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A/N: Oh my, I didn't mean to take a break this long guys! I am so, so sorry! Life is a bit manic but I will try for quicker updates!

For now, enjoy and know how thankful I am to your reviews =)

The Eligible Bachelor – Part 9


Penelope had to admit that falling victim to her mother's wants were just making even more miserable than she had ever been before in her life. Little did anyone know was the real reason she took to running away to Paris and London was because she wasn't near her family's influence.

When growing up, she was made to feel like the inadequacy. She was the forgotten child in comparison to her brothers which was why she had taken up being a trouble maker. It was a ploy to get noticed and when it hadn't work she left the family.

Coming back was her last strike to make it in the family and ever since she hated every moment of it. All except that of meeting up with Derek Morgan again.

Now she was sat in the apartment's kitchen eating breakfast, knowing full well that Derek had crawled into bed late last night after arriving back after his mini trip away with his father. She really envied him for the love and connection he shared with them all. They appreciated him –all of him – the good and the bad side of him and they never asked him to change for them. How did she get so unlucky that her family wanted her to be someone she wasn't? Why couldn't they see how unhappy she was with all of this?

Hearing his door open, Penelope felt nervous as she remembered this was the first time he was going to see her without glasses on. This was the start of Penelope 2.0 making an appearance. She saw him and smiled, and got that bright smirk back. God she had missed him. Suddenly she watched the smile disappeared and knew he had noticed she was without glasses.

"Where are your glasses?" Derek asked, his brow furrowed with thought. "I thought you were practically blind without them."

Penelope shrugged, "I had laser eye surgery." She didn't give details, she just carried on eating. It had been two days since her other eye had been done and now she didn't need to hide much from bright lights. Telling him about the surgery didn't worry her; it made her a little bit more aesthetically attractive.

"What? When?" Derek questioned, his tone a little hard at this sudden change of plans. He refused to sit down until he had complete answers out of her.

"Friday," Penelope grumbled and looked at him with a smile, "Welcome back by the way, I made breakfast."

"Hang on," Derek stopped her from going further with changing the subject. "Did you know this was going to happen all along when we were out the other night?" He saw her shrug and try to put her attention on eating. "You did, didn't you?"

"Yes," She whispered and looked up at him. "My mother's had it planned for quite a while and I couldn't cancel it and you were going away so I just didn't tell you." She looked at him, trying hard not to break, "It's really no big deal."

"No big deal?" He asked her incredulously, lost at how she didn't take this as a big deal.

"Excuse me?" Charles, the house keeper, called out as he walked in on their conversation. He saw the pair look up and he continued. "The car will be out front to take you to the clinic in about ten minutes, Miss Penelope," Charles spoke up interrupting the moment to alert Penelope entirely.

"Thank you," Penelope responded and even though she smiled, she couldn't hide the quake of fear that hit the middle of her appreciation.

"What clinic?" Derek asked, food forgotten. "Are you okay?"

Penelope nodded, and sat up straight, "My mother wants me to have a consultation," Penelope said to him honesty and carried on eating her breakfast.

"Quit with the cryptic sentences and jump to it," Derek fought with her, it was too early to start with the guessing games. "What clinic? What for?"

"Plastic surgery," Penelope response was whispered and short and she averted her eye contact.

"Hell no!" Derek bellowed as he pushed away from the counter, his stall falling to the marbled floor with a clatter. "Why the hell would you even be contemplating it, or hell why would you mother?"

"My mom wants me to go and get improved," Penelope shrugged, "I'm trying to be what she wants me to be, Derek. This is part of that. She wants me to be a better daughter and she knows how to make me that."

"No," Derek defied her claim, "She's trying to change her daughter into a monster. I won't let her do that, Penelope. There is no way you are going to that appointment."

"You don't get a say," Penelope reminded him gently that they weren't really some amazing partnership.

"As your fiancé I fucking do!" Derek bellowed, slamming his fist to the granite to the counter top and he watched Penelope flinch, "Over my dead body, Penelope. You've already lost a part of you just by ditching the glasses; you're going to let her change you into someone I don't even know?"

"Why are you being so macho over this?" Penelope asked him, her brow furrowed. "You'll be the sole benefactor out of this in the long run. I'll actually look Derek Morgan worthy by the end of all this. You won't be the laughing stock anymore after this." She paused, pushing her food away and standing in front of him, ready to leave, "So why the hell would you be worried about me looking like this, Morgan?"

She didn't even stand a chance as his response came thick and fast.

Derek kissed her. No words, no excuses, just one kiss. In the one connection of their lips he cupped her face with his hands and didn't allow her to leave his grasp and end the kiss and when he felt her give into it, he gave it more. The intensity rose, the sexual tingle in him bypassed his expectations and he gave his all for one kiss for once in his life. Pulling away, he looked at Penelope, his eyes heavy with the aftermath of that kiss. With a heavy breath, he slowly spoke to her: "I fucking fell in love with you, Penelope. That's why I don't want you to change."

Penelope smiled as he loosened his hands on her face. If it wasn't for the almighty Derek Morgan tone she might have thought he was lying to her.

"You," He whispered and kissed her again quickly. "Don't change for anyone. I love you the way you are. All of you. I just fucking love you."