Penelope Garcia took the car seat carrying Rich from Derek back at her apartment later that night.
"Do you want to come in?" Penelope asked. "I just have to give him a bottle and he'll go right to bed."
"Sure." Derek stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him.
Penelope's thoughts were firmly on her conversation with Derek the previous night. She got Rich out of his car seat.
"Do you want me to get the bottle ready?" Derek asked.
He had become skilled at that, he had helped her so much.
"Why don't you hold Rich. I'll get the bottle."
"Gladly."
He gently took the infant in his hands. They seemed so big in comparison, strong, loving, and safe hands. Nothing like Kevin's.
Penelope went into the kitchen and prepared the bottle.
Standing in the doorway to the living room, knowing Derek hadn't noticed her there yet, she heard him say to her sleeping son, "Little man, I think I've loved your mama forever, ever since I saw the pretty eyes behind those cat's-eye glasses all those years ago.
Your Uncle Reid, I'm gonna teach you how to call him 'Pretty Boy', thought her name was 'Gomez'. I had to call her 'Baby Girl' to get her to attention. All this time I've kept calling her that, hoping she would pay attention and realize how much I've always loved her.
She doesn't look like a 'Gomez', does she? 'Garcia' fits her real well. I'd like it best though if she had 'Morgan' somewhere in her name. That way she could confirm to the world that she's mine, my Baby Girl. What do you think?"
"I think that's a great idea." Penelope made herself known, tears blurring her vision. She loved the two people in this room more than anything in the world. "If you actually meant it?"
Derek's head snapped up. "Of course I did. Every word."
"I don't want a proposal," she felt compelled to say. "Those are scary and make me nervous. But I won't do what Reid and Leah did. I want a real wedding. Soon."
Derek beamed and crossed the room in two strides, kissing her soundly.
"Are we engaged?" he asked against her lips.
"Yeah. I guess we are." She backed up and smiled at him. "It took us long enough. There's one more thing you should know, though: I want more kids, not many more, just one or two, but definitely more."
"Good. I want kids too."
Penelope smiled and handed him Rich's bottle. "You can start Daddy duty right now."
Review and poll, please. Thanks. I have a couple of Victorious stories as well as this series now so feel free to take a look. :) I know this story has been really short in comparison to the others, but it has accomplished it's purpose so I'm moving on to the next one in the series, "Last Chance". That one is more about JJ and Caleb.