Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

It had been 9 days since they had had time to look for Penelope, Strauss had declined personal leave to allow them to search for her, she wasn't family after all so their relationship was perceived as strictly professional, even if to them it stemmed were out of that category. Derek had got to her apartment and found it empty, Penelope was lost and they didn't know what she was lost in.

Hotch walked in and into his office, he saw a letter and opened it. He read and threaded his eyebrows together in worry.

Sir,

I'm okay... I guess as okay as I can be. I'm not close anymore. I won't be; thank you for everything you have done for me, I love you and the team; you are my true family and have been since day one. I can't contact you but I pray to be in contact soon.

I know you told me to tell Derek that I love him and I did but I'm scared it fell on deaf eyes, I will always love him but for now he'll have to move on, I saw the look in his eyes when I finally told him, something flickered. I don't want to know if that's a bad thing that I saw.

I will get in contact, that's a promise but for now it's safer for me to not.

Penelope

'What have you got into Penelope?' He whispered and left his office a little miffed. 'Guys conference room now.' They looked at him shocked. 'I have a letter off Penelope.' Everyone rushed and stood and watched him, Hotch said nothing but read the letter, when he finished he looked at them. 'Something doesn't add up and I'm pretty sure there are clues in here.'

'Clues?'

'Well... 'I guess', she would know if she was okay she wouldn't guess.... 'I'm not close'... 'you are my true family'... my guess is she is with her brothers in California.... 'I can't contact'... 'it safer for me to not'...' He was cut off his line of thought as his cell rang. 'Hotchner?' He listened, simple gestures of understanding and agreement were passed before he said the conference room phone number and then shut his phone. 'Right take a seat.'

'Who was it?'

'One of Penelope's brothers... he's going to call back.'

'What did he say?'

'Not much...' The phone in the middle of the table rang and he put it on speaker phone. 'Joel?'

'Agent Hotchner... Penelope mentioned you once or twice; I didn't know whether to get to you or a Derek Morgan, so I went with you her boss.' He said rushed.

'It's fine Derek's here... what's wrong?'

'It's Penelope... neither her or our brother Andy will listen.'

'Listen?'

'She won't leave, and he won't leave her alone... I'm sorry, I don't know what to do... we were brought up by a disciplined father, Andy is repaying back for the years that Penelope left.'

'Repaying?'

'She's living with him, not by choice, more by force... it's to rid of her sins, to re-establish her into the family... plus he saw her with Derek, and because of him being black she has to pay her dues for that. She argued that she wouldn't stop seeing him, that she loved him too much to push him to the side, so she had to take what Andy gives.'

'What's he done to her?'

'She got out of hospital 2 days ago due to burns to her arm from boiling water, she has some broken ribs, the list is endless... please, the police department won't believe me, Andy is the lead detective there, his reputation out rides any claim I file... you're our last hope to get Penelope out of there.'

'Well we are leaving now.'

'Thank you... I'm so sorry to drag you into this.'

'It's fine, we love her.' Hotch said and looked up as everyone. 'I'll call when we are leaving.'

'Thank you... thank you so much.' Hotch put the phone down and put his hands on the table and breathed in to calm his nerves.

'I'm going to talk to Strauss.' Was all Rossi said and left the room hastily and determined.

'Hotch...'

'I know, we are getting her out of that and home, here.' Derek remained silent, his vision blurring from tears that he would refuse to allow to fall. No more than 10 minutes later they were leaving the bureau with their go bags ready to restock, Hotch had the printed medical report of Garcia's, directions from her brother and a game plan. With 4 weeks under their belt they were determined to get their friend back.

While the team left, in California Penelope was living out her worst nightmare again. She saw her brother coming towards her, he whipped his belt off and folded it in half, she whimpered as she pulled her top off and faced the wall, Andy raised his arm and then slapped the thick leather down tearing more of her skin to shreds. He continued 5 more times before leaving her to fall to the ground and shake with pain, her back bleeding from new and old wounds; she knew it was only going to get worse before she was set as their sister again and gather her life back in California. She was now starting to wonder if this was worth it, but then she guessed she blew her part in her life in Quantico, after all why would they want her back when she turned her back and declined help when she really needed it?