The Last Week in December

Chapter Four

As Derek and Penelope walked into the hotel restaurant to have breakfast with his family he moved his hand to her back. She shrugged away and shot him a look that said: You're going to confuse your family! Stop it! Best behavior, Hot Stuff.

He just smirked and threw up his hands playfully. They greeted his family, sat down and had a pleasant meal that lasted around two hours, as they kept talking over coffee and pastries. Derek's nephews started to get bored and fidgety so he said "How about we all head over to the park to do some sledding? We can work off this breakfast."

The boys cheered at that idea but Fran said "Count me out. I'm not about to be climbing hills in this weather."

Derek tried to conjole her but she refused. He chuckled and said "Fine, Ma, we'll catch up with you later. What about the rest of you? Des? Sarah? Baby girl."

Penelope said "Actually, count me out too."

Derek made a face at her that said: Party pooper!

She added "You know I hate snow, handsome. I didn't grow up around it and I'd be just as glad to never see it again. Even if it can be pretty, when I'm all cozy inside my apartment. It's a lot less appealing up close and personal and completely off putting when I think about tumbling down a big pile of it."

"But, baby girl, it won't be the same without you."

"Sorry. You'll just have to miss me. Call me when you're done and we can make plans for later. I was thinking your family might enjoy seeing that Christmas movie that just opened yesterday."

Everyone agreed that sounded good. As they stood up to leave the restaurant Derek said "I'll just drop Penelope by her place and meet up with you all at mine in half an hour, okay?"

Penelope said "I can get a cab. Don't worry about me."

"Forget that idea. I"ll take you home," he insisted. "I brought you here and I'll see you home safely, sweetheart."

"Its out of your way," she argued with him. "A cab is fine."

"If you say cab again," he warned, in a teasing tone.

Fran interrupted. "Well I was thinking that Penelope and I could borrow your truck and go shopping. It will give us a chance to talk. You can have the rental." A minivan. "That way you all will fit. Problem solved."

Derek didn't love the idea of anyone else driving his truck, especially on snowy streets but his mother grew up in worse winters up north and besides she was his mother. He wasn't going to give her any lip.

He asked Penelope "That okay, baby girl?"

"Sure," she said, her eyes super wide and nervous. "Sounds wonderful!"

Derek kissed her cheek. "Catch up with you later, baby girl. Don't you tell my ma too many of my secrets while you two are alone together, you hear me?" he teased. He gave his mother his keys and took the keys for the rental.

"Have no fear, my lo...um," Penelope coughed as they all stared at her and changed what she was going to say to "Morgan."

He smiled at her. "Bye, Garcia." Then he winked before he walked off.

Fran said good bye to her, son-in law, daughters and grandsons and then they left too. Penelope's eyes were following Derek out of the restaurant.

Fran asked her "How long have you been in love with my son?"

Penelope started coughing again. "Excuse me, ma'am? In love? You've got it all wrong."

Fran smiled. "That's a shame. He seems so happy around you. I was hoping you two had lied to me about not being in a romantic relationship."

"We aren't and we never have been. Truly. We're just co-workers and best friends. He's an amazing man and I don't know what I'd do without him, who I'd be, where I would belong but we aren't like that together. In fact I just got out of a fairly long term relationship. It lasted a couple of years."

"Aha. That explains a lot."

"What? What does that explain?"

Fran wrapped her arm around Penelope's and led her toward the doors. "Lets go hit the closest mall and buy me souvenirs while I tell you a thing or two about my son. You might think I'm speaking out of school but no one wants him happy and settled down more than me so if that means a little cut the bull talk from his Mama then that's what he...and you...are gonna get."

Penelope swallowed hard.

XXXXXXXXX

Later that night Derek became worried about what was bothering Penelope. They had dinner with his family and then went to the movies but during that whole time she was skittish around him and not her usually bubbly self.

When he took her home he asked "Can I come in for a little while?"

"Sorry but all I want tonight is a glass of wine and a hot bath. Maybe some other time, Hot Stuff."

"Is everything okay with you? You've been pretty quiet all night."

"I have a migraine."

"Why are you lying to me? When you have a migraine a little line forms right here," he brushed his finger over the bridge of her nose "from you scrunching your face up and its not there right now."

She sighed and unlocked her door. "I really do hate profilers. You might as well come in."

"Baby girl, what's bothering you?" he asked as he walked inside, closed and locked the door.

They both took off their coats. "Talk to me. Did you and my mom not get along when you went shopping?"

"Your mom is great. We got along fine. Its just she has all these ideas about you and me and us getting together. She's going to be so disappointed when it never happens. I hate that she has all this faith in me to be your better half and I'm going to let her down. I really wanted her to love me! But once she realizes that what she wants to happen for us isn't going to happen there will be a fat chance of her even liking me. Its going to be so awkward if I ever see her again. I'm sure she's going to think its all my fault you and I never got together."

"Let her think whatever she wants, okay? I'll talk to her and make her back off. She doesn't mean to put you in a tight spot."

Penelope nibbled her bottom lip for a moment. Derek loved when she did that. It always made him fantasize bending down and licking the spot she bit. He was getting lost in that very fantasy when she spoke again.

"I feel like we are letting her down if we don't hook up."

He chuckled. "So we should hook up to make my Ma happy? Sorry, baby girl, I don't date women to please her. If we ever get together it should be because you one day grow to believe we could be good together....not because my mom does."

"You mean it should be because we one day grow to believe we could be good together. That's what you meant to say, right? Because, Hot Stuff, it takes two to tango so you'd have to be all in just as much as I would. Not saying that we ever would but..."

"I don't have to think about if we'd be good together. I already know the answer to that question." He paused and waited till he heard her breath catch before he went on "We'd be absolutely out of this world, baby, and it would only get better the longer it lasted."

Her breathing sped up. Her eyes got dark with longing. Derek bent close to her but he didn't kiss her lips. He kissed next to her lips and murmured "Sleep tight, baby girl," then he walked out of her apartment.

In the hall he paused and looked back. He hoped he had made her give some serious thought to them. The last time he tried to do that she hooked up with Lynch. This time he hoped he didn't drive her back to that man's arms.

It seemed like she wanted Derek until the moment she could have him and then she wasn't sure anymore. Her doubts and fears took over and she convinced herself they were meant to be friends. But Derek didn't believe that.

If he could stop imagining her naked then maybe he would buy into the 'just friends' party line but he'd been picturing her naked in his head since the day he met her and now, six years later, he only wanted to see her naked even more than ever. Not less.

To his way of thinking his Mom was on the money. His baby girl and him belonged together.