CHAPTER 12

Reid sat by Garcia's bedside after. She had been going in and out for hours now. The last time the doctor came in; he had told him that she would be like this until the drugs were out of her system completely.

"Ugh," Garcia groaned as she started to open her eyes.

Reid shot up from his chair and went over to her bedside, perching himself next to her. "Penelope, relax you're okay and your safe."

"I-" she started to say but then the tears flowed out of her, thoughts of what Derek had said to her came rushing back. She knew from some of the previous times she had woken up that Mark Buford was playing the role of Derek, but it was so life like to her. She didn't know what was real and what was fake.

Reid pulled her into his arms, "shh, it's okay."

"Ms. Garcia, it's nice to see you up," the doctor announced walking into the room. "How are you feeling?"

Garcia looked at the doctor and then back at Reid before shrugging her shoulders.

"It's understandable Ms. Garcia; you have gone through a lot. I need you to sit up for me, please?" The doctor watched as Garcia did as he asked. "I need you to take these, you need to take one now and one in six hours,"

"What are you giving her?" Reid asked.

The doctor didn't take his eyes off of Penelope as he watched her swallow the pill, "these are like the morning after pill, just a little stronger. We have taken a blood text to run for initial STD's but she will need to be check next month, three months from then and then finally at six months."

Reid shook his head in understanding, as the doctor took the discarded cup from Garcia's hand, "I have you're first appointment with the hospitals psychiatrist at two today. This is going to be a long road, but you will get through it."

There was a knock on the door alerting them to a new presence in the room. At the door stood Morgan looking in, somewhat timid on entering. He knows she still has mixed emotions about everything that happened.

"I'll leave you all to talk," the doctor said, moving out of the room.

"I'll go with you," Reid announced.

Soon it was just Morgan and Garcia in the room. She couldn't help her body's reaction of turning away from him. In her mind the words played on a loop 'why would I ever love a fat cow like you? You're just a good fucking lay that would let me do anything I want to you' she felt the tears well in her eyes. She didn't know what to believe anymore.

"Penelope," Derek spoke softly as he made his way over to the bed, he reached for her hand only for her to pull it back like she had been burned by fire.

Derek's eyes shut tightly, as he felt his own tears come to the surface, this was the woman he loved with all his heart and here she was pulling away from him. He didn't know how they would ever be able to get through this. But he had to find a way. He couldn't live without her in his life. He knew he had screwed up royally and then to have his past come back and haunt his future.

With a shaky voice, he spoke, "I love you more than anything in this world Penelope Anne, and I know this is going to be a long road, but I'm going to be by your side the whole time. No one and I mean no one will ever get to you again. You'll forever be safe in my arms." He sat on the edge of the bed as he watched her turn to face him.

She stared in his eyes, she had been told countless times it wasn't really Derek that said those things to her, and in her recent nightmares she can picture a man laying over her, his face morning from Derek's to Mark's. Derek was the love of her life the reason she woke up in the morning.

She took a deep breath and launched herself the best she could into his arms.

As soon as he felt her in his arms, he held on to her tight as she sobbed openly into his chest.

Derek held her for quite a while until her crying subsided. He maneuvered himself so they were both lying on the bed; he kept her close in his arms holding her tight.

When she finally fell asleep her looked out the window to see Hotch and the rest of his team looking in on them.

For the first time in days Derek finally felt at peace. That was until Penelope started to stir, thrashing around as she had a nightmare.

"Baby, baby, wake up-"

Her eyes hot open, and when she saw Derek's face she used all her strength to push him out of the bed, "Get off of me you sick, fuck!"

Derek fell out of the bed as his team rushed in, Reid running to her side to try and calm her.
Derek looked at her, his heart clenching; this is what he was going to have to get used to for the time being. He knew about abuser nightmares better than anyone else.