Disclaimer: I own nothing…cuz if I did, Morgan and Garcia would be together :)

Here's the next chapter! Last one before the epilogue. It's another gooey one :) Thanks for the reviews by the way…it makes my day when I find them in my inbox!

"So, when do we get out of here?" Derek asked Dr. Bray. He and Penelope had been in the hospital for a week, most of their bruises turning unpleasant shades of yellow and light purple. "I feel like I can be up and about now." He gestured to his abdomen and added, "No pain. I'm all good." He grinned.

"Well you, Mr. Morgan, can probably get out of here very soon. About a day or two depending on your behavior," Dr. Bray said. He fixed Derek with a stern glance and raised an eyebrow at him. In the last week he and Derek had butted heads on more than one occasion regarding his habits of getting up when no one was around so he could sit next to Penelope. "Ms. Garcia will need to stay a few more days for sure to keep her under observation. After that we'll get you ready to go." He nodded to both of them and left the room.

"Thank God we can get out of here soon," Derek huffed, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed to get out of it.

"Not if you don't get your sexy butt back to bed," Penelope said with a smirk. But instead of pressing the matter she let him take her hand and sit in the chair Fran occupied most of the time. "I'm just kidding. It's nice to have you over here. So much of this time apart is killing me.

Derek's face softened and he rubbed the pad of his thumb against her cheek, careful to push too hard on her damaged skin. She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his hand on her face. Leaning against his hand, she whispered, "I don't ever want to be away from you again."

"I know," he said back. "I can't be away from you either."

Her eyes opened again and the surface of them was glassy. "I can't stand it if you got hurt again," she said softly. "Seeing you get…stabbed by Harold…" She paused as he wiped her tears away. "I almost died watching that. It was terrible."

"You'll never have to see that again," he vowed. "I'm going to keep you safe from anything and everything." He paused to get up from the chair and sit on the edge of the bed. "I promise," he added, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Mr. Morgan!" a nurse cried as she came into the room. "Get back in bed. You know what Dr. Bray told you!"

Grinning shamelessly at Penelope one last time, he got up and padded back to his bed. She just pursed her lips in an attempt to hide a smile.

"Silly Hot Stuff," she laughed.

XXXXX

2 Weeks Later

Penelope and Derek had returned to Quantico and had both been given time off. Derek would be back in the field as soon as the doctors cleared him, but Strauss was ordering Penelope have psychological evaluations before she could be taken back. At the moment she was sitting in his living room, waiting for him to come back with beers and popcorn. Her broken ankle was elevated on the coffee table and the credits for Mad Max were rolling on the screen.

"Movie's starting, Chocolate Thunder!" she called.

"I'll be right there," he replied. She smiled. Though she'd been home for a week and a half and Derek hadn't left her side, she was constantly afraid. Every little sound that she head scared her to death. Every shadow she came across made her jump. Her nightmares made her wake up screaming and sweating. She shivered and almost leapt out of her seat when he returned to the living room. The yelp that escaped her sore lips made him rush over with worry and he set the drinks and food on the table before sitting next to her and looking at her anxiously. "Baby Girl? Are you okay? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you!"

With shaking hands she shook her head. "I'm okay," she said. "I just got really freaked out of –" Her voice cut out abruptly.

Derek studied her with concern and picked up the remote to pause the movie so they were left in silence. "C'mere you," he murmured, pulling her into his arms and holding her as if she were the most fragile thing in the world. She made no noise as she kept her head against his strong chest and he kissed the top of her head. Derek was extremely worried about her. He knew well that the road to recovery for her would be much harder on the emotional level, but he didn't know how he was supposed to help her. "I've got you. And I'm not going anywhere." Wrapping his arms around her, he added, "You know that right?"

She nodded against his chest. "I do," she answered. Her fingers clenched against the softness of his t-shirt and she held him tightly. "And I'm sorry I've been such a problem to deal with. I know waking up in the middle of the night –"

Putting his finger to her lips, he shushed her. "Stop that Penelope," he said soothingly. "What makes you think you're a problem? You're not a problem. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." He grinned brightly at her. "And by the way, that stuff you said to me, about marrying me and having my babies…you know? When I was barely lucid?"

She looked at him in slight confusion, but nodded. "Yes," she said. "Yes, I remember."

"Did you mean it?" His voice was questioning and his eyes were hopeful, like he desperately wanted every word she said to be how she felt.

Bringing her brace-covered hand up to his face and letting her fingertips stroke his cheek lightly. "I meant every single word I said," she said sincerely. "Every single one." Her eyes held every ounce of feeling she had for him. Taking his hand, she gave it a squeeze and added, "And I hope that you'll let me be those things: your wife, the mother of your children." She held his gaze in hers. "If you want that. Because I know things might be really weird and if you –"

Derek just laughed before pulling her face to his and kissing her passionately. He broke it after a few moments and leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes in the process. Letting out a deep breath, he whispered, "I love you, Penelope. And I want nothing more than for you to be all those and more. You're my soul-mate, Baby." Settling her gently against the cushions, he rose from the couch and said, "Give me one minute." Penelope arched a brow at his disappearing figure, but didn't say a word; her heart was caught in her throat.

When he returned to the room, his palm contained a small velvet box and she let out a squeak. "Is that – is that?" she gasped.

He nodded sheepishly. "This was the ring my dad gave to my mom," he explained, opening the box and showing her the glittering diamond. "She gave it to me for when – well when something like this happening. Me falling in love with you."

Tears filled her eyes and she sat forward, ignoring the dull ache in her chest from where she had broken and cracked ribs. Her fingers lightly traced the outline of the box and she brought her eyes up to meet Derek's. "Derek Morgan," she said hoarsely. "You are one charming man."

"So…is that a yes?" he asked.

She giggled. "Cocoa goodness, you haven't asked me anything," she pointed out. "I don't know what question you want me to answer." She teased him and he groaned painfully.

"Oh, right," he said, getting down on one knee and clearing his throat. "Penelope Garcia, I know this is awfully sudden, but I love you more than I love anyone or anything else in this world. I don't ever want to be without you and I always want to be around to protect and love you the way you deserve to be loved. So here's my question: Penelope, Baby Girl…will you marry me?"

A few small tears rolled down her cheeks and she nodded. Biting her lip, she looked at him with her glassy eyes and said, "Yes. Yes, I will marry you," before pulling him by his face into a tender kiss.