Despite her initial protests Derek stayed for an extra couple of weeks, which is what he had remaining of his leave for the year. Before approving his leave Hotch did check in with Pen to make sure it was okay with her. Penelope reluctantly consented.

"Hey little Princess, shall we get you ready for the day? Maybe you and I can take a walk while your Mommy sleeps, we can pick her up some of those pastries she likes from LePain." Ari just gurgled happily at her father.
"You know Daddy's going miss you and your Mommy. It's been so great getting to know you and hanging with your Mommy again. I want you to know how much I love you little one. Daddy loves you more than anything in the whole world. You and your Mommy mean the so much to me. You two are the most important people in my life, with Grandma, Aunt Des, Aunt Sarah and your little cousins. I know your Mommy doesn't believe me when I tell her that I love her, but don't you worry Princess, I'm working on it."

Penelope couldn't help but smile as she heard him over the baby monitor. It had been an interesting few weeks having him in Paris. He got to see her life in Paris, and be a part of it. She knew if she allowed herself to admit it, she would admit that she was beginning to appreciate having him around, and that frightened her. She heard the door close behind them a few minutes later. She knew there would be a note on the kitchen table for her when she rose from bed.

She resumed her life in Paris without the need to buffer it for him. He met her friends, some old and some new. She showed him where she worked and introduced him to her students who were completely enamored by Mademoiselle Garcia. More than that she gave him a glimpse of her life, and though it had been difficult, it wasn't all bad. She felt that he needed to see that for himself, that despite how events had broken her heart, she didn't stop living her life. She knew the guilt he battled with daily and after everything, she didn't want him to be consumed with guilt. What happened, had happened and yes it hurt, but having Ari left very little room for regret, and she loved her life in Paris. She felt like she had grown into her own person with her own life after so many years of cohabitating in his life and making him her world even if he didn't ask her to.

"Hey Em," Penelope greeted as her friend answered the phone.
"Pen, I was just about to call you. I just walked in the door."
"Great minds think alike and all. Listen, I was wondering if you and Jayje were up to coming up to Paris for a week or so?"
"Oh, that sounds like fun! I'm sure if we give Hotch enough notice we can swing it. When were you thinking?"
"Whenever you guys can come over is fine with me, I'm still on maternity leave."
"How are things with you know who?"
"Progressing, the need to want to throw something at him has long since passed. He loves Ari, and to me that all really matters."
"How about for you Pen? Don't you want something for you?"
"I have Ari, and that's more than enough." It was a well versed line that she spoke, one that made Emily sad, knowing that Penelope expected nothing beyond Ari.

Derek came in with a sleeping Ari in her stroller baring baked goods and the fruit infused Tea she loved so much.

"You certainly know a way to a person's good side Agent Morgan." Penelope complimented as he handed her his offerings. It wasn't lost to him that the most affectionate endearment she ever used on him was Agent Morgan, gone were the days of 'Handsome, Baby, Honey, and Cupcakes'.
"I try." He replied.
"So Pen, I've booked my flight and I leave in a few days. Thank you for letting me stay and hang with you and Little Ari,"
"Derek, you don't need to thank me, she's your daughter and you have as much right to her as I do, which is why I'm going to move back to the States in a couple of months."
"Pen, you don't have to do that. I know how much you love it here."
"I do, but I trust that whatever I've built on my life will be sustained regardless which country I am living in. Yes, I love Paris, but I love Ari more. I know she needs you in her life, and it'll be great to raise her surrounded by people who love her as much as the team already does. I also know your Mom would love to have her close enough to visit regularly. This last year has been about me, about recovering from one of the worst moments of my life, which is what Paris has been about, but it's time. There's the danger of holding on to something so tightly out of fear too."
"Having you guys back in the States would be great."
"Derek, can I ask of you a favour?" Derek's gaze met hers,
"Of course Baby Girl, name it."
"I know you love me, I do, but can we maybe take some pressure of our situation and just try and be just friends? I'm not saying go back to what we were before everything hit the fan, because I can't imagine it could ever really be the same again, but I'd like for us to cohabitate as friends, as we sort of have been while you've been here. Your friendship means a lot to me Derek, and I guess what happened hurt as much as it did because of it. Can we take whatever 'THAT' is off the table?"
"You mean altogether?" he asked. Penelope shrugged,
"Can you really see us together? Take Ari out of the equation, would we ever have really worked?"
"You already know I think we could, but if this is what you want, to just be friends, then I'm happy to respect that on the one condition that you don't close yourself off to the possibility that one day, you may just feel that way about me again." Penelope sighed, if he only knew that loving him at any capacity wasn't the issue, it was just allowing herself same moment of vulnerability that led them to Ari was something she was frightened of doing again.
"Promise me P." Derek pleaded.
"I promise," she relented hesitantly.