AN: I am so sorry for the wait, I had some trouble writing this chapter, and then I got a virus and the file was wiped and I had to write it all over again.
AN: I own nothing that is familiar, or real (like the sights of Chicago).
The next day Derek woke to the smell of coffee, and after checking that Pen was still asleep he walked downstairs. His mother was at the table looking through a photo album. He when to the cupboard grabbed a mug and poured himself a cup before looking over her shoulder at the album. It was of him, he had seen it before. It was full of him, and his sisters each had one as well but his was fuller, containing all of his accomplishments and any news articles that even mentioned him. Photos of him in his uniform from his time on the Chicago PD, him decked out in his bomb squad gear, his first day at the FBI, his awards of valor, his degrees, his certificates of accomplishments for his judo levels, and his medals from competitions. There were tears in her eyes as she looked down at the alum and played with the ring in her hand. Wordlessly she held out her hand to Derek and dropped the ring into his palm, then pulled him to her and gave him a hug and a kiss.
"Momma don't cry, there is plenty of time for that sort of thing after I ask her." Morgan told her wiping the tears from her face.
"Don't mind me honey, I'm just so happy for you. That you finally listened to your heart, you found her so long ago and I was starting to wonder if you would ever realize that you loved Penelope." Then in response to the shocked look he gave her she added, "What? Penelope is the only girl you ever talked about to us, for longer then a few seconds. They way you talked about her and the conversations we heard from your end of the phone with her. You would call her at least once a day every time you were apart and if you didn't manage to call her during the day you made sure to call her at night to wish her sweet dreams. Derek you don't have to be a profiler to see how much you loved her."
Derek mixed together his wet and dry ingredients then sat at the table with his mother to drink his coffee until Pen came downstairs and he made everyone breakfast.
"Derek, last night at dinner Pen said that you might not have ever gotten together if you had not gone home on auto pilot what did she mean?" She watched as he refolded the paper he had been reading and placed it on the table before answering.
"The last case before I was kidnapped was long, hard, and tiring. We got home really late. Usually when we get home from cases I go and get Clooney from Pen right away. She had told me earlier on the flight to just go home and get some sleep and come get him in the morning. I ended up at her place and instead of taking Clooney and leaving I just snuggled into bed with her. The next Morning was a Sunday and we went to church together and took Clooney for a walk and decided that we would start seeing each other."
"You haven't gone to church in years for anything but weddings and funerals." Fran said in a slightly awed tone, "You are head over heals baby."
"I know, but you haven't heard everything yet. When we got back from our walk with Clooney Kevin Lynch was standing outside her door. Now at this time technically they were still dating but she had decided before me to break things off wit him. He threw a big fit and would have stormed off while Garcia was talking to him except Clooney got all defensive I have to admit I was very proud of my puppy right then. Not to long after that we got called for the case. And you know what happened to me there. That was what proved to me that I really loved her, the whole time I was there I couldn't help but worry about how Pen was handling it, or the what if. I told her I loved her in Morris Code when they captured me, it was all I could think of."
"When they found me I was amazed but the mother of the family that had been held with me actually thanked me for being so calm and collected for them, when all I remember feeling is panic and fear. I told her kids stories about the team giving them all superhero names so that they wouldn't think about what was happening to them. But that was from knowing what was going to happen to them if the team had not found us." He had stopped looking at her not wanting to know her reactions to his story even if he was keeping most of the details to himself.
"So tell me more about what happened with this Kevin Lynch person." She asked, "Why was she already going to break up with him?"
"He likes to scare her and I think he was hitting her and if I could prove it he would not be alive now instead of sitting in his cell in a federal penitentiary." Derek nearly spat the words.
"Wait how did he go from breaking up with pen to being in jail?" Fran asked confused.
"Kidnapping a FBI agent is a federal offense with mandatory jail time and no leniency for members of the FBI itself. Right before I got my walking cast Pen had gone alone to our new place leaving me with Hotch for the day. Kevin hired two of his friends to kidnap Pen. He had planned to take her all the way to Mexico, but the team managed to figure out was happening in time to set up police road blocks and they caught him and his little friends. To tell you the truth I took the news of Pen's kidnap worse then my own. I don't know what I would do without her; she is my sun in a sea of darkness. I was powerless to help them I was powerless to save her. I still plan when I get this damn thing off and back in form on going down to that police station and kicking the asses of the cops that were mean to her. Hotch would kill me if I re-injured myself even if it was for something like this that he would fully support." Derek stopped there knowing that his mother was looking at him in shock; Derek was rarely this aggressive around his family. That and he heard Pen starting to move around up stairs.
He stood then and made her a cup of coffee just the way she likes it and set it on the table for her before he started making breakfast for everyone. He was humming a song that his mother knew well but was surprised that Derek had even heard as he had never liked Country music very well. When Garcia came downstairs she started giggled hearing him, and seeing the strange look his mother was giving him.
"He lost his i-pod and had to use mine when he walks Clooney apparently it has started sticking." Pen explained to Fran as she sat across from her and took a sip of her coffee. "Thanks for the Coffee Handsome. What are you doing over there?"
"I am making breakfast, Goddess. How many pancakes would you like?" He asked walking over to her to kissing her good Morning.
"Pancakes? Hmm. How about we start with two?" She said kissing him again.
"Mom, how about you?" Derek asked as he turned back to the stove.
"Oh, I'll start with three you know I love your pancakes. No matter I will be full to bursting when I am done." She answered then turned to Penelope and said, "So Penelope tell what do you want to do while you are here in Chicago? I know that he has planned everything without asking so let's see how well my baby boy really knows you."
They talked while Derek finished everyone's breakfast and he smiled hearing that he had been spot on about everything that she would want to do. He turned and winked at his mother so that Pen couldn't see then gave them each a plate setting two more in the center of the table one with the extra pancakes and the other with some sausages on it. He refilled all of their coffees before bring his own plate to the table to sit and eat with them.
Derek heard the commotion of his niece and nephew and stood from the table to make the rest of his pancakes for them and his sister if she wanted any. Pen just watched him wondering they would be going today and why they would be taking the children with them. She knew Derek loved his family and them being suspended from school was not sitting well with him but to take kids on a date? She was confused and no one was helping her understand they just smiled at her politely, they didn't seem worried and they would know where they were going so she decided she should be too.
"Goddess, why don't you go on and get ready while I finish up here. We'll be outside quite a bit and walking most of the day." He told her so she would know how to dress. Giving her a kiss as she stood from the table and he brought over plates for their apparent chauffeurs.
Once she was out of hearing and safely in the shower Derek asked them, "So what animals do you want to see today?"
"Wolves!" Madison answered with no hesitation as he brother said, "Tigers!"
"You sure you want to take them with you on a date?" Sarah asked him as she took a second pancake from the platter on the table. She too missed her brother's pancakes.
"Yeah, its fine. Pen is great with kids, she loves them. Besides we are going to the zoo, isn't a little weird to go to the zoo as an adult without kids? Sorry that is the profiler talking and you should ignore him. Everything will be fine sis. Besides by now you must be run ragged having to look after them all day. Since they are not at school right now. You should be more worried that Pen will want to adopt them by the end of the day, then that she will be offended that I invited them on a date with us." Derek said giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Go have a fun day to yourself."
When Penelope was ready Derek herded Madison and Mason to the SUV, while pen took the backpack of supplies that Sarah was holding out and grabbing the keys.
"It's sun block and lunch, with extra drinks and snacks. The whole thing is like a giant lunch box insulated and such." Sarah explained to the questioning look pen was giving her. "Have fun today and tell Derek thanks for giving me the day off." She finished as they walked outside together.
"So where is he taking us?" she asked quietly knowing that Derek would be listening for her talking to his sister as they walked toward him.
"Don't worry Penelope he is just taking you to a more family oriented place and thought you might feel more comfortable if you had children with you. He says it is a place you will love and knowing how much he loves you and how well you two know each other I would guess that he is right."
"I guess I am not used to dating my best friend yet, still thinking of some of the horrible dates I had with Kevin, my ex. He loved to surprise me, but it never ended well. You're right he knows me well enough to know if it is something I will lie or not."
While they drove Derek taught Madison and Mason some games to play in the car. Every once and a while giving Pen a direction. By the time they got their Pen was winning at the license plate game, where you name as many plates as you can from any state/country besides the one that you are currently in without doubling up. Madison had one the letter game twice and the number game once while Derek had the number game once as well. Where you see letters or numbers in your surroundings and either go through the whole alphabet or up to a certain number. Mason however was winning the yellow car game, just counting the number of yellow cars you can spot before the others. These games can make a car ride very entertaining but also very loud especially when playing multiple games at a time. They were all smiling and having a good time when they finally pulled into the parking lot for the zoo.
Derek and the kids were laughing at the look on Pen's face when Derek agreed with them that even outside the car and walking through the parking lot you could call yellow cars and license plates, which meant that Mason had over taken her in the license plate game. Derek made them wait for him as he went to get the tickets, and as soon as they walked through the gates a zoo worker came up to them.
"Hey Derek it was good to hear from you!" He said shaking his hand. "And how might these three be?" he asked raising an eyebrow at his old friend.
"This is my girlfriend Penelope and my Sarah's kids Madison and Mason."
"Really it has been forever since I have seen you and even longer since I have seen your family it hard to believe that little Sarah has kids of her own."
"Pen this is my dad's best friend and my high school biology teacher. Ed McCormick. His family has helped fund a few exhibits here at the zoo and being a biologist they let him help out. We are going to be getting a very special tour of the zoo today." Derek told her
They spent the morning on a golf cart touring the public portion of the zoo, listening to Ed tell them all he knew about the animals taking pictures of them as well as each other as they were fooling around and just having a good time. At lunch Ed left them on the East Mall to listen to the small concert that they had going on while they ate. They found a tree to sit under and spread out the blanket that Ed had handed them.
Ed smiled at Derek knowingly when he got back from his own lunch and found him sitting quietly watching Penelope sleep her head on his shoulder with mason asleep with his head on Derek's thigh and Madison asleep on Penelope in the same manner.
"You really have it bad for this one don't you? Have you ever brought home any other girl?" Ed asked him.
In answer instead of saying anything Derek reached in his pocket and pulled out the ring to show him.
"Your grandmother's ring? Don't act so surprised I knew your father for years, I saw your grandmother wearing this ring many times. Here now put it away before your sleeping beauty wakes and sees it before you are ready to ask her."
"I would have asked her the moment I got out of the hospital if I thought she was ready to tell me yes. Hell I would have asked her the moment I woke up and saw her there if I knew she was ready for that big of a leap in our relationship. We had just started dating before I was in the hospital but we have been best friends since we met and I think I have loved her the entire time."
"Your father would be proud of you. You have a great job that you love and now you have found the women of your dreams, all you need now is a dog, a house, and some kids." Ed said laughing.
"Don't breath that word anywhere near my mother or I will never hear the end of it! We are already most of the way there; we have a dog and a house."
"You live with this girl?!" Ed asked looking like Derek had done something very bad.
"Only since I have gotten out of the hospital I needed someone to help all the time and she is the only one of are team that can work from home and still do her job fully. Besides until recently I was very immobile. I can see what you are thinking and no we have not, technically we have slept in the same place but that was it. I love pen Ed, and she saw me for years with other women and I don't ever want her to feel like she was just another notch."
Pen started stirring and Derek switched his attention to her face wanting to kiss her awake but knowing his father's friend watching him and his reaction to them living together it would not end well. She just looked so deliciously kissable, and happy. There was a smile on her face as she breathed in his sent and snuggled closer to his chest for a second giving him a hug before she lifted her lashes to look into his eyes. If it was possible her smile got bigger and she stretched up and kissed him anyway Saying, "Thanks for letting me nap hot stuff, it was very refreshing. It looks like the kids needed a nap too.
"That they did. But they will be sleeping well tonight too because we are nowhere near finished with our day. In fact the fun is just about to start!" Derek told her excitedly returning her huge smile, "I think it is time we wake them up and get started with the fun part of our trip to the zoo, Ed is back and they are ready for us."
"Alright then let's get these two up and I'll pack up why you take the trash to the can." She told him giving him another kiss before waking Madison, "Hey sweetie time to wake up. Your Uncle has something special for us to go see." Brushing her hair out of her face as she sat up.
"I thought we had seen everything already." Mason said after hearing what Pen had said.
"Have you ever known me to not have something extra for you two when I take you guys somewhere?" Derek asks acting like he was offended.
"Not to break up this scene but they can't wait for you to get started so we have to be on time." Ed broke in knowing that they might continue this all day if he let them.
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They spent the afternoon being zoo keepers, helping them feed all of the animals playing with the less dangerous ones, even an abandoned wolf pup that had been nursed by hand since his birth. Derek made sure that they all got to see the backstage area of their favorite animals even if they could only watch the real keepers do their job. They played for nearly an hour with the dolphins and then the penguins. By then end of the day Derek was carrying Madison and Ed was carrying Mason as they were both so tired and they could see it. They walked together out to the SUV all three of the adults smiling each lost in their own thoughts.
Ed was thinking he was so glad that Derek had finally found someone he could settle down with, that would make him happy for the rest of his live no matter what they were put through. Pen was thinking over their day and how well he knew her, how much he loved her and how much she loved him. Derek was planning how he would ask Pen to marry him, and even though he looked calm and happy he was nervous but also completely excited that he was going to make his baby girl his for real!
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Derek and Penelope had the time of their lives gallivanting about the city for the next two weeks. They went and saw the Blue Man Group perform live. They visited the local museums and the local hot spots, went out dancing at night. They shopped the magnificent mile, the visited the millennium park and the Hancock observatory. They road all of the rides at six flags, spent a day at a water park resort. They visited the botanic garden and Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio, then spent an afternoon watching the races at Arlington. They even drove out a little farther and saw the Japanese gardens near Rockford. They spent the night near Oglesby at the Starved Rock state park lodge while visiting the park and shopping the antique market near there.
At every turn Derek went all out pampering Pen the entire time, never once did they even look at anyone else while they were together not that that stopped girls from approaching Derek he just brushed them off never glancing at a single one. This treatment spoke volumes to Garcia. She would blush when he kissed her in public at first but grew used to the stares and glares of the other women that had seen his attentiveness to her. If Pen acted like she liked something Derek would buy it while she was looking at something else and have it sent to his mom's house to surprise her with that night, or bought it right there to see the look on her face and for every one around them to see how much he loved her. Every morning she was greeted by a new bouquet of flowers from the everyday daisy to the lovely tiger lilies. To say the least Pen was having a great time albeit a little smothered in all his love but she was enjoying herself and just allowing there feelings to show all the time.
Derek had run out of plans and was thinking about to asking Penelope if there was anything that they had not do that wanted to do that day when he got a call from Hotch.
"Hey Derek so how is your vacation going?"
"We are having a blast, and sending some time with my family was such a bonus." Derek said enthusiastically as he walked down the stairs towards the smell of coffee.
"That is great to hear you both needed the break. So you were so secretive before what did you two do all this time? The girls would kill me if I did not ask." He explained the gossipy question, "They are already glaring at me for not doing it sooner."
"How about we all get together for dinner to night that way every one can talk. You wont have to remember everything and the girls can hear everything first hand. Do you remember what we talked about that day?" Derek asked quietly grabbing a cup of coffee and heading out to sit and enjoy the morning out on the porch.
"You mean when I sat with you and everything went wrong?" Hotch asked trying not to alert the team around him to the way Derek was taking the conversation.
"The team is near by huh? Well anyway I was thinking that I would ask before we left and if the team is finished wit the case what better way to ask while we are surrounded by your friends and family? Mom gave me the ring the first morning I was here and I have wondered how I would do it I think I have an idea. Could you hold everyone off leaving until say tomorrow?"
"Of course I can, what are you planning?" Hotch asked suspicious.
"I will call you back in a few minutes. And tell you then but I want to check on some reservations first. Bye." Derek told his boss and hung up without waiting for a response he figured Hotch would forgive him and he was too excited thinking about what he wanted to do.
He called his sister Sarah and asked her what the number for their favorite spa was after getting that he told her that he would call her back in a few minutes to explain and hung up on her as well. He called and was ecstatic when they told him that they had had a wedding party cancel on them and had time to give the 7 girls in his life manicures and pedicures that afternoon. Next he called the newest five star restaurants in town, and was nearly overjoyed when they told him that they had had a business dinner cancel and had room for the number of people that he expected to have. He was sad for the couple that canceled but couldn't bring himself to show it as it had allowed his plans to unfold perfectly in less then twenty minutes.
He called his sister back first, "Hey Sarah get yourself, Des, and Madison ready you three are spending the day being pampered with mom, Pen, JJ, and Emily. Yes at your favorite that is why I called to get the number. They are part of our team. No, I will not tell you why you are all going just that it is a surprise and that Pen is not to know anything about you guys going out to dinner with us afterwards. I will get you guys a hotel room to store your outfits and change after the day at the spa and Pen and I will meet everyone there. You will need to keep mom with you too so that she wont be at the house while Pen and I are getting ready. I will tell her all of this you just tell Des and get the rest of the family ready. Everyone is invited to dinner so bring the boys with you."
"Derek calm down you are rambling like a nervous school girl are you alright?" She asked smiling into her end of the phone having a good idea already of what he was going to do tonight.
"I have never been better, sorry I am just so excited. I made the reservation at the restaurant under Aaron Hotchner for 7:00 I plan on arriving with Pen around a quarter after to give everyone plenty of time to get there. Thanks for doing this Sarah!" He told her as he rocked back and forth in the rocker his mother loved out on the porch. He was trying to waste his bubbling energy so as to not give himself away.
"No problem big brother. Just don't forget the ring or chicken out." She told him then hung up on him leaving Derek starring at the phone.
He wondered if he was really that obvious then thought about what he had just told his sister and realized he was. Shrugging he called Hotch back.
"Alright so here is the plan I made reservations for the all the girls all afternoon at my sisters' favorite spa. Then tonight I made reservations under your name at this place called Tower. It looks like a construction zone still as only the top few floors of the building are finished. They have the best views of the whole city as it is much taller then even the Sear's tower you would have heard about it in the news it is the new tallest building in the world. On one of the finished floors is this restaurant. I made them for seven and I would love for everyone to already be there when I bring Pen so I figured we would arrive a few minutes late."
"You did all of that in the 15 minutes that we were off the phone?" Hotch asked amazed.
"I helped that they had cancelations, apparently a business dinner canceled and a wedding party canceled at the spa. I have my sister in charge of getting my family there on time she knows the reservations are under your name and what time they are. I don't know what we men are going to do all day but I think we can figure something out if you all want to come over when the girls do to go to the spa. My nephews and brother-in-law will be here too."
"I'm sure we can find something to do but first Derek tell your mother before Pen wakes up and then go for a walk you need to burn off some of your nervous energy or you will start to worry Pen."
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An hour and a half later everyone was at his mother's house and the girls were gathering their things to leave while the men were ordering pizza and setting down to watch the game. Not Reid's favorite activity but he could tell that something was up so he went with it. Once the girls were out of the house Hotch turned to Derek and asked, "So did you go for that walk I suggested earlier?"
"Yeah longer then I should have I think my leg is bothering me a little bit but that could be cumulative as I have been on it most of the time that we have been out here." Derek told him as he took of his walking cast to rub his leg.
"Then why are you still so energetic, relax man you know that she loves you right?" Hotch asked him.
"I know but what if she doesn't like the ring, or if she doesn't want asked in front of everyone, or what if she doesn't want to marry me? I know that she wants to get married and have a ton of kids but what if she doesn't want to marry me?" Derek asked him completely stressed out.
"Derek breath, you are the only man that I have ever known her to love, who else would she be wanting to marry, Rossi? She will love the ring as much as she loves you. Now relax have some pizza and enjoy the game." Hotch told him calmly while all the other men in the room starred at the two of them.
"Hotch you have been holding out on us." Rossi accused. "How long have you known that he was going to ask her?"
"For a while now, but I didn't know when until this morning. I haven't seen him this nervous about it ever either so maybe he as been bottling up about it for a while after our talk."
"I guess I am just nervous now that it is coming true." Derek said as he lifted Mason into his lap.
"Congratulations Derek." Reid told him taking a seat next to him, understanding know why he was watching a basketball playoff game.
It was a great game very close al the way to the end. It was game six of the quarter finals of the playoffs. In the end Chicago won and brought the series back to a tie.
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AN: I know nothing about basketball, and wouldn't have even used it except I know that they are going on as everyone in town is excited that the Cavs are doing so well. I looked it up and they did win the sixth game to bring the series back to a tie.