Home of Penelope Garcia - Morning

Just as she filled the teapot, the doorbell rang; she assumed it was Sam. She'd told him about the baby, and he'd accepted the fact that the two of them would never have the future he wanted together. It didn't matter, he'd become a friend in spite of her circumstance, so she assumed it was him. Without looking through the peephole she opened the door and her jaw dropped.

"Derek, what are you doing here?"

"Hey, Baby Girl."

"What are you doing here?" She repeated.

"I wanted to ask you a question?"

"You drove all this way to ask me a question? You could have called."

"You told me not to." He responded.

"Okay, so what's your question?"

"Can I come home?"

Smiling slightly, Penelope pulled him inside and closed the door.

Derek looked around the room and the memories of their time here flooded his mind.

BAU Headquarters –

Dave walked into Hotch's office unannounced and sat down. Hotch looked up from the files on his desk and waited for his friend to say something. Dave was secretly profiling him even though they'd all made a pact not to do so.

"I know what you're thinking." Hotch began.

"What am I thinking?" Dave asked.

"You're thinking that I need to fix things with the team."

"The team?"

"Reid."

Dave continued to watch him from across the desk as he nodded and waited for him to spill his excuses for not, fixing things.

"It's not going to get any easier just because Morgan is working from home." Dave added.

"I'm not sure things can be fixed. I see the anger and disregard in Reid's face every day."

"Morgan's like a brother to him. In his eyes you left his brother hanging and we nearly lost him forever."

"And I'm sorry about that Dave. You know Reid, he holds his feelings inside, and I can't reach him!"

"This team is in shambles; we barely talk beyond work and it's not good. Morgan's been back for over a month and things haven't gotten better. When we see him, it's like looking at a zombie."

"So, what do you want me to do about it, Dave?" Hotch asked angrily.

"I want you to talk to your team, starting with Reid."

Dave stood and headed toward the door. Before leaving he turned back to look at Hotch.

"The sooner the better."

JJ's Office –

"Come on Spence, let it go!"

"How can I, JJ?"

"He's home and he's safe..."

"...And he's still trying to put his life back together! You've seen him; he's not the same Morgan!"

"This isn't Hotch's fault!"

"It is JJ. If Morgan had come back with the rest of us on the jet, none of this would have happened."

"Hotch made a call that he felt was best for the team. Morgan was out of control on that case..."

"...Morgan is the one who broke the case!"

JJ was exasperated. This hadn't been the first time she'd tried talk to her younger friend about his beef with Hotch. It was obvious that Reid wasn't ready to let it go. Maybe she was wasting her time. The team was a skeleton of its former self and now what once felt like family, now felt like work.

Home of Penelope Garcia –

She handed him a cup of coffee and took the seat across from him. She watched as he inhaled the steam wafting up and away toward the ceiling. It reminded her of his first days with her when he was in and out of consciousness. She remembered the first cup of coffee that he had been able to hold on his own. Then she remembered falling in love with him in the days to come.

He looked tired and lost, the same look that stared at her from the bed as his body began to mend itself. She worried deeply for him then; she was worried for him now.

"When was the last time you got a good night sleep?" She asked.

"Five weeks, three days ago." He responded.

Derek reached across the kitchen table and placed his hands over hers. It felt good to have him touch her. It also felt cruel and so she pulled her hands away; she knew that he would leave again, too soon for her heart to handle. He saw the sorrow and regret in her eyes.

"Penelope..."

"Why are you here, Derek? Your life is in..."

"...My life is here, with you."

She looked at him, studied him; something had happened.

"What about your engagement? Your job with the FBI?"

"Baby Girl, Savannah lied. I never proposed to her; she lied."

"What? Derek, she came here wearing a ring!"

"She. Lied! She was hoping I would believe that lie long enough to marry her, but I could never remember any of it; not the happy life with her or asking her to marry me, nothing."

"How did you find out the truth?"

"She came clean and told me the truth last night. She said I had actually broken up with her quite a while ago."

Penelope stood and walked across the room to the window that looked out on the porch where they had spent their mornings drinking coffee and enjoying each other's company. She felt the heat radiating from his body as he joined her, placing his arms around her and pulling her against his body.

"You didn't answer my question."

"What?"

"You didn't answer my question. Can I come home?"

It was all she wanted and all she'd dreamed of since meeting him, but she had her own truth to share with him that could very easily chase him away; she wasn't sure she could stand losing him again. Penelope turned to face him.

Derek saw the tears in her eyes, falling one by one down her face. Gently he wiped them away only for them to be replaced with new tears.

"Why are you crying?"

"We need to talk, Derek."

BAU Headquarters –

While still in JJ's office, Spencer's cell buzzed with a new text message; it was Hotch requesting his presence. JJ looked up and smiled because she knew exactly who it was.

"I've got to go."

"See you later, Spence."

Reid stood and made a hasty retreat out of the office and down the hall. He wasn't in the mood to have a conversation with Hotch but the man was still his boss and so he knocked on the door and let himself in.

"Reid, have a seat."

Home of Penelope Garcia – Afternoon –

"Derek, say something."

Clearly, he was in shock; she could tell by the far-away look in his eyes. No, he was stunned. He hadn't said a word for the last several seconds. Penelope waited breathlessly for him to respond.

"A baby. We're having a baby." He whispered.

"I'll understand if you don't want to be a part of this. I don't expect anything, but I want you to know that I'm keeping this baby...I..."

"Wow, a baby...of course I want to be a part of all of, this! You should expect everything from me Penelope, this is my baby too."

"Are you okay with this?"

"I'm more than okay. I've never been this happy in my life."

The two sat together for several more minutes, both overcome with emotions and uncertainties. She had shown him in so many ways and in such a short amount of time, just what love felt and looked like. How could he not be a part of something that the two of them had created together.

Penelope felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders. She had been so silly to think that he wouldn't love their child. She'd come so close to not telling him; she wondered what would have happened had he not shown up on her doorstep again.

Derek sighed and pulled her closer then leaning down, he kissed her lightly on the head. He was happy, he was home and the rest he knew they would figure out.

"I love you Penelope."

She never expected to hear those words again from him. He'd been found by the people who loved him, and they had taken him home. For a brief moment it felt like a dream; a glorious, cruel dream.

"I love you too Derek."

1 Month later...

Derek had stayed for a month. He continued to work with the team virtually from Penelope's home since he still had not been released to return to the field full-time. He was torn and even though he was happy in the world that he and Penelope had created in Martinville, he missed his family and friends. His position on the team was still something he needed to deal with and that was the reason he'd made the long drive back to Quantico today. Derek's priorities had changed, and nothing was more important than Penelope and their baby.

BAU Headquarters –

Derek planned a busy day because he wanted to get back home to Penelope. The first thing on his agenda was his meeting with Hotch and a final appointment with the department shrink. Derek promised his mother that he would spend the evening with her, and his sisters and he would head back to Martinville in the morning.

Derek stepped off the elevator and headed up the steps toward Hotch's office. No one else from the team had arrived yet and that was part of his plan. Goodbyes were always hard for him and this one would be the hardest.

Hotch waved him in; he knew that they both needed to talk. This conversation was long overdue and for that, Hotch blamed himself.

"Have a seat." Hotch began. "How was the trip home?"

Derek smiled to himself before answering. Home, home had changed and so had he.

"It was...quiet." he responded.

"Well thanks for coming in. I know we've both been putting this off for a while now."

"Look Hotch..."

"No, please let me finish."

Derek nodded and settled into his chair.

"When we left New York, I thought you needed some time alone to decompress. If I had known that you would have been in danger..."

"Hotch, what happened to me wasn't your fault. I was out of control and I put the team and the case in jeopardy."

"Morgan, you're the one who broke the case."

"I know Hotch but maybe I would have found the unsub sooner if I hadn't been distracted." He admitted. "I should have taken myself off the case."

"And why were you distracted, Morgan?"

Derek's face and body stiffened.

"If you don't want to talk about it, I understand."

"No, it's okay. I should have said something before we left for New York." Derek paused. "I received a box from Carl Buford."

"How? Carl is dead." Said Hotch.

"I'm not sure but it was sent through the mail."

"What was in the box?" Hotch was afraid to hear the answer.

"Birthday cards, Christmas cards...and pictures..."

Hotch waited as Morgan struggled to continue.

"...those pictures...of me and Carl..."

"Derek..."

"They were disgusting. I didn't even know he had taken some of them."

"Everything makes sense now. Morgan, I'm sorry if I had known..."

"I didn't want anyone to know, Hotch. I thought I had dealt with that part of my life, but I guess I haven't."

"Morgan, I can't imagine surviving what you've gone through."

"That's just it, Hotch, I'm not sure I did survive. There are times when I can still feel that man's hands on me."

Hotch didn't know what to say; he was never comfortable with emotional encounters, especially with those whom he was close to. Perhaps it was because Hotch had his own demons that he had not dealt with. He too, had found comfort in hiding behind a steel wall of denial like most who did what they did for a living.

"I spoke with Dr. Fleck and he's quite impressed at how far you've come."

"Well, that's good to hear."

"He seems to think that after one more session, you'll be cleared to return full-time."

"Great...great."

"The team isn't the same without you and we could really use you back in the field."

Hotch noticed the change in Morgan again. He thought the news of being allowed back to work would make him happy. He wasn't happy.

"Morgan, you are ready to come back, right?"

"About that..."