Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the little plot bunny (kinder!)
A/N: So I fell behind with my daily update (which I promised myself I would do!) I've been an exceedingly busy bee lately! BUT here's your chapter, and thank you all as usual =)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- When The Sky Falls -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Don't do this," Penelope begged as Derek hitched a bag up to his shoulder. "Don't leave me."
"You've got Reid, and you'll be with me before you know it." Derek tried to bargain with her rationally. "I'm not leaving you for long, Baby Girl. Just enough time for me to get to JJ's and then get back to you."
"You said you wouldn't leave," Penelope said and a lone tear trickled down her cheek. "You can't leave me now, not when all this is going on."
"Baby, you know I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it was worth it. JJ needs us now, more than ever and I can get there the quickest. Pretty Boy will keep you safe until you get to me and you know that JJ's house is only nearby."
"What if something happens?" Penelope asked fearfully, the fear and terror of him leaving diminished all hope she had had in her. They had been given the most ironic of miracles and now Penelope was scared to see it shattered. She wouldn't be able to survive if anything happened to him.
Derek knew arguing with Penelope wouldn't work so he looked at Reid for a moment, "Look after her. Anything happens and you have me to answer to you hear?"
"Got it," Reid verified, "I can go. I can run, I can help."
"With all due respect, Kid, they need muscle," Derek joked and he watched Reid laugh at that. Even in the midst of the apocalypse, the sky raining down on them, the ground literally caving in from beneath their feet. Derek then looked at Penelope, "Do you trust me?"
"Stupid question," She hiccupped on a sob, "You know I do."
"Then trust in my ability to do this. I refuse to drag you around and rush you. Not on your ankle, you're already doing too much." Derek told her and took her hands in his, pulling her closer so he could put his arms around her waist. "I'm indestructible, Baby. This won't get me."
"You making that a promise, Mr Morgan?"
"I'm making that a promise," He vowed to her honestly, "It's my duty to see you old and grey."
Penelope punched his chest playfully and giggled, "I guess I'll see you soon then," She said, praying this wouldn't be a long goodbye.
Sensing her detachment, he stole a kiss, "Sooner than you think." He kissed her again and left the house, leaving Reid and Penelope behind.
"We should follow," Reid pointed out a couple of seconds later. He knew that they didn't have anything left to stand around and wait for. They had a mission to complete and all they had to do was follow Derek.
Penelope nodded and wiped her face hastily, "You're right," She said and looked at him, "Sure you're going to handle having to pull an injured tech kitten along?"
Reid smirked then as he bent to pick up the remaining bag, "I think I can cope." He replied and put his hand out to help. "If we're steady with our pace, and nothing interrupts us we should be at JJ's house within the hour."
"Sometimes that brain of yours scares me," Penelope commented as they finally made their way out the half destroyed house, prepared to leave it behind. "But sometimes it comes in really handy."
Reid didn't say anything, he just smiled.
The pair walked in silence, Derek nowhere in sight. They both looked at how everything had changed since Derek and Penelope's arrival and even more destruction had been laid upon the town. Houses fallen in defeat from the strain, cars crashed in hasty getaways, death even more prominently laid around.
"This isn't supposed to happen like this," Reid commented as they worked their way slowly down the street.
"Don't go there, Sweetie," Penelope calmed as she tried her hardest to stop his fretting. "It won't work."
"What was the point in reading all those books and being what I am, if this is what's to come of it?" Reid argued and tried his hardest to keep his concentration steady. "I don't quite understand."
"Because you did what was right for you and just think, when we get out of this you can write a book that someone like you will read in years to come." Penelope told him teasingly, "You can set a new trend Mr. Reid."
Smiling Reid still didn't see the bright future. "Explain how years and years of predictions and superstition was all wrong?"
"Exactly like that," Penelope told him, "Explain to me how it was predicted to happen?" Penelope asked, trying to keep both their minds occupied.
"Some predicted that the sun would blow up. Others that the world would just collapse in on itself and the Mayan's described how Armageddon would start and then just annihilate the degenerate people of the world."
"Kinder like now?" Penelope questioned as she continually absorbed the new world around her.
"I guess so," Reid said dejectedly, "Except I trust Derek's plan that we're going to get through this."
Penelope looked up at Reid his body highlighted fiercely by the strong sunlight, "Me too." Penelope breathed, hard to believe that she had literally found some form of dwindling faith in survival to almost lie to him believably.
She just refused to tell him that she slowly losing control over her emotions of how the day had gone rapidly downhill. That morning she was in bliss, that same morning she had found out that she and Derek's dream of a family was just beginning and moments after leaving, ready to go back home to bed, the first meteor hit the town and chaos and hysteria broke free. Now, after being trapped and seeing someone who she claimed as much family as those she shared blood with nearly die she felt herself losing all sense of control.
Penelope didn't know if she held the same trust in Derek's plan as Derek himself and Reid did.
As they drew slowly closer to the house, Penelope felt her heart race accelerate. This was the moment of truth. The moment that would seal the deal and either strengthen Penelope's trust in Derek or completely shatter it.
Her heart seemingly stopped beating as they got closer and closer.
Derek stood, with Henry on his hip, as JJ sat with Will's arms wrapped around her, consoling her.
Halting suddenly, Penelope let out the biggest breath ever and just let her vision swirl together as the tears gathered. He was safe, and again he had played heroics and succeeded.
"Come on, Penelope," Reid guided and had to literally pull her to get her to move. "You're literally only a couple of minutes from him."
Closing the gap, Penelope didn't care if they were still ducking from potential threats, or were wilting under the heat of the sun. Derek was her focal point and he was giving her a bright smile that just lured her in. It gave her the strength and determination to just get to him.
The moment their eyes caught one another she felt her determination hasten and her yearn to get to him went into overdrive, her emotions unravelling with it.
"Took you long enough didn't it?" Derek asked as Reid helped Penelope over to Derek and he took Henry off of him so that Derek could wrap his arms around Penelope and savour their safe reunion. He felt Penelope's body shake in his grip and he tightened it, "Hey, Baby, you're okay, I'm okay."
"How is this going to be okay?" Penelope asked as she pulled back and looked up at him. "Half of our town is gone. People are dead and we don't know where the pickup point is. We don't know if we're too late to even get saved. We don't know who else has survived." She tore away completely and just ran her hands into her hair in torment, "We don't know if we're going to survive this."
Derek went to answer but the door behind them opened and booted footsteps could be heard on the wooden decking of the porch.
"I think you need to take a couple of minutes rest before we finish this rescue plan, Kitten," Rossi said as he came out of the house, handing out the bottles of water he had managed to collect from the partial wreckage of JJ and Will's house. He took in the registered shock of both Penelope and Reid's expressions as they realised survival was continually growing and just smiled. "Didn't think something like this would kill me did you?"
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- When The Sky Falls -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-