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A/N: Only two chapters left of this! Thanks for the reviews, favourites and alerts as always =)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- True Love's Lie -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

A couple of days later, Penelope lay out in the sweltering heat. Summer well and truly taken over in Chicago. She lay against Derek as he sat propped up by a tree and smiled peacefully.

Before that day, they had slept in separate rooms. Her in his old room, Derek in his sister's old room, but now they had spent the last four nights in one another's arms in Derek's bed. For the pair of them it had become the best wake up in all their lives.

Derek kissed Penelope's head and continued to sit lazily with her in his arms again, not caring for the heat. He intended to keep her close until their last breaths and even then he didn't intend to give that moment up quickly.

"Every time I see the news replay that plane crash I can't help but thank God for sparing you," Derek commented softly as he just looked at the fence on the other side of the garden. His train of thoughts completely off on another world. "I saw how the death toll rose, and you saw people who had lost their loved ones and I still have mine in my arms. I am the luckiest guy alive just for that alone."

Penelope smiled at that, "I feel so sorry for those people though." Penelope replied honestly, she couldn't help but empathise. She felt sorry for all those whose wives, husbands, children, parents, friends all perished in that moment. However, she did now hold a truer appreciation of her life. After being shot by Battle she had had some sense of gratitude, but this time she was well and truly woken up to everything. Plus, this time when Derek told her he loved her, he sealed it with a kiss.

Knowing her hesitance about getting on a plane, Derek calmed her woes and tried to suss out the next best way home. One that wouldn't have them travelling for hours on end. He knew that she would have some fear over flying, he just underestimated how much Penelope would fret over the journey home. If she had it her way, she would simply never go near a plane again but she knew, with her job, it was expected of her to get on the jet and attend states with the team when necessary. He knew it was going to take time, and the process to getting Penelope comfortable again was going to be long, but he was prepared to wait that time out with her and help her get over it.

"You think we have some type of guardian angel looking over us?" Derek asked her casually as he laced his fingers with hers.

Penelope nodded, "I do, I think we have three." She told him back.

"Three?" He inquired interested. "Who might they be?"

"Your dad," She started off, "And my parents." She finished off plainly and nodded as if pleased with that decision. "Just because they died doesn't mean their parental duties ended. They're forever around us and I'm sure they see everything we do."

"So they'd see this?" He asked and leant down to kiss her the best he could.

Penelope smirked as they pulled apart, "Oh well, I guess if they saw that then they know how much I enjoy your kisses, Stud."

Derek beamed at her, and then it morphed into his cheeky little grin. One he got when he was up to something. "I guess if that's the case, I shouldn't hold back," He assumed and kissed her again. He then began to slowly dot kisses along her bare neck, making her moan in pleasure.

"I guess you shouldn't," She told him back as he slowly stopped and settled back down a little.

"Not sure I want to leave," Penelope admitted as she closed her eyes a moment later.

"After the calls and texts from the others about the crash, I think giving them the real deal is probably the best plan," Derek said as he continued to kiss into Penelope's neck.

Penelope smiled, "I guess they'll have that then."

"Plus, we'll be back before you know it, Baby Girl." Derek whispered to her, "That's a promise."

The silence settled between them, both content with stillness and tranquillity of the day. It was, after all, the first day that the house had been empty for the majority of the day. There was only Fran around and later Derek's sisters would appear as promised.

"I really do love it here. It's so different to Virginia," Penelope mused as she looked up at the bare blue sky, not a cloud in sight. "I think it might be the lack of work though," She quipped after.

Derek chuckled in agreement.

"Dinner!" Derek's sister called out and Penelope immediately began to move.

As he watched her get to her knees he knew he had to act fast or he would chicken out entirely. He spring to life in an instant and watched Penelope's expression as she looked a little shocked at the sudden movement. Derek pulled Penelope to her feet, needing her in front of him perfectly.

"I want to marry you, Penelope. I don't care if it's tonight or in a couple of years to come, but I will marry you one day. I will keep trying to until you say yes," He just rambled, unable to use the dialogue he had kept in his head any longer.

Penelope leant up and kissed him. She didn't need months of courting, of dating, of getting to know Derek better. She had almost a decade of intense flirting and learning the inside and out of Derek Morgan's mind. She knew what he loved; what he hated; what's his favourite food was; what he was allergic to; what his childhood sweetheart was called. She knew it all and likewise, Derek knew her, there were no stones left unturned.

After the crash, she knew how much her and Derek had had their moments but lost out. She wasn't going to take this and make this another wasted opportunity.

"I would marry you in a heartbeat if I could," She vowed to him. "I have been in love with the same man for nearly ten years and I can't see that changing between now and my very last breath."

"Good, then we can do the death til us part bit together," He told her truthfully as he slipped something into her hand.

Penelope looked down at the ring she had seen multiple times. His grandmother's ring. One he held closest to his heart and here it was in her hand.

"Derek," She spoke softly for a moment.

"It's always been yours," He told her truthfully, "But this week has finally shown me that you're the one I want to be with until I die, Penelope. No one else but you, so say yes. We don't need to marry now, but I can't let that ring sit in a box when I know where it's meant to be."

Penelope felt the tear trickle down her cheek. Most would've said life was moving too fast, but in hers and Derek's relationship, things were moving at a perfect pace.

"Okay," She said as she slipped it back into his palm and looked up at him. "Better ask me properly then, Hot Stuff," She told him and smirked. "There are some parts of life that are meant to be done traditional."

Derek smiled brightly at her as he dropped to one knee.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- True Love's Lie -=-=-=-=-=-=-