Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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'How's the patient?' Hotch asked from the door way, as he looked in on Penelope on her side, a pillow and hot water bottle on side, one hand on top of the pillow, the other hand in Derek's.

'Tired.' Was all she said followed by a sigh. 'I want out.'

'I know baby girl but just bare it out and you can get out and home.'

'Strauss expects us back on the case Monday so Derek you'll be off with Penelope until we get home and then I expect you to take some time off.' The pair nodded. 'You want visitors?' Hotch said trying to entice a smile even if just a minimal one. 'You have about 14 of them.'

'Wow... that many.' She said trying to be happy, she went to sit up but winced.

'Stay like that Penelope; I'm sure we can cope.' He got a slight smile off her as she fell back into the position and took Derek's hand in hers again. Derek felt her squeeze it and he had picked up that she did this when she was near tears or trying to manage the pains.

'You okay baby girl?' She nodded as everyone came in, he brushed some hair back and she looked at them as they watched over her protectively all with the same mask of worry.

'You lot are so readable right now, it's unbelievable.' She joked tiredly. They all smiled at her slightly but saw her eyes change as she looked Lance and Owen. 'What the hell are you doing here?' She snapped at them. 'You two have a wedding to be at!'

'Sorry Doris, no can do.'

'What? Why?' She said as she twisted and sat up batting Derek's attempts to help, wincing as she went. 'You would've got married had I not been around.'

'Well maybe but you are and we both want you there so we have postponed it with the help of these lovely people, it had been pushed back, with promised time off for you and these gorgeous people of yours.' Penelope didn't smile, she just looked completely defeated.

'Hey Pen, they weren't pushed to that decision, they said immediately after we heard you were out of surgery.'

'I don't care, you've probably had this planned for ages, I come along and everything changes.'

'We aren't budging.' They said and watched her tire furthermore.

'Kiddo get some more rest.' George said. 'That's an order not an option.'

'You sound just like Hotch.'

'Well then I'll have complete backing.'

'Which you do.' Hotch agreed. 'Just rest Penelope, the sooner you do that the sooner you get out.' They all stared at her until she went back to the side position and then all looked at them.

'You don't need to stick around.' She said quietly.

'Well maybe just maybe we have time off work and came to keep you entertained.'

'Well roll out the show.' They all laughed.

'First we are fetching food... want anything in particular?' Penelope shook her head no and everyone looked at her with added worry.

'The medication she's on is going to make appetite go for a bit.' Derek said as Penelope remained quiet, everyone just nodded before filing out, Fran and Derek exchanged knowing that a talk was about to occur, once the door was shut he turned to her. 'Baby they only care... they're just as worried.'

'Well they don't need to be.'

'Talk to me.' He said knowing she was hiding things.

'I'm fine!'

'No! No you're not... so stop lying to me!' He almost shouted at her. 'You're bottling up.'

'I'm not!'

'What so quick answers and no emotion is letting it out yeah?'

'I just feel...' She started but halted.

'Feeling what? Let me in Pen.' He said desperate at that point. 'Please.' He near enough pleaded.

'Empty... I feel empty.' She said quietly.

'Oh baby girl.' He said running a hand up her arm, she didn't say anything after that so he stood up, motioned for her to move a little bit, watching out for the wires of the heart monitor and pulled her into a his arms how they did at home. 'Keeping it in is not good.'

'I just can't cry.' She said, his immediate thought being yet and then he felt her bury her face into his chest. He knew not to press her, she would break sooner or later, or so he hoped. He lay there soothing her until he knew she had drifted off, he was about to separate their bodies when the door opened.

'Oh.' The nurse said slightly shocked.

'Sorry... it was the only way we could calm her down.'

'Oh oh okay... the doctor will be down in a bit to check Mrs Morgan over, he'll decide then when she can be discharged.'

'Okay.' Derek started to move again.

'Mr Morgan, it may be better to stay like that... give her that comfort she's probably wanting right now.' Derek nodded and smiled at her. 'Would you like me to allow the people out here in?'

'You can do.' The nurse nodded, smiled and left the room, no longer after Fran, Jimmy, Desiree, George and Andy came in.

'Everything okay in here?' Andy asked as he watched his sister sleep in Derek's arm.

'Yeah... she just won't break.' Derek said his voice dancing upon copious different emotions. 'This is the only way I knew to get her to sleep.'

'Well it's working.' Jimmy commented as he watched Penelope breathe rhythmically in Derek's arms. From what he was observing, along with the 2 Garcia brothers, this showed the strength of Derek's love and the boldness of the underlying friendship for the pair. For Derek to hold Penelope so close showed the devotion, they had heard the mini argument, Derek not giving up but backing off when necessary and from walking in the room they could tell it hadn't affected anything, it was all a ploy to weaken Penelope.

'Usually does.' Derek said as he remembered the amount of times before that he had held onto Penelope so tightly that all he felt the whole night was wholly love, completion and her heart beating against his body.

'Usually?'

'When cases get bad and stuff its how we help one another... cliché I know but it works.' He looked down at Penelope and ran a hand over her back more to comfort himself than anything, to help assert that she was indeed still alive and that he had to fight to get her back to how she was the day before.

'Derek maybe you need to take a break.' Fran asked worriedly knowing her son hadn't left the hospital since Penelope had been admitted.

'I can't.' He told his mom. 'I just can't leave her right now.'

'Okay but maybe it will do you good.' Fran said but saw he wasn't going to shift, Fran soon backed down and helped put out chairs ready for when the others got back.