AN: So I am a little more than a month away from leaving on my mission trip to the Dominican. I am nervous and excited all at once. I will be gone for ten days so I won't be able to post anything in all that time. I'm not sure how much I will be able to post before then either because I still have a lot to do before I leave. So I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a little longer than the last few have been to make up for possibly not being able to post until I get back next month. Anyway, PLZ R&R!

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Chapter 25: Penelope's Revelation

"No!" Ryan's loud voice broke the silence. "You can't make me!"

"Ryan-" Derek started, but Ryan scrambled up from the table.

"I don't want to go!" Derek was surprised that Ryan's voice could get that loud; in the entire time that they knew him, his voice had never reached the octave he was using at that moment.

"Hotch suggested it-"

"I'm not going!"

"It will be good for you."

"Says you!" Ryan crossed his arms and scowled at him.

"With everything that you've been through, I agree that you should have an unbiased party to talk to."

"These quacks don't know what they're doing," Ryan stated. "They claim that they know what I'm going through, but the truth is that their rich parents paid for their fancy degrees that they use to talk out of their asses."

"Language!" Derek admonished him.

"Sorry," Ryan mumbled. "But I'm still not going."

"Kid-"

"No!" Ryan ran up the stairs.

Derek sighed deeply as he heard the door slam upstairs. He sat at the counter with Penelope and sighed deeply, wondering why he decided to drop the bombshell so soon.

"It'll be ok," she told him. "He'll eventually come around."

"Yeah?" he looked over at her.

"Maybe," she told him.

"I'm going to try talking to him again. Maybe he's calmed down."

"I wouldn't count on it," she told him as he started up the stairs.

Penelope moved to clean up the mess that was made at the table in Ryan's haste to leave the room so quickly. There was a soft knock at the door and she smiled as Fran and Dave let themselves in.

"So how was Ryan's first day at school?" Dave asked.

"Ryan, let me in!" they heard Derek's voice drift down to him.

"No!"

"School was fine," she told them. "In fact, he would not stop talking about his classes from the moment we picked him up."

"So what changed from then to now?" Fran asked.

"We stopped at work to talk to Hotch and he gave Derek the name of a really good family therapist. So he decided to broach the subject with him when we got home."

"And it did not go well," Dave nodded.

"For that reason, he decided not to mention the whole thing with the Cohen's."

"Probably a good idea," Fran said as they all finished cleaning up.

The three of them listened to the pounding on the door and Derek pleading and Ryan refusing to open the door. Finally, Penelope got up and started up the stairs. Fran and Dave followed her in confusion as she reached the hallway outside of Ryan's room.

"Give up yet?" she asked Derek.

"Yeah," he sighed as he shook his hand. "I think I bruised my knuckles."

"Move over," Penelope pushed him and tried the door. "Really? You have a lock on the inside of his door?"

"I haven't had a chance to take it off yet." He defended.

She grumbled under her breath as she left them and came back with a bobby pin and started picking the lock.

"Where-"

"Four brothers," she reminded them. "Ryan, it's Penelope. I'm coming in."

"Ok," a soft voice called.

"I know that the three of you are going to listen," Penelope looked at the other three. "But I need you to promise that no matter what you overhear that you will not even attempt to come in until the door is opened by either me or Ryan."

"Why?" Derek asked.

"No questions, just promise." She demanded.

"We promise," Fran saw the intense look on her face.

"Promise," Dave said.

"I promise," Derek added. "But what's this about?"

"You said that I needed to let someone in," she told him. "I'm starting with Ryan."

Derek glanced at his mom and Dave as they were left with questioning looks as Penelope went into Ryan's room and closed the door firmly behind her.

"What-"

"Quiet," Fran told them as she tried to listen at the door. "I think they're talking."

Dave and Derek leaned closer to the door as well as they tried to listen to the conversation happening on the other side of the door.

Penelope slowly walked into Ryan's bedroom and saw a foot sticking out from under the bed. She kneeled down and pulled the comforter up and saw Ryan peering out at her.

"I would like to have a grown-up talk with you," she told him. "We can't do that with you down here."

Ryan slowly crawled out from where he was and silently climbed onto the top of his bed. Penelope got up and sat beside him.

"Now tell me why you got so mad,"

"It seemed like Derek wasn't listening to me," Ryan said softly.

"In his defense, you just started yelling. If you want someone to see your side of things, you have to explain yourself in a calm and rational matter."

"Ok,"

"So tell me why you don't want to see a therapist,"

"They don't help. They never do."

"Some of them do,"

"Not the ones I've had to see. They're all bad."

"There are some good ones out there."

"How do you know?" he grumbled.

"Because I've been to a therapist," she revealed.

"You have?" he looked at her.

"I was a kid, way younger than you are now."

"Why did you see a therapist?"

"What I'm about to say no one outside of my family knows," she told him. "Derek, Fran and Dave are all listening at the door in the hall. So this is the first time that you're all hearing this."

"We can keep a secret," Ryan told her.

"I haven't thought about this in a very long time,"

"Go ahead," Ryan moved closer to her.

"My father-my real father-he was a very bad man."

"What do you mean? How bad was he?"

"Well I don't remember much about him personally. I just know the stories that I've been told. And there are fragmented memories that I sometimes have dreams about."

"What did he do?"

"He was a very angry and short-tempered man. He constantly hit my mom starting just a few days after they were married. She didn't leave because she felt trapped. She didn't have anyone to help her."

"But she eventually got out?"

"She finally left him when I was two. She came home after working a double-shift as a waitress at a local diner. She left me with him during the day. When she got home, she found me in my crib not moving and barely conscious."

"What'd he do to you?" Ryan asked softly.

"Apparently, I had gotten sick during the day. I was just very fussy and he couldn't handle me." Penelope took a deep breath. "My mom rushed me to the hospital and the doctors told her that I had two broken legs and a broken wrist along with a fractured collar bone. I also had a black eye and a split lip."

"That's awful," Ryan looked at her. "How did your mom get you both out?"

"Some nurses at the hospital helped her and she just ran." Penelope sighed. "A few months later, we wound up in California and we met my step-dad and all my step-brothers."

"They were nicer to you right?"

"Absolutely," she smiled at him. "We were a family from the moment we all met."

"So when did they make you see a therapist?"

"I started getting these really bad nightmares. I didn't remember them all as a whole, but when I started describing them my mom thought I was remembering so she took me to see a therapist."

"So what happened?"

"It helped. I eventually stopped having the nightmares. I still see a therapist from time to time. And it helps me to get everything off my chest."

"I guess it can be a good thing to talk to a stranger," Ryan mumbled.

"This therapist comes highly recommended by Hotch. And Derek and I can even sit in on the session with you if you wish."

"Maybe,"

"Now I think you have an apology to make, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Ryan slid off the bed and started towards the door as he looked back at her. "And Derek will probably want to talk to you for the next several hours."

"Don't I know it," she said quietly.

Derek started tearing up as he listened to Penelope tell Ryan her story on the other side of the door. Fran and Dave were seen wiping their eyes as well as they all looked at each other.

"I can't believe that," Fran stated.

"I knew she was hiding something, but this big?" Derek said softly.

"It just proves my point," Dave said. "She is a very strong person to go through that."

"Hey," Ryan opened the door and looked at all of them. "I'll go to therapy."

"Good," Derek smiled down at him.

"I'm sorry for yelling," Ryan added softly.

"It's ok. You just wanted to be heard." Derek nodded.

"Why don't we go downstairs," Fran suggested as Penelope appeared in the doorway. "I think these two have some things to talk about."

"Don't be mad at her for not telling you," Ryan looked between them.

"I'm not mad," Derek looked at Penelope.

"We'll be downstairs if you need us Kitten," Dave told her and she nodded.

"Come on," Derek took her hand and led her into his bedroom.

Fran and Dave followed Ryan back downstairs as he got his book bag and set up his Netbook at the counter. Fran decided to make them all some supper since she knew that Derek wouldn't have the time to.

"Are you all right?" Dave asked as he wrapped his arms around her.

"That girl is just like another daughter to me," she turned to face him. "She has been from the moment that I met her. I can't imagine anyone hurting her like that."

"I know,"

"I can't believe that happened to her," Fran sighed. "How any parent could do that to their child, or how a husband could do that to their wife for that matter."

"Like she said, she was only two. So she doesn't remember it; she just has fragmented memories. I think that's a good thing."

"But still-I used to volunteer at the woman's shelter in Chicago. Whenever I saw all those women come in desperate for help…."

"It's all right," he assured her.

"Dave?" Ryan called.

"What's the matter buddy?" he went over to him. "Do you need some help?"

"Not with my homework," he told him. "I want to surprise Penelope with something, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea. And if I do it, I'm going to need your help."

"What's the surprise?"

"I want to find her brothers,"

"Oh," Dave sighed as he looked at Fran. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not."

"Everyone needs a family," Ryan said. "Even if they were mad at her all that time ago, they're still her family."

"I wouldn't even know where to start,"

"I know the name of one of her brothers," Fran came over to them. "It's Tim, he's the one closest in age to Penelope."

"And you have all those FBI guys and PI friends to help you," Ryan looked at Dave and he sighed. "Please? It's for Penelope."

"She is one of my weaknesses. I would do anything for her."

"So?"

"If we do this, it stays between the three of us. Derek doesn't need to find out until there's something to tell him. And we meet them in person first if we're able to locate them."

"Deal,"

"I'll get started tomorrow," Dave told them.

Derek sat Penelope down on one side of the bed and silently sat down next to her. He slowly wrapped his arms around her and she lay her head down on his shoulder.

"How come you never told us?" he asked softly.

"I didn't want anyone to know," she responded quietly. "Not even you, the person that I tell everything to."

"But-"

"That was my past," she sat up and turned to face him. "This right here is my present and future."

"We still need to address this,"

"I know,"

"So tell me," he looked at her. "Anything you want. And you don't have to tell me everything. Just what you're comfortable telling me."

"My mom told me the story when I was in high school. That's why I started to rebel. Staying out late, drinking, being around kids that I really shouldn't have."

"Ok,"

"My mom met my real dad when she was very young. She said she was just barely out of college. She said he was very charming and he managed to talk her into a lot of things that she regretted after they happened." She took a deep breath and he took her hand and squeezed it tightly. "She found out she was pregnant not long after they started dating. They decided that the best thing to do would be to get married, just to get their parents off their backs."

"So a marriage of convenience?" she nodded. "So when did the abuse start?"

"A few days after they got married. She said it just came out of nowhere because she had no indication that he would do that. She said that he constantly threw in her face that he never wanted to get married or have kids. He said that he could be out living his life if he wasn't burdened with us."

"But she left you alone with him?" he looked at her.

"She said that she thought he had changed," Penelope sighed deeply. "He went to counseling and the abuse had stopped. Then that day happened."

"The day that she took you to the hospital,"

"She said that was the first and last time that he had ever raised a hand to me. She said that was the final straw. So she made a plan to get us out of there with the help of one of the nurses that worked at the hospital."

"I'm glad you finally told me," he held her tightly. "Even if it was because of what was happening with Ryan."

"I'm not sure if I was ever going to tell you," she said softly. "I didn't want to burden any of you."

"It's not a burden," he softly kissed her forehead. "Is that why you're afraid to get close to me? Or to any of your other relationships?"

"I guess that's part of it."

"And the other part?"

"There's more coming," she looked at him. "Just not yet."

"How much more?"

"A few more," she told him. "But only one more is about my bio dad."

"Do you know where he is right now? Should we be on the lookout for him?"

"I don't know anything about him, other than his name. Heck I don't even know where we lived before we left him. I don't know if he's even still alive."

"What is his name?"

"Kenneth Whitmore,"

"Maybe we can look into him at work-"

"Please don't," she pleaded with him.

"Just to see if he's close-"

"I have no ties to him anymore. He's not my father. I don't want to know anything about him."

"You're right, I'm sorry." He held her. "But if something happens down the road-if he comes looking for you or something-I will do everything I can to protect you."

"I know you will," she smiled at him. "I have my very own superhero."

"Sorry if I'm interrupting," they heard Dave's voice as he knocked softly on the door. "Fran made us all some supper if you guys are hungry. Or we can bring you up a couple trays if you don't want to come down."

"We're coming down!" Penelope called as she pulled Derek off the bed with her.

"Are you sure?" he looked at her. "They would understand-"

"I need to be around my family right now," she told him.

"You got it," he started to follow her out. "You are definitely spending the night. I don't want you to be alone tonight."

"I don't want to be alone." She smiled at him as they started down the stairs.

They got downstairs and saw Ryan sitting at the counter still as Dave and Fran were setting the table. Derek closed the Netbook and Ryan hopped off the stool.

"I need help after supper," Ryan told them. "I need those pictures printed out."

"I thought you said the collage was due next week," Derek told him.

"That doesn't mean that I have to leave it for the last minute,"

"Definitely nothing like you when you were in school," Fran commented.

"How are you doing Kitten?" Dave hugged Penelope tightly.

"Better," she smiled at him. "It feels good to get a little bit off my chest."

"So there's more coming?"

"Eventually, just not yet."

"Well we'll all be here for you when you feel up to it."

"Thank you," she smiled as they all sat down to supper.

AN: I wanted to have a chapter where Penelope got to reveal a little bit about her past. I figured this was the best way to do it. Depending on the feedback from this chapter, there may or may not be a childhood link between Penelope and the Morgan family. If anyone is interested in what that may be, PM me and I'll give you a little hint. I hope you all liked this chapter. PLZ R&R!