Thank you guys so much for your awesome and faithful reviews. You have no idea how you encourage me soooo much. I do apologise for the randomness of my posts of late but they've just changed my nights shifts at work to day shifts and I am still in the midst of exams and assignments. Grrr, I can't wait till this semester is over. Hope you're all well! xx

When Derek got back to his apartment after dropping Danielle home telling her that he had an early morning the next day, he went straight to his hall closet and pulled out a box. It had been months since he had gathered all of his Penelope things in one box. It was shortly after he and Danielle got together, he didn't want to have to explain the dynamics in case she came over and saw how his apartment was Penelope clad in every corner. Photos, CD's, blankets, hooded jumper, some of her clothes for the impromtu times that she would end up staying over after a movie night. He recalled the first and last time she had been at his apartment after he had taken down all of their photos together as well as put her things away out of sight. There was a hurt look on her face that he still couldn't erase from his mind. Everything had quickly gone down hill from there. He knew that he handled it all wrong, and there was no taking it back now.

"I've made the bed in the spare room for you Pen if you want to stay," Rita offered as they cleaned up.
"Or we can take you home, it's up to you." Em offered assuming that Chris was staying the night.
"If it's okay Ree, I might head home. It's been a huge day and I just want to crash."
"Of course. We'll see you tomorrow for lunch."
"Sounds good. Thank you guys so much for tonight. It was amazing."
"You're welcome Monkey." Chris said giving her a hug.
"I love you kiddo."
"I love you too Bai."

"I love your brother." Em said as soon as they got in the car as Pen and JJ laughed knowing she meant it from an extended little sister point of view.
"Yeah, he'd be the first to tell you how lovable he is."
"So he and Rita, how long have they been together?"
"They've been married for a couple of years before they came to Quantico. Best friends for a few years before that and were only together a month before they got married."
"What???" JJ and Em shrieked while Penelope laughed.
"I thought you guys are the profilers, how have you not noticed that they have a matching ring on their middle finger, on the left hand side."
"Oh my gosh! I take it Strauss knows?"
"Strauss, Hotch and I are the only ones at the Bureau who know, and now you guys. Rita said if you guys asked I can tell you, but it doesn't leave the vault."
"Wow…that explains a lot." Em said more to herself than to them. Penelope laughed.
"They're awesome. I watched them while we were in Palm Beach. They're completely partners in everything. It made me so happy for him, not to mention a little envious."
"They are so sweet."
"What brought them to Quantico?"

"They were in the middle of this major bust and Chris was almost killed, an offer came through from Quantico and they thought why not. BAU is different from what they were doing, which was part of the charm for them both after so many years of Crimes of Passion cases."

"Mattie, it's Rita." Chris had resumed to calling her by his childhood nickname for her, and Rita had jumped on the wagon, as did Em and JJ from time to time.
"Hey Ree, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly. Chris and their team were out on a case in New York, and had left almost a week before,
"It's Chris, he was shot Mattie. He's in surgery now." Penelope dropped the cup in her hand. Emily, Derek and Reid looked up from their desk.
"Oh my God, which hospital are you at. I'll be right there."
"St Joseph's Memorial,"
"Okay, I'm on my way. Hang in there. Love you Ree."
"I love you too Kid. See you soon."
"P, what happened?" Derek asked worriedly as they all rushed to her side.
"I have to go, I have to go to New York, Chris was shot. I have to be there."

"Come on, we'll grab your things and head to the airport. Em can you let Hotch know." Derek said taking control of the situation. Em nodded in surprise catching a glimpse of the Derek they once knew. Derek grabbed Penelope's Go Bag in the corner as she shut down her computer in utter shock. Hotch walked into her office a few minutes later. Penelope looked up at him as tears brimming from her eyes. Aaron opened his arms out to her as she fell in them sobbing.

"I can't lost him Hotch, not now. Not after everything. I need him Hotch."
"I know Pen, you won't lose him. He'll be okay. This is Lorenzo we're talking about. You're brother is as stubborn as they come and he has too much to live for. Not to mention Rita will kick his ass if he doesn't come out of this."
"I have to go to him,"

"JJ's booking your flight as we speak, one of us will be going with you."
"I'll go." Derek said without hesitation as Hotch nodded guessing as much. Lately, he had been seeing the efforts that Derek was making to make amends.
"Run on up and let JJ know. We'll meet you at the bullpen." Penelope looked up at Hotch in surprise,
"If you would prefer one of the girls to go with you, I can insist upon it."
"No, I'm just surprised. Thank you though." She said assuring him.

Hotch, Em, and JJ drove Penelope and Morgan to the airport in semi silence. They were all worried. Hotch had called the hospital to get a more detailed update on Chris and it didn't sound good. It was enough for him to want to go with them, but he knew it would only panic Penelope more. Derek watched as Penelope stared out of the window lost in her thoughts. He knew that she was praying fervently for Chris. Derek placed his hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. Penelope looked back at him and smiled appreciatively. The fact that he dropped everything to jump on a plane to hold her hand wasn't lost on her. She appreciated the sentiment and the fact that it was his initial reaction to just be there for her, without a thought to anything or anyone else. For a moment, she could pretend that they hadn't spent the last year as though they weren't friends.

"PEN!" Rita cried as she engulfed Penelope into her arms.
"Hey Ree, any news?"
"He's out of surgery and they're taking him to the ICU, they're going to come and get us once he's set up. The surgery went well but he's not out of the woods."
"My brother's stubborn Reet, you know that better than anyone, he would never leave you or me for that matter. We've all been through too much for him to just leave now. The surgery went well, one step at a time. He'll be okay, I just know it."
"I'm so glad you're here Mattie. He'll be happy to see you."
"I wouldn't be anywhere else, brother or not. I would be here."

Derek who had left them resurfaced with cups of coffees for the girls. They both looked up in surprise as though they had forgotten he was there.

"Thanks Morgan."
"Reet, I might just go to the bathroom and give Hotch a quick call." Rita nodded as Pen stood to her feet and slowly made her way to the bathroom.
"Thanks for being here for her, whether she will tell you or not, you being here is a reassurance that what you had was real, that you guys are friends."
"I'm really sorry, what you said at the bar that night was spot on. I don't know if I could ever express to her just how sorry I am for what I did. How much I regret that I handled it the way that I did. I don't know if she'll ever know just how much she means to me."
"Give her time, you know as well as I do that Pen is one of the most forgiving people in the planet, you just need to stick around till she comes around. It won't be easy, but you and I both know she's worth it."
"That she is."
"Derek, can I be frank?"
"Uh sure, it's not like it would be the first time right?" Rita chuckled,
"I guess not. Are you in love with Pen?" Derek swallowed hard,
"I love her more than I have ever loved anyone outside my family before, in love, I guess that too."
"Don't guess. Be honest, because if you're not there's nothing wrong with that. As long as you know what it is you feel and are honest about it, you guys can make this work. If you love her, and all you want to be is friends, then you tell her, set new boundaries, because what you guys were doing before was just setting each other up to hurt the other. You're setting expectations where there shouldn't be, hope where there shouldn't be. She loves you, and just like you she hasn't been brave enough to assess what kind of love that is, because the moment you define it, whichever way you define it, things are going to have to change. I guess what I am asking you is be the one to define it, for both your sakes. Not because you want her back in your life, but because you both need to know once and for all." Derek took in what she said and nodded.
"Thank you. I promise you I will."

Pen and Rita sat holding Chris' hand as he slept. Derek had excused himself to grab them dinner. He offered to go to their hotel room to pick up a few things for Chris. When Rita went to the bathroom Penelope was left alone with her brother.

"Bai, you have to wake up. I need you. Rita needs you. We both need you to get better. I love you Big Brother. I can't lose you now, I just found you. I need you to make sense of what's going on in my world. Chris, I need you to tell me what to do. I'm so confused." Penelope said as she sobbed into the hand she held in his. Derek stood a t the door his heart crumbling at the sight of her falling into pieces. All he wanted to do was gather her in his arms, but Rita was right. He had no right to do that if he can't be honest with himself exactly what it is he feels for her. Instead he slipped out of the room to gather his thoughts at the waiting room.