a/n: This is written for the CCOAC Christmas challenge for BonesBird! It's a pinch hit for TeamShemar. The prompts are: Fairytale of New York, tinsel, Christmas lights, and wooden fire. None of them appear in this chapter, but they will all be in the story! Happy Holidays, all! Especially you, BonesBird! ;)

I'm planning on this being a twoshot, but this is me, so let's go for a threeshot! LOL

~Angie

With a grunt, Penelope gave her carry on one more firm push, and then quickly slammed the overhead compartment closed before it could fall out again. She took her window seat on the small commuter plane that would take her to LaGuardia where she'd catch her connecting flight to Boston, and then finally be home sweet home.

She loved her brothers dearly, but they were a boisterous bunch. Midnight football games in the front yard in December had been fun when she'd been young and full of vigor, but she was well into her thirties now and didn't hold up as well in the colder weather. Or under the tackles! They weighed significantly more than they used to as they'd all packed on muscle over the years. And her nephews…they were all in their teens now, and most of them were a good foot taller than she was.

The trip had been fun but exhausting, and now all she wanted was to go home and climb into her own bed. She needed a vacation after spending four days with her family! Thank God they were all able to afford the tickets to spend the holidays together in DC, where Preston and his family lived. Of course, Christmas wasn't for another few days, but they always got together a bit early so the little ones could be home, snug in their beds when Santa arrived. And while she wished she could see them all more often, it was at least enough to hold her over until the next year.

With a heavy sigh, her eyes closed and Penelope settled in for the flight…until someone plopped down beside her—well, half beside her and half ontop of her! And then, the pudgy man who'd interrupted her rest had the nerve to give her a dirty look!

Penelope opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind (not that there was much left after the time she'd spent with her family) when out of the corner of her eye she caught a swagger she'd know anywhere. Her breath caught in her throat: Derek Morgan. His head was down, and his baseball hid his face, but it didn't matter. She was certain it was him.

He'd been her first, and to this day, her only love. She'd met him her junior year in high school and had fallen instantly for him. To her surprise, the feeling had been mutual. They'd been serious from the time they'd started dating, planning for their future immediately. They were young, but determined.

All that changed in the blink of an eye. She'd lost her parents to a drunk driver, and Derek had blown out his knee his sophomore year in college. The trauma they'd both experienced had taken its toll on them, and they'd gone their separate ways, parting amicably.

It had been her idea, and she'd had the feeling it wasn't what he'd really wanted. But he did what he'd always done and given her what she'd thought she wanted.

It was her only regret…walking away from him. And it hadn't taken her long to realize that when she'd pushed him away, she'd also shoved any chance at happiness she'd had away as well.

Her eyes followed him as he sat down in his seat…right across the aisle from her. She quickly faced forward and tried to concentrate on keeping her breathing even. She winced as she took a deep breath…he was still wearing the same cologne. It was so light that no one else on the plane could probably smell it, but she could. She remembered burying her face in his neck the first time he'd made love to her; the smell had comforted her then. Nowit did other things to her!

She waited until they were in the air and then stole a glance at him, licking her lips nervously before speaking. "Derek?" she asked.

When he didn't acknowledge her, she cleared her throat and spoke, to the obvious dismay of the man beside her, a bit louder. "Derek?"

His head whipped around, and a slow grin spread across his face, causing her to nearly blush. She'd forgotten the way his eyes lit up when he saw her.

"Penelope Garcia," he said lowly.

The way he spoke sent shivers down her spine. How many times had she longed to hear that voice over the past twenty years? "How are you?" she asked.

He reached up and pulled the ear buds she hadn't noticed before from his ears, giving her his full attention. "I'm good. How are you?" he asked.

She leaned forward a bit to see him better. "I'm good," she answered. "I'm actually on my way home fro Preston's house, and—"

"Perhaps you'd like to switch seats with me," the man next to her practically growled at Derek.

"Would you mind?" Derek asked, standing immediately.

The man looked at Penelope and shot more daggers her way. "Not any more than I mind blondie over here practically sitting in my lap," he snapped.

Penelope's eyes narrowed as he stood...if this man wasn't giving her a chance to get closer to Derek, she'd grab a fistful of the toupee that was sitting sideways on his head and tug the damn thing off! It was all she could do not to give him a swift kick in the ass.

Derek grinned as he crossed the aisle, and Penelope nearly forgot to breathe as his warm body sat flush against hers. "Are you sure you want to give up Mr. Personality for little old me?" he teased.

She tried to grin back at him, but Penelope was pretty sure she was beaming instead. "I hate to minimize your importance, Hot Stuff," she said with a giggle, the nickname slipping out before she could stop it. "But I would have traded him for Hannibal Lecter."

"Hannibal Le—thanks a lot, Baby Girl!"

Penelope's heart swelled at how easily they'd fallen back into their old routine.