Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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She been wide awake for nearly an hour before she heard him suck in a breath and moan as he woke up. Last night she was plagued with nightmares, like she had made herself aware would occur but Derek had been a gentleman and settled for the couch. However, he woke her up from the curse of the past and hugged her through the night and now here she was still in his arms, her head resting on his chest.

'Feels natural baby girl.' His voice came out thick with sleep.

'Mm.' She replied with complete contentment.

'How did you sleep?'

'Really well.' She said moving off so she could look at him. 'Thank you.'

'Any day baby girl any day.' He looked at his watch. 'I think we overslept slightly.'

'Why?'

'Erm everyone's going to be in here in like 10 minutes.'

'Oh dear.' She replied and then laughed. 'Come on then handsome.' She said getting up and getting some clothes out.

'You seem better today P.'

'I feel it... I mean family right?' He nodded and smiled. 'And plus getting things off my chest with you has made my shoulders feel so much lighter.' She looked at him with a genuine stronger smile. 'How about yours?'

'Amazingly light... plus I got the woman I love now.' He said and walked towards her, he kissed her and then pulled away. 'Now we have 5 minutes.'

'Okay well go do your thing and I'll do mine... Hotch and Emily are bringing breakfast so we don't have to worry about that.'

'Nope.'

'I also got Hotch to bring the file over... I know you three read it yesterday and I want to see what was put in it.'

'Have you not seen it?'

She shook her head. 'The pictures were taken while I was still in a coma, and then my statement got added but I was never told anything else about it.' He nodded and kissed her head.

'You did us proud yesterday.'

'Moment of weakness on my part last night... but I'm done being the victim, I have protectors in my life now.'

'That you do baby girl.' He smiled and left the room to get a change of clothes from his SUV. He knew Penelope was in a new frame set, her voice didn't sound ready to break and her eyes told of her strength she had gained. What he didn't know was that he played the biggest part in that.

When he got back he found her getting plates out, she was dressed and looking ever more beautiful. 'Stop staring at me and get changed... you must be down to seconds now handsome.' She said turning round to face him with a grin on her face.

'Too late, Hotch and Rossi were pulling up as I was locking up.'

'Well then you better rush.' She replied walking to the door, and opening it just as Hotch was about to knock. 'Morning boss men.'

'Morning Penelope, how are you today?'

'A lot better than yesterday thank you.'

'That's good to hear.' Rossi commented as he put a bag down on the counter.

Hotch approached Penelope. 'Are you sure you want to do this?'

'Yes... I'm a survivor Hotch... not a victim, yesterday it all came at me with so much momentum that I got caught off guard... but you're a family right? Families don't keep secrets.' She then added a smile that said everything it needed to.

'Okay... well they should be here about now.'

'We are!' Emily said as she entered the open door. 'We weren't far behind you guys.'

'Ah okay.'

'Morning Pen.'

'Moring you three.'

Derek entered the room freshly dressed and they all dug in the bags and helped themselves to mountains of food that everyone had brought, they ate with mixed conversations in the air and then washed up together to get it done faster. When they were all done they took seats, all looking at Penelope.

She drew in a breath and began. 'Chase McClusky was a boyfriend of mine when I was underground, let's just say he was not the nicest of men but I didn't become aware of that until like 4 months into our relationship. I was informed by someone about what he was up to, so when I could I would follow him with this person to see if they were right and they were. I saw him beat up a couple of people, deal drugs and pass out endless threats all within the course of 3 hours.'

They all nodded. 'I decided then and there it was my chance to get out, to get free of him, I knew enough about him to not make me want to be part of his life. When I did try to leave he smacked me, it became a regular thing and he never let me be on my own, never gave me my personal place to think. I did manage to sneak off at one point and I went to the police and alerted them to him, they knew who he was and I had bruises to go with a case of GBH, when I got back he confronted me, someone had been watching me and they had told him that I had been to the police. He drugged me and kept me locked up for four days before the police found us. It took the police three days to even begin an investigation.'

'So what happened?' Emily asked, her expression matching that of Reid's and JJ's. Hotch; Rossi and Derek were all aware of it all. Penelope just pushed the medical report towards them.

'You can look but its might not be the best sight for this early in the day.' Emily snatched it up and opened it.

'He did this to you?' Penelope nodded. 'And he never got caught?'

'He lived underground, well that was until he was killed.'

'Well good... if he wasn't dead I would tracking him down.'

'I think it's safe to say that we all would.' Hotch confirmed and gave Penelope a smile. He thought nothing less of her for keeping this a secret, nor did he look at her and see victim written over her. 'The arrest done yesterday was to get Penelope done for McClusky's murder.'

'But the extent of these injuries surely you wouldn't have been able to?'

'Exactly... I didn't get out of the hospital for nearly a month and when I did was in and out rehab for 6 months, I didn't regain any independence for like a year.'

'Who looked after you?'

'Some friends I had who were fed up of the underground.'

'So who did do it?'

'My brother apparently.'

'He gave a complete confession yesterday.'

'But I thought...'

'I know... I didn't think they cared either.' Penelope admitted.

'So he avenged you.' Penelope nodded and so did Hotch. 'And now is going to prison?' Nods again.

'Pen why didn't ever say anything?' Reid asked, after looking up from a photo he had in his hand.

'When's the right opportunity to bring that up?' She pointed to the file and it's many photos. 'It's not something you spurt out and to be honest I had literally moved on, it was my past, it doesn't change anything about me.'

'No! Of course.' Emily said panicked that Penelope might think they thought of her differently. 'But you do know we wouldn't have minded you telling us however.'

'I get that but now you know, its my past, yeah okay it's not a nice past but it is the past.'

'How you feeling about it all?'

'It's daunting and its in the place in my head at the moment that I truly don't want it to be but I'm fine.' Penelope smiled, her shoulders even more light for telling all to the team, they all smiled genuine smiles and she surveyed their eyes, all not holding the look of pity but of support.