Prepare to swoon, Baby Girls -- Derek Morgan is coming back!

After 11 years, 251 episodes and countless solved crimes, Criminal Minds star Shemar Moore announced last March that he was going to part ways with the hit CBS drama.

Now, after a year away from the BAU, the star is stepping back into Derek Morgan's shoes in the upcoming season 12 finale -- and only ET has the exclusive scoop on Moore's highly anticipated return!

"Of course I've missed it!" Moore dished to ET earlier this week during a Facebook Live interview. "I was so blessed to do 11 years on Criminal Minds and bring Derek Morgan to life. Flirt with my original 'baby girl' Penelope Garcia, chase all the UnSubs and bad guys and kick down doors. I miss it, but one door closes and another one opens."

MORE: Shemar Moore Is Returning to 'Criminal Minds' -- But Is He Staying for Good?

Moore recently served as the producer and star of the big screen rom-com The Bounce Back, which comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray on April 4, and is currently in the middle of filming the CBS pilot, S.W.A.T., a reboot of the 1970s series of the same name.

See photos of Shemar Moore:



14 PHOTOS Shemar Moore See Gallery Shemar Moore CRIMINAL MINDS - 'Pariahville' - This episode of 'Criminal Minds' airs on CBS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET). (Guy D'Alema/ABC Studios via Getty Images) SHEMAR MOORE LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 13: 'Internal Affairs' -- After two undercover DEA agents are murdered and a third goes missing, the BAU joins the NSA to investigate whether an underground Internet drug syndicate is involved. Also, Hotch hopes the team's work with the NSA brings them closer to finding the 'Dirty Dozen' hitmen ring, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Dec. 2 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 06: Actor Shemar Moore attends the People's Choice Awards 2016 at Microsoft Theater on January 6, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - MAY 13: Shemar Moore attends A Tribute To African-American Achievements In Television hosted by The Paley Center For Media at Cipriani Wall Street on May 13, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew Toth/FilmMagic) BURBANK, CA - APRIL 26: Actor Shemar Moore speaks onstage during the 42nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on April 26, 2015 in Burbank, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/WireImage) BURBANK, CA - APRIL 26: Actor Shemar Moore attends The 42nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on April 26, 2015 in Burbank, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for NATAS) PASADENA, CA - FEBRUARY 06: Actor Shemar Moore poses in the press room at the 46th annual NAACP Image Awards on February 6, 2015 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic) PASADENA, CA - FEBRUARY 06: Actor Shemar Moore attends the 46th NAACP Image Awards presented by TV One at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 6, 2015 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards) LOS ANGELES - NOVEMBER 17: 'The Boys of Sudworth Place' -- When a prominent attorney goes missing in Boston, the BAU unearths secrets in his past which could point to the reasons for his disappearance, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Nov. 19 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan.Photo is a frame grab. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) BEVERLY HILLS, CA- OCTOBER 17: Actor Shemar Moore arrives at the 10th Annual GLSEN Respect Awards at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on October 17, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California.(Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage) LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 08: Shemar Moore at 'Extra' on October 08, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) MIAMI, FL - JULY 06: Shemar Moore is seen partying on the beach on July 6, 2014 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Dave Lee/GC Images) CENTURY CITY, CA - MAY 02: Actor Shemar Moore speaks onstage during the 21st annual Race to Erase MS at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on May 2, 2014 in Century City, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Race to Erase MS) BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 12: Shemar Moore attends the Weinstein Company's 2014 Golden Globe Awards after party on January 12, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images) Up Next See Gallery Discover More Like This HIDE CAPTION SHOW CAPTION of SEE ALL BACK TO SLIDE

"Me leaving Criminal Minds was for many reasons and it was nothing negative or unhappiness," Moore said. "It was hard to leave. That was one of the hardest decisions I've made, but I don't regret it because I'm a dreamer, and I'm really proud of what I've accomplished."

Although Moore is happy to have found more of a balance between his work life and his personal life, the 46-year-old actor confessed that he's still searching for that special someone. "I haven't fallen in love yet, but I've tried," he admitted. "I want to because I'm excited to be a dad. I'm excited to have a partner in crime. I'm excited to be a husband."

"What's life if you've got to do it by yourself?" he added with a smile.

All Criminal Minds fans will soon be smiling too when Moore continues the "evolution of Derek Morgan" in the season 12 finale in May.

EXCLUSIVE: Shemar Moore Opens Up About 'Criminal Minds' Surprise Exit: 'Last Night Was Not Goodbye'

"It was different but it was the same. It was like going home," Moore said of returning to set after a year away. "Even though I had been gone a year, it felt like I was just there last week. It was home, it was family, it was so familiar. And we just got right into it with the acting and the comraderies and the jokes."

See photos of former "Criminal Minds" star, Thomas Gibson:



49 PHOTOS Thomas Gibson on 'Criminal Minds' See Gallery Thomas Gibson on 'Criminal Minds' LOS ANGELES - JANUARY 31: 'A Real Rain' -- Gideon, Hotchner (Thomas Gibson , second from right) and the Behavioral Analysis Unit (from left: Lola Glaudini, Shemar Moore and Matthew Gray Gubler) are brought in to investigate a series of killings that appear to be the work of a vigilante, on CRIMINAL MINDS, scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network. Also pictured, third from left, Tonya Pinkins as Det. Nora Bennett. (Photo by Cliff Lipson/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 3: 'Empty Planet' - The BAU team, including J.J. (A.J. Cooke, left), Gideon (Mandy Patinkin, second left), Morgan (Shemar Moore, center), Hotchner (Thomas Gibson, second right) work with Special Agent Nick Casey (Tom Choi, right) on the case of a serial bomber targeting technologically advanced locations, on CRIMINAL MINDS, scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - 2007: 'No Way Out, Part II: The Evilution Of Frank'-- Gideon takes off to hunt Frank (guest star Keith Carradine with Thomas Gibson) an elusive and prolific serial killer, without telling the BAU and the team must profile Gideon as a suspect in order to find them both, on the second season finale of CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, May 16 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Amy Madigan, pictured, returns as Jane. (Photo by Randy Tepper/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - 2007: 'No Way Out, Part II: The Evilution Of Frank'--Gideon takes off to hunt Frank (guest star Keith Carradine with Thomas Gibson) an elusive and prolific serial killer, without telling the BAU and the team must profile Gideon as a suspect in order to find them both, on the second season finale of CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, May 16 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Randy Tepper/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images) CRIMINAL MINDS - 'Supply and Demand' - As the BAU searches for a suspected human trafficking ring when the bodies of two missing persons are found in the trunk of a car, Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner intimates there could be changes within the team due to budget cuts as Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau returns to the FBI. The team is also assisted by SSA Andi Swan, the head of the Domestic Trafficking Task Force, on 'Criminal Minds' airing on CBS on WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET). (Photo by Eric McCandless/ABC Studios via Getty Images)THOMAS GIBSON, AMY PRICE-FRANCIS LOS ANGELES - DECEMBER 24: 'To Hell...And Back' - Agent Rossi (Joe Mantegna, left), Agent Hotchner (Thomas Gibson, right) and the BAU track a serial killer who chooses junkies, prostitutes and the homeless off the streets of Detroit as his victims and takes them across the border into Canada, and an agent's life is in peril, on the two-hour, fourth season finale event of Criminal Minds, Wednesday, May 20 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Michael Yarish/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - SEPTEMBER 17: '52 Pickup' -- The BAU team, including agents Prentiss (Paget Brewster, left), Rossi (Joe Mantegna, second left), Jordan (Meta Golding, center), Hotch (Thomas Gibson, second right) and Detective Rachel Harding (Cari Shayne, right) track a serial killer who has turned the art of picking up women into a means of preying on his next victims, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Nov. 26 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - SEPTEMBER 17: '52 Pickup' -- The BAU team, including agents Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler, back left), Hotch (Thomas Gibson, left), Rossi (Joe Mantegna, center left), Prentiss (Paget Brewster, center right) and Morgan (Shemar Moore, right) track a serial killer who has turned the art of picking up women into a means of preying on his next victims, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Nov. 26 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 24: 'Bloodline' -- Agents Jordan (Meta Golding, front left), Prentiss (Paget Brewster, front right) and Hotchner (Thomas Gibson, back center) arrive at the hospital to question a victim in an abduction case, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Jan. 21st (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - JULY 18: 'Paradise' -- Agents Rossi (Joe Mantegna, left) and Hotchner (Thomas Gibson, right) prepare to raid a roadside motel that may be the site of a couple's kidnapping, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, October 22 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images) PASEDENA - NOVEMBER 10: 'Cold Comfort' -- Mr. Gless (guest star Randolph Mantooth, left) shows Agent Hotchner (Thomas Gibson, right) a photo of his son, who is a suspect in a murder case, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Feb. 11th (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - JANUARY 28: 'Conflicted' -- Agents Prentiss (Paget Brewster, left) and Hotch (Thomas Gibson, right) travel with the BAU to Fort Lauderdale during spring break to track down a killer with multiple personalities, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, April 8 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images) CRIMINAL MINDS - 'Hit' - In the first part of a two-part season finale, the BAU encounters a gang of bank-robbing serial killers in the nation's capital. As the team tries to negotiate the situation that is unfolding inside the bank, one of the team is taken hostage, on 'Criminal Minds' airing on CBS on WEDNESDAY, MAY 16 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET). (Photo by Monty Brinton / ABC Studios via Getty Images) JOSH STEWART, THOMAS GIBSON, SHEMAR MOORE, JOE MANTEGNA LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 19: '100' -- Hotchner (Thomas Gibson, left) relies on members of the BAU team, including Morgan (Shemar Moore, back center), Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness, center) and Rossi (Joe Mantegna, right) in the hunt to find the Reaper before he reaches HotchnerÕs family, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, November 25 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Mark Davis/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - APRIL 29: 'The Internet is Forever' -- The BAU team, including Agents Hotchner (Thomas Gibson, left), Prentiss (Paget Brewster, center), Morgan (Shemar Moore, center right) and Rossi (Joe Mantegna, right) profile a serial killer who finds his victims on social networking sites, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, May 19 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network Photo: (Photo by Mickael Yarish/CBS via Getty Images) (L-R) Thomas Gibson, Matthew Gray Gubler, Kirsten Vangsness, Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster, Shemar Moore and A.J. Cook attend the 100th episode cake-cutting ceremony of the television show 'Criminal Minds' held at Quixote Studios on October 19, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. SAN FRANCISCO - FEBRUARY 28: 'The Fight' -- Agent Hotchner (Thomas Gibson, right) and his BAU team join forces with a separate group of BAU operatives led by Agent Sam Cooper (special guest star Forest Whitaker, left) while investigating a string of murders in San Francisco, on Criminal Minds, Season Five, Wednesday, April 7 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - JANUARY 25: 'Mosley Lane' -Behind the scenes with series stars (LtoR) Paget Brewset, Matthew Gray Gubler, Thomas Gibson (seated), A.J. Cook, Shemar Moore, and Joe Mantegna (seated) of the CBS drama CRIMINAL MINDS. Gubler directed this episode which will air Wednesday, March 3 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images) *** local caption *** LOS ANGELES - APRIL 29: 'Our Darkest Hour' -- Agents Jareau (A.J. Cook, left) and Hotchner (Thomas Gibson, right) work with the rest of the BAU team to find a serial killer who preys on his victims in the dark, the fifth season finale cliffhanger of CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, May 26 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 5: 'Reflection of Desire' -- (from left) Prentiss (Paget Brewster), Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) go on the hunt for a killer when a kidnapped woman is found murdered in an alley in Georgetown and must find him before he can strike again, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Nov. 10 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: (Photo by Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 19: '100' -- Agent Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) battles the Reaper in an effort to save his family, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, November 25 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 24: 'What Happens At Home...' -- FBI cadet Agent Ashley Seaver (Rachel Nichols, left) assists Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler, second from left), Hotchner (Thomas Gibson, second from right) and Rossi (Joe Mantegna, right) as the BAU searches inside a gated New Mexico community for a killer targeting women, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Dec. 8 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network (Photo by Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 24: 'What Happens At Home...' --Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) and the BAU search inside a gated New Mexico community for a killer targeting women, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Dec. 8 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network (Photo by Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images) CRIMINAL MINDS - 'The Thirteenth Step' - As the BAU goes on the road to track down two young lovers who are on an interstate murder spree, Prentiss receives alarming news from her former boss at Interpol, on 'Criminal Minds' airing on CBS on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET). (Photo by Matt Kennedy/ABC via Getty Images)THOMAS GIBSON CRIMINAL MINDS - 'Lauren' - When Emily Prentiss confronts her nemesis, Ian Doyle, and goes missing, JJ Jareau is asked by the BAU to help find Prentiss and capture Doyle before it is too late, on 'Criminal Minds' airing on CBS on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET). (Photo by Matt Kennedy/ABC via Getty Images)THOMAS GIBSON LOS ANGELES - FEBRUARY 3: 'Lauren' -- Ð (from left) JJ (guest star A.J. Cook) returns to help Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), Rossi (Joe Mantegna), Hotch (Thomas Gibson, standing), Seaver (Rachel Nichols) and the BAU when Prentiss disappears to confront her nemesis, Ian Doyle, once and for all, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, March 16 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Series star Matthew Gray Gubler directs the episode. (Photo by Matt Kennedy/CBS via Getty Images) CRIMINAL MINDS - Thomas Gibson stars as Aaron Hotch on 'Criminal Minds' on CBS. (Photo by Cliff Lipson/ ABC Studios via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - JANUARY 11: 'All That Remains' When the daughters of Bruce Morrison, a writer whose wife mysteriously vanished a year ago, go missing on the anniversary of their mother'Âs disappearance, Hotch (Thomas Gibson), Rossi (Joe Mantegna) and the BAU are brought in to study Morrison as a possible suspect, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Feb. 6 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Series star Gibson directs his first episode of the series. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - AUGUST 31: 'The Night Watch' -- When the BAU investigates bodies being incorporated into macabre graffiti art in Detroit, they suspect that an elusive-yet-notorious street artist could be the UnSub. Also, balancing her relationship with her fiancÃ© and her work becomes a struggle for Lewis, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, October 28th (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Series star Thomas Gibson (Aaron Hotchner) directed the episode. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - JULY 12: 'The Silencer'Â Hotch (Thomas Gibson) and newest BAU member Alex Blake (Jeanne Tripplehorn) talk as they investigate the murder of a victim with the trademark handiwork of the UnSub 'ÂThe Silencer,'Â who leaves behind victims with his unique trademark of sewing their mouths shut, on the eighth season premiere of CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Sept. 26 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - APRIL 19: 'The Replicator' -- The Replicator zeroes in on the BAU when the killer targets one of the team as the next victim on the eighth season finale of CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, May 22 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: L-R: Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner, Jayne Atkinson as Erin Strauss. (Photo by Robert Voets/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - APRIL 19: 'The Replicator' -- The Replicator zeroes in on the BAU when the killer targets one of the team as the next victim on the eighth season finale of CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, May 22 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: L-R: A.J. Cook as Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau, Joe Mantegna as David Rossi, Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner. (Photo by Robert Voets/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - JULY 18: 'ÂThe Inspiration' Â -Â The hunt for a ritualistic killer targeting women takes the BAU to Arizona to search for an increasingly devolving UnSub on the ninth season premiere of CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Sept. 25 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner. (Photo by Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images) CRIMINAL MINDS - 'Criminal Minds' stars Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia, Jeanne Tripplehorn as Alex Blake, Joe Mantegna as David Rossi, Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner, Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan, Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid and A.J. Cook as Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau. (Cliff Lipson/ABC via Getty Images) CRIMINAL MINDS - 'Criminal Minds' stars Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner. (Cliff Lipson/ABC via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - AUGUST 19: 'Final Shot' - When a sniper strikes Dallas, the BAU investigates whether the upcoming anniversary of the Kennedy assassination is a motivating factor or if something else is driving the UnSub, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Oct. 9 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Eva LaRue guest stars as FBI Agent Tanya Mays, who assists the BAU with the investigation. Pictured: Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner. (Photo by Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - JULY 30: 'The Inspired' -- As the BAU zeroes in on the suspect of the ritualistic killings they've been investigating in Arizona, a bizarre connection within the UnSub's family could lead them to finally nab the suspect, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Oct. 2 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.Pictured: Joe Mantegna as David Rossi, Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - AUGUST 22: 'Route 66'Â - As Hotch fights for his life due to complications from his stabbing at the hands of George Foyet, a.k.a. 'The Reaper,'Â he experiences visions of his late wife, Haley, and his nemesis, Foyet. Meanwhile, the BAU searches for a missing teenager and investigate her estranged father as a suspect in her disappearance, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Oct. 23 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured is Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner. (Photo by Richard Foreman/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - JULY 11: 'X' -- Kate Callahan (Jennifer Love Hewitt), a seasoned FBI undercover agent, joins the BAU team as their newest member when Hewitt joins the cast of CRIMINAL MINDS on its 10th season premiere, Wednesday, Oct. 1 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner. (Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images) CRIMINAL MINDS - 'Criminal Minds' stars Jennifer Love Hewitt as Kate Callahan, Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid, Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan, Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner, Joe Mantegna as David Rossi, Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia and A.J. Cook as Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau. (Photo by Cliff Lipson/ABC Studios via Getty Images) CRIMINAL MINDS - 'Criminal Minds' stars Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner. (Photo by Cliff Lipson/ABC Studios via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 31: 'If the Shoe Fits' -- The BAU is stumped to find the common denominator among male victims in Montana, making it difficult to profile the UnSub. Also, JJ must confront her feelings about her sister's tragic death, CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Nov. 5 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner, Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan, A.J. Cook as Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau, Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - JANUARY 9: 'Lockdown' -- When two guards at a privatized maximum security prison in Texas are murdered, the BAU suspects that more than one UnSub within the prison could be at work, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, March 4 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Series star Thomas Gibson directed the episode. William Ragsdale ('Justified,' 'Herman's Head') guest stars as prison captain Dale Shavers. Pictured: Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid, Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner, Joe Mantegna as David Rossi, Robert Gant as Warden Miles Tate. (Photo by Darren MichaelsCBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - FEBRUARY 26: 'Beyond Borders' -- When a family of four is abducted while on vacation in Barbados, the BAU is called to assist Unit Chief Jack Garrett (Sinise) and his International Unit on their investigation. Garrett and his unit, the FBI's top division for handling cases involving Americans abroad, work jointly with Hotch and his team when they discover that this case matches one the BAU investigated last year in Florida, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, April 8 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Emmy Award winner Gary Sinise guest stars as International Unit Chief Jack Garrett; Emmy Award winner Anna Gunn guest stars as the International Unit's law expert Lily Lambert. Pictured: Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner, Joe Mantegna as David Rossi, Gary Sinise as Jack Garrett. (Photo by Trae Patton/CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - AUGUST 10: ''Til Death Do Us Part' -- When brides-to-be in Savannah are killed on the eve of their nuptials, the BAU suspects a jilted UnSub is at work, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Oct. 14 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Series star Joe Mantegna directed the episode. Pictured: Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) LOS ANGELES - FEBRUARY 16: 'Tribute' -- When former BAU team member and current Interpol agent Emily Prentiss tracks an international serial killer, she enlists the help of her friends at the BAU after she is convinced the UnSub's next victim is on American soil, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, March 30 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Paget Brewster returns to guest star in the episode as Emily Prentiss. Pictured: Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner. (Photo by Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images) CRIMINAL MINDS - 'Tribute' -- When former BAU team member and current Interpol agent Emily Prentiss tracks an international serial killer, she enlists the help of her friends at the BAU after she is convinced the UnSub's next victim is on American soil, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, March 30 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Cliff Lipson/ABC Studios via Getty Images) THOMAS GIBSON, JOE MANTEGNA, MATTHEW GRAY GUBLER CRIMINAL MINDS - 'The Storm' - The BAU is shocked when SWAT apprehends Hotch (Thomas Gibson) and accuses him of conspiracy. As the team scrambles to prove his innocence, they suspect a larger plot is on the horizon, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday May 4, 9:00-10:00. (Photo by Darren Michaels/ABC Studios via Getty Images) THOMAS GIBSON CRIMINAL MINDS - 'Tribute' -- When former BAU team member and current Interpol agent Emily Prentiss tracks an international serial killer, she enlists the help of her friends at the BAU after she is convinced the UnSub's next victim is on American soil, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, March 30 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Photo by Cliff Lipson/ABC Studios via Getty Images) THOMAS GIBSON, JOE MANTEGNA, MATTHEW GRAY GUBLER Up Next See Gallery Discover More Like This HIDE CAPTION SHOW CAPTION of SEE ALL BACK TO SLIDE

So what can fans expect of Derek Morgan's big return? "Derek comes home with some pertinent information that is going to help the team deal with Scratch -- the bad guy," he teased. "And then it's just you get to see Derek with the team and Derek's going to revisit with his baby girl."

That's right! This reunion wouldn't be complete without the beloved on-screen dynamic of Derek Morgan and Penelope Garcia, but did you know that Moore was pushing for a different nickname besides Baby Girl?

"I don't know if you can say this [on camera] because it's not that bad," he said. "But what I tried to get [the nickname] to be before Baby Girl was Sugar T*ts."

Ummm... what?! Hmm... we think we prefer Baby Girl. "Yeah, so did the producers," Moore laughed. "They're like, 'We're going to stick with Baby Girl."

PHOTOS: Here's Shemar Moore Shirtless on the Beach Because You Deserve It

As for Derek Morgan's future, we asked if Moore would ever be open to coming back to Criminal Minds on a more regular basis. "In my heart, I'm open to that. Of course, of course, of course. In my heart, yes," he gushed.

"But there's a thing called the business of Hollywood, so there's a lot of politics and there's a lot of important, fancy people that make those decisions," he continued. "So, it's not just like, 'Hey guys! I'm free today! Can I come in and flirt with Baby Girl?' It doesn't work that way."

"The elevator doors close, but they can always open up again," Moore optimistically added. "Derek Morgan is not dead and I will tease you this: Derek Morgan does not die in the finale, how about that? Some real deep stuff does happen, but Derek Morgan kicking the bucket is not one of them."

Catch Moore's return to Criminal Minds on the season 12 finale airing May 10 on CBS.