Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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'Ready sweetness?' Derek asked as he helped her stand, as soon as she was up he pulled her into his embrace which she took almost magnetically, he continued to hug her and he would until she called it quits. He looked awkwardly to the door as 3 people streamed in, they looked hopefully that Penelope had broken but were saddened when Derek's face told them the answer. Fran, Desiree and George worried even more until the pair separated; Derek pushed some loose hair back behind her ear. 'Let's get you to the hotel yeah?' She nodded at him and George grabbed the bag on the bed, Fran and Desiree grabbing the newer flowers and gifts and Derek took Penelope's hand. His other hand in his pocket, fiddling with the card for a counsellor, his mind playing with the idea that she needed to see someone.

The drive to the hotel was quiet, when they looked at Penelope she was staring at the bruise forming on her hand from the IV, nothing else grabbed her attention. When George pulled up in front of the hotel Derek once again helped Penelope out. 'I'll be back in an hour with the others okay?' He got acceptance and waited to see them in before heading off. It was 6 in the evening and knew Penelope would more than likely be sleeping when they made it but he needed a place to release so headed for the cemetery where their parents were buried, he had gotten his sister back and everything slid into place until she collapsed and she woke up another person, a person that seemed to scare them all.

He walked the track he knew too well from 12 years of visiting, he placed a new flower down; it appeared that the other brothers and Jimmy had thought the same for the lost baby. He knelt and touched his mother and father's headstone.

'Just give her the strength... that's all I ask.' He said and looked over the words, all of love, pride, unity, he stood dusted his trousers off and walked back to his car. He drove and got his brothers and they headed to the hotel, they knew the room so headed straight up. When they got in they found the team were still away, Derek was now the quietest of them all.

'Where's Pen?' Joel asked quietly.

'She's sleeping.'

Derek stood as his mom spoke those words, he breathed in. 'I'm going to go out for some air.'

Everyone looked from one another. 'I'll go in 5 minutes.' George said knowing full well where Derek was heading, he had been the first to admit that Derek was perfect for their sister and an immediate friendship was formed between the pair. He looked at his watch and headed out. When he made it to the roof he saw Derek resting on the railing around the outside, his head bent forward, his shoulders slightly shifting.

'Hey man... you doing okay?' He saw Derek's posture stiffen, him wipe his face.

'Yeah.' Derek answered quietly.

George walked to railing, placed his hands on it and looked out across the view. 'You don't need to be strong in front me of Derek, I won't think any less of you.' He heard Derek exhale. 'Come on, talk to me.' Derek looked at him shocked. 'Everyone's pussy footing around Pen, but you lost that baby too and you don't seem to get any worries passed to.'

'I don't begrudge her that.'

'I know you don't... but you deserve a listening ear... so talk... I'm giving it to you.'

'It's just she's sinking and everything I try is failing on me, everything that usually works isn't and I'm scared to lose her as well.' George remained silent, prompting Derek to continue. 'She won't cry, she won't smile, she won't execute any emotion... and that scares me, I've lost a child, I can't lose my wife with it.'

'You being you for her, I think is pulling her through this, even if at this moment you seem like your losing, you're not.' Derek looked at him. 'When we lost Benny in the stabbing, she clammed up, took us 3 weeks to break her entirely, she had seen too much for her age, she did not need to see her brother and best friend killed and then to be left to die, we knew it would have an effect on her, but not to the severity where she silenced us all.'

'So what did you do?'

'Lance came along, used to lay on the bed with her, just talk to her about it, not push her to relive the bad but push her to remember the good in life. They used to spend ages in her room, he gave up part of his life for her just to get his 'Doris' back to him and what I've seen he has the drive to do it again but we've all seen that you are now the driving force of getting your 'baby girl' back.' Derek wiped his face of fresh tears. 'I know it's hard for you both but I believe that the way you love one another will keep you together through this.'

'I promised her we would beat this and I'm not about to give up on her.'

'I think we all guessed that the moment we saw you hold her, and her protect her, then for it to be reinforced the moment we saw you holding her as she slept the other day just proved a light at the end of the tunnel.'

Derek smacked his hands on the railings. 'I feel like a failure!' He said frustrated.

'Derek... you aren't...'

'Well if I wasn't why is my wife laying in a bed slowly retracting from all emotions?'

'It's got to get bad before it gets better.'

'Well how much worse is it going to get before it gets better?' George remained silent and leant down thoughtfully. 'I don't know what to do... I try and try to be myself, to be the man she names a hero to her when all the while I want to slump down and cry at the loss of everything.'

'Well maybe that's what you need to do.'

'I'm not going to break.'

'Sounds familiar.' Derek looked at him. 'Pen's a tough cookie, always has, always will be but you two are so alike that you need time to bounce off one another.' George then stood up straight. 'You need time to recuperate.' Derek then stood upright, like a new man, except for the blood shot eyes. 'Its getting chilly, let's get back... maybe if you just go and have a lie down, you deserve a proper bed with your wife.'

'Is it safe?'

'It's probably the safest thing you could do Derek.'

They walked back into the building in complete silence, Derek said night to everyone that was now in the room, and headed to the bathroom, he took a shower then put boxers on before climbing into the bed, he felt Penelope tense then relax before taking his open arms. He felt her breath tickle his chest and that was enough to help him sleep.