Part twenty-one:
No one denied Derek, Penelope, and Eva the right to huddle in the back of the SUV as they drove to the hospital. No one denied Derek, Penelope, and Eva the right to their privacy in the hospital as they detailed their captivity to Hotch. No one dared deny them the right to allow Derek to guard his family's room after anything that had passed.
Much later, they returned to the BAU so Eva and Penelope could write their statements. And that was when they got word from the fire team that Kevin Lynch was, in point of fact, dead. He hadn't been intelligent enough to build a secondary exit from his safe room. And when he'd opened the door in the middle of the fire, there was an immediate backdraft. He was dead.
When she heard the news, Penelope's only response was a tiny smile. She hadn't wanted to become a monster, but that's what she'd had to do in order to stay alive. He never would have let them go without a fight.
Derek held her tighter in the elevator, his arm protectively around her waist. The baby was fine, despite the stress to Penelope's heart and mind during captivity. It was one tiny favor to be thankful for. "Baby Girl," he said very softly, "I love you."
She looked up at him and whispered, "I love you, too."
The elevator doors opened and they stepped through. Will and Henry were waiting for them in the Bullpen, and Henry almost fell over things in his haste to get to Eva and hold her as she started to cry. "Thank god, Evie – thank god – I came as soon as Dad called," Henry choked out, holding back his own tears.
Eva buried her face in Henry's chest and just held on. "I'm sorry – I'm so sorry we were fighting and I yelled at you and I'm sorry –" she sobbed, her voice muffled.
"Hey, kid," JJ said, waving her hands at Henry, "you need to let her go write her statement. She's going to be here a while – she's not going anywhere."
Henry glowered at his mother, and Eva sniffled and wiped her eyes on Henry's shirt. "It's okay," Eva murmured. "She's right –"
"No, she's not," Henry growled, pointing at his mother. "You shut up."
JJ held up her hands, eyes wide. "Okay," she said, somewhat taken aback.
Derek and Penelope just watched the scene unfold quietly, not quite sure where it was going.
Henry held Eva's hands and said, "I love you, Squishy."
Eva smiled at him and said, "I love you, too, George."
They'd nicknamed each other after cartoons – "Oh I will love him and hold him and love him and call him George." "Oh, I will take him for walks and call him my Squishy!" – when they were just kids. It was something that was constant and never changed in their lives.
"No, Evie, not like best friends," Henry said, his voice very quiet. "Like… big scary real love. I thought I lost you, Squishy. I really did. And I – I love you. I always have. Ever since you came to see Uncle Spencer's stupid magic tricks when we were four."
Eva's eyes widened. "Henry, you – you have a girlfriend. That's why we we're fighting," she reminded him very quietly.
"We broke up," he said.
"When?" she asked.
"When she told me it was stupid to fly across the country to sit in the FBI offices when there was absolutely nothing I could do to help find you," Henry said. "I walked out of her dorm room and didn't look back. Because if I wasn't here when you came home – I was going to lose my mind." He was shaking as he held her hands. "I can't live without my Squishy," he whispered.
Eva glanced away at her mother for just a moment. Penelope held her eyes and nodded with a tiny smile. But then Eva looked back at him and said, "You don't love me like that." She shook her head and whispered, "You look at me like your best friend and you don't see me –"
"Bull," Henry said. "That's – that's horse shit, Eva." He exhaled and ran his hands through his hair. "I've always seen you. I just… you want flashy guys and I'm not."
She hesitated for just a moment before she breathed, "I only ever wanted you, stupid."
"Really?" he asked, looking a little taken aback. "Seriously?"
Eva nodded and smiled a little. "I mean, what's Squishy without her George?" she asked really quietly, leaning in to kiss him gently on the lips.
When she pulled away, Henry looked dazed. "Evie – you mean it?" he asked. She nodded and he said, very quickly, "Marry me."
She stared at him, shocked. "Henry, we haven't even been on a date –"
"We've been dating since we were four," he argued. "Just – don't leave me ever again, Eva. Please."
She hesitated a moment, then took his hand decisively. "Yes. We'll go fight the dragons together," she promised. "As long as you wash your own underwear."
He laughed and leaned in to kiss her. "I can do that," he whispered.
Derek finally cleared his throat. "Okay, you two," he said in a firm tone. "Am I going to have to shoot you, Henry?"
Henry pulled back and released Eva. "No, sir, Uncle Morgan, sir," he said, still holding her hand. "I've done nothing untoward to your daughter, sir –"
"Yet," Derek said.
"I'm just… I'm going to marry her, sir," Henry said. At the look on Derek's face, he stammered, "If – if you and Aunt Pen will let me, I mean."
"Daddy, don't shoot him," Eva said very quietly. "I love him."
Penelope squeezed Derek's hand and murmured, "They really love each other, sweetheart. Just let them be."
Derek glared menacingly at Henry. "I swear to god, if you hurt my little girl – I know where your parents live," he growled.
"Hey, now, leave me out of it," Will said with a laugh. "You can have Jenny, though… she's been encouraging this since they were four."
"Look, you," JJ snapped, poking Will in the chest with one finger, "you are just as guilty as I am in this. Remember when they used to go into the closet and –"
"Whoa, now, why am I just now hearing about this?" Derek asked, glaring at JJ.
"Daddy, nothing happened," Eva sighed.
Henry smirked a little, then said, "Except Homecoming night when I was a junior…"
"I heard that," Derek growled.
Eva flushed bright red and said, "Okay, fine – Henry and I have had sex. Jesus, Daddy, it's not like we live in Victorian times or anything –"
"I should've gone cave man and dragged you home," Henry said.
"Try it and I'll show you the meaning of pain," Eva replied. Her stern words were punctuated with a tiny little smirk as she squeezed his hand.
"I… hate to break this up," Hotch interrupted. "Because it's actually fascinating in a really… sick way… but Eva and Penelope need to give their statements on the case so we can go home."
Eva smiled a little and kissed Henry. "Tomorrow," she said firmly, "we need to talk. Really talk."
He smiled goofily and nodded. "Yes, ma'am, Mrs. La Montagne, ma'am."
She blushed and smiled. "George, you're silly," she said very softly. "And I love you, stupid."
"I love you, too," Henry said, letting go of her hand. "Tomorrow," he promised.
"Henry," Penelope called softly, and he came over to her. She looked him up and down, and murmured, "If you hurt my little girl, I promise you that Derek isn't the one you have to worry about, sweetheart. Because I'll rip your heart out of your chest. Do you understand me?" He nodded, looking scared to death. She smiled sweetly and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Welcome to the family, honey. It's been a long time coming, hasn't it?"
"Yes, ma'am," Henry choked out.
Penelope rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm not going to hurt you right now," she said in exasperation. "God – go home and get some sleep. You look like crap."
It was past two in the morning when Derek pulled into the driveway. Eva had fallen asleep in the back seat, and he smiled softly. "Remember when I brought her home before?" he asked.
"How can I forget?" Penelope whispered, reaching for his hand and squeezing it.
"She fell asleep in the back like that on the way home," Derek said. "And when she woke up, she was home and she wanted to see you."
Penelope whispered, "Well, she's home now. And you definitely can't carry her like she's four anymore," she teased softly. "So we should probably wake her up."
"I'm awake," Eva mumbled, yawning and stretching. "Are we home?"
"The car is stopped in the driveway and you ask if we're home?" Derek replied.
"I can't wait to sleep in my own bed," Eva said. Derek opened the garage door and they all went in through the garage.
They weren't expecting to see the entire family camped out in the living room in their pajamas, sound asleep. Even Rossi had the footrest up and had fallen asleep in his sweats and robe. Penelope's heart clenched at the sight of her children and she whispered to Derek, "I want to give them all kisses before we go upstairs."
He gave her a kiss and whispered, "We've been lost without you."
"I've missed you all so – so much," Penelope confessed, starting to cry. She tried to be very quiet as she crept around the room, pulling up blankets and giving her sleeping children kisses. But when she came to Kitty, who wasn't sleeping with her usual doll – but rather, an old, beat-up Incredible Hulk doll that they'd gotten from Henry – she lost it and started outright sobbing as she kissed Kitty's forehead.
Kitty stirred sleepily and looked up at her through squinty eyes. "Mommy?" she whispered.
"Shh, baby," Penelope choked out. "Go back to sleep –"
Kitty jumped up and shrieked, "MOMMY! MOMMY, YOU'RE HOME!"
Rose woke up immediately and fell off the loveseat. "Mom?" she said, staring at Penelope for a long moment before she finally got up off the floor and hurtled herself through the air to get to Penelope and hug her. "Mommy – where were you? I've been so scared – I've been praying for you, Mom –"
Kitty hugged her mother from behind, planting her face in Penelope's butt and snuggling up. The twins were next, first James, sleepily stumbling over and trying to find somewhere to hug, then Jess, who was crying harder than Penelope was. Derek and Eva came in from the sides and hugged everyone. Kitty mumbled, "Mommy, I'm gettin' squished – please don't fart."
Despite her tears, Penelope started laughing. "Oh, Kit-Kat…"
Eva couldn't hold back a giggle, either. "Kitty, if you hadn't put your face in Mom's butt…"
"But…" Kitty sighed. "Daddy, you're squishin' me."
"And this is why family hugs were outlawed," James said sagely. "Because Mom farts and the whole thing's ruined."
Rossi stirred from the chair and said, "What's going on?"
"Uncle Rossi, Uncle Rossi, MOMMY'S HOME!" Kitty squealed in excitement. "Mommy's home and she's okay – and we love her," she added, suddenly muffled by Penelope's backside as they tried to undo the family hug. "Ugh, MOMMY – you farted," she whined.
"Sorry," Penelope laughed, reaching down to ruffle Kitty's hair when she was free again. "I'll make it up to you, sweetheart…"
"No, that's okay," Kitty said. "You're home. You don' gots to make nothing up for me," she said firmly. "You made him let me go, Mommy. I gots to do things for you now. Just… don't fart on me again, okay? Please?"
"No more farting on you," Penelope promised, kneeling down and looking at her daughter. "The bad man didn't hurt you, did he? When he brought you home?"
Kitty shook her head. "No," she whispered. "But he said a lot of mean things about you and Daddy. But I don't believe none of them."
Penelope kissed her and whispered, "That's my good girl. Now, you better get your blanket and go upstairs and go to bed. Tomorrow's a big day –"
"It is?" Kitty asked.
"Yeah," Penelope said with a smile. "We're going to have a party. Just for our family."
"Because you and Evie are home?" Rose asked.
"YES!" James said, pumping his fist in the air. "WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL!"
"Just this once," Derek said. "Just this one time, we're going to be together and be a family, okay?"
Kitty smiled and grabbed her Hulk doll and her blanket and ran up the stairs. Rose and Eva followed her, holding hands and talking quietly. Last but not least, the twins raced each other up the stairs, leaving the adults behind.
Rossi came over and gave Penelope a hug. "Kitten, I'm so glad to see you," he said softly. "I don't know how you two do it – cope with this circus, I mean…"
Penelope smiled and gave him a kiss. "I'm so happy to be home, you don't even know," she whispered. "Thank you – thank you – for taking care of my babies when I couldn't –" She leaned into his shoulder and just held on for dear life. "I'm so sorry –"
"No, don't you dare apologize," Rossi said firmly. "Don't even do it."
"I'm tired and emotional and –"
"Then go to bed," Rossi said firmly. "Go to bed and sleep and everything will look better in the morning. Won't it, Derek?"
"Everything's already better," Derek said softly, his voice low and thick with emotion. "Because you're home."
Penelope released Rossi and took Derek's hand. "I love you," she whispered, finally feeling like the words had meaning again. "I love you – so much –"
"Come to bed," Derek said softly, leading her away. He led her to their room and helped her undress and redress in one of his old FBI t-shirts and sweatpants, then stripped down to his boxers and pulled her under the covers.
She felt safe for the first time in a long time.