Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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The first thing Penelope did when she heard the voice say her name was cry, she slid down, no longer needing to keep herself going. Her head was pounding now, crying intensified it but the more it intensified the more she cried. It was a losing battle.

'Penelope... where have you been?' Fran said dropping to her knee's in front of Penelope.

'I... I don't know.' She sobbed.

'Right let's get you in and get an ambulance... I am not taking no for an answer we need to get you to a hospital.' Penelope nodded frozen with pains and relief.

'Mama who is it?' Desiree's voice floated out. 'It's 2 in the morning.'

'Baby get an ambulance, it's Penelope.'

Running footsteps could be heard. 'Penelope!' She halted completely when she saw Penelope. 'Let me get dressed, we'll drive her it will be faster.' Minutes later Desiree was back and sending Fran to get changed. 'Penelope, oh my God. What happened?' She asked as she pushed a tea towel to Penelope's head.

'I don't know.' She said in a pained whisper and then the tears fell. 'How is he?' She then coughed and drew in an odd breath, like it was sticky and difficult. She pulled her hand away, more blood; she was used to it now.

Desiree grabbed a tissue and gave it to Penelope to wipe her mouth, while she grabbed another with her free hand and wiped her hand. Panic overload had to go on hold. 'He can wait Pen.'

'Please. I just... need to know.'

'Derek hasn't been coping; he's an emotional wreck, as are the team.' She saw the look on Penelope's face. 'They haven't stopped looking for you; they're still looking for you.' Penelope nodded. 'Right let's get you to the car.' Desiree said as Fran re entered the room. Penelope struggled to stand. 'You think you can make?'

'I walked here didn't I?'

Desiree laughed slightly. 'I guess you did, ever the hard head.' Fran and Desiree did not question why Penelope had ended up in Chicago; they supposed it would have to wait, for now Penelope's health was a necessity.

After arriving at the hospital Fran and Desiree were left to pace, and think as Penelope was taken. 'I need to ring him.'

'You do.'

'Okay... wait... do I ring Derek or Hotch?'

'Maybe Hotch then Derek.' Fran nodded and left the room. She took the phone out of her pocket and dialled a number as she left the main doors.

'Hotchner?' Came the groggy voice.

'I'm sorry it's late Hotch but it's Fran Morgan.'

'Mrs Morgan! Is everything okay?' Hotch said wide awake. 'I mean you and the girls are okay?'

'Yes yes, we are fine. My matter lies with Penelope.'

'Penelope?' Hotch said confused. 'What about her?'

'She turned up on my doorstep about a 1 hour ago.'

'Turned up!' Hotch literally shouted 'Is she okay?' He asked warily.

'No, she near collapsed, she was bleeding pretty bad, and is covered in cuts and bruises. She, also, walked to my house from wherever.'

Okay, I'll get the team together and we'll be there. Thank you for telling me... now Derek?'

'You ring in about 15 minutes, get everyone else alerted and on form, I'll tell him.'

'Okay Mrs Morgan, please keep me updated, I fear Derek won't be able to withstand anything other than she's been found.'

'That's fine, just get here as soon as.'

'On it already.'

Fran looked at the phone, one down one to go, she dialled the all too well known number and hit dial.

'Morgan?'

'Derek baby.'

'Mom! What's wrong?'

'Derek I need you to stay calm, can you promise it please?'

'Mom its gone 3 in the morning, what's wrong? You're worrying me.'

'Derek Penelope's alive.'

'What! How do you know?'

'I know because she turned up on my doorstep over an hour ago, now Hotch is gathering everyone to get here, she needs you baby.'

'Is she okay?'

'I'm not sure. Des is upstairs waiting, just get here to the hospital please.' She almost pleaded.

'Okay I'm coming, please tell her I'm coming for her.'

'She's asked for you already.' She knew Derek had smiled at that point. 'Just get here baby.'

'On it.' The line went dead and she headed back in. Desiree was now seated looked absentmindedly.

'Des... honey what's wrong?'

Desiree jumped up. 'They've just taken her for a CT scan, she's got a fractured wrist, the blood she's been coughing up is due ribs penetrating her lungs, she told them she thinks it happened over a week ago.' Desiree composed herself, feeling overwhelmed. 'They think she's got a bleed on the brain, they can't sedate her yet, but the CT scan will rule out if she needs surgery or not.' It was then with everything said she cried.

'Oh Desiree Morgan stop this or you'll start me off.' Fran said taking her youngest in a hug. 'This is Penelope we are talking about.'

'I know but who would do this to her?'

'I don't know honey... did they say anything?'

'She's severely dehydrated and has been subjected to a large enormity of starvation.' It was then Fran started to well up. 'They didn't say much more, just that after she's had the CT scan done she'll be moved up to the neurosurgical unit's ICU for monitoring and to see if surgery is the option to help her. Including her lungs, at the moment she's breathing on her own.'

Then the waiting game began, Fran collected herself together and made another phone call to Hotch.

'Hotchner.'

'Hotch it's Fran again.'

'Is everything okay?' He said, it hadn't been that long since he had spoken to her last.

'Well Penelope is...' She repeated everything her daughter had just told her and wiped the tear off of her face again.

'Thank you for calling me back, we are all ready to go, I'll let them know.' They said their goodbyes and she headed back in. Desiree had resided in a chair again, looking ready to bolt at any moment.

'A nurse is going to come and get us in a minute.'

'Okay... how you holding up?'

'I'm not ma. I'm just not.' Fran took a seat, and they sat and carried on the waiting game, waiting to see Penelope and to see the team. Fran sat thinking back to when she opened the door, the last person she expected to see was Penelope Garcia, but she had never been so relieved at the woman not being dead. Now though things were different, Penelope's life was in the balance again.