No Matter What Happens

Chapter Seven

December 2010

During the week they had off work Derek had some the best sex of his life. They were completely crazy for each other and ended up having sex in nearly every square inch of his house.

She mentioned, a few times, heading to her own apartment for a night or two but he always talked to out of it. They only made it out to go to dinner once and also to spend time taking Clooney on short mid-afternoon walks, when it was warmest out. Then they would come back and get naked again. Sometimes they took baths together, or curled up to watch movies under a warm comforter, played video games and ordered Christmas presents for all their friends and Derek's family online.

The week flew by. The night before they had to go back Penelope insisted she go home so she could have access to all her clothes and deal with her piling up mail and withering plants. Derek was complaining as he walked her to Esther.

"But, sexy mama, can't you wait one more night?"

"No, my love, afraid not."

"What could one more night hurt?" he whined, sounding like a little boy.

She chuckled and stopped walking. She captured his lips with hers and wrapped her arms around his neck. A light snow was falling down. She pulled back and said "I will miss you tonight, my love, but the longing will only make it all that much better the next time."

He joked "You need better, baby girl? Come on now. You trying to kill me?"

She smiled brightly and caressed his cheek. "Kill the best part of my life? I wouldn't dare. I'm just trying to wear you down to within an inch of your life." She winked at him and headed for her car.

He let out a laugh and watched her go. While her old jalopy was warming up he hung out by her car, leaned through the open window and kissed her good bye. "Love you, sexy mama."

"I adore you, my Adonis."

"Get home safe. Call me when you get in."

"I most certainly will."

As she drove off Derek was left with a very warm feeling inside. He knew he was loved and that was something he could never say, at least where women were concerned, before he met Garcia.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They caught a bad case about an hour from home. It involved teenage boys being held for months by a sexual sadist and forced to become abusers themselves, to the newest victims, or else they would die. They found graves of three boys who refused to molest anyone and found four more alive who were psychology a wreck.

It took a few days to catch the unsub and rescue the boy. That wore on Derek. When the case was over the team went out for drinks but he wasn't in the mood to go with. Garcia talked him into it by telling him he needed his family tonight more than ever.

When they left the bar she asked him to come to her place for the night. They stopped by his to get Clooney and then headed to her apartment.

After she unlocked her door she took his hand and led him inside. "Enter, my love, the liar of your Goddess."

Before the door even closed he had bent his head and given her a slow and sweet kiss, as they still held hands. She rested her free hand on his chest. "Tonight I have something special in mind for you. That is if you can stay?"

"You think I'd pass up something special from my baby girl?" he murmured, then he took both hands and cupped her ass, pulling her tight against him. "Mmm. You taste so sweet, baby. So sweet and good."

She kissed him back but then broke away. Shutting and locking the door she ordered "Strip."

"Yes, ma'am," he joked but did what she wanted anyway.

When he had on just boxers, and she had slipped out of her coat and heels, she led him into her bedroom and said "Lay on your stomach, lover. Mama wants to work out all the kinks in my chocolate God's back."

"Mmm, you are so good to me baby," he said, as he got on the bed.

"Don't worry. You're gonna get a chance to be good to me back, as many times as you have energy for too. I always appreciated how much time you spend working out and sculpting such deliciousness but now I also appreciate the stamina and endurance you've built up."

He joked "I feel like a piece of meat, Garcia."

She straddled his back and nipped at his shoulder. "You are and you're all mine to enjoy."

She went to work on his back and he moaned in appreciation. He fell asleep as she gave him a massage. Penelope was glad to see that he was letting himself relax and that he trusted her the way he did. He had already told her he usually never spent a whole night with a woman. If anything he left as soon as he woke up, if he did get talked into staying over. But usually he said he couldn't sleep with someone else in the bed with him.

Now he slept good with her there with him and she took that as proof that his love for her was deeper and stronger than he had ever known before. That night she curled close to him in bed and felt great relief that going from friends to lovers was working out better than she ever dreamed it would.

Derek was an amazing man and being loved by him felt amazing. She pulled his arm over her waist in bed, he snuggled closer and murmured "Baby girl," in his sleep.

Being with him was just right. All she wanted, needed and loved to call her life. The woman who went from losing her parents at 18 and feeling completely alone in the world- since she was not close to her brothers- to the woman who now had a family at the BAU and a man who loved her with an intensity she had never known before with any other lover.

Derek made her feel safe, whole and complete. It took a long time to get to where they were but now that they were here she couldn't imagine ever losing this.

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She woke up the next morning to find him cooking breakfast in her kitchen. He had hip hop music playing, Clooney at his feet, and he was facing the stove, wearing just jeans, as he made pancakes.

She said "Morning, sweetness."

He looked over his shoulder. "Hey girl. You sleep okay?"

"Like a baby."

"Good. Well sit your sexy behind down cause your man made you breakfast. I was gonna keep it warm for you but you're up now so get it while its hot."

She looked when he pampered her. He pulled out a chair and she slid into it. He dropped a short kiss on her lips. They had breakfast together.

Penelope stared longing at Derek, when the meal was almost over, looking like she was lost in a fantasy. He asked "What? What's brewing behind those brown eyes?"

"Nothing," she said, happily.

"Talk to me, baby girl," he drug out his words.

"This is just....perfect. The last seven months have been perfect....ever since I...you know."

"Dumped Lynch. You can say it."

"Did I screw up our chance to have this for the last three years or do you think it wouldn't have worked out back then?"

He took her hand. "All that counts is its working out now. What did I tell you?"

"Don't look back at the bad stuff."

"That's right, girl. Why would you wanna? When you can look straight ahead and see your sexy chocolate thunder?"

She burst into giggles. "You make a good point, my love."

He looked at the clock on the wall. "Shoot, I need to get Clooney home and get showered or else I'll be late for work. Got to go, babe." He jumped up, gave her another kiss, and went to get dressed.

Penelope let out a blissful sigh. This was her life. He was her man. And she trusted in this to last. It could only get better now. Tears welled in her eyes.

When Derek had got on his shirt, socks and shoes he came back to the kitchen and saw her eyes were all teary. Worried for her he rushed over and crouched down in front of her "What's wrong, baby girl?"

"Nothing."

"Don't give me nothing. What's got you crying?"

She hugged him. "These are happy tears, angel. Because I'm your God given solace and you're mine."

He relaxed against her. "Baby girl, you had me worried there but you go ahead and cry your happy tears. You don't know how relieved I am that you want to be with me. You're it for me, sweetheart. I could never love any other woman. Only you. So if you wouldn't have me I'd be alone for the rest of my life. None of those other women out there could be who you are to me....my strength, hope, faith, love, lust and motivation for everything I do when I'm on the job. I'm keeping this world safe for you and our family."

She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "You are a truly amazing man, Derek. More than a noir hero....a noir super duper hero."

He chuckled. "And you're my sidekick."

She laughed, as he stood back up, "What? I wanna be a superhero too!"

He laughed. That day he was late for work but it was worth it. She made his life worthwhile and his heart full. Anyone who ever thought he had doubts, from the start, about loving her was wrong.

He only had doubts about being who she needed. But now he could see that he was just what she wanted most and he would keep working on being all he could be for her.

First there was his Mom, who started him on the road to being a man, then the marines and then getting his badge and shield in Chicago, and then joining the F.B.I.

But it was Penelope Garcia that finished off the job. She made him more of a man than he ever would have been if he never met her. She made him her man.

And he was grateful for that every day of the rest of his life.

THE END