Erin and Anna Grace were already on the jet as Penelope said her goodbyes to Aaron. "Now, you're to take him alive. Remember?"
"Yes, Penny."
"And you're to call me the minute he's sitting in the back of a car in handcuffs. Okay?"
"Yes, Penny." He leaned forward and kissed her quickly to stop any further questions she might ask, she was sure of it. "You guys will be the first ones to know once anything happens."
"Thanks you, dear. I know you'll do your best. Stay safe." She kissed him once more and then boarded the plane. "So, what do you remember about your old life?" she asked as she sat down next to Erin, across from Anna Grace.
"Not much, really. I tried to forget as much as I could, so that I wouldn't get homesick." As the girl talked, Penelope took careful notes, knowing any clue might help in finding her parents. "My last name, before they married me to my husband, was Kitson. I don't know if that will help."
"Anything will help, Anna Grace." The girl nodded and then grimaced, covering her mouth with her hand. "The bathroom is at the front of the plane." She got up and ran off, leaving Penelope alone with Erin. "Did you call home this morning?"
"Yes. Jeff said Courtney hasn't stopped crying since the delivery. The hospital is releasing her at ten, so by the time we land, she'll be home. I have no idea how to comfort her, since I only know half her pain."
"You lost a baby?" Penelope asked, covering Erin's hand with her own.
"Two, actually. One before and one after her." Erin's eyes glittered with the tears she refused to shed, though she did clasp Penelope's hand tightly. "I've never been forced to have sex with anyone, to have a baby against my will. I know it happens, and now it's happened to my family. My heart hurts so badly, Penny."
Penelope nodded and tugged the woman closer to her. Erin responded by resting her head on her chest. As Penelope stroked her hair, the tears began to fall and soon a damp spot covered her shirt, right above her heart. "Shh, Erin. Rest on me. Don't hold your grief in, I can handle it," she murmured, hoping Erin would listen to her.
She wasn't a loud crier, but Penelope could feel the force of her sobs as she cried harder. Anna Grace rejoined them and curled up in the seat, staring out the window at the passing clouds. No one moved until they landed and then Erin got up and slipped a pair of sunglasses on to cover up her red-rimmed eyes. Anderson was waiting for them at the airfield, and the went over to the waiting SUV.
"Agent Hotchner called me, Penelope. I'm supposed to take you three right home."
"Thank you, Agent Anderson. We're all headed to my home, if you don't mind." Erin's voice was flinty and Penelope watched the man nod in comical haste. "I suppose I should sit up front so that I can give you directions." Getting in, she was unsurprised that Anna Grace clung to her, throwing nervous glances towards Anderson every so often.
Soon, they were in front of a large, three story house. Anderson idled in the drive while they got out, and she smiled and waved to him as he left. "So, this is home, Erin?"
"Yes." The front door opened and Penelope watched her friend smile a little before taking a halting step forward. Her husband came out and joined them, reaching the group in time to catch Erin as she collapsed.
"It's been a rough few days," Penelope whispered as she followed him inside.
"It's been a rough few months," he replied. "I'm Jeff, by the way. You must be Penelope. My wife has had nothing but good things to say about you, ever since you started at the BAU. Thank you for helping our daughter."
"I had to something, Jeff," she said as they entered a warm, inviting, living room. "Is she doing any better today?"
He shook his head. "No, not really. Though she is beginning to speak. She called me Daddy this morning." Erin stirred in his arms, opening her eyes. "Hey, lovebug. You had me worried there for a second." She snuggled into him, burying her face in his shoulder. "We have guests, lovebug. I need to get them something to drink while you make them welcome."
Penelope heard the gentle chastisement in his voice and watched Erin nod slightly. "All right, Jeff." He set her down on the sofa and then left the room. "So, do you want to call Jessica and have her run Jack over?"
"Maybe in a little while. I should get to work finding Anna Grace's family first." Erin nodded and patted the spots next to her on the sofa and they sat. Penelope pulled her laptop out of her bag and turned it on. "So, you're Anna Grace Kitson and you went missing two years ago. Do you remember what state you grew up in?"
"I tried so hard to forget everything, never believing home was a possibility. I remember snow."
"Okay." Penelope called up the missing persons database and typed in the girl's name. A few minutes later, a match popped up on her screen and she shook her head. "I should have done this before we left. This is you, isn't it?" She held the screen so the girl could look at the picture there.
"That's me! Are my parents still looking for me?"
"Yes, they are. In Michigan. Your mom and dad live in Holland, Michigan. You have a brother…"
"Caleb. And Mother teaches English at the local high school. We were in the community play together, that's how Bryan met me. I wanted to stay for the cast party and Mother didn't, so I told her I'd get a ride with one of my friends. He got me a drink at one point and then everything's fuzzy. I woke up among the women." Her voice trailed off and Erin wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"Does that website list a phone number for them? I'll make the call." Erin looked at her expectantly and she slowly read the number to her friend so that she could dial it. "Hello, Mrs. Kitson? This is Erin Strauss with the FBI. We've located your daughter. Yes, she's healthy. We're currently at my home in Virginia. Of course you're welcome to come get her, but be warned, she'll most likely have to come back here to testify at some point. I'll explain more when you get here." She smiled at Ann Grace. "Just call this number when you land and I'll pivk you up. Of course."
Erin handed the phone over to the girl and let her chatter on. "It's nice when things like that come easy," Penelope remarked softly.
"Isn't it, though. I'm going to go check on Courtney. Do you want to come with me?"
Penelope heard the hesitancy in her voice, the fear of rejection, and smile sweetly at the woman. "I'd love to." Standing, they made their way over to the door and she slung her arm around Erin's waist. "So, since I've been in your home, will you friend me on Facebook?"
"I suppose I can do that," she replied, guiding her up the stairs. Erin made no move to step out of Penelope's arm, instead moving closer to her, as the stairs were a little narrow. It was close enough that Penelope could hear every hitched breath tear from her friend's throat and she knew Erin was struggling not to cry.
"I promise not to tell anyone that you cry at the drop of a hat." This brought forth a watery laugh from the woman and she tightened her grip on Penelope's waist. "But, once this business with Courtney is finished, we can return to a more normal life. No tears, then."
"Maybe a few." She smiled slightly and turned to look at Penelope. "After all, you'll cry when Aaron proposes, you'll cry when you find out you're pregnant, and then your hormones will take over your body and stupid commercials about absolutely nothing will make you sob like a baby for forty weeks. Penelope Garcia, this is your life."
"Thanks, lovebug."
"Only Jeff calls me that. Do it again and I will make you rue the day you did."
Penelope giggled slightly, hearing no threat in the woman's voice. "No, you won't, you like me too much. I've officially grown on you, katydid."
"I haven't friended you on Facebook yet. Don't push it." She took a deep breath as they reached the top of the stairs. "But thank you." Erin didn't sound so sad anymore, which made Penelope happy. She followed her friend down the hall to the last bedroom and watched Erin open the door, suddenly feeling shy and out of place.
Erin beckoned her into the room and she came, standing behind the chair that Erin sat in. Courtney was sleeping, and Penelope felt her heart ache to see the sorrow still evident on her face. "Your daughter is lovely, Erin. Just like you." Her friend reached up behind her for her hand and she clasped it tightly.
"Courtney, wake up. There's someone I want you to meet." As Penelope watched, the girl opened her eyes, turning her head to look at them.
"Mommy, you're home." Those three words burst the dam on Erin's tears and she nodded as she cried. Courtney sat up and leaned over, throwing her arms around her mother.
"This is my friend, Penny. She helped me to find the man who did this to you. Her team is going to rescue all your friends and make certain the others pay for their crimes." Courtney turned her blue eyes on Penelope, a small smile on her lips.
"I want to name the baby Miriam," she said, turning her focus back on her mother.
Erin nodded as Courtney let go of her to curl up in a ball and face the wall. She looked up at Penelope, tears in her eyes, and Penelope wrapped her hand around her shoulder, squeezing slightly. "Do you want to go back downstairs and check on Anna Grace now?" she asked softly, uncertain of how to comfort Erin.
"All right, Penny. Lead the way." She stood and took hold of Penelope's hand, interlacing their fingers as she pulled her down the stairs. Anna was curled up on the sofa, still talking on the phone.
"Do you think I can start school right where I left off?" Penelope heard her ask, seeing her smile at the answer. "Okay, well, I should let you go, Mom. It's not my cell phone, after all. See you soon. I love you, too." Anna hung up the phone and looked over at them. "I'm hungry."
Erin nodded and let go of Penelope. "I'll start lunch for us then. Do you want to call Jessica and have her run over for a visit? Jack's still in school at this time, right?" Penelope nodded and she left the room.
Once she was gone, Penelope got out her phone and dialed Jessica's number. She picked up on the second ring. "Hello?"
"Hi, Jess, it's me."
"Are you all back already? Usually Aaron calls when he's back early."
"Well, it's kind of weird, actually. He's still in Michigan, overseeing the case. He has a feeling that it won't end well, so he sent me and Erin home. She wants to know if you'd like to come over for lunch."
"I suppose I could. I'll be there in, wait, where are you?"
"At Erin's. It's about sixteen miles from Aaron's apartment, further out from the Academy. I'll text you the address," Penelope said before wrapping up the conversation and going to help Erin in the kitchen.
Lunch was officially awkward, with no one doing much talking besides banal pleasantries. Penelope breathed a sigh of relief when Jessica said she'd keep Jack until Aaron was home to give her time to work out the case with Erin, there. After lunch, Anna Grace went upstairs to check on Courtney while Erin and Penelope washed the dishes and Jeff put them away.
"Well, that went well," Erin said as she handed Penelope a plate to dry.
"You think so? Jessica looked at us as if we'd grown a second head throughout the entire meal. But it did give me a chance to regroup with –"
Penelope's words were cut off by a sharp scream from upstairs. Erin looked at her in panic before dropping the cup she held back in the water and taking off. Penelope followed close behind, Jeff at their heels. "Stop! Mommy!"
"Courtney's room," Erin said lowly, and Penelope nodded. She watched instinct take over Erin and saw her draw her gun, a hard look on her face. Penelope opened the door and gasped to see Anna Grace straddling Courtney, holding a pillow over her face. "Let go of my daughter," Erin ground out, training the gun on the girl.
"No! She failed and must be punished." It dawned on Penelope that the girl was more ill than they had realized. Erin calmly began to pull the trigger and still Anna Grace refused to get up or move.
"For God's sake, Erin, push her out of the way!" Jeff screamed and he barreled into the room, going to knock the girl off the bed. As he did so, Penelope saw the glint of steel and knew Anna Grace had a knife.
"Knife!" she yelled, too late to stop Jeff from getting stabbed. Hurriedly, she felt for her cell phone, only to remember it was downstairs still. Jogging over to Courtney, she yanked the pillow away and felt for a pulse. It was still there and she sighed in relief as Erin's daughter opened her eyes and looked at her fearfully. "Courtney, I need you to find a phone and call 911. Your father has been hurt and I need to help your mother now."
Courtney nodded and scrambled out of bed, running for the door. Penelope joined Erin on the floor and saw she was holding on to Anna, her knuckles white from the force of her grip. "Check Jeff's wound, Penny. I couldn't see where the knife went in."
Penelope nodded and bent over Jeff's prone body, looking for the source of the blood. He smiled up at her weakly and guided her hand to his side and she felt the handle of the knife. Knowing enough not to pull the blade out, she nodded. "Are my girls all right?" he asked lowly.
"They're fine, I think. I sent Courtney to call 911." She returned just as Penelope said that and thrust a phone in her hand. "Hello?"
"Ma'am? Can you tell me what's going on there? There was no answer earlier."
"Yes, we need police and an ambulance sent to this address right away. There's been a man stabbed and we have the perp subdued here. Please hurry, as I'm not sure how bad the wound is. There's a lot of blood."
"All right, I have police en route, the ETA is four minutes. The ambulance will be a little longer, about six minutes. Keep pressure on the wound to slow the blood loss."
"Can I do that if the knife is still in the wound?" she asked, giving Erin a tiny, weak, smile.
"As much as you can, yes. I'll try to get the paramedics to hurry."
'Thank you." They hung up and she set the phone on the bed. "Courtney, can you go downstairs and wait for the police and paramedics?" She nodded and disappeared once more. "Okay, Jeff, this might hurt, but I'm supposed to keep pressure on the wound."
"Whatever you have to do," he hissed as she pushed down, taking care not to cut herself on the blade. Time seemed to slow to a stop as they waited for help to arrive. It seemed like everyone arrived at the same time and she was pushed aside by a paramedic who began to work on Jeff. Courtney hovered around the bed, trying not to watch what was happening without losing sight of her parents.
"I'm going to the hospital with Jeff, Penny. Take care of Courtney while we're gone. I'll call you when I know more." Erin hugged her, kissing her cheek quickly before doing the same with her daughter. Moving to the window, she watched them load Jeff in the back of the ambulance.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped slightly as she turned to face Courtney. "Will Daddy be okay?"
"I think so, Courtney. He was talking to me and the paramedics, so that's a good sign. I'm just sorry this happened to you, especially in light of you losing Miriam yesterday. Do you want to talk about it at all?"
The young woman nodded and sat down on her bed, patting a spot next to her. "Mom fought pretty hard for me. I wanted to speak before now, I just couldn't. Thank you for helping me."
Penelope nodded. "It was my pleasure. Your mom is really nice, Courtney, and this has helped me see her in a new light. And I met you, so that's a plus." She sat down and the girl curled up into her, displaying the same trust Erin had in her.
As they waited for news, Penelope spoke about her work with the FBI and how much she loved what she did. "Did you really find the group that held me?"
"That I did, Courtney. It was wonderful to get some answers and my partner is taking care of business there as we speak. They're coming back here to face trial and if I know anything about your mother, the leader is going to face the full extent of the law." She sighed and hugged the girl close.
The phone rang, startling them, and Penelope answered without thinking. "Hello?" she asked, hoping it was Erin.
"Turn on the television, Penny. You need to see what's happening in Michigan. I am so sorry." Erin sounded heartbroken and she stood, making her way downstairs, looking for the tv. "Living room, right hand side of the wall. We'll be home in two hours. Until then, stay strong."
"Okay, Erin." She felt Courtney come up to her side and wrap an arm around her waist as she flipped on the tv. It was tuned to CNN and all she could see was the smoke billowing from the compound. "Oh my God," she whispered as the phone slipped from her suddenly boneless fingers.
