maybe this is what she needs? A little independence?"

"I like it when she's independent in Maine living right next door to us," he said.

Helena laughed. "That's not her being independent," she reminded him.

"Of course it is," he argued. "You think if she was in my hip pocket that I would have let her get mixed up in this stuff?"

"Preston, what's going on?" Helena asked softly.

He put down the box he was holding and rested his hands on his waist. "She's the last one," he said softly. "My brothers moved away, but at least Penelope was still there. Now she's gonna be gone, too. I just…hate to think what Mom and Dad would think if they saw all of us separated."

"Preston, I know you love to take care of her, and as great as you are at it…" Helena grinned. "She's gonna be in the care of the F.B.I. now. She won't get away with anything."

Preston sighed. "Well I like that," he admitted.

The screen door opened and Penelope ran down the steps. "I have to get to…" She made a face. "F.B.I. headquarters." She turned to Helena. "Can you try to perk my brother up before I get back? He's getting on my last nerve."

XXXXX

The man she'd met in Boston, SSA Aaron Hotchner, was waiting for her in the lobby when she arrived. He led her to H.R., where she was fingerprinted (again), had a badge made up and was given keys to the building and to her office, then they made their way to the elevator.

"I didn't tell the team the circumstances surrounding your arrival," Hotch informed her. "I wanted that to be up to you. If you want to tell them, I won't stop you. If not, that's your choice. But just so you know, my team works best when there's an immense amount of trust involved."

She turned to look at him. "I'd rather not to drop that bomb yet." Better not to start a new job off with everyone watching her every move. She was certain there was already a team assembled to do that. And as the 'new girl,' she'd generate enough interest from her co-workers without them knowing her background in…gathering 'protected' information.

He nodded as the elevator doors opened and they stepped off. He led her through some double glass doors and up a ramp, and then walked into a conference room where three people were waiting. "Good afternoon," Hotch said to them. "This is Penelope Garcia. She's our new Technical Analyst. She comes to us from Boston," he told them. It wasn't exactly a lie. "Garcia has extensive experience in…assembling information in a timely fashion and being able to…infiltrate systems that are supposedly impenetrable," he explained.

"It's nice to meet you," a young blonde woman said as she stood up from the round table. She walked over and stuck out her hand. "I'm Jennifer Jareau, Media Liaison for the team. You can call me JJ."

Penelope smiled as she shook JJ's hand. Would she be as welcoming if she knew of her colored past? "It's nice to meet you," Penelope said.

Agents Reid and Prentiss introduced themselves as well, and Penelope got a quick run down on the skills they brought to the team before Hotch spoke again. "Where's Morgan?" he asked.

"Derek's teaching a self-defense class this afternoon," JJ answered.

Penelope's head snapped up in alarm. Derek Morgan? It couldn't be. After all these years, there was no way that fate would be so cruel as to bring him back into her life under these circumstances. But she'd no sooner completed her thought when he appeared at Hotch's side.

"Morgan," Hotch said. "Glad you could stop by before your class. I'd like to introduce you to our new Technical Analyst, Penelope Garcia."

Penelope remembered the broken look in his eyes when she'd left him—it had haunted her for the past fifteen years. Apparently it needn't have. As he looked her up and down, there wasn't a hint of brokenness in his eyes…only contempt. She wondered if the others saw it as well. She swallowed past the lump of nervousness in her throat and shifted her stance under his harsh perusal.

Finally he spoke. "Nice to meet you…Penelope was it?" he asked pointedly.

"Yes," she whispered.

He nodded, and then turned to Hotch. "I need to get downstairs." And with that, he was gone.