Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds


The men raced to Penelope's apartment block, it was engulfed in flames, there was no break in the inferno. There were panic stricken people strewn all over the street, fire men fought the blaze from all angles and police kept the anxious residents that had vacated in time, the families of fellow residents and the mass of reporters and general public that had gathered in order.

'Penelope!' Derek immediately yelled out, wrenching his neck so he could see more over the sea of people. 'Penelope!' Hotch and Reid joined in then calling Emily and JJ but getting no response. Derek saw a woman he knew from the floor below Penelope's and made a mad dash at her. 'Mrs Shelton!' He said and she looked at him. 'Have you seen Penelope?'

'N-no I haven't, sorry.'

'You have nothing to apologise for, thank you; she's got to be somewhere.' He then went to Hotch who was talking to a policemen, he then held his breath as he listened.

'Hardly no one on the 2nd floor have gotten out, we've got a search and rescue going on while we fight it but most residents are still in.'

'Is there any chance they got out?'

'The stairways got blocked first so it's unlikely.' He turned as the 3 men's eyes stuck on 2 firemen as they brought out a man's body and laid it down. EMT's ran in to help but left minutes after when no more could be done. The fear rolling over and gaining in all the people waiting on loved ones. 'I'm sorry but I'm going to need to go, we'll keep you updated as much as we can.'

Reid stood staring at the building, Hotch was pacing and Derek stood with his hands on his head staring at Penelope's windows, after a couple of minutes the entire right side of the building exploded and glass shot out with the tongues of flames as they flew out the windows. Everyone ducked and panic turned into hysteria for some of the people standing on the road.

'They've got to get them out.' Hotch said in a low tone. 'They've got to get out of this.' Derek clamped his hand on Hotch's shoulder, half of his team was in a burning building and he was completely incapable of waiting. As he watched the flames eat away at the exterior of the building, as they climbed the brick work, as they turned the brown to black he made a dead set realisation, not a questioning comment as before. 'Why did I wait?'

'Why the hell did we all wait...' Derek corrected him and Hotch realised he'd made the same realisation as he had.

'Because we're stupid that's why.' Reid said not tearing his eyes of the brightness of the fiery setting in front of him. The three of them watched as more people were carried out. Two. Three. Five. Eight. Totality of dead in that amount was weighing up unevenly at five. Out of the three survivors, one walked, one stumbled and one was carried. Watching those three strangers made them question how Penelope, JJ and Emily would leave the building or if they'd be part of the death count.

'There are more survivors!' One of the firemen coughed as he gained his stamina before heading back in.

'That's got to be them, surely.'

They stood there, watching people completely bend and break as people left the building in multiple states, dead and alive. Soon they saw a firemen leave with a slender body in his arms. 'We need EMT's here!' He shouted out and turned, as the BAU men looked at the female with her blackened features from the soot and slight burns on her skin they realised it was JJ. He soon handed her over and Reid made a dash for her.

'Sorry sir behind the line!'

'I need to get to her! She's my... my... my partner!'

The policeman eyed Reid suspiciously but then gave in with the helpless of his eyes. 'Follow me sir.' He said and like that Hotch and Derek were left to stand guard and watch every movement that happened as the fire was slowly brought under control. They soon watched as the small forms that were Penelope and Emily were brought out, Hotch and Derek legged it at that point, yearning to get to them. They got stopped but used Reid's excuse and ran towards the two disoriented women.

Penelope looked up, her coughing near uncontrollable but she felt herself relax with Derek fast approaching. 'Penelope!' He said wrapping his arms around her. 'I've got you baby girl.' He said and then her legs gave way as she collapsed in his embrace. 'Pen!'

'We need EMT attention now!'

'What's wrong with her?' Emily asked breathless as she fell weakly into Hotch's grasp. 'She was okay... what's happened?'

'Em, we need you to calm down, you need some help.'

'No! Penelope was fine.'

Derek laid her down as the EMT's set to work, Emily was lead off as she began to worry and demand answers. Hotch stuck with her as she walked slowly to an ambulance. Derek stood back up when he was pushed away and paced with his hands on his head, panic growing in him all over again.

He even stood and watched as she was placed on a stretcher. 'What's happened?' He finally piped up.

'She's inhaled an enormous amount of carbon dioxide, she's needs to be properly examined at the hospital but it seems she needs oxygen to clean her lungs.'

When they made it through the door, Derek was pushed to a halt, he wasn't allowed to follow, he looked around and found Hotch and Reid. 'What's happened? Are they okay?'

'Emily collapsed just as we made it here, she refused to enter any other way but via her feet and just as we made it she did what Penelope did and I was made to wait out here.

'JJ woke up in the ambulance but not for long.' Reid told them and they looked to the doors they'd seen the girls be taken through. Over an hour later they were separated, Hotch went to Emily, Derek to Penelope and Reid to JJ. They all slept, all with mismatched bandages from surface burns, all okay.

They each took a seat and Hotch couldn't help but grab Emily's hand and kiss it, the slight movement woke her. Derek gently took Penelope's hand, looking at that more than her closed eyes; the sense of him being there woke her up. As for Reid, he sat reframed, almost scared to touch JJ, as the thought touching her would make her disappear but he felt better when he did and she opened her eyes to look at him.