Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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'I actually miss everyone more now than I did.' Penelope said as she sat up in the bed, it had been well over a week since they had seen them and it had been a couple of days since they had heard from them. 'Isn't that sort of crazy?'

'No P, it's not...' Derek said as he sat on the edge of the bed. 'But when they do come, they will see the difference in you.' She nodded, he was right, her face was no longer swollen, the bruising was only severe in places, the cuts not so violently illustrated. The bruising to her arms were going yellow, most of which had long disappeared, but she still had the hand print on her throat. 'Plus you've put on weight which is good.'

'Yeah... baby steps right?' She said with a smile, Derek had reiterated it to her on many occasions and now she decided it was the best route. 'I need a hairdresser though.' She said not down heartened that her hair lacked its bounce. She noticed Derek look down. 'Handsome... what's wrong?'

'It's nothing.'

'It's something.'

He looked at her and saw she already knew what he was indecisive about discussing with her. 'I found your hair on the floor.' She nodded. 'And there for so much and...'

'You felt overwhelmed?' He nodded. 'Well look, he didn't hack too much, I don't think he could... every time he went to do it he made the cuts shorter and shorter.'

'It just seemed a lot.'

'I get that... but it'll grow back.' She replied with a confident smile on her face.

'Well Sarah did hairdressing so she's offered.'

'Ahh... see there's the start.'

'I love you optimism baby girl.'

'I have good rein-forcers for it handsome.' She responded with the same smile on her face. 'Day by day.' He nodded and smiled to match hers. 'See.'

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Later that day, Derek and Penelope had been watching TV when she had fallen asleep and he had spent a while watching the TV, then a bit of time watching Penelope, then reading, then back to the TV but nothing seemed to hold his attention for long. He sighed and looked at the door as his mom walked in with a smile.

'You're early.'

'Hello to you too.' Fran answered.

'Sorry... hello... you're here earlier.'

'Well I have guests.'

'Guests?' She moved out of the way of the door and the team filed in. Derek smiled. 'When did you get here?'

'We just did, we just finished a case and have the week off like planned and got here.'

'They're staying at mine but wanted to see Penelope.'

'Who looks so much better.' Emily said. Everyone smiled and agreed, happier at the view in front of them.

'How about we go and get food, text us when she's awake and we'll come back and surprise her.' Hotch offered. 'We now know where her new room is so it will be easier to find.'

'Yeah go for it.' The team said farewell and left all looking relaxed once again. Derek and Fran sat in almost complete silence for a little while until Penelope began to wake up.

'Aw I missed the end of the programme.' She said tiredly, the last remnants of sleep played with her voice and the focus of her eyes.

'I'm sure there'll be other cheese for you to watch on TV baby girl.'

'There will be.' She said with so much certainty he couldn't help but laugh. 'And I know you'll be watching it with me.'

'Too right... it's quality time together.' She laughed at his enthusiasm for their current TV addictions. 'We need to get a really good DVD collection together baby girl.'

'Old and new?'

'Yep.'

'Well, sounds a plan.' She said as Fran excused herself to go to the toilet, while she stood outside, she got her phone out and texted Hotch, making it stretch out, she then walked into the room and sat back down, she smiled towards Derek to tell him she had done it.

'I get this feeling my couch is going to worn out by the time you two are finished.'

'Well if Pen get's transferred to Quantico then it will be my couch that will get the wearing out.'

'Talking of your place... where's Clooney?'

'Well he's in the kennels...'

'But I made Hotch pick him up and bring him.' Fran dropped in. 'I love that dog too much to be shut away from his family.'

'Aw...' Penelope said. 'I miss Clooney.'

'Well I think he misses you.' Derek said.

'Just like we have.' Hotch said with a smile as he lead the team into the room.

'Aw when did you get here?!'

'About 2 hours ago, you were asleep so we asked either Derek or Fran to text us.'

'So I just did.'

'You look better Pen.'

'I feel it.' She said with a triumphant smile that expressed just about everything it needed to. They all gathered seats and couldn't help but stare at the transformation in Penelope. 'You guys seriously need to stop staring at me.'

'Sorry... it's such a change to how we left.'

'Yeah not just the tubes and stuff but EVERYTHING.' JJ commented, loving the sight that now graced their presence at the moment, okay she had to admit she wanted it to be completely different but reality wouldn't allow that at the moment so she was stuck with this and she was truly grateful.

'Yeah... she's right Penelope.' Emily said with the same happiness that JJ had expressed, soon everyone was in agreement.

'I think I get it guys.' She said laughing slightly

'So has she been a good patient lately?'

'Well why don't you ask the good patient as she is sitting here?' Penelope quipped back quickly and with a sweet smile scrawled across her face.

'Well...?' Hotch prompted.

'I have been.' Was all Penelope replied.

'Yeah she had been.' Derek said as the team looked at him. 'Half the time she has slept, which is no fault of her own but its good for her and she hasn't even contemplated jumping out of bed and plotting a mutiny for escape.'

'Well I suppose that is a good side of drugs... they keep Penelope Garcia well behaved.'

'Hey!'

'You know it's 'cause we care.'

'Well you don't need to worry about me doing a runner, I can't even sit up on my own, I don't even want to try and walk on my own.' She said as her voice broke into a raspy sound and she coughed to clear her throat. Derek grabbed the half filled cup and passed it to her. She didn't realise they were all staring at her as she drank from the cup unaided and without a straw at first. Last time they had witnessed her drink she didn't have the strength to grip the cup. She finished and Derek took the cup oblivious to the shocked expressions behind him. 'What?' Penelope said and Derek looked round and laughed.

'You haven't seen her drink like that.'

'No we haven't.'

'That's a good sight to see!' Emily said happily, another step she thought to herself. 'Any more things your hiding? Like maybe you two... together?'

'Old news.' Derek said making Penelope laugh and agree.

'For you!'

'Well yeah it is...'

'So you are together?'

'In a sense... we're taking it slowly, for Pen that is.'

'Well I like it.' JJ said.

'I second that.' Emily chimed in.

'Third it.' Reid agreed, he knew it was going to happen sooner or later. He had seen the build up to Derek making a few adjustments to his declarations, he had seen it when they had found out Penelope was missing, he had seen it the moment Derek walked towards the plane and he had seen it the moment he was told that Penelope had asked about him. He also knew Penelope was gearing up to tell Derek whether he wanted to hear it or not and now seeing Penelope like this had proven how much Derek loved her, with his actions, his behaviour, his speech and his body language.

'Well I don't need to tell you that I agree, but me and Rossi have discussed it with Strauss and the director and they both see no problem... just none of it in the office.'

'Got it.' Derek said, Penelope nodded her head and then turned to look at Derek.

'Handsome, I take that as family approval at its utmost highest.'