Sadly, there will only be one more chapter after this one. This story had been so much fun to write and I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I have writing it. Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to write reviews! I've loved reading them!

She still didn't know his name, but whoever he was, he cushioned her fall. Penelope had barely landed when she rolled off him and sprung to her feet with catlike reflexes she didn't even know she had.

"Move!"

Penelope stumbled backwards when Derek yelled, and he lunged forward, his body landing on the man's.

"Grab the gun, Penelope!" he commanded.

"You know I don't believe in guns!" she shot back, looking around nervously even as she spoke. When her eyes finally found it, she picked it up and aimed it towards the two men entangled on the floor, her hand shaking.

After rendering the man breathless, Derek slowly got to his feet and walked over to Penelope, taking the gun from her hand. "You OK?" he asked tenderly.

"I'm fine," she said. "Are you—oh, my God! Derek, you were shot!" she said when she noticed the blood on his arm.

He shook his head. "It's just a graze," he said dismissively. "Go behind the counter and call Hotch's blackberry," he told her, then turned his attention to the man who'd tried to rob the café. "You—get to your feet—nice and slow. And keep your hands in the air."

XXXXX

"Are you sure you're OK?" JJ asked for the tenth time.

"Yes," Penelope said impatiently, trying to crane her neck so she could see Derek. He was sitting on the back end of the ambulance, his wound being tended to.

"You should really get home and get some rest," JJ continued. "But I don't think you should be alone."

"I am fine," Penelope repeated.

"You just went through a very traumatic situation," her friend insisted.

Penelope nodded. "Yes, I did," she said. "And I'm a grown woman. I'm fine right now. But if it happens that panic kicks in, you will be the first one I call," she said.

"Promise?"

Penelope smiled softly at her friend. "I promise."

XXXXX

"It took you long enough," Hotch said when the EMT's walked away.

"What do you mean?" Derek asked. His arm fell to his side as he stood, causing him to hiss.

"I tried for more than forty-five minutes to piss you enough so you'd find a way in there," Hotch informed him.

Derek's eyes flew to his Hotch's face. "Are you kidding me?"

His boss shook his head. "No. But I couldn't encourage you to do that. What kind of Unit Chief would I be if I did that?"

Derek grinned tiredly at him. "The kind that kicks ass."

XXXXX

"How's your arm?" Penelope asked softly as she approached Derek.

"It's OK," he said unconvincingly.

Penelope nodded. "Good," she said. They stood there for a minute in silence before she lifted her hand and slapped him upside the head. "What is wrong with you?" she asked shrilly.

"Owww!" Derek said, the hand on his good arm flying up to touch the spot she'd just hit. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm pissed!" she informed him. "Did you even think about the girls when you broke into a building that was being held up? Or did you just put on your hero pants and throw caution to the wind?"

"I was thinking about you," he shot back.

"What? Like I can't take care of myself?"

"In an armed robbery?" Derek asked doubtfully.

"I could have held my own!"

Derek shook his head in disbelief.

"That was the dumbest thing you've ever done!" Penelope exclaimed before spinning on her heel and stalking away.

XXXXX

It was hours before Penelope made it home. She'd had to answer several questions and give her statement to the police before they'd allow her to leave. And all Penelope wanted to do was to soak in a hot bath, eyes closed with the hot water enveloping her body.

She got her shoes off and made it to the third stair before the knock on her door came. Penelope sighed as she turned back around. JJ was such a mother hen.

But when she pulled the front door open, it wasn't JJ on the other side. Instead, Derek was standing there, the look in his eyes so tender it almost made tears come to her own. "Hi," she said in a small voice.

"Breaking into the café wasn't the dumbest thing I've ever done," he told her fervently.

And if she hadn't been so exhausted by the events of the morning, she would have laughed. He'd come over to finish their argument. Well, this was one argument he was going to have to have by himself. And apparently he was OK with that, because he kept going.

"Letting you think I could live without you? That was one of the dumbest things I've ever done," he said softly, standing there in her doorway.

Penelope stood there unblinking.

"I should have begged you to stay," he said quietly.

She still didn't say anything; she was pretty sure she didn't need to. The shock on her face was probably speaking for itself.

"I should have told you that I can't live without you."

"Is your arm OK?" she finally blurted.

But Derek shook his head. "You don't get to change the subject," he told her.

"This is too much," she said, finally acknowledging his words. "Just four or five days ago, you were telling me I should go to Boston!"

"I was a fool five or six days ago."

"And you're not now?"

He grinned at her. "Oh, I'm still a fool," he said. "But for entirely different reasons. Now I'm a fool for you."

But she shook her head. "I need some…time."

Derek nodded. "Take all the time you need," he said softly, taking a step forward and lifting his hands to her cheeks. She saw the flicker of pain cross his features, but it quickly disappeared as he pushed her hair away from her face and kissed her on the forehead.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

He nodded, closing the door behind him. "I'll be waiting on the couch until you decide."

Penelope opened her mouth to say something, but once again the word wouldn't come. Was he serious?

She marched into the living room right behind him. "I need more than five minutes!" she exclaimed. For God's sake, he still hadn't even told her he loved her.

Derek grabbed the quilt off the back of the couch as he lay down. "Reid picked the girls up from daycare," he said with a yawn.

"Well, then go home and get some rest there," she said, putting her hands on her hips as she came to stand beside him.

"That won't work for me," he told her.

"Why not?"

His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, and she went sprawling forwards, her body crashing down onto his.

"Because I can't sleep without you anymore," he said softly, his lips lifting to meet hers.

She wanted to pull away, she really did, but the second his lips touched hers, all she could do was sigh and kiss him back. But only for a second. "No!" she said as she pulled back. "No, no, no!" She tried to sit up, but his arms locked around her waist and the man was strong as an ox. She didn't have a prayer of moving, so she stopped struggling. "Do you have any idea how hard today was for me?" Penelope asked brokenly." I wanted so badly to go and see the girls, but I realized that I have no right to them!"

"I'm trying to give you every right to them," he said in frustration. He sighed and then his tone softened. "And to me," he finished.

Penelope's head snapped up and their eyes met.

In that moment, Derek realized that when it came to Penelope, he wasn't above using his girls to get what he wanted. "But we're a package deal, Penelope." He shook his head. "You can't have them without having me, too."

"But I—"

"For God's sake Penelope, I love you!" he said urgently. "My girls love you. Just marry me!"

Penelope's body relaxed against his and her cheek fell to his chest. "That was all I needed to hear," she whispered.

He tightened his hold on her. "And?" he prompted.

"And I love you, too."