-Chapter 12-

It was probably a good thing that they managed to catch the unsub the next day and headed home on what was essentially and overnight flight back to the east coast. While Penelope had LOVED their time in the hotel rooms, it was a bit exhausting to get up early and go back to one room and hide things from everyone, it was a bit of a relief to get back to what now felt pretty normal.

The funny thing was, it ended up not being all that hard to hide their relationship. She still enjoyed teasing him, and he the same. They fell into a pretty easy rhythm of not being affectionate at work, and basically not keeping their hands off each other at all during their off time. Penelope found that was not only better for work it was kind of fun to have something to look forward to getting home to.

It had now been almost 4 months since the whole bet/trip to LA thing, and Penelope was facing a dilemma. Luke had asked her if she might want to think about moving in with him, his place being better for Roxy, or getting a new place for both of them. She wanted to, but how was she going to manage to do that without the team finding out. She was legally required to notify the FBI if her address changed, and while she was the computer file person she was pretty sure that Prentiss would see Luke's address on her file if she did that. Not to mention when JJ and others would often stop by her apartment, so where would she tell them she lived?

She was debating this while she laid in his bed, her head resting on his chest with her arm across his waist

"Luke?"

"Yes Penelope"

"I was thinking about that question you asked the other day"

"About moving in?"

"Yeah"

"and?"

"Well, I want to, but I'm torn...I don't see how I could possibly do that without the team finding out" she explained about having to change her address and people stopping by, "and I like this little world where we have us, separate from the team" she sighed, "I don't want things to change if they know"

"Can I make a confession?"

"What did you do?" she looked back at him suspiciously.

He chuckled at her reaction, "Why do you always assume I did something?"

"Well you said something about a confession"

"Fair enough, well it wasn't that I did anything really, but the team already knows, about us"

"What?!" she sat up in bed alarmed, "for how long?!"

"About a month, maybe more like 3 weeks"

"Why? how? why didn't you tell me before?"

"Remember that case where the team went to Montana?" she nodded, "We were getting in super late, like 2am. I don't remember why but I got a ride home with Prentiss instead of driving myself home, I think maybe I'd driven into the office with you before we left?"

"and?"

"And your car was in front of my house, so Prentiss insisted on coming up to the door. You were asleep in the bedroom, and while that door was closed, your purse was on the counter, shoes by the entry, your sweater or something on a chair"

"Oh god"

"So yeah, we were pretty much busted, I mean how do I explain you being at my house at 2am, when we've been gone for a week"

"So how come nobody said anything?"

"I knew Prentiss was going to tell them, so the day after we had another case and when we were on the plane I told them, and I also told them that they owed you, for the whole bet/waking up early thing so they were not to say anything"

"Why did you do that?"

"Because I wanted to save you from having to tell everyone, all the questions, and it worked, I mean they tried to get me to admit that we were together in LA but I said nope, we didn't get together until the week before Prentiss as your car at my house or right before the montana case. Which would be a month ago. I'm not sure they believed me, but they couldn't make me cave"

"And I totally would have" she kissed him, "I love you"

"I love you too Penelope" he said kissing her again. They had both admitted that to each other shortly after LA, but she never got tired of hearing about it.

"Ok, then I will move in" she said, "that is, if you still want me to, since it sounds like the team already thinks I live here anyway"

"I don't know if they think you live here, but they know about us, and gather you have a key, and they know you watch Roxy for me a lot"

"I do sometimes wonder if I would stay with you if it weren't for Roxy, I love her" she said giggling at the ridiculousness of that.

—/The end/—