A/N: I just want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I have taken liberties with the Morgan and Garcia, and know that this story is a twisted demented version of my own and does not have direct correlation with Criminal Minds. Also, I do not own Criminal Minds, but if I did, Oh BOY!
Now let's get back to where we left off...
Chapter 2: What's Done in the Dark…
Lakeland Community Hospital
Niles, Michigan
11:30 a.m.
Dmitri Rutherford leaned against the wall and watched as his mother paced the floor back and forth. It was killing him that he could do nothing for her, but he knew it was killing her that she couldn't see Camden. He pushed up off the wall and stopped his mother in her tracks.
"Ma, you gotta stop this."
He lifted her head so she could see his face. She simply shook her head and sighed. "Derek, baby, you don't understand."
"Derek?" Dmitri asked.
Daphne lifted her head and stared at him dazed and confused. "You called me Derek. Who is he?"
"Mitri, what are you talking about?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out. Who is Derek and why would you call me his name."
Daphne just stared at her son, before stroking his cheek. "It was a slip of the tongue; my mistake."
"Mrs. Rutherford?"
Daphne turned at the interruption, "Yes."
"You can see Camden now."
Daphne nodded her head as she pulled away from her son and followed the nurse. Dmitri watched as she disappeared down the end of the hall. He was unsettled, his mother had never called him anyone else's name. Sure, she had confused him plenty of times with Dominic, but she had never called him Derek or anything else. The look that came with that name also took him for a head spin. She seemed dazed, lost and confused and that in itself bothered him to no end.
* * *
"Derek ,baby ,dinner's ready."
He looked up from his text book and stared at her. She was dressed casually in a pair of black sweat pants and a soft pink a-line t-shirt. A smile crossed his lips as she ran her fingers through her hair. She was covered in flour, which meant that she made him something Southern. She looked as if she had a tug of war with dinner and lost, but he didn't care. Derek, would do anything to please his bride. With that thought he set his book to the side and slid from the bed.
"Smells good, baby girl," he said as he leaned down to give her a kiss.
"Does it really?"
He lifted an eyebrow, "Yeah, you know I love everything you make."
"I wonder why that is…" She murmured as she walked past him out the door.
He caught her arm and turned her towards him. "What's up?"
She shrugged and looked up at him, "It's nothing."
"Penelope."
A sigh escaped her lips as she rolled her eyes. "Are we doing the right thing?"
"What do you mean?"
"This," she said as she moved her hands around. "This whole family thing."
Derek just shook his head and sighed. "Yes, we are doing the right thing."
"I don't want you to have any regrets?"
He stared at her for a long moment. She shifted her attention away from him, past him into the bedroom. He lifted her face and saw the tears forming in her eyes. She rolled her eyes skyward to prevent them from falling.
"Where's this coming from?"
"I've been on my own for so long… and I want Athena to have stability, something that our folks didn't necessarily provide for us and …Derek I just don't want you doing this because you're trying to be honorable."
"I wouldn't have asked you to marry me, if I wasn't in this for the long haul."
She simply nodded her head. "Right."
"Pen-"
"You're right," she said with a smile. "Forgive me for doubting you, for doubting us."
Derek didn't say anything. He just tugged on her t-shirt bringing her closer to him. She stepped forward her swollen stomach pressed against his. His head dropped and he captured her lips. He kissed her softly, tenderly, telling her exactly how he felt in that one kiss. He broke away trailing kisses across her face, neck, and shoulders, anywhere that his mouth could find flesh.
"Daddy Derek, can we eat now?"
Derek pulled away to see a four-year-old Athena standing in the hallway. He smiled down at her and she smiled back. He looked over at Penelope and smiled.
"What did Mama, say?"
Athena shook her head and sighed. "That, we had to wait for you."
"Then I can't keep my Bella waiting any longer, can I?"
She blushed and shook her head giggling. "Noooo."
"Well then," he said as he traced a finger down Penelope's jawline. "Let's go see what Mama, made for dinner."
He walked down the hallway backwards still looking at Penelope, before scooping down and picking up Athena into his arms. Athena wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulders.
"Hey, silly girl," he said as he and Athena entered the dining room. "I love you, you know that, right?"
Penelope stood there a moment before following. " I love you too, Derek."
* * *
He shook his head in disgust as he stared at the face of woman holding Camden and felt his anger intensify. He had longed for her, he dreamed of her, tasted her in the middle of the night. Only to awaken in the middle of the night soaked from his passionate dreams, her side of the bed empty and cold. Never, in his wildest dreams would he imagine that she was alive breathing, away from him. It had been sixteen years since he touched her, sixteen years since he had kissed her, sixteen years since he said he loved her. And in those sixteen years, his love for her had never wavered; it never failed, it continued to burn incessantly. He was pissed. After all this time, he still loved her, and yet it seemed as if his love wasn't enough to keep her, wasn't enough to hold her, wasn't enough for her to love him back.
She had lost weight. She was no longer voluptuous, she was deathly skinny. Her hair was no longer a vibrant blonde, but a dark chestnut brown, but her eyes, they still held the same mystique in them; the mystique that he had fallen in love with. He shifted the paperwork looking at the pictures of his sons. Sons that had to live without him, to be raised by another man. He felt his anger spike to a whole new level. It was official, when his time with Penelope Morgan or Daphne Rutherford, whoever the hell she claimed to be at the moment came, he was going to kill her.
* * *
"P, where are you?" Derek yelled from the bottom of the stairs.
"I'm up here."
Derek sighed as he took the box in his hands and trudged up the stairs to their bedroom.
"Baby, what are you doing in here?"He asked as leaned against the door jamb.
She gave him the once over and smiled at his sexy physique. The black t-shirt he wore clung to him, outlining the sexy pectoral and ab muscles behind it.
"Taking a test."
"Seriously?"
She peeked her head out the bathroom door, "Seriously."
He crossed the bedroom and entered the bathroom, to find her sitting on the side of the tub, six different brands of pregnancy tests littering the counter. He looked down at her twiddling her fingers and trying not stare at them. He laughed.
"Derek, this is not funny," she said with a roll of her eyes. "What if I'm pregnant?"
"Then we're going to be parents, again."
"Real cute, D-Money."
"Ha, haven't heard that one in years," He said as he squatted before her. "We're going to be fine."
"Sweetness, we just bought this house and-"
"And, we will find away. Trust me, Love."
"Derek-"
"Trust me. If Big Poppa says, he got it; then he got it. All right?"
"All right…Big Poppa,"she said with a smirk.
"That's my girl. Give me some sugar."
Penelope stood up kissed him softly. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her deeper, closer into the kiss. Penelope pulled away from him as he was going in for the kill.
"Un un," she said as she placed her finger on his lips. "That's how we got in this predicament now."
He licked her finger before inhaling it into his mouth. "Derek," she whined.
"What? Can't a man just enjoy his wife," he said, tightening his grip on her waist. The beeping of Penelope's pager went off and she pushed away from him working her way to the counter. She picked up each test and stared at them for a long period time before setting them down. She turned to Derek, who was now leaning against the wall watching her.
"So…." He said as he waited in participation.
"You're about to be a Daddy, Big Poppa."
He lifted her up to kiss her. "Hot damn."
Penelope giggled as he kissed her sitting her on the edge of the counter.
"I'm about to be a Daddy, huh."
Penelope smiled and looked at him, "Yessir."
"I think that cause's for celebration."
"I rightly, agree, sexy."
"Good," he murmured as he kissed her lips. "Cause before I celebrate I gotta say this."
"I'm all ears, baby."
"No more boys."
"No more boys? I thought you loved your li'l homies."
Derek paused and smiled at the thought of his sons. "I do, I just want a little balance in the house."
"A little huh?"
"Yeah," he said as he nuzzled her neck. " I want a li'l girl. Who's full of the love we share."
"Really."
"Of course and she has to look…just…like…you," He said as he rained kisses all across her face.
* * *
Sometimes words can never express how we truly feel. Emotions have a tendency to run rampant through us all and at the moment words simply failed her. All she could do was cry and muffle the screams that were clawing at the back of her throat.
As a mother she was hurt and mortified that someone would want to hurt her baby. As a woman she was disgusted that some sicko, decided to take the innocence of a child. She took a deep breath and swallowed back her last scream, before running her fingers through her hair and sitting down beside her daughter.
"Camden," She began slowly taking a deep breath and exhaling. "Baby, if you hear me, know that Mama loves you. Know that everything that I've done, I did it to protect the ones that I love. I may not have always been right, but I did what I had to do."
The beeping sound of the monitors was enough to drive her insane. She stared at her daughter her honey toned skin that was ashen, her golden brown hair that lacked its usual luster. She took in the black eye, the bruised face and felt her stomach turn and yet she didn't move. She sat beside her and pushed through it, determined to not run and hide and have her daughter's back.
Morgan's Palisades Ranch
Grayson Grove, MI
1:30 p.m.
Josephine Morgan stood on the stairs waiting. With arms folded across her chest she watched as the caravan of trucks entered her property and descended down the main road. She knew that one of them, probably the lead car, held her grandson and she knew that she didn't have any time to waste. She stepped down from the porch as the first truck pulled in front of the house.
Derek opened the door and was down and out of the truck before Rossi brought it to a complete stop. He took two steps before he pulled his grandmother into his arms for a hug and a kiss.
"MaDear," he said as he kissed her cheek.
She pulled away from him staring into his deep brown eyes before smiling. "My sweet li'l boy." She stroked his face. "She's beautiful, you know, the perfect mixture of you and Penelope."
Derek stopped and looked up at his grandmother in shock. She gave him a soft smile.
"You saw her?"
She simply nodded her head, "Yes, the moment I saw her, I knew who she was."
"Where is she?"
"She's at Lakeland."
Derek kissed his grandmother's cheek again, before turning back to the truck. He had to get to her, to see what everyone else was seeing. He needed to know, before he made any errors. He had two choices to be there as a federal agent, or to be there as her biological father; either way he was going to be there for her, no matter the consequences.
"Derek!"
He turned to face his grandmother again, determination and angst written across his face.
"Ma'am?"
"She's here, baby. Penelope, is here."
"Here? In this house?"
"She's at the hospital."
Derek took a deep breath and looked heaven-ward. He knew that God was testing him. Testing his patience and his resolve and he was not liking it. He glanced back at his grandmother and sighed.
"How long has she been here?"
"Since this morning, DJ called her."
Derek grimaced before running a hand over his face, "All right."
"Derek, you know God doesn't put anymore on you than what you can handle, right?"
"Yes, ma'am. I know."
"Go and be with your baby girl. She needs you."
Without another word to anyone, Derek got in the car and drove away. Josephine sighed as she stared at the other agents who were in her yard.
"Where is he going?" Reid asked as he turned to Emily.
"He's gone over to Lakeland," Josephine interjected as she moved towards them. "I'm Josephine Morgan, Derek's grandmother. Welcome to Morgan's Palisades Ranch."
* * *
"You know, I have to be the luckiest man in the world."
She lifted her head up and smiled. "Why do you say that?"
He kissed her forehead gently, "Because you're my Love."
She just shook her head as she ran her finger across his chest. "Sometimes, I don't think I deserve you."
"Why would you say that?"
"Because you're just too damn good to me."
* * *
Lakeland Community Hospital
Niles, MI
2:00 P.M.
"Mom?"
Penelope sat up in the chair and looked over at Camden. She smiled at her daughter, grateful that she was awake. She squeezed her hand as she looked at her.
"Hi, baby," she said as bit back her tears. "How's my favorite girl?"
Camden just stared at her mother, before glancing around the room. She pushed herself to sit and grimaced in pain. Penelope rushed towards her to help, but Camden snatched away.
"Where is he?" Camden asked as she fought to bring down her panic.
"Where's who?"
"Derek, where is he?"
For the first time in her life, Penelope was speechless. Camden had asked the most honest and innocent question and yet she didn't have an answer. Penelope ran her fingers through her hair before say a word.
"Derek?"
Camden stared at her mother her warm brown eyes changing to a frosty blue. She was learning very quickly that she wasn't too fond of her mother's duplicitous nature.
"You know, Derek, my brother," she replied her eyes saying what her tone wasn't.
"Cam, you only have two brothers, Dmitri and Dominic."
"No, I don't."
"Camden-"
"No!" she roared, "There's three of them Derek Jr., Dmitri and Dominic."
"Camden-"
Camden didn't respond, she just closed her eyes and lay back in the bed. Penelope closed her eyes, how was she supposed to explain to her daughter that the she had no idea where her brother was. If she didn't know now, she knew then that she was officially in deep shit.
"Just relax and I'll go find him."
Camden didn't say a word just watched as her mother rose and went in search of her brother.
* * *
"I'm looking for Camden…" his voice faultered, he didn't know what to call her. He looked up at the emergency room receptionist who was watching him with keen interest. He swallowed and tried to find his words again.
"I'm looking for my daughter, Camden…"
Again his voice faultered and again he found the receptionist watching him intently. He sighed before looking back at the nurse.
"Morgan, Camden Morgan."
The receptionist nodded as she moved her brightly painted nails across the keyboard. She paused before looking back at him. "She's on the 3rd floor, Pediatrics."
"Room number?"
"318."
* * *
D.J. Morgan sat quietly in the cafeteria sipping a cup of coffee. He glanced across the small room and wondered what possessed him to come back to the Grove. It was clear, that he was here based on emotion, alone. He believed that Camden was his baby sister. Every time he looked at her face, all her could see was his mother. He actually needed Camden to be his sister, because if she wasn't; his father was going to be right. It would be hell to pay.
"Mitri, what the hell were you thinking leaving me alone with Carlson?"
D.J. lifted his gaze and found himself staring at his mirror image. The only difference was his eyes. His eyes were a sparkling emerald green. D.J. looked at him openly, before shaking his head.
"You're not, Dmitri." It was a statement not a question.
"No, I'm 'fraid not," D.J. responded with a small smile.
Before either one could respond, Athena walked up to them. "So, D.J.," she began before she looked down, "Oh, shit."
D.J.'s head snapped towards Athena whose eyes had rounded. "Thena?"
Instead of answering him she said one word. "Dominic?"
"Ms. Athena," he replied with a smile.
"This is all bad."
"Thena, what is all bad?"
"Are your folks here?"
"Of course," Dominic replied.
"Oh, God!"
"Athena!" D.J. practically shouted, "Stop the fucking dramatics and tell me what's going on?"
"Derek Jasper Morgan Jr., meet your brother, Dominic Julius Morgan-Rutherford.
Both men rose at the same time and turned and stared at Athena. She knew by the look in their eyes, that she had unofficially opened Pandora's Box. She stepped back but D.J. grabbed her arm.
"Run that by me one more 'gin," D.J. said softly to her.
"You heard me D.J., Dominic's your brother."
* * *
It was the aroma of flowers that pushed her from her slumber. She opened her eyes to see the bouquet of white roses, sitting beside her bed and then she saw him. He was seated just where her Mom was no more than fifteen minutes ago. A small smile slid across her face as she watched her father. She pushed herself forward and his eyes opened. She froze.
She didn't know what it was, but she had gotten the feeling that she may be in trouble. She looked at him and gave him the lopsided Morgan smile, which he returned with one of his own.
He stood, leaned over and kissed her softly on the forehead. "Hello, Angel."
Camden felt the tears fall from her eyes, before whispering one single word. "Daddy."
Derek felt his chest tighten as he heard the words he had sixteen years to hear. He ran a finger across her cheek, pushing the mass of honey blonde hair back off of her face. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was his. He looked into her eyes and saw that his baby, his Angel had been missing him, just like he had been missing her. He kissed her forehead again, before wrapping her in his arms, giving her the sense and security that she needed.
Camden let the tears fall, her sobs and screams carrying out into the hallway. She never heard the door open, didn't hear the frantic panicking voices in her room. She had tuned everything out, all she could hear, was her father's soft soothing words. She burrowed as close as her IV and heart monitor would allow to her father and let him rock her back and forth. She held on to him, feeling his warmth and tenderness, and for the last time in as many months she wondered how it would feel to be a Daddy's Girl. She had to look no further, because she was safe in her Daddy's arms.
Derek didn't know when Camden had fell asleep, but he knew that there was something terrorizing his little girl. His little girl. He laughed bitterly at the phrase. The young woman in his arms was hardly a kid, but yet he had the sudden urge to protect her, to want to harm anyone who had even thought about harming her. He stroked her cheek before lying her back down. He stood slowly and backed away from the bed. He sat down in the chair when he noticed the slight movement in the doorway. Penelope. Without second thought he followed her out into the hallway, she owed him an explanation and damnit he was going to get it.
Penelope had made it to the end of the hallway when she felt his hand on her elbow. He spun her around and she found herself face to face with the man she had fallen madly in love with over twenty years ago.
"Derek," she said her eyes taking in the myriad of emotions on his face.
"Penelope."
The moment was electric, intensifying and he sealed it with a kiss.
