AN: Congratulations to Kirsten Vangsness on her engagement! This makes my heart swell!
Penelope sat at the desk, going through server after server. Her one goal right now was to find Morgan. She had a gut feeling he was still alive, she knew he was. Maybe it was the connection they once shared, but she could swear on her own life she knew he was alive.
"How is it coming, Garcia?" Hotch asked, walking into her makeshift office.
"It's going, sir," she answered. "I have been able to narrow down the servers again. I believe I only have a few more."
"Good work, Garcia. I know this is hard for you." He left the room, leaving her to her work.
Hard for me? she thought. That's an understatement. This was going to have one of two outcomes, nothing else. One, they were going to find Morgan alive, and in the end, he would go back to working in the New York office, far away from her. Or two, they were going to find Morgan, but he'd be dead. That would only leave her heart in a worse state than it was now. Either way, she was never going to be the same.
Morgan slowly opened his eyes. He didn't know how long he had been asleep for. The pain was getting worse. His arm and shoulder now dangled at his side, sending excruciating shockwaves through his body. He looked at the burn from the iron rod, and then to the stab wound on his lower abdomen, and closed his eyes trying to ward off the pain.
He took a deep breath the best he could. One thing was running through his mind, and there was nothing else he could think of. He wanted to see her face, at least one last time.
"Hey, Sweetheart," Hunter said gently as he walked into the room.
Penelope turned to him, sighing. "Hi, Cory."
"How are you holding up?" he asked, moving to grab a chair to sit right next to her.
"I think I'm almost there. This guy is good. He knows what his doing. He's fearless as we can all tell with what he's done so far," she rambled.
"You're going to find him," he told her. "Your team is the best. They're working in a way I have never seen a unit work before. You all anticipate each others movements."
She looked at him and nodded before turning back to her work. She didn't need to be told about how her team worked, she knew that already. But she understood he was trying to help ease her mind. Cory was a good guy from what she knew about him. She didn't know much, but what she did know she liked. No matter how much she liked him though, it made no difference. Her heart would only ever belong to the person that shattered it.
Hunter stood up, moving to Penelope's side, kissing her temple. She couldn't help but stiffen; it was such a Morgan thing to do. Cory acted a lot like Morgan when it came to her. She shook her head, brushing him off. She had a job to do.
She continued typing vigorously, more determined than ever. She worked like she had never worked before.
"Come on," she said as she continued to type. "You can run, but you cannot hide."
Her eyes went wide when she unlocked the last piece. She clicked on a few keys before, right in front of her a picture of Morgan appeared on the screen. She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. His head was hanging, his body limp. She instantly felt the tears fall down her face as she guessed the worst.
She took a deep breath ready to call in her team when she watched him raise his head.
"He's alive!" she screamed. She typed some codes pinpointing the location. She jumped out of her seat running to her team. "He's alive!"
"How do you know?" Reid asked.
"I was able to turn the camera back on," she rushed out. "He lifted his head."
"Did you get the loc-"
"I just sent it to your phones," she interrupted.
Everyone started to move getting ready to head to the location. This was the break they were looking for. Hopefully they would be able to get there before anymore happened to Morgan, and possibly get the upper hand on the Unsub.
"What do you think you're doing?" Hotch asked looking at his analyst.
"I'm going with you."
"It's not safe, Garci-"
"Sir, I know it's not safe, but I have to be there. I have to see him," she explained.
"You have a vest on at all times and do not get out of the SUV," Hotch said.
Penelope nodded her head and followed behind her team, ready to save Morgan.
Morgan lifted his head after he heard the click. He didn't know what it was, thinking it could have been the bartender coming back he wanted to try to prepare himself. However, when he looked up he saw no sign of the bartender, but he did see the little red light on the camera.
He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that his girl had figured out a way to find his location and turn the camera back on. He knew it, it was the connection they had. He could feel it in his bones that his Baby Girl was looking through the camera, staring back at him.
"Ready?" Rossi asked as they made their way into position.
Hotch nodded his head. He singled for Prentiss and Reid to make their move, while Rossi and JJ followed suit.
Penelope stood outside of the SUV and watched. She felt like she couldn't breath, this was the moment of truth for them. Soon they were going to find out if Morgan was dead or alive.
"Clear!" Morgan heard from outside his room. He waited with bated breath. He knew that only meant one thing. The team found him, and he was still alive.
"Morgan!" Reid hollered as he made his way into the room. Hotch fallowing after. Both men ran over to their friend, hurrying to untie him. "There's an ambulance outside."
"Do you know who did this to you?" Hotch asked, putting his hand on the open wound trying to stop the bleeding.
Hunter came running in with the paramedics by his side.
"Morgan," Hotch got his attention again. "Do you know the man that did this?"
Morgan took a deep breath, looking at Hunter. "The bartender."
The paramedics moved into work on Morgan as Hotch turned towards Hunter. "What bartender?"
"The one at the local bar?" Hunter asked as Morgan was being placed on the gurney as the paramedics continued to stabilize him.
"Yeah," Morgan grunted. He had no energy left. He knew they were there to save him, and he wanted to help more, but he felt his body fading and his eyes begin to close.
Hunter turned back to Hotch. "There is a local bar we all hang out at. It's almost all agents."
"That's how he probably knew everyone's schedule," Reid interjected.
"Hunter, get on the phone and get a unit over to the bar to pick up the bartender," Hotch delegated, moving over to Morgan who was now on the gurney. Morgan looked horrible, but he was thankful they were able to find him before the unsub finished the job.
"Okay," Hunter said, pulling out his phone to get a team over to the bar to pick up the unsub.
Penelope watched the door. She knew it was somewhat of a good sign when she watched the paramedics run into the building shortly after her team went in. That had to mean he was alive right?
She started pacing in front of the SUV, fiddling with her hands as she continued to wait. Waiting was the worst part. Her heart raced, and her palms were sweaty. If he was alive does that mean he was going to make it? How much damage had the Unsub caused?
She heard the door open again and saw Derek being wheeled out by the paramedics. Before she knew what she was doing, she ran to him, tears streaming down her face.
JJ was at Derek's side, telling him he was going to be okay. When Penelope heard the paramedics response saying they believed he would pull through fine she immediately stopped running and stood there staring at Derek who was now gazing at her with wide eyes.
No! she was not going to do this. She chastised herself. She got her answers; he was going to be okay. No matter how glad she was he was alive, she wasn't going to fall back into her old roll, giving everything she had to him, to get nothing in return. Or worse, open herself back up only to be thrown away again. Derek was going to be fine, he had his team here in New York, and she was sure some of the BAU would help him, if they needed to. She didn't need to be around him.
He wasn't her colleague, he wasn't her friend, and he certainty wasn't her lover.
"Baby," Hunter said, running up to Penelope. "We know who it is."
She turned to Hunter who was closing his phone. She had so many emotions running through her. She was glad Morgan was alive, but that also meant once he was better, life was going to go back to how it was, him in New York, her in Virginia. Morgan being taken by the Unsub didn't change anything. He still left her after a one night stand. No matter how bad she felt that he was hurting, she refused to fall back into whatever it was they had been. She wouldn't do it.
She threw herself into Hunters arms, sobbing.
Derek opened his eyes when he felt the night air on his skin. He was weak, his breathing was shallow and he was in pain. He looked out, and he thought his eyes were deceiving him. There in front of his was Penelope running towards him. His heart started to beat faster as he went to reach out for her, but then, out of nowhere, she stopped.
She was no longer running towards him, instead her face was pained. He somewhat heard JJ speaking next to him as they moved him into the ambulance, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. His whole attention was on Penelope. He watched in horror as Hunter ran up to her.
The last thing he saw before the back doors of the ambulance shut, was Agent Hunter pulling Penelope into his arms.