Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

A/N: Okay so this isn't going to go the way you want it to go... eek... lol but you'll see... do I usually let down on the MG front?? =)

3 weeks later

The team trudged through yet other pile load of files, no one had heard from Penelope and worries were gaining of her whereabouts, Derek had allowed himself to get swallowed up and in the days after Penelope leaving found he couldn't continue a relationship when he knew he was in love with another woman, a woman that he would get back whether it took him a lifetime.

Emily, Reid and Derek all sat in silent shock as they watched their blonde tech enter the bullpen in track suit bottoms and a baggy hoodie on, she ignored them, her head down and as she walked to Hotch's office they noticed she was tying to hiding a limp. She didn't talk she just went to the office door, knocked and entered.

'Penelope...' Hotch gasped.

'I need to resign... effective immediately.'

'Penelope, what? Why?' He asked as he stood up and walked towards her. 'Look at me.' She looked up at him and he saw the harsh purple bruising down the left side of her face. 'Penelope... talk to me.' He said worriedly.

'It's nothing.'

'Penelope it's something, you're limping, you're hugging yourself protectively and you have masses of bruises... talk.'

'It's nothing!' She shouted back but sucked in a sharp breath. 'I just need to resign... effective immediately.' She repeated the sentence that she had said earlier.

'Where will you go?'

'I don't know.'

'Penelope... let us help you.'

'You can't.'

'Try us.'

'Please... just give me a resignation and I'll be gone.'

'So you're just going to leave? No details to the others, no explanation.'

'There isn't much to explain.'

'Well explain to me... everything.'

She looked at the clock, her eyes gaining panic. 'Please, I don't have time for this.'

Hotch noticed this and walked towards her. 'What's happened to you?'

'Nothing.'

'Penelope you're jumpy, you're hurt, and you're withdrawn, something happened to you.'

'It doesn't matter!'

'It does!'

'No! It! Doesn't!' She went for the door and Hotch smack it with his hand to stop her leaving. 'I can't stay here anymore.'

'And why not?'

'The jobs too much.' He saw it was a blatant lie as he stood profiling her. 'We've all lost contact; everyone's got lives outside of this.'

'What... and you aren't a part of that?'

'I blew my part in your lives... so please just give me a resignation.'

'I am not resigning you... I'll put you on unknown leave.'

'No! Don't!'

'Penelope Garcia!' He shouted and everyone in the bull pen looked. 'What are you hiding?'

'Nothing.'

'Lies... you never lie, now tell me.'

'Fine! Don't give me a resignation, I'll send a letter to the director.'

'He won't give it to you; you know you don't want to do this.' Hotch said and the look on Penelope's face told me him he was exactly right, she didn't want to quit. 'Again, what the hell happened to you?'

'I fell.'

'Lie!'

'Stop it okay! I'm not your worry... I'm no one's worry.' She said and left the office, before going back through the bull pen and leaving. Derek wasted no time; he jumped up and followed her.

'Baby girl.'

'Leave me alone Derek.' She said painfully, the stress wrecking havoc on her already tender sides.

He felt a dagger to the heart but was persistent. 'No.'

'Derek.' She said turning and he noticed the severity of the bruising. 'You moved on with your life, so did I.'

'But I haven't and nor have you.' He put his hand up to look at the bruising but felt her jump so took his hand down.

'Oh so the girl at your apartment that night wasn't us moving on, moving apart.'

'I should've told you.'

'We don't have the closeness we used to, it wasn't warranted.'

'Pen, what's happened to you?' He asked due to her coldness and detachment to what they had.

'Like I told Hotch, it's none of your worry... no one has to worry about me.'

'But I do... baby why did you say no to Lynch?' She looked at him wide eyed. 'You can tell me.'

'Because I don't love him... I've been trying to force myself to love second best.'

'So who's first?' She looked down. 'Penelope ...'

'You are okay... there I told you, you can have your laugh now but I really need to go.'

'Penelope don't.' He said, hoping this was the moment he could tell her all.

'No, it's safer if I go.' He stood and watched her walk to the elevator and then leave; he rushed back into the bull pen and straight to Hotch.

'We need to get her back.'

'I'm on it already.'

'What are you doing?'

'I got a tech getting onto her medical report from the last 3 weeks, something happened to her and she isn't letting anyone in.'

'She has defensive wounds on her hands and wrist.'

Hotch nodded, he had noticed them to. 'What did you say to her?'

'I asked her why she was going... what had happened to her... and she told me she loves me.'

'Well its the truth.'

'You knew?'

'In some sense, not the sense that she told me but we've always known that you two love one another.' He looked at Derek. 'Get everyone into the conference room; we need to see if she's said anything to any of us.'

Hotch followed Derek when the report was handed to him and he read through and then shut the door when he made it to the room. 'So did you all see Garcia?' They all nodded. 'According to the report Garcia was taken to the hospital after falling down the stairs, yet she had defensive wounds all up her arms.'

'Who took her to the hospital?'

'An Andy Garcia.... relation, brother, stayed overnight with her.'

'So she's been in California?'

'Appears to be.'

'So she must be going back there.'

'Hmm maybe....' Hotch said reading the list of injuries she sustained. 'From this, this isn't falling down the stairs.'

'What is there?'

'Facial contusions, fist like bruises on her back, blows to her sides caused mass bruising to her ribs, her hip bones bruised with a slight fracture to it, hence the limp and she just had impact cuts on her.'

'So it sounds like abuse.' Derek said seething at hearing the amount of injuries rallied out, he couldn't believe she had left and now was subject to such cruelty.

'Who would abuse her though?'

Hotch went to answer as JJ's phone rang out in her pocket. She spoke and they knew it was a case. 'Case in New Jersey.'

'Morgan is your go bag here?' He nodded. 'Okay head to Garcia's but be at the airstrip in 2 hours. We can brief on the plane.' The team then dispersed, Derek giving his bag to Reid ready for the flight to New Jersey, their thoughts all consumed with Penelope and what had happened to her in the 3 weeks they had been parted.