Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing, just the plot bunny ;)

A/N:Right, you're getting an update so quickly because I'm not sure when the next one will be! Tomorrow's looking a little jam packed so I thought I'd save some of the confusion... or hope to!

Thank you for the response to the last chapter and I hope this keeps you engrossed...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- While In Wonderland -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Penelope could tell from one look of his expression that he was deadly serious at what was beginning to happen. They were in a limbo, the effects on her physically showed that perfectly. This wasn't reality, and it was only now the surreal feeling around them began to take over.

Pacing with hands on his head, Derek looked at her, "It's been obvious all along but we've been so happy we've not noticed it."

"Noticed what exactly?" Penelope pushed, not really wanting to believe what was happening.

He moved towards her, "It's all been too perfect." He spoke, more rationalising with himself than letting Penelope in on what was going on in his mind. "What was the last case you remember?" He asked her, his head snapping up in quick succession, his eyes staring straight.

"I-I," She started, her forehead furrowing with frustrated thought. "I don't remember."

"Think, Baby, this is to help us." He said as he stepped in and put his hands to her arms, "The last case?" He asked her again, prompting her with his tone.

Penelope spent a moment or two thinking, trying her hardest to make sense of what he was asking and then it came to her. "Boston," She replied to him and the realisation hit her. "That was a good five weeks ago surely." She gasped at him and shook her head, "No, no, that can't be right. We have no reason to be off work."

Derek shook her a little in an attempt to calm her before he asked her more questions. "And when was the last time you picked up your phone to answer a call? Or ring someone?" He asked her, his mind finally solidifying what he guessed he always knew.

Feeling her eyes water some she felt her chest constrict some with panic. "The morning before I came to the house. I was making the hamper when JJ rang to arrange lunch. We were meant to go the next day."

"What about our phones. Any of them rang lately?"

She could only shake her head as the reality hit her harder than ever.

Derek sighed heavily, almost fearfully. "When was the last time someone was at the house?"

Retaining eye contract Penelope simply answered. "Night before the day at the house. We'd just finished the case, the team were round."

Nodding Derek rallied for more questions, but he was losing grip on this reality. He was terrified that he would wake up and nothing be real anymore. He didn't know what to believe but there were things he was certain he could believe in.

He and Penelope wouldn't be engaged and for that he hated himself for not biting the bullet and asking her the one question that his heart allowed him to say easiest.

"When was the last time we saw someone?" He asked her simply, "Anyone, a stranger, someone we knew, doesn't matter who."

Penelope's lip trembled with force as her mind started to calculate everything, "The people in the house next door at the other house." She told him, "They waved as I drove passed before I got to you."

Silence settled and Derek resumed pacing, Penelope however remained stuck to her spot. Firmly believing that there was some other response.

"This means only one thing." Derek started slowly, "I really did see you hurt after the house exploded," He finally spoke the one thing that broke his heart.

Shaking her head powerfully again, "No, it can't be. I mean... here. You and me, we're real."

"Are we?" He questioned her and he could see from the look in her eyes that even she knew that maybe things weren't what they had thought they were. "You're here, I'm here, but no one else is. It makes sense, Baby."

"It doesn't," She disregarded.

"Pen, this isn't reality. Whatever is going on in reality isn't happening here."

"I don't believe you," She refused to acknowledge it. "What we've felt, what we've done. It all means that if this isn't real then what we've done isn't. You never asked me to marry you."

Derek captured her in his arms again as her break came again. "Oh, Baby, believe me I'll ask you to marry me a thousand times over." He told her truthfully and then felt wetness against his skin. Bringing his hand up from her back he saw blood.

Obviously sensing it, Penelope pulled back and inspected it, lifting her dress up to expect as well as she could she saw nothing.

"What does this mean?"

Derek shuddered at the thought. "The only thing I can think of it being is," He paused, composing himself some, "is you're getting stronger. Whatever is happening in real life it's good. You're being pulled back."

There was no fault in his tone, no lack of confidence in his declaration. There was absolutely no hesitance in. Derek was deadly certain that the real world wanted Penelope back.

The one thing that meant for Derek was that the stronger his feelings got for this place and the weaker hers got meant that she was slowly waking up and he was slowly dying. He wouldn't tell her that, he wouldn't allow that part of his mind to divulge and alert her to what was happening. He wouldn't put that type of burden on her.

"Why aren't you bleeding like me?" Penelope asked him, her tone so full of innocence and pain and he could see from the tears that fell that she knew. "You're dying aren't you?" She asked fearfully, her voice cracked at the end. "I refuse to leave if you're not coming with me." Penelope demanded firmly, refusing to believe there was any other way for it to happen.

It was her with him, or him or with her. There was no one then the other; it was all about them going together.

"When it's time, it's time, Pen. We don't get a say," He tried to soothe her the best he could.

"But I don't want to go," She near enough made it sound like she was begging him. "I don't want to leave you," She said as tears flew violently heavy from her eyes. "I can't live without you, Derek. I told you that, and if this is me going back then this means you're not going to be there. I'll be going back to whatever's happened and you won't be there."

Derek cupped his hands to her face, kissed her and then pressed his forehead to hers and just breathed. He had no words for this; he had no syllables to console her in this moment.

"What if," She breathed in between sobs, "What if I go back and you're already gone?" She asked him lowly. "I'm scared," She finally admitted, her summation was complete then.

Derek closed his eyes and then pulled away, shaking his head in a bid to rid the tears. "You listen to me, okay?"

Penelope trusted Derek enough; she had no reason to shake her head. All she could do was hear him out.

"I doubt we'd be here if either of us were dead, Baby Girl." He told her, he saw her eyes harden in their disbelief. "This isn't heaven."

"It feels like it though." Penelope murmured to him.

Closing his eyes again, "I know," He answered before opening them again to look at her. "This isn't heaven though; this has to be limbo, P. There's nothing else for it."

"I'm not ready to leave whatever this is though, Derek."

Pulling her close he rocked her body closely. "Then don't." Were the only words he could answer her with in that moment.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- While In Wonderland -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If I have a moment, I'd capture that moment

You would be right here next to me

If I have the secret, the secret to your love

I would plant your treasure beneath my heart

Lock it all up and throw away the key

I would never give it up

If I have the minutes, I would turn 'em into hours

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- While In Wonderland -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Song: Chris Brown – All Back