Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds
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On the plane there were multiple emotions flowing around. There was the relief that she had been found, the happiness that she was back, the sadness she was hurt, the fear of how bad. Derek had retreated to a quiet place within, was it true that his baby girl was well and truly alive after all? Was she coming back to him? Emily and JJ had taken it upon themselves to get clothes and odds and ends for Penelope, Hotch had taken it to be the strong leader when inside he wanted to jump for joy and break down and Rossi and Reid had been engaging in a hush toned conversation to distract them from their own minds.
Everyone didn't know how to feel when they landed, so silence did its part and told them all that they were all feeling the same. After all life the last 4 months had been mayhem, their lives were not brightened, their days appeared daunting, life was an uphill struggle for some time, everything they had been conditioned to expect and love was just gone in the blink of an eye.
Hotch got out his phone and dialled Fran's number, he let it ring and ring and breathed out when she answered, the team stood close wanting to know everything. When he got off the phone they didn't know what to expect, it had been over 3 hours since they had began this journey, anything could have happened.
'Penelope's just had surgery to fix a punctured lung, although that sounds bad she is breathing on her own.' Everyone breathed out. With good news came bad news. 'She is still in the neurosurgical wing of the hospital because of a bleed on her brain. Derek your mom hasn't left her side, nor has Desiree. She's weak, and in and out of consciousness but let's just get to her okay?' Everyone nodded and walked towards where they would have SUV's waiting, all stuck in silence again.
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Fran had been holding Penelope's hand for God's knows how long, she had been looking over the body of her son's love, admittedly she knew that Derek and Penelope had confessed love for one another just before she went missing. Since bringing her in there was mass chaos, there was the waiting games, the back and forth's, the unanswered questions and the questionable hope.
Penelope now lay in the bed, her blonde curls matted and short, her head wrapped in a bandage, a drainage tube to help with the bleed, Fran had decided if anything she would rather see this than be told she needed surgery, so far it was working. She looked at Penelope's face, bruised, swollen, sunken, pale, cut, as she lay there she was on oxygen and had a tube feeding though her nose helping her get the food and nutrition she had been deprived of. On her neck she saw a hand print, a large man handprint, the gown was not done up properly, her chest was completely bruised, now added to that was EKG pads, and an incision mark. Her arms were different from one another; one had bruises and the bandage for the fracture whereas the other appeared almost untouched. Fran couldn't help but look at Penelope's body; it was so underweight, mass starvation had worked fast. As she sat there in that chair looking over Penelope like the guardian angel she had been called, like the mother she wanted to be to Penelope, her heart broke that someone would dare to do something like this to such a person.
'Fran?' Came Penelope's ever weakening voice.
Fran snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Penelope and smiled. 'You okay dear?'
'Thank you.' She said tiredly and coughed. 'I knew you would be my safe haven.' Fran smiled at her and she saw a smile grace Penelope's lips even for a short period but she knew that Penelope hadn't smiled in the time she had been gone.
'Penelope do you know who did this?' Penelope shook her head slightly and slowly. 'Do you remember where he took you?'
'Only that it was like a basement to a big house.' Fran saw the tears beginning to build. 'What's happening? Do they know?'
'I've spoken to Hotch and Derek, they should be here soon.' Fran saw Penelope smile again. 'They haven't forgotten you; they couldn't... but now just sleep okay.' Penelope's eyes closed and remained that way, Fran stood and left the fragile figure, she went outside the room and took Desiree in an embrace, knowing that in the times that Penelope was in Chicago, or Desiree was in Quantico, the pair did nothing but get along, enough to label them sisters. 'She's been awake.'
'I just can't believe this.' Desiree whispered. 'What did she say?'
'Well she said she didn't know who did it but her eyes told differently, she also said she only remembers a basement to a house.' Fran pulled away and looked at her daughter, wiping a tear. As she went to talk a new voice cut her off.
'Mom?' Fran and Desiree looked and saw the team coming towards them. 'Mom where is she?'
'Penelope is in that room there, only one person at time for tonight.'
'How is she?' Hotch asked uncertain.
'She's doing better, she was just awake, but I told her to sleep.' Fran saw the faces begging to ask. 'I'm going to warn you she looks a lot different and I do not mean in the sense that she is battered and bruised.' Everyone nodded not wanting to know but rather to see.
'Derek go in first.' Hotch said boss like.
'I don't know if I can.' Derek said almost scared. 'What if she doesn't want me there?'
'Der... she wants you there.' Desiree answered back. 'She asked for you back at the house, almost scared to hear what you had done while she's been missing. I think she wants you there.'
'Go on baby, spend as long as you want in there.' Derek received nods off everyone, and they all watched as he walked into the room his mother had just shown him.
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Derek looked at the woman in the bed, trying to digest that that was his Penelope, his baby girl in the bed with all the tubes and wires surrounding her. He took the seat that was by the bed and gathered her hand in his; he kissed it and felt her flinch as though she was scared. When he looked up he saw her looking at him, he smiled and she visibly relaxed.
'Hey baby girl.' He said affectionately as he looked into the brown eyes that he loved.
'You're here.' She mused out with a slight smile.
'I am, whereas would I be when I heard my goddess was found.' He looked at her more, the realisation of past months finally becoming apparent to him. 'I've missed you so much baby girl.'
'I missed you too handsome.' She then looked at him more seriously. 'I didn't want to go but he forced me.'
'Shh, that can wait, for now let's get you better.' He watched her nod and then closed her eyes evident that exhaustion fixed with whatever drugs she was being pumped with were taking its toll. He stood and kissed her cheek gently before vacating the room. He walked out evidently radiating with anger, he ran his hand over his eyes, but the tears didn't go under noticed.
'Morgan?'
'Hang on a minute.' He said, he breathed in and looked at them. 'Sorry.'
'Don't be.' Hotch said knowing that once everyone had seen, everyone's emotions would over boil. 'Do you mind if I go next?' He received nods and headed in, the sight bestowed before him was not the exact sight he wanted but he breathed in and took it. When he resurfaced, the girls went in together, rules or not, they were each other's learning post in this time of need, and Hotch didn't want to separate that because the last thing Penelope needed right now was two distraught friends. Reid went in after and left visibly crying and then Rossi entered. After that they alternated throughout the night, making sure she was never alone.
Hotch had decided that he and the team would get to the bottom of this, whether or not they were allowed to, he would find out who did this.