Home of Derek Morgan – Evening

Derek had made it a point, subconsciously maybe, to return home as late as possible. The last two weeks had been hell and home seemed less like home. Dropping his go-bag at the door he made his way into the kitchen heading straight to the refrigerator to grab a beer. A small fluffy chocolate brown bear lying on the island caught his eye. Setting the beer down he grabbed the bear, his daughter's favorite and held it to his face inhaling the smell of Saraya's bubble bath. Derek fought the tears welling in his eyes; he had a rule…no tears…ever. He refused to make an exception, especially now.

"It's over!"

His wife's words and the look of utter disappointment still haunted him. There was nothing he could say, and he'd tried everything but she wouldn't listen. He hadn't done anything wrong…he hadn't done anything right either so he was forced to watch his world crumble before his eyes. He looked around the over-sized kitchen. He'd designed it especially for her. Her culinary skills were limited but her dream was to have a chef's kitchen and so that was all he needed to make it happen.

It had been a few more minutes before he realized that he wasn't alone in the house. The floorboards in the hallway gave his intruder away. Turning quickly he met the confident gaze of the woman who'd been responsible for his misery.

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought you might need some company?"

Derek set his bottle and the bear on the island and the two met each other in the center of the room. Eye-to-eye they stood facing each other. Surely the woman could feel the heat of anger radiating from his body. Yet she smiled and placed a light hand on his chest.

"You thought wrong." Then grabbing her hand. "How'd you get in my house?"

"I…" Then smiling. "Have my ways."

"Get out of my house!"

Boldly she pulled her hand from his and wrapped herself around his waist tightly. He stiffened trying to refrain from doing something he'd regret later. Her touch made him cringe. She knew…she didn't care. After all, she'd already accomplished what she'd set out to do.

"Take your hands off of me! Now!"

Not in the least fettered by his rejection she smiled as if he'd invited her into his personal space. Unashamedly, her hands began to roam his body while keeping her eyes on the rage burning just below the surface.

"I know you, Derek."

"You don't know me at all because if you did…"

"I know you better than you know yourself. You need a woman like me not like that mousey, pudgy little…"

"ENOUGH…Savannah! I'm only going to say this once. I want you out of my house and out of my life. Now, shall I call the police and have you arrested for breaking and entering?"

Home of Kevin Lynch – Evening –

Kevin paced the floor of his small apartment occasionally looking through the blinds onto the street below. He'd finally succeeded in convincing her to stay with him; at least until she, "figured things out." The two of them had forged an unusual friendship over the last few years after their breakup. Her team and her husband didn't quite understand it but those closest to her had grown weary of questioning Kevin's motives. He was even willing to accept her daughter if it meant he had her back in his life.

Kevin had never considered himself a winner when it came to Penelope. There was always someone else looming in the background and that person was Derek Morgan. He'd managed to win her heart taking away any chance of winning her back and he hated the man for it. It had taken years of planning; years of being just a friend to the woman who he'd shared his life and his bed with for three years. She was good, too good for either of them yet he knew that she was also loyal. She would have never left him, settling for a life with him even though her heart belonged to Derek. It didn't matter, he still held out hope that he could convince her that he could make her happy…and make her forget her love for a man that would break her heart in the end.

Day Break Hotel – Evening –

Penelope hated the small dingy hotel room that she had landed in after fleeing her home. It was nothing she'd ever imagined for her or her daughter's life. It had been two weeks of take out and listening to the loud music and dirty conversations between the city's working women and their clients. If her husband knew her whereabouts, he'd blow a gasket. Saraya had taken to crying herself to sleep pleading for her daddy to come and rescue her and mommy. Penelope knew she couldn't stay here but it was like her life was in stasis; she couldn't move, she couldn't breathe…how could he break her heart? He'd promised never to hurt her but now her life was shattered in a million pieces. She felt uneasy about accepting Kevin's offer of shelter. She wasn't foolish enough to believe that it didn't come without strings. She made it clear to her former lover that she had no intentions in breaking her marriage vows, still she knew Kevin had hopes that he could change her mind.

The cries of her daughter broke the silence of the room tearing her away from her thoughts. This was no place for a two-year old, no way to live. So, placing the last few pieces of their belongings into her suitcase she quickly moved to the bed to attend to Saraya.

"I want my daddy."

Penelope took the little girl in her arms and rocked her gently. What had happened to her fairytale and what could she do to make things right, to start over…to make the pain go away.

"Mommy's going to make it alright, baby girl…mommy promises…mommy promises…"

BAU Headquarters – Morning –

Hotch hated being placed in this position. He had to make a decision and he had to make it quick. Two of his team members were in trouble and their troubles unfortunately had spilled into the workplace. Cruz was insisting he make it right and get his number one team back on track. Unlike his predecessor, Cruz had been extremely supportive of Hotch and his team and made it a point to give them a wide berth, refusing to interfere in what they did. He still hadn't figured that out but he knew that whatever and however they did it the results spoke for themselves.

Closing the file in front of him, Hotch looked up just in time as Rossi walked through the door. He was the only one who could walk into his office without knocking and without being invited in.

"So, have you decided what you're going to do?"

Hotch exhaled and ran his hands over his face before answering. Shaking his head and looking across the desk at his friend who'd made himself comfortable in a nearby chair.

"Yeah."

Hotch grabbed his mug and frowned when he noticed it was empty. Rossi half-smiled at his friend's stalling tactic.

"I have no choice, Dave. Cruz is insisting that I handle things this morning. If not he'll handle it."

"I don't think that man has made a command decision since Strauss…"

Dave still felt the sting of her loss. It was too hard to finish his sentence. He didn't have to, Hotch understood. The two sat silently before speaking again.

"So?"

Hotch looked up puzzled. Dave waited patiently knowing that his friend knew exactly what he meant.

"He's gotta go. Tonight."

Then looking at the file in front of him he handed it across the desk. Dave looked at the white notepad paper clipped just over Morgan's first name. The older man took the file a look of defeat now on his face.

"Transfer? Where?"

"New York."