Baby Girl
Morgan and Garcia
Chapter Thirteen
July 2002
Long minutes later their kisses died out but they still held each other as they sat on her couch. Derek brought Penelope tight against him and stroked her hair. "We can figure this out. I know we can. There's got to be a way to get over what we lost and get onto what we can still have."
"I don't know if its fair to risk it. Jaz has to be our number one priority."
"Hey, she is! She is. But you and me count too. And if things don't work out we can stay friends. Our kid doesn't have to suffer for us ending."
"But she will, Derek. She'll get used to having us all together and then it will fall apart around her. I don't think I can do that to our girl."
He moved back and took her chin in his hand. "I swear to you that I will never turn into some bastard you can't stand to be around just because we broke up. There won't be tension and drama. I'll get past myself for the sake of our daughter."
"If we weren't together anymore there would be tension between us. That's just how it works."
"Penelope, I can't tell you that we'll be together for the rest of our lives. All I can tell you is that I want to try for that. And I pray to God that's enough for you. Cause I'm not over you yet and I don't see a day in the future where I'm gonna be."
She nibbled her bottom lip. "I'm not over you either, Hot Stuff."
"Good. Then don't keep shutting the only door I wanna walk through. Let me in, baby girl. I need another chance from you. Another day. Remember back when we were taking it just one date at a time? I want that again. But this time I want the dates to pile up to be hundreds and then thousands. I wanna have so many I lose count. Instead of so few I can remember every second of each one because I think about them so much. I want to be living an adventure with you again instead of just thinking about when you used to like me enough to take a chance on me."
"It still amazes me to think about that first moment I saw you. My heart fluttered and I couldn't believe how easy it felt to be near you."
"And then you kept trying to run away but I wouldn't let you."
She smiled a little. "Don't know what I was thinking."
"That you're hard headed and you think you don't deserve to feel as good as we can make each other feel but, you know what, you deserve it all, princess. You're my hot blonde Goddess and I would make you feel like my treasure every time we had a date if only you'd let me. I get that you're scared. You've been a little scared since the day we met. One day I want all that fear to leave your heart, Penelope, but I know that day isn't today. But I'm here today. Your knight is back and he wants to fight the monsters and demons for you."
"That first day...you said you were a solider ready and willing to serve in my own personal army."
"And I meant it, mama. I meant every single word. I just didn't know how much more I'd mean it as the days went on."
Penelope grabbed Derek's face and started to give him hot, sensual kisses, sucking on his lips.
Jasmine crying interrupted them. Penelope went to go check on her. When she came back Derek had his keys in his hand. "Come give me some sugar, baby, cause I need to take off."
She went over and went easily into his arms. After they kissed she stroked his face. "I wanted to ask you if next week could we-"
"Yes. Anything you want, yes."
She laughed. "Keep that up and I'll change what I was gonna ask and go for something big. Like you spending all day here completely nude and me taking as many pictures as I want to add to my collection."
His face heated up. "Behave! I'm not that kind of man anymore."
"Bummer!"
He laughed. "What was it you wanted us to do together next week?"
"Go to the mall for a family portrait."
He kissed her nose. "Simple. Consider it done."
"Thank you," she cooed.
"I'll be calling you to ask for a date and I won't take no for an answer. So you better purse those pretty lips and give me a yes."
"Yes, Papi."
He grinned and pulled her close. "Mmmm, I don't wanna go," he said as he dipped his head and caught her mouth in another kiss. "You forever leave me wanting more."
"It will wear off," she joked "In about a hundred years."
"I bet it never wears off." His hands smoothed down her back and cupped her ass. "Now this," he smacked her ass "I love!" He grabbed her ass again. "All day long at work I just wanna grab a handful of this."
"Ohhh, you naughty boy!"
He wrapped her in his arms and tipped her backwards. "I'm not a boy anymore. I'm all man. All your man. Just like I was from the second we stood on that sidewalk together. You had me from jump."
"And you caught my fall. This time don't. Just let me fall."
He raised an eyebrow.
She said "Let me fall the rest of the way in love with you."
"Silly girl, I'd never let you fall without me going right along with you." He gave her a long kiss, pulling her upright halfway through it. "I really need to go. I don't think its smart for me to stay over. But I do wanna. Real bad."
"Ohhhh, I want you too, real bad, but I get it. No baby making tonight."
He laughed. "Please, tell me you're on the pill, woman."
"Sorry, Charlie, there was no reason for it."
"Penelope," he ground out her name and gave her a very heated look. "So you never got close to no other man in the last two years?"
"I gave it the old college try after I moved here but it didn't happen. None of them are noir knights or chocolate Gods of thunder."
"Hell no they ain't! And none of them get my baby girl." He pulled her close again and then whispered "Get on birth control, please. Just as long as its safe for your body cause I wanna be with you in the worst way but Jaz is enough of a handful for now. We ain't ready to add to this family. There is so much to figure out and so much to do together still."
"Okay, I will make an appointment soon but be warned that it takes a while to kick in before its effective."
He held her chin in his hand. "Hey, if you want to just use condoms instead then we can."
"We could use both."
"Hmmmm."
"Or not use condoms if you go to the doctor too and stay away from Tanya and dirty text girl."
Derek grinned. "I couldn't get interested in either of those two before I thought I had a chance with you. So I damn sure ain't interested now."
"Better not be," she said in a cute tone. "I won't share my sexy cocoa prince with any hoochie."
"You are my one and only princess." He took her hands and lay them on his heart. "You're still in here. And I don't want you to ever leave my heart. This is where you belong, Penelope."
She got teary. "Its happening. I can feel it. I'm falling."
"About damn time." Derek pulled her close and kissed her for a very long time, losing sense of time and place as he just loved up on his baby girl.
