For the next couple of days Penelope stayed with Em and catered to her needs. Aaron had sent Reid over after he came to work insisting that he was fine. Grumbling Reid had no choice but to go and was more than pleasantly surprised that Pen greeted him at the door. Hotch had called to let her know he was on his way. Pen had sat down with him and tried to get it through him that it wasn't his fault that Emily was hurt, and after a little while it had begun to sink in. Hotch saw the difference in both Emily and Reid just by having Pen back in their lives. On the evening that Hotch sent Reid to Em's, Pen had asked him to send JJ over too.

Much to Penelope's disappointment, she was indeed too pregnant to be allowed to fly by any airline, and the rest of them rejoiced. She had taken Hotch's offer to stay in his granny flat which pleased her friends knowing that she was accessible to them. They had all agreed to let her handle Derek when she was ready, which she aimed to do after giving birth to Ari. She wasn't going to hide their daughter, but she didn't want to see the pity or the guilt in his eyes upon seeing her pregnant. She needed to say what she had to say without that look she knew he was bound to have.

Penelope barely had anything with her. She was lucky with one suitcase and her lap top. In her panic she hadn't paid attention to what she threw into her suitcase so Emily and JJ had taken her shopping before they got her settled in at Hotch's. When they went out to cases Hotch had left word for his neighbours to look out for her, and they did. By some luck they had succeeded in hiding her presence from Derek, they felt bad yes, but it was the price they were willing to pay to keep Pen around. She had promised to talk to him after Ari was born and they knew she would.

It was Aaron, Emily and JJ who was with her when she delivered Ari into the world. Despite the distinct darker skin, she was all Penelope. Blonde curls and all, she was adorable. Penelope cried as she held her daughter in her arms looking at the three people who meant the world to her, grateful that they were there to welcome the most precious gift in her life.

A couple of weeks after giving birth, Penelope knew it was time to bite the bullet. It was almost time to head back to France, and she knew she needed to talk to Derek before she could in good conscious resume her life. She had come with Hotch early one morning and left sleeping Ari in his office. Derek had walked into the bullpen as she sat on Emily's desk talking animatedly as though no time had passed. She looked different somehow. She had cut her hair short and layered, she had lost so much weight, and she was dressed in dark jeans and a plain blue sweater that brought out her eyes. There was a distinct new confidence about her that he couldn't miss. She had changed. Em sensed the change in Penelope's posture and guessed that Derek had walked in. She placed a reassuring hand on her lap and gave her an encouraging nod.

"Hey," was all he could say as he approached.
"Hey," she replied jumping off Em's desk.
"Listen, we should talk. Hotch's office?" Derek nodded as Penelope took a deep breath as he followed her into Hotch's office. Hotch looked up and excused himself when they entered closing the door behind him.
"P, about that morning. I'm really sorry. I got scared and I panicked. I'm sorry I hurt you Baby Girl that was the last thing I wanted to do." Penelope looked as though he had physically struck her as he called her baby girl. Derek hung his head in shame, getting a glimpse of just how much he had hurt her. Penelope sighed,
"For what it's worth, I know how badly you feel about that morning. After all you were my best friend once." He tried not to flinch as she spoke in the past tense.
"It would be an understatement to say that it hurt, but there's nothing we can do about it now. It's done, we made a mistake, but it was a mistake that made us face the truth, that despite the flirting and how genuinely we care for each other, it just wasn't meant to be." Derek began to protest but she held her hand out asking him to let her finish,
"I take full responsibility for my actions that morning. I knew I missed you. I knew that I loved you. I also knew the risk I was taking by going ahead with what we did that morning. You were my best friend, and I knew how you would react, in fact it was down to the note. As hurtful as that may have been, it was the truth. You just didn't love me that way, and it was time I learned that, otherwise how many more years would we have kept going? It certainly was a moment of truth that was a long time coming. I've been living in France since I left, and I love it. I'm happy. I miss the team, in a lot of ways I still miss you, but it's a habit I am learning to break little by little. I'm headed back to France in a couple of weeks, but I knew I couldn't go without telling you that despite how much it hurt, I have no regrets, that despite losing you as a result of it, I gained something. I gained a someone," Penelope walked over to Hotch's desk and bent down to pick Ari from her carrier. Derek inwardly gasped as he came face to face with his daughter. A complete spitting image of her mother, she was beautiful.
"I could never regret that night because of Ari, my daughter. Amelia Rose Isobel Garcia. I haven't signed off on the birth certificate but if you're happy to have her take your name, I can add Morgan to her name."
"We have a daughter."
"I suppose we do, but I expect nothing from you Derek. You will always have access to your daughter, I would never keep you from her, but hear me now when I say I don't need you to swoop in and rescue me. I got this far on my own, and Ari and I are our own team and we will make this work."
"I want to be a part of her life P. I want to be there, for the both of you. I want to be more than the guy on her birth certificate."
"She's your daughter, you have a right to her. We can talk details later, talk to lawyers and make arrangements." Penelope said suddenly exhausted.
"Can I hold her?" he asked. Penelope nodded and placed the sleeping infant in his arms. He felt her stiffen as his arm brushed up against hers.
"I'll leave you two to get acquainted. If she gets hungry she'll howl, and there's a bottle that Uncle Aaron has warming up behind his desk. You're more than welcome to feed her, otherwise holler. I'll be downstairs." Derek watched as Penelope left the room and looked down at his daughter.
"Hey Princess, I'm your Daddy. I'm sorry we're only meeting today, but your Daddy was a jerk to your Mommy and he needs to fix it, and I promise you kid I'll die trying."