Chapter 18
AN: Thanks for the reviews, guys! Thought I would quick get this out there before the show tonight...I am worried about Derek; the previews look so sad! Hopefully Penelope can make it all better...
Later that morning, Penelope was happy and satisfied. She was finding that was her natural state around Derek: to be completely fulfilled in every single way. She couldn't imagine loving him any more than she did at that moment. Like a pampered cat, she stretched, and then leaned up to kiss his cheek.
"Good morning, my love."
With a semi-lascivious grin, he swooped her under him in one quick movement and started kissing her throat. "I'll show you a good morning..."
"No, no," she said with a giggle, pushing him away while he tried to kiss her lips.
He was puckering at her, being rather silly, as he said, "Yes, yes..."
Despite her usual willingness to go along with his ardent behavior, she told him, "Just a moment, D. We need to talk."
With a pensive pout, he rolled onto his back, and then to his side. "Alrighty then, sweetheart. What's up?"
Now that she had his full attention, she was a bit nervous. She didn't want to pry, but she couldn't help it. Curiosity killed the cat, and Rossi did call her Kitten, after all...
"I want to know about Terry," she began cautiously, and then decided to blurt it all out. "What is wrong with her that you keep having to run to her side?"
He gave her an odd look, between a smile and a frown, with crinkled eyebrows and a half-smile. "Baby, you aren't jealous of Terry, are you? Cause there ain't no reason to be."
"I know," she said, and then sighed. "Actually, I was, for awhile, but then... well, I just knew."
He looked much more satisfied and relieved.
"Good," he stated, and then kissed the top of her head, before moving to his back.
She got comfortable on the pillow next to him. "Morgan?"
"What?" he asked, rolling over to look at her.
"I still wanna know," she replied.
He raised himself up on his elbow. "Terry is a good friend. Like I said, she was the statistician on our team. She dated Lenny, who was a teammate of mine and a friend." His smile faded. "We grew up together."
"You never mention him," she said. Derek had mentioned other people he'd played ball with back in the day, but he'd never mentioned Lenny.
"Lenny was my friend in the neighborhood growing up. He went to the youth center, too. Two years behind me." He couldn't hide the sadness in his eyes, or the look of regret he had, when he added, "Lenny was the star player after I left."
Penelope felt her heart ache. From her experience with Derek, she knew that Carl Buford, the man who had molested him, usually picked the star player. He didn't have to say that Lenny went through some of the same things Derek did. He didn't need to; she could tell. She knew Derek must've felt responsible somewhat for Lenny, too. That was just the way he was—he took the weight of the world on his shoulders.
She wasn't going to be judgmental. Pen just listened and nodded. "Go on."
"Lenny had troubles-I didn't figure out exactly why until much later. Still, he was like a younger brother. We went to the same school. He he was aggressive on the field, which made him an awesome player. He drank too much and was aggressive off the field, too, but not in a positive way." Derek sighed, shifting uncomfortably, like what was happening still pained him.
"Derek," she said cautiously. "People make decisions. You weren't like that."
"I know," he answered swiftly. "I tried to help him, but no matter what I did, he still got into fights, got arrested for petty crap. But he sure was in love with Terry."
"Did Terry know about the other stuff?"
He nodded. "Terry loved him anyway. She married him. Wanted to change him, all that."
Pen swallowed hard. This was starting to look bad.
"One night, Lenny drank, and I think he did some other drugs...a lot more than just alcohol, I don't know. He was as strong as a bull, I..." He shook his head and took a deep breath.
"Go on."
"He used Terry as a punching bag that night. Her four year old called me by pure chance. I stepped in, fighting him long enough so that she could get herself and their two kids out. Lenny got mad at me and pulled a knife," he said, detached and matter of fact. "I was Chicago PD at the time; I called for back up, and he was arrested. He tried to deny it—said it was just us fighting—but the cop that came to the scene knew me, and knew it wasn't that way."
He looked at her with the saddest expression. "It was one of the worst moments of my life. A friend who needed me, one who was in pain...and I had to betray him."
"Oh, cupcake," she said, her heart breaking. "It's not your fault."
He smiled at her. "It's okay, honey. It was a long time ago. Twelve years. He was locked up for assaulting an officer. He had five years, but broke his parole twice with drugs and got more time. Terry got full custody of the kids, and he had no rights at all. He kept calling Terry, threatening her."
"God, Hot Stuff."
"That's where I come in," he said, shrugging. "Terry moved from Chicago to Virginia with a job transfer. She has no one else here, and Lenny is set to be released. She is scared to death."
"Well, she has me now, too," Pen said, fiercely. "I'll wipe his butt off the grid if he tries anything."
Derek laughed, and then kissed her lips. "That, Baby Girl, is why I love my favorite part of you."
She gave him a half-smile of confusion. "I never did guess what that was. Tell me."
"Silly girl. It's your heart." He leaned down and kissed the center of her chest.
Penelope's eyes misted with tears. He'd said that while she thought they were only having sex. She sniffled and laughed; like they could ever have anything so simple! "Sometimes, you amaze me."
"Naw," he said, laying back and putting his arm out for her. "You're the amazing one, sugar."
She rested her head resting on his right bicep, quiet for awhile. She was looking at his tummy, the beautiful muscles there. She played, tracing the lines, and then dipping her fingertip into the little divot of his navel. He surprised her by giggling a little, a very un-Morganish sound, so she did it again, getting the same result. With gusto, she swirled her finger in that dip; he jolted and gave a rather high pitched (Tenor instead of his usual bass!) giggle this time.
"Stop that," he said, clasping his hand on hers.
"Is your tummy ticklish?" she asked, giggling herself. This was delicious knowledge! "It is! Little Derek's tummy tum is ticklish!"
"It is not—ooh! Ha ha, stop... oh," he said, gripping her wrist. "That's it, woman...you're toast."
A quick move had her on her back while he began to move, tickling all over her with hands like an octopus. She couldn't find where one started and one began! She reached down, over, anywhere, trying so hard to stop him.
"Stop! Ooh! Derek!" she gasped, trying hard to catch her breath. "I'll behave... I promise. Ooh!"
He stopped, his hand poised above the very ticklish spot on her neck. "You serious?"
She nodded solemnly.
"Okay," he said, sliding off of his position straddling her. He lay back down and cautiously put his arm back out.
Penelope took her spot... and immediately started tickling his tummy again.
"You little shi—oh, ha ha!... That's it!" he said, moving over her again, his body pinning hers to the mattress. One hand pinned her wrists above her head, while the other was digging in a drawer. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to use these..."
She felt the cold metal of the handcuff slap around her wrist, followed by a slap on the wrought iron headboard.
"You...you wouldn't dare!" she growled, tugging her wrist and flailing her legs.
He smirked at her as he slapped a handcuff on the other wrist. "Oh, I wouldn't?"
She started to panic. "Derek! Let me go! Damn it!"
"Nope."
She gasped in outrage. "You...you...creep!"
He slid down her body like the snake that he was, and gripped her ankles in both of her hands. "Now, now. Be nice."
"Derek!"
He looked up at her, his eyes hot, but reassuring and tender. "Sweetheart, I'll let you go if you really want me to." He leaned down and gave a hot kiss to her ankle, the little bone above her instep, and then looked back at her. "Is that what you really want?"
Penelope thought about poor Terry and the experience she'd gone through. She would never have that sort of situation with Derek. She loved him just the way he was, and she trusted him, too. With all her heart.
She smiled wickedly down at him and said, "You better make this worth my time, mister."
He ran his hands up her calves, past her knees, up to her inner thighs ever so slowly. "Oh, believe me, Baby Girl...it'll be worth every second."