It seemed fitting that they should land during a rainstorm, and they all walked slowly to their waiting vehicles. Reid drove her back to the office, and again carried her bag. They went up to her office, and she unlocked her door. "Thanks, Reid."

"For what?"

"For being an awesome friend. I don't mind if you write to your mom about us, that way at least someone in the general public will know." She reached up and kissed his cheek gently. "Now, go, get to work." As she shut the door and locked it, she felt her stomach cramp up familiarly. She counted back on her fingers and began to cry in relief. Opening her supply drawer, she picked up a small purse and then tucked her keys inside her pocket. Looking out the door, she saw Rossi in his office and hurriedly made her way to the bathroom.

After she'd taken care on her needs, she washed her hands. Hearing the door open, she looked up into the mirror and saw him standing there. "If you don't let me leave alone, I will scream the building down. I swear to God, I will."

"Maybe I just want to talk, Kitten."

"Oh, don't even try that bullshit on me, David. We have nothing to talk about. Now, if you'll excuse me." She tried to brush past him, but he grabbed her arm, holding her there.

"Don't you know I can crush you like a bug?"

"Do you actually think I care? No matter how you try to harass or harm me, you won't break my resolve to protect her." She wrenched her arm out of his grasp and shoved him aside, stalking from the bathroom. She passed Hotch on the way back to her office, and saw his look of concern. She smiled tensely at him, and he nodded in relief, turning to go back to his office.

She sank down in her chair and breathed deeply. Her hands shook as she began to look up information for one of her teams. As she worked, she found herself calming down. By the end of the workday, she had managed to relax once more. At five, she packed up her things and stepped out of her office, surprised to see Reid there. "What, are you my bodyguard?"

"Something like that. Hotch was weirded out by Rossi following you to the bathroom and asked me to walk you to your car. Hope you don't mind."

"Of course not." She slung her bag over her shoulder and they walked out to the parking garage together. Erin was just getting into Esther and Penelope hurried on ahead. "Erin! Wait up!"

She turned and smiled at Penelope, raising her hand in welcome. Penelope got in her car and they took off. Once they were half way home, Erin reached over and squeezed her hand tightly. "One night," she began.

"And I missed you desperately." Penelope finished. "Let's go out to dinner," she said impulsively.

"All right. Did you have anywhere in mind?" Penelope shook her head. "Good." Erin drove to a secluded Italian restaurant and parked near the door. Arm in arm, they walked in and were seated quickly. "Red wine, right?"

"Yes," Penelope answered, not looking up from the menu. She heard Erin order a bottle of the house Chianti and smiled. When their waitress returned, Penelope still had not made up her mind. "Order for me, will you?" she asked setting the menu down on the table.

Erin nodded. "We'll both have the veal piccata, please." The waitress wrote their orders down and left them alone. "So, how did the case go?"

"Not well. Turns out the child's father took her. They're out there, on the ocean, and we can't get to them. That poor mother will probably never see her again. It's so hard not to get attached when you're in their home. Have you heard from any of your children?"

"Karen wrote me back, she seems glad that I got out. I never realized she knew what was going on. I didn't tell her where I was or anything, though. I don't know how much they talk to their father. I think she wants to have lunch soon."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. It's just, I've never really gotten along with my girls. I favored my son, and they resented me for that. How do I rebuild a relationship with them?"

"It all begins with that first step. Now that you've reached out to them, let them know what's going on, you might find them more receptive to your overtures. I'm just glad Karen has reached out in return." Penelope grabbed Erin's hand, holding it in hers. Erin smiled gently at her across the table, and Penelope felt a wave of contentment wash over her.

Their food came, and they ate in relative silence, neither wanting to break the enchantment that had fallen over them. At the end of the meal, Erin ordered them a chocolate gelato to split. As Penelope took a bite, she could feel some on the corner of her mouth, and before she could wipe it away with her napkin, Erin reached out and wiped it away with her thumb. Before she could stop herself, Penelope parted her lips slightly and sucked her thumb in, licking off the cool sweetness.

She watched Erin shiver as she released her thumb. "We should head home now," she whispered, her breathing a little unsteady. Penelope nodded, and Erin signaled their waitress. Pulling out her purse, Erin slipped some cash in the black folder and then handed it back to the woman. They stood and linked hands, going out to the car together. They stopped in front of the passenger door and Penelope leaned forward to kiss Erin. Her hands crept up and buried themselves in Erin's hair, pulling the woman closer. Erin whimpered a little and Penelope slipped her tongue in Erin's mouth.

Penelope breathed in and out heavily when Erin broke the kiss. "Home, now?" she asked, her very bones heavy with desire. Erin nodded in response and went to the driver's side, getting in and starting the car. She drove home quickly, and parked in their spot. They moved inside and up the stairs at a fast pace, their eagerness driving them onwards. Penelope fumbled with the lock, unable to focus long enough to open the door. Erin gently bumped her out of the way and coolly unlocked the door.

They stepped into the apartment and Erin closed the door, locking it once more. Penelope waited for her to turn around, then she moved forward, wrapping her arms around Erin's waist. Their lips met once more in a bruisingly intense kiss, and Penelope began to undo the buttons on Erin's shirt. It was more difficult than she'd thought it would be – the buttons were on the wrong side. Finally, though, the last one popped free and she slipped the shirt off Erin's shoulders.

Erin started to unfasten Penelope's blouse when she stilled her hands. "Tonight is about you, my dove. We can worry about me in a few days." Erin nodded and Penelope kissed down her neck, nipping delicately at the hollow of her throat. Erin purred with pleasure and Penelope grinned at the sound. Taking her hand, she led her to the bedroom, pushing her gently down on the bed.

Penelope unhooked Erin's bra, pulling it from her body and letting it fall to the floor. Kneeling on the floor, she cupped her breasts, thumbing the nipples until they stood taut. Then she leaned forward, nuzzling one with her nose before drawing it into her mouth. As she suckled at the erect nub, she felt Erin bury her hands in her hair, holding her close. Penelope slid her hands down Erin's side, fumbling slightly with the belt buckle, then unzipping her skirt. She tugged it off Erin, and then froze. Suddenly, she didn't know what to do next.

Releasing Erin's nipple, she leaned back and looked into her desire-filled eyes. "What's wrong? Why did you stop?" she panted, leaning forward to rest her forehead against Penelope's.

"I-I don't know what to do next. Oh, god, this is so embarrassing."

Erin reached up and tenderly lifted Penelope's face, then kissed her. Penelope relaxed into the kiss, allowing herself to be pulled onto the bed. Erin straddled her hips and slowly unbuttoned her shirt. She peeled it off her and then unhooked her bra, throwing the garments to the floor. Penelope felt self-conscious about the bruising on her breasts and tried to hide them from Erin. She started crying as Erin gently removed her hands, replacing them with her own. She thumbed Penelope's nipples softly, coaxing them to erect peaks.

"Making love is about give and take, my sweet peacock. You have to let me pleasure you as well." Penelope nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Erin kissed her once more and then lay down on top of her, nuzzling her neck. "Just hold me close, tonight. Let me feel you against me."

"All right. Just give me a minute." She crawled out of bed and shucked off her skirt, letting it fall to the floor with the rest of their clothes, then jogged into the bathroom. Quickly, she changed her tampon and then went back out into the bedroom. Erin was on her side, fingering the sheets lightly. Her face lit up when she saw Penelope, and she blushed at the sheer joy evident in her. Penelope sat down on the bed, and Erin embraced her, reaching around to cup her breasts. "Erin, do you have any idea what you do to me?"

"Oh, I have a fair idea, I think, seeing as how you do the same to me," she whispered against the crook of Penelope's neck, causing her to shiver in pleasure. At Erin's insistent tugging, she swung her legs up onto the bed. Again, Erin straddled her and leaned down to kiss her. Penelope pulled her down flush against her body, relishing the feel of skin on skin.

"I could stay like this forever," Penelope whispered as she yawned.

"Me, too," Erin replied, snuggling close to Penelope as she pulled the covers up over them. Penelope fell asleep with a contented smile on her face.

In the morning, she woke to the sensation of hands traveling up and down her body. Blinking her eyes open, she saw Erin's blue eyes looking back at her. "Good morning, Erin," she said thickly. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and then caressed Erin's face. She leaned up for a kiss and Erin obliged her, capturing her lips in a sweet embrace.

Her sigh turned into a moan as she felt Erin's wonderfully nimble fingers tease her nipples to hardness once more. Erin nipped at her lower lip and said, "If you want to take a shower this morning, you'll have to hurry. We have to be out of here in an hour."

Penelope nodded and stumbled out of bed. As she passed Erin, she felt her reach out and squeeze her ass. Penelope smiled cheekily as she pulled out an outfit to wear, then went into the bathroom. Turning on the water, she shimmied out of her panties and tossed the tampon into the wastebasket. Then she stepped into the shower, letting the warm water hit her skin. Her thoughts turned back to Erin as they often did these days. How long had it taken him to beat the playfulness out of her, the spontaneity? Every new facet she discovered about her love, the more she wanted to protect her.

She heard the door open, some rustling in the room, and then the door closed once more. After washing her hair, she turned the water off and toweled dry. Stepping out of the shower, she looked at the mirror and saw that Erin had drawn a heart in the steam. Smiling, she dressed quickly and applied her makeup before going out into the living room. Erin was waiting for her, holding out her purse and travel mug.

Penelope kissed her cheek as she took the proffered items. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Erin replied as she placed a bright red beret on her head. "I raided your accessory drawer."

"So I see. It looks good on you." They left the apartment and Erin got behind the wheel. As she drove, Penelope stared at her, smiling.

"What?"

"I don't know. You just make me so incredibly happy. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. It concerns me that they haven't made a move yet. I want to know what's going to happen next." She sighed, then smiled once more. "I just worry too much. Keeping you safe is my top priority."

"And vice versa. I don't want to lose you before I've had time to love you."