AN: Watched the episode last night and was inspired. Hope you all like it. :)

Derek walked Penelope to her car after the movie. It had been a sort of double date among friends: Reid, Seaver, Morgan and herself all went to see Slice. It had been a slash 'em up, scary, gory horror movie that was not at all her usual kind of movie, but she never passed up a moment to have a good time with her friends…Derek, especially.

Now, however, she was paying for it.

A loud noise made her jump and cling even tighter to Derek's arm. A second later, an alley cat ran past them, chasing some poor little doomed critter.

Derek chuckled. "Baby, you gonna be alright tonight? You almost lost your skin back there because of that cat."

"Of course," she said, releasing her death grip on his arm. "I'm just jumpy right now."

They reached her car, and he opened her door for her. Hesitating only a second, she looked in the back seat of her convertible to make sure no one was lingering there.

That earned another chuckle from Derek.

Glaring at him, she slid into the front seat, and fastened her seatbelt.

Derek braced one hand on the top of the car, and leaned closer. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, obvious concern in his expression.

"Yes, Daddy," she teased. "I'm fine."

"I don't mind coming over," he said, then his eyes twinkled with mischief. "I can tuck you in and sing you lullabies…."

"I've heard you sing, D," she quipped. "No, thanks."

He ignored her and continued to purr in that hypnotic voice of his, "Kiss you goodnight…"

Her heart sped up just a little bit, but then she remembered where she was, who she was, and who she was with.

Getting her best tease on, she said, "You can do that right here, lover."

Derek shook his head, grinned, and leaned down, kissing her forehead. "Bye, baby."

"Bye, D."

"It was horrible!" she said excitedly, talking to Kevin on the phone when she got home. "Absolutely disgusting. 'Machete Mike' nearly cut Faye Parrington's character's head from her shoulders. I always thought she was an overrated actress, but still...she didn't deserve that!"

"Sounds fascinating," he remarked dryly.

"It was!" she said, still on a high from her fun night. "I was so scared; I was screaming through most of it."

He made a noise of displeasure.

"Kevin?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Morgan was there?" he asked, sneering the first word in only the way Kevin could.

"Of course," she answered, bewildered, wondering what the problem was. "I told you he was going."

"Did you cuddle with him? Did you cling to his oh, so muscular arm?"

The words smacked with jealousy. It would've been funny, if they didn't have that slight sound of anger behind it.

"Kevin…" she warned.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," he said in a petulant tone, like a schoolboy caught sticking gum in the hair of the girl in front of him. Then his tone shifted to something more hopeful. "You want me to come over?"

"No," she said. She was tired. "I think I am just going to sleep."

"Okay," he said, sounding petulant again. "Sweet dreams, Penny."

"You, too, Kevin."

Penelope sat up in her bed, her nightlight still on. She heard a creak on the floor, and it startled her awake again.

Although, to be honest with herself, she hadn't had a wink of sleep yet.

She groaned, looking at her alarm clock. It was One AM, and she couldn't sleep.

Penelope, she thought to herself. You have people who live right above you. You are going to hear floors creaking. Besides, the building is old, it's probably settling, and-

Her thoughts were interrupted; she jumped as her apartment let out a creak again.

"It's nothing," she whispered out loud, and laid back down.

Then again, you do live in the end unit closest to the fire escape…the "Murder Unit", Reid said…

Giving up and sliding out of bed, she went through her beaded curtain to her still lit living room. She was absolutely appalled at how she was acting.

"Stop being a scardy cat!" she chastised herself.

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door. Slowly, she crept to the front door and looked out the peephole, and then she opened the door.

There stood her best friend, with his go bag slung over his shoulder and a smile on his face.

"I had a feeling you'd still be up," he said, walking in, tossing his bag on her couch. He began removing his black leather jacket.

She frowned in confusion. "What…?"

"After the movie tonight you seemed to be in need of someone to chase the bad guys away in your dreams tonight," he said, sliding off his shoes. " I'll park on the couch and do that for you."

She shook her head and said softly. "You don't need to do that….I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself."

He stepped closer to her, then kissed her forehead. "Then you can chase the bad guys away from me."

"Derek…"

She watched as he plopped down on the couch and looked up at her defiantly, a Go ahead…make me move look on his face.

She smiled and shook her head, which caused him to grin back at her triumphantly. He turned to fluff his travel pillow from his go bag.

It was just like Derek to sacrificing his good night sleep so that she could rest. He loved her like that. She murmured to herself, "Always my hero..."

He looked back at her, cocking his head to the side. "What?"

She walked over to him, leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Night, D."

"Night, Baby Girl," he said, lying down on the couch.

And she went to bed, snuggled in safe and sound, having nothing but peaceful dreams about her best friend the rest of the night.