One week later…..

Just before they started the briefing Hotch informed the team that they were a man down for this case, Derek was out sick. He asked if another agent could be sent over from another division but there wasn't time. They had wheels up in fifteen.

Immediately after the briefing Penelope pulled out her cell and called her best friend. He never called out sick.

"Hello?" he croaked after three rings.

"I told you; even noir heroes can catch the common cold!" She said over the phone in a slightly I told you so tone.

"Well it was worth it. I had fun hanging out with you." He said just before practically hacking up a lung.

"Honey, you sound bad. Are you sure you don't want me to come over?"

"I'll be fine. You guys just focus on catching whatever sicko is at large today."

A couple days after hanging out with a sick Penelope Derek started feeling not so hot. He did his best to ignore it but when he woke up this morning he felt worse than he had in years. His nose was runny and stuffy, he had a fever, a cough, and his body ached all over. He decided to just lay in bed all day and do his best to get better quickly. He hated leaving the team one man short, he was hoping he could rest up and catch a flight to meet them tomorrow.

He woke up at one in the afternoon to the sound of what he thought was someone breaking in. He sighed and grabbed his gun out of the bedside table. This was the last thing he needed right now. He quietly got out of bed and went towards the noise. As he got to the kitchen, where the noise had been coming from, he quickly turned the corner with his hand ready to grab the gun. The curtains were opened but no one was there. Just as he was about to move further into the kitchen Penelope popped up from behind the counter.

"AH!" She screamed and jumped

"Whoa!" Derek jumped as well.

"What the hell Derek?!" she said with her hand on her chest as she caught her breath.

"I thought you were an intruder." He said coughing again.

"What intruder opens the curtains and makes this much noise?"

"Hey, I had no idea you'd be here. What are you doing here anyway? I thought we caught a case?" he asked as he put his gun down and noticed the three bags she had with her.

"I came to make you feel better." She grinned.

"You finally gonna show me that good morning?"

"In this state I don't think you could keep up." She said with a wink as she turned and took some stuff out of the bags. "Plus it's afternoon sweet cheeks, better luck next time."

"Girl, you're killing me. Whatcha got there?"

"I have some Herbal tea, don't argue it's gonna make you better. I also have lots of soup, cough drops, tissues, Motrin and Sudafed, your favorite foods from that diner we go to downtown, a milkshake, and some more quality bestie time." She said with a smile.

"Don't get me wrong I'm happy you're here but what about work? I don't want you to call out just cause of me."

"Oh hush! You took care of me, now I can only return the favor. Plus work can come with me." she pointed over to her laptop sitting on the kitchen counter.

"I could kiss you." He said as another coughing fit hit.

"Please save all kisses for after the germs have left. Now get back in bed, but here take this." She handed him a bag of cough drops and a bottle of water.

He just smiled and turned to go back to his room, he knew not to argue. A few minutes later she knocked on the door and then came in with a cup of tea, an apple, and a small brown bag. "Drink this and I'm assuming you haven't eaten so here is an apple and or there is a burger and fries in here. Now, when I was sick I had fever for like a solid two days. Do you have one and have you taken anything for it yet?" She said sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I have no idea. I woke up, called out of work and went back to sleep."

"You're such a dude." She mock rolled her eyes and then leaned forward and gently placed her lips on his forehead. She leaned away much too soon, he wish she hadn't. "Definitely a slight fever. Here, take these before it gets worse." She took a bottle out of her pocket and gave him four Motrin and then placed the bottle on his night table. "I've got to go see if the team needs anything so I'll you get some rest. Just shout if you need me." She stood up to leave but he stopped her.

"Why don't you bring your laptop in here? There's plenty of room." He said, looking up at her.

"You just want me in your bed."

"That's just an added perk."

She laughed and went towards the door. "I'll be right back."

They spent the rest of the day in bed. They put a movie on in the background while Penelope worked on her laptop and Derek drifted in and out of sleep. Around seven Derek woke up to Penelope on the phone.

"I'll cross check that with the list of names you gave me earlier and then I'll hit you back, boss man!" She put her phone down on the bed and started typing frantically on her keyboard. He didn't want to interrupt her, she looked very focused. He also liked looking at her when she wasn't paying attention. Not in a creepy way, he just liked to see her in her own world. She always looked to focused and confident when she was working.

"Hey sleeping beauty, let me finish this up and then we can figure out dinner." She said without even looking over at him.

He chuckled. "How did you even know I was awake?"

"All knowing goddess." She said as she looked at him for a second and pointed to herself. "Annnnndddd done." She said with a few final clicks. "How you feeling?"

"Eh," he said with a stretch "been better. My muscles are killing me."

"Why don't you go hop in the shower and I'll order out?"

"Anything you say doc." He said with a mock salute. He got up slowly and went to his en suite bathroom.

Penelope went down to the kitchen to look at the take out menus he had. Once she decided and called in the order she did the few dishes they had used throughout the day and then went back upstairs. She stopped at the bedroom door when she heard him talking.

"No, Savannah, I'm fine." He said sounding slightly exasperated.

She felt bad eavesdropping so she turned to leave but then she heard her name.

"Penelope's here. You don't need to come over." There was a pause. She felt a ping of happiness when he said that. "What do you mean of course she's here? Look I'm not having this conversation right now. We're not together so it's not really any of your business anymore." Another pause then he sighed and she didn't hear anything else. She knocked softly.

"You decent?" she asked as she slowly opened the door.

"How do you define decent?" he joked. He was standing there with a towel tied around his hips. Just like that morning at her house years ago. No matter how many times she saw him shirtless it was still a lovely sight.

"Definitely not that, that's more like sinful."

They both laughed as Penelope sat back down and pulled out her laptop and Derek went back into the bathroom to change. When he came back out she had finished what she was doing and told him she was gonna go pick up the subs she ordered.

When she got back he was in the kitchen drinking some kind of all natural fruit juice that he always had stocked up in his fridge. They decided to set up in the den and eat dinner and watch another movie. Derek had a big comfy sectional that Penelope absolutely loved. It was unbelievably comfortable. After they finished eating she situated herself in the corner and stretched out a bit. Derek had been stretched out on the other side of the couch, however when Penelope got settled he flipped around and rested his head on her lap. That was slightly out of character for him, big tough Derek Morgan.

"You feeling alright, honey?" she asked as she gently placed the back of her hand across his forehead to take a temp.

"Now, I am." He replied, still looking at the TV.

"Okay." She said softly. She rested her hand on his shoulder and absentmindedly trailed her hand up and down his arm.

They watched the remainder of the movie in silence. When it was over he grabbed the remote and turned it off. They both continued to lay there in comfortable silence.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked quietly.

"Anything." He said as he rolled over a bit so he was looking up at her.

"Did you and Savannah split up because of me? I may have accidentally caught the tail end of your convo earlier." She felt guilty for eavesdropping but she needed to ask.

"Sort of."

"Oh, D. I'm so sorry." She felt bad now, she didn't want to be the reason that his relationship ended, no matter how much she was glad that it had ended. She would never want to be the reason.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. She was just always jealous of you. Any woman I talked with but mostly you."

"Was it a justified jealousy?" she asked, she was feeling bold. Things had shifted between them. She had started seeing him as maybe more than just a buddy. She had a feeling he felt the same but she knew that even if he didn't things would be okay.

He looked up at her, maybe slightly surprised that she had just asked. He nodded. He felt terrible. He never should have let his relationship with Savannah go on for so long. He felt bad for stringing her along and he felt bad for not telling Penelope sooner. "Yes."

They both sat quietly for a second. "Pen," he said as he sat up to face her "I -"

"Shh." She stopped him. "You don't need to say anything, not now anyway. You're not feeling great and we don't need to have that big feelings talk. Unless I've been totally misreading this situation I know how you feel. Once you're better you can take me out on a real date and confess your undying love for me." She finished her small speech with a wink. When he broke into a big grin she kissed him on the cheek.

"Am I safe to assume that you feel the same way?"

"One hundred percent, honey."