Track Three: A.M. By One Direction

Won't you stay 'til the a.m.?

All my favourite conversations

Always made in the a.m., yeah-yeah

Feels like this could be forever tonight

Break these clocks forget about time

There could be World War 3 going on outside

Derek's favorite part about coming home from a case was getting to spend time with Penelope. She was his comfort in a world that he knew could be very dark. She never failed to cheer him up, and when they were together, the rest of the world just faded away. So, he knew after being gone for 12 days on a very disturbing case, all he wanted to do was hang out with his best girl.

For a while, Derek and Penelope had grown apart a little. He'd dated a relative of a victim, and it had caused tension with his best friend. Tamara wasn't a fan of the close proximity Penelope had to Derek, so to please his girlfriend, he'd stupidly put some distance between him and his babygirl. But, like every other woman he dated, he realized he couldn't be close to Tamara like he was Penelope. The spark wasn't there. So he begged Penelope for forgiveness, just in time for her and Kevin Lynch to break up for good. He'd been there for her while she cried and mourned the relationship. Even though Derek thought Kevin was a dink, he knew Penelope cared for him.

Now, there was nothing coming between the two of them. So, when the team arrived back at Quantico, Derek asked Penelope to come to his place. She agreed, also needing some comfort after the case.

The pair had watched a movie, eaten some pizza, and finally decided to hit the hay. Derek and Penelope weren't shy around each other. There was a level of safety that they couldn't experience with other people. So, when they decided to go to bed, Derek pulled Penelope off the sofa she thought she was sleeping on.

"After seeing 12 women brutally murdered, I need you close by." Derek told her, almost shyly. She smiled at him, and followed his lead.

They got situated in his California king bed. But, the size of the bed didn't matter, Derek was squeezing her close to him as if there wasn't any space at all. She didn't mind. She'd been the one to have to analyze the surveillance videos that showed the murders, and she needed to be held tonight.

"I'm glad you're staying tonight, angel." He said to her.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else." She replied.

"Talk to me, tell me anything." He suggested.

And so she did. She told him the story of how her birth dad, who died when she was six, taught her to rollerskate. Or rather, tried to teach her. She wasn't very good, and ended up with a sprained wrist, and a scrap across her whole forehead. Derek chuckled, knowing how clumsy his baby girl was. By the end of the night, the case was almost forgotten. Anything outside of their conversation didn't exist.

You and me were raised in the same part of town

Got these scars on the same ground

Remember how we used to kick around just wasting time?

Won't you stay 'til the a.m.?

All my favourite conversations

Always made in the a.m.

'Cause we don't know what we're saying

We're just swimming 'round in our glasses

And talking out of our asses

Like we're all gonna make it, yeah-yeah

"Why don't you just go there already?" Emily asked her. Penelope tried not to roll her eyes. JJ and Emily had invited her to get drinks with them after work, and she hadn't expected this conversation again.

"He's just my friend, my bud, he doesn't see me that way, Ems." Penelope explained. JJ let out a chuckle.

"Yeah, okay, baby girl." She said, taking a drink of her margarita.

"Seriously, you know that's not what that means," Penelope countered. "Derek and I wouldn't work. We have similar scars, and we know too much about each other."

"Tell me then, PG, what's your favorite part of the day?" Emily asked.

"That's not fair." Penelope groaned.

"Answer the question."

"Fine. My favorite part of the day isn't the phone calls with Derek, or the silly nicknames, it's when he meets me by my car. For the past few months, he's been waiting in the morning for me to get to work, so we can walk in together. I think at first it was so Kevin would leave me alone, but now it's just part of our routine. He usually has coffee, though on my birthday he was holding flowers." Penelope smiled. The thought of Derek making time in his morning specifically for her was sweet.

"Okay, the real answer?" JJ asked. Penelope turned red. Of course JJ knew when Penelope was giving her BS.

"Guys…" Penelope warned. They stared at her. "Okay. Don't twist this. I mean it." They nodded. "It's our conversations in bed before we go to sleep."

"What!?" They exclaimed.

"A few weeks ago, after that case with the 12 murdered women, Derek asked me to stay over. So, I did because he was having a tough time. And we talked way into the hours of morning. Now, after a case, it's a thing. I stay over, and we talk. And those conversations, well…"

"Penelope, how do you not see that you and Derek are meant to be together?" JJ asked.

"He doesn't feel the same." Penelope insisted.

"Oh, come on, he totally does." Emily replied.

Penelope wished they were right. She loved her early morning conversations with Derek, and every other moment she spent with him. But, he didn't want her that way. She had spent too long trying to convince herself that she was okay with just being his friend, and she knew she wouldn't survive losing him. If she told him how she felt, and he turned her away, she'd be crushed. So, she decided to not risk it. It was better having part of him then nothing at all.

Feels like this could be forever right now

Don't wanna sleep 'cause we're dreaming out loud

Trying to behave but you know that we never learned how

You and me were raised in the same part of town

Got these scars on the same ground

Remember how we used to kick around just wasting time?

Won't you stay 'til the a.m.?

Ignoring his feelings for her was starting to feel impossible. Every night she spent at his place, he had to force himself to not push her. She'd made it clear that she didn't want more than friendship, so he needed to behave. He couldn't lose her, he knew he wouldn't make it through life without her.

"I don't want to sleep." Penelope pouted. She'd been busy working on a case for another team, and hadn't gotten to Derek's place until after midnight.

"Nightmares?" Derek asked her. She nodded. "Tell me about them."

"You don't want to hear about my silly dreams." She said, waving him off.

"Baby Girl, that's nonsense, I want to hear everything." He assured her. She sighed.

"It's about Battle. In my dreams, he comes and finishes the job." She tells him. "I scream, and no one hears me. Sometimes I even yell for you, but it's always too late."

"Listen honey, he can never hurt you again. And if anyone else tries, you have your own noir hero to keep you safe." Derek replied. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I won't let anyone take you from me."

Penelope finally caved and buried her head into his chest. Derek held her close, breathing in the vanilla scent of her hair. He wasn't sure why she couldn't see just how much she meant to him. Just the reminder of Jason Clark Battle made Derek's mind spiral. He'd come so close to losing her forever, and he knew he wouldn't have survived it if she'd died that night.

"You don't have to protect me, you know?" Penelope said, looking up at him. Derek shook his head.

"How can you even say that, P? My whole life's purpose is to keep you safe. I couldn't go on without you."

"Silly boy." She said.

Derek leaned down, and kissed her. It was a soft kiss, gentle, chaste. But the sparks were there nonetheless, and the message that he was serious.

All my favourite conversations

Always made in the a.m.

'Cause we don't know what we're saying

We're just swimming 'round in our glasses

And talking out of our asses

Like we're all gonna make it, yeah-yeah

You know, I'm always coming back to this place

You know and I'll say

You know, I'm always gonna look for your face

You know…

Something between them was changing. Derek had kissed her a week ago for the first time. The kisses were frequent now, but they were fairly innocent. He was holding back on her, she could tell. But, she was ready to take a chance on him. She needed to know where this thing between them could go. Now that she'd had a taste, she couldn't go on without knowing. If he turned her down, it would hurt, but at least she'd know.

Derek and the team had just gotten back from a case in Iowa. They'd arrived just as Penelope was packing up to head out. The words didn't need to be spoken; she knew she would be going to Derek's house. He met her there an hour and a half later after doing some paperwork. She was already changed into the PJs that were a permanent fixture in his drawer now. She was in his bed, reading a book when he came in. He let her know he was going to take a quick shower, and she willed her mind not to wander too far down that rabbit hole.

When he was done, he came out of the steamy bathroom. He had changed into boxers and a FBI tshirt. She sat her book down, and snuggled under the comforter with him. He pulled her against him, and silently held her for a moment.

"D?" She asked, needing to get his attention fully.

"Yes, princess?" He asked, his eyes closed.

"Are you awake enough to talk?" She asked, nervously. He opened his eyes and nodded, looking at her seriously. "Okay, uhm, what is this?"

"What's what baby?"

"Us." She replied. She moved slightly out of his arms to give them both some space. The pout on his face didn't go unnoticed. "We've been growing closer lately, and I have to admit it's confusing me."

"I never meant to confuse you, Penelope." He said. She felt her heart sink. She told herself not to feel disappointed, of course he hadn't meant to make her want him like that. He must have read her face, because he quickly cupped her cheeks, making her look him in the eyes. "Make no mistake, baby girl. There should be no confusion to this. I love you. I always have, and I always will. These nights with you have given my life meaning again, and I want to be together."

"Derek, I love you, and I want to be with you too. I just…I need you to promise that if we do this, if we take this step together, we won't lose our friendship. I can't lose you, not ever. And if being together risks our friendship, we can't do it." She said. Hot tears started to fill her eyes. This was what she wanted, Derek and her getting together. But, the idea of losing what they already had made her nervous.

"I swear, nothing in this world could ever tear us apart. If things don't work out, though I don't see that happening, I promise you won't lose me." Derek vowed. It was enough for her. She leaned in and kissed him. He kissed her back, both of them reeling at the happiness. This was finally happening.

"I'm glad we had this conversation." She said in between kisses. He chuckled.

"All of my favorite conversations are with you, in this bed." Derek replied.

"Oh yeah?" She smirked. "What else do you like to happen here?"

"Are you ready to find out?" He asked. She knew he didn't want to push her too far, but she was more than ready for this. She was ready to give herself fully to Derek Morgan.

"I love our conversations too, lovekins, but I think it's time for some action." She said with a grin.

No more words needed to be said. They moved together in perfect rhythm. They made it official, and now it was time to celebrate, which they did long into the morning.

Won't you stay 'til the a.m.?

All my favourite conversations

Always made in the a.m.

'Cause we don't know what we're saying

We're just swimming 'round in our glasses

And talking out of our asses

Like we're all gonna make it, yeah-yeah

Life was pretty blissful in the two weeks following that fateful conversation. Derek couldn't believe he'd ever gone without her love. Being with Penelope was all he'd dreamed of. She was his best friend, and the love of his life. He was so glad they'd finally spoken the word they'd been holding back all these years. The team had been ecstatic to hear that Baby Girl and Chocolate Thunder had finally made a move. It wasn't surprising to anyone, they'd all known eventually it would happen. And, seeing how happy Penelope and Derek were made them happy too.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Derek asked, coming up behind Penelope's chair. The team had gotten back from a case that morning, and had been doing paper work since. He kissed her cheek as she looked at the screen. "Finishing up soon?"

"Probably not," She sighed. "The B team needs me to find some information for them, but I keep reaching dead ends. I'm the third tech to try and break through this system, it's got like a brick wall and an electric fence around it."

"Can I help?" He asked. She laughed. "Okay, silly question, you're the tech genius in this relationship. Would you rather me go home and make dinner, or wait here with you?"

"I could be here all night." She pouted.

"That's okay, if you want me to stay I will. But if you don't want the distraction I understand, and I can wait at my place for you to finish." He replied, rubbing her shoulders. She leaned into him, appreciating the small gestures he gave her everyday.

"You don't mind? It could take until the early morning." She warned. He smiled and pointed to her sofa.

"That's where my butt is going to be planted until you're finished." He assured her. "I'll even order us a pizza to get delivered. Pineapple and green peppers?"

"Yes please." She smiled.

It did take well into the early hours of morning for her to finally crack the code. She sent the B team the information, and shut down her babies. She smiled when she saw Derek quietly snoring on the couch. She gently woke him up with a kiss.

"Hmmm, finished?" He asked her. She nodded. "What time is it?"

"Just after 2 am. Thank you for staying with me." She replied.

"Always, baby." He told her.

Won't you stay 'til the a.m.?

You know, I'm always coming back to this place

Won't you stay 'til the a.m.?

You know and I'll say

Won't you stay 'til the a.m.?

You know, I'm always gonna look for your face

Won't you stay 'til the a.m.? Yeah-yeah

Penelope woke up, slightly startled, and checked the clock. It was 3 am and she was all alone in her bed. Where was Derek? If he'd gotten called in for a case, she would have also been notified, plus they rarely got called in this early. She sat up, grabbed her robe, and went to find him. Now that she was more awake, she heard a cooing noise from the room across the hall.

"Sh, I know, but let's let mommy sleep a little bit, okay?" Derek was talking to their 5 month old daughter. Penelope smiled to herself. "Are you feeling a bit better now?"

Derek was holding their daughter in the gliding chair. Reya was wide awake with her paci in her mouth. Her eyes were focused on the doorway though. Penelope knew, Reya had sensed her mother's presence, but Derek hadn't yet.

"I love our little conversations, it reminds me of your mommy. Before we got married and had you, we were friends. Best friends, actually. Whenever I had a bad day, or needed some extra love, mommy would come over and talk to me all night long. It made me feel better to know that I had my own ray of sunshine in the dark days of life. And now, when you feel sad, your daddy always makes sure you know I'm here. My Sunshine girl." He said.

Penelope could have melted right there in the doorway. She loved seeing Derek with their daughter. He was such a good dad, and Reya adored him. Not that Penelope was surprised, who could resist Derek's charm.

Reya had been a surprise. They had discussed children, but after they got married, things were busy. They spent a lot of nights apart due to work, and having a baby would make things more challenging. But, eight months after the wedding, Penelope took a test, and it came back positive. They were both over the moon, and even though it wasn't the plan they'd made, they couldn't have been happier. Derek was able to take fewer cases toward the end of the pregnancy, and took the first three months of Reya's life off work. Now he was back, but he wasn't gone as often. Hotch had allowed him to create his own schedule. He wanted Derek and Penelope to be happy, and so anything he could do to help, he did.

Reya June Morgan was born on the first day of summer. She was six pounds, 2 ounces of pure perfection. She looked like a perfect mix of Derek and Penelope. Penelope took one look at her little ray of sunshine, and knew, this was exactly the way things were supposed to happen.

"Is that mommy?" Penelope snapped out of her thoughts and stepped into the nursery. Derek had finally noticed her presence.

"Hi, Sunshine." Penelope smiled down at her baby, who cooed at her in excitement. She lifted the baby from Derek's arms, and snuggled her close.

"We should have just named her Sunshine." Derek teased with a smile. It was true, no one aside from Derek's mother called her Reya anymore. She was everyone's Sunshine.

"She might have resented that when she got older." Penelope replied. Derek shook his head. "You're right, she's definitely a Sunshine."

"I'm always right." He smirked. She laughed. Reya snuggled back up to her mother, closing her eyes. "I think she's finally ready to sleep some more."

Penelope nodded. They both gave the baby a kiss goodnight and laid her back into her crib. They crept out of the nursery, careful not to wake her back up.

They crawled back into their own bed and snuggled close together. Some things never changed, like the need to be close after a long day, or the comfort they felt being in one another's arms. No matter how much time passed, this was still their favorite part of each day.

"So, how much of my conversation with the baby did you hear?" Derek asked. Penelope chuckled.

"How often do you have early morning conversations with our daughter?"

"Probably a few times a week." He admitted. She grinned, kissing him.

"It's very sweet." She said. She was surprised that even after almost two years of marriage, and knowing him for so long, she was still finding new ways to fall in love with him. "You are the best dad and husband ever."

"Thank you for giving me this life." He replied. He kissed her head.

"It's all thanks to those late night conversations."

"All my favorite conversations are made in the AM." Derek replied, sleepily.

"Me too." She agreed. Moments later, they were both asleep in each other's arms, just the way it was supposed to be.