AN: Thank you for all the wonderful support. You all are so amazing!

Derek made his way back from a local station. Hotch had decided to let them leave early for the day. Thing was, Penelope still had to work with Team B, so she'd still be on the office for at least another three hours.

He pulled out his phone to text her.

Hey, Baby Girl. Hotch let us go early. I know you gotta work till 5. Want me to pick up Callie Monster?

He waited a brief moment for her reply.

No, that's fine. I'll get her when I'm done.

He shut his phone, annoyed. It was the same story, had been since they started dating. She didn't trust him with Callie alone, and he didn't understand why. He had proved to her he loved her. Hell, they practically lived together. The guest room had become Callie's second bedroom. But yet, when it came to Derek taking care of her alone, she wouldn't allow it.

"What's the sour puss face for?" Rossi asked, walking next to Derek.

Derek turned to him and tired to give a small smile. "It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing," Rossi continued. "You'd think you'd be happy being let go a few hours early."

"I am," he lied.

"Garcia, still has to work right? Maybe you can pick Callie up and have a day with-"

"Not gonna happen," Morgan interrupted.

"What are you taking about. Can't you go and pick her up and-"

"I can't," he snapped. "Pen doesn't trust me with Callie." He walked off, leaving a confused Rossi.

Derek was determined to hash this out. He was over Penelope shielding Callie from him. They were together, and as far as he was concerned, that meant together forever. He groaned with annoyance. Even last weekend, Callie wanted to go get ice cream, but Penelope was already in her pajamas. He had offered to take Callie to the ice cream shop down the road, but before he knew it, Penelope had changed and grabbed her keys.

He walked into her office closing the door behind him. "Pen, we got to talk."

She turned around, shocked to see him there. "Wh- what are you doing here?"

Derek walked over to the desk sitting down. Taking a deep breath, he started. "Penelope-"

"What, Derek? I'm sorry, but I'm busy. I don't understand why you would come all the way back here."

"I'm tired or this," he stated. "You don't trust me with Calliope."

She turned to face him again. "What are you talking about? Of course I trust you with her. Is that why you came all the way back here?"

"You and I both know; you would don't trust me with her."

"Derek-"

"You love me right?" he asked. "And you want to be with me. Then you need to trust me. I know she is your world, but the thing is…" he looked at her trying to get her to understand. "… she's my world, too. You both are."

"Derek, it's not…"she said softly, letting her voice trail off.

"Explain it to me," he said. "We practically live together. You don't sleep at your apartment if I'm in town." He stood up, pulling her out of her chair to be right in front of him. " I am in love with you. I want the rest of my life with you and Callie. You need to trust me."

She sighed. "I really do trust you, Derek. I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone."

"Talk to me, please. We can't be stagnate, we need to keep moving forward."

She moved out of his arms and sat back down. "I know it's been months, but this is still new for me. It's always been just me and Callie. No one else. It's hard that you all are around and in her life so much now. It's hard for me to let go of her. She's been my only responsibility for so long."

He crouched down in front of her. "I know you lived in fear for a long time. Your one goal was to keep Callie safe." He cupped her face in his hands brushing away the tears that were now running down her cheeks. "You're both safe. Rossi and Hotch made the warrants disappear, and we haven't heard anything from Eric at all. You and Callie are safe. You're safe with me."

"I love you," she whispered, smiling at him.

"I love you, too." He brought his lips down to hers in a soft kiss. "I want you to trust me with everything. After all, if you are gonna move in with me you need to trust me with Callie one hundred percent."

"What are you taking about?" She pulled back, looking in his eyes.

"We should make this official, Penelope. I want you and Callie to move in with me. I want to know you both are safe at home, even if I'm not in town."

"Derek," she said, tears falling.

"Is that a yes?" he asked, brushing the tears away with his thumbs.

She smiled at him, nodding her head. "Yes, Hot Stuff."

He kissed her again, before moving towards the door.

"Derek?"

He stopped to turn to her. "Yeah, baby?"

"Go pick up Callie," she said, smiling wide.

He gave her one of his trademark smiles before leaving to go get their girl.

"I'm here to pick up Calliope," Derek said after Mrs. Watkins opened the door.

"Derek, nice to see you again," she answered with a smile. "Penelope not with you?"

"Not this time," he said. "She needs to work until five but I was cut loose early."

"Chocolate Thunder!" Callie exclaimed, running into his arms. "You're here so early! Where is Mommy?"

"Hey Callie Monster," he said with a smile, picking her up into his arms. "Mommy has to work, but I thought you and I could spend some time together. Would you like that?"

The little girl smiled bright, leaned in a kissed his cheek. "Yeah, Chocolate Thunder. Can we go get ice cream and go to the park?"

"You sure do love ice cream." He put her down.

"Ice cream is my favorite."

"Go get your stuff," he said before turning to Mrs. Watkins. "How was she today?"

Callie ran out of the room to get her things.

"She's always a dear." She smiled.

"I'm ready," Callie said, running back into the room. "Can we go get ice cream?"

"Come on, little monster, we'll go get ice cream. Just don't tell your mommy."

Penelope kept looking at her phone. She knew it was wrong to worry so much, but she couldn't help it. She did trust Derek, but Callie was her baby. It had been just them for so long. It was hard to let go.

She fought the urge to call and make sure thy were okay. It had been over two hours now. Derek was right though. They hadn't seen any sign of Eric, maybe this time he really did leave.

Her phone beeped signaling a new message. She opened the phone to see a picture of Derek and Callie eating ice cream in the park by his house. She smiled. Derek was so good with her. She had no reason to worry. Derek would give his own life to protect her and Callie.

She texted back.

No ice cream for me? :)

She only had to wait a moment before she got a reply.

You want a sweet treat baby? I'll make sure to give you one tonight ;)

You are too much. I love you both. I'll be done soon, then we can tell Callie about the new living arrangements.

"Chocolate Thunder, I need to go potty," Callie wined running up to Derek.

"Okay, Sweetheart, come on. The bathrooms are only over that hill." He grabbed onto her hand, taking her to the public bathrooms.

When they made it to the bathrooms he started leading her to the men's room.

"I can't go in there," she giggled. "That's for boys. I'm not a boy, Chocolate Thunder."

"I know, baby, I want to make sure you're safe and I can't go into the girl's room. Doesn't your mommy always go in with you?"

"I'm a big girl. I can go in by myself."

"I don't know, Callie. I don't like you going in there by yourself. Just come in with me and I will wait outside the stall," he explained.

"No, I can do it." She started walking towards the girls' room leaving Derek to wait outside.

He had a bad feeling about this. He should have told her Penelope said she needed to go in with him, but Callie was just like her mother. When she wanted to do something she did it no matter what it was and right now she wanted to be a big girl.

The park was relatively quiet. It made sense being the middle of the week during the day. No one would be around, it didn't look like anyone was near the restrooms, so she was probably in there by herself.

He waited a few more moments looking down at his watch. She's got two more minutes an then I'm going in after her, he thought.

Just then the door opened. He felt relief wash over him seeing her smiling face. "You wash your hands, baby?" he said, bending over to pick her up.

"I always wash my hands," she answered with a smile, but her face went pale and her smile fell.

He watched Callie's face contort in horror. "What is it, Ca-"

Just then his world went black.