Disclaimer: As ever, I do not own Criminal Minds, just a very nice dream...

A/N: It'd be strongly advised to read Giving Up Solace, seeing as this is the sequel of that and everything will make much more sense after that!

But here you have it! MG love!! =)

'Hey baby girl.' Derek said as he crouched down in front of Penelope as she remained curled up in the armchair. 'What you doing?'

'Listening.'

'To?'

'The silence of the house.' She told him and changed her direction of her stare to his face. 'Our house.' She corrected herself. 'The sounds are so different.'

'How so?'

'The dripping of the taps, it doesn't echo, it's just there and then it's not, the humming from the telly, and the fridge, the wind against the window, the birds... it's all perfect.' She told him with an almost self appraised smile and Derek couldn't help but slip onto the floor and listen to her declarations at normalcy and smile.

It'd been 3 weeks since they'd got her out and although he'd had her home and had lapped up every single moment he had with her, from waking up in the morning to falling asleep with her in his arms he couldn't help but worry as he watched her reacquaint herself with the normal. He realised it was a thing she needed to do but it was like the time he had watched her take her first bite of chocolate and enjoy it like it was first time ever trying it or the first time he'd properly made love to her, it seemed new to her. Although most things were now back to how she remembered them to be there were certain things that would catch her off guard.

Penelope had realised how much she loved her home comforts, how she missed cuddling into Derek while they watched a film with a big bowl of popcorn to share, or how he'd climb in the shower with her and she'd find herself melting to his touches, she realised how much she missed his kisses, missed how his eyes watched her or how his voice lingered in her head.

'So while I've been slaving away at work, you've been listening to silence?' Derek asked cocking his eyebrow, he knew it was moments like this that were significant for Penelope to gain some normalcy, to process all that had happened and he understood fully that it would not happen immediately.

'You did a fly by visit for half an hour firstly and secondly, I've sat in the garden and just listened to everything happening out there too.'

'You did that yesterday.'

'Every day's got a different sound.' She told him as she uncoiled herself from her ball in a stretch. 'I might go lie down, I didn't sleep well.'

'I'll come up in a bit, I need to take Clooney out, unless you want to come and then we'll collapse together.'

'Sure thing hot stuff.' Penelope said with a smile. 'Walk, then sleep.'

'Me and Clooney will protect our goddess, eh boy?' Derek asked the dog who barked loudly. 'The pet has spoken.'

'More a child, than a pet.' Penelope quipped and got up and disappeared upstairs. He ran his hands over his face and sat exasperated as he heard her upstairs, he still couldn't quite believe that she was really back.

She was there with him daily, there to greet him with a smile and give him everything he missed and he knew that the way she was around him, she saw her life coming together, not just sitting around in broken pieces ready to be glued back together, but life had flow again, one that got progressively better. He had his goddess back and he was determined to make her feel the most loved goddess in the universe.

a/n: What you think then? Want more?