Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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'Where do you want to sit?'

'In the fresh air?'

'Really?'

'I refuse to answer your question with a question handsome... so yes really...' Penelope replied as she realised they had been having a conversation full with questions and no real answers. She then looked down and back up at him. 'I've missed it.'

'Well then seeing as it's just us two for an hour while they get things sorted lets go and relax in the sun.'

'What about Clooney?'

'Louisa and mom have taken him out.'

'Haven't they gone shopping?'

'They have but they can still take the man's best friend with them.' She laughed but gasped slightly. 'What's wrong?'

'Nothing.' She said looking at him and sighed, she should've known better than to dumb it down in front of him. 'It's my ribs, they're still really painful, just times its worse than others.'

'Do you need anything?'

'No... Louisa's got it all sorted when she gets back.'

'All sorted?'

'She's making me take a shower and then changing my bandages.'

'Okay as long as it's not a shower on your own.'

'Ha! You seriously think I would contemplate that on my own! Plus you seriously think she'd let me, or you for that matter, or you mom.'

He laughed and nodded slightly. 'Knowing you goddess anything's plausible.' He teased as he eased her out of the bed and into his awaiting grasp. Her face twisted slightly in discomfort and he knew getting out of a normal bed was much more difficult than getting out of a hospital bed as they had done on so many occasions in the previous month.

'I can't believe it's been 5 months since I've been able to have the choice to go out in the sun.'

He helped her, teasing one another and then when they made it out onto the decking she pulled back and couldn't help but smile. Right in front of her was 2 loungers intimately as close as possible; one covered with pillows and an awaiting blanket, the other looking comfortable for an unhurt healthy person.

'How did you...I mean... how did you know?'

'P... your favourite seasons are Spring and Summer... you might have missed the change from winter to spring as you love it but you can now lap up summer so that is what you can do... I did tell you I wanted you to recover in the sun and today is the first day of that!'

She laughed lightly and looked at him. 'You know how to look after a girl.'

'I promised to look after you and I will even if it is spoiling you rotten for the next month or so.'

'Month?'

'At the least Garcia.' Hotch's voice floated in the behind her, he saw Penelope was about to look around. 'Don't move Penelope! I'm grabbing a chair and coming down there.'

'Got it boss man.' She said as she accepted immediately and relaxed awaiting the appearance of Hotch. She yawned and turned to look at Derek. 'What?'

'If you're tired again, then maybe you should sleep.'

'I'm fine.'

'Penelope do not argue with the man.' Hotch said as he placed a garden chair down and sat on the other side of Penelope.

'I'm not... I took a couple of pills earlier they're strong and make me tired, just not ultimately sleepy that I could sleep for ages.'

'But could you sleep?'

'No.' She smiled as both men exacted the same identical looks. 'You need to step down both of you.'

'Not after the last 5 months you don't.'

'Yeah Penelope, you are never leaving one of our sights ever.'

'Cases?'

'Oh well... there is Louisa, Fran, Joel, Sam and Ben who will be looking after you.' Hotch reinforced.

'And you aren't getting rid of me for a month.'

'Unless a case is begging him.'

'How about if a case is begging me?' Penelope asked knowing full well the resounding answer; she smiled at them sweetly as they both stared her out intently.

'Don't you even dare Penelope.'

'Yeah don't even attempt it baby girl... you know full well that's a no go area.'

'It was worth a try.'

'Which we knew you would try.' She pulled a face. 'Seriously nothing changed while you were gone.'

'Except things felt a lot darker.'

'Yeah you Penelope Garcia are definitely a saving grace.'

'Doubt it.'

'Well don't.'

Penelope blushed and then smiled after being shown her worth to not just Hotch and Derek but to the team. She now knew that those specific people would never let her out of their sight again and she, also, knew that there were now another 7 people who were likely to make it their job as and when they could. 'Okay I won't.' She finally said.

'Good... so how's the sun?'

'Amazing.'

'I take as you've missed it?'

'Need I answer that?'

'Well I think you just did.'

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Later that day, Louisa was helping Penelope, practically everyone was now at Derek's including the 3 Garcia brothers who were hell bent on helping. They could hear laughing coming from the bedroom and their hearts lightened that Penelope hadn't lost her laugh like they were slightly worried she might do.

'I'm going to get Derek.'

'Why'

'Because... his going to need to know how to do this when I'm not around or busy.'

'Oh... that is a good point.'

'Plus I can coach him to be being the best.' Louisa smiled and left the room, moments later she re-entered followed by Derek.

Everything okay?' He asked as he looked at Penelope who was standing in nothing but her underwear and one of his tops that he knew she loved.

'Yes... it's a training session'

'Excuse me?'

'You want to know how to look after me so Louisa's going to show you handsome.'

He smiled broadly at the inclusion. 'Oh well in that case... show away.' Both women laughed at his eagerness.

'Okay then Derek go and help Penelope stand while I sort the bandages out on her legs.' Derek complied and help Penelope stay upright, much against her bodies groans to collapse. Minutes later Louisa stood up and smiled. 'Most of them have healed amazingly that they don't need any dressings, so let's some bottoms on you and then we can sort the ribs out, and everything and we'll be done.' They all set to work this time and then Louisa lifted the t-shirt up and clipped it so Penelope was still covered enough but Louisa still was able to sort out the parts she needed to. 'Does it hurt still?' She said examining the ribs gently with her hands.

'Yeah... like earlier it literally make me struggle for air.'

'Okay that's normal you just might need to take the pain pills more often to get that strength back as soon as possible and seeing as you've still got a lot of bruising all over, some worse than others your still tender. But at least your ribs are less seen now.'

'It's that chocolate.' Penelope quipped happily.

'And the amount of fruit you've shovelling down.' Derek chucked in making Penelope laugh and look at him with adoration which made him in return feel something that he liked and that was loved sole heartedly by one woman. 'So when can she get the feeding tube out?' He said as he had seen it the moment the shirt was lifted up.

'Well the doctor wants to keep it in for another week, but today I got to try Pen on a full meal and if that works out then she'll get it out.'

'Do I get to choose the meal?'

'Depends.'

'I do fancy some chips.'

'Well that's good that will give you fat that you need.' Louisa said taking the last thing down.

'And probably a heart attack.'

Both Derek and Louisa laughed. 'If you eat too much.' Louisa then looked at Penelope's hand. 'How's the chest and hand from the IV's?'

'Painfully bruised but hey it fits in.'

She laughed and then looked at her intently, the bruises very nearly gone from Penelope's face, the cuts still nicely illustrated but most dying out now. 'Right I say you let me check your head out on that lovely sun lounger your man did for you... that's unless you don't want the others to see?'

'No... they saw it all back at the hospital.'

'Well let's go then.' They walked out and everyone looked. 'Going outside.' Everyone nodded, looked at one another and then followed, Derek already had Penelope sat down and was sitting on the sound lounger as her, they all filed out and took seats. They saw she was wearing three quarter length bottoms and some cuts were still wrapped up whereas others weren't. Louisa then came out and told them the plan but her and Derek were the only ones that knew that Penelope wouldn't need a large plaster on her head now and they all knew how that had annoyed Penelope since she had gotten it. 'Pen I don't think you need a dressing on your head anymore.'

'Really?'

'Really... it's healed enough on its own it just needs air and time.... like the rest of you.'

'Which Penelope... you have shown you are taking already!'