After, part one

"I don't want to be back here," Penelope said as she and Derek sat in an exam room at the hospital.

"After all you've been through I want the doctors to check you out again."

"You're being overprotective, my love."

"Its my prerogative."

They shared a long look. She finally said "So much happened in one day."

"Its over, baby girl. You're safe."

Her eyes got teary. "I hate that JJ had to do that."

"She's trained to do that and she could have to do it again tomorrow and the day after and the day after. You did not make her kill someone. That piece of garbage made her kill him and he's lucky that it was her and not me cause I would made him hurt first."

"Morgan, I know you've suffered worse than anyone on the team over this and I know why that is...you care for me so much." She gave him a soft look. "I care for you just as much. You're my best friend. I wouldn't be half as happy as I am each day without you, even today...especially today."

He swallowed hard. "Hey, don't give me all the credit. This is a two way street, you and me. You make it easy to love you."

Just then the doctor came in and interrupted them.

XXXXXXXXX

Morgan took her back to his house after the doctor cleared her, saying her stitches were still fine and so was her blood pressure and heart rate. Since he had an upstairs and she was having a hard time with getting around he asked to carry her to the guest bedroom.

She said "That's silly. I can make it."

He said "Put your arm around my neck."

"Really I'm-"

"Hey, hard head, don't make me tell you again."

She smiled and put her arm around his neck. He easily carried her to the room and set her down. "I'll bring you up whatever you need: food, drinks, magazine or newspaper, your laptop and phone. There is a bathroom across the hall and my room is at the end of the hall. Do not let me catch you on those stairs without me helping you."

"Thank you for letting me come here tonight."

"Not just tonight. Till you're cleared to go back to work-"

"Morgan, no!"

"Garcia, yes. We're sticking together from now on."

"I am honored you want to be my protector but I can take care of myself just fine-"

"Hey, this is for me more than you. I need to know you're safe, okay? We'll stay here a week and then we'll go stay at your place for a week."

"We? You're coming to stay at my place with me?"

"We have to make those new good memories there, right? That's what we said, right?"

She smiled at him. "Right."

"Okay then. So...you need anything right now?"

"No, you can go get some sleep, my love."

"I'll go get your laptop and phone first. You call me on your cell if you need anything before morning. Don't go wandering this house in the middle of the night, okay? I don't want you falling down and breaking that pretty neck that I love."

"Okay," she said, with a tender smile.

He nodded at her and left the room. Derek's heart was in better shape now. He had finally told her how deep his feelings were for her and she felt the same back. And the monster who shot her was dead.

As soon as Penelope was healthy they could start building a new life together. A new part to their relationship. They could date and they could see what it was like to make good on all their dirty talk.

He could be happy- let his pain and fears go in her loving arms.

As he went back downstairs he felt a great sense of relief. She was here with him and he could keep his girl safe for now on.

XXXXXXXXXXX

She woke up the next day when Clooney bounded into her room, right ahead of Derek, who hissed at him "Get down, boy!"

Penelope opened her eyes to see a blurry Derek coming close to her bed. She held up one hand, even as she smiled, and said "Look away, my love! I'm not camera ready."

He laughed. "Garcia, get over it. I'm gonna see you when you wake up plenty of times in the future so we both might as well get used to it...right?"

She sat up, her smile going very tender. "What did you bring me?"

"What does it look like?"

"A brown blur."

He cracked up. "Its French toast. Here."He set in on the bed and then he got her glasses for her and she put them on.

"Much better, my love."

"Lets do this right. Good morning, princess."

"I'll show you a good morning, Hot Stuff."

"You don't know how I missed that."

She smiled sweetly at him. "So breakfast in bed? Are you getting in here to share it with me?"

"Am I invited?"

She lifted the blanket. "If you have the nerve."

"I have nerves of steel, sweet mama, you best believe that." He sat down, took the fork from the plate and started to feed her the French Toast, as Clooney begged to have some too.

XXXXXXXXX

"She's getting better, Ma," Derek said into his cell. "The team is here visiting her...No, you don't need to come. She wants to meet you when she's at full strength...Thank you. She appreciates the prayers...Yes, my baby girl is a fighter...Okay, Ma...Love you too."

Reid walked into the kitchen and said "She looks better."

Derek smiled. It was five days after he brought her there and she was perking up more and more each day. They were getting closer than ever too. The only thing that kept him from kissing her was that he wanted her to feel like her typical Goddess self when they shared their first kiss, not all stitched up and on pain meds.

She deserved a beautiful memory unmarred by the tragedy of Battle coming into her life.

Derek asked Reid "She's not bugging Hotch about going back to work, is she? I told her she better not dare."

Reid gave him a wide eyed look. "She did say something about being available for the next case."

"BABY GIRL!" Derek walked out there and gave her a playful look to let her now she was busted. Then he told Hotch "She's not coming back yet."

Hotch held back his grin but his eyes were amused at Derek's outburst. "I told her the same thing."

Penelope was sitting on the couch, with Clooney at her feet, JJ on one side and Emily on the other. She looked at Derek and stuck out her tongue.

He shook his head at her in a playful way.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Derek sat in a salon, holding a purse and reading a magazine full of nothing but hairstyles, waiting on Penelope to get done getting her hair, nails, and toes done.

He would never do this for any other woman. But no one else was his baby girl and he was happy to blow a few hours sitting here, getting hit on by strange women of all ages who he could finally tell "Sorry, I'm taken," with a big grin.

When Penelope was done she walked out and asked "What do you think, handsome?"

"Gorgeous as usual, baby girl."

She gave him a big smile.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Penelope was shocked when they went to her apartment, to stay there for a week, because when they walked in there were rose petals all over the floor, candles on every surface (not yet lit) and the table was set with fine china.

She gasped and looked at Derek. "When did you have time to do all this?"

"The kid did this."

"Reid is such a sweetie! I love that boy!"

"Whoa, baby, calm down. I told him to do this."

"You silly man, I know that but still he did it and that's so sweet of him."

Derek grinned. "You like it then?"

"I love it."

He was so tempted to kiss her but he held back. "So, I'll take the couch. Do you want me to put my bag in the hall closet? Would that be okay?"

"That couch isn't very comfortable, Morgan."

"It will be fine, baby girl. Don't try and get rid of me. We have to fill up your head with great new memories of this place...our memories."

"You could...share the bed with me...you know if you want."

"That probably would be asking for trouble until you are healed."

"If the trouble is you ravishing me then please bring on trouble. Big trouble. Tremendous trouble. Double triple trouble."

He cracked up. "It won't be long now. Keep your hormones in check, Garcia."

"That's impossible when gazing at the fine specimen that is you, my love."

He looked around her apartment, remembering the first time he came there, "This place is a trip but its so you and perfect. You're a true original, baby girl."

She smiled and headed for the bedroom. "Thank you."

Derek got a pensive look on his face as he remembered telling her that he loved her. Now he said "Hey, silly girl."

She turned around again.

He said "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, you know that right?"

She got teary. "I had my suspicions, being the Oracle of All Knowing and all."

He nodded, with his eyes locked on hers. "We have so much time to still make beautiful memories. Don't look back at what we didn't do before...lets think about all we can do now."

"That's all I fantasize about every night, my love. Now the question is when will you make my fantasies come true?"

"I promise to get to every single one in due time."

"That could be quite the project."

"Write them down. I like to be able to keep track of my progress."

She chuckled. "What I would write would be illegal in several states."

"Then we'll have to make sure we don't get caught."

Her eyes lit up. "You are such a naughty boy, Mr. Morgan."

"And don't you ever forget it."