Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the little plot bunny (kinder!)
A/N: It's still gonna be angsty, but really, it's just a whole lotta love!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- When The Sky Falls -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Watching the news, Penelope couldn't help but tighten her grip around the pillow she had been hugging. She was sitting with JJ and Emily watching as helicopters flew over various parts of America, documenting what was left. As Virginia came on the screen all three of them watched intently to see if there were any distinguishing landmarks that would show up their homes.
It had been nearly two months, and although most of her injuries were healed, she was still limited by her ankle. From the earlier trauma, she was made to rest the majority of the time because of the baby. There were no cautions being thrown to the wind where that was concerned. Compared to the amount of deaths, someone surviving and being pregnant was a marked miracle in the now dubbed "New World".
Penelope couldn't believe her eyes as she caught a glimpse of the bank as the camera flew over Quantico, getting closer and closer to hers and Derek's house.
"I need some air," Penelope suddenly said and pushed herself off of the couch and unsteadily started to make her way to the door where her door key sat waiting for their minimal use.
"Pen," JJ called out, "Take one of us with you."
"I'll be fine, I'll be back in a moment girlies," She tried to respond normally, but after seeing the camera shoot across hers and Derek's neighbourhood and seeing none of it standing she felt a little stricken at what their home had become when it had come into focus.
So she sat down on the nearest bench and just took in the world around her. The new life that they had awaiting them in Arizona.
Derek was walking down the street when he saw Penelope sitting alone on a beach just outside of their hotel entrance. He looked at his mom and Hotch who had noticed her too.
"You go up, I'll find out what's wrong," He told them and hurried ahead of them to get to his wife. "That room getting a little cramped?"
Shrugging, Penelope laughed a little, "You could say that." She told him truthfully. "I saw it," she added and looked up at him, squinting slightly as the sun silhouetted Derek's form. "What's left of our house. It was on the news." Penelope looked down as Derek dropped to sit next to her, "This really is home." She admitted and that said everything Derek needed to know. Penelope had now hit the realisation that they weren't going home and that the place they were sitting would mark their new territory.
"I'm sorry I never told you about it," Derek replied after a couple of minute's silence. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. "We had so much stress at once. I didn't want to add to it and tell you that going home wasn't an option any longer. I wanted you to focus on what we had."
"It's just you gave me a home after so long and it's gone."
Derek kissed Penelope's temple and then rested his forehead to it, "Wherever I am, I will always make sure you have a home."
Penelope parted from him and looked at him. The expression he was giving her told her the truth in his words. It was gospel truth that wherever Derek was she felt safe and secure and as if she were at home. He was her haven now in life, not a material place, but a person, her husband.
"You really are home," She whispered and kissed him before just sinking into his side and allowing him to cradle her. She watched the cars that passed, the people that walked the paves with no care in the world and smiled a little at it all. She allowed the sun to warm her skin; her senses to be filled with Derek and her hand to roam her stomach in her own bid of comfort.
"What else is it?" Derek asked as he picked up on her stagnant mood. They had been sitting there for a couple of minutes and even though he had seen some form of breakthrough with her, her mood still remained lower than it had down.
Looking up, Penelope's eyes watered, "California has completely been wiped out."
"And you don't know if your brothers got out?" He finished off, realising exactly what she was getting out by just the mention of California.
"I know it's stupid and everything and it's been two months since we got here, but sitting there today I just couldn't stop my mind from begging to know. I need to know they're okay, Derek. Even if they don't care in the slightest about me. I need that peace of mind."
"All we can do is look through the database of people that made it here. It might prove useless but you need to know." Derek told her, "We can do that first thing, if you want to, Baby?"
Penelope nodded and sighed. "I just find it weird how now, after all this, I finally want them back. I want to see them, and feel their hugs and see if their humour is still the same, and if they look at me the same way. I mean, I've been shot, I should've wanted it then, but it takes this to really make me."
"Nothing weird about it, P. Sometimes it takes something this big to offer clarity and you had yours. There is nothing wrong with you wanting to know all this. It's human nature." Derek calmed her even more, "Plus I have a good feeling about this."
Penelope smiled properly then, her mood finally skyrocketing. "I actually quite like it here," She admitted, "I can see good things happening for us."
"That's my wife," Derek cheered and kissed her head. He settled and inhaled deeply before exhaling, taking in the new air around them. "You know what, I think I agree with you."
"Just, if my brothers are safe and want to know, I really would believe in that. It will just mean we have our entire family around. Not the team, and then your family in Chicago."
"We're not getting rid of them," Derek joked and felt her laugh, "Right, let's get you back up. Mom and Hotch wanna go out for dinner considering you've hardly left that room."
"Hardly my fault," She pouted at him, and then broke into a giggle, "Feel," she quickly said as she grabbed his hand and pressed it to her stomach just as their baby kicked her stomach.
Derek's eyes didn't move as he pressed his other hand to Penelope's little baby bulge, he wanted to feel everything. His smile igniting into something brighter than Penelope had ever seen and it made her smile harder. Anything to do with their unborn child and Derek was at his most excited.
"Wow," He murmured moments later as the baby settled. "That- that is incredible." He spoke like it was the first time he had felt it.
"Yeah, but the little peanut just kicked my bladder," She jokingly told him and his head shot up and she shot him an expression to her upstairs and fast.
"On it," He said as he helped her up off of the bench and allowed her to depend on him as much as she possibly wanted as she now hobbled around with a splint on her foot to protect it while it did the last few stages of healing.
Making it into the elevator they looked at one another and just smirked. They didn't need words to understand one another. The pair of them knew so many different levels of communication that at times words seemed a little futile and worthless.
"We caught the slow one," Penelope said as she bounced around. She loved being pregnant, but she hated the constant need to go to the loo and it seemed that she was never near a toilet when she decided she needed to go. Or like now, when the baby decided it was going to make her go. She put her head up as the floors passed one by one, "God."
"He ain't gonna help ya now, Baby Girl," Derek told her as they reached their floor and he swiftly lifted her into his arms and carried her hurriedly down the hallway to their hotel door.
"But you are," She said teasingly. "My noir hero!" She feigned damsel in distress as he managed to put their key card in and push the door open.
Chuckling still, he ignored everyone in the room, kicked the door to and took Penelope straight to their bathroom.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- When The Sky Falls -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-