A/N: And that is it. The end of this journey. Thank you all for coming along with us for the ride and for the amazing support. Thanks also to the wonderful kricketWilliams, who was a lot of fun to write with and a fountain of neverending ideas. She actually saved this story from where it was heading... Naidoo

A/N2: Thank you for taking this journey with Pen and Derek with us. It has been wonderful working with Naidoo on this story. What a blessing to have her as a friend and writing partner. Peace to you all, Kricket

Their time to start their journey back home started three days later. They were packing up all their stuff rather last minute. They had spent most of their remaining time in Spain in bed, which was a fantastic place to spend it. However, Penelope now felt a bit guilty, being in a country like Spain, on an island like Mallorca, and not seeing much of the island and what it had to offer.

But not too guilty!

Ever since they had that terrible fight and separated, they'd spent their time making it up to each other. They hadn't left the bed unless absolutely necessary. When they weren't showering affection, attention, kisses and other very addicting things on each other, they were eating and relaxing, so that they could start right back up again, showering affection, attention, kisses and other very addicting things! By the end of the three days, they'd done every position known to man, and they didn't regret a minute of it. They'd rarely seen the outside of their bedroom suite.

And when they did, it usually was some place like the swimming pool, which rather soon ended with some other activities that didn't have anything to do with swimming at all any longer.

If they didn't make love, they slept, being so exhausted from making love, but it wasn't anything either of them really minded. They'd only had eyes for each other; even while sleeping, they'd dreamed about each other. One way or another they'd always been together.

Now, it was time to say goodbye to their home away from home. It was a thought that filled Penelope with a dichotomy of feelings. She was happy, but she was sad, too. She was packing her bag, feeling wistful.

She must've looked like she felt, because Derek wrapped his arms around her from behind, then turned her to face him. He cupped her chin in his hand. "Hey, sugar. What's the matter?"

She answered softly, "Just sad to be going home. I loved it here."

"I loved it, too, momma," he murmured, leaning forward to give her a little kiss. Afterward, he enfolded her in his embrace.

She sighed rather heavily, and leaned into his chest. She could feel the rumble of a chuckle from deep inside him. She glanced up in curiosity.

"Woman, I know that sigh," he said to her silent question, a warm smile of concern gracing his lips. "Something's up. What gives?"

"I just wish I could've seen more, done more, stayed longer," she replied.

He gave her a curious look. "Don't you miss JJ, the team?" He grinned wickedly. "Your babies?"

She laughed at that. "Ah, mon cher. Of course I miss my computers... and everybody." She looked away from him again. "However, I wish I had you to myself for just a bit longer."

He brought his hands up to cup her face, so that she could look into his eyes, see the truth in them. "Baby Girl, you have the rest of your life to have me to yourself. Just say the word, and I'll come running."

She waited a second to get the lump of emotion out of her throat before answering. "Same here, pudding. Although I'll be running a little slower in my stilettos."

"Crazy girl," he said, kissing her one more time, before releasing her from his embrace, and picking up one of the sets of bags.

Penelope looked around the beautiful, sunny yellow room, and let out one more wistful sigh. Then she started packing again.

Making their way to the airport in the early hours of their last day or rather last few hours in Europe, Penelope fell asleep in the car, having not gotten enough sleep the night before due to a very nocturnal boyfriend of hers. And she swore he was insatiable. She had never met anyone, anyone at all, who was as sex-driven as Derek Morgan. Looking at him this morning, she once again had to realize life wasn't fair. He looked as if he had been sleeping the last three days through whereas she had big, dark bags under her eyes, which she couldn't even conceal with make-up, no matter how hard she tried. She had heard Morgan chuckle, when looking at her and her usual morning mood.

"You better remember; paybacks are a bitch," she grumbled towards him.

"What do you want to do? Ravish me for a week once we are back in DC?" he asked, then added a snicker. "If so ... bring it on and do your worst."

She punched him playfully in his arm and probably hurt herself more than him. Life wasn't fair, did she already mention that?

"No, but how about I'm just really, really, really busy for a few weeks once we are back home?" she smiled at him innocently, at which he just smiled back at her.

"You really would withdraw yourself for me? Doesn't that punish you then as well, because we both know, you are as addicted to me and the things I can do to you, as I am addicted to you and your things."

Penelope laughed for a moment and looked at him with a dreamy expression on her face.

"Hmm… the Derek Morgan rehabilitation…" she smiled, making him look up from the street to her.

"That makes me sound … rather unpleasant," he commented dryly at which she just laughed more.

"Oh trust me, the last thing you have to worry about is being unpleasant. You might be the first drug where rehabilitation is not possible. And I think I kind of like that life-long prognosis."

Morgan just laughed at her comment. "A drug, huh?" he asked, a smile still gracing his lips.

They continued their way towards the airport, and a little less than half an hour later, they arrived, returning their car and making their way to the check-in desks. Another twenty minutes later, they were set and ready to go, making their way through security and towards the gates. It was then that Penelope realized this was goodbye from Europe, their little adventure that ended up bringing them together. Goodbye from the good times and the fun, the Italian heartbreakers and Spanish gigolos. It wasn't as if she had any doubts about them returning and things getting strange or even weird; no, she had no worries or doubts about that. She trusted him. And it felt right: she had been waiting for this to happen ever since she'd first met Derek.

She still wished she could stay a bit longer here, with him, all to herself. And yes, it was selfish, but she wasn't ready yet to share this with anyone else, with the team, her friends. She just wanted it to be them for another few days. But they couldn't. They had to return back to the US sooner or later.

She let out a sigh while she rested her head on Morgan's shoulder, who was sitting in the chair next to her in the departure lounge.

"You okay, sweetness?" Morgan asked, concerned.

"Still wish we could stay a bit longer," she explained, snuggling a bit further into his shoulder.

Morgan brought an arm around her shoulders and back and pulled a bit closer into him, kissing her forehead. "We can always return if you wish."

Penelope looked up at that for a moment, with a surprised expression on her face. He made it all sound so simple, like a weekend trip to rural Virginia or something like that.

"Just like that?" she asked, a bit in disbelief. "It's an 8-hour flight, Morgan. You can't just come over for a few days. You need to have time," she smiled at him, not sure how to take his spontaneity.

"If you want it, I'll make it happen," he said as he smiled softly at her. "I have already been wasting enough time not telling you sooner, not making a step towards what we have now. I want you to know that from now on it's you and me together. I … don't want there to be any doubt or worry on either side; this is real and for the long-haul. You are mine, I'm yours, we are in this together."

Penelope's lips curved in a sweet smile, more for herself than him. She knew it was true, and she didn't have worries. This was love, this was forever, and she was ready to hold on with both hands.

At that point, the announcer on the loud speaker said, "Ahora embarque a los pasajeros en filas a través de L de H para el vuelo 275 a Nueva York. Now boarding passengers in row L through H for flight 275 to New York. Embarquement immédiat passagers H rangées par L..."

"That's us." Derek stood and then smiled down at her. "You ready, Momma?"

She grinned and took his outstretched hand. She looped her arm in his. "I'm always ready, Hot Stuff."

And she meant every word.