"He's not safe you know."

Hotch looked into Omar's eyes. The man had been more than cooperative in his earlier interrogation but Hotch knew he was withholding something…something the man could use as a bargaining chip later.

"Excuse me?"

"Your agent Morgan isn't safe. She's got plans for him. Annah doesn't like to lose."

"Well like you, Savannah Hayes is going to spend the rest of her life in prison."

"It won't matter. Agent Morgan will be dead and then who will take care of that precious baby boy?"

Hotch watched the dead calm and confident expression staring back at him.

"Maybe Penelope will raise him. After all, she's in love with Morgan; she'd do anything for him."

"Do you have something to tell me or did you call me here to waste my time?"

"You think that this is over but it's not. She won't rest until he's dead."

Omar glanced at the clock on the wall behind Hotch.

"Right now Agent Morgan and the lovely Penelope Garcia are at his home; eating, and resting…I know these past several hours have been quite stressful for the poor man."

"What does she have planned?"

"She's so resourceful, my Annah…it's amazing what you can get accomplished from a hospital bed."

"What are you trying to tell me? I don't have time for games."

"She made him leave the hospital, to shower and eat and sleep. They'll make plans to return to the hospital and check on little Hank…but they'll never make it out of the house."

Then Omar began smiling…the wrinkles in his weathered face becoming prominent as he tilted his head back to keep his focus on the troubled agent who had now risen to his feet. Then the smile became a snicker…a chuckle and a guttural roll of thunder. No one could stop what was about to be the final act of his plans for revenge. Hotch headed toward the door calling for the guard to let him out.

"You're too late, Agent Hotchner…you can't save them!" He cackled.

Home of Derek Morgan –

Penelope wasn't sure what to say or do after his confession. Her mind tried in vain to process his words in those next few moments. For years she'd hidden her feelings for him behind sexually tinged innuendos and flirty banter knowing full well that nothing would ever happen between them. It wasn't that she felt unworthy of him it was that they'd started in a place that would never morph into anything more than friendship. But it had become more and they were more than friends. Everyone had seen it except them. Both of them desperately wanting the love that in fact they already had and so they missed out on years, and on a future that could have given them both what they'd settled for in others while measuring the men and women in their lives against each other. What did he expect from her now? What could she expect from him? It seemed too late for his declaration that he'd perhaps made the biggest mistake of his life to matter now.

"Derek…"

She released him and backed away. He turned to face her. The look of sorrow in his eyes seemed to have taken up permanent residence there. He knew too even though he'd never admit it that there chance had passed and things would never be the same.

"Penelope, I…"

"What do you want me to say? I don't know what to say after that."

"You don't have to say anything. I just needed you to know. I didn't want you to not know especially after everything that's happened."

She looked at him. A single tear slid from her eye. She'd watched him imploding for the last twenty-four hours and his sudden confession hadn't stopped what was happening to her best friend. No one could expect him to survive and then it became clear that he had accepted the dire truth of what his life had become.

"No. No, that's not it."

She stepped past him taking a seat at the table.

"You don't think this is over, do you? You're expecting Savannah to try and…"

She couldn't finish her sentence. Glancing out of the window into the darkness she hadn't noticed that he'd doubled over holding onto the center island. Stress and regret were now the culprits of the pain raging behind the ugly scar on his chest. Then, turning back to face him his back to her she saw his agony.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah…it'll pass."

She stood and went to him. He closed his eyes and fought his emotions as she placed her hand on his back. There had always been something about her touch that seemed to heal him.

"How long?"

"Three days…three years…forever. The doctors don't know for sure."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I love you, Derek. I've always loved you."

He straightened and turned to face her.

"What?"

She shook her head and smiled through her tears.

"Yes. I love you and I don't know why I never told you."

Derek pulled her to him and wrapped his arms tightly around her body. She'd been there all the time. The love, the hope, the future, had been right in front of him and his heart broke. Omar, Savannah…he'd been a fool, an utter cowardly fool.

"Is it too late for us? Tell me Baby Girl, is it too late for us?"

"Where's Morgan!"

Hotch yelled through his phone as he rushed from the federal detention center toward his SUV.

"Garcia took him home."

JJ heard the panic in his voice. Rossi who was behind the wheel, glanced at Reid from the rearview mirror.

"Omar knows where he is and he claims Savannah has put a hit out on him."

"Hotch, when is this going to be over?"

"I don't know, JJ. Meet me at Morgan's. I've already called for back up!"

"Got it! We're about fifteen minutes from his house now."

Home of Derek Morgan –

"We're going to be alright…we're going to be alright…"

She hadn't had a chance to respond before they were jerked from each other's embrace by the sound of clapping. Zolton appeared at the doorway, and with a gun cradled against his chest he continued clapping his black-gloved hands with a wicked smile on his face.

"How touching! You two are so…you know Savannah always suspected that there was something between you two."

Morgan immediately stepped in front of Garcia.

"What are you doing here?"

"You know why I'm here, Derek."

Zolton stepped into the kitchen aiming the gun at Derek's chest. Morgan shifted slightly to keep Penelope shielded behind him.

"Look…whatever this is, it has nothing to do with her. Just let her go and I'll stay here."

"I think you know I can't do that agent." He smirked.

Bethesda Memorial Hospital –

Savannah was grateful that the nurses had allowed her to see her son one more time before she turned in for the evening. He was so beautiful, so tiny…she knew he was a fighter and already her pride nearly overwhelmed her as she thought of all the possibilities that awaited him. Omar would need an heir and she'd given him that.

She lightly ran her fingers down the side of his face. He looked so much like his father. Poor Derek, he had no idea who he was dealing with…threatening her while she laid on her back helpless. Glancing at the clock on the wall above her she mentally counted down the minutes before Zolton would fulfill his duties to her. She was in charge now, Omar had trusted her to handle the final phase of his plans and none of them would see it coming.

Bending down she kissed her sleeping son on the forehead cradling him against her chest. He was the only good, pure thing that had come out of this and if she'd known how to cry this would have been the moment to shed a tear. But tears were for the weak and Savannah was far from weak. She'd watched Omar kill her mother and afterwards the two of them had gone for ice cream at her favorite restaurant. There were no tears then and there'd be none now.

"I'm sorry daddy didn't get to say goodbye, little one but mommy will make it up to you."