Stepping out of the elevator as they entered Quantico together, holding hands. Derek and Penelope walked through the bullpen as they noticed everyone was standing around, staring at Hotch's office. Getting closer to their team, Penelope let go of Derek's hand. "What's going on? Why is Strauss here?" she asked.

Emily shrugged her shoulders. "We have no idea," she answered as they all stood around watching Hotch and Strauss talk to each other. Strauss didn't always visit Quantico unless it was something serious or she felt the team couldn't handle a case on their own. Which was very rare. However, most of the time Strauss visited Quantico just to annoy the team.

Stepping out of his office, Hotch's eyes landed on Penelope and Derek. "Can you both come into my office, please?" he asked as he re-entered his office.

Penelope glanced over at Derek with worry as so many questions began to race through her head. Not to mention she was starting to feel nervous as well. Feeling Emily nudge her to move, Penelope quickly followed Derek up the stairs as they both walked into Hotch's office.

" What's going on?" Derek asked as he looks over at Hotch and then over at Strauss.

It has come to my attention that you two have been seeing each other romantically for the past few months now. Is that true? Strauss asked, being blunt about it.

"It's true," Derek said, not understanding why Strauss was bringing it up or why they were having this conversation. Yes, Derek and Penelope had been seeing each other for a few months now, and yes, the entire team knew about the couple. Derek felt that Strauss didn't have the right to question their relationship.

" So, don't you think that maybe your relationship is affecting your job?" Strauss asked as she crossed her arms over her chest as she looks at the couple.

"Absolutely not."

"I see. Well, I feel that this relationship is unhealthy in the workplace. I also feel that when you two are together, you both end up losing focus on what's important, such as saving lives, and it's affecting your job. So, I strongly feel that this relationship needs to end."

" What?! no Ma'am, I..." Penelope wasn't sure what to say as she looks up at Derek who placed his hands against her shoulder.

"All due respect, ma'am. But my relationship with Penelope is nobody's business, and I can assure you that it will never affect my job. I mean, it hasn't before, so why should it start now?"

"Ma'am," both Agent Morgan and Garcia have never once let their relationship interfere with any of the cases. They've always kept everything professional here at Quantico." Hotch spoke up for the first time since Strauss started questioning the couple.

"Can you guarantee that you two can keep your relationship outside of work and not get distracted?" Strauss asked.

"Of course we can, ma'am. We both promise that we can keep our relationship outside of work and not get distracted by each other." Penelope answered as she quickly nodded her head. If keeping their relationship outside of Quantico is what Strauss wants, then so be it. Penelope loves Derek more than anything. But she will not lose her job.

" Very well then, you both can go." Strauss said dismissing them as she something more important to talk to Hotch with.

" Thank you Ma'am." Penelope said as she grabs Derek by the arm and pulls him out of Hotch's office. Letting Derek's arm go Penelope as she sighs in relief." That was close." She said with a chuckle as she looks over at Derek for a moment.

" You don't agree with her, do you?"

" Are you telling me, that you do?"

" Honestly, yeah I do. I mean Strauss does have a point. Ever since we got together, we sorta been little distracted with each other." Penelope answered as she smiles sheepishly." Besides I know I can keep myself under control at work. Question is, can you?" She asked with a smirk.

" Well, considering the way you're dressing right now baby girl, I don't know if I am gonna be able too. But I guess I can at least try." Derek answered as he chuckled softly." Are you sure about this?" He asked seriously.

" Ye... no, I am not sure, but if we need to keep our relationship outside of work and not take the risk of getting fired. Then so be it. Because as I love you, I love our team more and I can't take the risk of leaving them." Penelope answered as she patted Derek's chest and turns around heading towards her office.

" What, I don't even get a kiss?" Derek asked as he watched her walk away from him.

" I'll kiss you later." Penelope answered with a wink and giggles softly.

Derek chuckled softly as he shook his head and heading towards his own office as he waits for a new case to come through. Derek doesn't agree with Strauss, but maybe Penelope is right. Maybe he has been a little distracted by her lately. But who can blame him. His baby girl is hot and he's one lucky man.

JJ walked toward Derek's door as she entered his office. "What happened?" she asked curiously.

Derek exhaled as he shook his head. "Strauss seems to believe that my relationship with Garcia is a distraction and jeopardizing our case. She wants us to keep our relationship out of work, and Penelope seems to agree with her."

"And, I'm guessing you don't." JJ stated the obvious.

Derek shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe Strauss is right. Our relationship might be affecting our job." Derek snorted as he shook his head. "I can't believe I just said that." Hearing himself say those words sounded crazy to him.

Penelope stood in front of Derek's door a few moments later. "We got a case," she said as she looked at Derek for a moment before quickly turning around and walking away from his office.

"O...okay...got any idea what that was all about?" JJ asked as she raised her brow.

" I don't know, but I'm gonna find out though." Derek answered as he got up from his seat and walked out of his office heading to the conference room with JJ following behind him. Watching Penelope walking away that quickly didn't make sense to him. That's not his baby girl. Something seems to be bothering his Garcia and he's not sure what.

Later that night, Garcia was curled up on her couch with a book and a cup of hot herbal tea. While Penelope tried to read, she couldn't stop thinking about what Strauss had said earlier and why she suddenly left his office so quickly or why she'd been ignoring his calls while accepting everyone else's.

Penelope, of course, felt guilty for blowing Derek off, as she had never done so before - ever. One of her favorite parts about her job was getting to talk to Derek; hearing his voice always inspired her to do her job. Today, however, Penelope did not talk to Derek. She missed hearing his voice and desperately wanted to hear it again.

Penelope's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door. Quickly closing her book, Penelope leaped off the couch and made her way to the entrance. Upon reaching the door, she grasped the knob and flung it open, revealing Derek standing before her. Without uttering a word, Penelope pulled him inside and pressed her lips against his, savoring the taste and sensation of his mouth. It was as if she had forgotten how his lips felt, and now she was desperate to reclaim the lost memory.

Derek came to talk to Penelope and try to figure out why she had been avoiding him all day. Instead, he got pulled into her apartment and got the sweet taste of her soft lips on his. Oh, Derek had been thinking about kissing those sweet, soft, full lips of hers all day. Burying his hands in her long, soft blonde hair, he groaned softly as he continued to kiss her passionately and deeply, slipping his tongue into her sweet mouth and massaging it with his own.

Penelope groaned softly as she slowly broke their kiss, needing to come up for some air. "You're probably mad at me, huh?"

Now, why would you ask that? Derek asked as he smirked slightly.

"Because I was avoiding you and ignoring your calls, which we both know I never do. Because I don't... It's just when Strauss wanted us to keep our relationship outside of work and not lose focus on our job. I didn't want to get in trouble or worse get you in trouble. I am sorry."

Derek stroked her face with both of his hands as he shook his head. "You have nothing to apologize for baby girl. I know keeping this outside of work won't be easy. But we can do this. I know we can." He grinned as he leaned in and continued to kiss her passionately and deeply as he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. As he smirked against her lips, he slowly laid her down on the couch.

AN: Leave reviews xD.