Derek was exhausted. Millie had slept through the night, but at eleven o'clock, Chessie had come into his room crying, saying her belly hurt. Not long after that, she'd thrown up, the first of many times. Trying to get her to stay in bed was like fighting a losing battle.

He was making dry toast for Millie when Chessie walked into the kitchen, her little arms crossed over her chest.

"I said I want Penelly-p!" she said angrily.

"Honey," Derek said patiently. "Today is Tuesday and Penelope has to work."

"She'll leave work to come see me!" she said with confidence.

And there was no doubt in his mind that she would. But he wasn't going to call her and pull her away from work when he was home to take care of them. "Francesca, I said no," he reminded her firmly.

"If Penelope finds out that I asked for her and you didn't call her, she's gonna be really mad!" Chessie yelled shrilly, beginning to sob.

"Honey," Derek said softly. He went over and picked her up. "If you keep crying like that, you're gonna make yourself throw up again," he told her.

"But I don't wanna throw up again!" she wailed.

"Then you need to calm down," he told her. "It doesn't mean you won't throw up at all, but it might not be as much."

His daughter tried to her best to stop sobbing, hiccupping on one every now and then. "I'm gonna put you back on the couch and you need to stay there and rest. What do you want me to put on for you?" he asked.

She sniffed. "Cars," she said pitifully.

He nodded as he laid her down on the couch, pushing her hair away from her face and kissing her warm little forehead. "You'll feel better soon," he promised.

___

Derek practically sprinted for the door, stepping on a Barbie doll on the way. "Fuck," he said, then looked over his shoulder to make sure the girls hadn't heard him. They were still fast asleep. Thank God!

He pulled the door back quickly to avoid another knock. "Hey," he said in surprise, opening the door wider.

"Hey," Penelope said stepping inside. "How're the girls?"

"Fast asleep," he whispered, nodding his head toward the couch. There was a little girl on each end. "Kitchen," he said, closing the door behind her and leading the way to the kitchen. He grabbed a bottled water from the refrigerator and sat down.

Penelope put a plastic bag on the counter and put some ginger ale in the fridge and saltines in the cupboard before sitting down.

Derek laughed. "You realize that I can take care of my kids, right?" he said amused.

"A little help never hurt anyone, Derek Morgan," she informed him.

He lifted one corner of his lips in a grin. "Like I have a problem accepting help from you."

"Right," she said in a grin.

"This is the first time they've both been asleep in almost twenty four hours," he said.

"Yeah. Your stubble gave you away," she said, reaching up and touching his cheek with her knuckles.

He smiled at her. "I don't know how in the hell my eyelids are open," he admitted.

"Go take a shower," she said. "I'll keep an eye on the girls."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded.

"If Chessie wakes up, she's going to be ecstatic to see you." He grinned. "And according to her, you're gonna be mad at me."

"For what?" she asked in amusement.

Derek shrugged as he stood. "You'll have to ask her," he said. "I'm not gonna get myself into trouble."

With that, he disappeared up the back stairs.

___

When Derek walked into the living room, Millie was still fast asleep on the couch. He walked into the kitchen to find Chessie sitting at the table with Penelope, her little legs swinging. And the color was back in her cheeks. She was drinking from a Sippy cup. "How did you get her to drink?" he asked in amazement. "I've been trying to get liquids in her all day, and no dice. You walk in, and she's sucking it down like she hasn't had a drink in months."

Chessie grinned up at him. "It's soda," she informed him.

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Ahhh," he said. "That explains it. You think you're pulling a fast one on your old man."

"And I wanted Penelope," she reminded him.

Penelope smiled weakly at him. "Sometimes they just need a woman to take care of them."

"Sometimes, so does a man," Derek said in a teasing tone.

"Feeling sick, Derek?" she asked.

"You gonna take care of me if I am?" he shot back.

"No," she said primly.

He shrugged. "Then what's the point?" He sat down across from Penelope. "How was work?" he asked.

She laughed. "Surprisingly…uneventful."

"Did the team get called away?" he asked.

Penelope shook her head. "No."

Derek nodded as Chessie put her drink down and walked over to Penelope, climbing into her lap with a yawn. Penelope wrapped her arms around the little girl and kissed her softly on the forehead.

"Daddy said I would get better soon. Did he lie?" she asked solemnly.

Penelope bit back a laugh as Derek's jaw dropped.

"No, honey. He didn't lie."

"Daddy doesn't lie," Derek said firmly.

Chessie glared at him. "Neither does Penelly-P," she said cattily.

Penelope lifted her dancing eyes to Derek's. The glare she received was similar to the one his daughter had just given him.

___

Penelope sighed as the banging on her door continued. She made her way down the stairs and looked through the peephole, then opened the door. "You can't come in," she said.

"Yes we can," Derek said, pushing past her. When she hadn't shown up at work today, he realized that his girls had passed their flu onto her. It was Friday, and today had been their first day back at daycare. He was fine. Penelope hadn't been so lucky. He turned around. "Girls?" he said. They took his cue and followed him into the apartment, dropping their sleeping bags onto the floor.

"Why do you have sleeping bags?" Penelope asked.

"Because we're having a slumber party!" Millie said excitedly. "We get to sleep on the living room floor. It's gonna be so much fun!"

Penelope shook her head firmly. "They'll get sick again," she told Derek.

He walked over and pushed the door closed. "No, they won't," he promised her. He turned to his daughters. "Girls, what are the rules?" Derek asked, taking a sip off the cardboard coffee cup he was holding.

"We can't be in the same room as Penelope," Millie said.

"And we can only blow her kisses," Chessie chimed in.

Derek nodded. "That's right. Now, who wants to help out with this can of chicken noodle soup?" he asked, holding up a can of Campbell's.

"I do!" Millie said, following her father to the kitchen.

Chessie stayed behind. "I'm sorry you're sick, Penelly-P," she said sincerely.

Penelope grinned weakly. "It's not so bad," she lied.

"Did I make you sick?" she asked, eyes wide.

"No, baby, you didn't make me sick," she assured the little girl.

"Millie said that—"

Penelope grinned at Chessie. "Millie doesn't know everything," she said in a teasing tone. "She just thinks she does."

Chessie nodded uncertainly. "Ok," she said, turning around and running after her father and sister.

___

"You guys are gonna get sick!" Penelope said the next day.

"Sick, schmick!" Emily said. "We're gonna be fine. We had flu shots."

"So did I," Penelope reminded them dryly.

JJ grinned. "So, Derek and the girls are staying with you," she said.

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Big deal," she said.

"Tell us again that you aren't gonna end up married to Derek Morgan," JJ teased.

"Shut up!" Penelope hissed. "He might hear you!"

Emily rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I'm sure on some level, he already knows. He's camped out in your living room. A guy doesn't take care of a woman who looks as bad as you do right now unless he cares for you."

"Gee, thanks," Penelope said.

"I'm just saying…"

JJ nodded. "It's just a matter of time, Garcia. Just…a matter…of time."

Oh, great, Penelope thought. The last time JJ had offered up her opinion, it had come back to bite her on the ass!