Help is on the way, but so is Amanda. Who will get there first?
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My Girl
Slowly, Pen slid down to the floor.
"Morgan," Hotch's voice came over the line. "What is going on? Reid…someone talk to me!"
Morgan tried to hold on to Pen, but was pulled down beside her. "Pen…Baby Girl…did you just say that Amanda is coming?"
"Y-y-yes," she stammered as a wave of pain hit her hard and fast. "Oh God, Derek," she breathed, "it hurts; it really hurts."
"I know," Derek comforted.
"No you don't," she contradicted. "JJ does, but you don't."
"Pen?" JJ spoke up, her voice coming through the speaker like a blessing from heaven.
"JJ?" Pen called out between gasps. "I'm scared." Another pain gripped her and held.
"I know, honey. It's going to be okay," JJ gently comforted.
"No. I want you down here," Pen sobbed.
"Honey…"
"I want JJ," Pen gasped as the contraction finally passed leaving her breathless. "I want JJ."
Derek brushed his wife's hair back from her face. Smiling tenderly, he tried not to show that he was just as scared as she was…maybe even more so. "Baby Girl," he comforted, "you still have me and Reid."
Pen turned her head back and forth in denial. "That is why I want JJ."
"How far apart are the contractions?" JJ asked.
"I don't know," Derek admitted.
"I want to push!" Pen groaned.
"No," JJ commanded. "Breathe. Focus on something and breath."
Swallowing hard, Pen closed her eyes and tried to focus beyond the pain. Slowly, her breathing returned to normal.
"That's better," she sighed.
"Do you think it was a false alarm?" Reid asked relief was in his tone.
"I don't know. One thing I've learned about the BAU babies - when they make up their mind about coming, nothing is going to stop them." Derek remarked dryly.
"Pen? How are you feeling?" JJ asked.
"Better…I think. I don't have to push."
"Are you focusing?"
"Yep." Her eyes leveled on Derek.
"Hey! What is that look?" he demanded.
"This is your fault!"
Derek blinked. Hard. "My fault?" he repeated. "How do you figure? I wanted you to stay home."
"But you didn't talk me out of it," she whined.
"Are you crazy? I did everything but chain you to the bedroom!"
"Oh, so now this is my fault?" Pen returned hotly. Tears filled her eyes and broke free to run down her cheeks.
"Derek?" Reid said. "This might be the right time…"
"Go away! I don't want you here," Pen sobbed.
"Derek?" Hotch called out.
"What do you want, Hotch?"
"What are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" the Unit Chief asked.
"I wasn't thinking."
"Well, you'd better start thinking. That baby is coming and Reid is going to need you…"
"Honestly, Hotch, I think I might be able to do this without him," Reid called out.
"Thanks, boy genius, for the vote of confidence," Derek shot out.
"I can do this on my own," Pen sniffled. "I don't need either one of you."
"Baby Girl…" Derek began.
"Not your baby girl; get out of here!" She shooed the two men away with her hand.
"I guess you may have forgotten that we are stuck in an elevator. None of us are going anywhere," Derek returned lightly.
"Hotch? Is there any way to get JJ or Emily down here?" Pen whimpered.
"I'm sorry, Penelope," Hotch replied.
"What about Rossi?"
"Sorry, Kitten, but it looks like you're stuck with Abbot and Costello," Dave answered.
Pen leaned her head back and sighed heavily. "I'm so screwed." Sniffling back the tears, she looked at the two men in front of her. "Yep. I am."
"How long has it been?" Hotch asked.
"A little over five minutes," Reid said. "I think we may have averted a crisis."
Derek knelt down beside Pen. "You passed the five minute mark. This may have been a false alarm."
Pen nodded. "I think so. It doesn't hurt as much anymore."
"When are they going to get us out of here?" Derek asked.
Before Hotch could answer, a loud yelp came over the phone. "OW!"
"What is going on down there?" Hotch demanded.
"Another contraction is coming on!" Pen gasped.
"You're…breaking…my…hand," Derek groaned between pants as Pen's grip tightened with each second that passed slowly.
"Would you rather I hold on to your neck?" she gasped.
"How…much longer?" Derek asked as he tried to breathe thru the pain.
"I think…" Pen started, then stopped to catch her breath. "I think it's almost done. Oh. That hurt. That hurt more than the last one." She rubbed her stomach.
"You're telling me," Derek mumbled under his breath as he shook his hand to get the feeling back.
"Seven minutes," Reid spoke up.
"You realize this baby is going to come before they can get them out of there?" Hotch whispered to Dave and JJ.
"I know," Rossi whispered back.
"And you realize that Garcia may be the only person walking out of this in one piece," Hotch continued.
"Maybe JJ can spin it so the jury will believe it was justifiable homicide," Dave replied.
"Not funny, Dave."
"I was being serious. What is taking them so long?" Dave scanned the area.
As if on command, the rescue team rushed into the bull pen.
"Who is Agent Hotchner?" the older man asked. Decked out in the yellow jacket and pants, his uniform looked orange under the red emergency lights.
"I'm Agent Hotchner."
"Chief Gurdinski. We got a call that there are people trapped in the elevator."
"Three of them. One is pregnant and in labour," Hotch replied.
"Any idea where they might be trapped?"
"Between the fourth and fifth floor. We got the door open and we've been communicating with them by phone. So far, everyone's been calm, but the contractions are about seven minutes apart," Hotch relayed.
Gurdinski turned to his team. "Mendes and Jones, I want you to go down to the fourth floor and start setting up there. Michaels, go with the paramedics and get set up to receive this baby. I'm going to check in with the electrician and see if there is a by pass auxiliary that we can use to restore power."
"I'll go with you," Hotch offered. He tossed his phone to Dave. "Stay here and help coach Garcia. Jen, see if you can help restore some sanity down there before Amanda arrives." Quickly he rushed out of the bullpen.
"Maybe Amanda will hold on until they can get the power on," JJ whispered.
"One could hope," Dave remarked.
Before JJ could answer, a scream filled the air.