Chap. 14 Revelations

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds

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"Did you know that I married a murderer?" she whispered.

They all exchanged a worried look and sat around the bed sensing that Penelope had some revelations to say.

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"Penelope, what are you talking about?" Hotch finally asked after some moment of silence.

"Chris married someone before me…he killed her like he wanted to kill…me" she said her voice only a whisper.

Derek put his hand on her arm, he saw her withdraw a little so he removed his hand.

"Penelope, why? Why did he kill her and why did he try to kill you?" he asked.

"He… he said she wanted to escape with another man and he just couldn't let her make him ridiculous in front of everyone so he killed her and buried her body… he's smart…"

"And why did he do this to you?" JJ asked.

Penelope looked briefly towards Derek but quickly looked away when she met his eyes nearly eating her.

"He said I was a bitch who had betrayed him and his love…" she begun to have some trouble breathing so she put the mask on.

"Penelope do you want us to leave, we can come back later." Rossi said with concern.

"No that's ok." She finally replied.

"So why?"

"We were supposed to have dinner in town that night. He had phoned me and insisted that I joined him in town later. Then Derek arrived… we had this talk and he left. Just after Chris arrived and began to blame me…"

"Why?"

"Because he saw us…kissing." She replied with a little voice.

Everyone saw Derek paled face, they knew he would be blaming himself more than ever now.

He turned towards the door ready to leave.

"Derek please, don't!" she pleaded.

He stooped dead in his tracks at hearing her voice cracking.

"Baby girl" he whispered his back still turned.

"Don't." she said again.

He turned back and quickly walked towards her.

"I'm so sorry Penelope. If I…"

"Please don't blame yourself… it was not the first time that he hit me."

"What!" he almost shouted.

"Penelope we thought that after what Lynch did to you, you would…" Emily began.

"I know… I never imagined he could hurt me. I'm not really good in choosing the men in my life." She said.

"No it's just fate Penelope." Hotch said.

"Well, I'm not ready to have someone anytime soon." She said nearly smiling.

They all saw the hurt in Derek's eyes.

"Derek, don't be hurt you have to understand what I went through. It's not you… it's me and we still need…"

"…To talk about some things. I know." He finished sighing.

"Yes we'll talk later, just the two of us." She said softly.

Derek sat again beside her but they all noticed how he stayed deep in thought while Penelope told them what happened.

"He said that I had cheated on him and he wasn't going to let me go with Derek. I said I had no intentions to leave him but he…began to kick me. I don't really know what happened next…despite my pleadings he kept torturing me, then he grabbed a long knife in the kitchen "to finish me" as he said. Derek arrived just after he had begun stabbing me in the stomach and I don't know….I passed out.

"I kill him." Derek said getting up. He quickly reached the door and before going out he turned towards her.

"I'm sorry Penelope."

Reid got up to follow him but Hotch stopped him.

"No, leave him alone. I'll talk to him later."

Penelope sighed and looked at the closed door.

"I don't blame him. I just blame myself to have been so stupid again."

"You haven't been stupid Penelope."

"He came to admit his love for me and I blew him off. I knew Chris was dangerous the first time he slapped me… and yet I stayed. Why? Because I had made a choice and my relationship with him was so much like the one I had with Derek at the beginning…I lied to him because I just couldn't portrayed myself as a cheater."

"Penelope you two need to talk. You're not a cheater, everyone make mistakes… we learn from that." Reid said to his friend.

"Thanks Genius. I've missed you so much guys…"

"We've missed you too Penelope."

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Meanwhile, Derek had returned to the hotel. He met his mum in the lobby.

Fran looking at her son face knew that something was wrong.

"Derek, you're ok? Penelope?" she asked worried.

"I… he nearly killed her because of me mum." He said before letting fall the tears he had been holding.

Fran gathered him in her embrace and led him towards his room.