Chapter Eight:
Derek loved waking up to Penelope every morning. Since making things official just over a week ago, they'd barely spent a moment apart. Penelope would be returning to work though, which meant Derek would be back to travelling with the team. He knew deep down that Penelope was safe. If she wasn't, Hotch would be making sure she was protected. Still, the idea of leaving her for days at a time was extremely unappealing to him.
Penelope, on the other hand, was ready to get back to work. She wanted her normal life back. Well, normal with a slight change. She was not looking forward to going home alone while Derek was away with the team. She felt like she had wasted time. They could have been happy for so much longer if she'd just let herself. But, she knew she couldn't keep dwelling on that. They were together now, and that's what mattered.
"I think my babies missed me." Penelope said. Derek had just made them dinner, and they were seated at his kitchen table. Tomorrow would be their first day back, and Derek wanted to have one last date night before the chaos of work returned. "The person covering for me probably moved all my stuff around. Oh! My chair! Hot Stuff, what if they messed with my chair?"
"Honey, if they changed your chair positions, you know your man will fix it for you." He smiled at her. "You know, I'm really, really good with my hands."
"You, Derek Morgan, are incorrigible." She giggled, giving him a playful shove. He smirked at her. "Are you excited to go back to busting bad boys?"
"It'll be nice to get back to work, but I'm not looking forward to nights like this being less frequent." He admitted. She nodded in understanding. "I love my job, I love going to different places, cracking down on serial killers, and giving families closure. Being away from home for days, sometimes weeks, at a time never bothered me. But that's because it wasn't really home before. It was a house to sleep in, but now that I have you, it really is home."
"I know what you mean." She told him. She grabbed his hand. "And I can sense your worry, sug. It's not going to happen. I'm not going to leave you because of the requirements of the BAU. I knew exactly what I was getting into, remember?"
"I know, but knowing what it means and living it are different." He sighed, a wrinkle forming in his forehead. "I don't ever want to lose you."
"Derek, you are never, ever going to lose me." She released his hand, and cupped his chin, forcing him to look at her. "You are the love of my life, and you are it for me. I know that your job means you might be gone for birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries. I know that you're going to have some really hard cases, and sometimes you'll bring it home with you. But honey, we work for the same team, and we are in this together. So you aren't home for your birthday. We'll celebrate when you get home. You're having a bad day in the field, we'll talk on the phone until you fall asleep. Whatever it takes, we're going to make this work. There's not another option, okay?"
"I love you, Penelope." He told her, looking into her eyes, hoping he could convey all of his feelings.
Penelope loved the nicknames he called her. She was his honey, his goddess, his sexy momma, and of course his baby girl. But what really got to her, was when he called her by her name. When he called her Penelope, she knew he was being serious, and it made her melt.
"I love you too, Derek."
She leaned in and kissed him. Moments like this reminded her how real this was. Derek and herself were going to make it. She knew it. She was so happy with him, and she knew this was what he wanted. Years of friendship had gotten them here, and they knew each other better than anyone else.
"You know...you're all moved in...and I think there's still some surfaces of this place we have christened yet." Derek said, kissing her neck.
"Read my mind, baby."
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She had been trying to figure out what to say for days now. Derek was out on a case, and while she was waiting for her team to call for help, she was looking at the blank piece of paper in front of her. She'd taken the time she'd had alone to think of words, but nothing was coming to her. She sighed. This wasn't supposed to be this hard. She picked her pen up again and decided to keep trying.
Dear Liam,
I have been trying to write you this letter for some time now. I can't help but feel a little guilty. You avoided prison for so long, and as soon as I came into your life, you're behind bars. It's not that I have forgotten the bad things you did, it's just that I also know there's good in you. When my mother and stepfather died, I felt so alone. My step brothers felt like their deaths were my fault, and I agreed with them. I got involved with some bad people, and did some not so good things. It took getting caught by the FBI for me to turn my life around. I wish you had had the same opportunity.
I want to thank you for playing a part in my rescue. I was so afraid when those guys took me. I thought I was going to die and never see the people I love again. But, here I am, safe and sound. You gave me a chance at love. Derek and I have decided to give our relationship a real chance, and even though to some it may seem fast, I moved into his house. I know this is what I want. I love him so much, and I can't imagine my life without him in it.
I wish that you and I had gotten to know each other more, and despite all the mess, I would still like that. Knowing I have a father out there is something I can't ignore. I still have so many questions, and I hope to ask them. If you are okay with it, I''d like to keep writing to you. Maybe I'll even be able to come visit you some time. Only if that's fine by you.
Anyway, I just want you to know that you're not alone. I am your daughter, and I am here, hoping to hear back.
-Penelope
She read it over again and decided she was happy with the results. She had been so conflicted at first about Liam, but decided he deserved a chance. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't be here. Her phone started to ring. She smiled when she saw Derek's name.
"I was beginning to think you'd abandoned me." She teased into the speaker.
"Never, gorgeous. I need you to run a plate for me."
She grinned. It was as if nothing had changed. The sense of her new normal was calming. She could get used to this.
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The case had been a tough one. A child abduction was involved. That always left the entire team shook. Luckily, the missing eight year old little boy had safely been returned to his father, unharmed. To celebrate a very happy end to a very grim case, the team was going to Rossi's for a family dinner. After a whole week without them, Penelope was happy her family was home safe.
"Honey, I'm home." Derek announced, stepping into her cave, and planting a kiss on top of her head. She spun around in her chair, and leapt up to embrace him. He held her tightly. "Hmmm, I miss you."
"I missed you too, love muffin." She replied. She pulled back and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Knowing anything more would tempt her to break her no office sex rule.
"Hey, what's this?" Derek asked, picking up the envelope on her desk. "And where on earth did you find Rosie the Riveter stamps?"
"You can find anything on EBay." She quipped with a smile. Then she grew serious. "It's a letter to send to Liam."
"Ah." Derek replied. He didn't love the idea of her keeping in touch with her convict biological father, but he wasn't going to fight her on it. He knew it had to be her choice.
"Nothing bad will happen." She assured him.
"I know, baby girl. I can't help but worry about you." He said. "But, let's not get into it now. Right now, I want to celebrate being home with my favorite girl in the world."
"That sounds like you're buttering me up." She said skeptically.
"I might be." He teased. "We'll talk about it later. I want to run home and shower before dinner, and if we hurry, you might be able to join me."
That was enough for Penelope to forget about the topic at hand. She all but pulled him from her office. She couldn't wait to get him, and wet under the shower with her.
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They ended up being late to dinner. So late in fact, that everyone had already finished a bottle of Rossi's vintage wine, and had been betting whether or not the couple was going to ditch dinner. Penelope was uber embarrassed, but Derek was loving it. He wouldn't have changed their long steamy shower for anything, even if their family decided to torment them for it.
Penelope was catching up with Emily and JJ. They were discussing when to have their next girl's night, and where they should go shopping. Derek smiled as his girlfriend happily chatted with her best friends. He was half listening to Reid tell him about a new book he'd been reading.
"Ah, I know that look." Rossi smirked knowingly.
"What look?" Derek asked.
"The look on your face. Pretty sure I had it right before I asked Carolyn to be my wife." Rossi stated.
"He's right." Hotch agreed, with his infamous half smile.
"I don't think we're there quite yet." Derek replied.
"Oh come on, anyone can see that you are. Even me." Spencer stated, amused.
"Fine, if you must know. My momma is coming to visit next week. I asked her to bring my grandmother's engagement ring. My father wanted me to use it when I found the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. See, momma loves Penelope, and the girls think she's great. I want them here when I finally pop the question, I'm just worried she'll think I'm rushing her for something she's not ready for. We just made things official."
"Yeah, but the two of you have been friends for years, Derek." Rossi replied. "And it's only a matter of time before you get married. What was that thing you guys have been saying? Something about wasting enough time."
"Point taken." Derek replied as the woman in question approached them.
"Hi lover, ready to head home?" Penelope asked him.
"Sure thing, sweetness." He smiled.
They bid their goodbyes to their family. JJ and Will were right behind them, with a very sleepy Henry. Hotch was also getting ready to head out and pick up Jack. Everyone was beat from the long case, and ready to head home and spend the night with their loved ones.
Derek held open the door to his Tahoe for Penelope. She thanked him for being her prince charming and slid into the seat. He held onto her hand as he drove, keeping the other on the steering wheel. He had missed being near her this past week, and was hoping they wouldn't get a call until at least 24 hours for another case.
"So, what were you buttering me up for?" Penelope asked, remembering the conversation in her office.
"Not really buttering you up, just have some news." He said, reassuringly. "Momma and my sisters are coming out next weekend. I think more to see you than me, honestly. They're so excited that we're together and want to come see if for themselves."
"Sugar, I love your family. You never have to worry about them coming to visit, okay?" She squeezed his hand.
"I know." He smiled. "But you know how nosey the girls are. And momma is gonna be a momma to you the whole time."
"I look forward to it." She grinned at him. "When do they fly in?"
"Thursday night. They're gonna take a cab to our place in case we have a case. I'm hoping not,and Hotch agreed to let me fly home early if possible, but if it's a bad one, we might have to figure it out."
"I promise to entertain them until you return, and to only steal a few childhood photos from your mom." She replied.
"Woman, if my momma tries to show you my mohawk days, you better tell her no thank you."
"Oh hot stuff, this is going to be great."
A/N It's been a hot minute. I redid this whole chapter because I didn't love the way it turned out. I'm still iffy on this one, but I have decided to end it here for now. The next chapter is started, and will feature Momma Morgan! I fully believe she would have loved Derek and Penelope together. I'll be on vacation in 10 days, so I'm gonna try to update this and a few other things again before I leave, because I will not be able to post while on vacation! I hope this was a good chapter for you all :)