Chapter 12

It all happened so quickly, Penelope didn't even have a chance to really start sweating. One moment, Tamara is holding a gun to her temple, screaming at Derek to watch her die. The next, Tamara is knocked clear off of her, the force of the bullet tearing through her right arm. She turned to see Spencer Reid, holding his gun. He didn't hesitate to shoot; the strength and gritty determination of her team was something she would always be grateful for.

In the aftermath, Pen quickly scrambled away, and ran over to Derek. He clasped her in his arms, holding her so tightly it was hard to breathe. There was incredible emotion written across his face and his skin was ashy toned. "Oh, my baby!" He kissed the top of her head, then his hands came up to cup her face and he was kissing her cheeks, her forehead, whatever he could come in contact with. He swallowed hard; she could tell it was hard for him to speak.

She looked up at him, trying to comfort him, but feeling a lot of the same emotions. "It's okay, sweet cheeks; we got you now."

"No, not me....I almost... don't you ever...I.., God!" He wiped his eyes quickly with one hand before holding her close again.

Her heart was so full, it was overflowing with love. She knew how he felt; she felt it every time he put his life in danger. It was an epiphany for her. Derek risked his life for her, but she would risk hers right back. He mattered that much to her, more than her own life. It was pouring out of every pore, what she felt. "I love you, Derek."

"I love you, too, baby girl."

Beyond her better judgment, she turned, watching with morbid curiosity Tamara being arrested. Gauze was wrapped around her arm before Prentiss and Reid hauled her to her feet, then she was immediately cuffed. The shot didn't even seem to phase Tamara; she was too busy glaring at Penelope. The stark hatred there gave Penelope shivers again. She stood closer to Derek.

"You bitch! You hideous bitch, you ruined everything. I'm the only one for him, the only one! He loves me: he's mine. Mine!" Tamara yelled, venom clear in her tone and body language. She tried to break away from Emily, but that wasn't about to happen. "Goddamn you, let me go! Derek!…. Derek!"

"Put a sock in it, you crazy ass! Sheesh! Some people are all drama, " Emily said, winking at Penelope. She twisted the cuff rather painfully to get the woman to go. "Let's move."

Derek stood next to her, swaying a little from the ordeal, watching too as the team started to march the crazy woman up the stairs. Pen opened the panel on the wall and found the key to Derek's shackle, releasing him immediately. His ankle was chaffed; it was obvious he had been trying like hell to get the thing off.

"Oh, cupcake," she said, her heart breaking at the sight. She promised herself she wouldn't cry, not ever again in this woman's house, but her resolve was waning with the sight of his bleeding ankle.

"Hey," he said, standing up, giving her a hand up, too. "We're alive, we're together. None of the rest matters."

He pulled her into his arms again and he held her for just another minute, kissing the top of her head.

She shivered violently. The whole place gave her the creeps. "Let's get you dressed and get out of here."

Luckily, Hotch brought down a bag with clothes for Derek. They were Hotch's clothes; he was fortunate the man was close to his same size. He barely had energy to don the pants and the t-shirt, he was so wiped out from everything. Walking up the stairs into the sunlight, Derek was amazed at the brightness. He squinted against the sun; two days in a dungeon wreaked havoc on his light sensitivity. He immediately had a headache, and a wave of nausea hit so violently he wretched.

"Derek?" Penelope was there, her arms around him. His side was bleeding again, straight through the bandage, staining the borrowed t-shirt, and he was swaying on his feet. "Oh God, honey!"

He didn't make it a step farther; he landed on the ground, hard.

The paramedics arrived, and came over quickly with a stretcher. "Agent Morgan? You're coming with us, okay?" The head paramedic looked at his team. "On three."

"I'm fine," he said, but then wretched again. His eyes were squinted shut and his brow was furrowed.

"Sugar, please." Pen held his hand.

"One-two-three." The paramedics picked him up like he weighed nothing and shuffled him to the waiting stretcher. They rolled him out the door towards the ambulance.

"I'm coming too," Pen said, climbing in.

"Are you family?"

"Yes," she said proudly. "I'm his girlfriend."

Then she heard Derek. "No. No, she's not." Then he promptly passed out.

A/N: WHY is Morgan acting like this? Loss of consciousness after any trauma to the head, light sensitivity, headache, nausea, vomiting and blurred vision (Along with various other things) are all signs and symptoms of a concussion.