AN: Thanks so much for the reviews, guys. I am so sorry I am behind. It's my birthday tomorrow, and I haven't been around too much. I promise I will catch up. Usually I've been posting Wednesdays, but I won't be around, and I don't want to keep you waiting...so here is another chapter!

Chapter 25

If anything, Derek was very prompt when it came to picking up his Baby Girl to walk her to her classes. He'd only been late once that one time his bike had broken down, and he hadn't been late since. He'd had just enough time to shower and throw clothes on before he ran toward Penelope's sorority.

Walking on the sidewalk, he passed a couple of Penelope's housemates. Before he'd met P, he hadn't really gone out of his way to talk to any of the girls from the "Brainiac Sorority," but now—per Penelope's request—he made an attempt to be congenial with all of them.

"They're my sisters, D," she'd said with the sweetest smile in the world. How could he refuse?

The two girls he was passing...damn. He thought their names were Sandy and Hillary, but he wasn't about to test his memory when it came to names. Instead, he smiled brightly at them and raised his baseball cap he was wearing. "Morning, ladies."

Both girls gasped and then hustled down the sidewalk without so much as a nod in return.

That was weird. He scratched the top of his head, put his cap back on, and jogged up the stairs of the house. He knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer and then let him into the parlor.

He was surprised when it was Penelope who opened the door. His girl loved to sleep late, so she rarely ever answered the door.

"Hi, Derek," she mumbled.

"Hey, angel," he replied, leaning in to kiss her cheek like he always did.

Penelope swallowed hard, as if she were swallowing a lump or tears. "I...I'll be right with you, D. Okay?"

It didn't take Derek more than a few seconds to realize that something was very, very wrong with his Baby Girl. What the hell was going on? What was Penelope doing downstairs with wet hair, bare feet, ashen skin, and huge, sad brown eyes?

Derek wasn't sure what it was, but whatever it was, it was bad.

"Mr. Morgan," Mrs. Strauss announced, coming around the corner from her office in the tidy house. She smiled coolly at Derek. "I trust you had a good night last night?"

From the tone of her voice, he knew it was meant as an insult of some sort, although the words seemed tame enough. Normally, Mrs. Strauss was civil, although never warm. He didn't think that Ice Queen owned a genuine smile. She was a cold, dried-up prune of a woman, yet she still seemed young. Not that Derek cared what she thought. He was only polite to her for Penelope's sake.

Somehow, he knew that whatever hurt Penelope was going through, this woman had a hand in it. With that in mind, he didn't temper his response as much as well as he usually did. He could play the tongue-in-cheek game as well as she could.

"As good as you can imagine, Mrs. Strauss," he replied with a saccharine smile. He then added innocently, "Yes, ma'am...I slept like a baby."

The woman's lips tightened. "Very well. Good day, Mr. Morgan."

"You, too," he answered, wiggling his fingers in a wave goodbye as the older woman turned and left the room.

For a moment, his actions felt good, but a little more thought had him thinking he probably shouldn't have poked the dragon. He didn't have much time to think about it; Penelope came down the stairs, her thick hair pulled into a damp ponytail and her feet clad in adorable patent leather shoes.

"There's my girl," he said, opening his arms to her.

She hesitated only a second before going into his arms, but she did hesitate. Most people wouldn't have noticed the slight pause, but he did. He knew her, and it troubled him.

He took her bag with one hand and then opened her door, letting her out before him. He looped his arm around her shoulders and started the trek toward the student union for their usual coffee.

"Mind telling me what's going on?" he asked, just after they'd cleared their respective houses.

Penelope's eyes were big and troubled as she looked up at him. "Oh, Derek! Strauss found out...about us...sleeping together."

Derek winced internally, but he didn't let it show to Penelope. She didn't have to say it, really; he'd already guessed that was the problem. Calmly, he stopped and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Okay. What did she have to say?"

"That it's against the house code of conduct and that I could be in serious trouble," she said quickly, and her eyes filled with tears.

Derek shook his head. "You're not in serious trouble."

She blinked at him. "Why?"

"Because all the houses have Codes of Conduct," he explained. "They would have to be held to the same standards, and three-quarters of the population of those houses would be in serious trouble. That's money out of their pockets."

Penelope sniffled. "I know, but they only reported us. Reported...by Biffy Banks's sorority! They're the fastest group of girls on the campus!"

"Not only athletically," Derek muttered. Damn Carlson and his catty girlfriend.

With a hopeless expression, she whispered, "Hot Stuff...it's awful."

"No, it's not," he said, taking her hand and leading her to a bench. "Baby, let them be jealous cats, and let that witch Strauss bitch and moan," he said with a grin, tugging his tearful girl near him. "Sweetheart, they're assholes."

"They are," Penelope agreed dejectedly. She looked over at Derek sadly. "Strauss wants our relationship terminated."

Derek shrugged. "Strauss can go fuck herself."

Penelope gasped, but she smiled, just slightly. "Derek!"

"Hey," he said, cupping her face in his hands. "We can sneak around until then. As long as we don't break rules, we'll be okay."

"How?"

"We got one month left of this semester, and then we're going to live together and not have to deal with anything: no Carlson, no Strauss, no Biffy Banks." He waited a second and grinned wickedly at her, "In our place, you can come as loudly as you feel like. In fact, I'm gonna have a contest with myself...see how loudly I can make you scream."

Penelope's smile left her face. "Derek, I don't think that's such a good idea."

He kissed her forehead. "Oh, baby, trust me...it's a very good idea."

She blushed prettily, even though she still looked sad. "Not that, honey. The moving out part."

He frowned. "Why not?"

"I just...don't know if I want to move in with you yet," she said, looking away from him quickly.

Derek's heart skipped an unpleasant beat. "What do you mean by that?"

"I..." she began, stumbling over the simplest words. "I mean, it's all so sudden...and we have to think of our scholarships and all of that."

He waved it off. "I have thought about that."

Penelope looked back at him with wide, hopeful eyes. "You have?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I've got it worked out. I'll just be working longer, getting some loans. It'll be okay."

It wouldn't be easy, but he didn't care. Nothing in his life had ever been easy. All he wanted was Penelope.

But as he looked at her, he could see it, the bubble of hope that was floating with her was bursting and dissipating in the wind. She looked about as sad as she had before they'd started talking.

"Derek, it's just not a good idea."

"I think it is."

"Think of your future," she stressed.

He held her chin in his hand again, making her meet his eyes. "Baby...you're my future."

Her eyes welled with big, luminescent tears. "It's just not that easy."

"Woman," he said, holding her gaze. "You tell me honestly that you don't want to live with me, and I'll let it go."

As the tears filled her eyes, he could see she hadn't meant a word that she'd just said. "Oh, Hot Stuff..."

"Baby," he said, tucking her near him. "It'll work out."

"I wish it would," she said miserably.

"It will, sweetie," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Trust me."

He didn't quite know how...but it would work.

It had to.