Author's Note: As you all know by now, we are in full swing on the Profiler's Choice Awards hosted on "Chit Chat on Author's Corner". And we'd like to offer an extra incentive to get those nominations rolling in. For the next five people to complete the nomination ballot in its entirety, I would be happy to write a oneshot of your pairing preference (hetero, slash or femslash, doesn't matter!). We have an abundance of incredible stories and authors to choose from this year and we have already received many wonderful nominations. Just to refresh your memory though, tonnie2001969 and myself (ilovetvalot) have removed ourselves from eligibility in the interest of avoiding all appearances of self-promotion. But, we want to make this an incredible experience for each one of you and give you a well-rounded final voting selection to choose from. So let's all put on our reading caps and pick our favorites!

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Persuasive Arguments

Chapter One

Fortune Cookie Prompt: A calm sea does not a skilled sailor make.

One Month. Thirty days. It should have been simple...an adequate amount of time to convince his one true love that he was the man for her. The apple of her eye. The cheese on her quarter pounder.

It should have been a breeze. She was already in love with him. Convincing her that the love she felt for him was reciprocated should have been the simplest task he'd ever set out to accomplish.

It wasn't. Not be a long shot.

Why? Well, that was simple, Derek Morgan thought heavily as he strode determinedly toward the bright purple door of Penelope Garcia's dimly lit beachside cottage. That woman, who he'd already adored well before he realized that those complicated feelings he had were the very definition of the word 'love', had held him off with the steely determination of the most seasoned armada. Her weak spots had become well fortified defenses, and she'd armed herself with enough doubt and disdain to sink a battleship.

His battleship.

But, tonight...tonight was his chance. He'd survived her obligatory thirty days without the benefit of booze, bars or broads! He'd devoted himself entirely to winning her affections, to showing her that leopards, on rare occasion with a powerful motivator, COULD change their spots.

And he wanted his damned prize!

HER!

Tightening his arm around the take-out bags in his right arm, Morgan inhaled deeply as he marched toward the painted door. Eye on the prize, Derek, he coached himself, reminding himself with every step that if he didn't know anything else in this crazy world, he knew that Penelope Garcia DID love him.

Sure, she might be a little resistant...a little hesitant to the idea of placing her faith in him. Wait, that was wrong, he corrected himself. Baby Girl had always had faith in him, even when he didn't have very much in himself. No, a more apt description would be that she was hesitant to hope...to believe...that he could be entirely faithful and devoted to her. Yeah, that was better.

But, he knew her worries were for naught. She had him. Hook, line and sinker, she had him. She just didn't realize it. That would change. Soon, if he had his way...like in the imminent future.

Because he couldn't wait anymore.

Thirty days had been sheer torture. And hell, the last forty-eight hours, she'd simply disappeared, sending his mind into a tailspin as she'd chosen to seclude herself at her hideaway. Lucky for him, he knew all her hiding spots. And he also knew that she was honest to a fault. She'd told him a month ago to meet her here if he decided that it was her that his heart truly wanted...and here she would be. He knew it. AND he knew what he wanted.

Sure, it might have taken a come-to –Jesus meeting with a certain grizzled guru of love, but he HAD finally arrived at the ultimate destination that had been in front of him all along. She might be able to give Rossi credit for showing him the light, but staying in it...that was all him.

And, surprisingly, it hadn't been hard. Now that he'd recognized who it was he wanted, everyone else paled in comparison. Sure, the chicks still smiled and giggled when he walked into a room. But that thrill he used to achieve...that high when they paid attention...it was gone. Perished beneath the memory of Penelope's sweet smile...her fun loving laugh...her deep blue eyes.

Now, all there was left for him to do was convince a certain stunning beauty of his devotion.

Bare feet slapping against the wooden planks of her tiny sitting area, Penelope Garcia made her fourth circle around the couch. Glancing anxiously at the funky wall clock in the shape of a starfish, she grimaced. "He isn't coming, Penelope," the little devil sitting on her shoulder chided snidely, its crimson heels whacking against her clavicle. "All those hopes and dreams you had...poof! Gone!"

"It's barely half past six," the angel on her opposite shoulder argued, straightening its halo with a flick of its wrist, "Give our boy a chance, Penny!"

"He's playing with your emotions, Garcia. Setting you up for failure," the devil whispered in her ear with a gust of hot air.

"He loves you, Penny. He's proven time and again that he's the best friend you've ever had," the angel huffed, glaring around Penny's nose at the red devil. "Stuff it, Beelzebub!"

"Would you both just shut up!" Pen yelled to her empty living room. Shaking her head, she realized she'd just listened to a whole conversation between the figments in her imagination. And responded. It was official, Derek Morgan had finally driven her to insanity.

And darn it, she was gonna make sure he got the therapist's bills.

How? How had she permitted herself to fall in love with a man that under any other circumstance would have infuriated her? In no other man would that sexy half-smile have the power to paralyze her...or would that slightly cocky strut he walked render her speechless. Just him. Only him.

Only him.

And now, because of David freaking Rossi, she suspected that all her secrets had been revealed. That arrogant know-it-all Italian stallion was soooooo off her Christmas card list.

Turning, Penelope paced back around her coffee table, retracing her steps as she drew in an impatient breath. Torn between praying for Derek Morgan's hasty arrival, cursing herself for steadfastly holding him at bay for the last month, and cursing him for being the mouthwateringly handsome man he was, she had almost reached the end of her proverbial tether.

She loved him. How could she not? He was Derek, after all. And for her, that said it all. For years, if she'd been his port in the storm, he'd been her rock. Her strong, dependable, unmoving rock that she could cling to in the direst situation, knowing he wouldn't let her drown or drift aimlessly away.

Jerking her head up as she heard, "Sign says..Woo, stay away fools, cause love rules at the Love Shack...", Penelope's eyes widened as she realized the doorbell she'd had installed just the day before with her favorite song was now serenading her.

Either that, or she had indeed lost what was left of her feeble mind and was now experiencing auditory hallucinations. But the sound of shuffling outside her door made her lean gratefully toward the former.

And as she hurried toward the door, her heart in her throat, she hoped desperately that her little hideaway would indeed become the Love Shack it was designed to be.

Author's Note 2 - Also guys, please don't forget that if you'd like to advertise the awards on your own profile pages or stories, there's a short blurb on my (ilovetvalot) and Tonnie's (tonnie2001969) profile page for you to copy and paste if you choose!

Again, thanks to everyone reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting this story!