Note- This fic starts after season three, episode 14, which was called Damaged. At the end of this episode Derek finds out that Penelope is dating Kevin Lynch.

The title of this story comes from the Lonestar song "Lets Be Us Again."

Penelope's flower come from the Telefora site. They are called Stole My Heart.

Everything To Lose

Chapter One

April 2008

"He sent you flowers, Penny?"

Penelope barely heard Kevin talking to her as she stood in her living room at eight am holding a bouquet that had just been delivered. It was the most interesting floral arrangement she had ever been given- sixteen lavender roses surrounded by hydrangea in different shades of purple and blue all resting in a purple container.

Kevin murmured, standing there in a pink towel, "I don't get it. Why is Morgan sending you flowers?"

She didn't get it either. Derek had never sent flowers before. Deciding she better play it off for Kevin and then get the scoop from Derek later as to what in the hell he was thinking Penelope smiled at her lover and said "He always sends them on my birthday."

"But I thought you were born in-"

"He's not that great with dates." She rolled her eyes. "Last year they came on the fourth of July. He's kinda hopeless that way but really sweet. A girl could not ask for a better buddy." Walking over to Kevin she pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "You better scoot into that bathroom and get dressed. We can't be late for work again."

Kevin tried to kiss her but she moved back. He gave her a crooked grin. "I don't mind risking it."

She scolded him playfully "Well I do so off you go!"

He went into the bathroom. Penelope was glad to be alone so she could gaze at the flowers Derek had sent her some more. For the life of her she didn't know what he was thinking. For a few months after she came home from the hospital it almost seemed as if Derek was dying to ask her to be his girlfriend but he never did and soon Penelope had herself convinced she had imagined that his feelings for her changed.

She let herself give up on him and move on to Kevin. At least she knew Kevin had wanted her, in every single way, since before he ever even laid eyes on her. That made her infatuated with him. He wasn't all she wanted in a man but he wanted her and it was fun to feel craved by a man like he craved her.

Not that it wouldn't be more fun if that man was Derek.

Penelope grabbed her phone and slipped into the kitchen, turning on the water to drown out the sound of her voice, before she dialed his number. She knew he would just be finishing up his shower after his work out. His morning schedule ran like clock work if he didn't have a woman in his bed.

"Hey there, baby girl, you're welcome," he said when he answered the phone, as if he knew she had called to say thank you.

"Handsome, I'm pretty sure I can remember every special day we ever had and today is not one of them. Not that you ever gave me flowers before on the day we met, or the first day I ever grabbed your ass, or the day we first talked dirty to each other."

He chuckled.

Penelope went on "So, not to be blunt, but here is me being blunt...what's up?"

"Its pretty simple. I think someone as brilliant as you shouldn't need me to explain to you what a man does when he wants a woman to fall for him."

"Derek, what are you going on about? Were you drinking last night? Are these drunk dialed flowers that I'm holding?"

He laughed. "Sweetheart, you know who I call when I'm wasted and it ain't a florist."

She blushed a little. Her heart raced. Confusion was reigning in her head. Just when she had put her crush on Derek in the past he was now saying he wanted more?

Nervously, she thought of the man who was dressing in her bathroom at that very minute. A guy she had never told Derek she was dating. If not for Emily being hyped about "drama" going down Penelope still wouldn't know that Derek was clued in about her dating Kevin. Emily had been all too happy to go on about Derek's reaction to hearing about the relationship. Supposedly he had stormed out of the bullpen with a disbelieving look on his face.

Penelope had been kinda pissed when she heard that. What did he think? She couldn't get anyone to want her? Well she could and she did and she knew she was too gorgeous to sit at home another Saturday night ever again.

"Hmm-ermm," she muttered to Derek "well, uh, thank you very much for this bouquet. Of course I'd say you're years late in this attempt to make me fall for you but its...sweet, I guess."

"I'll take sweet for now. But, be warned, I'm looking to move way beyond sweet."

Her body started to burn up at his tone. He was making her heard spin. She fought to pull the conversation to a more reasonable place that she could cope with at eight something in the morning. "Look...I know you heard about me and Kevin-"

"Lets not talk about him. You haven't wanted to before so why change that now?" he asked in a smooth voice that she could tell hid a lot of hurt and pain. "He doesn't factor on my radar or affect what I want for our life from now on. He is a non-issue for me in every way."

That sounded like a total lie to her. She said "Uh...well...okay but I just wanted to say I'm sorry for not being up front with you about how I'm dating him. Of course you don't tell me everyone you date but two wrongs don't make a right. I never meant to hurt you." Then she whispered his name "Derek...I do love these flowers and I am very flattered that you-"

"Flattered is a start but I'm looking for more than that. I'll have to do better with the next bouquet I order."

She gulped. "Next?"

Penelope wondered what Kevin would possibly think if he came out of the bathroom to find her passed out on her kitchen floor.

"I get that one bouquet isn't gonna convince a hard head like you. But that's all right, mama. I got nothing but time and everything to lose so I'm gonna have to do what I gotta do to get through to you."

"Nothing to lose," she blabbered, focusing on that instead of the important and life changing things Derek was saying to her. "The saying is nothing to lose, baby."

"I know the saying, baby girl, but I got everything to lose if you don't fall for me and, you know me, there is nothing I hate more than losing."

"Its not a competition between you and-"

"You're right, Penelope. There is no competition. Only one man was born to be with you. And it ain't Lynch." Click.

Penelope gaped at the phone. She then sunk into a chair as her mind raced. Derek had just thrown down a gauntlet and she had no idea what the hell she was gonna do about it. Didn't he get that she had moved on with her life?

Was she supposed to give up a man who actually fell for her even before first sight for a guy who had four years and just now, out of jealousy, made a move? Putting it that way it seemed easy to decide that Derek was just too late.

But, as she sat there with her face flushed and her body tingling, she couldn't do anything but smile dreamily because the man she always lusted after now wanted to fight to get her as his girl.