A/N: Hey all, first of all, I want to thank everyone for their support thus far. I've gotten so much love from this fandom and you guys are so awesome. Second, a warning, this chapter get a little religious. Let me make it clear that I am not trying to make anyone uncomfortable or convert anyone, it's just an exploration into a character and event that I think are appropriate to understanding their psyche. And the church that I am describing is based off of African-American Baptist Churches, so the style of religious expression maybe unfamiliar to people. All in all, I hope you enjoy...

-OMA

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Since Penelope had been shot, Derek had been sporadically attending church. He sat in the pews, listening to the choir finish their songs. The choir members wore long blue robes with a golden trim. One thing Derek liked about this church; they had style. The choir was very interactive with the congregation, inciting them to clap, dance and sing along with the praise and worship songs. When he was a kid, praise and worship was his favorite part of service, mostly because he was in the children's choir. Even though a cop's schedule was unpredictable, Derek's father always made it a point to see his son sing for the Lord. Before his dad passed, church had been one of the places where he felt the most at peace. He had the type of strong, innocent faith that you can only find in a child. He prayed every day and attended church on Sunday without fuss or compliant because he needed God to keep his daddy safe.

When his father was killed, he felt God had betrayed him and then when Buford happened, he was certain that the God he had put so much faith in had unjustly abandoned him. Only when he came rushing to the hospital after spending hour in the church and hearing about Penelope's injuries and recovery, did he think that at least this time, God was on his side. God had finally come back to save someone he loved.

As Penelope eased into his thoughts, Derek refocused on the sermon that was about to be delivered. Dr. Thomas Walter, a minister with a warm smile, glasses and deep chocolate skin, walked to the podium in his long deep blue robe with a kente cloth stash around his neck.

"Good morning, Beloved," Pastor Walter said in a resonating baritone.

"Good morning," replied Derek and the 175 other members of the congregation, forming a choir of their own.

"I want to preach this morning as the Lord shall guide from The Book of Matthew, chapter 5: verse 9, 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for the shall be called the children of God'. We live in a world, a society that seems to reward and even encourage conflict. Why as I walk down the street this very Sunday, beloved, I took notice of all the conflicts, big and small, that seem to rip us apart. Mother vs. child, husband vs. wife, friend vs. friend, in fact when taken as a whole, it seems as a species. we fight more than we take care of one another," stated Pastor Walter.

Conflict. Derek certainly had more than his fair share of conflict in his life, in his job, but he had come to think of it as part of human experience and sometimes, he knew, conflict was necessary.

"But despite all of this conflict, in the midst of all this conflict, God still blesses us with moments of peace, moments of joy. In fact church, I bet you think of the worst conflict in your life, there was still one moment, one second, one person that gave you joy. You better thank God for those moments of peace and solace that He gives us in our conflicts, in our trials and tribulations," Pastor Walter continued.

Derek nodded and raised his voice into the chorus of "Amen" that filled the church. No matter how his rocky relationship with God was at the moment, he still thanked Him for those moments each and every day. No matter what ugliness he had to face that day, one phone call to Penelope helped to fill a few minutes of his day beauty and laughter.

The pastor continued with a sermon about the adulterous woman who was brought before Jesus by the officials of her town to be stoned for her crime of adultery. While most tellings of the story focused on Jesus telling the officials, "Let he who has no sin, cast the first stone." Pastor Walter focused on the woman herself.

"Now imagine this woman, taken from her home, dragged through the streets and brought before a stranger for her judgment. A judgment that she expects to end in stoning and death. Now I don't know about you, but that sounds like some serious conflict. But in all this conflict, there was a peacemaker. In her pain, which was internal and external, Beloved, she was at the feet of a peacemaker. One who saw her heart and deemed her worthy of salvation, in spite her sins. One who gave her solace in all of her conflict," stated Pastor Walter.

Solace in conflict… that is a blessing, Derek thought and continued to listen to the sermon.

One month later

"There's something I really want you to know, Garcia," Morgan uttered feeling time slip away from him. If this was his last act on this earth, he wanted Garcia to know just what she meant to him. If he died, she would be the one plagued with the memory of hearing his last words. He had to make sure they were worth remembering.

"Save it! Just get out!" Garcia replied urgently.

"No, no, no, I'm not quite there yet," Morgan replied, hoping that a short explanation would get her to listen.

"Morgan."

"Just listen to me," he pleaded, trying to get through her hard head. He knew she just wanted him to stay alive, but he was trying to get her to hear what he need to say before it was too late.

"Morgan, please," she begged, praying that he kept himself alive.

"You know what you are, Garcia..." Morgan started, but realized that his time was up. He had make a choice between staying in the ambulance and being 100% sure that it got to the clearing or saving his own life and being 75% sure. Morgan never did anything half way and he didn't want to risk the ambulance going off course and hurting innocents.

75% wasn't good enough. No one was going to get hurt today.

"MORGAN!" Garcia cried.

Garcia's cry pierced through his brain and right to his heart. Before he realized what he was doing, he grabbed the door and jumped out of the ambulance.

The ambulance exploded into a giant mushroom of fire.

"Derek?" Garcia asked, her voice trembling with fear. Unable to catch her breath, she remained silence. Hoping against hope for Derek's safety.

Derek looked at the fiery remains of the ambulance. Thinking about how stupid he had been a second ago. Without Garcia in his ear, he would have stayed in the ambulance. He jumped out, not to save his own life, but because he loved Penelope and he couldn't allow himself to cause her pain by witnessing his death. He had seen his father die in front of him. He wouldn't wish that memory on anyone. Especially her.

"Garcia, I'll tell you what you are to me," He said when he finally put his earpiece back on and caught a portion of his breath, "You're my God-given solace. Woman, you promise me one thing. Whatever happens, don't you ever stop talking to me."

"I can't right now cause I'm mad at you."

"I can wait," he said

2 years later

Morgan smiled at the memory as he called Garcia. He wasn't a poetic guy. He allowed his actions to speak for him, but in that moment, seconds after the ambulance exploded in front of him, words were all he had. Even though he was no longer looking death in the eye, standing on that field, looking at the fiery blaze, he still needed to tell Garcia was she meant to him. She had saved his life once again. He wanted her to understand how much he needed her. And appreciated her presence in his life.

And once again, she was providing that peace he needed by taking care of Ellie. While he was still distracted by his concern for the little girl's safety, he knew that there was no one that he trusted more. He knew Ellie was safe with Penelope and that she would do everything in her power to keep that little girl as comfortable and happy as possible.

The phone was picked up on the second ring.

"Derek," said an exciting and high-pitched voice.

"Ellie?"

"Are you on your way back?" she asked with a brightness that wasn't there when he had left her in Penelope's care.

"Sorry, sweetheart, it's gonna be a little while longer," he replied.

"Oh," she responded, all of the cheeriness gone in her voice. It made Derek feel like he had just kicked a puppy.

"A, so… where's Penelope?" he asked finally.

"The bathroom…Oh, she just got out. Loopy, phone for you," she shouted over the phone.

"Thanks, Pip," Derek heard Penelope say through the phone.

"How's it hanging, Hot Stuff?" she asked, keeping with the cheery theme of the phone call.

"Loopy?" he asked.

She sighed and Derek could almost feel her roll her eyes at him, "The thing happened at the mall…" she explained.

"A thing?"

"Best not go into the thing, but Ellie decided that I acted a little loopy. So Penelope. Peneloopy. Loopy," she explained further without actually explaining anything.

Derek laughed. The first time he laughed all day. In a case where an UNSUB was destroying families, it was amazing to hear someone doing something so normal.

"How is she?" he asked.

Penelope turned in her apartment, insuring that Ellie was still listening to headphones.

"Coping. She's having nightmares, Derek. But she knows she's safe. She's lucky to have you. Someone she can trust because I know how lonely she would have been before she came here," Penelope stated.

Derek let out a breath, "Me too. But you two are okay."

"Best pint-sized partner in crime, I've ever had."

"I'll have to tell Reid he's been replaced by a 9 year-old girl," he joked.

"Oh, you are cruel, Derek Morgan," she jokingly scolded, "And the transfer of Ellie's case is going well. I'm also working on a program to notify us if she is in the hospital, involved with police or any major changes happen in her case file."

Derek smiled, "You didn't have to do that, babygirl."

"You know that's not true," Penelope stated, "She's family-by-proxy and a scared, little girl at that. Anything I can do to help her feel safe and give you peace of mind, I will. Two birds, one stone, mon ami."

Derek took a deep sigh that carried his relief and gratitude over the phone, "How often do I tell you I love you?"

Penelope smiled, "Every day, it's implied."

"Screw implications, I'll be explicit," he replied.

"Oh, Derek," she flirted, "Not when there are children present."

Derek chuckled, "Silly girl."

He took moment and let the mood settle, "I love you, Penelope Garcia."

"I love you too," she said softly with water touching the edge of her eyes, "Now get some sleep so you can catch bad guys and come home to us."

"Yes, ma'am. Goodnight, sweetness."

"Goodnight, my prince,"

"Oh, and remind Ellie that she's not alone. Even in her dreams," he stated, trying to comfort the little girl from afar.

"Will do. Night."

"Night," replied Derek and hung up the phone. He was in the middle of a gruesome case where families were being murdered, but he knew there was nothing he could do until the UNSUB made his next move. But instead of scenarios that he couldn't prevent running through his mind and torturing him, he was able ease to sleep imagining Penelope and Ellie's misadventures in the mall leading to the new nickname 'Loopy'. God-given solace indeed.