Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

Emily shadowed the darkness, trying to keep herself hidden as well as she could, zigzagging to make her torchlight come from all over the place. She stopped and looked in Hotch's direction, his light no longer flashed as he made his path out, she took a deep breath praying he was safe, she then looked in Rossi's direction; even though the light was distant she still saw it randomly all over the place.

She pushed off of the tree she was on and made her way towards the lake, she finally broke free of all the tree's and found pebbles underfoot. She looked up, there in front was the water's surface, glistening with the moon light.

She keep the wood's edge, looking back and forth, keeping all area's around her covered the best she could. She quickly found the reddened patches on the shore line and her stomach turned, she saw drag marks and she knew she had to hurry up, she wasn't safe out here alone and only know did she feel vulnerable. She couldn't find anything suspicious other than the blood stains so she collected wood and hurried back, she knew where she was going but she couldn't really check that the floor was clear and soon tripped.

'Fuck!' She exclaimed sitting up, her arm throbbing heatedly from fall, she grabbed the light to inspect herself but first didn't miss the foot in from of her. She screamed slightly but muffled it quickly; bracing herself she put the flashlight on the thing in front of her, only to see the foot again, and a second. Sucking in a deep breath she shone the light up the leg, she knew from the clothing who she'd stumbled upon.

She sat staring at Reid's face for too long, the face of a dead friend mentally sticking in her mind, she looked at the broken arrow sticking out of his chest, she knew it was instant and she knew there was no saving him. From in front of her she heard movement and quickly stood and ran but tripped again, then she felt the sharpness of something pierce her back and before she could react she was ripped backwards and painfully.

-=-=-

Derek paced once he'd done everything to help Penelope, she was still unconscious but even unaware her body was reacting severely and he was completely clueless on what to do next, he couldn't do what Emily had suggested, that was inhumane and would cause more pain and the last thing he wanted to was cause his baby girl more pain than was necessary.

'D-Derek.' Came a weakening voice and he dropped back down to her instantly, she watched him smile warily and she tried to offer him one in return. 'What's happening?'

'The guys have just gone to get some wood, so we can keep you warm.' He ran a hand over her cheek for comfort. 'How you feeling?'

'Like my top half of my body is c-currently b=burning.' She said and shifted slightly but stilled herself. 'This really isn't good is it?'

'It's going to get better; we just need to look after you.' He told her and saw her eyes begin to drop slightly. 'You can't go to sleep on me again baby girl.'

'It's just easier.'

'I know it is but in the long run it won't be.' He took her hand and felt how cold it was, that inserted more worry into him. 'I love you, you know that right?'

'I love you too.'

He sat watching her blink for a while after that, not moving, her tiredness washing in, silencing her, but he'd accept this just to keep seeing her blink. He jumped with her as scrapping was heard on one of the windows, he saw the sheer fear spread on Penelope's face, her eyes widening, her breathing becoming more rapid.

'Baby girl I need you to calm down for me.' He got closer to her as the scraping continued; to him it sounded much like a knife being run across the surface. 'I'm going to keep you safe.' She nodded at him but her breathing didn't decrease, it was sharp and catchy and then she started to cough, blood spraying her lips. The scrapping stopped in the same instance, making his senses sharpen as his worry escalated.

One knock came from the door as he tried to help Penelope the best he could as he worried, he counted as he watched her face, 4 seconds later a second knock.

'It's Hotch and Rossi! Let us in!'

'Go.' Penelope told him even weaker now, and he saw her eyes water. He rushed to let the two men in and praised to see them intact.

'Where's Prentiss?' Derek asked as he watched them throw the wood into the fire place, after looking over Penelope quickly, they knew they had to work fast.

'She not back?'

'No... I thought she would've caught up with you guys.'

'Shit.' Hotch muttered. 'Right I'm going back out there... I'll come back as quick as I can.'

'Hotch... don't you think we should let it calm out there first?'

'No way! She's out there and I want her back in here.' He didn't give them time to answer, he just stormed out of the cabin making sure Derek closed of the opening once more.

Meanwhile Rossi started the fire and then moved around to look at Penelope, he saw she wasn't really all there, the blood on her lips told him the worse was happening right then. 'How you holding up Garcia?'

'I wished I'd t-taken Emily's offer of g-getting d-drunk.'

Rossi laughed nervously as she coughed a bit more and gasped, Derek taking his spot next to her. 'Do you want anything for the pain goddess?' She shook her head at him and couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, the pains exacerbating with each new cough, each new breath.

'I'm going back out there.' Rossi said and stood. 'Get the door Morgan, get it sealed off as soon as possible.'

'I'm on it.' Derek said kissing Penelope's temple quickly and stood up and hastily sealed the place off once again, after watching his friend disappear into the abyss of darkness he took his place back with Penelope, laying next to her, his eyes looking directly at her. 'You remember when we first met?' She nodded. 'I seriously thought I'd blown it with you.'

'Now... look a-at us.'

'I'm the happiest I've ever been with you baby girl... I'm sorry it took me so long to let you in.'

'I'm sorry I never told you sooner.' She closed her eyes, trying to form some rhythm to her breathing but failed. 'You know you're more to me than my best friend right?'

'Yeah I know, like you are to me.' He told her and stroked some hair back, his thumb rubbing away sporadic tears.

'You're my family.' She said and smiled at the words, he saw her eyes begins to close after saying those words, her breath shallow yet strangled somehow. 'I love you.'

There was silence now, no more struggle, just peace but Derek felt himself breaking. 'Pen...' He choked her name as he realised he had lost her and there was no help coming to change it, there was nothing more he could do. She'd kept the struggle for near enough hours now but even she couldn't keep it going any longer. He pulled her into his arms and cried.

After what felt like an eternity, he stood grabbing the gun and with anger he left the house and walked straight into the firing line.