Somehow, a month had passed faster than Penelope had imagined, and she and Aaron were quickly growing closer, though they had yet to have sex. She found that she didn't really miss it, but still she wanted to take things to the next level, and she knew that Valentine's Day would be the most romantic day for that to happen. Knowing that that would take a bit of planning, she called Rossi while the team was out on the field, hoping that he wouldn't tease her too terribly when she called.

"Hey, Kitten, what can I do for you?"

"Are you somewhere private? I really don't want you to be overheard by anyone, especially Aaron."

"One second." She heard him tell Reid that he had to take the call in private before she heard him walking somewhere, and then a door was closing before he spoke once more. "What's up?"

"I know this case is horrible, and I don't want to rush you home, but it's going to be Valentine's Day soon, and I want to make it a special one for Aaron, since we haven't taken things to the next level yet. And before you say anything, I'm trusting you to keep that information to yourself."

He chuckled a little. "You take all the fun out of things, Penelope. Fine, I promise. So, you want me to get him home by the evening of Valentine's Day?"

"If you could, please. I'm going to call Jessica and ask her to watch Jack for the entire weekend, since the holiday is on a Sunday this year."

"I'll try my best, Kitten, though I can't make any promises. Oh, I have to go. I'll call you soon."

"Sounds good," she replied before ending the call. Taking a deep breath, she then called Jessica, waiting for her to pick up. While the phone rang, she scrolled through her searches, sending some pertinent information to Aaron's phone as the other woman picked up. "Hey, Jess!"

"Penelope! How are you?"

"Pretty good. Um, I have a small favor to ask of you. I want to have a romantic night with Hotch, for Valentine's Day, and was wondering if you would mind keeping Jack until the fifteenth? That is, if he gets home for the weekend. This unsub is a wily bastard, and we're having trouble tracking him down."

"Yeah, Aaron sounded a little frustrated with how the case was going when he called to check in with Jack last night. But I suppose that I could be persuaded to look after him a little while longer to give you both a sweet date night together."

"You are the best, Jess! Thank you so much!"

The other woman chuckled a little. "You're just lucky that I'm finally getting more accustomed to you," she teased. "Seriously, seeing Jack bounce back and be more of his former self has been a wonderful think to see, and I can't thank you enough for that small blessing. I know that Haley would be happy, too. I, I listened to her last words, Mrs Strauss allowed me to have a copy of the audio, and I know that she wanted Jack to know what love looks like. You two might not be in complete love right now, but you are well on your way to it, and that tenderness is helping to heal them."

She let out a huff of breath, trying to keep from crying at those sweet words, before she spoke. "That is the kindest thing I think anyone has ever said about me," she finally murmured, having to clear her throat afterwards, since it was clogged with tears. "You know what? Let's have a movie night with Jackers. I'll pick up a pizza after I log out here, and we can watch something while we eat, and he'll still be in bed early enough for school in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan."

They chatted for a little while longer before Penelope had to answer a call from Morgan, and then her focus was back on the case at hand, trying to find this unsub before he could hurt another person. And though her time with Jack and Jessica had been a needed palate cleanser before she had had to jump back into things the next day with another murder. Finally, though, they apprehended the unsub, and Rossi had kept his word, getting them home Sunday afternoon. He had even called her, letting her know that they were on their way home, and that he had directed Aaron to head over to her apartment.

That had been two hours ago, and she knew that he would be there shortly. Scurrying into the bathroom, she took a final look at her makeup, touching up a few places on her face before heading back into the kitchen and checking on the meal she had made for them. Everything looked like it was coming together nicely, and she pulled the chicken from the oven and set it on a trivet on the counter before setting the table and lighting the candles to set the ambiance. Once that was all finished, she turned on her radio, choosing a soft jazz station to also set the mood a little better.

Penelope was just pouring them each a glass of red wine when she heard the key rattle in the door. A bright smile spread across her face as she smoothed her hands down her thighs, waiting to see Aaron appear before her. "You're finally home," she whispered as he came over to her side, kissing her delicately before holding out a bouquet of blue Dutch irises. "These are beautiful."

"They reminded me of you. And I know, red roses are typical of today, but you're not a typical person."

"There is that." She giggled a little as she took the flowers from his hand and brought them over to the sink, pulling a vase out of her cupboard and filling it with water before arranging the bouquet and then setting it in the center of the table. "I am so glad that you caught that man. But I feel so badly for that little girl. She, she reminded me of Jack, if I'm honest."

"I felt the same," he replied before picking up his glass and taking a sip of the wine. She gave him a soft, sad, smile before serving their food and taking a seat across from him, watching him through the flowers as he ate. There didn't seem to be much to say to each other, but it wasn't an awkward silence. If anything, the quiet just made her desire him all the more, since it was full of the promise of what was to come. Finally, the meal was over, and they were standing up from the table.

Penelope extinguished the candle before turning to find Aaron placing their plates in the dishwasher. "I think that it's time to head to bed, darling. Don't you?"

He gave her a full on smile, and Penelope felt like she was melting beneath its radiance. "I do think so." Reaching out, he cupped her face before leaning in to kiss her lips in a warm, lush, kiss. This was a little different from their previous kisses, and she whimpered a little as she slung an arm around his neck, allowing him to deepen the kiss as they tripped their way into her bedroom. A tiny gasp slipped from her lips when he pushed her down onto the mattress and she gazed up at him as he began to loosen his tie. "Or do you want to undress me?"

She shrugged a little as she reached behind her back and began to run the zipper of her dress down her back. His hands slowed as he shrugged out of his suitcoat before starting to slip the buttons of his shirt out of their holes, his eyes never leaving her body. Penelope felt so wanted in that moment, and she rose to her feet so that she could step out of the garment, crouching to pick it up before sashaying over to the closet, hanging it up before turning to face Aaron once more. He was already down to his boxers, and she couldn't help but stare at his erection, a pleased grin stealing across her features as she went to unhook her bra.

Aaron stopped her motions, and she lifted her chin a little as she stepped closer to him, feeling the heat of his body radiate off him to seep into her own body. "Is there something that you want to do?" she purred, feeling her smile turn a bit carnal as she thrust her chest out towards him, trying to entice his hands to touch her skin. He simply nodded and placed his hands on her hips, tugging her forward before bending a little to nuzzle his nose into the crook of her neck, causing her to moan as his fingers danced up her back until they came to the clasp of her bra. The light snick that filled the air, told her that he had expertly undone it, and she sighed deeply as he began to kiss his way down her chest until he came to the swell of her breasts. Pausing, he slid his hands back down to her hips, slipping his thumbs beneath the band of her panties and pushing them down her thighs as he began to lavish attention on her breasts.

She hardly noticed when he brought her down to the bed, fitting himself between her legs as he continued to kiss and nuzzle her skin, making her feel completely cherished and adored. And then, he was thrusting into her, filling her completely. It was so easy to allow desire to wash over her as she hooked her legs around his waist, pulling him in deeper, making her feel wholly his. It was easy for her to be vocal, allowing him to know that what he was doing was pleasurable to her. "You're mine," he groaned in her ear as his hips snapped in a faster and faster pace, and she knew that his orgasm was imminent, and she slipped her hand between them to seek out her clit, stroking herself in order to get her close to the precipice as well, want to orgasm with him for their first time together. And then, she was seeing stars as her orgasm washed over her, Aaron following her into the depths of pleasure.