Chapter 20

AN: Thanks for the reviews, guys. I am getting hit with another eight inches of snow today...Hoping I get snowed in, then I can work on my newest story (Gotta think positive!)...

Later that day, Derek and Pen finally had a meal together. Afterward, Penelope offered to clean up while Derek went out for a jog.

At first, he looked appalled by that idea. "No, baby, I—"

"D, I don't mind," she said, picking up the plates.

"Woman, you don't need to be a cook and clean for me. I love you for a million other reasons, and—"

She gave him a look that silenced him immediately. "Derek. I do not think I'm only good in the kitchen and the bedroom. Go run. Please. Get your fitness loving, cute caboose out the door."

Two seconds later, he was dressed in track pants and stretching his quads, with a huge, thankful grin on his face.

"Baby, you're the best," he said, giving her a quick kiss.

She sighed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I am."

He grinned, slapped her butt soundly, and ran out the door.

Just as she put the last of the plates in the dishwasher, the telephone rang. She glanced at it cautiously, wondering if she should answer it. It wasn't her house, after all, and she felt she'd already taken a lot of liberties rifling through D's stuff.

Curious as always, she looked closer, and saw the name on the caller ID.

Johnston, Terry

Knowing now what Terry had been through, how much she needed a friend, she couldn't help but answer the phone. It could have been an emergency. What if Lenny had been released and was there? Derek would never forgive himself if he'd missed that call.

Picking up the phone, she clicked the talk button. "Hello?"

"Ah...ummm...Is Derek Morgan there?" a hesitant female voice began, the same unsure voice that Penelope knew was Terry. She'd sounded the same way on Derek's machine when they were practicing positions.

"I'm sorry, he's out jogging. I'm his—" it still felt somewhat odd to say it! "—girlfriend, Penelope. Can I help you?"

"No, no," the woman said, still sounding hesitant."Can you...um...tell Derek that Terry called?"

Penelope was still in awe at how nervous and upset this woman sounded. She sounded meek, like a little bird that hadn't even started flying yet. She sounded like she had no courage, no self-esteem. It pained Pen to think of her cowering from a drunk and being beaten by Lenny.

Her voice was reassuring and gentle as she answered, "I promise, Terry. Derek will get your message."

"Thank you," she said softly, and hung up.

When Derek jogged back in the house, he was pouring with sweat, but absolutely glowing with happiness. Pen shook her head; she couldn't quite understand how anyone would love exercise that much. She did it, but because she had to, not because she liked to.

He made it into the kitchen where Penelope was sitting, working on her laptop. He leaned down, kissed her with his sweat-coated lips, and then chugged down a glass of water she had sitting on the table.

"That," he said, wiping his face with a towel and then pointing outside, "is a beautiful day. Nothing I can think of better than to spend it outside with my Baby Girl."

"That sounds wonderful," she said, standing up and wrapping her arms around him. "By the way, Terry called while you were out."

Derek's smile fell, and he slapped his forehead. "Damn. I totally forgot. I promised I'd take Terry and her kids to the park."

"That's okay, Sweet Cheeks," she said, reaching her hands up to pat those sweet cheeks of his. "I can stay here, or head home and do some laundry."

"Oh, hell, no," he retorted, leaning back to look at her with a frown. "I don't want you out of my sight, woman."

"What?" she questioned teasingly, but internally glowing like he was.

"You are coming with us, no arguments," he commanded in his usual domineering way.

"You could ask, you know," she said archly, in a teasing fashion, turning away from him with her arms crossed over her chest.

He turned her in his arms, and grinned at her. "Oh, my sweet goddess, will you grace us with your presence, please?"

"It would be my pleasure," she replied, and then stepped behind him to head back to her seat, spanking his other sweet cheeks in the process. "Now, hop your sweaty self in the shower, mere mortal."

"Uh uh," he said, looping his hand on her wrist, to halt her sitting. "I'm not going in without you. I need you to wash my back...and other parts..."

"But I'm not the stinky, sweaty person here," she complained halfheartedly.

With a tug, he pulled her into his chest, and then wrapped his arms around her, thoroughly coating her with his perspiration in spite of her protests. "There. Now we match."

"Derek Morgan, I was already dressed!" she cried with a pout.

He scooped her up in his arms with a completely winning, teasing grin that she couldn't argue with. "Come on, stinky. Time for your shower."

Terry was a diminutive woman, with thick, chestnut brown hair and sad gray eyes. She had two beautiful children—Alyce, a sixteen year old, and David, fourteen. Derek had told Penelope vital statistics on the family before they arrived. Looking at the the kids, they both had their mother's stature; otherwise, Lenny was a tiny man. She didn't think he was, since Derek had said he a hard time holding him off, and she knew first hand how strong Derek was, so the first was far more likely. They were standing next to a minivan, when she and Derek pulled into the park.

"Terry," Derek said as they walked over to her. He looped an arm around Penelope's waist possessively. "This is my girlfriend, Penelope."

Terry smiled shyly at Pen and extended her small hand. "Pleased to meet you. My children, Alyce and David."

David shook her hand immediately with a big smile on his face; however, Alyce made no attempt to come near her. Pen smiled at the girl, but she only frowned back.

"Hey, girl," Derek said, turning his attention to Alyce, and she came running to him, giving him a big hug.

"Oh, Derek!" she cried happily, her arms wrapped around D's middle.

He patted her back and gave her a hug back.

"You shoot hoops?" David asked, spinning the ball on his finger for about a second, before it fell off. He colored immediately red and went to chase the ball. He picked up the ball, and pushed his shaggy, Justin Bieber-like hair behind his ears.

"Poor kid," Penelope thought sympathetically. It was obvious he was trying very hard to be...um...Derek Morgan suave...and failing miserably.

"I play a mean horse," Pen answered enthusiastically for the young man's benefit, which earned her a beaming grin from David.

"Oh, no," Derek said, tugging the ball away from the younger male and spinning it on his finger like it was something he did daily. "First, you two do two on one with me, and then maybe, just maybe, you might be worthy of some horse with my girl."

"You're on, old man!" David said, knocking the ball off Derek's finger before running to the court.

"You're not old, Derek," Alyce said sympathetically, and then shrugged, like she was correcting herself. "Not really old, anyway."

"Oh, you two are dead meat," he said, taking off towards the court. He scooped up the ball where it had rolled on the field, and tossed it at David.

"He's a really good guy," Terry said, smiling at Penelope. "You're very lucky."

Pen nodded in agreement. "Yes, I am."

Terry began walking towards a bench, with Penelope following. Both women sat on the bench and crossed their legs. "Derek has told me a lot about you. He really loves you."

"Thank you," she said, and Penelope knew she beamed in surprised pleasure. Yet again, her Hot Stuff was proclaiming his love for her a long time before she ever knew it. She wondered how many other people knew before her own blind ass saw it?

The smile faltered on Pen's face for a moment when she thought about how to talk about Terry's past. She couldn't exactly say Derek told her a lot about her. It would probably be uncomfortable for Terry if she knew he told her about Lenny. Pen had counseled victim's families; she didn't think this was that much different, but she also didn't want to overstep her bounds.

So, she did the one thing that was the most uncomfortable for her. She remained quiet.

She looked over at Derek and the kids playing. He was holding the ball above their heads, which wasn't very nice, since he was like LeBron James in comparison to the tiny Johnstons. She could tell Derek was eating it up, as were the children, and both Terry and Pen were pleased.

"Derek has told you about my ex?" Terry asked cautiously, not removing her gaze from the court.

"Yes, he did," Pen answered, relieved that it was out in the open. "I'm sorry."

She turned then, smiling at Penelope, her earnest eyes sincere. "No, I'm the one who is sorry for interrupting your dates. I feel terrible about that. I'm hardly worth all the fuss. I promise, once the security system Derek is installing is in, I won't bother—"

"Terry," Pen said, halting the other woman. "Derek isn't just my boyfriend; he's my best friend, and he's my colleague, too. If you had a problem and Derek needed our help, he'd have the support of our entire team behind him. That goes triple for me."

The other woman just blinked at her, obviously flabbergasted. "Oh, I'm...I don't know what to say. Lenny made it..." She shook her head and sniffled. "Not many people stuck around after..."

Pen smiled warmly, reassuringly. "I'm on your side, too. You're not alone anymore. In fact, when that system is in, I will main link it to our computers, so if anything happens out there, a break in, a fire, we'll get alerted, too."

"Oh, thank you," Terry whispered, tears rolling down her face in pure awestruck gratitude, like she wasn't used to kindness.

"Not only that," Pen schemed, smiling wickedly, "with a little research, I will find out what frequency Lenny's radio arrest bracelet is on, and match it to the frequency of your home and neighborhood. If he comes within a mile, we'll know. If he come within five hundred feet, like your restraining order says, his parole officer will get a nice call ASAP, courtesy of my auto dial on my computer, along with local police."

Terry shook her head, smiling through her tears. "That's unbelievable."

Pen blew on her nails and buffed them against her shirt. "All in a day's work for a miracle worker."

"Thanks, again. I...I don't know how to ever repay you," she whispered.

Pen watched as the other woman looked down at her hands folded in her lap. It was obvious that she was beyond humbled. That broke Penelope's heart. This woman had been beaten down enough; she didn't need to feel humbled or beat down like that ever again.

"You don't have to; that's what friends are for." Pen slipped her hand in Terry's and squeezed tightly. "I'm your friend, Terry. You're not alone like you were in Chicago. Not anymore. It's time to grow strong again, and take back your life."

Terry sat quietly, not saying a word. She just held Penelope's hand, and the warmth reverberated between the two women.

They sat together, watching the kids, and the man Penelope loved with all her heart, playing ball.