Maybe it was her bringing up getting shot, the reminder of how much pain she was in. Maybe it was just the fact that she trusted him with her feeling, that of all the people on the team she told him. She didn't call her best friend JJ. She didn't confide in her buddy Reid. When Penelope needed to talk about the worst night of her life, she called him, Derek Morgan, without fail.
It humbled him, that trust. It made him want to be next to her, breathing her in, pulling her body against his until she felt safe and secure again.
It made him seek her out the moment they got back. He waited for the team to drift away, to their desks or home for the night, and tried to make it less than completely obvious that all he wanted was to see Penelope.
It was Prentiss that called him out, "would you just go?"
"What?" he asked, actually jerking out of his thoughts.
He heard her sigh, "We're profilers, Derek, and it didn't take long to figure out your pattern. You went to see her after almost every mission before she was shot and now…" Prentiss shrugged, "You don't have to try and hide it. We all know."
He opened his mouth, to argue or yell, he wasn't even sure, but then he stopped. He wanted to see Penelope and no one was stopping him. They were expecting that. He tried not to think about what that meant as he stood and hurried towards her office.
She was working quietly, slouching in her chair, her hair rumbled and her eyes half closed.
"Hey there Penelope," he said, because she looked too soft and warm to call her by her surname, "How's my girl?"
She smiled as she turned towards him, "Happy to see her gorgeous man. You miss me sugar?"
"You know it," he said, moving closer to her.
"Care to prove it? Perhaps with some double chocolate chuck ice cream."
He smiled, reaching out a hand to help her up. He felt a weight lift off him. He was home, with Penelope, and he could keep her with him for a little bit longer, "I'll even spring for a cone," he promised.