Potomac General Hospital – Cafeteria –

"We better get back before the two love birds start working on that love child!"

Rossi chuckled at his own joke as he glanced at his watch. The group finished the last of their food and drinks and headed back down the hallway toward Garcia's room. Gordinski, still feeling uneasy quickly thought of an excuse to hang back without alarming the others. His spirit wouldn't let him relax until he had Tara in custody or dead.

"Hey, you guys go ahead I'm going to grab a cup of coffee for Derek and Penelope."

The others exchanged surprised looks and continued on their way.

"Those two may end up friends after all." Hotch said.

"Stranger things have happened." Reid added.

Gordinski glanced around the crowded room before grabbing two cups from the dispenser. It had rocked him to his core to think that Fran's killer had been right next to him during her services and he didn't even know it.

Tara watched as the group headed back to Penelope's room. She smiled and adjusted her glasses so that she could look over the rim at the crew who were certain that they would be able to stop her from killing Morgan and Garcia. How could they stop her, she thought. She'd been within feet of them all day and none of them were the wiser.

There she was; he knew it! He knew she'd be somewhere nearby. Gordinski walked down the hall pretending not to have spotted the petite dark-skinned woman. The wig and the bazaar glasses were nothing but a, "F-you" to them all. After all, who would show up at a hospital in such a ridiculous get up and expect not to be noticed. But he did notice her and she wasn't going to get near Derek or Penelope if he had anything to do with it.

She saw her father's old friend bringing up the rear with two steaming cups in his hands. She couldn't believe how he had turned against her father jumping over to the enemy's side…if she had time before she was finished, she'd kill him too.

"Knock, knock."

They were already in full family mode laughing and loving on each other. The conversations between them stopped when he poked his head through the door bearing coffee a hot steamy peace offering.

"I thought you too might want some coffee."

Handing a cup to Derek and then setting the other on the tray next to Penelope's bed, everyone tried to play off the awkward moment.

"Uh, thanks, Gordinski."

"Yes, thank you."

Penelope looked at Morgan and then around the room. Gordinski felt the tension and he understood but that was the last of his worries. He needed to inform the others of the fact that Tara was in the hospital. He didn't want to upset Garcia or Derek; he knew like the rest of them of Derek's temper and he'd surely go after the woman who'd killed his mother and nearly killed Garcia and nothing and no one would be able to stop him. He'd love to see the woman dead but the hospital was filled with innocent people and if they were not careful she wouldn't be the only person to lose her life.

"Hotch can I talk to you outside?"

"Sure."

The two men stepped out in the hallway; away from the others.

"She's here."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. I saw her in the waiting room. She's wearing a blonde wig and blue cat-eyed glasses."

"She doesn't care who she hurts now just as long as she gets to Morgan and Garcia. We've got to be careful and we can't let on that we're on to her."

"Exactly that's why I don't think we should tell Derek just yet."

"I agree. We need to let the others know."

As if nothing was wrong, Hotch and Gordinski walked back into the room.

"Everything okay, Hotch?"

"Yeah sure." Hotch lied.

Morgan wasn't buying it but his focus was on Penelope and for now he wasn't going to push it.

"We were just discussing that we might want to touch bases with your security detail to catch them up on everything and to get their reports."

Morgan still wasn't buying it.

"Okay, that sounds good."

"Reid, I need you to stay here with Morgan and Garcia."

"Sure Hotch."

The others followed Hotch and Gordinski out of the room and around the corner and out of view.

Tara watched the group head around the corner she wondered if she'd been discovered. She was too close to getting what she wanted to take any more chances; maybe the disguise had been too bold, too arrogant on her part. Nevertheless it was time to move around a bit just in case. Just as she was about to step out of the waiting area she saw him leave the room. Her heart sped up this was almost too much to hope for; he was alone and headed her way. She watched as he drained his cup and tossed it in a nearby trashcan.

"Mother always said that caffeine was bad for your health." She giggled to herself.

She followed behind him as he stepped into the cafeteria. The room was crowded with a steady stream of new business coming in behind her. He refilled his cup and grabbed a few packets of sugar and creamers and headed toward the cashier.

He felt something pressed firmly against his spine and then he smelled her perfume. A million thoughts ran through his mind as his eyes surveyed the room and all of the potential victims if he made the wrong move.

"Hello Derek. I don't believe we've ever met."

"Tara Buford."

"That's right and if you don't want to see any of these people hurt I suggest you set that coffee down and come with me."

Derek hesitated knowing that once he left the hospital he was a dead man.

"I hate repeating myself, I really do. Now let's go!"

Penelope and Reid were fully engaged in a debate over which was better, the first five seasons of Stargate SG-1 or the last five seasons; both sides had their merit and Penelope almost had Reid convinced that the first five season were far superior when Hotch followed by Rossi and JJ came through the door.

"Where's Morgan?" Hotch asked.

"He went to get a refill on his coffee." Reid answered.

"Alone?"

"Yes, why what's wrong?"

Penelope and Reid saw the panic in the others eyes as Gordinski bolted from the room.

"Tara is here in the hospital!"

"What?" Garcia gasped.

"Reid stay here. Rossi you and JJ make sure the security detail does not move from their posts! I'll follow Gordinski."

They all nodded and followed him out. Reid rushed to Garcia's side and tried in vain to comfort her.

"You know you won't get away with this."

"Sure I will. I have so far."

Tara looped her arm in his concealing the gun that was now pressed against his side. To anyone that passed they looked like a happy couple but as Tara walked him toward the automatic doors, she was the only one of them feeling any joy.

The side of the building was deserted; other than a large dumpster the area was wasted space. When they rounded the corner he turned to face her.

"Okay, so now what?"

"Now you die."

"Let me guess. Payback for your father?"

"And they said you were just a pretty face."

Morgan watched her hand as she held the gun in front of her. Her hand was steady which told him that she was determined and not afraid to kill him. There was no use in trying to talk her out of it her mind was made up.

"Your lies put an innocent man behind bars and if that weren't enough you stood before the nation and accused him of molesting you! His death is on your hands!"

"They weren't lies. Your father was a monster, a pedophile and he got what he deserved!"

He knew he'd crossed the line but he needed to throw her off balance. He was gambling that her anger would cause her to make a mistake and a mistake was all he needed to reach her and the gun.

Gordinksi saw the two disappear around the corner of the building. Even if he ran, which he hadn't needed to do in years, odds were he'd still arrive too late. The others had all gone in other directions and so he was Morgan's only hope; he couldn't help but think that life had an odd way of playing itself out.

Her hand was still steady, still aimed at him and his words had not affected her at all.

"Your poor mother such a sweet lady. You should have seen the look on her face when I shot her dead."

Instantly rage overcame him and his mind lost all reason as he lunged toward the woman with the gun. He had no chance of getting to the gun in time; he knew and more important, she knew as a sick smile spread slowly across her face, the loud sound of a discharged weapon pierced the air slowing everything down to a near standstill.

The body fell elegantly to the ground as if it had been beckoned by the cold hard concrete her eyes staring in wide-eyed disbelief. She had him in her line of sight; he was too late to stop her and she pulled the trigger. The woman's falling revealed the man who'd tormented him as a child and sought to take his freedom as an adult. He saw the man who had the audacity to love his mother without his permission standing with his gun firmly in his hand looking at him relieved and emotional as he glanced from Derek to Tara's stone cold corpse.

The two stood in silence facing each other adrenaline still pumping wildly through their bodies and struggling to compose themselves as the reality that Tara was dead set in. Then he saw it; the flower-like blossom spreading across his shirt and he felt his heart stop as he thought of Fran.

"Derek…you're bleeding!"