AN: Thank you all for the support! Sorry this one took a little longer to get out but here it is! Evgrrl09 and I want to thank you.
Please enjoy!
Derek could hear Penelope's muffled pleas, but he was not sure where they were coming from. His mind was whirling with everything that had happened. He remembered getting shot by the unsub, but that wasn't what was upsetting him.
He hadn't opened his eyes yet, but he could remember everything, from the pain of Penelope leaving him to his last act of desperation on her wedding day to someone that wasn't him. And then he remembered seeing his dad.
"Don't let her get away. Don't make this mistake."
His eyes fluttered open after everything started coming back to him. He remembered the unsub's bullet hitting him, and the blackness that followed. Most of all he could remember the fight where she said he was keeping his options open. He moved his head slightly to see Penelope's wide eyes looking at him.
"Derek, oh god! You came back to me," she cried, tears falling.
He tried to speak, but the breathing tube was making everything difficult. He wanted nothing more than to rip the tube from his throat so he could shout his feelings to her, to bellow his apologies so the whole hospital could hear him.
"Shh, it's okay, Baby," she said. "I'm gonna go and get someone."
He grabbed onto her hand tighter, trying to convey he didn't want her leaving his side. His eyes held hurt and pain as she understood what he wanted. "I have to let someone know, Derek. They'll be able to come and get the tube out so you can talk."
He let go of her hand reluctantly as one lone tear fell from his eye. He was still alive, he hadn't killed himself and she hadn't left him to get married to some other guy. It was a horrible nightmare. But a nightmare that had a purpose. His father had been right. He needed to stop playing around.
He thought back to the fight they had outside the bar, before he left for the case. She had been so hurt after he danced with those other women. He had been foolish. He subconsciously did keep his options open like he always had, because he never thought someone would be able to fully love him. He always thought he was damaged goods, and no matter how hard he tried not to think that way, he always assumed people would end up leaving him.
He watched as a doctor and Penelope came back into the room. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Even thought it had been a dream, he never thought he would ever be able to get the image of her breaking down in front of his grave out of his head. He needed to fix this and fix it now.
But first he needed this fucking tube out of his mouth so he could right his wrongs.
"Agent Morgan, you gave us all quite a scare the past four days," the doctor said.
Four days. Did he just say four days?
Derek watch Penelope's face contort with pain as the doctor moved over to the side of the bed. He didn't care what the doctor had to do or what he had to say, he wouldn't take his eyes off of Penelope.
"It looks like you are trying to breath on your own. I'm going to call the nurse in so we can take the tube out."
Finally Derek took his eyes off the only woman in the world for him to look at the doctor. He tried to nod, but found the task difficult.
About a minute or two later, two nurses came in to extract the breathing tube. "This is going to feel like someone knocked the wind out of you. You'll end up feeling a sharp pain and then a gush of air. It's all perfectly normal. You're going to cough for a few moments but try not to speak at first," the doctor instructed.
He pulled the tube out, and Derek instantly started to cough. Once it subsided, he looked at Penelope and against doctors orders her tried to speak, "Penelope," he said hoarsely almost inaudible.
She rushed over to the side of his bed, the emotions of her face scolding him, "Do you not listen? He said not to talk."
He tried again. "Don't care," he rasped.
"Agent Morgan, give me a couple of minutes to evaluate you, and then you can try to speak, okay?"
Derek looked back at the doctor and nodded his head. At the same time he grabbed onto Penelope's hand refusing to let go. He had so much he needed to say to her.
About twenty minutes later, with Penelope still at his side, the doctor and nurses left. He turned to Penelope, ready to speak, but she placed a finger on his lips. "I am so sorry, Derek. I shouldn't have let my jealousy cloud my judgment. I can't believe I let you leave to go on the case without even kissing you good-"
"You better not be apologizing to me," he said in a muffled voice. He was now able to talk, but not loudly. "You have nothing to apologize for. You were right. Everything you said that night was right. I was I wrong, and am idiot."
"You're not. I know you love me, and I was just so upset that night-"
"Stop it, Baby," he pleaded a little louder, "I was so stupid. I never thought anyone would ever really love me. I thought that sooner or later you would leave me after really seeing me for who I am…" He got quieter. "…the fucked up man that was molested as a child and can't fully trust anyone."
"Don't say that, Baby." Tears flooded her eyes, falling down her cheeks in rivers.
He stopped her again. "When-" He didn't know how to say this without seeming crazy. He looked into Penelope's eyes fearful, but what he saw assured him that she would never see him as crazy, and if he wanted to really take his fathers advice, he would need to fully trust her with everything, from his body to his psyche.
"I saw my dad," he started again. He was afraid to look at her, knowing she would think he was crazy, but then she shocked him.
"What did he say?"
"You don't - wait, you believe me?" he asked, shocked.
"Why wouldn't I?" She cocked her head to the side.
He shook his head. He should have known better. Of course she would believe him. She knew he would never lie to her, and she was always open with things like this.
"The doctor said it was only four days, but it was months in my head." He told her everything, not leaving out any detail. He explained that his father told him he needed to change his ways or that was what his life was destined to be.
"Oh, baby!" she cried as he finished telling her the story. She leaned forward and rested her head against him. Her tears leaked onto his chest, and she sniffled against him. He brought his hand up to cup her cheek. Then he kissed the top of her head.
"Penelope I can't live without you in my life. You are the only one I ever want to be with. I never meant to hurt you. You save me from myself."
"It's the same for me, Derek. You're my world," she whispered.
"I don't want to wait. I want everything with you," he told her, pulling her as close as he could. "Marry me. Marry me right now, today."
She blinked at him. "Derek-"
"Please marry me. You are the love of my life," he begged.
"I'd be a fool to say no to you." She moved up his wounded body to kiss his lips.
"I love you," he murmured.
"I love you, too," she replied, her heart in her voice.
AN: Thank you for reading! There is only one more chapter.