Chapter 10: Heading to Chicago
Derek's POV

I did a lot of thinking on my way home. The first thing I did when I reached the house was check in with my neighbor and grab Clooney. After playing fetch for a few minutes, I left him back in her capable hands and thanked the older woman for keeping him.

"I thought about taking him with me to Chicago, but he hates going in the crate for the plane ride. I really appreciate you keeping him for me."

"Now, Mr. Morgan, you know he's not a bother," she chided. "Besides, who else would my grandchildren play with if he wasn't here when they came over?"

I smiled and nodded. I knew the three youngsters loved Clooney just as much as he loved the attention they paid him. "Well, again, thank you. I'll be back on Wednesday and will come and get him then." I waved, patted the dog once more, and then headed over to my place.

I tossed all my dirty clothes from my go bag into the hamper and repacked with fresh clothes. I still had about twenty minutes until I'd told Pen I'd be back to her place, so I sat down at the desk and booted up my laptop. I'd had an idea when I woke up and knew I needed some help.

First up was to check and see if I could get tickets to one of the moonlight cruises for the last night we were going to be in Chicago. After making those reservations, I opened up my e-mail. I made sure there was nothing new of great importance and then started a new e-mail to send to the entire team, minus our tech goddess.

~*~PC~*~

To: Aaron Hotchner, David Rossi, Emily Prentiss, Jennifer Jareau, Spencer Reid
From: Derek Morgan
Date: Aug. 13, 2009
Subject: Surprise for Penelope

Just wanted to give you all a head's up. Penelope and I are heading to Chicago for a few days to visit my family. She's never been up there, and when my mom heard we had a week off, she insisted I bring Pen up there for a visit. We're going to be back in town on Wednesday.

I thought that, after she arranged all the phone calls on our behalf, we should do something for her. I have several surprises planned for Chicago and another for when we get back into town. If you're interested, each of you should think of something you can give her or do for her to show how much it meant that she thought of calling our friends and family.

Feel free to call my cell if you have any questions.

Have a good week.

D.

~*~PC~*~

I made record time back over to Pen's place. Every minute that passed found me more and more excited about our trip to Chicago. I had plans for almost every day that we would be down there, and I was hoping that by the time we came back home, our relationship would've changed for the better.

I left my bag in the SUV, then knocked once and let myself in with my key. "Hey, baby, I'm back. You about ready?"

"Yeah, give me two minutes. Check the printer, D. I printed out our flight information. Your card's there beside the computer, too." Pen's voice was muffled, like she was neck deep in her closet.

She walked out into the living room just as I settled myself down onto the couch. I smiled, enjoying the bright yellow sundress with the wide, dark green belt. Her curls were pulled up with a big yellow sunflower pin that matched her dress, and she had dark green slippers on her feet.

"Mmm, you look beautiful, Penelope. Ready to go?" I jumped up and traded her the paper for her two bags.

"I am." She followed me out the door, and I paused so she could lock it behind us. "Did you see Clooney? How's he doing at Mrs. McNamara's house?"

"He's good. He was happy to see me, although happier to play fetch, I'm sure. I also sent a quick e-mail to the team to let them know we were going to see my mom so they didn't worry if they couldn't reach us."

We chatted the whole way to the airport, and I parked in the best spot I could find. I grabbed the two heaviest bags with one hand, gave Pen her lightest bag, and then took her hand as we walked from the parking lot into the airport.

After standing in line for nearly thirty minutes, we made the way to the counter. Much to Penelope's dismay, I pulled out my credit card and got us upgraded to first class.

"Derek! You're already spending too much on last-minute tickets. You don't have to do this," she argued with a sigh.

I brushed my lips across her hair softly. "I know I don't have to. So what if I wanna treat you a little bit, huh? Deal with it, baby." I smirked when she narrowed her eyes at me.

After handing the man behind the counter our bags, I then took our tickets and her hand and led her away to find our gate.

~*~PC~*~

When we landed in Chicago, we grabbed our bags, and then I pulled Pen over to one of the car rental stands. I rented a Jeep Grand Cherokee and waited until someone pulled it around front for us. Once we were headed out of the airport, I looked over to see Penelope twisting her fingers in her lap.

"Talk to me, baby. What's got you tied up in knots over there?" I had a feeling I knew what was bothering her, but I wanted her to tell me.

"I, uh, I guess I'm just worried that your mom and sisters aren't gonna like me," she admitted.

"Baby Girl, listen to me closely." I looked at her as best I could while I was driving and waited until I was sure I had her attention. "They're gonna love you, sweetheart. You trust me, right?"

She nodded without hesitation. "With my life, Derek."

My heart swelled with emotion. "Then trust me on this, honey. They've heard about you for years. Every time I talk to her, my mom's all 'When are you going to bring your Baby Girl home so we can meet her?' and 'Derek, how is Penelope doing?' Trust me. She, Sarah, and Des are beyond excited that you're finally coming with me for a visit."

She sucked in a quick breath and held it for a few seconds before releasing it and smiling. "Okay, I'm better now. Thanks."

I smiled and reached over to take her hand. "You're welcome. I only speak the truth, though."

"So tell me about your family. I know there's your mom and sisters, Sarah and Desiree. Are any of them seeing anyone?"

I told her about Sarah's fiance and Des's latest boyfriend, making her laugh when I mentioned that his name was Derek. "I try not to think of the two of them...being intimate and her shouting out his name." I shuddered as she laughed.

"That's..." She giggled again. "That's just so wrong!"

I continued telling her stories about my sisters until we pulled up in front of my mom's little four-bedroom house. "Home sweet home," I told her, squeezing her hand once before getting out of the SUV.

We grabbed our bags and walked toward the front door. By the time we made it to the front steps, the door was flung open and my mom came running out. She threw her arms around the both of us and hugged us tight.

"Oh, Derek! I'm so glad to see you! You've been gone way too long, son. You must be Penelope," she said, releasing me and taking both of Pen's hands in hers. "Hi, honey. I'm Fran. Welcome to Chicago."

Penelope blushed at the attention. "Thanks, Fran."

My mom grabbed the bag from Pen and then took her hand, leading her inside. They left me to follow along behind them, shaking my head. "So how was your flight?"

"It was fine. Derek kept me occupied the whole time; we played some crossword puzzles and listened to his iPod some."

I tuned out their conversation as we entered the house. I looked around the living room. It shouldn't have surprised me that the house looked exactly the same as it always did. Then the smells hit me.

"Mmm, Mama, what's cooking?"

"Chicken enchiladas. Your favorite, baby. Is that okay with you, Penelope?"

Pen nodded her head and smiled. "It smells wonderful. I'm sure it'll be delicious. Derek has told me several times what a great cook you are."

"Honey, he's a man. He'll eat anything you put down in front of him!" She just smirked when I tried to look offended. "But thank you for the compliment, son. Now, let's get you two settled into your room."

She led us down the hall to my old bedroom. I'd told her on the phone that we would probably just share one room, explaining a bit about why.

"Oh, I can just sleep on the couch out in the living room," Pen told her.

I started to open my mouth to tell her there was no way in hell that was happening, but my mom beat me to it.

"Don't worry, Penelope. Derek told me when he called that because of the work you do, you tend to get nightmares. If it helps keep those at bay, you're more than welcome to stay with Derek in his room."

Pen hesitated and looked at me for silent confirmation. When I smiled and nodded, she replied, "Okay. Thank you. It's hard to sleep alone sometimes. Just having him in the same room helps a lot."

"Understandable, sweetheart. Here you go. You two get settled and then meet me in the kitchen. We can talk while I finish making dinner." She turned to me. "Derek, your sisters should be here shortly before dinner is on the table, so they said to tell you that it's your turn to set the table tonight." She walked out before I could make any snappy comeback.

Pen looked at me and grinned. "It's so refreshing to see someone else have the upper hand with you once in a while!"

I fake glared at her, which sent her into a fit of giggles. "Eh, it's true. They've been beating up on me for years. Say you'll have my back, baby! It's a jungle out there! I'm just a poor Y chromosome in an X household."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, sure... Dominating, attention-stealing, baby boy Y chromosome. You don't fool me, mister!"

I started to stalk toward her and laughed as she squealed and ran out of the room for the safety of my mother's kitchen.

~*~PC~*~

Thirty minutes later, the three of us were sitting around the kitchen table chatting when my sisters came in through the back door. They screamed when they saw me and threw their arms around me, much like my mother had when we'd arrived.

After hugging them back, I pulled away from their arms and pulled Pen up and into mine. "P, these are my sisters. Sarah, over here, is the oldest," I told her, pointing to my older sister, "and Desiree, or Des as I call her, is the baby of the family."

Pen smiled and held out her hand toward my sisters. "It's good to finally meet you both," she said sincerely.

"Omigod, you're gorgeous! Look at those curls," Des said loudly. "I'm so happy you're here." She pulled Pen into a big hug and then released her into Sarah's arms.

Sarah laughed. "It's really good to meet you, too, Penelope. Welcome to the crazy house."

"Thanks, Sarah." Penelope smiled at my sisters, settling into an easy conversation with the two of them at the kitchen table.

I walked over to my mom. "Hey, Mama. Can I help?"

Several hours later, after we'd finished dinner, Sarah and Des had volunteered to clean up, so Penelope, my mom, and I were sitting in the living room chatting. Once the dishes were done, the girls joined us, and they settled right into the conversation with Pen like they were old friends.

By the time we all went to bed, I could tell that Pen was feeling much more comfortable and happy about being in Chicago with me. I was glad, since my plan to wine, dine, and woo her this week would go a lot more smoothly if she wasn't nervous and worried all the time.