Disclaimer:

I don't own Criminal Minds. Wow, if I did, Hotch would be mine!

Author notes:

This story is officially AU now, but that's okay. Thank you to all who have reviewed and favorited. I appreciate it. There will be an epilogue after this chapter. I felt Aaron and Penelope needed some time alone before the reunion with everyone else.

Enjoy.

Three Hundred, chapter Six

When Hotch and Garcia arrived outside, the rest of the team threw themselves at her, hugging and crying. Penelope felt overwhelmed and exhausted. The only thing she wanted was to be in Aaron's arms and stay right there for about twelve hours. She felt claustrophobic with all the bodies surrounding her, and she clung to Aaron like a lifeline.

Glancing into Penelope's face, Aaron saw that she was close to coming undone. He knew what she needed. She needed to get away and have some quiet time to regain her strength and peace. He would make damn sure she got it. Holding up his hand, he glared around at the others.

"Look, I know you all want to hug Penelope and talk about what happened and all the rest," he said, "but she needs to rest. You can debrief her tomorrow. For now, I'm taking her home and giving her some hot tea and a massage and making sure she gets a decent night's sleep."

"But, we need to get her statement," Prentiss said. "We need to know what happened, now while it's fresh."

"No you don't. I'm taking her home. You can talk to her tomorrow. Don't you see she's falling apart?"

Rossi stepped forward. Holding his hands out between the two arguers, he nodded at Hotch.

"Take her home, Aaron," he said. "She's been through enough for tonight. If it's okay, I'll come over tomorrow and get her statement. Then maybe in a couple days, we can have one of our old dinner parties at my place, and you and Kitten can tell everyone the whole story. How's that sound?"

"Thanks, Dave." Hotch shook his old friend's hand gratefully.

"What about you, Emily?" Rossi turned to his unit chief.

"I suppose that will do." Smiling, she turned back to Aaron and Penelope. "Go home and rest, Garcia. Tomorrow is soon enough. I'm just so thankful you're okay."

Penelope nodded. Aaron shook Emily's hand. Nodding to the others, he turned toward his car, Penelope clutched closely to his side.

"My hero," Penelope said. A tiny smile crossed her face, and Aaron was glad to see it.

"Aaron, Penelope, wait a minute." Reid raced up to them, as Aaron was opening the passenger side door.

They stopped, turning to face spencer.

"What is it, spencer?" Aaron asked.

Reaching out, Reid took Penelope's hand in both of his. Tears filled his eyes.

"I'm so sorry I let them take you," he said. "I should have let Meadows bring me with you. I should have stayed by your side. I'm so sorry, Penelope. Can you forgive me?"

Penelope stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her friend. They stood like that, swaying slightly, tears on both their cheeks. At last she pulled back. Taking his face in her hands, Penelope spoke seriously.

"Spencer, don't you dare apologize. You did exactly the right thing, and exactly what I wanted you to do. They needed you to help find me. Aaron needed your brains and your strength by his side as he went through this. My dear 187, it would have been a catastrophe if they'd gotten both of us!"

"She's right," Aaron said. "Spencer, you know how hard it is when one agent is in trouble. Having both of you in trouble would have been devastating for everyone. There's no guarantee they would have kept you both together. And with both of you, they could play you off against each other. You would have done anything to keep Penelope from being hurt, and she would have done the same for you. You know that."

Reid looked from one to the other. He sighed.

"I guess you're right. I just didn't want Garcia to think I had abandoned her."

"I would never have thought that," she said. She kissed his cheek. "Now, I'm going home to have a hot bath, some hot tea and a warm night with my guy. Go home and be at ease. You did everything right. And you know Aaron would have given you hell if he thought you hadn't!"

"I sure would have."

Reid smiled, hugged Garcia one more time and shook Aaron's hand.

"Okay. Thanks, both of you. Take her home, Aaron. She's exhausted."

Reid walked away.

Aaron turned to Penelope and took her in his arms. Holding her as close to him as he could hold her, he breathed in her scent.

"Honey, are you all right?" he asked in that soft voice few ever heard.

Penelope rested her head against him and sighed. She clung to him.

"I am, sort of. I will be, eventually. Oh, Aaron, I was so terrified. I was afraid—afraid they'd torture me. That Nicholas, he was scary. His eyes were, well, cold, dead things. No warmth, no humanity. I was afraid for you too. I kept thinking, he can't go through this again. Part of me thought I'd never see you or Jack again, and the other part of me was sure you'd come rushing to my rescue."

Tilting up her head, Penelope pulled his face to hers and kissed him.

"Let's go home, my love. I want a hot bath, some hot tea, and I want to lay in your arms all night, the place where I am always safe."

"Whatever you want." He kissed her again and then opened her door, helping her get settled in her seat.

"I need to call Jessica and let her know you're okay," Aaron said, as he drove toward their home. "She was so worried. Do you want me to have Jack stay with her tonight? He won't mind. Hell, it's midnight, and he's probably in bed already."

She stretched. She began rubbing her sore wrists.

"Do your wrists and ankles hurt?"

"A little. I'll bandage them up at home. As for Jessica and Jack, yes let her know I'm okay. If you're sure you don't mind letting Jack stay there tonight, I—I just don't want him to see me like this. Tomorrow, I'll be back to, or almost back to my usual sunny self."

He took her hand and squeezed it. Still holding tightly, he activated the hands-free and called Jessica. The conversation was brief. Jessica was relieved to know Penelope was safe and agreed to keep Jack till the morning. Aaron had been thankful for Jessica so many times over the years since Haley's death. She had stepped in and been the safe place for Jack when Aaron had to travel. She had willingly accepted first Beth and now Penelope. She never made him feel he was betraying Haley by falling in love again. She had even told him recently, that she thought Penelope was the perfect match for him.

"She gets you in a way Haley never did," Jess had explained. "Even now, with you in a regular old day job, I'm not sure Haley would have been completely happy. I know you two loved each other deeply, but I think you always wanted different things. Penelope completes you, and you her."

When they reached their home, Penelope hurried to start her bath. Aaron made himself busy in the kitchen, boiling water and making a cup of her favorite tea. He entered their bathroom to find her in the tub, eyes closed, head resting against the back.

"Here's your tea." He placed the mug on the side of the tub.

Penelope opened her eyes and smiled.

"Thank you."

Taking a wash cloth and her favorite shower gel, Aaron knelt beside the bathtub.

"Sit up, honey," he said.

Gently, he began to wash her. He made slow lazy strokes over her skin, watching her face, seeing the lines of stress begin to disappear. When the washing was done, he reached for her shampoo and helped her wash her hair. His shirt got wet, and he was pleased to hear a soft giggle from Penelope.

"You should have undressed before performing the duties of a ladies' maid," she said. "That would have been very pleasant."

He chuckled.

"You ready to get out, or do you want to sit in the heat for a bit?"

"I'm ready to get out."

Penelope stood and Aaron wrapped her in a large fluffy towel. Scooping her up in his arms, towel and all, he helped her out of the bath.

"Nobody has ever taken such sweet tender care of me," she said. "Thank you, Aaron. I feel calmer than I have all night."

"That's good. Let me put some antibiotic cream on those wrists. Your ankles look okay, but you've got some chaffing here on those wrists."

Swiftly, he spread cream over her sore wrists and then wrapped them in cotton and bandages.

"There now. It might slow you down at the computer a bit, but this should help."

Smiling, she stood up and hugged him.

"I am so damn lucky to have such a man in my life!"

"Yes you are," he said.

Later, as they lay together in their bed, skin to skin, arms and legs entwined, Penelope finally felt safe and began to relax.

"Aaron, I want to learn to shoot, and I want to learn to defend myself."

"Okay?"

"I've always thought I was safe being the tech gal. I'm not an agent. I don't go into dangerous situations. But that didn't matter to those people. I've been safe, sheltered in my little corner of Quantico, but I found out that I might not always be safe. I want to be able to defend myself."

"Okay. I think that's a good idea."

"You do?"

"Of course I do."

Aaron sat up. Reaching for the lamp, he turned it on and then looked at Penelope.

"I want you to be able to defend yourself," he said. "I never want you to feel helpless again. Derek can teach you some self-defense. Or you can take a class. And I can teach you to shoot. I thought I was going to have a heart attack from fear for you. You are gentle and kind, always seeing the good in people, always bringing sunshine to our worlds. Even before I came to love you, you could always make me laugh. The idea that you, of all people, were in deadly danger, I couldn't take it. Yes, Penelope, I want you to learn to defend yourself, and to shoot, if those are things you want to do."

He looked earnestly into her eyes.

Tears began to fall down her cheeks. She pulled him down on top of her and wept against his shoulder.

"It's okay now, baby, it's okay." Aaron stroked her hair and kissed her tears.

"I just need to cry it out," she said between sobs.

"I know. I know."

He turned over, settling her against his body, so her head was on his chest and her tears fell against his heart. He hated to see her cry, but he also understood that she needed to get it out. He spoke softly to her, nonsense words of love and support. He stroked her hair and her back, assuring her he was there and always would be there for her.

At last, her tears slowed and stopped.

"Hand me some tissues please," she said. Her voice was raspy from weeping.

He handed them to her and she wiped her face.

"Thanks for that," she hugged him close. "I do feel better now."

"Mmmm. I'm glad. Can you sleep now?"

"Hmmm. I might want to do something else before sleep."

"Do you now?" he asked in that husky sexy voice she loved so much at times like this.

"Yes I do. I want to feel alive again. I want to feel something besides fear. And I'm never more alive and strong than when you and I make love."

She ran her hands down his body, stroking, kissing where her hands touched.

Chuckling, he rolled them over, so he was leaning above her, smiling into her eyes.

"As always, my lady's wish is my pleasure to grant."

He placed a searing kiss on her lips, a kiss she returned as eagerly. Then slowly, tenderly, Aaron made love to her, showing her with his body and his words, that she was everything in the world to him. Penelope gave every bit back to him. When they were done, she snuggled close in his arms and fell asleep, at peace at last.

Aaron watched her sleep for a while. He knew this was just the beginning of recovery for her, but he knew he would be at her side, every step of the way. She had brought joy into his and Jack's life, a joy Aaron had never experienced. He would give her everything, anything, to keep her safe and happy.

"I love you," he whispered it into her hair.

Holding her close to him, Aaron fell asleep.