"They have to know about us," Penelope said as she sat down on the couch next to Derek. Millie instantly crawled into her lap with a yawn. Penelope put her feet up on the coffee table and wrapped her arms around the little girl.

"How would they know?" he asked. "Have you told anyone?"

Penelope shook her head. "Not a soul."

Derek tried not to let that bother him. He hadn't told anyone either, but that didn't mean he didn't care about her. "Well then how can they know?" he asked.

"Are we acting different?" Penelope wondered aloud.

"You're smiling more," he informed her.

"And the size of your…ego is inflated," she teased.

He leaned over to give her a quick kiss, and then moved his lips to her ear. "How can it not be when you're constantly telling me how damn good I am?" he whispered.

Penelope laughed and Millie lifted her head. "You are good, Daddy," she informed her father innocently. "You pushed me so high on the swings today!"

"Awww…thank you, Princess," Derek said, leaning down to give her a kiss on the forehead. She grinned up at him before nestling back against Penelope's chest and returning her attention to the television.

Penelope pursed her lips to keep from laughing, studying the television screen as well. She knew if she looked at Derek she'd burst into laughter, and she just didn't want to have to explain that to the girls.

"I'm ready for bed, Daddy," Chessie said with a yawn.

"You are?" Derek asked in surprise. Chessie didn't usually voluntarily go to bed. But they had played hard at the park today.

She nodded against his chest and then lifted her head to look at him. "Can I sleep with my new shoes on?" she asked.

Derek laughed. "No, you can't wear your new shoes to bed," he answered. "But you can keep them by your pillow if you want to."

Chessie nodded, and then turned to Penelope. "Are you gonna be here when I wake back up?"

Penelope opened her mouth, but Derek beat her to the punch. "Of course she is," he told Chessie. Derek wasn't above using his daughters to get his way—and he wanted Penelope beside him again tonight.

Chessie grinned as she jumped off her fathers lap and took his hand. Derek stood up and looked at Millie. "You ready for bed?" he asked.

"Penelope will bring me up," she said, her eyelids already fluttering closed. Penelope wrapped her arms around the little girl and stood as Derek lifted Chessie into his own arms. She followed him up the stairs and into the girls' room, rummaging through the drawers for pajamas. Penelope helped Millie change while Derek did the same for Chessie, and then they switched so they could both say good night to the girls. When they were tucked safely in their beds, Derek and Penelope turned to leave.

"Daddy?" Chessie said.

He turned around. "Yeah, baby?"

"Today was special, wasn't it?" she asked.

"It sure was," he said as he turned the light off and followed Penelope from the room.

"I didn't even go home today," she told Derek.

"So," he said.

"I don't have a change of clothes," she reminded him.

He walked into his room behind her and grabbed her hand, pulling him against her chest. "I like you better without them, anyway," he informed her.

She laughed. "I know you do, but if the girls walk in and I don't have any clothes on—"

He kissed her just below her ear. "Then you can pull the blankets up to your chin and I'll distract them with French toast," he said with a grin.

Penelope laughed. "Nice, Derek."

"Hey, I didn't say it was a good plan. But anything will do in a pinch," he reasoned.

Penelope rolled her eyes and stood there for a minute while Derek began undressing. She felt awkward. Sure, she'd undressed for him before, but it had been in the heat of the moment, and she hadn't been concentrating on her body—only about what was in store for it.

"Are you gonna get undressed?" Derek asked as he pulled his pants off.

"I think I should go," she said.

"I think you should stay," he argued. "And since I hid your car keys, I win."

Penelope laughed. "I'll use your vehicle. Your keys are hanging by the door," she said triumphantly.

He shrugged. "I'll use the spare set to trigger the alarm on the panic button. Wake up the whole damn neighborhood."

"You don't play fair," she said with a pout.

"Sure I do," he said. "When it suits my purposes. It just so happens that in this case—it doesn't."

Penelope sighed. "Fine. Turn around," she said.

He laughed. "What?" he asked.

"I have to get undressed," she said.

"And it's nothing I haven't seen before," he reminded her. "Many times."

"Right," she said. "And every time I've undressed, my mind…has…been on something else. Now it's just…on my body," she muttered.

Derek walked over to her and cupped her face with his hands. "Newsflash, Garcia," he said softly. "Your mind might have been on something else, but I can assure you…every single time you've undressed, my mind hasn't been on anything else."

"I know, but—"

Derek sighed as he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. Then he walked over to the bed and lay down, rolling up onto his side so he was facing away from her. Penelope quickly undressed and crawled into bed and cuddled up behind him, placing a kiss on his back. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

He rolled over. "For what?" he asked.

She didn't say anything…just bit the inside of her cheek uneasily. She knew it probably didn't make any sense to him, and she wouldn't explain it because she wasn't proud of her insecurities, but she knew the type of women Derek had dated in the past. And they'd been smaller than she was, more confident. And while she could set aside those insecurities when they were fooling around, it wasn't something she could do right now.

He smiled softly at her. "I can wait for you to get used to me," he promised, then grinned wickedly. "No matter how many times you have to undress in front of me to get comfortable, I will wait. Even if we have to put a damn pole in the corner for you to practice on," he teased. "Of course…we might have to ban the girls from the bedroom…"

She lifted her lips to his, kissing him with a laugh. "Derek Morgan, you are so very generous."

"Oh, Penelope," he said with a sigh. "You have no idea."

He wrapped an arm around her waist and tucked her head under his chin, lifting his leg so his thigh was resting between hers. But instead of taking it any further, he held her in his arms as he drifted off to sleep.

___

"I'm gonna put it on pretty thick," Penelope told Derek. It was Sunday night, and the girls had just gone to bed. Derek was sitting on the sofa, and Penelope was laying down, her head resting on his thighs as she looked up at him.

Derek laughed. "Do you really think that's a good idea?" he asked. "I mean—it's Reid. You'll probably scare him half to death."

"That's what's gonna make it so much fun," she said.

"OK," Derek said doubtfully. "But if runs into my cubicle tomorrow freaking out, I'm gonna tell him to go for ya."

Penelope giggled. "I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen. If he runs to anyone—it'll be JJ or Emily."

"When did this turn into an 'us versus them' situation?" Derek asked amused.

Penelope lifted her eyebrow in thought. "Mmm…" she said. "If I had to pinpoint the exact moment, I'd say it was when you…" Her voice went into a deep southern drawl as she batted her eyelashes. "Stole all of my womanly innocence."

Derek threw his head back with a laugh. "Stole?" he teased. "I'd say you gave it to me on a silver platter." His eyes danced as he looked down at her. "Practically forced yourself on me," he muttered.

This time it was Penelope who laughed. "Forced myself? Derek, I barely had my panties off before you—"

"You were wearing panties that night?" he joked. "It's all such a blur."

Penelope moved into a sitting position so she was beside him. "Yes, well, you were pretty quick that night," she said dryly.

"Hey," he said. "I think I've more than made up for that since."

Penelope grinned. "Yes, you have. What do you say you make up for it one more time before I leave?" she asked.

"Fabulous idea," he said. He stood up and grabbed her hands, giving her a tug so she sprung up off the sofa. He grabbed her waist and threw her over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked as he strode towards the stairs.

"Taking you to bed," he told her.

"You can't carry me up over the stairs!" she argued.

"Watch me."