AN: Thank you once again for all of the support. You guys are so amazing. I really do not know what I would do without you. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Needing Stitches is up for a Profile's Choice Award, for Best Angst. If you have a moment, please go and vote for it. Voting is still open.

Thank you again. I love you all :)

Derek felt her lips pressed hard against his as he worked to deepen the kiss. This is what he wanted. He wanted Penelope to kiss him back. Have her realize he was serious about her.

He ignored the pain he felt as he tried to pull her on top of him in the tub.

He was a foolish man for hurting her the way he did, and here in her bathroom, he silently vowed, to himself and her that he would do whatever it took to prove, he was hers.

He moved his hand to her waist, seeking out the hem of her shirt. Once he felt his fingers braze against her heated flesh, he started to move upwards.

He was just about to graze the underside of her left breast when he felt her push against his chest. The movement nearly catapulted her across the room. He was left there lying in the tub. His legs in the air, dangling on the side, as he stared at her.

Her breathing was ragged, her glasses askew. He watched as she tugged down her shirt and straightened her frames. The anger she felt radiated off her. All of a sudden, the room felt hot and uncertain. Kind of a calm before a storm. He knew the storm was coming. It was only a matter of what was going to happened first.

He tried to right himself so he was sitting back on the edge of the tub, but was failing miserably. His arms were weak; his ribs were in pain. He was surprised when he saw her take a step forward and reach her hand out to help him out.

He wasn't going to look a gift hoarse in the mouth. He quickly took her hand and she yanked him up with all her might.

"Penelope…" he whispered once he was upright.

"Don't," she said with force as her eyes held his.

"Penelope, please," he tried again.

She moved to the sink, bracing herself with her arms as she leaned facing away from him. He stared at her face in the mirror, and when she finally looked up. He caught her eye. What he saw made him hitch his breath.

Hatred.

XXXX

She took a couple of moments to compose herself before turning back to him. "Do you need me to help you with the bandage?"

He took a step closer to her, his hand reaching out to her. His face looked pained. Normally she would do anything to stop whatever was causing him the pain. Not this time. She sidestepped him, and picked up the bandages.

Shoving them in his hands she left the bathroom, calling over her shoulder. "If you need me let me know. I'm calling Hotch."

She moved out of the bathroom and reached for her phone. Screw this and screw him! She though. How dare he try to kiss me! She was pissed and hurt. Her body was shaking with the anger she felt coursing through her. That was so typical of him.

Let me make her feel like I want her, let me kiss her and make her forget how this all started to begin with. Let me make her fall in love with him all over again, just to walk away.

She shook her head trying to gain some much needed control. Dialing the number she waited for a response.

"Hotchner."

She let out a deep breath. "Hotch, it's me. I think you might be missing something."

"You know about Morgan?"

"And his escape?" she asked a small hint of irritation in her tone. "He showed up here in the middle of the night."

She heard Hotch sigh before speaking again. "Do you know how he got there?"

"He said something about a cab. I tried to get him to go back to the hospital, but he wouldn't budge. So I'm calling you to come get him." She looked to the bathroom door as Derek made his way out. She rolled her eyes and turned her back away from him.

"Alright, we will be there soon. If you can get him to go to the hospital before we get there, please do. We got to sort out the mess he left behind by going AWOL, before we can head back home."

"I understand, Sir. I will try my best. But I cannot make any promises." She felt the couch she was sitting on dip next to her. She didn't have to look to see who it was.

"Penelope, I'm really sorry about all of this. Every last bit of it. When we get home we will figure it all out. Thanks for calling me. Rossi figured he would have gone to you. I didn't want to call you, until we exhausted our efforts. I didn't want to worry you."

She sighed. "You're a good man, Aaron. I'll see what I can do."

XXXX

Derek sat next to her on the couch as she continued to talk on the phone. He needed to do something to fix this. That look of hatred in her eyes was worse then the torture her received.

No matter how much that look killed him, though, he still had hope. He didn't imagine her reaction to his kiss. She was just as much there as he was. She wanted it. Her body couldn't lie. But she built up walls, walls that he forced her to build the second he left her.

"Hotch and the others will be on their way here after the sort out the hospital stuff." She wouldn't look at him. Instead she kept her eyes cast on the coffee table, where the empty box sat.

"Penelope, that kiss-"

"He also thinks you should go back to the hospital before they get here," she said interrupting him. "Not only do I think you are stupid for leaving, but so does everyone else."

"I don't care who thinks I'm stupid or not. I came here because of you, for you." She finally turned to look at him.

"There is nothing here for you," she said with such disdain he almost recoiled. He knew what she was doing. She didn't hate him, she was acting. That kissed proved it.

"You are here. So there is something here for me."

"Not anymore," she said, jumping up from her spot on the couch.

He knew she was trying to distance herself, but he didn't care. He followed suit and walked into the kitchen right after her. The pain he was feeling was more prominent now, but it didn't stop him. The pain in his heart was worse. "Stop running from me," he growled.

She turned to him, shock marring her face. "You are the one who ran, Derek. Not me! All I am doing right now is keeping your wish. Why try to act like everything is fine between us, when you know it's not? Even if we were to burry the hatchet and pretended everything was fine, in a week, you'd be back in New York. You know, when I first found out you left I was so hurt…" she moved a step closer to him, standing her ground. "I was so hurt you'd actually do something like that to me. Your best friend. I wanted it to be a joke. Everyday I prayed you'd come back. Move back into your old apartment and we'd be back to normal. No matter how bad you cut me to the core, I still wished it everyday deep down."

He went to say that he wanted that too, but she cut him off. "Not anymore. Now I want nothing to do with you. I want you back in New York and the hell away from me. Fuck, I don't think New York is even far enough away."

She went to move past him but he grabbed onto her arm, slamming her into his chest. He lowered his head to hers.

"Are you deaf?" she yelled as she pulled away.

"No. I'm in love with you." He strode closer to her. Even when she took a step back, he matched it with his own closer to her.

"I don't know what game you are trying to play here but –"

Her eyes went wide as she looked at him with horror on her face. He went to make a move closer to her, but the pain had gotten too much. He reached his hand to the bandage, trying to ease the pain, and then brought his hand to his face. It was covered in blood. "I- I-", he tried to speak.

"Derek, we need to get you to the hospital!" she yelled grabbing her phone to dial 9-1-1.

He took another step closer to her, but he had become too weak. His knees gave out, making him fall to the floor. He closed his eyes in pain. When he opened them again. Penelope was sitting above him, tears in her eyes. With all the strength he could muster, he spoke. "Promise me, you'll be there," he said with ragged breath. "Promise me you will be there when I wake up this time."

His eyes were closed, as the wave of darkness over took him. He might not know if it were true or not, but he could swear he heard a soft, "Yes."

AN: So what did you think? Don't forget to go vote for your favorite writers on the Profiler's Choice Awards page.