Chapter 26

AN: Hi, All...Thank you for the reviews; they really brighten my day...I know I am going uber fast here, but I have to do it to get this done before the start of season seven...So, without further adieu, here comes the next chapter...

Comfort and Confrontations

Penelope woke slowly and happily to the sounds of light snoring. It was a breathy sound, with the occasional sigh intertwined; it was really kind of a cute snore, if there was such a thing. She slowly opened her eyes and watched the handsome man next to her.

Derek was flat on his stomach, his arms folded under his pillow, with his head turned to the side. She hadn't anticipated that he would be a tummy sleeper; that seemed young and vulnerable to her, and Derek didn't give off a vulnerable vibe. He seemed so strong and invincible—a veritable fortress of strength and determination in his waking life.

She wasn't surprised at all he was still sleeping. They'd made love twice more during the night, taking the time to explore each other's bodies. She'd learned a lot of surprising things about him and herself, like his remarkably tickly belly button and his slight foot fetish—and her own ticklish big toes.

Now that she thought about it, he'd seemed to have a fetish when it came to all of her body parts. He'd treated each part of her body like it was something precious and infinitely delicious. He'd caressed, kissed, licked, tickled, and enjoyed his discoveries as much as she had...maybe more. She'd never felt so worshiped, cherished, and loved in bed before.

Her heart swelled, and tears prickled the back of her eyes. She should've expected that reverence. Derek treated her with love and honor in their friendship every day of their lives; why would making love change that?

Smiling to herself as the warmth of love washed over her, she decided she wanted to honor him this morning by making him breakfast in bed. She had some fresh strawberries in her refrigerator; she could whip up a baked pancake in a heartbeat.

Turning over, she started to roll the opposite way in the bed, when a long arm snaked out around her waist and stopped her.

Awake now, he arched a brow at her and gave her a mock stern look. "Where do you think you're going, young lady?"

Maybe it was something about being so in love, but she thought he was so adorable at that moment. His cheek had pillow creases, and his eyes were still just a touch puffy, indicating to her that he was still sleepy. She patted his cheek while her heart zinged.

"Go back to bed, honey," she ordered. "You look so sleepy."

A second later, he rolled her underneath him and pinned her arms above her head. That sleepiness was gone, to be replaced by a look of pure hunger. She could also feel the heat of his erection pressed against her inner thigh.

"I'm not so sleepy," he growled, lowering his head to layer kisses along the side of her neck.

My, he woke up quickly!

"But I was going to make breakfast," she whined in a faux fashion—she didn't want him to stop for anything, much less food—before he caught her mouth in a hungry kiss. When he broke away from her, they were both panting heavily.

He rested his forehead against hers. "Woman…I can't leave tomorrow without you."

Her heart skipped a beat in her chest. "Derek…"

"Being apart from you once in my lifetime was enough for me," he said, those dark, intense eyes boring into hers. "Don't make me do it again."

A loud pounding on the front door ended all conversation.

"Penny! Are you home?" Kevin's unmistakable voice called out from below them.

Her eyes widened as she stared up at Derek.

"Don't answer him," Derek remarked with a scowl.

"I saw your truck, Penelope, and Agent Morgan's car. I know you're there," he called out in a self-satisfied tone.

She looked up at Derek, biting her bottom lip. This was awkward, but she needed to deal with him.

Derek must've sensed her thoughts, because he rolled off of her and put his arm over his eyes.

She heard rattling of the doorknob. "O.M.G. You changed the locks? I am still your husband; we need to talk, Penny!"

Penelope stood and slid on her robe. Derek also moved as if to stand up, but she put a hand on his shoulder, halting him.

"Baby, let me—"

She shook her head. "No, D. Stay here, please. I need to do this myself."

Derek hesitated for only a moment, before he stood. Cupping her face in his hands, he reassured, "You need me, I'm a breath away."

She kissed him, and then slid on her slippers and went downstairs to open the front door.

"Penny…" Kevin said, his eyes huge and glistening with tears behind his glasses. "Wow...You look...Wow."

Watching him, Penelope thought about a time when those tears in his eyes used to move her. She used to think that he was such a wonderfully emotional man, not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. Now, she took them more as a ploy for attention, as if he were an errant child, looking for comfort from his mother when he truly didn't deserve it.

"What do you want, Kevin?" she asked, her face unmoving and stoic.

"Penny," he whispered, coming closer. "I…I am so sorry! I know I was wrong, but I am so, so, so, so sorry. I want to explain why I did it."

"It?" she asked, raising her brows in a sardonic gesture. "You mean ruining my dreams. That's what you did, Kevin. You should call it that."

He blanched and looked truly apologetic. "I know…I know I did...that. I'm sorry. I love you!"

She still didn't move.

"I have a reason for what I did," he said, shuffling his feet slightly against her new shiny wood floors and leaving black tennis shoe marks. "Penny, I wanted to make a life here. I really did. When I realized I couldn't, I had to fix it."

"You kept me from my friends, my family."

"I know!" he cried. "But if you'd talked to them, they would say things to make you leave, and I couldn't risk that. I love you too much!"

She shook her head. He had such copious amounts of tears, even his glasses were fogging up. He seemed so…pathetic to her now.

"Kevin. I think you should go now."

As she turned to leave, Kevin made a grab for her and knocked over the small lamp in entry way with a crash. The lamp shattered, and Penelope jumped back.

"I'm sorry! That was an accident. I…Morgan?" Kevin exclaimed incredulously, looking at the stairwell.

Derek had thrown on his shirt and jeans haphazardly and was coming down the stairs with a concerned look.

Kevin's eyes narrowed, and he turned to face Penelope. "Morgan? You slept with him? In our bed?"

Penelope shook her head and narrowed her eyes. "It's not your bed anymore."

Kevin let out a bitter chuckle of disgust and turned his attention to Derek. "Well, look at you. Congratulations, you won. After all these years, you finally get what you wanted...a piece of her ass."

"Lynch, I'm warning you...Watch your mouth," Derek growled with menace.

Kevin faced Penelope again, a nasty little smile curving his lips. "Tell me; did he wait an hour or a minute after I left to start seducing you? How long did it take you to fall into bed with-"

"You son of a bitch!" Derek cursed, not waiting for Kevin to finish. He was taking the steps two at a time to get to where they were standing.

"Derek, no!" Penelope said, placing her hands on his chest. She gave him a look, reminding him that it was her fight.

"Since minute one, you tried to tear us apart!" Kevin snarled. "Everyone knew you wanted this; you made this marriage fail! Because of you—"

"No, Kevin, because of you!" Penelope snapped back. "Everything that happened here was your fault. You did this; no one else."

He scoffed."Yeah, really, I—"

"Be quiet!" she snapped, feeling her ire rising to the breaking point. "I wasted a good portion of my life on you, now you need to listen. You owe me that much, so sit down and shut up!"

Kevin took a seat on the dilapidated couch.

"Derek had nothing to do with this. All he has ever done is love, support, and care for me from the first moment I met him. You, on the other hand, wouldn't know love if it bit you on your flat ass!"

Kevin gasped. "That is patently untrue! You know I love you."

She glanced at Derek with a soft smile, before glaring back at Kevin. "Derek trusts me to be free, listens to me and my wants, and is strong enough to support me without smothering me. You've done none of that, Kevin, and it is all that you should've done.

"All I wanted was a chance to work on a dream and to feel free from pain and hurt and losing another friend to a violent end. I ran before I could have anything taken from me anymore." She took two more steps toward Kevin, and stared down at him. "And I trusted you to be honest with me and to want what was best for me. That is my part of this, but you get the rest of the blame.

"Love is a two way street, Kevin," she said softly. "Supporting and being supported, comforting and completing one another."

"Then this is over?" Kevin asked, standing, a flat look on his face.

"Pretty much," she answered with a nod.

"Very well," Kevin said, his lips pinched in a tight line. "If that's what you want, I'll start a divorce."

"I filed yesterday," Penelope answered matter-of-factly. "You should get your papers any day."

He gasped, and then frowned at her. "This is not over."

She shrugged. "Yeah. It is."

With a glare, he turned and walked out the door.

She turned and looked at Derek. "I am so sorry you had to hear that, Hot Stuff."

He pulled her into his arms. "I know that, baby. It's okay."

"I love you," she said, burying her face in the warmth of his shirt. "Very much."

He kissed the top of her head. "I know that, too."

Wrapping her arms around him, she let his warmth and support flow over her, while she let her heart fly toward happily ever after.