Chap. 13 A needed talk

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds

Thanks again for the constant reviews. It helps a lot. Enjoy!

NB: I just realized that I included Rossi in the team… he's retired but still in touch with the team.

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They all gathered around the bed and looked at their friend.7penelope managed to make a small smile despite her broken cheek bones.

"Hey." She whispered.

"Hey Baby girl." Derek replied stroking her arm gently.

As soon as she heard these words Penelope eyes filled with tears.

"Hey Penelope that's ok." JJ said putting her hand above hers but quickly removing it as she saw her flinch.

"I'm sorry." Penelope whispered again.

They all knew she had some trouble talking with her cheekbones and didn't want to disturb her but there was so much they needed to talk with her.

"Why are you apologizing Penelope?" Hotch asked.

"I… I put myself in trouble again."

They all knew she was thinking about Battle.

"Penelope you didn't know about his real nature…."

Derek kept staring at her, there was so much he wanted to say and yet they needed to talk. He wanted to know why she left suddenly two years ago, why Chris had beaten nearly to death, why she had said " I lied" before passing out.

The drugs were making effects again and she was fast asleep.

They all left the room to take a coffee in the cafeteria. Derek had sent his mom back at the hotel to have some rest.

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"So do you think she knows who her husband really was?"

"I don't know she didn't even ask about him. I don't know if she realized I killed him." Derek said.

"DO you think he had hurt her more than one time?" Reid asked.

"No, Penelope wouldn't stay with someone who hurt her!" Derek said.

Then he saw the look the two girls exchanged.

"What? Do you know something we don't?" Hotch asked.

"Hem…we don't want to talk about it. We promised Pen."

"JJ, if you know something that can help us understand."

JJ and Emily exchanged one more look, and then Emily decided to speak.

"We don't know if Chris used to hit her but Kevin did." Emily said.

"What?" Derek said getting up.

"JJ placed a hand on his arm.

"Derek please sit down."

He did as she said and stared at her frowning. Emily nodded to JJ to make her explain the situation.

"Penelope decided to leave because the work was becoming too hard for her and she was unhappy with Kevin. We didn't know he was hurting her… but some days after her leaving, she admitted that Kevin used to hit her and she couldn't stand staying near such a man."

"She didn't say anything to me."

"She was ashamed, because it lasted longer than we think…"

"How bad did he hurt her?" Rossi asked.

"He managed to leave bruises in her body in places nobody could see. Just before she decided to leave, he had tried to strangle her. It has been the last straw… she left just after breaking up with him.

Derek got up.

"I need to talk to her."

"Derek she's sleeping right now, you'll have that necessary talk later."

Derek sat down again frustrated.

"So she moved on in California. We kept in touch by phone and several months later she told us she had met a brilliant doctor. We were happy for her. Some time later she phoned us to tell us about her wedding…"

"That's when I met her…" Derek sighed. "He seemed so normal and caring about her."

"This is not your fault Morgan." Rossi said.

"I know but somewhere I wish I could…"

"We know." Reid said.

They kept talking for some time before heading back to the room. They found her awake staring blankly at the wall.

"You're ok Penelope."

"Did you know that I married a murderer?" she whispered.

They all exchanged a worried look and sat around the bed sensing that Penelope had some revelations to say.