A/N: Last chapter, guys. I'm already senseing a slight ... vivid discussion in regards of my ending, but well... sometimes, imagining things by oneself is so much better than having it spelt out for you. In regards of a question stefi had, HR means Human Resource, which is a department in a company that deals with personel issues, such as hiring new people or following up on rules and policies - or the fact when one does not comply with these - that are applicable for personel.

Next story will come soon...

Following Hotch into his office, Penelope felt nervous. To say the least.

"I assume you know why I need to speak with you?" her supervisor asked and for a moment Penelope wondered if she should just play dumb. But he was a profiler. He probably would see straight through her lie.

"Um… is this… um … in regards of me and Morgan?" she asked, hoping he would look at her surprised and say 'What about you and Morgan?"

"Yes," no such luck then in regards of the surprise.

"You are aware of the Fraternization policy?" he asked and Penelope was actually about to roll her eyes. She had gone through this, one way or the other, back when her relationship with Kevin Lynch had been the issue.

"Um… yes, sir, but … I think you should know there has been a small … um… misunderstanding…" she started, and she should just explain this all and be over with.

"What misunderstanding?" Hotch asked, looking at her.

"I'm not… um… really seeing Morgan," she explained, feeling slightly embarrassed. God, she should never have let Kevin Lynch think she and Morgan were seeing each other.

"You are not?" Hotch asked surprised. "Is this than some sort of… um… physical agreement?" he asked and Penelope could feel that this certainly was not a conversation he really wanted to have.

"Not really. You see… I …um … might have said something to … um… Technical Analyst Kevin Lynch that made him… um... think that Morgan and me… um … were involved…" Penelope tried to explain, seeing Hotch listening and nodding.

"Well… whether or not you're seeing each other or not… Chief Strauss is looking into that and wants a word with both of you…"

That moment the world stopped. For one moment.

"Chief Strauss?" Penelope asked surprised. "I … um ... sure she has more important things to do than... um... looking into this," Penelope said. She really, really didn't want to go and see Strauss.

"Apparently she takes a rather big interest in the Fraternization rules. But I guess if you just tell her what you just told me, this will be dealt with quick and efficiently," Hotch said reassuringly.

"Will there… um … any… issue or problem, sir. Some sort of… warning or stuff like that?" Penelope asked not believing this was happening. The next time she would just follow Morgan's exact words and not decide on winging it halfway through.

"Warning?" Hotch asked, seeming to not understand what Penelope was asking. "Oh… um … to be honest I don't see why. You are not in the field, so there is no eminent issue there in regards of interaction or emotional issues. That kind of thing. So whatever the outcome is I think you will just get a warning at worst. I just wanted you to know about Strauss wanting to see you, to prepare you…" Hotch said, smiling encouragingly at her. And somehow that sounded not as bad as she thought.

"Thank you, sir," Penelope said, getting up from her chair and walking towards the door of her supervisor's office.

"Anytime, Penelope."

Penelope had made it back to her office, but not before Hotch had told her she was expected to see Strauss later today. Great. Just great. She really didn't want to see Strauss. That woman had some weird, creepy effect on her. Every minute in her office felt like an hour. Penelope felt like when she was eight years old again, sitting in her principal's office for something she didn't do but got punished for anyway. Not that she was innocent this time. Nope, she technically brought this on herself.

She had just sat down, when she heard footsteps approaching her office.

"Baby Girl, you busy?" she heard Morgan's soft voice filling her room just a moment later.

"Nope, just came from Hotch's office. You already know?" she asked, seeing Morgan lean against the door frame of her office.

"Yeah. I'm actually on my way to Strauss. I guess she wants to take advantage of the team being in for a change and getting this over with quickly…"

"I'm sorry," Penelope mumbled, feeling really bad for what she had gotten him and her into now.

"Don't be. At least we got rid of Lynch," Morgan grinned at her, not seeming the least bit concerned. And of course he'd see the positive again. There was a time not too long ago, when Penelope was that positive force in their friendship.

"So what are you gonna tell Strauss?" Penelope asked curiously.

There was silence for a moment, and Penelope wondered whether he now hated her for getting him into this all to begin with. But then she saw him smiling at her.

"The truth," he just said simply, seeing Penelope nod, "which is that we are dating."

She just nodded for a few mere seconds, before her head shot up. "What? I … What?" she asked, surprised. "We are not dating," she said finally, feeling slightly dumb for saying that.

"No, but we should. And better get this out of the way before anything happens and goes further," he just grinned and was then gone, leaving Penelope back slightly surprised and perplexed. That she certainly hadn't seen coming, but it certainly made her smile.

Maybe there really had been finally something positive that came out of all the mess. And all of a sudden meeting Strauss didn't seem such a really, terribly bad thing after all.

*-*-*-*-* THE END *-*-*-*-*