A/N: Hi everyone! Here's my latest fanfic! I hope y'all enjoy.

It all started with a phone call for Derek Morgan.

When his mom called him long distance from Chicago that morning, Derek knew something was up. Fran seldom called him at any other time than Sunday evening. That was her designated call time, as it was almost a guarantee that Derek wouldn't be too busy to answer.

This was definitely out of the ordinary for his mother. As soon as her name popped up on his iPhone, Derek swiped to answer the call, fearing the absolute worst. Had someone died?

"Hello?" he said into the receiver. "Mom?"

"Hello, darling," came her soft and familiar voice. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he said. "I just got back from my morning run." Then, confused: "Not to go profiler on you, but it's Saturday. You always call on Sundays. Is something wrong?"

"No, no," Fran reassured him. "Everything's perfect actually. I just have some news to share with you."

"I'm listening," Derek said. With his mother, the news could be anything from an exciting storyline on a TV show or that her kitchen had finally been repainted.

"I'm seeing someone new," she squealed into the phone. "Can you believe it?"

"What?" he cried, nearly choking on air. "Since when?"

"Not very long," she replied. "Only a couple of months. He's absolutely wonderful. Sarah and Desiree love him already."

"What?" Derek sputtered again, caught completely off guard. He quickly checked the calendar to see if it was April Fool's day. "Are you serious?"

In all the years since his father's death, Fran never showed interest in anyone. Not even a fleeting emotion. When men asked her out, she had always politely turned them down. "I'm busy raising my kids," was her excuse. After the three of them left home, she told people she was simply too old to date. "I've been there and done that many times before," was her mantra.

"I'm 100% serious," she said into the phone. "I can't wait for the two of you to meet. Which brings me to the reason behind my phone call. When can you come to Chicago to visit? I'd love for the two of you to get to know each other."

His mother was just scaring him at this point. She was squealing like a lovesick teenager, and Derek could imagine Fran flapping her hands around as she spoke. She always did that when she was excited.

"Well, what's he like?" he asked at last. "Is he someone I know?"

She waited a few seconds before answering. "I'm sure you two have meet before. He's in a similar line of work. And, no, he's from the DC area actually. I met him at a town meeting last year when the crime rate went up."

Derek raised his eyebrows immediately. This guy was in law enforcement too? While that was definitely reassuring, he still needed to make the trek to Chicago. What if this guy wasn't good enough for his mom? He had to check him out for himself. Sarah and Desiree meant well, but they were also naive. Besides, if this guy wasn't treating Fran right, Derek would kick his ass.

"Well," he said, clearing his throat. "I'm on vacation for the next two weeks from the Bureau. Our last few cases have been a little rough, so we unanimously decided to take a break. For health reasons, I guess you could say. I could visit as soon as possible, if you'd like."

Fran squealed again. "That would be wonderful!" she said. "I'll call your sisters and let them know. Are you coming alone?"

"Don't I always?"

"Yes," she admitted. "But that was before you and this Penelope woman started talking. I'm dying to meet my future daughter-in-law."

"We're not even official, Mom," Derek explained. "Penelope and I are friends. Best friends, really. There's nothing else going on between us."

"Sure, sure," she said. "Just keep telling yourself that. I'll see you soon, son. Call me with your flight information later."

"I will," Derek promised. "I love you."

"I love you too. Take care."

With that said, he ended the call. He sat for a few minutes on his couch, staring at the pictures of his mother and sisters on the walls of his living room.

His mother was dating someone. She was actually back on the dating scene after twenty years. Derek fought the urge to laugh and stood up abruptly. He needed to get everything in order and be on the next flight to Illinois asap.

He had a few words of warning to share with his mother's new beau.

As soon as Derek found an available flight to Chicago, he booked it. There were only a few seats left on the plane, and he wanted to be certain that he was able to go tonight. He simply could not wait any longer.

He typed in the necessary information and then called Hotch. He was usually the one to watch Clooney when Derek went out of town for holidays and other vacations. "Hey man," Derek said when his boss answered. "I'm heading to Chicago for the week. Does Jack want a furry playmate to keep him busy?"

"You bet," Hotch said, sighing in relief. "Jack's on spring break and is already dying of boredom. He keeps calling me a wet blanket because I don't like his video games."

"You're not a fan of the new video games?" he teased. "I thought you liked Mario Kart and all that."

"I do," Hotch said. "These are a different story. They're a bit too violent for me. Besides, don't I see enough dead bodies and bloody crime scenes at work?"

Derek laughed. "True that," he said. "If you decide to play though, they don't depict dead bodies very accurately. They've always looked fake to me."

"I think I'll pass," he said. "Anyway, what time will you be bringing Clooney over?"

"About an hour," Derek replied. "I just need to pack a few things, call my Mom, and make a quick stop. Alright?"

"We'll be expecting you," Hotch said. "See you soon."

After hanging up, Derek quickly packed the necessities into his suitcase. It only took him about ten minutes. Traveling had become second hat to him over the years with the BAU.

Then he grabbed Clooney's leash and hauled the large dog out to the SUV. The german shepherd sat perched on the passenger seat waiting for Derek to roll down the windows. As soon as he complied by pressing the button, Clooney stuck his head out to watch their surroundings as they drove. It was the dog's favorite thing in the world.

During his drive, Derek called his mother to let her know what time he'd be landing. "A little after six," he told her. "Make sure one of you is there. I don't want to walk like last time when Sarah forgot about me."

"We'll remember," his mother promised. "We're having a family dinner tonight too. Come hungry!"

The call lasted about five minutes, and then he pulled up in front of a familiar apartment building. This was his pit stop before taking Clooney over to Hotch's. The german shepherd, instantly knowing where they were, started whining. Derek had barely gotten out of the car when Clooney ran to claw at the front door until the owner opened the screen.

"Clooney!" Derek yelled at the half-crazed dog. "Stop that."

"Oh, he's alright," Penelope said, smiling at the two of them. Her hair was piled up on her head in a messy way, but she still looked great. "What brings my favorite boys to see me?"

"We have something to convince you of," he said walking up the sidewalk. "That and I know Clooney can talk you into anything with his puppy dog eyes."

She giggled. "You have a point. Clooney certainly has a part of my heart all reserved for himself, as do you, my sweet prince. What are you needing?"

"You to come with me on a trip," Derek said. "I'm leaving for Chicago in a few hours to see my family. I have two tickets, and I want you with me."

"Derek…"

"C'mon Baby Girl," he said. "This is an all expenses paid trip, and my mother is dying to meet you. Besides, wouldn't you rather be with your Chocolate Thunder than at home binge watching Doctor Who all week?"

"Well…"

"Go pack, woman," Derek said. "I'm not taking no for an answer. You'll have the time of your life with me. You can hang out with Sarah and Desiree too."

Penelope pursed her lips at him in defiance. "If I object anyway, as this is incredibly short notice, what's my punishment?"

"I'll spank you," he said, narrowing his eyes. "You know how much I hate sitting with strangers on airplanes. Besides, I want my Baby Girl by my side versus any other woman in the country."

"I just don't know, Hot Stuff," she said. "It'd take me forever to pack everything I need. Besides, I don't get quite as long a vacation as you and the rest of our friends. Four days is all."

"Call in sick," Derek said, smiling at her wickedly. "Tell them you have the stomach flu."

Penelope giggled. "They'd know I was faking," she said. "I never get sick or miss work."

Derek looked down at Clooney who was stretched out on the porch between them. Penelope bent down to scratch behind his ears, while Derek continued to persuade the tech to join him on his adventure.

"Please?" he said. "My mom wants me to meet her new boyfriend. You know how I am with people I don't know, especially when it comes to the women in my life."

She bit back a laugh. The look on Derek's face was priceless right now. She could only imagine the interrogation that was soon to ensue. Plus, she would love to see the man who had captured Fran's interest…

"Fine," Penelope said. "I'll come with you. Under one condition."

"What is it?"

"You have to take me to all the tourist places," she said. "I want to see everything. Even if it seems like nothing to a seasoned Chicagoan like you."

"That's fine with me," he said. "Though you might want to hurry. We only have about three hours before our flight leaves, and I still need to drop Clooney off at Hotch's."

"Derek!" Penelope cried. "That's so soon!"

"I wanted you to come!" he exclaimed. "I knew you wouldn't if I told you when the flight left. Just grab what you'll need tonight and I'll help you get the rest once we're there. Alright?"

"Fine," she grumbled. "But you are so dead right now."

With that said, the tech turned on her heel and headed inside, with Derek and Clooney right behind her.

A/N: Don't forget to review!