Her cell phone rang moments later, and Penelope reluctantly broke the embrace. "I need to answer that. It could be one of my teams." She stood up from the bed and went over to her chair in the living room. "Hello?"

"Hey, Baby Girl. I need you to look up something for me."

"Ready when you are, Hot Stuff," she replied as she put the phone on speaker and set it on the coffee table next to the laptop.

"Okay, I need everything you can find on William O'Connor. The police here think he's our unsub and Hotch isn't sure he is. They really are trying to railroad us into making our profile fit him."

"But it's the other way around."

"You know that and I know that, but they don't want to accept it. Anything come up?"

"He's clean as a whistle. No history of jail time, no traffic tickets, nothing. If you find something specific for me to search for, don't hesitate to call."

"Will do, Garcia. Talk to you later."

They hung up and she closed her search engine. Looking up, she saw Erin holding out a mug of tea, now wearing only the sweater Penelope had given her at the office. She sat on the couch and pulled her legs up, covering them with the sweater. "Sounds like they're coming up against a pretty big road block," she said as she drank her tea,

"Yeah, it's a definite problem but hopefully they'll get past it."

"How long have you and Agent Morgan been friends?"

"It seems like forever. We hit it off the moment we met. I had just started with the FBI and still felt distinctly out of place. He made me feel at ease with his first 'Baby Girl'. He's had a rough life, sort of like mine in that we've both survived great tragedies. In another life…"

"In another life, you might have been lovers."

"I would have to look like Heidi Klum, though. People like him don't desire people like me. Battle made that clear enough."

"You should never sell yourself short like that. Just because our society says that only one type of woman is desirable, is worthy of love, doesn't make it so." Erin looked up from her cup, into Penelope's eyes. "I should know."

Penelope felt her cheeks turn red, and she looked away from Erin, over at the pictures on her shelf. "How long have you and Hotch known each other?" she asked, wanting to change the subject, yet unable to put her finger on why she was so deliciously uncomfortable.

Erin smiled, as if she knew Penelope's hidden heart. "Agent Hotchner and I started with the Bureau at the same time, and we were both under the tutelage of David. I was always more cutthroat than Aaron, despite his being a prosecutor; I felt I had to be. Not long after I began, I found out I was pregnant with our first daughter, Karen. I transferred out into white collar crimes the next day. David never really forgave me for that." She took a sip of tea. "Then I started rising through the ranks and became Section Chief. It's always rankled him that I was his superior."

"There's more to it than that."

"Yes, there always is Penelope. He knows my husband." Erin sighed. "Quite well, too."

"Then he knows what's been happening to you."

"Sadly, yes. I suppose he thinks it a just punishment for my uppity behavior over the years."

Penelope slowly shook her head. "No. No, no, no, no."

"Penelope?"

"He calls me kitten," she cried, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"He sees you as something cute and innocent, to be defended and protected."

"He's forgetting that kittens have claws. I refuse to be coddled." She got up and sat down next to Erin. "Nor do I want to coddle you. Any time I begin to act like a helicopter friend, just let me know. I'll back off."

Erin leaned against her, laying her head on Penelope's shoulder. She was about to say something when her stomach growled loudly. Penelope giggled, causing Erin to laugh as well. "Could we order in? I really don't feel like moving from this spot at the moment."

"Certainly. Hand me my phone and I'll call a delivery place. Would you like pizza, Chinese, Thai, American?"

"Chinese sounds good. Sesame chicken or beef and broccoli."

"Well, you just mentioned two of my favorite dishes, so let's order both and share." Erin nodded and Penelope called their order in, getting two egg rolls as well. "They'll be by in about forty-five minutes," Penelope said as she put her phone back on the coffee table. She settled back next to Erin and clasped her hand, rubbing her thumb back and forth over the back of her hand. She felt Erin shiver, and she moved closer to her. Erin turned and straddled her, leaning in close to kiss her once more.

Penelope started to return the kiss when a small finger of guilt began to worm its way through her brain. Gently, she touched Erin's shoulder and the other woman leaned back, looking into Penelope's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"This is." A hurt look flashed over Erin's face and Penelope softly stroked her cheek. "I didn't mean to sound so harsh. It's just, you're in such a vulnerable place at the moment, and I don't want to take advantage of that, or hurt you, or end up doing something you regret. I like you too much to want that to happen." She looked away from Erin. "I know that probably sounds so stupid."

"No, it's actually really sweet. And I understand, completely." She moved back to sitting next to her. "I got so caught up in feeling loved and lovely once more that I didn't think about the future or if you'd be okay with this." She sighed. "I just wanted something beautiful to replace the ugliness of today."

Penelope felt herself blush once more, not realizing she had a gentle smile on her face. Erin smiled at her in return and the smile grew. They linked hands once more and Penelope flipped on her big screen television. The People's Court was one, and she looked at Erin. "Do you want to watch this? It's soothing to watch people whose problems are more absurd than my own are."

Erin nodded. "While we're waiting, though, could you unwrap me? After we eat, I want to take a long bath and try to relax."

"Of course." They both stood and Erin pulled the sweater off, drawing in a deep breath as she did so. Penelope saw the dark, finger-shaped bruises on Erin's arms and the fabric burns along the top of her shoulders from where her blouse had been torn from her and wanted to cry. Yet she knew it would have been much worse had they not gotten there when they did. She undid the clips on the bindings and slowly unwound Erin. She was unsurprised to see fresh bruises on Erin's stomach, though it did make her upset.

Erin must have noticed her slightly pursed mouth. "He's not worth the time you spend thinking of him."

"I know, the anger will get me nowhere." She brushed her fingers over a few of the fresh bruises. "Did he hurt you any worse than what pain you were already in? These new bruises are right on the wings of your ribs. It doesn't hurt too much when you breathe?"

Erin took several deep breaths, and though she winced slightly, Penelope could find no indication that the blows had caused any further damage to her.

As they sat back down, Penelope noticed a deep discoloration on Erin's right breast. "He bit you? How did I not notice that? Did he break the skin?"

"He was marking his territory, and no, I don't think he broke the skin. That hurts like hell, though."

"I'm so glad I maced the son of a bitch." Penelope smiled a bit wickedly as she remembered the look of pain on his face as the mace had hit his eyes. "I probably shouldn't take pleasure in his pain, though. It's not very becoming of me."

Erin nodded and put the sweater back on. "But it's all right. I have a very nice mental image now. Did you really call yourself his worst nightmare?"

"Yeah. It was the first thing that came to mind. Pretty cheesy, I know."

"Cheese is a good thing sometimes," Erin responded, leaning against her once more. She pulled Penelope's arm around her shoulders and watched the television. By the time the episode was finished, a knocking came at the door. Penelope stood and took her billfold out of her purse, going to the door. She handed the woman what she owed, plus a tip, and took the bag from her hands.

Erin was in the kitchen grabbing plates and utensils. Penelope set the bag on the table and pulled out the containers, putting them in front of her. She opened them and Erin stuck serving spoons in them. "Do you want milk, tea, or water to drink?" Penelope asked, opening the cupboard where her glasses were.

"Milk would be fine," she replied as she set their places. Penelope filled the glasses and set them on the table, then took a seat next to Erin. She dished out some of each dish and Erin followed suit. "I'm so glad you're not eating with chopsticks. I could never get the hang of using them."

"I can't either," Penelope replied. "JJ tried to teach me using the rubber band trick, but even that didn't work."

"I think the reason I love Chinese food so much is because he hates it. It's not refined enough for him. The only time I could get away with having it was when I ordered it in at the office." Near the end of their meal, Penelope's phone rang and she got up to answer it.

"Hello?" she asked, wondering what Rossi wanted.

"Hey, Kitten. How are you?"

"Good," she replied, more confused than ever. There was a pause and she watched Erin get up and start to put their things away. "So, what do you need?"

"I was wondering if Erin was with you."

"Hotch? Isn't he with you in the field?"

"Don't be deliberately obtuse, Penelope. It does not become you. You know which Erin I mean. Is she there with you?"

"No, she's not, David," she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Then where did you take her?" A hard edge crept into his voice, and for the first time, she felt afraid of him.

She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and answered him. "Like I would really tell you that. He won't find out from me where she is. I protect my friends; I don't hand them over to the executioner."

"You are going to regret that decision, Penelope."

"No, I won't. And if anything happens to me, well, I would hate to see what Morgan would do to you."

"Touché."

"Damn straight." She hung up with him and burst into tears. Erin had left the bathroom door open and Penelope made her way inside, sitting heavily on the toilet. "I don't think that was the wisest thing to do," she said through her tears.

"No, it probably wasn't, but thank you."

"I would do anything to keep you safe. I should call Reid, I-I said his name, and they might try to get to you through him." Erin nodded, and she dialed Reid's number. He picked up on the second ring. "Hi, Reid, are you alone?"

"No, but I can be if you need me to."

"It all depends. Is Rossi anywhere near you?"

"He stalked off about ten minutes ago, after getting a phone call from someone. Whatever it was about, he was not happy."

"It was about me. Did you or Mike mention my name at all in front of Strauss' husband?"

"I think I might have, when Mike asked me what was going on. Why, what's wrong?"

"Turns out asshole extraordinaire and Rossi are good friends. I think I might be in trouble, Reid."

"What?"

"Rossi just called me, pumping me for information on where Erin is. I told him nothing, of course, and he threatened me. If anything happens to Erin or me, go to Morgan and tell him what you know. And watch your back, too. He might know that you helped me today, and I couldn't bear it if something happened to you because of me."

"I promise to be careful, Penny. But, I want you to stay safe as well. Maybe it's time you learned to use a gun. I know you don't – thank you, I'll be certain to look into that. I'll call you later, Dr. Kerns."

Reid disconnected the call, and she knew Rossi had caused the sudden shift in him. She buried her face in her hands and struggled to get control of her emotions. Being weepy would get them nowhere. Drawing in a shuddery breath, she raised her head and looked at Erin. "There's no getting rid of me now. I'm bound to you," she said quietly, trying to smile.

"I wouldn't want it any other way. Will you grab a towel? I'm ready to get out now."

Penelope stood and grabbed the large beach towel. She heard the water slosh and turned to face Erin, holding out the towel. She stepped out of the tub and Penelope wrapped her in the fuzzy warmth. Then she turned and grabbed another towel and gave it to Erin. As Penelope watched, she dried her legs off, then her arms. As Erin looked over her shoulder at Penelope, she deliberately let the towel fall to the ground. Penelope sucked in her breath, blushing to the roots of her hair. "I'm going to go, um, do something while you get dressed," she stammered as she fled the room.

She reveled, though, in Erin's throaty laughter. It was a sign that she was healing emotionally, even if Penelope had given her power over her. She didn't really mind, though. There were worse things, or people, to be enthralled by. She sat down on her chair and picked up her laptop, updating her blog as Erin walked through to the bedroom, the sweater over her arm.

Penelope was setting her laptop back on the table when Erin came back out in a swishy skirt and a bra. "Time to put me back in swaddling clothes."

"Oh, but I don't have a manger," Penelope replied as she picked up the bandages. Quickly, she got Erin wrapped up and then Erin slipped on a long sleeved blouse. They sat on the couch together, and Erin put her feet up on the coffee table.

"I don't need a manger as long as I have a nice warm bed to crawl into at the end of the night."

"Then you've come to the right place. I have that right here, no need to go searching all the way to Bethlehem." Penelope reached out and grabbed Erin's hand, threading their fingers together. "That is, unless you want to."

There was a moment of silence, and a brief flash of panic ran through Penelope. Then Erin gently squeezed her hand. "I don't want to go anywhere. For the first time in what seems like forever, I feel safe."

"Good. I'll try to keep it that way." Penelope disentangled her fingers and got up. She opened a drawer on her desk and pulled out her knitting. "I hope you don't mind. I just need to do something with my hands – don't smile at me like that! – to keep my mind off what just happened. I mean, I have to work with him, and I have no idea how to keep myself safe. I never took any self-defense classes. I don't like guns, there's something too final about them. Mace only works when you're not expecting it, and he'll know I use it, thanks to his association with asshole extraordinaire."

"Penelope."

"What? I need a name for him."

"Then use his given name: Christopher."

Penelope sighed, pausing in her knitting to look at Erin. "Yes, Ma'am," she said, pouting a little.

"I've never tolerated pouting in my children, don't think I'll tolerate in you for one moment."

"And what will you do?" Penelope asked, her lip still sticking out.

"This." Erin got up and went to her, standing over her. She bent slightly and kissed Penelope's forehead. Penelope couldn't help but smile, and knew Erin had meant for that to happen. "Now, hand me a skein and a pair of needles. I want to see if I still remember how to do this."

Penelope set her project down and went over to the supply drawer once more, giving Erin a ball of purple mohair and size ten needles. "Where'd you learn?"

"A few years back when knitting circles were in vogue. The ladies of my neighborhood formed one, though it was more a gossip session than anything else. When they realized it was actually hard to do, it was quickly dropped, much like the book club before that, and the cooking club years before that. It was easier just to drink and gossip, so it changed to social night. How droll," Erin replied as she cast on a number of stitches. As Penelope watched, she began to stitch a complicated pattern.

Penelope went back to her own piece and furiously stitched, working out some of her anger and anxiety. As she relaxed, her stitches became looser, more like they normally were. After a few hours, she yawned and set the knitting down. "I'm going to get settled for the night," she said as she stood up. She went over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of flannel pajama pants and a thermal top. After going to the bathroom and washing her face clean, she changed into her night clothes.

When she came out, Erin was already in a nightgown, standing in the doorway of the bedroom, fingering the beaded curtain hesitantly. "So, it's not fair that you've had to sleep on the couch all this time."

"You're my guest, Erin. I would never –"

"Hear me out, please. And you have a rather large bed. There's nothing to stop us from sharing. Friends do all the time."

Penelope could tell there was something more to the request, but couldn't put her finger on what. Slowly she nodded, taking the hand Erin held out, letting herself be led into the bedroom. She crawled into bed first, taking the far side, closest to the dresser. She turned to face the wall and felt the bed dip slightly as Erin got in. Before she succumbed to sleep, Penelope thought she heard Erin sigh.