Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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'Well well well look at you.' Hotch commented from the door way. 'This is definitely a sight we've all be yearning for.'

'Yearning for?' Penelope quipped back with a mocked laughter. 'It's just me out of bed.'

'Just you out of bed.' Hotch offered back with a raised eyebrow. 'Do you realise what this is like to witness?'

'No but I'm sure you're going to tell me.'

'Too right!' He cleared his voice and made her laugh, he then smiled. 'You out of bed shows progress shows that soon you can get out of here.'

'Ah I need to eat on my own first too.'

'Which she will be doing once I've helped her to that chair.'

Penelope swallowed. 'Let's do this hot stuff.'

Derek chuckled. Penelope had been perched on the bed just as Hotch had entered; Penelope had already walked a couple of steps but then rested when she tired. He put his arm around her for support, exactly how the doctor had showed him to do so. 'Come on then.'

'Can you not just carry me?'

'We are not lying to the doctor!' She pouted at him. 'No chance baby girl... you can do this, I know you can, I think my mom knows you can and I'm a hundred percent certain Hotch knows you can.' She nodded. 'So come on.'

'I'm coming!' Fran and Hotch laughed at the pair as they squabbled playfully at one another. Just as Penelope stood up right, her hand tightening in Derek's, her face trying hard to hide the pains from her ribs and all the other area's that were now exacerbated from standing up for the first time in 2 weeks. They felt a presence behind them and saw three men, Penelope and Derek looked up. 'Oh... you came back!'

'Did you doubt it?'

Hotch looked at them, noticing how 2 of them had a distinctive Penelope Garcia look to them, the blonde hair and brown eyes. Penelope saw him about to question with authority. 'Boss man step down.' She said in a rather breathless rasp.

'Penelope...'

'They're my brothers.'

'Right...' He turned to them. 'Aaron Hotchner.' He said friendly, having been told they had come and gone earlier that day.

'My boss and trusted friend.'

'More of the man who knocks the common sense into us.' Derek quipped, making Penelope laugh in his grasp, her head falling onto his chest.

'And Fran Morgan... one of the three living in Chicago... Derek's mom.' Hotch introduced.

'The woman that I can't thank enough.' Penelope smiled; she then looked up at Derek. 'Can we please get to that chair... as much as I love freedom, I want rest more.'

'Come on then baby girl let's get you over there.' The pair hurried as much as they could and then Derek eased Penelope down. 'Better?'

'So much.'

'Now what was this about eating?' Hotch said crossing his arms. Penelope shot him a look. 'I'm sorry I want you back as soon as.'

'As soon as eh?'

'Well... we are relying on tech support.' He said with a mock voice.

'Knew you were using me for my skill.' She teased and then looked at the time. 'When are the others getting here?'

'Erm... Rossi, Reid, JJ and Emily were finishing a report... thanks to Derek we cracked the case.'

'Ah handsome you have your own supreme skill.' She teased making Derek laugh as he perched on the arm of the chair she was sitting in.

'And Des and Sarah are coming here after work.'

'Full house for me then.'

'Always.'

'Hotch, Fran, these are my brothers Joel, Sam and Ben.' They all exchanged happy welcomes. 'So...?'

'I think he realises where he stands in our lives now.'

'All three of you?' They nodded and she looked down, had she just broken her family up?

'Hey Penny... this is not your fault... none of it.'

'No we don't blame you... he's the monster here not you.'

She looked up and nodded and then smiled. 'Well... I love you all but come on do I need an audience to eat?'

'No you're right... Derek stick around.' He nodded and they left. Hotch told the nurse and she came in.

'Penelope this has got to be the best sight of my day.'

'You're not the first.'

She laughed. 'How does it feel?'

'As much as I want to lap it up... it's pretty tiring.'

'I bet... right what do you want to eat?'

'I don't know.'

'Okay well how's the cough?'

'Still there.'

'Okay well let's go for something small, juicy and soft.' She then left and came back in. 'How about this for now?' She asked holding up a banana.

'I think that is probably the most tolerable thing anyone could have thought of.' She took the banana and Derek sat on the bed opposite her. 'Can you open it for me please?' She asked handing the fruit over.

'Of course baby.' He took the fruit and opened it, once done he passed it back to her. He watched her look at it; food like this was definitely foreign to her right now. She breathed in slightly and took a bite; he watched her chew then swallow, and then her repeat the process. 'I'm taking that as a good sign.'

'God I've missed it.' She said after finishing her mouthful.

'Hitting the spot?' The nurse asked as she re-entered the room with a smile, she smiled more when Penelope nodded. 'I bet in a few days we could chuck in a bit of a girl's best friend, some chocolate would go down well right?'

Penelope was about to say, I have a girl's best friend and he is chocolate, but thought better and held her thoughts in. 'I think I would thoroughly enjoy that.'

'Well you've just proven you can walk and eat so I will call the doctor up and we can see if that transfer to Quantico is palpable now.' She then left.

'Aw you are amazing baby girl.' Derek praised, now finally feeling like life was better, that Penelope wouldn't just disappear from his side in a blink of an eye.

'Do you recon they'll let me have an orange?' She asked seemingly ravenous all of a sudden

He laughed. 'Let me go and see... me leaving may spark curiosity.'

'Well give them the satisfaction.' He laughed, gave her a passionate kiss on the lips, and left hurriedly, as said the others soon came to the door. 'Don't hover for Christ sakes.'

'Well you said you didn't want an audience.'

'Well I'm not longer eating.' She smiled.

'So where's Derek gone?'

'To see if I can have more.' She said sheepishly.

'Kick started something has it?' Hotch teased.

'Oh God yes.' She smiled, amazed at how one piece of fruit had kick started something that would ultimately help her get better.