Is it Fate?

All right, time for another story! Updates come when I have the time to write (which varies according to the season). This is definitely half fluff, half angsty drama. It is somewhat AU, I suppose, but it exists within the realm of reason. Reviews are appreciated with much love!

Disclaimer: I do not own any CM characters. (and the quote below is for the whole story, not just this chapter)

"It has been said, 'Time heals all wounds'. I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone." Rose Kennedy.

"Pen, I am offering you an ultimatum," Kevin suddenly announced midway through their dinner at his place. Penelope paused, her salad fork halfway to her mouth.

"What's this about, Kevin?" she asked, puzzled. Her brain whirred desperately, trying to come up with an answer. She hadn't done anything wrong, at least, not that she remembered.

"Derek Morgan." Oh. THAT. Her best friend, her 'hot stuff', who, as much as she didn't like to admit it to herself, was the real man that she was in love with, had always been a rough point with Kevin. Her boyfriend never seemed to understand her relationship with him. But why did he have to bring it up again? It was a tired subject, really.

"What about him?" Penelope questioned, trying to keep her voice calm and even.

"You guys are too close for my liking." Great. So what else was new? Kevin really hadn't been one for originality.

"Is there an ultimatum in that question?" Penelope replied somewhat sarcastically. She did not want to have to go through this right now. Work had been quite stressful that day. It took all of her willpower to not think about the horrible video footage of a strangling she'd been forced to watch.

"Penny, I love you. You know that, right? If you truly love me, you will stop spending your time with Agent Morgan."

"And if I don't?" Penelope responded, irritated.

"I'm afraid I'll have to end this relationship. I can't play second fiddle to your best friend, not when I'm supposed to be your boyfriend."

"Well, goodbye then, Kevin," Penelope sighed. She got up from the dinner table and went to grab her purse. Gobsmacked, Kevin watched as she tossed his keys on the table next to her half-full plate.

"I-I didn't mean it like that!" he exclaimed, shocked that she was actually considering leaving him. Sweat dotted his forehead as he tried to think of a way to take back his words.

"I think it's pretty clear, Kevin, what you meant. You've always been jealous of my friendship with Derek. My F-R-I-E-N-D-S-H-I-P. That's pathetic." Penelope stormed out of his house, not allowing her angry tears to fall until she'd entered her car.

She felt sick. What a great day. She'd broken up with her boyfriend. The one absolute constant in her life for the past three years. True, he'd been a pretty pitiful choice, but he'd been loyally so for their whole relationship. Even her friendship with Derek had ups and downs.

What was she to do now? With no guy wrapped around her, she was just boring old Penelope Garcia, the awkward tech girl that no one really wanted. Her sudden availability now would hardly raise eyebrows. No one was truly interested in her, especially not the one person she really wished was.

Derek. What would he make of this sudden turn of events? She couldn't tell him the true reason she broke up with Kevin, of course. He'd only feel bad, maybe even try to take the blame for the whole thing. It wasn't his fault, but Derek was the kind of person to feel that way anyway.

With Kevin, things had been predictable. Bland. Boring. Downright annoying. Perhaps, Penelope decided as she entered her apartment, it really was actually better that way. There were no variables, no balls thrown out of left field.

Yesterday, everything in her life had made sense. Today, it was all in shambles, with no one to help her pick up the pieces.

If only she knew how tangled her existence would become. If only she knew the range of emotions she would feel in the coming weeks. If only she could see her future…a future riddled with laughter and tears, with joy and pain. And with a bullet. A bullet taken not just in the name of love, but in the name of penance as we;;. If only she knew who would be struck with the bullet…she would never say that her current predicament was that muddled at all.

It was nothing compared to what would soon come to pass.

Weak chapter I know, but I wanted to get rid of certain 'baggage' AKA Kevin. Review please! I promise the next chapters will be better!