Chapter Seven

Okay, so I kinda left it on a cliffhanger! So the direction I'm going to take this whole thing is probably non-traditional but I swear it will all make sense by the end. However, I came up with what (I hope) is a pretty original idea for later and it's the whole reason why I started writing this. So…oh yeah I'm so excited because I got a Criminal Minds shirt for my birthday (and yes I MAY have pecked Derek….I may have)!

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Penelope's heart drummed ferociously in her chest. She counted each beat as it came. How many more would she have left? How many more breaths would she be allowed to take before the end came?

She had so many regrets. So many things left unsaid, undone. She should've kissed Derek before she left….she should've whispered 'I love you' before she left his side. She should've given up Kevin a long time ago so she could've had more time with Derek. So many should haves, so many what ifs. So many relationships unmended, so many joys that were expected to come but no longer would.

"Maybe your death will teach that FBI team that I mean business!" the gunman cried, striking the butt of the gun against her forehead. Pain exploded like a jagged firecracker through her head. Black spots dotted her vision as she fought to remain conscious. Blood trickled down her face….though, if he came through on his promise to kill her, she wouldn't need that blood anyway.

"Y-You don't have to kill me to teach them that," Penelope quivered. "There's probably another way to do that….without so much….mess."

"SHUT UP, YOU BITCH!" the cloaked man exclaimed, pistol-whipping her hard. If the first time had been painful at all, it was nothing compared to the most recent strike. The searing agony caused bile to rise up in her throat and she had to fight hard to not throw up. She could feel herself beginning to pass out.

"I…love…..you…Derek," she whispered, bracing herself for the imminent blackness.

"PUT THE GUN DOWN NOW!" It was Derek. Impossibly, inexplicably, he was there, gun in hand, his face radiating cold fury.

"NO! SHE MUST DIE SO THE FBI WILL LEARN THAT I MEAN BUSINESS! THAT I AM CAPABLE OF KILLING EVEN THE MOST DEFENSELESS OF PEOPLE!"

"You shit! You dumb shit! You think killing her teaches us something? You're the dumbest and sorriest bastard I've ever seen! Put the gun down!" Derek was no longer in control of his emotions or his words. All he was concerned about was that Penelope, the love of his life, was bleeding and barely conscious on the ground. His heart was beating uncontrollably at the horrible prospect of losing her, especially to this simple bastard.

"And what if I don't?" the gunman taunted, squaring the gun at Penelope's forehead and moving to squeeze the trigger. His finger never activated the bullet. Derek's bullet hit him first. He was dead before he hit the ground.

"Penelope! Baby girl!" Derek rushed over to her side, ignoring the dead man next to her. He laid his finger against her neck and found a speeding pulse. "Can you hear me, sweetheart?"

"Derek?" she murmured, struggling to keep her eyes open. "Is he…..is he gone?" She moaned softly and Derek felt his throat constrict. He gently began to inspect her wounds and applied pressure to the source of the bleeding.

"He's gone, princess. He won't be able to hurt you anymore. I heard you leave…and I got up a couple minutes later to see if you were okay."

"My hero," she replied with gratitude. "You saved my life, Derek. He was about to kill me."

"I don't know who that guy is, or what the hell that was about, but I'm so relieved that you're still here, baby. I don't know what I would do without you."

"And I don't know what I would do without you, my protector." Derek sensed she was weakening and so he gripped her hand tightly in his.

"Oh shit! I should call an ambulance!" he suddenly cried, fumbling for his phone. After calling in an ambulance, he turned his attention towards Penelope.

"Baby, I know you're tired right now, but try to stay awake to listen to me, okay? There's nothing that would keep me from protecting you. You hear me? Nothing. That is a promise. I may not be a knight in shining armor, but I have sworn an oath to always keep you safe, and I don't intend to break it any time soon."

"….Thank…..you…..Derek," Penelope whispered. "I…..love….you." Her eyes began to close.

"Sweetheart, I love you too, but please keep your eyes open for me. Just for a little while." Even though the wounds weren't likely to be even close to fatal, Derek knew that if she lost consciousness, it certainly wouldn't help her.

Minutes passed…..though they felt like hours to Derek. Finally, the ambulance arrived. He was permitted, after much pleading, to ride with Penelope to the hospital.

Several hours later, the doctors cleared Penelope to leave. The team, who'd gathered in the hospital, was incredibly relieved.

"Derek, I just finished with the police. That gunman was our unsub. He devolved quickly and became stone drunk. He believed that if he killed a random civilian, it would scare off the FBI. I know it makes no sense, but there you are. They found a tiny trace of semen on one of the victims and matched that DNA to him," Hotch had informed him in the waiting room.

The whole thing was incredibly ridiculous, but everyone was relieved that it was over and that Penelope was going to be okay. She had a concussion and would have to rest for a few days, but other than that, she was fine.

"I honestly think that if I had to stay in the hospital overnight it would be worse than getting pistol-whipped," Penelope remarked to the whole team as they left, though she herself was in a wheelchair, as per hospital regulations. Everybody but the always-stoic Hotch and sullen Derek laughed.

"At least you still have your sense of humor," JJ quipped, squeezing her friend's hand. They departed for the hotel, where they would stay just for that night so that Penelope didn't have to jump on a plane so shortly after her ordeal.

"You know, Derek, the whole thing really was a blessing in disguise. I mean, we got the guy, right?" Penelope pointed out in their hotel room.

"Not hardly. It wasn't worth you getting hurt, not by a long shot."

"Yeah, but Derek, at least I know you'll always be around to protect me, right?"

"That's a promise, baby girl."

"Then all is well, Derek."

For now.