Past—About a year and 4 months after their wedding
"Sweetness, come on. Were going to be late," Derek called through the brownstone.
"I'm coming—I'm coming," she said as she hustled to consolidate her purse into her clutch.
"Do you have the basket?" she asked—this was her stalling technique—get him to focus on something else and she could finish her make-up.
"Check," he said.
"Do you have the wine?" she asked as she put on her mascara.
"Hardhead, I have everything—stop stalling." He said hip to her game
"Corkscrew?"
"Penelope" he said as she ran down the stairs.
"I'm ready kind of… I'll finish my make-up in the car."
She was wearing a long mango maxi dress with bright green flat sandals. "You look gorgeous" he said then he pulled her in for a kiss.
"I feel so short with out my heels" she pouted
"Mama, you are short," he said as he opened the door. As she walked through the door, he smacked her butt.
"Don't make me hurt you, handsome."
He laughed.
Once they loaded everything into the car—they hit the road.
"So, you love this guy—huh, Jason Mraz." Derek asked.
"He reminds me of California and just a laid back life—you know, no unsubs or guns."
Derek laughed, "Oh no are you going to go all hippy dippy on me."
"No, reminds me to be mellow—I think your going to like it" she said. "There is something I've been wanting to tell you—" she said changing to a more serious tone, "I well - I think we."
She looked at him and saw the concern cross his face and she said "oh, no Hot Stuff, it isn't bad - I'm not sure if you know, well how would you know. When you stop taking the pill you don't get pregnant immediately your hormones have to get back in balance and that could take a month or two or three – depending on who it is and your hormonal make up."
"Why are you rambling? Is everything ok with you, baby girl?" he asked squeezing her hand.
"I stopped taking the pill two months ago - No, I'm not pregnant but I am ready to start trying building the tribe of Morgan."
He pulled over to a side street and said "What?"
"We moved, my job is great, and I'm ready – all the lights are green." She looked at his face and it was so unreadable—"shit," she said "this should have been a conversation—shouldn't? Wait -did you want to wait a bit. I could get back on the pill—I should've asked. I just thought that you –"
He cut off her rambling with a kiss, "I am so happy Penelope Morgan!"
"I never get tired of hearing that"
He started kissing her shoulder and pulling down her spaghetti strap.
"Derek, we are going to be late."
"We have to get some practice in," he said as he pulled her on top of him.
"Derek," she said as he
"I'll be quick, baby girl"
"Lies, You don't know how to be quick" she said as she hiked up her dress.
5 months later
"Are you hungry? Maybe we can grab dinner."
"I can't – I'm meeting Derek and the gang for drinks. Do you want to come? Plato, It could be fun," Penelope said.
"No, I –" he said not being able to come up with a reason fast enough.
"Come on, Plato- I've been dying for you to meet Spencer so you can get your geek on."
"The infamous Spencer Reid"—he chuckled
"Yeah, you never met my Derek either come on!"
"Twist my arm—ok," Stella replied
She spotted the team at their usual table at Pete's. The bar was packed for a Thursday; she grabbed his hand and made their way through the crowd. Once they cleared the pack—she was surrounded by familiar faces. She immediately gave Derek a kiss and said, "Hey Hot Stuff, I've missed you!"
He smiled ear to ear—"you have no idea"
She was about to give him another kiss when she remembered Stella.
Hold that thought she said to Derek
"Team Fab this is Stella!"
"Stella, this is Derek, Emily, Hotch, Beth, JJ, Rossi, Kevin, and the infamous Spencer Reid."
"Infamous?" Spencer asked
"She talks about you all the time" Stella said to Spencer "—this play date has been a year in the making."
"Nice to meet you all," Stella said to the table.
"Stella works at U of Penn professor of philosophy and these guys all work with Derek."
"Does anyone need a drink?" Stella asked.
They shook their heads
He looked at Penelope; "I know, cranberry and ginger, be right back."
When he left she looked at Derek, and kissed him again then groaned –"I feel like he is sitting on my bladder, " She said as she rubbed her little belly. She headed to the restroom
Emily, "I thought Stella was a woman."
"He is all man," Beth said kind of lustfully "—he runs in the park with no shirt on and the women trip all over themselves."
"Really," Hotch asked
"Yeah," Beth continued, "he runs with us sometimes – but normally he laps us and then we shop at the farmers market, after."
"Oh does he now," Derek said teasing her.
"Yeah, that is why I like running with you" looking at Hotch, "—you don't lap me and you could" she said smiling.
"Nice save Mrs. Hotchner"
The table laughed
"They take the train to campus most days—Kevin ran a background check, he is a decent guy, upstanding citizen, who visits his family several times a year, and smokes pot"
"You background checked him?" Spencer asked
"Come on now, you can't be around my baby girl and 24/7 and have me not check."
The table erupted with laughter.
What so funny Penelope asked as she scotched in to the booth next to Derek.
When he returned with her drink—she said thanks Plato.
And he smiled down at her with happiness in his eyes.
He went to the end of the table and grabbed a seat next to Reid.
"How have you been feeling, baby girl?"
"Not too bad, I went for a run this morning and I feel back to normal – no more sickness."
"Do you have any weird cravings?" JJ asked, "When I had Kayla I loved chocolate and bananas—well Nutella."
"Well, you were craving strawberries and peanut butter—but that kinda passed right" Derek asked.
Penelope nodded
"Dog Me!" Stella said from across the table.
She couldn't hold in her laughter and almost spit out her cranberry juice.
What the table asks.
"Now," Stella said, "it's hotdogs with mustard and relish. Like 3 weeks ago—we were walking by a street vendor on campus and Penelope smells hot dogs—she eats 3 right there in one sitting at like 10 in the morning. We continue down the street and a vendor is making cheese steaks. She pukes immediately, because of the smell of the cheese steak. She can't get the hot dogs because he is in a cheese steak vendor sandwich. So every day at 230pm she sends me a text that says Dog Me!"
"They are right in front of his building and his next class is in mine—so it makes sense—I'm not just barking orders at you via text. I mean what is in a cheese steak anyways—I betcha it's discarded cow parts"
"Actually," Reid says "the cheesesteak is made of thinly sliced beed. If my memory is correct it- The cheesesteak was developed in the early 20th century "by combining frizzled beef, onions, and cheese in a small loaf of bread,"
"You never cease to amaze me Reid,- What sucks is that oranges make me queasy and you know how much I love them."
"Well after drinks here—I was thinking dinner at that Gio's." Derek said in a low voice to her.
"Yum! And maybe a movie night—I feel like something sappy with explositions."
"Dark Knight—again baby girl?"
He kissed her again a lingering peck.
"We've really missed you she said I've planned the perfect date night tomorrow. We could see the cherry blossoms at the botanical garden, lunch at Chez Lulu, and Miguel invited us to an art exhibit."
"Ok, Mrs. Morgan—I see you booked us up" he said laughing
"I kinda over did it huh?"
He tapped her nose, "No it is cute baby girl."
Emily noticed that Stella was stealing glances at Garcia as he talked to Reid and Kevin, she noticed it and filed it away for later.
"You guys have had the longest honeymoon period known to man," she said as she watched for Stella's response, which was filed that away for later too, Emily noted.
"This is just who we are," Derek said.
"Totally," Penelope said in agreement, looking at him full of love.
The team continued to chat until it was dinnertime.
When her stomach started to growl—they knew they had to make their exit. She kissed and hugged everyone goodbye. When she got to Stella she said "I know, I know—Plato I will do my homework for the ride in on Monday."
"Homework," Reid asked—"I didn't know you were taking classes."
"No, we are thinking of co-teaching a class on the philosophy of Artificial Intelligence for the graduate students. We have to get our proposal in by the end of the month, "she replied.
"And she's been slacking," Stella added.
"But I'm pregnant—" she said with a child like pout.
"That and a smile can only get you so far Mrs. Morgan, Claude's been pestering."
"Ok, I'll work – you can go over my pages on Monday."
She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and grabbed Derek's hand.
"Mama's hungry, handsome."
A lot of people don't like this Penelope - so I've decided to try and post a past and present day story together so. You can be reminded of their love as well as their marital problems at the same time. Don't worry this will be a HEA- but I like the angst drama.
Thank you for the reviews and follows :)