Derek walked into the room with more caution in his step. He would never allow anyone to hurt his baby girl. No stress, no worries, no violence. It was time for him to protect her more than ever. He took a breath as he walked into her room, taking in her resting form.
Her ankle was no longer elevated and a blanket covered her body up to her bust. He could tell the blanket covered her newest bandage and her hands rested upon her stomach as if they were shielding her. Her cuts and bruises upon her face were now much more profound. As he took in her injuries, he was stunned to see her bright brown eyes looked at him. They were glossy with tears and emotion. Derek took a deliberate step closer to her and watched as her hands shakily reached for him. He brought his head down to her lips and kissed her deeply, both their tears mixing together.
"I swear you are keeping me guessing, Penelope Garcia," he said looking into her eyes.
Penelope touched his face, studying every feature, every curve, every lash upon his beautiful eyes. She pressed a kiss to his lips and motioned him to sit on the chair beside her. Once he settled, she gripped his hand tightly and rubbed circles on his skin. "I had the best dream and yet it scared me more than I have ever been scared."
Derek looked up at her, urging her to continue.
"I woke up, you and I were in bed, laughing, happy, fooling around." Derek smirked and waggled his eyes at her. "Yet we were older. You told me we had known each other for 23 years, married for 17. You were still beautiful as ever and..." Penelope began choking on her words, her heart racing and her hands shaking. Derek tried to sooth her but knew she needed to work this out on her own. "Derek, for the first time I felt that I was beautiful. That you and I were making it through. And that, that gave me such joy in my heart. I saw photos of our four kids and of us through the years, and I wanted that. I craved it. I want it now, my Prince."
Derek stood and kissed his Princess deeply. He ran his fingers through her hair and gently brought her closer to him. He needed to memorize her touch, the way her lips felt upon his. He needed to know that this was real and that this wasn't a fantasy.
He felt the tears escape her eyes and he looked down at her with question. "Baby Girl..."
"Derek, in my dream. We were kissing and suddenly you looked at me and your eyes were full of fear. You said "Come back to me," and I saw you beginning to vanish. I lost your warmth, your touch and everything around me was disappearing. You were trying to hold onto me and I couldn't... I couldn't touch you. You said, "I love you, come back to me," and I felt as if my heart was ripped in two."
He was stunned by her confession. Those were the words he spoke as he was leaving the chapel. He touched her face with care and pressed his lips to her forehead. "You did come back to me, baby girl. Thats all that matters. Thats all that ever mattered."
She nodded and gripped to him tightly. "I am forever yours, Derek Morgan," she said looking into his eyes.
"So the truth is revealed."
Both Derek and Penelope looked up and saw Doctor Ford in the doorway holding Penelope's chart in her arms. Her blue eyes sparkled with knowledge and her soft smile eased the tension of the revealed secret in the room.
"How did you figure it out?" Derek asked.
"Other than Ms. Garcia just calling you Derek Morgan, you haven't been wearing a ring. My husband may be the most macho man I know, but my James always wears his ring." Juliet smiled and moved closer to the couple. "Don't worry, I won't ruin Nurse Austin's illusion of marital bliss if you two stay discrete." She winked at the couple and checked Penelope's fluids and wounds. "It seems we are finally getting you on the road to recovery Penelope," she said with a smile.
"Finally!" Pen said throwing her head back against the pillows.
Derek laughed and stood back allowing Doctor Ford to help mend his Penelope. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked.
"Well, this woman has cheated death twice since I have seen her this visit and from her charts has done this once before. I would say that you have someone watching you very closely my dear," Juliet said with a smile. "With proper pain medications and anti-biotics, Penelope Garcia will be just fine."
Derek released a sigh of relief and Penelope looked up at him with love in her eyes. "See Hot Stuff, I couldn't leave you this easily," she said with a smile.
"Woman, don't push it," he said smirking.
"When you two tie the knot, I want to be there," she said with a smile.
"You're on the list, Doc," Pen said with a smile. She felt the drugs kick in and started to feel woozy and tired.
Noticing her paling, Derek stepped closer to her and pushed the hair back off her face. "Hey, easy Baby Girl," he said kissing her forehead, taking in her new sheet of sweat upon her head. "Doctor, is this normal?" he asked.
"Yes, her body is fighting the infection. She need to sleep and sweat it out. Without the pain meds she is on, she'd be in agony. Luckily if we allow her to rest, she can fight this faster."
"You hear that baby girl, you need to rest."
"I want to see you," she whined rolling her head toward him.
He smiled and whispered, "Im not going anywhere."
Doctor Ford noticed Nurse Austin in the doorway and nodded toward her. "I will have Nurse Austin check on Mrs. Garcia's vitals in a couple hours. You know the drill," she said with a smile.
"Thank you Doctor," Derek said as she walked out of the room.
"Derek," Penelope moaned, opening her eyes sleepily, looking toward him.
"Yes, Baby Girl," he said softly.
"Tell me a story," she said with a mischievious smile.
"Seriously?" he asked.
She nodded and he could only laugh.
"One day in the nearish future, your chocolate adonis will be laying on the beach listening to the laughter of his and Penelope Morgan's children in the sand..."
Rebecca was taking out the garbage. It was beyond her least favorite job when working at the cafe. Rebecca had to work, she was getting too antsy in her apartment with just her and Kitty. She took a deep sigh as she thought of her hero fighting an unknown villain. She looked up at the sky and prayed aloud, "Father, protect Doctor Spencer Reid. He needs you tonight."
Before she could turn to go back into the restaurant, she felt a hard blow to her head and the world around her spinning out of control. Her last thought returned to Spencer as she slipped into darkness, the light of the moon and a man's shadow covering her this night.
"Spencer, do you have a visual?" Hotch asked into around the corner of the lowest point of the hill.
"Yes," he said. Reid observed the disturbed man who was shaking at the chaos he was ready to bring forth to Richmond, Virginia. In one hand, Paul Tymes II held the detonator to the bomb that would send the capitol building into ruins. In the other was a dagger ready to be plunged into his heart. Spencer knew that if he startled the young man, destruction would only ensue. He had to use his mind to get inside this disturbed young man's brain. Before he could think more, his knee grew weak and he found leverage in the tree he held upon, however he cracked the stick beneath his feet, causing Tymes to turn and be alert.
"Whose there!" he cried out. "Show yourself to myself and the Fear of the Lord! It is time to give yourself and your human existence to him!"
In the darkness, Paul started moving forward, Spencer trying to see him through the darkness as well. Paul began waving the dagger violently. "I shall hunt down the wicked!"