Derek had been sitting outside Penelope's room while she and JJ talked. As he reviewed the intense paperwork regarding Penelope's post hospitalization care, he was struck with the reality of how quickly he could have lost her again. Reading warnings stating risks of potential lung puncture and loss of blood were making him shake with fear and nervous energy. He sat up straight when he heard her heartbreaking cries from within the corridor. When he walked into the room, he found her cuddled into JJ's embrace, her face hiding in the crook of the blue eyed woman's neck as her injured body violently shook with desperate sobs. When JJ made eye contact with him, she motioned for him to leave. Her eyes spoke volumes as they were clouded with anger, pain and sadness for her best friend. Derek nodded and returned to his post outside his Penelope's room, her tears ripping him apart.

He didn't even notice Hotch return to sit beside him. Hotch was studying his agent carefully. Derek's body no longer sat with the confidence and strength he had always known him to have. No. This man sat heartbroken and emotionally beaten as the sound of his analyst's tears permeated through their world.

Deciding it would be best to get him away just for a few moments, Hotch placed a firm but comforting hand upon Derek's shoulder and said, "Let's get some coffee."

"I can't..." Derek attempted to protest, but Penelope's cry stopped him short and his head turned toward the door, in false hope that he might be let him.

"You need to get out of here for a while." Hotch knew that they were in for a long difficult road. Between Penelope's suffering and the loss of Emily, they were all broken down. "You will be no help to her exhausted from guilt. Come on, let's grab some coffee."

Derek only nodded and followed his boss hoping to gain some needed strength to take care of the most important woman in his life.

Penelope sighed as she finally calmed from her heart break. Looking up to JJ with guilty eyes, she bit her bottom lip and spoke softly. "Im sorry JJ. I didn't mean to break like that."

"Pen, it happens to all of us. You spend your time trying to make sure we are okay, but you never allow yourself to break when you are hurting. You need to do that for yourself." JJ moved Penelope's hair from her face and studied her closely. With a mother's touch, JJ tried to take her friend's pain, but failed to do so as she wiped the brown eyed woman's tears.

"I wish Emily was with us," Pen said sadly. "I remember when I got shot, she looked so angry but so hurt at the idea of me being hurt. Just a couple weeks ago she thanked me for being a source of goodness and innocence in her life. Do you think she knew then that she would be taken from us?"

Shaking her head slowly, JJ answered her, "I don't think any of us know when exactly we will be taken from those we love. However, she knew that Doyle was a threat that was dangerous. I think she needed to say that to you so she could have peace in her heart that you knew how much she loved and admired you."

"She was the amazing one," Penelope said, a lone tear falling upon her scar.

JJ hugged her firmly, but kept in mind the seriousness of her best friend's injuries. "You are so wonderful, Penelope Garcia. You have no idea how special you are."

There was a knock at the door and Doctor Johnson came through the door. "Ah Ms. Garcia. I see you are having a slumber party?"

His humor was dry at best, but Penelope could still smile at her serious doctor. "Ah yes, Doc. When am I being released from my sterile prison? No offense of course." JJ could only smile at her spunky friend.

"None take, Ms. Garcia. Agent Morgan has filled out all your paperwork. I must say, I am incredibly impressed. He knew all of your medical history. I don't see that with most married couples. You have a great friend, Ms. Garcia."

Penelope felt overwhelming feelings of confusion, sadness and guilt. As much as she wished she could be angry at Derek for what happened between them, she could only blame herself. She was the one who let him into her heart, her body, her soul, knowing that it was only for purposes of comfort and release. She made the mistake of loving him, knowing that he didn't love her the same way. Penelope flashed a wary smile and said to her doctor, "I am very blessed, Doctor Johnson. Thank you."

JJ was still impressed with the capabilities of the human heart. Looking at her best friend, she could still see the feelings of betrayal and sadness upon her. However, more prominent than her hurt was her unconditional love for the man outside her door. She didn't think he could do anything to take her love from him. However, JJ knew this pain would be there for a while. "Doctor, when will Penelope be released?"

"That is up to Ms. Garcia. She can sign off on her release and be taken home by Agent Morgan as long as she promises she will stay away from the thought of work for the next 8 weeks."

Sighing with her head falling back upon her pillow she nodded and said, "What work, Doctor Johnson?"

"That's a better attitude," Doctor Johnson said observing her chart. "Now, my records indicate that Agent Morgan arranged for your follow up appointment with your primary physician. I will be forwarding Doctor Rodriguez your charts."

Surprised, Penelope smiled and said, "Thank you, Doctor."

Penelope and JJ waved at the doctor as he exited the room. JJ sat up and moved beside Penelope, placing a gentle kiss upon her cheek. "I think that's my cue to leave."

"Jayje!" Penelope protested reaching gently for her best friend. "Don't go."

"Pen, you need to get dressed and Derek is going to take you home."

"Jayje. I don't know..."

"Pen, you are never going to move forward and back on the right track with him if you don't let him in. I can tell you with absolute certainty that Derek is here and in it for the long haul. You just need to let him in." JJ rubbed soft circles on her hand attempting to calm her friend down.

"Im afraid," Penelope whispered.

"Oh honey, Kevin won't be there. He is long gone. And I know for a fact that Cooper's team is hunting him down."

"I can still feel him. The kicks, the pulls, the hits. I can't escape it when Im awake and when I sleep it's..." Penelope felt familiar tears burn her eyes. She was shocked that she could still cry after breaking the way she did.

"What honey?" JJ asked.

"In my sleep, Kevin has a gun. The beatings are still brutal, but Derek comes rushing into the apartment when I scream. He is dressed the way he did when we had sex. The dark suit, the diamond cuff links. When I see him look at me, he gets this animalistic rage written upon his face. When he charges, Kevin turns and shoots him. And I can't... I can't save him." Penelope felt so lost each time she woke from her nightmare. She can't escape what happened and just wants to move on.

"Pen, Derek is alive. He is right outside the door. You just need to let him in."

Biting her lip and looking toward the window to release her tears away from JJ's focused gaze, she choked out, "He hurt me so bad, Jayje. More than I ever thought he could."

Knowing that they had shifted the man of focus back to Derek, JJ pressed a timid kiss to her forehead and nodded against her. "I know, sweetheart. But you now need to move forward. What happened passed, and now if you want any chance of saving what you two had, you need to forgive and move on."

"I still love him," Penelope said as if she had lost Derek instead of Emily.

"I know." JJ reached for her purse and handed her the photo that had once been on Penelope's bedside table. "If you need any reassurance of knowing how much we all love and need you, look at this photo. We are your family. A piece might be missing and some of us are more torn than others, but we are still a family. I will come by your apartment with Henry in a couple hours. Okay, Pen?"

Penelope nodded and looked up at her best friend with love in her eyes. "I love you Jennifer Jareau."

"I love you too, Penelope Garcia." With a sad smile, JJ walked out of the hospital room with more purpose than ever to bring her family out of the darkness they were now under.

Derek was stirring his coffee as Hotch returned with a couple sugar packets. Attempting to shift his mind from Penelope, he asked, "What did Reid and Rossi say?"

Hotch stiffened as he thought of his two friends who were now filled with more hurt and anger. "Rossi was very angry. He wanted to rush over here, but when I told him she was being released, he said he would just go over to the apartment. I informed him that Cooper's team was taking the case, and I know that he is going to be calling checking on updates every couple hours until Sam breaks his phone. I told Dave to stay away from Strauss, but he is hurt by Emily's loss and now Penelope's attack."

Nodding, Derek looked up at his friend and asked sadly, "And Reid?"

Exhaling sharply, Aaron continued, "Spencer isn't taking this well. I could tell he has a bad head ache today. He kept spouting statistics of domestic violence and listing abuse hotline numbers. I know that is his way of coping, but I can tell that he is troubled."

"Do you think he would leave the BAU?" he asked.

"Possibly. He has seen so much hurt in his young life. There is only so much that a person can take without being driven over the edge." Hotch looked down at his hand that was still bare. He missed Haley every day.

Before Derek could say anything else, Hotch's phone rang and both men sat up in attention. Seeing it was JJ, Hotch stiffened and answered it firmly, "JJ?"

"Hotch, Doctor Johnson just left. He is releasing Penelope in Derek's care."

"That's good news," Hotch concluded.

"Have you heard from Spence and Dave?" she asked.

"Yes, they are taking it hard."

Sighing sadly, JJ said, "If you can check on Dave, I will pick up Spencer and bring him with me when Henry and I take over a casserole for Pen."

"That would work," Hotch agreed.

"Okay, I'll see you in a couple hours." With that JJ hung up and made her way toward her vehicle.

Hotch closed the phone and looked at Derek's nervous and anticipation filled eyes. Raising a hand to still his anxiousness, Aaron said, "Doctor Johnson cleared Penelope's release."

Breathing out in relief, Derek rubbed his hands together and said, "Thank God. Now, what do we do from here?"

"I am going to get Dave before he kills Strauss while JJ picks up Reid." Hotch said.

"I will take Penelope home," Derek said.

"That would be best."

Suddenly unsure of himself, Derek started saying, "Hotch..."

"Morgan, you are Penelope's best friend. You two have a bond unlike anything I have ever seen. Yes, you have hurt her, but you and I both know you can move passed this. You need to remind her reasons why she should have faith in you, why she should care as much as she does."

"I don't want to lose her," Derek said sadly.

"Then don't."

Derek approached Penelope's corridor with timid steps. When he came toward her window, he stopped as she was dressing. Her sweat pants were on while she was slowly reading for her sport bra. As his eyes travelled her naked back, his mind returned to the moments when he was able to hold her soft skin beneath his finger tips. He could remember flipping them over so she rode him, her heaving breasts beneath his hands, her rapid heart a result of his touch.

Now that same skin was marred with cuts and lashes.

Now that skin was bruised and scared.

His eyes traveled up her back to trace the bruising patterns along her back. With tortured anger and sadness, Derek felt his hands clench at his sides. As much as he wanted to run and kill Lynch for his acts, Penelope would be his priority now, like she should always have been.

He entered her room as she was zipping up her sweatshirt. It was a warm purple zipper hoodie that had bright hearts along the arms that his mom had sent her for her birthday. Penelope turned to him and he watched as her eyes were clouded with caution and nervousness.

Derek stepped toward her, his hand extending slowly to grasp her small hands when she stepped forward and pressed two fingers to his lips to silence him. "Derek, let me speak. I owe you an apology."

Stunned, Derek took a step back and whispered her name. "Baby Girl..."

"I had no right to be angry for you for leaving that night. It was a moment of comfort we both needed after losing our loving raven haired beauty. That night before we entered my apartment door I swore to myself I wouldn't pressure you into wanting something more. It is my fault for allowing my childish desires for love and romance to dominate reality. You are so good to me. I took advantage of our friendship and for that, I am sorry."

Her words were killing Derek from the inside out. Her view was completely backwards and he knew he only had himself to blame. "Pen..."

She hushed him with a hint of a kiss upon his cheek. A lone tear fell from her eyes and landed upon his cheek. "Please don't fight me, Derek. I can't bear it."

Derek felt his heart break as he wiped away her tears from her cheeks and nodded silently. She gave him a sad smile and turned to finish getting ready. As he watched her change, Derek vowed that from this day on he would work to rebuild the heart of his Goddess and remind her of how much he loved her, how much she meant to him. It would take time and pain, but it was worth it for his Penelope to truly smile again.