Criminal Minds 1. The Breakup

AN: What I would have loved to see as the ending of a recent episode (4.23 'Road Kill'). I own nothing that is familiar.

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"What do you mean you are taking the job?" Penelope said in an even calm voice, a voice that made Kevin shiver in fear. Emotions quickly passed over her face that confused him, joy and sympathy, but as soon as they had come they were covered in an anger so hot he shivered in fear again. Penelope could do scary things with a computer and he was about to get his dream job he did not want to be wiped out of existence and still be living.

"It is the perfect job for me Penny. I can't just sit around here waiting for another opportunity like this to come along, one that is closer to here. You could come with me…" Kevin started looking at her hopefully over the top of his glasses, almost looking like a sad lost puppy dog. Garcia did not even notice she was angry and trying to contain her temper.

"My name is Penelope not PENNY, You know that! You also know I would never leave the BAU. Yet you ask me to anyway! These people are my family and I will not leave them!" She told him stalking towards him, backing him into the doorway. "You started this interview not even telling me that you were thinking about this job. Then not until the seventh interview did you even think that maybe you should tell your girlfriend that you are leaving her…"

"Penny I'm not…" Kevin tried to reason with her.

"My name is PENELOPE! And of course you are leaving me. You knew that I would never leave the BAU, leave my family. You are going to some unknown place where you will not be able to communicate with anyone outside of the project! If that is not leaving someone I don't know what you think it is!" her voice was rising and the door being open allowed their conversation to carry into the bullpen, where the team was working on the reports for the last case. They had left them for today having not arrived back home until the wee hours of the morning.

Emily cringed for her friend knowing that this was strictly forbidden, the frat rules could cause her major problems if Strauss heard of this little screaming match. Reid hating to intrude on what should be a private conversation focused on his work and tried not to listen. Derek on the other hand was trying to hear every word and look like he was really working. This might just be his chance! He had been heartbroken after he had told her that he loves her and then she started going out with Kevin. But now they were breaking up and he would be there to comfort her, and hopefully get her to realize that he did not just love her like a sister or a friend but he was in love with her. And as much as he hated that this was hurting her he was a little excited.

Looking around himself he noticed that there was no one paying attention to him so he went online to a local flower shop and ordered what he hoped would be a beautiful bouquet, telling them to write on the card: I am Sorry for your Loss. Love, D. He then went to the website for her favorite gourmet chocolate and ordered her favorite Truffles to be sent here with a card saying: You are my God given Solace and I will never leave you. Love D. Flowers and Chocolates were sure to cheer her up. He noticed a fun game and a few other products that sounded extremely sexy on the website for her chocolates and ordered them to be shipped to his house for future use. Grinning he noticed that he could no longer hear them fighting which meant that either she had closed the door or it was over. As he walked to her bunker he tried to calm himself down and school his features to show caring comfort that he knew that she needed right now not his over eager excitement about her breaking up Kevin.

Kevin was still standing there staring at the closed door with the sad puppy look in his eyes, telling Morgan that he had not missed the end of the fight by long. Kevin glared at Morgan knowing why he was going to see Penelope, mad he would always hold the heart of the one he loved, and Derek did not even know it was his.

"I have only a few things to say to you right now the first is that I do not want you here when I open this door. Second the whole bullpen heard your break up, so you'll have some fun getting out of here, the instant they spot you the whole team will be down your throat. Third is that I would love to be there with them but Pen would hate me getting in trouble for what I would do right now and I would do anything to make her happy. Besides if I did anything right here she would always be reminded of you here and that is not what I want the woman I am in love with thinking about everyday at work. Forth is simple count yourself lucky that the team will most likely stay within any laws with you, but remember that I have not had my go with you yet." Derek told him right up in his face nearly growling out the words, it had the wanted effect of making him practically run from the hallway straight towards the waiting team who would handle Kevin for him while Derek was with Pen.

He knocked on the door, "Baby Girl it's me can I come in?" When she opened the door she was looking at him like he had grown a second head. "What's wrong Goddess, besides the fact that you just had a nasty break up; why are you looking at me that way?" Derek was worried; she was gaping at him and had yet to respond to his name calling usually shot one right back at him. "Alright you don't want to talk right now that's fine let's go in here had sit down." After closing the door behind them, and walking her to the couch he helped her sit and asked, "Penelope can you tell me what is wrong besides that the whole office just heard you break up with Lynch? I don't think he could cause this complete speechlessness."

"Nothing I just thought…" She paused and he could see that she was about to lie to him and it hurt a little, but he knew that she was having a bad day and prepared himself to let it slide, "I thought it was going to be him wanting to say something else after I did the dirty work that he couldn't and broke us up for good. I guess I just wasn't ready to talk to anyone else. What can I do for you Hot Stuff?" She asked remembering that he had come to see her in her office.

"I didn't need anything Goddess I told you the whole office heard your fight and I came to check on you. I know that you liked him and that this was sudden. You are my baby girl and I care about you. So how about we go out tonight as a team, you can drink and forget all about him…" Derek grinned at her trying to look like he was sorry but not doing a good job of it.

"I'm not so sure Handsome…" She started, but noticed that the grin on his face faded and after what she had just overheard him say she thought that maybe it would be okay to go out with the team. They would surely cheer her up even though she wasn't sure if she was really that down. She had already been thinking about breaking up with Kevin, she just wasn't in the relationship like he was. Then she thought she shouldn't have made such a big deal about him breaking up with her, but who really liked being dumped?

"Please Baby Girl, I promise it will be fun." Derek asked again knowing that she was fighting an internal battle and that he was winning her over.

"Alright, Hot Stuff I'll go on one condition, after I have had enough to drink to loosen my inhibitions you save me a dance or two." She flashed him a grin at him; he looked startled and confused by her condition.

"I am always willing to dance with you baby girl so why do we have to wait for you to drink that much? You forget that I have seen you drink before and I know that any normal person would have be passed out drunk with the amount of alcohol that it would take to have your inhibitions loosened. And just how far do you want those inhibitions to be loosened?" Derek asked trying to keep a straight face, torn between laughing with glee and being worried about her metal health, loosening inhibitions was not a normal Penelope Garcia behavior.

"Not that far, just to be able to dance without thinking that I look like a complete idiot while I am doing it. I never dance without alcohol in me, I feel like everyone is staring at me and I know that I am horrible at it." She explained herself looking away from him.

"You are not horrible and everyone is staring because you look great out there on the floor." Derek told her, gently taking her chin and making her look back at him before he told her this so that she would know he was being serious.

"You're sweet, Derek, but I think I will still do it my way with the alcohol." She told him caressing his cheek. "But for now I think that it is time for you to get back to work if you want to go out you'll need to be finished with your reports."

"Alright but after work we will drop Ester off at your apartment before meeting everyone else at the bar, you are not driving tonight." He told her giving her a stern there is no argument look.

"Fine, now go get your work done I have things to do." She told him glad that he was the one to try and cheer her up, he had done an excellent job, at least after the shock she had from overhearing what he had told Kevin.

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"Kevin can we have a word with you for a moment?" Hotch asked Lynch as he was trying to escape the bull pen with no one noticing him.

"What did we tell you when you started Going out with Garcia?" Rossi asked him when he had walked over to Hotch and the team, except Morgan, who had surrounded him.

"You told me that she was family to all of you and that trying to come between you and her would hurt her and that you could not allow any person hurt her. That Garcia was special to all of you and that I would be in big trouble if I ever did anything to hurt her." Fear was written clearly all over Kevin's face as he answered the question.

"What did we tell you about what we would do if you hurt her?" Hotch asked him.

"That your reach was far and very powerful, you have friends that owe favors in all parts of the world and I could not run nor hide. That if it was bad enough you would allow Penny to wipe me from existence." His voice was trebling as he answered and his eyes never moved from the floor.

"So what did you do?" Reid asked, his anger making his voice spike and some of the other agents turned to see what was the matter, he waved them off.

"I applied for a job my perfect job and didn't tell her. It is in an undisclosed location and she could go with me but I knew that she never would. Just like I knew if I got this job that I would go even without her." He said in a near whisper. Then in a moment of clarity it hit him as to why she was so mad and why the team was growling at him now. "Oh, God I forced her to choose, I did not mean to do that I thought we could do the long distance thing or that she would go with me to get away from the place that gives her the nightmares. But that means she would have to leave you and I didn't even think about that. All I saw was this job and how perfect it was!"

"Remember us while you are away and never forget that you are not going to find a place that is out of our reach. You wont know when or where but when it happens trust me you'll know it was us." Emily got in his face already planning what they would do to him while he was away from the FBI, they would never hurt him but physiological warfare can be just as harmful as any physical pain.

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The rest of the team had been agreeable to going out, when Derek had told them it was to cheer Penelope up after her break up with Kevin. He explained about Garcia drinking so they would take a little longer to get there, as they were dropping off her car. He had nearly forgotten his little gifts for Pen when he saw JJ grab Emily and drag her into Penelope's office. Derek was a little disappointed that he could not hear what they were saying, but knew that JJ and Emily would interrogate him about why he sent them to her, and how he knew just what to get and say.

Derek was alright with them interrogating him, he loved Pen and he was not letting her get away from him this time; especially not without a fight. After she was shot he had told her that he loved her and he knew now that she thought he had meant like a brother loves his sister. But he was in love with her and he was not sure if he cared who knew as long as she loved him back.

He was right. As soon as they saw that Garcia had closed the door to her office behind them JJ and Emily made a beeline to Derek's desk. Noticing they were coming he saved his work on his computer and leaned back in his chair waiting for their questions. Both stood there with their hands on their hips with matching curious looks.

"So Derek was there something you need to tell us, a certain life changing revelation?" Emily asked not intimidated by him in the least.

"Why, would I share a life changing revelation with you two unless I was ready for the whole world to know?" He asked grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"When did you figure it out?" JJ asked figuring he was just dodging their questions and knew what they were talking about, "And why on earth would you not tell her?"

"Tell who, what?" Derek asked them trying to sound confused, but he was having a hard time hiding his smile. Hoping to throw them off a little he looked across the desks to Reid for help, "Do you know what these two are talking about?" Reid caught his grin and surprisingly understood exactly what Derek wanted him to do but he sided with the girls on this one. They had been blind for way to long about one another.

Shaking his head at Derek that he was not going to help he answered aloud, "They want to know why you did not tell Penelope that you loved her." Reid grinned at the mock hurt look on his friend's face, before turning to the girls and explaining why he helped them, "He is just messing with you he knows exactly what you are talking about and I decided that I wasn't going to play along. I am on your side on this particular topic."

"Hey, way to switch teams buddy." Derek pouted then turned back to the girls and told them simply, "I did."

They looked shocked apparently Penelope had left that tidbit out of their little chat. Even Reid was amazed that nothing had happened if Derek had told her how he felt.

"When?" the girls asked simultaneously.

"After she was shot I realized that I didn't know what I would do if I lost her and after taking care of her I felt we were so much closer but then she was going out with Lynch and I don't know what happened. That is over now and I will not let her go without a fight." Derek told them the hurt flashing in his eyes before he quickly covered it. "I wanted her to be happy, even if that meant that she wasn't with me. I thought she was happy with Lynch. I never heard her complain about him. I never saw him do anything that would have made me think otherwise…"

"Derek, she is confused so somehow something got mixed around. She thought she heard you tell Lynch that you did not want the woman you loved to be reminded of what you would do to him there by her office everyday while she was at work and that you would do anything to make her happy, when you told him to go away and she was shocked, so much that she had a hard time just talking to you." Emily started.

"Yeah and then she got your little gifts, which were in no way subtle, so she has no idea what to think about you anymore. Be more straight forward, talk to her ask her out alone not some group date like you arranged tonight." JJ finished for her. Then noticing Reid's confused look, "He ordered her a large vase of her favorite flowers and chocolate both with cards, one said sorry for your loss and the other said that he would never leave her. Very well written, for the timing, I might add."

"Alright, guys I get it. I will try talking to her tonight, did she tell you about her plan for tonight. She wants to dance with me but not until she is uninhibited. I told her that maybe we should dance prior to that as that might take awhile with her tolerance." Derek told them sounding slightly worried. He was not ashamed to admit that they were family and they may help him in his quest to get his baby girl to see that he was in love with her and hopefully get her to love him as well.

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The car ride from her apartment to the bar was a quick one so Derek would not get much of a chance to talk to her but he would do his best. "Pen, help me understand something?" When she nodded he continued, "Why did you start going out with Kevin? I mean after what I told you." He asked after she was in the car and they were already moving, no running away from this conversation.

"You told me what?" She looked confused and then it dawned on her what he was referring to. Then she looked at him in shock her mouth hanging open and everything.

After a few moments of her staring at him he couldn't take it anymore. "You didn't believe me?" hurt filled his voice, when she saw the pain on his face she turned on the seat to face him, knowing that this would need to be a face to face conversation.

"Can we park somewhere for a second? Apparently we need to talk before we join everyone else." She was thinking that he couldn't possibly have meant that he was in love with her, why on earth would he have let her go out on even one date with loser Lynch if he was in love with her? Her serious expression scared him slightly but he agreed they really did need to talk, even though now was not a great time.

He pulled over into some shopping center and parked and turned in his seat as well then he waited for her to start this time.

"You love me, yeah like a sister or a friend…" that was as far as he let her get.

"No, Penelope I don't. I…" She was shocked at that and it was written all over her face. But she recovered and cut off his next sentence.

"Then why did you let me go out with Lynch?" She had a strange haunted expression that he wanted to know more about but he figured they could only deal with one problem at a time. "Why didn't you tell me what you really meant?" this time it was she that looked a little hurt.

"At first I was just shocked that you would even think about going out with some other guy after I told you that I loved you. Then I decided that all I wanted was to see you happy and if you were happy with him then I was happy for you, even though every time I saw you together I felt so sick I would have to leave. I had stopped going out with the team when I knew he was going, and staying as far away from you two as I could when I did not know that he would be there. But I told myself it was okay because you were happy with him." He told her his eyes never leaving hers letting her see all of the emotions in his that he was not hiding for the first time in a long while.

"How could I ever be happy with a man I barely even liked after the first few dates, we completely incompatible and I was happy that he was leaving?" He saw the strange flash of emotion that unsettled him again and wondered what she was hiding. "Besides I knew I was in love with someone else. But I thought you could never really be in love with me."

"Pen, what did Lynch do to you?" He asked ignoring her other comment for now, he was worried about her. She opened her mouth to say nothing but he cut her off, "and don't tell me nothing I can see it in your eyes he did something, please tell me Pen."

"You have to promise not to tell anyone else and to not hurt him…"

"Just for those to things I know I can not promise them Pen if it was nothing bad you would have never said them. You know you can't hide things like this from Hotch and Rossi. I bet they already have an idea and were just waiting for you to come to them. I promise I wont kill him, but I can not promise bodily harm or not to tell the team. We are family and we deal with problems together." Derek told her trying not to let her see the anger rising in him towards Lynch. He had truly hurt his baby girl and no one had seen it!

"Derek…"

"I wont bend on this Goddess. I love you, I am in love with you and if he did anything to hurt you or scare you I can't just do nothing, and I would have said that even if I was just your best friend and not in love with you, or even before I realized that I was." At her shocked look he pulled her into a tight hug whispering into her ear. "I would have thought you understood that I was in love with you by now Pen. Why don't you see that?" he released her back into her seat and waited for her answer.

"How could you be in love with me?" She asked tears in her eyes like she thought this was some cruel joke.

"Why would I not love you Pen? You are my best friend and I think I may have loved you from the first time we met. You truly are my God given solace and the only women I have truly loved besides my mother and sisters. Think back Pen did anyone have to ask me to stay with you when you were shot? No I volunteered because I had to be near you to reassure myself that you were okay. Did you notice that I have not been on a single date since you were shot? What is the point in dating someone I know that I would never love as I had already given my heart away? You know why I got in that bomb and drove it away from the team in New York? Because I knew that you would never let me die and even if by some off chance it did happen I was talking to you the whole time, you were the last person I would have talked to that day and I would have been alright with that even over my mom and sisters. You keep me calm and sane. I know that if something is wrong in my world I can grab some ice cream and a pizza and we'll watch movies until you fall asleep in my arms and that makes everything alright again. You know exactly what do and to say if I am feeling down after a case. You know which cases affect me the most and that what I need the most after one of those cases is just to sit with you holding me. I don't think I could do this job without you beside me keeping me sane." He answered never looking away from her allowing her inside his walls to see all of the emotions that he was feeling.

Tears were running down her face and she was shocked that he allowed a single tear to escape his own eyes, that her not believing him was causing the pain on his face hurt her deeply. "But how could you love someone like me? I am…" She started knowing that the question was going to hurt him even more.

"Stop that right this instant you are perfect just the way you are and never let anyone tell you any different." He told her after taking her face in his hands.

"But I am not your normal type…" she started again, this time he kissed her stopping the words dead in their tracks.

"I never loved a single one of them, I always ended up comparing them to you and none of them even came close to you. YOU ARE PERFECT PENELOPE!" He stressed that sentence drilling it into her head, "You are kind, loving, compassionate, and giving. Yes you may be too stubborn for your own good but I love you for it, you are constantly challenging me and I need that just as much as I need the grounding effect you have on me. You understand our job, and have similar hours that I do so you wont ever complain about that like every single last one them did. Besides I was never happy with a single one of them, I was always thinking about you when I was on dates and they hated me being distracted." He kissed her tenderly this time before letting go of her face.

He watched her eyes and saw when the tears switched from confusion and hurt to surprise and happiness. In awe she repeated, "You are in love with me. Derek Morgan, The Derek Morgan is in love with me!" then looking him right in the eyes she told him, "I love you too, I just didn't think that a guy like you who could have any girl that you wanted would ever love me, no matter what you said. That's why I agreed to go out with Kevin. He at least was a computer geek too and no where near as good looking as you. But he didn't love me I just amazed him, it was sort of hero worship and creepy. When I stared pulling back from him and going out with the team without him again he got scary."

"What do you mean scary?" Derek asked trying to school his features to be calm.

"He would just show up and end up scaring me when I realized he was there. He stole my keys and had one for my apartment and office made for himself. He tried to get me to quit my job at the BAU and move away from here with him. When I told him no he…" She stopped talking and looked away from him not wanting to say what had happened and ruin what they had just found with one another.

"HE HIT YOU?!" Derek yelped in angry surprise. Then he schooled his features and cleared his throat. "Did he ever hit you in the office?" thinking that if he had there would be evidence enough to go to Strauss and file charges that could not only lose him his job at the FBI but also with all other government projects and make it very hard to get hired at any company after his release because it is a felony to assault a federal officer. When she nodded not wanting him to see the shame she was feeling she kept her head turned away from him.

"Hey, Baby Girl you have nothing to be ashamed of. You did nothing wrong, no man should ever hit a woman for any reason, they have no right to. Lets put that behind us for right now we have a few more things to clear up before we go meet the team at the bar and as it is they are going to be sending a search party to find us. I was wondering Penelope if you would do me the honor of going on a date with me tomorrow night?"

"Of course I will go out with you." She told him looking at him like he had gone mad.

"I had to officially ask or I would have driven myself crazy tonight wondering what you would say when I did ask you out. How about I pick you up around 7 tomorrow night?" When she nodded he leaned in and kissed her one last time before refastening his seat belt and waiting for her to do the same. "We will talk more about Kevin later but now we are going to have a good time with our family. Oh and this may seem out of line until I finish so let me finish before you object okay. I want you to stay at my house tonight until I have a chance to change your locks. I will do it first thing in the morning but I want you to be able to feel safe in your own home and I don't want to worry about you there by yourself. You can sleep in my room; I will take the spare room."

"Derek no…"

"If you want we can stay at your place, I'll sleep on the couch. But I am not letting you stay there alone." That brought an evil smile to her face.

"Now don't take this the wrong way but no sleep in the bed with me could you imagine him seeing that? No big ideas we are going to sleep and cuddle nothing else." She told him sternly.

"I like it, but can we talk to at least one other person about the plan we'll need someone there to record what he does for evidence he'll notice if one of us whips out a camera, but if he is focused on us he might not notice someone else is there."

"Alright we'll talk to Hotch or Rossi, but you have to remember to keep your head cool if he does something no threatening no hitting as he could use that tape as evidence as well." She told him as they pulled into the parking lot of the bar, to see Reid outside holding his cell phone to his ear and looking frustrated. When he spotted them he closed his phone looking relieved. He was waiting for them when they got to the door.

"Where have you to been? It does not take that long to get to Garcia's and drop her car and get here."

"We were having a chat." Derek told him swinging their joined hands between them and Reid instantly understood. "Well then maybe the team wont eat you both alive when you get in there for not answering your cell phones."

Derek and Penelope looked at one another confused they had not heard or felt their phones going off while they were talking. They both pulled out their respective phones and sure enough they had at least one missed call from everyone on the team except each other.

"Sorry man, I guess it was on silent." Derek told Reid as he fixed his ring volume. Pen's had been on vibrate but in her purse and neither of them had noticed it. "Tell the team the next round is on me but Pen owes me a dance we'll come to the table in a minute."

"I said I would dance after I had some alcohol in me not before." Garcia reminded him.

"Alright we'll go to the bar and get you a couple of shots then no excuses you are dancing with me. I always want to dance with you but you never did so I am going to take full advantage of it tonight." He told her with a kiss, which made Reid turn away blushing and lead their little group into the bar.

The team watched them expectantly as the three of them went to the bar. Reid ordered the next another round for the rest of the team so that Derek could pay for them while they were at the bar. Derek ordered himself a beer, while Garcia ordered 3 shots of tequila along with a margarita for Reid to take to the table with the rest of the round. The bartender gave her a look wondering if she planned to be able to stand by the time she was done drinking, she was headed the right way if she did not. Derek nursed his beer as he watch his Baby Girl take all three shots right in a row with nothing to help the flavor at all and still she did not pull a face at all. The girl could drink her tequila.

"You two go and dance, I will call the team over to help me get these back to the table." Reid told them when she was finished with her shots.

Derek did not give Pen time to talk her way out of dancing he thanked Reid and pulled her behind him out onto the floor. The song was not great but it was fast and loud. They danced together until the band took a break and by that time they were both very worked up and unable to stop simply touching one another. They went to sit with the team to find that they had finished their drinks for them as they would have been warm by now or melted, so Derek gave Pen a quick kiss on the cheek before going over to the bar to get them both a drink.

"So Penelope was there something that kept you two from answering your cell phones earlier?" JJ asked knowing full well that Reid had told her that they had been talking about their relationship but she wanted details.

"Or maybe she should say someone?" Emily added grinning at her friend's embarrassment.

"Not really we were talking and didn't hear my phone on vibrate in my purse and his ringer was all the way off." She answered knowing they were digging for details and not playing along, the three of them would just have to talk later after there was more to say. They could guess that they had decided to see each other by the way they had been dancing. "Hotch do you have Jack this weekend?" JJ and Emily were put off by her ignoring them but were still curious about her talk with Morgan and why would she care if Hotch had Jack.

"Not until tomorrow. Why?" he answered as suspicious of the change of topic as the girls were.

"I need your help with something but I would have asked Rossi if you had Jack this evening. If you didn't have Jack then I would not bother taking Dave away from his wife anymore time then he already spends away from her." Garcia only half explained as she led him away from the table.

"Anything Garcia what can I help you with?" He told her once they had made it outside where they could hear each other talking.

"Morgan will be there too but we need one other person to assist. And we figured that it had better be either you boss man, or Rossi as the most senior agents on the team." Derek had come outside towards the end of her talking and figured she was not doing the best job of explaining herself.

"We need you to video tape for evidence. While we were talking I found out that Kevin stole her key and has been freaking her out by sneaking in and purposefully scaring her. Not to mention that he has been hitting her. She said that he has hit her in the office so we should be able to use that tape as evidence but I want this to be definite. When she told me that he had stolen a key I told her that I would sleep in my spare room and she could sleep in my at my place so that I would feel better about him having a key to her place until I had a chance to change the locks for her. She came up with the plan to bait him." Derek Elaborated.

"I suggested that we stay at my place and Derek said he would sleep on the couch, but I thought that would not get the reaction out of Kevin that we are looking for. I suggested that he sleep in the same bed as me, and now before you looked shocked boss man we promise nothing will happen between us. Knowing that Kevin does not understand what no means he will show up tonight and I was hoping that if you were there to tape he would not notice and react like he would if it was not being taped. I would like to just have him out of my life for good." Penelope finished now that Derek had explained the beginning.

"Of course I will help and I will be on hand to arrest him for breaking and entering and harassment, and depending on what he does assault on a federal agent." Hotch told them. "But for now lets go in and have a fun night with our family."

They went back in to curious looks from the rest of the table, Hotch ignored the looks and the questions as he went back to the table to sit and Derek and Penelope went back out onto the dance floor. They danced until the band quit for the night and both were wondering how they were going to keep to themselves while in the same bed together. They walked hand in hand back to the table not completely shocked to see that Rossi had left. But they were shocked to see that JJ had left before getting Penelope to share what they had talked about. The look on Emily's face told her that it was not over though. Reid was just waiting for them to say goodnight seeing as they had started towards the table.

"Goodnight guys, and congrats you two." He told them giving Pen a hug and a kiss on the cheek, patting Derek on the back. "See you both at work on Monday, have a fun weekend."

"Night Reid." They called after him.

"JJ told me to tell you miss that we are going to lunch on Monday and we will discuss this." Emily told Garcia. "We are not happy about being put to the side and being left out of things. We have been trying to get you two together for a long time now and it is not fair to leave out the details." Then forgetting that no one knew she turned and kissed Hotch before leaving telling him, "Call me tomorrow."

"And you are mad at me I think that you have just as much explaining to do as I do Missy!" Penelope said pointing at her and Hotch.

Emily to her credit blushed before telling Pen. "At least you have not been trying to get us together like JJ and I have been trying with you and Derek. Fine Monday we will talk about you and Derek, Tuesday we will talk about Hotch and I, and then maybe Wednesday you and I can start plotting Reid and JJ."

AN: Let me know what you think!


	2. The Plan

AN: I own nothing that is familiar.

Chapter 2: The Plan

They dropped Hotch's SUV at his apartment, so that it would not seem like more than one agent was at Penelope's apartment. Swung by the office and gathered the necessary items for the plan. Derek and Hotch made sure that Kevin was not already sitting outside or in the apartment before placing the cameras and bugs around the room. Hotch settled into the chase lounge that Penelope had along the wall of her room that the door was on so that he would be behind Kevin if he did come in. Derek brought in his go bag and changed into his sweats. That way, he reasoned, everyone that watched the video would see that he was fully clothed in bed with Garcia, a comforting friend after her break up and in no way breaking the frat rules. Garcia laughed when she came out of the bathroom wearing a set of his sweats as well.

"Maybe, you should wear something of your own to bed, Garcia" Hotch told her, "We are going to have to show this to the higher ups and if you want it to pass this off as him comforting you with no broken frat rules, wearing his sweats is not going to work."

She went into her closet and tried again this time coming out in a pair of Purple princess pants, that were most defiantly not Derek's and a Cal-Tech sweat shirt. "Better, Derek never went to Cal-Tech and these are most definitely not his." She told her boss motioning to her pants.

"Much better, now to start recording. Both of you stand here." He motioned to a spot next to the bed and waited for them to be there before clicking a button on the remote he held and started talking to the room. "I am Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner; both of the individuals behind me are members of my team, Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan and Computer Tech Penelope Garcia. Garcia has recently informed us of an abusive relationship that she has just ended. This person has been warned away from entering her home, yet she believes that he will visit tonight, the night of their break up. Derek and Penelope are close friends; he volunteered to comfort her tonight. He is really here to protect her from any harm that might befall her at the hands of her Ex-Boyfriend. I am also going to be here to make sure that everything that goes down is clean. Neither Derek or I are armed, they are locked in Penelope's safe in the living room. This tape is for evidence of the abuse that he has been treating her to while in their relationship."

Hotch paused his monolog here and motioned for them to get into bed. Once they had complied he continued. "As you saw both are fully clothed and are in no way sleeping together as a couple would. Derek posses no threat to him at the moment, he is merely comforting his best friend after a nasty break up that the entire office heard, unfortunately. You should know that the person in question was also a Computer Tech, a one Kevin Lynch." With that Hotch went and sat on the chase lounge again after turning off the lights and clicking a button on his remote to change the cameras to night vision.

Derek and Penelope fell asleep faster then they thought they would with Hotch and the cameras watching them, and the impending entrance of Kevin Lynch. Neither had slept well while the team was on the last case and it appeared that they were a comfort to each other neither had a nightmare.

GMGMGMGMGMGMGMGMGMGMGMGMGMGMGMGMGMGMGMGMGMGM

It was nearly three in the morning when Hotch, how had been drinking Coffee to stay away, heard a noise in the living room, that could have only been someone sneaking into the apartment. He heard the door click shut and someone disarming the alarm, and picked up his remote ready to change the cameras back to regular recording if Kevin turned on the lights when he came into the bedroom. Hotch heard a curse and knew that Kevin found Derek's leather jacket on the coat rack. That was followed by someone moving fast towards the bedroom.

Not bothering to turn on the light Kevin screamed, "You cheating Whore! What are you doing in bed with him?" as he brought down a hand across her face.

Still half asleep Penelope answered too slowly for his liking and he grabbed her by her hair and started to pull her out of bed away from Derek. Who wrapped his arms around her to keep her save with him before moving over her to get in between his baby girl and her attacker.

"Let her go Lynch. What are you doing here anyway, the whole office heard your break up earlier, so don't even try and tell me you are here to see your girlfriend." Derek snarled moving toward Lynch slowly which made him let go of Pen's hair and scurry away from him.

"I came to ask her to go with me when I leave for my job, but I guess I am too late as you have already gotten her into bed." Kevin told him trying to sound innocent before he flung the vase of flowers that Pen had on her dresser. Derek found it funny that they were the flowers that he had bought for Pen, before he realized that Kevin had pounced behind the flowers.

They landed hard on the floor Derek on his back, in the glass from the flower vase and Lynch trying to rip his head of. "Damn it, Kevin look at how I am dressed, look at Penelope. We were not sleeping together that way. She told me she was worried that you would show up and I told her that she could stay with me until I had a chance to change her locks but she didn't want to seem like she was running from you." Derek Yelled at the man as he grabbed his hands and forced him off himself. Derek stuck out his hand and Pen handed him his cuffs from the nightstand.

Having been awake for a while against Derek's mere seconds Kevin was able to get away from him with only one handcuff on. Still having not noticed Hotch though he was caught and cuffed before he could even turn and reach out to grab Pen again.

"You think I would stay here alone, knowing that you stole a key, that I would not be smart enough to have protection, get up on you FBI protocols Kevin, protection means two agents not one. Or did you think I was ashamed and would not go talk to my boss?"

"You set me up?" he asked Penelope looking like that sad lost puppy again.

"No, you set yourself up, we work with profilers Kevin. The believed me when I told them that you had stolen a key and was going to come here tonight. They believed me because I have never lied to them, and they profiled you to be sure that you might be someone that would do this."

"Our team is a family Lynch and we will always stick up for one another. Did you really believe that I or Agent Rossi would give you our blessing, we could see what you were doing to Penelope but could do nothing until she came to us about the situation?" Hotch told him as he and Derek used Hotch's cuffs to cuff him to the bed so that they could clean up Pen's room and gather the cameras and bugs from her room before he left.

"You stay there Pen, Hotch and I will get the glass." Derek told her and started helping clean up.

"Derek sit still a minute. Pen do you have a camera?" Hotch asked seeing Derek's back and feet, shards of glass still sticking out of him in different places, the biggest was just to the right of his spine and Hotch was happy that Derek could still move at all.

"It is on my desk in the living room why?" She asked before Derek turned and sat down on the edge of her bed away from Kevin. "Oh, my God Derek, are you okay?" She asked him worried that he was not acting hurt.

"I have a few pains here and there nothing feels too major, though there is this one spot on my back that is bothering me more then the rest combined." He answered. Derek did not like the look that Hotch and Pen shared when Hotch came back in, having heard them, carrying scissors and a camera. "What are those for?"

"Of course you would not know when you were stabbed, hard head. You have a big piece of the vase stuck in your back."

"Hotch, I am not sure if we should be doing this here, he needs a hospital that is way too close to his spine for either of us to try and take it out. Not to mention that they might do a less painful job of removing all of the other shards. Or at least they can give him something stronger then Ibeprophin."

"Fine call in an agent involved break in; tell them we need a transport to holding and a bus. When they get here you go with Derek and I will handle everything else. Don't worry you will not have to deal with Kevin Lynch again." Hotch told her as he started taking pictures of the scene, Penelope, Derek, and Kevin. He made sure to pay close attention to Derek's wounds knowing that this would be added to the charges brought against Kevin.

Derek rode to the hospital laying on his stomach talking to Pen, which the medics liked for a few reasons. Their banter was teasing and obviously charged with multiple emotions that just made everything ease away from everyone, everyone was far less tense then a normal ambulance ride would be like. It also made sure that Derek was lucid and with them the entire way, even with his blood loss. They even talked the doctors into allowing her to sty with him when he went into surgery, telling them about their effect on each other and all those around them.

Wanting to make sure that he was okay during the surgery they just gave him pain killers and local Anastasia. They allowed Pen to stand in front of him and they talked about anything and everything except what was happening to him and their relationship, not wanting to have that talk in front of people that might be called to testify in the case.

"So, tell me about the last case Derek, I know that this is not ice cream, pizza, and a movie like our normal talks we have not had time for that yet, and I know that this one bothered you. I could hear it in your voice each time you called for information."

"They were just babies, no more then five. At that age kids should be free to experience life and eager to try new things. Even the first few that he didn't kill and the last one that we caught him with will never be the same. They will be too scared to make new friends afraid that these new kids will lead them to a place like the Unsub was having his kid do. They will pull away from the friends that they have knowing that they were different, and their friends will start to treat them like it was their fault. These kids will end up all alone in the world now that the Unsub killed their families. I hate people like this one that can do these things to babies!" he said, his anger rolling off of him as he told Penelope about his feelings like she was siphoning them away from him.

"I know handsome, I know you do. Who wouldn't? They attack or abuse children, it is unforgiveable. Now tell me about how your family is doing. After the doctors fix you up maybe you should go visit them while you recover. You do not go see them enough."

"Mom is mom, always asking me whether I have found someone to bring home and if I plan on giving her grandbabies. I think this time I will have an answer for her. Do you think if I asked her to that she would go visit my family with me?"

"I think that if she could get the time off work that she might, you'll just have to ask her. What would your sisters say about this woman of yours?"

"That she is perfect for me, hard headed, prefect at keeping me sane and happy while my life is full of Unsubs, and willing to tell me no, standing her ground when she thinks it necessary."

"And your nieces and nephew?" She asked slightly awkward about talking about herself in third person.

"They will love her, as she will love them and spoil them. They will love her because she makes everyone feel like they are the most precious special person on the face of the planet."

"You don't think it is too soon to take her home? I mean you have barely started dating." She asked getting a strange look from one of the nurses who obviously thought she was crazy for having this conversation with Derek about another woman, as she could not see him a 10 going out with Pen more of a 5.

"Baby Girl I have loved her since we met. It just took me awhile to admit it to myself. My family has been asking me about her for some time. Apparently I got too used to her comforting me during nightmares cause both and mom and Des have asked me the next day, who she is and why have they not heard of her before. Try explaining our relationship to my mother before realizing that I loved her. She knew before I did. Mom actually yelled at me for letting her go out with her last boyfriend after I realized it for myself, but I thought she was happy with him and I was not going to stick my head in if she was happy."

"Yeah, she was trying to hide that from you, she knew you would want to kill him if you find out that he was hitting her, and she didn't want you to get into trouble for what you would do to him if you found out, and look how that ended. He throws the vase of flowers you got her and you end up with a shard in your back!"

Giving up the charade then Derek told her. "Baby, none of this is your fault. Kevin should have known better Hotch warned him that if he hurt you that he would have to face our wrath, even told him that if it was bad enough he would allow you to do you existence wipe thing on him. Everything turned out fine. Kevin is in custody for breaking and entering as well as three counts of assault on a federal agent. Hotch had another tech from the pool find the footage of him hitting you in the office. I will get a few weeks off work that I am going to spend with you and my family. They will love you as much as I do, they already do in fact. They have mentioned they like the new relaxed Derek that I have been since we have been best friends. I can just image their reaction to us dating! Hotch knows that you could do with the time off too, in fact the whole team could we have been working too hard."

"Yeah I will talk to him later about it." She told him caressing his cheek. "He will be here soon with the team anyway; you know that he probably told them what happened, which means that I have a lot of talking to do just to keep Emily and JJ from chaining me to a chair until I tell them all the details. Did you see the look that JJ threw at me as she left the bar last night? She was pissed that I didn't tell her what was up. At least Emily will lay off so that I don't tell JJ about her and Hotch, and we can plot together JJ and Reid, poor little Henry needs a good stepdad. Not that Will is a bad dad; he just lives so far away."

"Baby, we just started going out and you are already planning time away from me? I am hurt. What makes you think that those two can be rushed together anymore then we could? And how do you know that they are not already together like Hotch and Em?" Derek asked her waggling his eyebrows at her as he played the devils advocate.

"Excuse me Mr. Morgan, Miss Garcia. We are finished and will be moving you to your room now. Miss Garcia you can see were the room is and then while we change Mr. Morgan into something more presentable than a hospital gown, you can get the rest of your team, one of the nurses will show you." The surgeon told her.

Garcia nodded an evil look coming across her face she stood on her tip toes to see over the curtain they had up so that during the surgery she could not see what was happening. "Nice tosh you have there Hot Stuff." She told him blushing, for having the courage to do it in front of the surgical staff. Derek just gaped at her, she would normally have never have done that. But then he had changed their relationship and he was pretty sure he liked the change, even though it made her scurry away nearly as soon as it came out of her mouth.

"I guess I will have to work on getting her to say those types of things without bolting away, I could kiss her if I could catch her." Derek told the room making most of them laugh everyone except the nurse that didn't understand why Derek was with this girl that had strangely been allowed into surgery with him.

"Then let's get you settled so that you can start healing and soon you will be able to catch her again." The surgeon told him making Derek chuckle.

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The team was startled to see Pen rush out of the surgical doors, so much so that they didn't know it was her until she rushed past them muttering to herself about being an idiot. They had not know where she had went, as normally no one except staff is allowed into surgery, and they had her wearing scrubs to keep the room sterialized.

Emily was the first one to notice that it was Pen and when she went taring off after the person the rest of the team followed knowing that something was up. They cornered her at the elevators.

"And just where do you think you are going?" Emily asked her.

"Somewhere far, far away from this hospital call me when Derek is better I will o to his place and take care of him but I am not sure that I can stay here." She answered pressing the button over and over again.

JJ motioned for the guys to go sit back down that she and Em could handle this. The girls got on the elevator and on the way down they managed to get her to tell them what had happened. Fighting laughter JJ asked her, "Penelope Garcia, you told your man that he has a nice ass, what is wrong with that?"

"Nothing, it was the way I did it like I had never seen his ass before, after the conversation we had been having right there in front of the surgical team…"

"Garcia if that was Hotch in there and I was the one allowed into surgery I think I would have done exactly the same thing just to get his goat. You know that he is not as open with his feelings as I would like, we would have never had the conversation that you had with Derek in front of anyone."

"Wait, back up… You and Hotch? Have you two stopped talking to me altogether?" JJ asked acting like she was mad.

"No, Pen's mission Friday was to get drunk and dance with Derek. She did that and will tell us all about what happened after on Monday at lunch. Hotch and I are new and we are taking things slow, we didn't want to tell anyone incase we decided that we just didn't fit."

"So now that you do fit why didn't you tell us?" asked Pen, buying herself a little more time away from the doctors, nurses, the team, and Derek.

"What like we have had time to tell anyone. When do we have time to go out? We get to sit next to one another on the plane, in meetings, during meals with the team, at the bar, and we have had two real dates that leaves us at the stage of deciding if we fit or not and we have not had the chance to talk about it yet. So now that I have spilled about Hotch and me can we go back upstairs I know a man that would love to see you right now, and is probably worried because you ran out on him." Emily told them as they stood right next to the elevators on the first floor.

"Yeah, but you two are going to make sure that the doctors at least are gone. The nurses were all women they are more likely to understand what happened and less likely to ask me any questions." Penelope told them as they stepped back onto the elevators and headed back up.

AN: Tell me what you think!


	3. Hospitals

AN: I am sorry for the long break. And tank you to everyone that left a review!

AN: Like always I own nothing that is familiar.

Chapter 3: Hospitals

While the girls were on their elevator ride Hotch, Reid, and Rossi found out where Morgan's room was and that he could leave after one night of observation. Hotch went back out to the waiting room to gather the girls when they came back. As he waited Derek explained to Reid and Rossi what had happened to cause Pen to run out like she had, knowing that they would have found out anyway.

"Why are you dating her anyway?" asked one of the nurses from the surgery. She had come to check his IV drip and heard him telling them about what had happened.

"You don't know anything about either of us. And I love her, have for a long time so I would thank you for keeping your opinions to yourself especially around Penelope. She thinks that she is not good enough for me…"

"She is not, you are a 10, even your friends here are 8s and she is maybe a 5. No way she should go out with any of you much less you yourself." The nurse told him as she adjusted his pain medication.

"That is a highly inappropriate thing for you to say miss…" Rossi started shocked that she would say such a thing. Reid just looked at her too shocked to talk. "Morgan lay back down; you do not need to pull out your stitches. Use your words from where you are." Rossi ordered when he notice him starting to get out of bed.

"Listen to me ma'am," Derek snarled from his bed as he had lain back down as ordered. "You have no right to judge any of us, much less my woman. She is the most loving, caring, beautiful woman I have ever met. She is worth a million women like you, who think they are better then others because of their looks. Penelope is perfect for me, she is my solace during the hard times and I am hers. I can tell her anything and she would never once judge me. We have the best foundation for a relationship ever; we have been best friends for years. Did you listen to our conversation at all in there? Incase you did not catch on we were talking about us, never anyone else. The disappearing thing that she can do is not to make herself disappear it is to make someone's life a living hell. She is dangerous with a computer that is how she got her job at the FBI to begin with. Now if you are done you can leave. In the future please send anyone else in to check on me. I would like you to never be around myself or any of my friends or family, and I will not have my woman being harassed by someone like you." Derek's voice was hushed and icy his face was contorted in pent up rage. His hands clenched next to him and Rossi and Reid had stood up ready either to make Morgan lie back in the bed or to force her out of the room.

Shocked the nurse stood there a moment, until Reid started to walk towards her to make her leave the room, then she waved him off and turned to leave only to be blocked by the rest of the team in the doorway. Quickly Hotch, JJ, and Emily moved out of the way so that she could get out around Garcia. She was staring at Derek in Shock herself; he had basically just slapped this beautiful nurse in the face for her! Without knowing she was there he quieted her biggest fear about them being a couple, he loved her no matter what she looked like, even though she sided with the nurse.

"Hey Baby Girl, come lay with me. You look like you could use the rest." He called to her, trying to make sure she did not bolt again. He basically professed his love for her just now and he did not want her escaping him again when he could not chase her.

"Good idea, both of you take a nap. Reid, JJ, and Emily at least will be here when you wake up. Rossi and I have some things to handle but then we will be back." Hotch ordered, "You three should see about getting some recliners and napping as well, our late night call will ruin what semblance of a sleep schedule you do have while we are at home."

First they stopped at Penelope's apartment to check on the progress there. It was still quartered off as a crime scene as one of the charges against Kevin was breaking and entering and the whole place had to be tossed for evidence for his assault of Derek and Penelope. Both looked at the faces working the scene and were not surprised to see the very best of the best that the FBI had working hard. Hotch walked up to the agent guarding the door and flashed his badge.

"I am sorry sirs but we have orders that none of your team return to Miss Garcia's apartment until it has been gone over with a fine tooth comb." He answered not even looking at the badge, knowing that standing before him were two of the top profilers of the FBI.

"Alright then tell your tech team that last night I planted a few bugs in the apartment, mostly the bedroom to catch this little fight on the record. We were not certain he would come but Penelope was scared to stay by herself. Tell them that they may not find forced entry but that they should look at his keys as he made copies that she did not give to him, and check with the security company he did not enter the right code."

"Yes, sir. I will let them know. Have a good day sirs." He told them as they walked back to their SUV.

"Now I think it is time that we go talk to the director, we are going around Strauss this time, which is something that you are going to have to smooth over with her." Hotch said as they arrived back at headquarters.

"You aren't even going to let me try and get her to concede?" Rossi asked shocked.

"No, that would be good while they are in the BAU but what would happen if either of them were to leave the FBI, or in other departments they need to be able to tell each other everything. That is not something she can do and it is not something I want them to ever have to worry about." Hotch explained. "So come with me as back up, and then I will give you some time to handle her while I go pick up some clean clothes for Derek and Pen from Derek's place."

They walked purposefully into the FBI and went straight to the director's office knowing that he had been called in to deal with the whole fiasco between Derek, Penelope, and Kevin. There was no one in his outer office as it was still before 5am so they knocked on his door and waited to be beckoned into the room.

"You two, I should have guessed… Never mind… I assume that you are here to talk about why your two agents got into this mess?" the director asked.

"No sir, we know why. Penelope came to Derek and myself and told us that she had broken up with Kevin because he had been hurting her and now he was stalking her. He had broken in once before and she had not had time to change her locks so she asked that we help her prove that he was hitting her and that he had broken into her apartment. Derek and Penelope have been friends for years each comforting the other through are tougher cases, so it was natural for Derek to be there comforting her through her break up. They asked me to man the camera so to speak. I planted bugs through out her apartment to capture whatever Kevin did. You will see that none of my team did anything wrong."

"If this is true then why are you here? We would have come to that conclusion eventually." The director asked not liking the look that passed between the two senior agents.

"Like I said Derek and Penelope have been best friends for as long as they have known each other. Recently after both of them nearly died in one way or another they have figured out that they mean more to each other then just friends, something that my team has been seeing growing for a long time now. We had a talk not long before Penelope got shot if they would ever realize that they loved each other. They have not acted on this yet, though they have talked about their feelings, which is a huge step for both of them. I feel that they should be granted an exception, they flirted at work before they knew they were in love and it is part of what keeps my team sane they need the happiness that comes from these two. I believe that we would function at the same level if not better if they were allowed to have this exception." Hotch started.

"They do not know that we are here doing this for them though they had planned to try and talk to Strauss. I agree with Aaron that it would not change the team we function as a family it is how they survive the worst of the worst cases they talk to one another something that Pen and Derek will always need to do, it is a large part of their relationship. The reason we came to you instead of Strauss is that we feel that no matter their position in the FBI or if one of them were to leave the FBI that they would still need to be able to talk to one another and sometimes that means more details then Hotch or I could give to our ex-wives. We felt that you could have them sign something and get Derek a higher clearance level to match Penelope's so that they could talk about whatever they would need to with one another and not have to worry about all the rules." Rossi finished, both Agents watched the director for any clue about his thoughts as they waited for his response.

But he kept his face calm and unreadable as he thought it through and started responding. "Getting Derek's clearance level that high will take a lot of doing, Penelope has the highest clearance level because if she did not have access to the information she would just hack into it anyway, and we do not want it getting around that any government database is hackable. That and she works on the programs built to protect those government databases. There will be a lot of testing and a lot of paper work for them, more for him then her as she already has the clearance. There will be ground rules like she must learn to shut a gun, and she must keep one in a safe in her office and another in a safe in her home, she must take it with her when she goes on a case with the team. And keep it on her while working the only time she can put it in a safe is when she is at whatever hotel. Second there must not be any touching at work, especially kissing. They can hug we he leaves for a case but that is it nothing beyond what they would do currently. They will not flaunt their relationship to any other employees, no one but your team can know that they are dating." When he paused Rossi asked hopefully,

"So that is a yes?"

"It is an 'If they follow the rules.'" The director conceded knowing that these two were right, about the points that they had made. Hotch and Rossi stood and sock his hand. When Hotch had walked out expecting Rossi to follow Rossi said a few more things.

"Derek and Penelope are not the only ones on the team that could do with that frat rule exception. JJ and Reid could as well, now that JJ's good for nothing husband left her Reid has stepped up to help her with Henry, and I know that Reid loves JJ and JJ loves Reid but they know that they can't do anything about those feelings. Then there is Hotch and Emily, she is the only one I have seen cause him to smile since before Haley left him. With him it is a harder read but I would put money on him loving her as much as she loves him."

"I will think about that, anyone special for yourself?" the director asked sarcastically.

"I have one already, if you remember I was retired before I came back, which means my life was my own. When I came back I had to be given one as I was already married to her, I try and keep it quite though my team would not understand. It was just before your predecessor left so you may not have known." Rossi explained. "Our team apparently takes its family expression a little further the outside observers might see. Though I don't see them welcoming my wife into the fold as easily as they have with me and Emily."

"Who…?"

"You will have to look it up. I normally don't even bring that into the parking garage. We leave it at home were we kiss goodbye like any other couple leaving for work in separate cars." Rossi said as he exited the office.

Back in the SUV Hotch shot Dave a look before saying, "Thanks for that with the director. Asking for myself seems tacky." He paused before continuing as if expecting Rossi to say something, "I wondered why you did not have any pictures of your wife in your office. I knew you were married but no pictures."

"That is part of the rules no pictures that look like family portraits especially if you are rumored to not even get along with the person. You guys could probably get away with shots together as long as you have team shots up as well. Keep pictures of Jack separate from pictures of Emily and the team and no outsider would guess. Derek already has a picture of himself and Penelope on his desk as does Penelope. Reid has one of him and JJ from a football game, and JJ has the same picture. You guys already act like family and they can't take that away in your rules." He explained.

"My guess based on what you just said, and what you told the director is that your wife is Strauss, and while you are right I don't understand it is not my place if you are happy be happy I don't need to understand." Hotch guessed watching his co-worker's surprise.

"Isn't there a rule against inter-team profiling?"

"Exactly so from here on out that thought is forgotten and you will not hear another word about it. Though what are you going to do when the girls try and figure out why no pictures and why you never ring her when the team is together?"

"Explain to them that my wife likes to keep family things family and work things work, and if means I go for a beer before coming home she is okay with that."

Hotch let it go, he really could see them together but he did not see the attraction to Strauss that Rossi must. He hoped for Dave's sake that she relaxed at home. They pulled into Derek's drive and went on alert, there was a car in his driveway with the trunk open and the front door to his house was open. Neither drew their weapons but they unclipped them and walked slowly towards the house.

When Fran Morgan walked out of the door they both relaxed but she jumped nearly out of her skin.

"Dear Father in Heaven, do you have to scare an old lady?" She asked Hotch recognizing him from the time they had met in Chicago when the cops there had been trying to pin a few murders on Derek. "Do you know where my son is? He said he would pick me up at the airport."

"Yes, and he must have forgotten that you were flying in. Did you find a rental car okay?" Hotch answered.

"Yes and it will be nice to have a car while I am here instead of borrowing Derek's while he is at work. So why are you here instead of Derek?" She asked suspiciously as Hotch and Rossi helped her get the remaining groceries from the trunk of her rental car.

"I'll explain everything once we have put all the perishables away. Dave will help you while I gather what we came for." Hotch told her heading for Derek's bedroom.

"I do not like this." Fran told Rossi as she did as she was told, "I don't like it at all. Something happened to Derek didn't it?"

"Derek will be fine…" He started.

"Will be! What do you will be?" She shouted.

"It was nothing too major and he gets to leave after only a night of observation. I promise we will tell you everything on the way over there but right now Hotch is gathering some things for Derek and Penelope and I would hate to see the money you just spent on all this food going to waste so lets get it put away before Hotch is done."

By the time Hotch returned with a bag full of essentials and some clean comfortable clothes for both of them they had managed to put everything away and were waiting by the door. As soon as the car was in gear Fran asked again what had happened to her son.

By the time they reached the hospital Fran had calmed. They had reassured her that Derek was okay. She was happy that Penelope had broken up with Kevin, hopefully now Derek would get his head out of his ass and see how much she meant to him. They had not explained that Derek had already pulled his head out of his ass, the wanted to let that be a surprise.

AN: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought of the chapter or the story so far.


	4. Momma Morgan

AN: I own nothing that is familiar.

Chapter 4: Momma Morgan

When they walked into the hospital room everyone was still asleep, the staff had brought in recliners for the rest of the team leaving regular chairs open for Hotch, Rossi, and Fran. Fran was shocked to find Penelope curled around Derek in his hospital bed, and he around her. She looked at Hotch for an explanation but he just shrugged in response. They did not have to wait long for someone to wake up. Derek's pain medicine was wearing off causing him to wake, his movement woke Penelope.

"Hey baby girl." He told her in a husky voice.

"Hey yourself Handsome." She answered cuddling closer to him. "So what woke you up, sugar?"

"Nothing, I just woke up." He lied trying to ignore the pain, not wanting to go back to sleep when he had his baby girl in his arms.

"Yeah right, let me up so I can go get a nurse to get you more medicine."

"You stay were you are Penelope I will get someone." Hotch told her calling attention to their group setting beside the bed.

"Mom! What are you doing here?" Derek asked shocked.

"You did forget me? You were supposed to pick me up at the airport this morning. When you didn't I got a rental car and drove to your house. After a little while I went to get groceries. I was unpacking when these two showed up and brought me here. So when were you going to call and tell me that you were in the hospital?"

As she was talking Penelope almost pulled herself out of Derek's arms but he caught on to what she was doing and held her tight shaking his head at her. "I'm sorry I forgot you mom, but I was in surgery…"

"You what?! I thought you said he was not that bad!" She exclaimed rounding on Rossi and Hotch who had just reentered the room.

"Mom, I am not that bad and if you promise to not yell at anyone I will explain what happened." Derek told her calmly. And this time Penelope outwardly struggled to pull away from him so he turned his attention back to her, "Do you have to pee or something?" When she blushed and shook her head he continued, "Then sit still cause now that I have you I am not letting you go."

Fran's heart swelled hearing Derek's comment knowing that he meant they were together, not just in the bed right now. Hotch and Rossi laughed watching the couple's antics glad that they had talked to the director when they had.

"Before I forget you two have a meeting with the Director Monday when you are back to work first thing in the morning." Rossi told them. "Don't worry Hotch and I already talked to him and I will smooth Strauss over about going over her head. But this way will be better in the end for both of you."

"Thanks guys," Derek told them before turning to his mother and telling her everything that happened from the moment Penelope started yelling at Lynch yesterday morning at work, including his presents and JJ and Emily's interrogation. While he was talking the rest of the team stirred away surprised to find Mrs. Morgan there as none of them had remembered to call and tell her what had happened.

Fran didn't say anything she just stood and gave them both a giant hug, and kissed both of their cheeks. As tears ran down her own.

"Mrs. Morgan…" Penelope started but Fran cut her off.

"Fran or mom now dear you are part of the family."

"Fran, are you okay why are you crying?" Penelope tried again, not knowing if she could ever call anyone mom again.

"I'm perfect my baby figured out how he felt about you without any help, and even though he did not explain to you what he meant I am happy that you two are together now." She explained hugging Penelope again.

Pen whispered something in Derek's ear and he laughed and released her, she made a beeline for the bathroom making everyone else laugh as well. Finally the nurse came in, thankfully a different one then earlier, but she had obviously been told what had happened and sided with the other nurse.

"How is your pain?" she asked in a monotone, glaring at Derek.

"It is maybe about a 6, but could I get something that is not going to put me to sleep. My mom just got here and I have not seen here in months. I don't care if it does not make the pain go completely away just to dull it some would be fine." As he spoke Penelope came back in but hesitated to get back into the bed with him with another nurse there. Knowing her problem Derek took her hand and kissed it making the new nurse's eyes spit fire. Cause the team to wonder what was wrong with the staff in this hospital.

"I would like it if you left now." Fran told the nurse before she could finish her job. "I am a nurse myself if you leave the machine here I will give him some Advil and my baby will be fine. I would not have someone with your attitude tending to my only son. If you have a problem with that call the doctor and I will talk to him, hell call my hospital and find out that I am the head nurse, but what ever you do you will leave this room this instant." The nurse was shocked but left as she was told to, even leaving the blood pressure machine and the thermometer as Fran had ordered her to.

"What is wrong with the staff in this hospital first the bitch telling you that you should not have looked twice at Penelope and now this one who has obviously sided with the first one?" JJ asked no one in particular.

Fran stood and finished checking her son where the nurse had left off. As the chart had not been left she made notes on a scratch pad Rossi so that there would not be a break on the chart when the doctor came back to the room. True to her word she gave Derek a dose and a half of Advil and they group of them sat and talked like it was completely normal for them to be in a hospital with Pen and Derek in the bed cuddling. Hotch at some point joined Emily in her recliner and took a nap while the others talked; Rossi and Reid switched places so that he could nap as well.

It was nearly two hours before the doctor showed up in Derek's room much to Fran's surprise. A doctor in her hospital in the same situation would have gone to that patient right away. She was getting a little fed up with this hospital's treatment of Derek.

"Can you tell me Doctor why your nurses are allowed to act so horribly to a patient and his family and friends? And why after two such instances you took two hours to check on him yourself? This man works at the FBI what if you need him one day you want him to wait another two hours before coming to see what the problem is?" Fran started in on him right away.

"What do you mean the nurses…?" He started only to stop and the looks of shocked horror on the faces of everyone in the room.

"The first one heard me talking about my woman and had to put her two cents in about why would I even date Penelope, apparently I am a 10 and she is a 5 not something I see what so ever Penelope is perfect for me in every way. I asked her to leave and to send in another nurse the next time they needed something. The next one obviously heard what had happened and came in with a bad attitude and when she saw Penelope the glare she sent her could have burned a lesser woman up. My mother a nurse herself sent her away asking for you to be sent in and then mom finished the blood pressure and temperature that the nurse was supposed to." Derek explained

"I promise that I will get the new head nurse on it, the old one retired last week and they do not like the current replacement. Neither do the doctors the nurses are walking all over her. The board is looking for a replacement. Do you have the information I will fill in your son's chart and see about letting him go if you promise to make sure he does not pull his stitches or do any heavy lifting for a few days?" The doctor asked Fran, smiling at her, Derek did not like it. The man was hitting on his mother right in front of him. How did he know that there was no one in her life? Derek growled deep in his chest surprising Penelope then she smacked him and whispered in his ear.

"Just because she is your mother does not mean she is not human, allow her to make her own decisions." The whole room was staring at them strangely causing Derek to look away embarrassed at his reaction.

"Hey mom you are always saying you want to move closer to me, this could be the perfect time. Apply for the job, you are already head nurse back home and this way you could ride those two until they straighten up." Derek said after thinking for a minute of something to say to break the silence he had brought onto them.

Late that night Morgan slowly walked into his home one arm slung over Hotch's shoulders behind his mother and Penelope he watched her walk and his chest rumbled for a second time that night causing Hotch to laugh at him, and whisper.

"Calm down your mother is here and Pen knows the rules no strenuous activities." This made Derek groan and both women turned to make sure he was alright hear this noise. "See now you have them all worried, do you want to have to explain something like that to your mother?"

"Hey, no secrets!" Penelope told them, wanting to know what Hotch had just said and why Derek had groaned.

"I will tell you what he said later now how about you help me get into bed and we cuddle some more." Derek told her earning a look from Hotch, to which he said, "Scouts honor." and he held up three fingers.

"You were never a scout, so there is no honor in that from you." His mother said as she winked at Hotch; completely understand what had just happened to both men's surprise.

"I like your mother you should bring her around more often." Hotch said as he helped get Derek to his spare room which was on the first floor.

"Hey I told her to put in a job application at that hospital didn't I. Des is near by at school only an hour away and Sarah's husband is in line for a promotion that could force them to move to Maryland again not far from here. You would be the only one left in Chicago mom."

"I hear you baby but what about all of our properties and the families that depend on us?"

"They would understand and we can find someone to buy them off you." He looked around for pen before quietly saying, "What if there was a wedding and grandbabies in my near future?"

"Are you serious? You two have not even gone on a real date." Hotch asked as his mother stop dead in her tracks shocked. Taking the opportunity for a restroom break without Penelope or his mother following him in Derek tugged Hotch in that direction.

"Please, after every case I go to her place or I ring her here we have pizza and snack food and watch movies until we fall asleep on the couch. I have not even looked at any woman since Pen was shot, you know that I had stopped going to the bar, it was not because I had somewhere else to be it was because I could not stand seeing her with him. We spend the weekends together sometimes. We have gone out to eat numerous times without the team. She knows what cases affect me the most and I know hers, we know each other like we know the back of our hands. We have practically been dating in the guise of friendship since the day we met." Derek told him, "We flirt all the time and we know what the other is thinking more often then not. Okay so we either could not see how we both felt about the other or did not want to change the dynamics of our friendship by looking any deeper then we had been but now I am looking and I do not want to turn back. I love her and I want her by my side always."

"Brave words for when she is not in ear shot. How are you going to go about things with Penelope? She is way too skittish about relationships and people in general to just jump into marriage and children. Where did she run off to anyway?" Hotch asked him.

"I don't know to get our pillows?" Derek guessed and then answered the rest of Hotch's questions, "I have a plan for making her feel special and completely loved, for letting her know that I only have eyes for her."

Being already in his pajamas from the hospital Hotch helped Derek right into bed after his restroom break. Penelope came in moments later and was startled to see his mother just standing there and staring like someone had just brought her husband back to life.

"Um, Mrs… Fran are you alright?" She asked not sure what had caused this state and why her question caused Hotch and Derek to cough to try and hide a laugh.

"She will be fine princess, why don't you bring our pillows here and snuggle with me?"

"Our pillows, you already have a pillow at my son's house? I thought you had just started dating?" Fran said coming out of her shock as she watch Penelope carefully get into bed in front of Derek so that she would not be touching his stitches.

"Yes mom, Pen has a pillow here. She has spent the night before but not how you are thinking, get your mind out of the gutter. Actually Pen is the only woman besides you, Sarah, and Des to have ever even come here. JJ and Emily have never even been over before today. You girls don't have pillows cause you only visit once every couple of months, Pen and I used to spend nights at each other's places when we were not on a case. We learned long ago that sleeping in each other's arms keeps the nightmares at bay.

It never worked with anyone else for either of us."

His time it was Penelope's turn to be shocked. "No other woman has even been here besides me and your family?" She squeaked.

"Never…" Derek started.

"But what about all the other…"

"First there has been no one since I you were shot, and second they were always just a replacement and I could never bring anyone but the real thing here, to my home." He said kissing her right behind her ear making her shiver, not caring who was in the room with them.

"Derek, not right now. You have guests and the doctor said no strenuous activities." She told him swatting at his straying hand and grinning at him knowing that he wanted her as much as he did, if he was willing to sit there and try to get her to make out with him right in front of Hotch and his own mother.

Knowing Pen would not let things get out of hand Hotch led Fran from the room to allow the new couple some time alone. They needed to reassure one another that they were really together and there would be no more drama with exes. And for Pen to reassure herself that Derek was okay, for Derek to help her get over her guilt about his injury.

"They needed some time," Hotch explained to Fran. "I bet if you cook something they will come out realizing it has been hours since they ate anything."

"Do you think he means what he said about settling down with her?" Fran asked as she started to gather what she needed for the dinner se had planned.

"I am sure he is very serious. The problem is Pen is skittish with love and before he gets her to see that he is truly madly in love with her she may bolt. And I don't mean she'll leave him. She would leave all of us, and we would never be able to find her again. She is scary good with computers if anyone could literally disappear and still live in the same city it would be her."

"You don't think she believes that he loves her?" Fran asked stopping what she was doing to watch his reaction to her question.

"I truly don't know if she will or not. But I can tell you that her subconscious will e screaming for her to run, as it, if not her whole mind, believes that everyone that she loves and loves her back dies or abandons her. Her parents died in a car accident when she was 18 and her brothers started abusing her until they suddenly stopped answering her calls or the door when she would come over. They blamed her, their father and her mother were on their way to see her at Cal-Tech. More recently she has learned that her only younger brother and the only one that is a half-brother had been looking for her since the day she went underground. The kid was 15 and had just lost both his parents it took him a few days to realize his sister was missing and to get the story out of his brothers. She still has not met him face to face and they have been talking online for nearly a year now. Part of that is the last time we had time off was at the beginning of her talks with him."

"And then Kevin who said he loved her was beating her." Fran added when he paused.

"Yes and there is more but I think I have already told you too much for her liking. Try not to look at her in pity she will know instantly that I told you something and I can't have her not trusting me. I only told you so that you could help Derek if he digs himself into a hole with her. She is the glue that olds are team together,."

AN: Let me know what you think!


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