Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds…just use them shamelessly for my enjoyment

Chapter 6.

A few minutes after speaking with Rossi and Reid, Hotch left the waiting area using the excuse that he needed to make some phone calls for work. In reality, he was going to find the doctor and set their plan in motion.

The next morning 7:00 a.m.

It had been a long night in the waiting room, everyone sleeping in chairs and across couches trying to make it through the night the best they could. As everyone began to stir, Derek and Hotch offered to go for fresh coffee. A few minutes after they left, the doctor arrived in the waiting room with an update. Kevin immediately stood up and waited to hear what he had to say.

"Ms. Garcia made it through the night as well as to be expected," the doctor began to explain. "We've taken her off the dialysis machine and we are hoping to remove the ventilator within a few hours. She's still very weak and is going to need plenty of recovery time but I feel like the worst is over."

A cumulative sigh of relief came from Emily, JJ, Rossi and Reid as hugs were passed around and tears of joy were shed. Kevin tried to appear as if he were sharing in the joy but he knew that Penelope's recovery would only mean bad things for him. He decided he would have to take care of his problem now, if he was ever going to have the chance.

"Doctor, can I see her now please?" Kevin asked knowing he needed to get into that room first.

"All right, Mr. Lynch. You can go in but alone and only for a few minutes. As I said, she is still weak and can't stand much excitement," the doctor allowed. "I'll have a nurse come and take you to her room."

"Thank you." Kevin responded and headed towards the nurses station.

JJ and Emily exchanged hopeful glances, knowing the trap was in place. Emily raised her sleeve to her mouth and advised Hotch through the small communication device that Kevin was enroute.

Up in the third floor ICU, unbeknownst to Kevin, Morgan and Hotch had been visiting with Garcia on and off throughout the night. Once Hotch had informed the doctor of what was going on, he had been more than willing to cooperate with their plan.

Derek's heart had broken in two when he had first walked into Penelope's room and had seen her near lifeless body attached to all of the machines and tubing. Walking over to her bed for the first time, a tear ran down his check as he gently took her hand in his and stroked the back of it with his thumbs. "I'm so sorry Baby Girl", he softly told her. "I should have seen what was happening with Lynch…I should have been there to protect you. I love you, Woman and I always have."

Upon hearing his declaration, Penelope opened her eyes and stared directly into Derek's own beautiful brown orbs. Unable to speak because of the ventilator tube, she simply squeezed his hand in response and then took her pinky, index finger and thumb and formed the "I Love You" sign. Derek picked up her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it over and over. For the next few minutes, the two of them just sat with each other, letting their eyes say what they hadn't been able to say before.

Around 4:00 am the doctor had informed Hotch that he was going to be able to remove Garcia from both the dialysis machine AND the ventilator. Derek had sat holding Penelope's hands as the tubes and needles were removed, stroking her and telling her how much he loved her the whole time.

Once the machinery was removed and Penelope appeared stable enough, Hotch sat down on the opposite side of the bed and, together with Morgan, they explained to Penelope all that had happened and what their plan was. Although she was scared and heartbroken by what Lynch had done to her, she readily agreed to do what had to be done to get him out of her life once and for all. She was scared that if she didn't, eventually Lynch would also go after Morgan and she would never forgive herself if something happened to Derek because of her.

Kevin's hands were sweaty and he nervously took a deep breath as he stood outside of Penelope's hospital room door. He could hardly believe what he was about to do but had decided that, at this point, there was no other way around it. He would miss her, but there would always be someone else and watching Derek Morgan suffer would be reward enough for him.

Stepping into her darkened room he slowly stepped up to her bed. "Penelope?" he said, not sure if she was awake. To his relief, she still appeared to be asleep and he quickly took a look at the tubes leading from her mouth to the ventilator machine. Making sure that no doctors or nurses were around, he reached over to the red power button on the ventilator and quickly switched it off. Listening as the machine powered down, he watched as the rise and fall of Penelope's chest began to fade. "So long, Penny, it was fun while it lasted," he said as he turned to leave the room.

As he was turning to make his get away, Hotch stepped into the doorway, blocking his exit. "What the…?" Kevin started to exclaim. Before he had a chance to register what was happening, Derek stepped out from behind the room divider and grabbed him from behind, slamming him hard up against the wall.

"You're not going anywhere, Asshole!" Derek hissed in his ear as he held him up by the collar of his shirt.

Feeling the blood run down his face where his nose had hit the wall, Kevin knew he was caught and there was no way out of it. "You may have me, Morgan, but you're too late to save your stupid girlfriend." he snarled back at Morgan.

"No he's not, Kevin." Kevin couldn't believe what he had just heard. Derek pulled him around to face the bed so he could see Penelope staring back at him with tears in her eyes, all tubes and machinery disconnected.

"How the hell?..." was all Kevin managed to stammer out as he stared at her in disbelief.

"You stupid little fuck!" Derek spat in his face. "The ventilator tube was a fake! I would have thought a geek like you would have done a better check of the equipment."

"You tricked me!" Kevin yelled. "This is entrapment, you have nothing on me…you'll never make it stick!" Kevin shouted hysterically.

"Oh we'll make it stick, we watched the whole thing you cold hearted bastard. Not to mention the antifreeze bottle with your fingerprints all over it in Penelope's apartment," Derek said with a satisfied grin. "You just better know how lucky you are that Hotch is here and I don't personally tear you apart, piece by piece for what you did to Penelope. She never lied to you. You knew from the day you met that we were best friends. She never once cheated on you or did you wrong. You should have known better than to mess around with my best friend and the woman I'm in love with." With that, Derek pushed Lynch into Hotch's hands. "Get him the hell out of my sight before I do something I shouldn't do!"

Hotch led Lynch over to the rest of the team who had been waiting outside the ICU. Giving them a nod indicating everyone was ok, he handed Lynch off to a waiting Rossi who handcuffed Lynch and along with the others, headed back to the BAU. They would come back later to see Garcia but they knew now that Derek needed his time with her alone.

As soon as Lynch was gone…Derek headed over to Penelope, sat on the edge of her bed and scooped her into his embrace. For the next several minutes, he held her close as she cried against his chest. He knew she needed to mourn the relationship that was now gone and even more than that, she needed to feel safe and protected. "It's over, Baby Girl. He'll never hurt you again, I promise." he reassured her as he stroked her hair.

When the tears were gone, she sat back and looked him straight in the eye. "Did you mean what you told him, Derek? Am I really the woman you are in love with?"

"Yes, Baby Girl, I meant it. I've always loved you, since the first day I laid eyes on you. I'm just sorry you didn't know until now." Derek professed to her. Leaning forward until his forehead was touching hers, he looked at her and promised, "You will never be in doubt again, Princess. I promise to tell you and show you every day for the rest of our lives how much I love you."

"Oh Derek, I love you too, my delicious God of Chocolate Thunder."

Derek chuckled as he drew her back into his arms, knowing that finally, all was right with the world.

The END!!!!!

I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and let me know what you think of the ending.