Penelope felt exhausted. Flights don't normally affect her, but this one always left her drained. She picked up a rental car and drove the familiar route from the airport. As she got closer her heart tightened, a lump formed in her throat and the tears began to well in her eyes. As she turned the corner she took a deep breath, there it was the house she grew up in.

Penelope had barely pulled up when the front door flew open. She grinned as her ten year old nephew Adrian excitedly bounced out of the house.

"Aunt P!!!" he shrieked. Seconds later his little sister Sophia followed. Penelope was met with multiple little arms as she got out of the car.
"My little monkeys! Aunt P has missed you both! You've grown so much!" she exclaimed gathering them both in her amrs.
"Hey Lady Bug." Adam her oldest brother greeted affectionately as he came out of the house.

Penelope grinned. Being the youngest and only girl had certainly cemented that she was going to be spoiled from the moment go, and she was. She had four brothers who doted on her despite the fact she was their half sister. Her brothers were relatively older than she was, by the time she was born Adam was already fourteen which made his soft spot for his little sister even bigger. Jasper was twelve, Aidan was ten and Caleb who she was closest to in age was six. While Adam, Jasper and Aidan were her half brothers she and Caleb had the same set of parents. In a lot of ways it made Caleb even more protective of Penelope. Growing up they were so close and in tuned with each other that no words ever needed to be spoken. After their parents had died, he moved Penelope out of her dorm room at Cal-tech and into his apartment where he could keep an eye on her. When she went off the rails it was Caleb that brought her back. With the help of the rest of her brothers she began to come to grips with the loss of the very parents who loved and adored her so unconditionally and immeasurably. It was their love and nurturing that got her through that first year and it has been them that has been sustaining her since.

"Hey Addy," she replied as he enveloped her into his big strong arms holding her close and tight. He reminded her so much of their Dad that it always left a somewhat bittersweet taste in her mouth.
"We've missed you Kid." He whispered softly in her ear.
"I've missed you too Ads, so much." She confessed hugging him as tightly as he hugged her. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and imagined that it was her father that was holding her. Adam, quite in tuned with Penelope knew what she needed and held her that little bit longer than usual.

Her brothers understood that though they all felt the loss of their parents, it was most painful for Penelope, which is why she hardly ever came home. They met up for special occasions throughout the year, with all of their siblings scattered all over the country, there were plenty of places to choose from, the one date that all of them agreed to always spend at home was the anniversary of their parents accident and death. It was their one non negotiable. Although in saying that, Penelope went home for important things. The birth of her nieces and nephew, major events, emergencies, she was present for all those.

"You're the first one here. You guys should really co-ordinate car pooling from the airport if you all refuse to be picked up."
"And what miss out on this very same conversation we have year after year? What's the fun in that Addy?"
"Brats, the lot of you."
"But that's what makes us to loveable and endearing."

While Penelope unpacked in what was once her old room and now Sophia's, the kids kept her entertained with their latest mischief talking non stop. Adam and his wife Olive watched in pure amusement as their children monopolized their Aunt P knowing that in a few short hours they would have to share her with their cousins. Penelope was not fazed by any of it. In truth, she loved her nieces and nephews beyond measure and doted on each and every one of them, she cherished being with them, and missed being around them to watch them grow up. Just as Sophia was about to start yet another anecdote Penelope's phone began to vibrate in her bag. She had purposely turned the ringer off so she would miss it but Sophia had heard the buzzing in her Aunt's bag.

"Aunt P, your phone is ringing."
"That's okay sweetheart. Let it ring out. It's nothing important, now continue on with your story." Penelope assured the young girl. Adam and Olive exchanged a glance, in all the years that Penelope had been working at the BAU, they had never once seen her purposely miss a call.

Derek hung up the phone when it hit her voicemail without leaving a message. He knew that she would know it was him, that she wasn't going to talk to him, and she had every right to be furious with him. He screwed up, and he screwed up big.