Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds, because if I did I would make the season premiere start RIGHT NOW!

Derek awoke the next morning feeling somewhat rested. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he once again started his vigil over Penelope, whose condition hadn't really improved during the night. But she's still there, he reminded himself. She's still with me. A nurse appeared and started taking Garcia's vitals.

"Will she wake up today?" Derek asked her, fingers subconsciously crossed. It was slowly killing him inside that he couldn't see her electrifying brown eyes or her dazzling smile that always reminded him that, no matter what, things could and would get better.

"There's a good chance that we can reduce the sedative now, yes. Her vitals are quite strong. I can tell she's a fighter. You must mean something real important to her that she would fight this hard to stay with you." The nurse smiled faintly at him and left. Sighing in relief, Derek decided to speak with Penelope again.

"Remember that case in Alaska? You were so brave, Baby Girl, so selfless to risk your own life to help someone else. I swore to myself and to you that I would always be your protector for the rest of my life. That hasn't changed, Baby, and it never will. I'm sorry that I didn't protect you from Melinda, but believe me when I say that you will never go through something like that again. I won't let you. I'll gladly lay down my life so that you won't have to. Please believe that and come back to me, okay?" When Derek was finished, he felt a presence behind him.

"Want company?" It was Rossi. Morgan shrugged, a premonition of dread filling his whole body. He had a feeling that the older agent was not here just to comfort him.

"Morgan, we need to know about Melinda, how you were involved with her, that kind of thing. I don't believe you were part of this, but people are going to start asking questions, and we can't just say 'no comment' to all of them, you know that." Derek swallowed deeply, but decided not to waste time. He would bear any consequences willingly, because if he hadn't allowed Melinda back in his life, Penelope would've been just fine.

"Melinda was my ex-girlfriend, like I said. We met in Chicago, when I was a cop and she was a Technical Analyst for the crappy CSU we had. Our relationship was doomed to failure from the start, I guess. I only let it go on for about five months so that the breakup wouldn't hurt her that much." At this, Rossi nodded somberly.

"Morgan, bad call. If there isn't the right chemistry after one date, don't keep taking her out and whatnot."

"Yeah, I was a bit of an ass back then. Anyway, when I broke up with her, it was conveniently at about the same time when I got hired for the position here at the BAU. I was ready for a fresh start, a new beginning. Apparently, Melinda wasn't. Of course, because I wasn't really an excellent profiler then, I couldn't see the signs of psychopathy, OCD, all that. Her issues that she hid were probably why our relationship didn't last. Her 'love' for me was probably just an obsession."

"Most likely."

"A few weeks ago, she came up to me in a coffee shop. Clearly she hadn't given me up for good. She told me about her job at the FBI, and I didn't really find any coincidence with that like I should have. My guard was down, Dave, it was totally gone. And then we had the lunch date…and Phillips gave me Pen's false goodbye note…..and I suppose you know the rest." Derek hung his head in shame. For a few moments, nothing could be heard other than the steady bleep from the heart monitor by Penelope's bed.

"Derek, your guard maybe was down, but I may know part of the reason why. I don't know if you knew that Melinda kept several journals filled with her fantasies. Most of them involved you and her…doing…things of the sexual nature, but there was a great deal of planning this scheme. She mentioned drugging you with an opiate to keep you sort of 'out of it.' If I were you, I'd get tested." Derek's mouth fell open in shock. He hadn't felt like he was on anything at all. Maybe it was a small amount though…a few drops in his drink at the diner…the water he drank just before he made love to her. She'd given the glass to him…

"Damn, how could I let myself fall into her web?" he asked himself. "How could I be that stupid?"

"Come on, Morgan, you're a man. Melinda was a rather attractive woman that seemed relatively harmless. Combine that with the opiate and even the most experienced profiler might fall for it."

"Rossi, I wouldn't be too banged up about it, but the woman I love was nearly killed because I was a dumbass!"

"Let me tell you something. Garcia loves you deeply with a love that I never had with my three ex-wives. I don't have to work in the FBI to get that. With that kind of love, I have come to realize, also comes forgiveness and trust. She'll still love you through this, I'm sure. After all, you did save her life. She would've died from the bullet wound if you hadn't come when you did. Any fault you had in this surely is eclipsed by that." Derek nodded slowly.

And then both men were shocked when Penelope suddenly moaned a bit and began to open her eyes.

"Come on, Baby Girl, wake up for me," Derek encouraged her. After a moment, he nearly cried with joy when he saw her deep brown eyes.

But his stomach turned when she looked straight at him and said, "Who are you?"

Da DA DUUUUUMMMM. I am a magician and have just pulled an unexpected twist from my hat!