A month had went by since Savannah shared her happy news. In that time, Penelope went back to work, Derek started having D every other weekend and one day a week. If he was away on a case they Pen adjusted what time he spent with his son. Fran had moved and was disappointed and happy when she found out that Savannah was pregnant; sad that it was with Savannah. Nothing changed between Savannah and Derek. She kept trying to get him to move back in their home but his mind was set. That made Savannah mad to no end and she made his life hell. She was always calling and whining about something. Even when they were on cases she did that, at least that was what Spence and JJ told her. It frustrated Derek but there was nothing he could do.
D was thirteen weeks now and was starting to very vocal. When he wakes up in the morning or from a nap, he talks to himself. He loves tummy time and loves to look around. He kicks his legs and grunts. It's very rare for him to cry. He spends one day a week with Fran while Penelope is at work and babysits him when she goes out with either Spence or the girls. He also spends the weekends with Fran when it's Derek's weekend. Derek's sisters come down when Derek has him so they seem a lot too.
It was an adjustment for Penelope when she went back to work. She missed him so much that she would spend her lunch hour with him instead of eating. If he was available, Derek would be with on his lunch break too. Derek tried to talk to her but if it wasn't about D she didn't want to talk. She had told may times they had a son together and they only needed to talk about him. The ladies in the daycare loved D because he was such a good baby. They also had a list of who was allowed to take D out of the daycare and who wasn't. Savannah Morgan was the only one who was on that list. A week later the peacefulness that Penelope had was shattered.
It was only Wednesday and she was so tired. All she wanted was to pick up D, soak in tub with a glass of wine. She was looking in her purse when an annoying voice stopped her.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"I work here."
"What?"
"You heard me."
Penelope tried to step around her when Savannah put a hand on her to stop her.
"You need to move your hand."
"What do you mean you work here?"
"I guess Derek didn't tell you that I came back to work." She stared hard at Penelope. "If you will excuse I want to go home."
Savannah let go of her arm and Penelope stepped around her. She got on the elevator and went to get D. She bundled D up and hurried home. The last thing she wanted was for Savannah to find out that D was in the daycare.
Savannah stormed into Derek's office and slammed the door. Derek sat back and stared at her.
"Why didn't you tell me that Penelope came back to work?"
He stared at her for a moment. "It wasn't any of your business."
"It is my business."
"What she does has nothing to do with you and I don't have to tell you anything about her."
"Where is she leaving your son?"
"With my momma."
"How is that if she lives in Chicago?"
"Oh I'm sorry. I must have forget to tell you but my momma moved here to be closer to her grandson."
"She what?"
"Yeah. She retired from her job and bought a home here."
"You didn't think I needed to know that."
"Savannah we are getting a divorce and you don't need to know anything about my family and that included Penelope and my son."
"I'm your wife Derek. That makes me your family too. That makes this baby your family."
"What do you want?"
"I came to tell you that I have a doctor appointment tomorrow and I want you to come."
"What time?"
"It's at 9." She said. "I was hoping you would pick me up and after …."
"I'll meet you there unless a case comes up between now and then."
Savannah felt her anger rising but she made it a point not to let Derek see. She put on a fake smile and walked out of the office. She walked rigid to the elevator and until she was closed in did she let out a scream that she was holding in.
At nine am the next morning Derek met Savannah at the doctor's office. Once she was called to the back she was put in a room. Derek didn't speak to Savannah even though she tried to engage him in conversation, nothing worked. They sat there in silence until the doctor walked in.
"Hello Savannah how are you feeling?"
"I've been feeling well. No nausea or anything like that."
"Good. Who do we have here?"
"This is Derek, my husband."
"I'm Dr. Thorne." She said. "Well it's always nice to see the daddy's come to appointments. You are gaining the right amount of weight for in a month. Lay back and let me measure your stomach and then we'll see if we can hear the heartbeat."
The doctor measured and got Savannah ready to hear the heartbeat. She moved the Doppler around until she heard it. The swoosh filled the room. Savannah smiled wide and Derek just sat in awe. He missed this with his son and he regretted ever hurting Penelope. If hadn't been an asshole he wouldn't be in this position right now but hear he sat hearing the heartbeat of the baby. The doctor wiped off the gel and Savannah sat up, all smiles.
"The baby has a nice strong heartbeat." Dr. Thorne said. "Savannah you need to get some rest, eat good meals and everything should go according to plan. Do you two have any questions?"
"When is the earliest you can test for paternity?"
"There are different ways but as of next week you can have one done by amnio where a needle is inserted into the uterus. There are risks to that and any other ones. Other than that you can have one done once the baby is born."
"Thank you doctor."
Dr. Thorne caught the glare that Savannah was shooting Derek and quickly left the room. Derek walked out with Savannah behind him. She made her next monthly appointment. She was fuming by the time they got to the parking lot. Derek was about to get into his truck when she pulled him by the arm.
"What the hell was that Derek? Why did you ask that?"
"Because Savannah, I don't believe that baby is mine and I won't believe that until I have test results to tell me that I am the father."
"What makes you think this baby is not yours?"
"I know you Savannah. I know what you were like after we got married. I don't trust you plain and simple. I can spot a lie a miles away."
"You're wrong this time. This is your baby and you are going to regret this. I won't have a test done while I'm pregnant. Oh and Derek, you can file for divorce, you can have me served with divorce papers but until I have our baby it won't be final."
"That may be true but a judge cab make you have a paternity test."
He slammed the door and drove off. The first call he was going to make was to his lawyer. He needed to protect himself. In his gut he knew that baby wasn't his but he wondered whose baby it was.
Penelope was sitting on the floor in the living room playing with D when there was a knock on the door. She got up, opened the door and frowned.
"What are you doing here Derek?"
"I needed to see my son. Can I come in?"
"I guess. He's on his mat. We were playing."
Derek walked in and smiled when he saw D on his tummy. He sat on the floor and D picked up his head to look at him.
"Hey there buddy are you playing with mommy?"
D squealed and put his face in the blanket that was covering the mat. Derek laughed and bent to pick him up. He stood D on his legs and D sent him a smile. Penelope knew Derek better than anyone and she sensed something was wrong. She didn't want to ask but she did.
"What's bothering you?"
"Everything."
She waited for an explanation. She watched Derek play with his son. When D started to doze off while Derek rocked him, he finally started talking.
"I don't think that baby is mine."
That surprised her. "Why do you think that?"
"Savannah was all about her career. She didn't want a baby. She only had sex with me when she wanted, on her demand."
"You went along with that." he nodded. "Why?"
"I don't know. Stupidity, needs. I asked for a paternity test but I won't get one until that baby is born. If it turns out to be mine, I'm going to feel like shit. More that I already do. Savannah will use that against me. I can't do what she wants."
"What does she want?" she asked even though she already knew.
"She wants her husband back." He said while looking at D. "I don't want that. What I want is right here in my arms. You don't know what it feels like not being able to see my son whenever I want. I miss him. I need him. I want to be able to come home from a case and see him. I feel like a part of me is missing, like it always has been missing. "
Pen blinked back tears and looked down. "Derek, I'm not trying to hurt you but we have to be realistic here. You can't be with D like that. You have your life and I have mine. Whether or not that baby is yours, you won't know until she has the baby. If that baby is yours, there is no way Savannah will let D come first. What's going to happen to D when you have to be with your other child and not him? What is going to happen when you make a commitment to D and then you can't follow through? I have to think about our son. It's already hard on him."
"I know your right but what about what I want. I want my son with me."
"Are you going to feel this way if the baby is yours? Then what Derek, then what?"
"I'm still divorcing Savannah. Everything will be filed and once that baby is born the divorce will go through."
"Even if the baby is yours."
"I can't stay married to her Pen. I don't love her. That was the second biggest mistake I made was marrying her and I have been miserable ever since. I should have just walked away." He looked at her. "My first mistake was letting you go."
Derek watched as Pen took a shuddering death and then sighed. He wished he could hold her in his arms just one more time.
"Can I stay until he goes to sleep?"
"Yeah. I didn't bother cooking dinner since I was going to be by myself."
"Where is Spence?"
"Something happened to his mother and he left for a few days unless a case comes up, then he will meet you guys."
"I didn't know that."
"He got the call on the way home and he left about an hour ago."
"I can go grab something to eat if you like."
Pen studied him for a second. "That would be nice."
Thirty minutes later they were in the kitchen eating dinner. D sat in the swing and watched his parents laugh and talk while he cooed back at them. They were a family, something Derek wanted since his son was born. He would take if only it was for that night.
