Penelope opened her eyes slowly, the last thing she remembered was walking in the snow then falling. Her eyes squinted against the bright light, and she feared the worst.

"I must be dead..."

Was this how heaven looked, or hell. She wasn't sure. Everything was a blur and her head, and her arms and legs felt heavy. She wanted to move but she felt as if she were weighted down. Then a dark figure broke the bright above her momentarily. Her eyes struggled to focus the temporary darkness gave her a moment of relief from the bright light.

"Well, hello you're awake!"

The voice was soothing and elderly. She was certain that she had made it to heaven now.

"Where...where am I?"

She tried to move again.

"Hold on now. Easy does it. You're not quite ready to get up. You're safe now."

"Am I dead?"

The elderly voice chuckled, and it seemed to clear her vision somewhat.

"No, my dear. You are very much alive; a little beat up, but alive nonetheless."

She was beautiful, even beneath the bruises he could tell that she was beautiful. Her pale complexion almost glowed and she reminded him of his late wife Emma. It had been a long time since he'd seen anyone as beautiful as Emma.

"I need to go...to get help...my husband...he'll be..."

That was all she managed before closing her eyes again and falling into a deep sleep. The elderly man ran his withered hand lightly across her face, tracing the bruises on her forehead before fingering her long blonde tresses. He would take care of her, just like he had cared for Emma. This time he would succeed in making her better, no matter what.

"I won't lose you again, Emma."

Unknown location –

They were going to tell the others. They had found out a week ago that they were finally pregnant. As excited as they were, they wanted to sit in the joy and excitement for a while before telling the others. Their last case had been brutal, and they needed a moment just for the two of them. The getaway was the perfect time to tell their family, especially his mother that she was finally getting her first grandchild. Now he was being told that Penelope was dead; if it was true, then it meant that his child was dead too. Derek couldn't live with the thought of losing Penelope and their baby. It wasn't true, it couldn't be true...it couldn't.

The door creaked open and a man, younger than the others stepped through the door. He hadn't seen him before and now Derek knew that there were at least four captors that he had to deal with.

Derek still hadn't had the strength to move from his place on the floor, so he watched the man, with his arms filled with towels and carrying a black bag approach. Then without saying a word, the man lowered himself to the floor next to Derek.

Earl opened the bag keeping his eyes on Derek; he knew even as injured as he appeared to be, he had to be careful. His research taught him that Derek Morgan could kill you even if he were near death if he had too. Earl wasn't about to test the validity of his intel.

Derek watched the man open the bag and pull a few small vials out setting them on the floor.

"I'm sorry this happened to you." He whispered.

"Please, you have to let me go." Derek moaned. "My wife, I have to help her."

"I'm so, so, sorry."

Earl began wiping the blood from Morgan's face gently dabbing the bloody places with the towel. Derek winced from the touch cursing himself for not having the strength to do more.

"This wasn't supposed to happen. Cody told me that no one was supposed to get hurt."

"Then help me, please!"

"I can't. Cody and the others will kill me if I betray them."

"Listen if you help me, I'll make sure you're protected."

"How, you can't even move. You can't protect me."

Derek moaned again; Earl stopped momentarily before beginning again.

"He really did a number on you. That's Cody he's got a temper."

"Help me sit up, please."

Earl gently helped Derek to a sitting position.

"My wife." Derek began again.

"I'm sorry but she's dead."

"No, no she's not!"

"He told me that she was dead when they got back to the crash site." Earl began. "But Buddy, Cody's right hand said that Cody killed her; killed her with his bare hands."

"What?" Derek whispered.

"It's not the first time he's killed someone. Buddy said that she was awake, she thought they were there to help her, but Buddy choked her to death and..."

"And what?"

"She kept calling your name...pleading for you to save her."

Derek's heart froze turning to stone. Nothing else mattered in that moment. He'd failed her just like he always feared he would. Earl put the vials back into the bag and gathered the towels. He watched the blank stare in the man's face. Just as before, he kept his eyes on Derek and headed for the door. He had done what he had been sent in the room to do.

Just as he unlocked the door, Earl turned to face Derek again. He hadn't moved still staring like a zombie into space. Then smiling, he opened the door and spoke before making his exit.

"I'll be back later with your dinner. It's important that you keep up your strength."

Then the sound of the door closing rattled around the room. Derek was utterly alone. He had only one thing on his mind, and it was Penelope.

"I'm so sorry Baby Girl. I'm so sorry."

Rossi Cabin –

Dave, Hotch and Rossi grabbed their coats, caps, and gloves. Derek and Penelope had been long overdue, and Dave had grown tired of thinking of reasons why the couple had not arrived. Worse, they still had not reached either of them by phone. Fran and the others were worried too and needed answers.

"The weather is still bad, so we need to stick together. No matter what, do not separate." Hotch ordered.

"Where do we start?" Reid asked.

"We'll go back to the main road and work our way backwards until we find something that may give us a clue to what may have happened." Hotch answered.

"I'm going to grab our weapons from the lock closet downstairs just in case."

The team never traveled without weapons even vacations could be dangerous and so upon arrival each of them secured their weapons out of reach of the children.

JJ knew her job was to keep watch at the cabin in case Derek and Penelope arrived. Fran and the girls were a wreck and someone with a calm head needed to be with them. Fran watched Dave as he returned with the weapons, handing them to Hotch and Reid.

"Dave..."

He turned to face the fearful look in his wife's eyes.

"We'll find them and bring them home."

"I can't lose my son or Penelope."

"Derek and Penelope are like my own children, Bella and I won't rest until we have answers and they're both home safe, okay?"

Fran's eyes were filled with tears, nodding she allowed him to pull her into his arms. Hotch and Reid watched as they armed themselves.

"What do you think happened to Morgan and Garcia?" Reid asked.

"I don't know." Hotch began. "Whatever it is, I have a bad feeling, a really bad feeling."