A/N: I do not own Criminal Minds or the characters, just my deep-rooted wish for the OTP to end all OTPs.
Since the writers of the show (whom I respectfully admire) seem to be having a bit of a tough time giving fans what we have dreamed of for 11 seasons, I figured I'd help them out. I have humbly borrowed from the script, but please forgive any inaccuracies as my heart was only able to take watching the episode once.
This is my first fic, be kind :) My heart is slowly piecing itself back together, just like all true Morcia fans! This is for you, I hope I do you proud.
Slowly Derek opened his eyes, the room coming into view. Hospital. He must be in a hospital room. I made it, he shivered. The team found me. The comforting vision before him allowed him to temporarily forget the reason why he was there to begin with, which gave his soul a short reprieve. There sat Penelope, who appeared to be on the verge of falling asleep, her beautiful hand splayed on a pad of paper resting on her lap; no doubt she had been journaling. Perhaps doodling? Taking notes on something work related? It didn't matter, she was there with him. He knew he had a long road ahead of him, and that he would need to heal both emotionally and physically, but he wasn't ready to unpack everything quite yet. As he lay there attempting to sift through his confusion, he hoped she wouldn't notice him waking just so he could admire her beautiful face, her beautiful blonde curls, and bask for a moment in the solace that is his baby girl.
"Hi..." Penelope gasped, quickly standing up from the chair she occupied for three torturous days where she held vigil by his side. The leg she had swung over the armrest tingled, but she didn't care. He was awake. He made it.
"How long?" He mumbled, finally becoming aware of the pain that surrounded him. As he looked into her face, outlined by the sun pouring in from the window, he wished his voice didn't sound as hoarse and frightened as it did. His eyes welled up with tears as he was overcome with emotion - and the burning in his chest. It was getting hard to breathe.
She smiled, relieved, moving closer to him. "Three days..." She confirmed and wanted to say more, but the sight of unshed tears in his eyes temporarily silenced her. To see Derek so helpless, so uncharacteristically vulnerable and clearly in pain, caused her to freeze on the spot. She stood there, watching him try and ultimately fail to stop his tears. There was so much to say, so much she wanted to share... So much he had missed in the last few days... But first and foremost she understood that he needed time to come to fully. There would be time for them to talk, time for her to share what had been occupying her thoughts. She knew he was in pain, and above all else she wanted to help in any way she could.
"Thank you..." he choked out, now overwhelmed. He knew without a doubt that she played a big part in finding him before it was too late. Before...
He could see the look on Penelope's face; she could read him like a book. Understanding settled across her features, and she smiled warmly in an attempt to comfort him.
She blew him a quick kiss, slowly able to move again. "I'll be back, my love," she whispered, rushing out of the room to find a nurse, a doctor, anyone to check him over. He was listed in stable but critical condition that same morning, but she wanted nothing more than to hear that he was on the mend, that the damage wasn't permanent. That his body would heal, but most importantly, that he would be able to overcome the emotional impact of his torture. That she could have her best friend back and help him heal. Seeing him in the state he was brought in -then hooked up to all the monitors and an IV, unconscious for three days and coding once in the ambulance and again his first night in hospital- she realized that her heart needed to heal as well. She couldn't stand the thought of losing him. For the moment, she pushed those thoughts aside. He's here now, he's ok. He's ok, Penelope she repeated to herself over and over again.
The enormity of what he experienced came crashing down around him, and as his mind warred between sensation and memory, he was comforted by the presence of his best friend by his side. Don't cry. Not now. Don't... But his body wouldn't listen. All thoughts of his baby girl were paused - the pain was getting to be too much - he couldn't fight it any longer. He looked around the now empty room, and as he tried to ignore the pain in his bandaged hand, he wondered why he felt so utterly alone. Penelope was there with him, yet there was something, someone, missing. Between trying to ignore the searing pain he was in and attempting to regulate his breathing, he tried to understand why deep down a part of him was hurt, but another part... relieved.
Please let me know what you think... I have more ideas to make this a two or three-shot, but I welcome your own if you'd like to share.
I'd like to give a very special shout-out to PolHop, evgrrl09, and ddgorgeous for sustaining my love for reading so much Morcia goodness on this site, and inspiring me to write my first story :) Thank you!