Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds

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'What the...'

Hotch didn't get to finish as he watched the three figures. There in front of them all was a near perfectly intact Gideon, Elle and Strauss. No more marks to them than when they had left Room 7 and retracted into Room 6.

'Seems the LEO's got to the person before he got to us.' Gideon said without hesitantly. 'Penelope and JJ?' He said, refusing to say more until he knew how everyone was.

'Both made it through surgery both have got hypothermia and blood loss.' Hotch said vaguely.

'Where are they?'

'Down in ICU.'

'Can we go down?'

'I'm guessing not until the morning now.' Derek stated. 'I'm going to go down, I'll ask.' He received simple nods, still in slight shock from the sight of the three in front of him, he headed down hastily.

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Going into Penelope's room first, he noticed everything surrounding his wife this time. There was the heart monitor bleeping slowly, multiple IV lines, one with evident saline, another with blood and others with other concoctions of antibiotics and pain relief, he, also, noticed the oxygen mask on her face and the multiple sheets on her, including the heated blanket obviously being used to bring her body temperature up.

He walked up to the side of the bed and took a seat, she was still asleep so he took her hand, keeping it under the sheets still, he then placed his free hand up on the pillow and stroked some curls aside looking at her sleeping face. After a while he stood and left the room, finding a nurse he asked about visitors, only to be told 2 maximum to a room and only with the promise to keep both the patients calm and relaxed if they did wake up. The others would have to take up seats outside. Seeing as the ICU was a smallish department JJ and Penelope were practically next to one another, those not in the rooms would be able to view both women from the seats.

Derek approached the awaiting brood of people with a smile. 'Both are asleep still but we are allowed to go down to the seats by the rooms, only 2 in at a time.' Everyone nodded, Derek looked at Kevin and Jane, their faces said they didn't know what to do. 'It's your choice; you were involved in this as well.' Then everyone silently made their way down to the rooms, Reid and Austin getting empirical evidence to the fact that their friends were well and truly alive, both worrying at the current predicament of both women. Then Hotch made them both plus Reid's mom go up to Austin's room with the promise to call if anything were to happen. Elizabeth, Sean, Fran, Rossi's mom and Penelope's brother Paul had already taken seats up in the waiting room, as well as Gideon, Elle and Strauss. Leaving Derek, Emily, Rossi and Hotch to disperse into the two rooms. Derek and Rossi taking Penelope's and Emily and Hotch taking JJ's.

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Rossi was initially taken back and overwhelmed by the amount of equipment that seemed to be currently swamping Penelope, the equipment that was making her appear so small and fragile. Like if you blinked she may simply be swallowed by the mass of wires and machines. He, also, took in her features, pale, blue lips, close eyes with darkened circles clearly evident.

'Rossi it's all normal.' Derek reassured, he had been given that reassurance by the nurse earlier and it had helped so now he was going to give it to whoever hesitated. 'It's all the effects of blood loss, shock and hypothermia.'

'It's just more overwhelming than I expected.'

'Yeah it is, it really is.' Derek replied honestly, his initial reaction after taking in the room and its occupant had knocked him back. Derek sat back down on the chair and pulled it closer this time. Rossi took the opposite side; he looked at Derek and smiled.

'Maybe we should ask Gideon more on the person behind it all.'

'I think it can wait.' Rossi said and motioned to Penelope, whose breathing had just changed slightly and her eyes began to blink slowly.

'Hey baby girl.'

She closed her eyes. 'Hey.' She said with the same small raspy whisper as before. Her hand escaped the layers of blankets and she took the oxygen mask off. 'Why is it so hot?'

'Pardon?' Derek and Rossi both said, giving the question in stereo.

'It's hot... too hot.' She said slowly and groggily though the mask.

'I'll be right back.' Rossi said standing and near sprinting out of the room, alerting everyone in its wake, Derek stood noticing everyone in the waiting room was standing and even Emily and Hotch had left JJ's room to see what was the root cause of the commotion. Moments later a nurse came in, Rossi following behind her, Hotch sliding into the room.

'How are you feeling Mrs Morgan?

'Hot.' Penelope rasped out. 'Tired.'

'Okay well let me check you temperature but you feeling hot is extremely promising.' The young nurse said as she checked Penelope's temperature. 'Well I'm going to call the doctor up to double check you over but your temperature is near normal.'

'But I'm still hot.'

'We need to keep the blankets on to keep in heat, until such time as the doctor can verify everything we need you to keep them and the oxygen mask on.' Penelope complied and closed her eyes again in a prolonged blink, when she opened them the nurse was gone.

'How you feeling apart from hot Penelope?' Rossi asked concerned, everyone still watching intently from the door.

'Like I've been trampled on.'

The men laughed slightly, feeling tensions disperse. Hotch and Rossi left to offer an update when the doctor entered, knowing Derek wasn't budging, they watched from afar as the door carried out an examination.

'Right Mrs Morgan, I'd like to keep some blankets on to be safe but I think we can remove the majority of them for you.' Penelope smiled and nodded obviously tiring from all the movement necessary to hear her breathing, check her side, and check her vitals. 'I like you to keep the oxygen mask on as your breathing is still too wheezy for my liking, your vitals have balanced out which is good. How's the pain to your side on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being highest?'

'8... I guess.'

'Okay well I will get you a higher dose of pain relief and you can get some rest.'

Derek spoke for Penelope. 'Thank you.' He looked at his wife as the doctor left. 'You sure you are okay baby?'

'Mm, I'm currently laying in a hospital bed, suffering hypothermia and I've almost been cut in half, I'm as fine as I can expect to be handsome.' She smiled and blinked lengthily again, Derek couldn't help but chuckle, always Penelope to be sarcastic over things so dangerous, serious and worrying; when her eyes opened she looked worried. 'Derek, what about you? And JJ? And...' She began to panic.

'Whoa whoa whoa baby girl, calm down, JJ's next door, she's fine, I'm fine, everyone's fine.' He saw her still looking worried. 'You need to stay calm Pen, let's worry about getting you on your feet.' She nodded and the doctor came back in.

'She should be a sleep soon but you're welcome to stay with her.' The doctor smiled, wrote in the chart and left again.

'Just sleep goddess, I'm not going anywhere.' He kissed her forehead and took her hand and a seat. She turned her head to him and took the mask off again. 'Baby girl...'

'I was so scared.' She said in a whisper as she said the words he knew she had tried so hide not to say.

'I know baby girl but it's over we got out, we're safe.' He wiped a tear off her face. 'What's wrong baby girl?'

'The separation, the pictures, all of it. Gideon...' She breathed in a rattled breath. 'Elle, Strauss.'

'Ahh well baby girl, put the oxygen mask on Pen, you're breathings not good.' She listened and allowed him to help her. 'Now hang on okay?' She nodded as he stood. He left the room and headed towards the group of people. 'I think Pen needs some reassurance.'

'Is she okay?'

'She's really emotional; I think everything's catching up with her now she's a bit more awake. Although before she goes back to sleep can Gideon come with me, then Elle and the Strauss?' He received nods and Gideon stood up and walked into the room with Derek.

'Hey Garcia.' He said with a smile, he hid the shock that consumed him the moment he stepped foot in the door, outside the room didn't appear so overwhelming but being up close everything made the situation worse than it was. Penelope looked at him and smiled slightly confused. 'We got out before he got us.'

'All of you?'

'All three of us.' He looked at Derek. 'Shall we just go off course here a bit?' Derek nodded and motioned for the other two to come in. 'See Elle and Erin are both here.' Penelope smiled at the sight of them and they all saw her relax into the bed.

'I think those drugs are kicking in now.' Derek said as Penelope's eyes became more and more closed. 'Sleep baby girl.'

'Yeah get some rest, we'll be here.'

'Yeah Penelope we will.'

'Just rest.'

All four of them left the room as Penelope was finally asleep and waited on Hotch and Emily to resurface from JJ's room. When Hotch came out he smiled. 'Derek go in there and tell her Penelope's fine.'

Derek nodded and walked in, there he found JJ talking to Emily, her hand raised up, obviously trying to keep blood flow regularly and allow the damage to hell as much as possible. 'Good to see you awake.' He said with a smile.

'Pen?'

'Is doing as good as can be expected.' He looked at the bed, JJ was covered in multiple sheets and blankets, nowhere near the amount of what Penelope had on her originally. JJ's eyes looked full to the brim with worry. 'She's been awake; her body's coping with the hypothermia, shock and everything.'

'Thank God.'

'She panicked over you, and Gideon, Elle and Strauss.'

'What about them?'

'Hang on.' Derek repeated the process with JJ what he had done with Penelope, to prove that everyone was back and safe. He left with the other four as the doctor entered to check on JJ, everyone making sure Emily stuck around.

He stood in front of the seating area, his mother's and Penelope's brother's eyes firmly transfixed with the amount of emotions Derek was currently tearing through at one moment. Hotch had picked up on where their gaze fell and he looked to see the Derek Morgan in an emotional turmoil at how he was going to broach the subject of Penelope's pregnancy. The only thing he knew was that Derek would keep it until Penelope was more aware of everything, and she wasn't so drugged and overwhelmed with the situation. It seemed like another waiting game was just beginning as another finished.

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A/N: So very Penelope orientated most of that, I'll try and do more of the JJ side in the next chapter.

Other than that... hope you are still enjoying!