A/N: Thank you so much for reading my story! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Feel free to check out my next story called The Wedding Bet.

Penelope couldn't think. She couldn't speak. All she could do was stare up at Derek in awe and disbelief. Had he just said the words she had dreamed of hearing? "What?" she said softly.

"I love you," he repeated with a smile. He looked so earnest and sincere that there was no way Penelope could doubt exactly what he meant.

A huge smile sprang to her face. She couldn't believe this was really happening. Years of wishing and hoping and longing for this moment caused huge salty tears to roll down her cheeks. "Oh, Derek," she said as she held him close, "I love you, too. I have for so long."

They stood there, holding each other, each glowing with happiness that long buried feelings were finally allowed to see sunlight. Penelope looked up and saw Derek staring at her, unmistakable love glowing in his eyes. He leaned down and pressed a soft, sensual kiss to her lips.

After a moment she pushed him away playfully. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

Derek didn't speak for a moment as he wiped away her joyful tears with a doleful smile. "I did, after you were shot," he said finally.

"What?" She thought back to when she had been shot. She remembered that he had been there the whole time for her and it was when she had first realized how much she loved him. He'd been there for her and had barely left her side from the moment she first woke up.

"I told you how I felt after you were shot," he continued. "But then you met Lynch."

When he said it, his eyes flashed with an intense jealousy and his dislike for Kevin made sense. How many times had he turned away or snapped at her when she brought him up. How quick he had been to curse Kevin and defend her when she told him about their fights. She had always chalked it up to man problems.

She suddenly remembered that in her apartment when she came home from the hospital, had been the first time he had said he love her. She had just assumed he meant platonically. Penelope suddenly felt like a complete moron.

"I didn't realize," she said quietly. "Derek, are you telling me that you have loved me since I was shot?"

He chuckled. Penelope didn't think anyone sounded manly when they chuckled, but somehow, he did. "No, baby girl."

An unstoppable look of utter hurt and confusion crossed Penelope's face. "Oh," she said softly as she looked down, embarrassed by her rash assumption.

Derek's finger appeared under her chin and lifted her face. His teasing eyes sparkled as he said, "I knew that you were meant to be mine the first time I saw you. I just didn't think I had a chance."

As Penelope realized what Derek was saying, she felt an instant deep aching sadness. They had both longed after each other for years but neither had had the courage to admit it. All of those missed moments, all of the lost time. She couldn't even count how many times in the past six years she had known it would have been better with Derek, how many times with Kevin she had wished it was Derek. It just wasn't fair.

Her sadness shone fiercely on her face and Derek instantly picked up on it. "Baby girl, don't. What's wrong?"

She shook her head sadly, "It's just sad that there was all that time we could have been together and we both wanted to be but we just kept missing each other. It's like one of those terrible romances I read," she said with a melancholy chuckle. "I never realized I was actually living one."

"Penelope, baby, don't think about that. Focus on now."

She nodded as her stomach grumbled. Derek heard it and laughed, "Let's eat this pizza before it gets cold."

Several hours later, they were sitting outside on Derek's porch swing, simply enjoying each other's company. Penelope was leaning back against his chest, basking in his delicious musky, spicy man smell and the teasing caresses as his fingers ran up and down her arm.

"Baby girl, you asleep?" he whispered as he kissed the top of her head.

She shook her head, "No." She knew she wasn't going to sleep around Derek for a long time. They had wasted years and she wasn't wasting another second.

"I was wondering what you are going to do about your friend?" he said quietly.

Penelope groaned, "Nancy? Ugh, I don't know." As angry as she was at her for getting involved, it had all worked out for the best and her heart had been in the right place. In reality Penelope knew she was probably just going to scold her, and then share all the girly details. Well, maybe not all of them, she thought as a naughty smile played on her lips.

"I have a couple ideas about what to do about her," he said crossly.

She giggled, "Yea, I bet you do."

"We just won't invite her to the wedding," he joked.

Penelope rolled her eyes as she turned to face him, "Don't get ahead of yourself now. You still have to make it up to for keeping me in suspense all week."

A wickedly delicious smirk lit up Derek's face as he pulled her close, "I have a couple ideas about that, too."

"I bet you do."