Here is the next chapter of this little tale of mine. As you know it is not beta'd. Sending good thoughts to my friend Pat.

To say it was a long week would be an understatement. In a word it was Hell. The doctors kept Sam under heavy sedation for the first two days. They had told Penelope and Margret that Sam had suffered a stroke, but they would have to wait until he woke up to see just how much damage was done.

"Did she cause this when she put that pressure bandage on him?" Margret asks pointing to Penelope.

"No. As I said she saved his life it was the bullet that caused the stroke. Now if you'll excuse me."

Penelope nodded and thanked the doctor before he left she looked at her watch and then told Margret that she would be back later in the day.

Penelope smiles as she walks into the room, a smile that didn't leave her face when she saw Sam and the extent of the damage the stroke had done. One side of his face drooped and one side of his body was very still.

She walks up to him leans over and kisses his cheek softly. "Sam, I love you. Now and forever." She whispered in his ear, before pulling back looking in his eyes she sees fear and a need to express himself. "How about we start with one blink yes, two for no?"

A single blink followed by a tear rolling down his face is what catches her attention. She quickly wipes it away. "I talked to the doctors, it looks like we have a lot of work ahead of us. One step at a time."

She knows that he is weak and he will need rehab to learn once again to use his muscles as well as his leg and arm on his right side. They will, he will also have to deal with his halting speech, at least he didn't lose his ability to understand. For that they are both grateful.

"We'll fight and we'll work together. Okay? I'll take leave so I can help you every step of the way. You my love are not in this alone. I would never abandon you Sam, I love you."

"That will not be necessary. I taught him to walk the first time, I will be there this time as well." Margret says as she comes into the room carrying some flowers. "Go get some coffee, Penelope. I want to spend some time with my son." she orders.

She looks down at her husband, when she feel him squeezing her hand, she relents. 'Twenty minutes, okay?"

When she sees him blink once, she smiles then kisses him again. And so it went, it didn't matter what time Penelope came to see Sam, Margret was there within the half hour. Never letting them have alone time. It was becoming a problem a big problem. She wanted to be involved in every single decision with the doctors.

Between work and practically living at the hospital Penelope was beginning to feel run down it was not something that she needed not now.

Coming to the hospital early just after seven-thirty in the morning. Hoping against hope to be able to spend just a little bit of alone time with her husband. Two weeks he has been in the hospital, one week in the ICU, before stepping down to a surgical floor.

She knocks on the door before opening it only to see Sam with his nurse and the new physical therapist that she had meet the day before.

'We're going to need a half an hour Penelope, Sam really need a bath and it's time he started learning how to do some things for himself." the therapist tells her.

She steps back out and happily runs into Savannah dressed in her surgical scrubs.

"I didn't expect to see you today. How have you been? More importantly how is Hank? He did steal my heart after all."

Savannah laughs at that comment. "I'm good, so is Hank. But how are you doing?"

She could hear Margret's footfalls behind her even before she could opened her mouth.

"You want to explain why you are out here talking to this nurse instead of being inside the room with my son. Why are you talking about some other man that steals your heart, are you cheating on my son? I knew you would, your class of people always does."

"Margret, this is Dr. Savannah Hayes, she is a good friend to both of us. The other man who you think I'm cheating with is her beautiful little boy who is almost two. Her husband is a lawyer and he is also a friend of ours. The reason I'm not inside with Sam is because I was asked to step out, Sam is with his physical therapist right now and they need privacy."

"I'm going in, I want to be involved in my child's recovery every step of the way. I can see that you would rather gossip with your friend than be a good wife to my son." Margret snaps at Penelope before turning on her heels and walking back towards Sam's room.

Savannah can see the tension in Penelope's shoulders and neck. As she lets out a slow breath of air. "Are you okay, Penelope?"

""I'll be fine, I'm always fine. Just ask Derek. I'm like a Bumble, I bounce. I almost forgot." She reaches into her larger tote and pulls out a train engine that is completely knitted, red, blue, and black. Even a smoke stack and wheels that turn. "Hank told me that he wanted a train. I finished it yesterday. I have to go to work give my love to your boys for me." she takes a step away before turning back. "Could I ask a favor Savannah?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I know you're on the surgical staff here when they go in and check on Sam today, could you go too? Make some excuse to get her out of the room. Tell him that I'm sorry I'll be back tonight, team B is in Texas I have to work. Tell him that I love him."

" Not a problem consider it done. Penelope are you really okay, I'm worried about you so is Derek."

She looks at her friend through tears and nods her head. "I'm good. I gotta go."

Entering the briefing room her tablet and a cop of tea, she feels the eyes of all of the profiles on her, doing what they do best. Profiling her appearance and behavior.

"What? Do I have something on my teeth or did I spill something on my dress?"

"No. Savannah called." JJ tells her.

"So did Derek." Emily adds.

"I'm okay, just tired."

"Is his mother still giving you a hard time?" Tara asks.

"His mother is being herself, a combination of Sara Roosevelt, Catherine de' Medici with a sprinkling of Margret White, for good measure. If you don't need me, I have to dig for the guys in Texas."

"Go on Kitten, try and take a nap later if you can, you can use my office couch, I have pull with the boss."

"So do I Agent Rossi and his couch is nicer to sleep on." No sooner does she leave them than the fake smile she uses when she is on stage disappears, from her face.

Reid puts his cup down and frowns "I don't understand how she can be so many people. It doesn't make any sense. Just who is Margret White anyway?"

"She going to lose the battle and war isn't she?" JJ asks.

"She lost even before it started. I think that is why Sam never told his mother." Rossi answers as he picks up his things.

"Come on Dr. Reid I'll explain who those people are." Emily tells him as she walks out of the room.


"Aaron are you alright?" Rossi asks watching as his friend places a small pillow and blanket on the couch.

Walking toward the desk places the file he is holding on it and waits for the Hotch to turn around.

"I'll be fine. Now I know why this couch has her scent on it, it's faint but it's hers."

Rossi can't help but smile. "She nailed the mother, perfectly."

"She is not as dumb as pretends, I've seen her transcripts from Caltech. One of the reasons she and Reid get along so well she talks his language. She is going to need a good lawyer."