Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds!
A/N: So Emzypemzy got me to post this before I intended to... this is a little idea that popped into my head while eating breakfast at a friend's house, as you do! Lol I hope you like, and be prepared for what's in store...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- From Heaven, With Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I cannot believe I just missed that, Penelope thought as she watched the speeding car carry on its journey down the street. Too close for your liking, Penelope. She carried on her thought. She looked herself up and down; taking a quick moment to make sure everything on her was still intact and every limb was still attached.
"Phew," she breathed out as her head came out. "You live to fight another day, Penelope," she spoke to herself assertively.
However, as the conscious thought settled, she heard commotion from behind her and swiftly turned to assess what was going on. After all, she was fine. The first thing she noticed was Derek, then she noticed the hysteria around him.
Penelope looked down at where Derek was, wondering why he'd be on the ground, shouting instructions when she was stood out of the way slightly shook up by that near accident. Her eyes dropped as his panic rose and she saw for herself what the commotion was all about.
Derek was leaning over her unconscious and blooded body. Willing her with his words to wake up and talk to him, to look at him.
Choking on a half sob, Penelope stepped back panicky. She couldn't bear to look at her body, but at the same time she was compelled to watch herself.
"C'mon, Baby Girl," Derek said desperately as he cradled her hand into his chest, his hand threaded within her fingers, "Open those gorgeous eyes and just look at me. Please, Penelope." He looked up at the shocked bystanders, "Someone get an ambulance!" He screamed at them, trying to spark some life into them.
Standing aghast just behind the crowd, Penelope made her way forward slowly. She had to try to get Derek to notice her, to witness her presence hanging around. She had to give him the hope that she was going to survive this, that she was going to make it out the other side.
She stopped in her tracks as someone ran through her and the shock registered ever so slowly all over again. If they hadn't seen her how the hell was Derek meant to? Feeling her body race with emotions she ran to Derek, dodging people as if she were human and there with them.
"Derek!" She shouted at him, leaning down to his level. "Derek! I'm here. I'm right next to you," she shouted in his ear. "Just hear me, please, believe me that I'm going to wake up. I don't know when or how, but I am."
Penelope shot up when she heard the oncoming sirens of an ambulance and she took a few steps back as the straggling public separated, ready to allow the EMTs in and Derek was asked to hand over Penelope's name while quickly saying what had happened. He was then forced to move away as Penelope was swamped with the EMTs work.
Taking a spot next to Derek, she stood and watched as her body was covered with wires and gauzes and pressure bandages. Her body had gone from being a blooded mess, to being almost mummified and the realisation of the situation only grew and manifested.
Penelope was in deep trouble at that moment.
"I'm riding with her," Derek said as he stepped forward to calm his spot. He had watched them work to stabilise her and now after watching her get laid on the stretcher he wanted to not be separated from her again. "You gotta let me ride with her."
"Sorry, Sir, but we need to get Miss Garcia to the hospital as soon as. Your presence in the back of the bus could hinder any procedures that might need to be carried out." The chief EMT apologised, "I can only suggest you get to the hospital and wait on news." He said sadly and then rushed after as the ambulance readied to leave.
Penelope watched the ambulance drive away, leaving Derek standing on the side lines watching it disappear. She walked up to him and rested her hand on his shoulder the best she could. "It's got to be okay," she whispered as she felt herself breaking with Derek. "This can't be it."
When the ambulance was gone from sight, Derek began to bolt towards where he had parked before he and Penelope had gone to lunch. Penelope went to follow but found her feet completely glued to the concrete below her.
She tried to move them as a different light shrouded her body and caused her to shy away from it. She knew something wasn't completely normal now.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- From Heaven, With Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Being blinding by a bright light, Penelope panicked a little as she continually shielded her eyes from the brightness. Wincing from the glare of it, she felt her body being pulled and worried that this was it, the walking into the light. She wasn't ready to leave this world, to leave Derek. However, it seemed by some twist of fate her presence was requested somewhere else by some higher being. She couldn't fight the powerful pull for too long. She had to go and see what awaited her. If it was the end of her life, she would beg for another try.
"Open your eyes, Penny," she heard a sweet voice and Penelope responded to the command.
The moment her eyes latched onto the source of the voice, Penelope jolted backwards. She didn't want to believe this to be true, because if it was, then the dread in the pit of her stomach was there for a good reason.
"Wha-what the hell is this?" Penelope asked and then shook her head. "Actually I don't want to know. I want to go home," She told them and turned away, going to try and go back the way she was pulled from, but it was just pure whiteness all around her.
"Penelope," The other voice came, deep and commanding, "You need to listen to us." He continued, "Turn around and we can help you."
Slowly Penelope turned to face her parents and gulped deeply. "Wh-where am I?"
Stepping closer, her mother, Rachel, spoke to her. "You're in limbo, Sweetie," her mom told her as she guided her over to a seat. "Me and your father are here purely to help assist you how you need it. We're here to help."
"I don't need help, I need to go back," Penelope struggled to digest the existence of her mother and father in front of her. Her eyes were slowly filling up with tears and her last nerve was dispersing.
"Honey," Her dad's calming tone came to break her breakdown. "We're your guardian angels; we always have been, but right now, our duty is to help you with the transition between this world and that world."
"That world is where I'm meant to be," Penelope began to sob, "Things were just starting to change. I was finally going to tell the man I'm in love with that I'm in love with him. I mean," she let out a shaky breath, "There has to be something that I can do."
"There's something," Her mother spoke softly to her immediately, taking her hand.
"Rach, not yet," Penelope's dad, Richard, said, stalling the moment, "That's not how we were meant to do this."
"Do what?" Penelope asked suddenly, "What is there?"
Penelope watched her parents shoot accusatory glares at one another until her father caved and took her hand to gain her attention. "In moments like this, you're allowed to have five moments, five memories, from your life that you would relive again."
"You're allowed to change any moment of these to whatever you want to," Penelope's mom continued the information. "You can do things differently; you can do things the same. It is your choice entirely."
"What's the catch?" Penelope asked quickly, "There's always a catch."
Penelope's father sighed, "First you need to go back there and face your reality. Once you have accepted your fate then you can go on to the reliving stage. You only get this option when there's nothing else left to do."
Letting the tears fall down her face unashamedly, Penelope nodded. This was her last chance to get what she had always wanted. It was her last chance to feel things she wanted to feel forever. This was her chance to get her goodbye. "I'll do it."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- From Heaven, With Love -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
