"What was that?" Derek asked his son in disbelief. It had been over eight months since James had moved in and he was long since settled in at his father's house. Slowly they had built a relationship though there were evident moments of hesitation, for the most part they had learned to co exist. Penelope remained James' first point of call, and worshipped the ground she walked on.

James merely shrugged as his father waited for an answer. Daphne, his current girlfriend had just stormed out of his apartment after James' less than to be desired for behaviour. Derek had been seeing Daphne for a couple of months, and they all saw right through her, most especially James.
"James Zachary Morgan,"
"I don't like her." James said defiantly with his hands on his hips.
"Buddy, you don't even know her. You don't even try to get to know her. She's trying to get to know you but you won't let her."
"She doesn't care about me. She just wants to look good. She wants you to think that she's trying."
"Jay,"
"No, she doesn't care. Not like Aunt P does. She loves me, and she likes hanging out with me for me and not because she needs to impress you." Derek sighed,
"Buddy, Aunt P is different. Not everyone is like Aunt P."
"Why can't you and Aunt P just be together?" James said quietly. Before Derek could reply Penelope cleared her throat, she had come running when James had called her a half hour before begging for her to come and get him. Derek looked up in surprise as Penelope made her way towards James drawing him into a hug,
"Aww, little man we talked about this." She said bending down to meet his eye while Derek contained his surprise,
"I love your Daddy and your Daddy loves me. We've been friends for a very long time, but the kind of love we have is different. The only thing you need to know kiddo is that I will always love you. Whoever comes into your Dad's life, whoever comes into mine, and whoever your Dad marries, know that I will always be there for you. That I would drop anything for you."
"You promise?" he asked searching her eyes. Penelope's heart broke to see the vulnerability that lived beyond such young eyes.
"I'm here now aren't I? I will have you know I left your Aunt Em and Aunt JJ in the line at the cinemas to get here."
"You called your Aunt P?" Derek asked while James dropped his gaze and nodded.
"It's okay Derek." Penelope assured him,
"I'm sorry Aunt P. Sorry Dad."
"Derek, why don't you go on after Daphne, and I'll take the munchkin to the movies with me." Penelope suggested while Derek hesitated,
"Jay?"
"Go on Dad, I really am sorry. I'll go with Aunt P."
"P, are you sure?"
"Of course! I wouldn't turn down a date with the most handsome looking kid I've ever met. Kiddo, why don't you go and grab your stuff while I chat to your Dad a bit?" James nodded and headed to his room to grab his jacket.
"You've talked about this before?" he asked.
"Not at length, but he had raised the question once or twice."
"I'm sorry P."
"It's okay. We're not exactly the most conventional of families, but it works. He's just not good with change, after everything, it's only understandable."
"No matter how hard she tries with him he slams her."
"After everything he's been through Derek you can't blame him for being weary of strangers. All the changes in his life the last nine months comes at a price, and Daphne has to give him a little allowance, and let's not forget he's only six. Yes, most of the time he acts older than what he is, but at the end of the day, he's still only six. He's fighting to hold on to what he's grown to love, you, his life with you, if you get married, what would that mean for him?"
"I know. I'll talk to her."
"Good, let's go buddy." Penelope called out to James. Derek sensed that something was up with Penelope, that she was mad at him for something,
"P, are we okay?"
"Why wouldn't we be?" she replied. Just as Derek was about to prod James came running out of his room and happily flung his arms around Penelope's waist.
"Ready.,"
"Well then let's go. Your Aunt Jayje and Aunt Em are looking forward to seeing you. Say bye to you dad kiddo." James went to give his father a hug,
"We'll drop him home afterwards and stay with him till you get home or if you'd rather he can come home with me."
"I'll be home in a couple of hours P. I'll see you when you drop him off." Penelope nodded non committal.
"See you in a few hours then."

Somewhat confused at Penelope's behaviour and demeanour Derek absently drove to Daphne's so they could talk. He knew that it wasn't a choice. His son always comes first. James' question about him and Penelope had thrown him a curveball. James' behaviour made sense, especially since he was so close to Penelope. It was only natural that he would assume that his father and Aunt P would eventually get together. Or more would want them together.

After the movies the girls had treated James to an ice cream soda before taking him home. Derek was surprised to see all three of them at his doorstep to drop off James who was fast asleep snuggled against Penelope, his face buried on the crook of her neck as the rest of his body was wrapped around her.

"Hey ladies, thanks for bringing him home."
"All good. It's fun hanging out with him. It's like your mini you but way less obnoxious." Emily answered with a grin. Penelope changed James into his pyjamas careful not to wake him. Emily raised an eyebrow at JJ as if to confirm their suspicions of just how intertwined their friend's lives were that she knew where Derek's son's pyjamas were and how natural it was for her to change him for bed, as though she had been doing it for years.
"Night Aunt P, love you." The little Morgan murmured as she tucked him into bed.
"Night little man, love you too."

"So where are you guys off to now?" Derek asked as they closed James' door behind them.
"Home," JJ answered with a yawn.
"Hey P did you want to stay over, I can drive you home tomorrow?" he offered. Penelope threw her friends a not so discreet 'Save Me' look,
"Actually Derek we're all going home to mine." Emily quipped thinking quick on her feet receiving a grateful look from Penelope who wasn't up for a one on one with Morgan at that point.
"Oh okay." He replied with a worried glance at Penelope,
"Call you tomorrow," he said pointedly at her as he hugged them all good bye.

As they got into the car Penelope knew the interrogation would begin. Em and JJ weren't surprised that Penelope dropped everything to check on James knowing how attached the little boy was to her. What was surprising was that she evidently did not want to be in Derek's presence, which they've never seen before. It wasn't unusual for her to stay over his or vice versa when she and the girls didn't have plans. Even more so after James came into the picture,

"Penelope Garcia, what was that?" Emily asked not pulling any punches,
"Establishing one's boundaries?" she answered with a shrug of the shoulders not offering anything more which was a tell tale sign that their friend was still processing.
"Do you want to bounce off?" JJ offered.
"I feel like we're confusing James. Derek and I are so intertwined that a six year old boy is convinced that we belong together and acts out when something threatens that. That can't be healthy."
"The kid loves you Pen. I don't think it's because of the fact that you and Derek may be giving him mixed signals, it's simply because he loves you and believes you belong with his father." JJ attempted to placate her friend.
"Well I doubt we're helping him think otherwise."
"So what you're just going to avoid him? You know he'll never let you get away with that, especially without explanation." Emily pointed out.
"I know. I'm just trying to buy time before that conversation we inevitably need to have."
"Honey, I doubt you have much time. Frankly if he didn't have to worry about James I'd bet he'd be camped out in front of your apartment building now because there's no way he bought that you're all sleeping at mine." Penelope shrugged in response. Emily started the car and the rest of the ride to Penelope's was a quiet one. Both JJ and Emily knew that Penelope was weighing things out in her mind, and that she needed to rummage through the cloud before she shared.

Derek had watched them from his window and noticed that they stayed park for at least another fifteen minutes. It usually meant that the girls were having a pow wow, and he could only guess what the topic was. He knew for a fact that he and Penelope needed to talk and he couldn't help but worry of it's outcome.

Her phone began to ring a familiar tune the moment she walked into her apartment. She sighed deeply and considered not answering, but she had already raised enough flags for one evening and reluctantly picked up.

"Hey," she greeted.
"Hey P."
"What's up?"
"You tell me."
"Derek,"
"No P, something's up. You're mad at me. Is it because of tonight?"
"I'm not mad Derek."
"Then what is it P."
"I just think maybe we're confusing James with the amount of time we spend together. How is he ever going to adjust to anyone else if you and I are forever living in each other's pocket. It's not fair to him, or you, or me."
"What are you saying P?" he asked quietly.
"That maybe you and I should spend some time apart. My routine with James won't change, but things between you and I, they have to change Derek. It's not fair to him. I don't want to confuse him more than he already is." Not to mention myself, she added silently.
"P,"
"Please Derek, this isn't easy for me to say."
"I don't want things to change between us." He protested.
"They have to. They can't stay this way." Without waiting for his reply, she bid him a quick goodnight and hung up.