Author's Note: I regret to inform you that I will not be updating this story on a regular basis—at least not right now. My computer is broken, and unfortunately, I can't afford a new one right away, so it may be a bit. I will do my best and update as often as possible (this means lots of writing by hand and then typing up…blech.) My apologies for the bump in the road.

As always, thank you so much for the reviews for last chapter!

~ Angie

An hour later, Penelope was touching up her make up when her cell phone started ringing. She put the mascara wand down beside the sink, and made her way to the nightstand beside her bed. She scowled when she saw the caller ID. Derek. He was probably calling to make her jealous. Well, she had news for him! "Hello?" she practically snapped.

"Hey," Derek said carefully. "What's up?"

"You tell me," she returned. "Where are you?"

"We're in the hotel," he answered.

"What about your night on the town?" she asked, trying to force her composure. He'd been thinking about a bachelor party, and she'd been thinking about sex—they were on two completely different wavelengths. She had to remind herself that it wasn't his fault she was so freakin' horny.

"Oh, we're going out on the town," Derek said dryly. "But that's after Reid gets the 'groom' decal ironed onto his new t-shirt."

Penelope paused for a moment. "Are you…kidding?" she asked.

"Sadly…no," he told her.

"I…well, I suppose this is what you get," she taunted in a sing-song tone of voice.

"What do you mean 'this is what I get?'" he asked in confusion.

"For jumping on the opportunity to spend the night away from me," she said petulantly. She knew she was being ridiculous, but she couldn't help it. They'd just decided they were together, and she'd rather hoped that was how they'd be spending the night. Apparently he had other ideas.

"Are you…?" Derek's words faltered. "Is my girl…jealous?" he asked.

"Were you trying to make me jealous?" she shot back, her insides warming despite her tone. He'd just called her his girl…and she liked it.

"No," he answered decisively. "I'm not going to purposely try to make you jealous. You could have any guy you want, Penelope. At this point, the goal is to keep you."

Penelope couldn't help but grin. "You think I could have any guy I want?" she asked.

"Darlin'," Derek said in his deep timbre. "I know you could."

"Oh, my," she said throatily.

"What?"

She sighed heavily. "When you get back to my room tonight, you are going to get so…damn…lucky."

Derek chuckled. "Like you could've kept your hands off me anyway."

"Is that a challenge?" she teased.

"God, no," he assured her quickly. "I don't want to risk not having you tonight. Gotta go, Babe. If I start funneling shots down Reid's throat right now, I figure I can be back in an hour or so."

"Be good to him, Derek," she warned with a giggle.

"I'll do my best. I love you," he said as he hung up the phone.

Penelope's eyes widened and she gasped as she threw her phone on the bed. Well! She certainly hadn't expected that.

"He said what?" Emily hissed.

"Right?" Penelope exclaimed. "There is no way that he loves me. He couldn't! He doesn't even know me well enough to love me!"

"That's true," Emily mused. "And the way you've treated him certainly wouldn't elicit such an emotion."

"Hey!" Penelope said, socking her friend on the arm.

"I'm just trying to be logical," Emily explained.

"Oh? By marrying a guy you've been dating for…what? A week? Real logical, Emily," Penelope said impatiently.

"It's been longer than that," Emily muttered.

Penelope sighed as she flopped down on her friend's bed. "I know," she conceded. "I'm just…being a bitch because I'm freaking. I'm sorry." Penelope sighed. "It wasn't that long ago that the only person I thought Derek Morgan could love was himself."

Emily laughed. "Well, you weren't alone in that assumption," she assured her friend. "It seems that SSA Morgan is turning over a new leaf."

"Do I have to say it back?" Penelope asked worriedly, refusing to let her friend change the subject. "I mean—one person says I love you…they usually expect to hear it back!"

Emily shook her head. "I don't know the rules, Penelope," she said.

"Well…what do you know?" Penelope asked.

Emily gave her friend a stern glare.

"Aaaand…out pops my second apology. I'm sorry," Penelope said with a frown.

Emily sighed. "Hey, no. I understand. I mean…Derek Morgan just declared his love for you. I'd be weirded out, too." She plopped down onto the bed next to her friend. "The first time Reid told me he loved me…I sort of freaked," she admitted.

"You did?" Penelope asked doubtfully.

Emily nodded. "Yep. Of course, me…when I freak? I get quiet. And he knew."

"Was he mad?" Penelope asked.

Emily shook her head. "Not at all. He said he knew I wasn't ready to say it, and he wanted me to wait until I meant it. Of course, he knew I loved him. It just took me a little while to catch on. Don't you remember my meltdown in Georgia when he was taken by Hankle?"

Penelope nodded. "Yes. You regretted not saying it when you had the chance," she said softly.

"Yes. And because it was true. Don't say it because you think he expects to hear it. He'll know if you don't mean it," Emily warned. "I mean…Reid can hardly pick up on social cues but he knew I wasn't ready to say it. Derek? He's like a dog with a bone…he knows exactly where it's at."

Penelope sighed. "God, I hope he still comes to my room tonight."

"And in it," Emily said with a shameless grin.

Penelope nudged her friend with her shoulder. "You slut!"

"Hello!" JJ's voice interrupted them from the other side of the door just before she started pounding on it.

"What the hell?" Emily asked as she jumped up off the mattress and hauled the door open. "What are you doing?" she asked as she stepped aside.

"Getting ready for tonight!" JJ said cheerfully, taking a swig off the open bottle of tequila in her hand.

"We're going dress shopping," Emily reminded her patiently, seizing the bottle and pulling it away from her.

JJ shook her head. "Change of plans."

"Jayje—"

"Emily, please!" her friend begged urgently. "Will and I just decided to try for another baby. Do you know what that means?"

Emily's eyes lit up. "Lots of sex?"

JJ shook her head. "No—well, yes. But it also means ten months of no drinking…followed by yet another year of no drinking whilst I breast feed."

"Jayje, if you don't want another baby—"

"I want another baby," she said quickly. "I just…want to precede it with a night of no-holds-barred, dancing on the speakers, chasing my tequila shot with a beer…fun!" JJ stopped and put her best pout on—the one that always seemed to work with Will. "You aren't going to deny me that, are you, Emily?"

Emily thought about it for a moment before she sighed. "Just let me change."

"Yay!" Penelope said as Emily walked into the bathroom.

"So, what's your poison?" JJ asked in amusement as she turned to Penelope.

"Lately?" Penelope returned. "Derek Morgan."

JJ's eyes widened. "What?"

Penelope groaned. "Don't ask."