I do not own Criminal Minds nor any of the characters

Am I really doing this? Am I really going to take Penelope back to my house? Is she really interested in me? I think to myself as I help Penelope into the passenger seat of my car before getting into my seat and driving away from the bar. I look over at Penelope and she's looking back at me, giving me that same look as before when we were dancing. The look that feels like she's noticing me for the first time. Really seeing me like she's never seen me before. Maybe she is seeing me like she's never seen me before. I mean, there's every chance that she's never thought about me in a sexual light before. I am her boss after all. But she's going to be seeing me in a whole new light after the night is over. As long as tonight actually happens.

I can't help but question my actions as we head towards my house. Bringing Penelope home. Into the house that I shared with Haley. Into the house where Jack and I live. Where my family is. As much as it seems like I should be thinking that this is wrong and I shouldn't be doing this, it seems so right. Everything with Penelope feels so right. I don't mind that I'm bringing her into the home that I shared with another woman or that my son might see her in the morning when he comes home from his sleepover. None of it matters. Because I want that to happen. I want Penelope to become part of my family with Jack. I need her to be a part of my life. And not just as a coworker. A real part of my life and my family.

So even though this should be wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong about it. It's just me and Penelope. No one else and nothing else can interfere with the rightness of this moment. Not even Derek can come between us tonight. He had so many girls on him tonight that I doubt he even noticed the two of us slip out. He's probably taking some random girl home right now, not even thinking about Penelope and how he's missing out on the most incredible woman in the world. How could he not notice Penelope? I don't understand how that's even possible. But somewhere along the line, Derek didn't have the courage to go after Penelope. And his loss is my gain, I suppose.

I look back over at Penelope and she's still staring at me, looking thoughtful, and I begin to worry that maybe she doesn't want this after all. Maybe she just got swept up in the moment and didn't stop to think about what was going to happen. "Penelope," I begin. "Are you sure you want to do this? Go home with me, I mean. We don't have to do anything you don't want to and I don't want you to feel pressured into doing something or think that because I'm your boss you have to come home with me-"

"Aaron, stop. I wouldn't be in this car if I didn't want to be. I want to go home with you and have all the things happen that we both want to have happen. I don't feel pressured at all. This is what I want. And I hope you want it too."

"Of course I want it! I wouldn't be acting this oddly if I didn't want it more desperately than I've wanted anything in a long while." Penelope smiles at me in response to this. "I don't know why, but this feels really right to me, Pen."

"It feels that way to me too. Honestly, I feel like it should feel wrong, but it doesn't. Something about being with you puts me at ease and lets me know that everything is going to be perfect. Being with you is just…perfect."

"That's exactly how I feel about you. This is going to sound odd, but I'm really glad that that guy was trying to put his hand up your skirt tonight. I might not have had the courage to finally go for it if it hadn't been for that."

Penelope chuckles before responding, "I guess I'm glad too. In a very weird way. Sometimes fate has a way of making things like that happen. I don't know if I mentioned it earlier, but thank you for saving me. You really are my hero. Usually people don't notice or care when things like that happen to me, so I'm glad you came over when you did."

"Why do you never say anything about the men who hit on you?"

"Because I don't want to bother you guys with something like that. We get maybe one night a week to relax and destress. The last thing I want to do is have you or Derek getting into a fist fight with some loser at the bar who thought he could put his hand up my skirt and it would be okay. I'm a big girl. I can handle men like that usually. Tonight was just a bad one. The guy just didn't get it. So I'm very grateful to you for rescuing me from having to hurt him myself."

"I'm glad I came over too. Mostly I'm glad about how the night ended up. And how it'll go from here," I smile at her while pulling up outside my house. I jump out of the car and run around to her side to help her out, only to push her up against the car and kiss her senseless grinding my erection against, just to remind her of how much I want her. I pull away from her and start pulling her towards the house. I stop again outside the door and look at her. She has a look in her eyes that is pure lust and desire, but I still need to make sure that this is right for her too.

"One last time, Pen, are you sure about this?"

"I've never been more sure of anything." That's all the confirmation I need to pull her inside the house and turn this into the best night of our lives. And maybe the start of a new life. A life together.