Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Sorry this oneshot is a little late on getting released. But at least I got it out before the new episode! So here it is: my newest oneshot for the ninth season! Hope you all enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU HAVE A MOMENT :)

"Hey Morgan," Rossi said as he was putting his jacket on before leaving Penelope's apartment after their Day of the Dead celebration. "You wanna come over and smoke a cigar? I'm planning on sitting on my porch for a little while. Maybe we can reminisce for a little while?" He raised his eyebrows at him.

Morgan looked up at Rossi and shook his head. A grin spread over his face. "Thanks for the offer, Rossi," he said. He gestured around Garcia's apartment at the festive decorations still covering the room. "I'm helping Garcia clean up, though."

"Oh! My hero," Garcia cooed as she came down the hallway from the bathroom. A devilish grin was covering her face. her eyes flicked to Derek's, and she winked at him.

"Morgan, you can go if you want," JJ offered, looking up from the kitchen sink where she was washing her hands. She smiled. "I can stay and help Gar -"

Both Morgan and Garcia spoke up at the same time. "No!"

JJ and Rossi, the last two still at the apartment, stood in front of them, blinking a few times. Their faces were completely blank.

Garcia cleared her throat and said, "What we meant was that we were planning something for...something." She giggled uncomfortably and blushed red all the way to her ears. "You know, just some simple planning for, you know, something that needs to be planned."

Rossi held up his hands and nodded. "Okay, then," he said. "We'll let you two do whatever...'evil scheming' you have to plan. Don't stay up too late."

Morgan nodded as JJ and Rossi headed out the door. "No problem...we'll go to bed very soon." Rather hastily, he ushered the two out of the apartment and into the hallway. "Okay, see you later!"

Then he closed the door in their faces without another word.

JJ snorted and looked at Rossi. She smirked as they started walking down the hallway. "God, do they really think we still don't know?" she laughed.

Rossi snickered. "Let's face it," he said. "They will keep on denying it until they're married and have kids. Then they'll have to tell us because Garcia will start showing!"

"The hilarious part of it is that they keep getting more and more obvious and make slip ups!"

"Well, then let's just sit back and watch the whole thing play out," he said with a grin. "It should be entertaining at the very least."

XXXXX

As soon as the door was closed, Derek turned back around and smiled wickedly at Penelope. He strode purposefully across the room and wrapped her in his arms, placing a gentle kiss along her jaw line. She giggled and rested the palms of her hands against his chest. "What're you laughing about?" he murmured huskily, his lips moving down to the soft flesh of her neck.

"Us," she laughed. "We're so terrible...slamming the doors on our friends and turning them out on the street."

"Eh, they've got places to go," Derek said, his hands spreading over her hips and holding her close. "It's not like they were kicked out on the street. They didn't look too upset either." He dotted kisses along her neck, all the way up behind her ear, and then finally on her lips.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back fervently. The taste of him filled her mouth and she clung to him tighter, relishing the strength he offered her. Somehow, just his body being near hers lifted the solemn feeling of the day. She missed her parents terribly, and the Day of the Dead, while it was also a way of honoring them, made her feel somber. Just having Derek there made her feel stronger, like she could remain on her feet without too much assistance or the need to lean on someone.

As if he could read her mind, he pulled back and cupped her face in his hands. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.

She sighed and looked into his eyes. All his love was right there in front of her, sitting in his eyes. Her whole body felt warmer. This was Derek, her best friend, her lover. She could tell him absolutely anything.

"I just...seeing this altar, seeing all these people, it just reminds me of how much all of us have lost," she murmured. "I mean, Rossi didn't bring pictures of them, but he lost Caroline and his son, too. It's just another sad reminder of how bad things happen to good people."

He kissed her nose. "It's a fact of life," he said. "And you know what? We make each other strong because of these bad things. You make me strong." He took both her hands and kissed her palms. "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me."

Tears filled her eyes and she touched his cheek, emotion filling her chest and making her heart melt to warm, luxurious goo. "And you're the best thing that happened to me" she whispered, pulling him down for another kiss. Their lips met and danced together, fire burning through them both. Penelope pushed him backwards and they stumbled onto her sofa. She straddled his lap and his hands moved up the soft flesh of her back, his fingers curling into the fabric of her dress. His hands coasted from her back down to her hips and his hands were burning pleasurably into her skin. Her head fell backwards and she closed her eyes, soaking up the feeling of his lips.

"I love you," he murmured as his lips moved from her neck down to the skin between her breasts.

Her hands grasped his head and held him tightly to her. She leaned forward wordlessly and placed her lips to the top of his head. "I love you, too," she whispered hoarsely in his ear. Somehow her emotions regarding the pain of the day started to go away, to fade in the background of the day. Everything became about the man in front of her. She wanted to drown in him, his taste, his skin, his love. He made her feel the way she wanted to feel every second: safe and secure. His arms kept her from falling backwards into the pain that haunted her from losing her parents, and he kept her safe. And for everything she got from him, she wanted to return to him ten times more.

Bringing his head back so that she could look him in the eyes, she held him tightly and touched her lips to his very gently before murmuring, "Happy Day of the Dead, my love."

Derek grinned up at her. "Right back at you, Baby Girl," he said.