Potomac General Hospital –

"Reid, JJ, thank god!"

The two agents rushed into the crowded room as nurses and doctors surrounded a very weak but very agitated Penelope Garcia.

"Please ma'am, just a few more minutes and we'll be done, please!"

Reid and JJ looked around puzzled and found themselves being pushed back out into the hallway.

"If you don't mind, give us a minute or two we just need to check her over."

The nurse turned and walked back into the room closing the door behind her. After a few minutes the doctor and Melody the nurse came out of the room and approached Reid and JJ, both smiling and with relieved expressions. The two recognized Dr. Hazelton from the night Garcia was brought in.

"She seems to be doing great! In fact, better than we even expected at this stage in the game."

Exhaling, the two embraced each other.

"Thank you, doctor!" Reid managed.

"Can we see her now?" JJ asked anxiously.

"Yes. She still needs a lot of rest so try not to get her too riled up."

"Thank you doctor."

"My pleasure."

"I'm assigned to her today, so if you need anything, my name is Melody."

The nurse eyed Reid as she watched the two nod and head toward the door. JJ, ever the profiler did not miss the young woman's interest in her partner.

"Um, Dr. Reid seems to have an admirer." She teased.

"What do you mean? I didn't see anything." He responded puzzled.

"You never do, genius." She joked. "Let's go see, Garcia."

Still puzzled, Reid followed his friend into the room. Garcia nearly jumped out of bed at the sight of them as she immediately began rambling.

"JJ, Reid, that nurse seems to think that Derek shot me!"

"Everybody seems to think that." JJ interrupted.

"He didn't do this! He didn't shoot me! You have to believe me!"

"Garcia, we know he didn't do this!" Reid began.

"Is that why he's not here? I need to see him! I've got to let him know that I know he would never do this!"

"Calm down, Garcia! I'm going to call Hotch. I'm sure once the police get your statement, Morgan will be released.

Police Station –

Things seemed to be chaotic in the busy precinct; crime scene investigators and the coroner had been called when a detective stumbled upon the dead body of young Michael Packard in the men's room. He'd been stabbed to death just before going on an assignment to redeem himself with his superiors and the FBI. Security footage showed a petite African-American woman following him into the men's room and then exit several minutes later. She seemed quite confident not caring or realizing that there were security cameras positioned throughout the building with the exception of the bathrooms. No one else had entered between the time she left and the body was discovered.

Hotch, Rossi and Det. Grant watched the action from the sidelines. They'd all agreed that with what Gordinski had told them earlier and with the security footage, it was safe to assume that the woman had gone to great lengths to frame Morgan and killing Packard was her way of taking care of loose ends. She managed to get out of the building before the young rookie's body was discovered.

"I'm going to release agent Morgan." Grant began.

"Thank you detective. I know he'll be happy about that."

Grant headed toward lockup leaving Hotch and Rossi to talk.

"She's getting closer to her end game and she's willing to kill anyone who gets in her way." Rossi added.

"Good, now she'll make a mistake and we'll take her down."

"The apple doesn't fall far them tree. She killed Morgan's mother then she tries to kill Garcia."

"Her father's death sent her over the edge; she want's him to feel what it's like to lose someone he loves."

"Some how, 'Psycho Bitch,' seems too kind of a label for this woman." Rossi said half joking.

The two agents noticed a familiar face coming toward them. They watched as the large man made his way through the busy room.

"Agent Hotchner, Agent Rossi."

"Captain Gordinski, thanks for coming."

"When we catch up with Tara I want to be there to put the cuffs on her personally."

"You might have to fight Morgan for that one." Said Hotch.

As if on cue Morgan walked through the far door with Det. Grant. The three couldn't help but notice how tired he looked but he was free and he even managed a smile as he approached the others.

"Gordinski, what are you doing here?"

"Are you kidding? I'm not going to rest until Fran's killer is behind bars."

Then Morgan did something that surprised everyone; he extended his hand to his lifelong adversary.

"Thank you."

Gordinski accepted his hand and Hotch and Rossi smiled as they looked on.

"Now can I please go see Penelope?"

Hotch and Rossi took a moment to tease their younger friend as Gordinski smiled at the men. He'd never seen Morgan smile before things had always been tense between them and discovering that he had been involved with his mother only made things worse.

"Did you hear that Hotch? He wants to see Penelope."

"I don't know, Dave, she may be too busy visiting with JJ and Reid to be bothered."

The look on Morgan's face was priceless; his jaw dropped and his eyes lit up.

"Visiting…wait, are you saying she's awake?"

"Yes! She's awake!"

Rossi's smile now was a mile wide.

"Come on let's go. We've tortured him enough." Hotch ordered.

The four men quickly headed out the door. Morgan felt as if the world had been lifted from his shoulders. He couldn't get to the hospital fast enough the only thing that could make things better would be to catch Tara Buford and make her pay for killing his mother and almost killing Penelope.

Potomac General Hospital –

Garcia, JJ and Reid were fully engaged in giddy conversation and silliness birthed from fatigue and relief when the door slowly opened. Garcia stopped mid-sentence when Morgan entered the room followed by Hotch, Rossi and Gordinski. She couldn't believe her eyes and it was as if the world suddenly shifted to slow motion as he approached her bed.

Everyone else in the room faded away as he carefully placed a kiss on her lips. She scooted over and made room for him on the bed and he sat never breaking his fixed stare on her.

"Baby Girl, how do you feel?"

"Better. You look like hell, Gorgeous."

"And you look beautiful, Sweetness."

"I think maybe we'll give you guys some time alone." JJ interrupted.

"Thanks, JJ."

The others filed out of the room and headed down the hallway toward the cafeteria. Morgan grabbed Garcia's hand and the two sat in silence for what seemed like forever.

"I thought I'd lost you."

"Well, you didn't. I'm going to be fine. I'm so sorry you had to spend time in jail because of me."

"That wasn't your fault, Baby."

"Derek, I let that woman into our lives! I just thought she was this sad, troubled young woman who needed a friend. I was so stupid! I even took her to the coffee shop where I met Battle! How pathetic I am!"

"Hey, hey, stop it! You are not pathetic. You are the most amazing woman I know. Tara is crazy and she is did this, all of it not you!"

Tara was impressed at how something as simple as a wig and cat-eyed glasses could alter her look enough to allow her to wander the halls of the hospital without being noticed by the police and FBI hanging around Garcia's room. She'd watched as the three men and woman left her room and walked right past her. She was willing to wait she'd come too far to rush and make a mistake. Her chance would come soon enough.

Tara tossed her faux mane back and strolled into the nearby waiting area taking a seat that gave her a clear view of the hallway. He had to leave that room eventually and she was more than ready to wait no matter how long it took.

Gordinski felt uneasy. After realizing that Tara had shown up to Fran's services insisting on sitting next to him then coming to Quantico to kill Penelope and frame Morgan, he knew there were not boundaries and she had absolutely no fear of being caught. He wasn't going to be fooled by her again and if it were the last thing he did, Tara Buford would not get away with killing the love of his life.