GARCIA

Dulles seemed busier than usual as she pulled into her parking space in the garage next to the terminal. Esther purred as she idled for a moment, gathering her bag and her welcome home gift for Morgan. When she had everything she turned the key and opened the door, stepping into the brightly lit parking structure.

"Excuse me," she turned sideways to squeeze by a family trying to corral their children and bags, obviously preparing for a vacation. She made it into the main terminal area, surprised at the sheer number of people milling about for a Friday afternoon. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the Arrivals board, and she scanned the list for the flights coming in from Chicago.

"Where are you?" She felt her phone buzz in her pocket, but she ignored it for the more pressing issue. "That's weird." United Flight 1214 was nowhere on the board, and she quickly bustled over to the information desk.

"Can I help you?" The woman behind the counter looked more frazzled than normal, and for a moment Penelope wanted to ask her if there was anything she could do to help. The feeling passed quickly, and she refocused on her quest.

"Yes, hi, I'm looking for the baggage claim for United Flight 1214." The woman's entire face contorted into a look that Garcia had seen on her team too many times; it was the look they often gave to the families of victims. Something tightened low in her belly, but she forced herself to shake it off.

"Please come with me." The woman - who Penelope now guessed was no older than 25 - came around the desk and wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a comforting gesture. Garcia shrugged her off and stopped.

"What's going on?" She demanded, her heart beating double time in her chest as her phone buzzed again. A sick, dizzy feeling washed over her and she fumbled in her pocket to retrieve the item, praying it was Derek calling to tell her his flight had been delayed. She checked the ID and felt her breath hitch in her throat. It wasn't Derek.

It was Hotchner.

She thumbed the device on and held it to her ear. "Sir?"

"Garcia, are you at the airport?" He sounded odd, like he was coaxing a frightened animal out of a corner, and she swallowed over a sudden lump in her throat. The senior agent didn't call her directly unless he needed something for a case. With their latest job wrapped up, and the runaround she was getting from the airport staff, there was only one reason for his call now.

"What's going on, sir?" She cursed the quiver in her voice, but she couldn't dwell on that for long. If something had happened to Derek, she wasn't sure all the dams in the world could hold back her emotions.

"Ma'am," the attendant was gesturing for her to follow, and Garcia obeyed automatically as Hotch spoke.

"Garcia, something's happened. Reid and Prentiss are on their way there to get you."

The sick feeling in her gut solidified into terror, and she dropped her bags onto the floor. "No," she whispered.

"Garcia, listen..." Hotch's voice faded out as her mind took over playing out every horrible scenario.

"Ma'am," the woman was at her side gripping her elbow to keep her from falling. "Ma'am I'm going to take the phone." Garcia's fingers were limp as the woman pulled the phone from her grasp and held it to her ear. "Hello? Yes, I understand. Okay." She hung up and gathered the bags from the floor. "Ma'am, I need you to follow me." A security officer had come over to help, and between the two of them they managed to escort Garcia into a small room.

Her movements were automatic as she was lowered into a chair and given a small paper cup filled with water. A man in a sharp suit and scuffed shoes came over and identified himself as an administrator for United Airlines. His words were soft as he gave her the company line regarding the accident, his apologies and condolences falling on deaf ears even as her mind processed their meaning. Time must have passed, but she didn't register anything until Prentiss crouched down in front of her.

"Penelope?" The tech looked up finally, seeing the truth of her worst thoughts mirrored in the agent's eyes. She crumpled forward, sobbing aloud as two pairs of arms came around her. Reid was at her back, forgoing his usual aversion to touch in an effort to comfort her. Her stomach rolled as her friends just held on, and her throat tightened with grief.

"Come on," Reid's voice was soft in her ear. "The others are waiting at the office." He stood and lifted her with him, her hands still gripping tightly in Emily's blouse. He gathered her things and the administrator's contact information before following the girls out to the waiting car.

Emily sat in the back with her as Reid drove them back to the BAU. They garnered strange looks from the agents around them as they walked through the lobby, and Garcia felt anger bubble up within her. How dare they continue on as though everything was exactly the same! Didn't they know the world had suddenly crumbled and nothing was ever going to be okay again? Didn't they realize a light had been snuffed out, one of their own, and would never again brighten anyone's life?

"Come on," Emily's arm around her shoulders tightened, and Garcia realized she'd stopped in the middle of the rotunda. Reid was holding the elevator open, and one look from him kept any other agents from riding along. Once inside, Reid pressed the button that would take them to the BAU, and suddenly Garcia felt her breath catch.

"I can't,"she slumped against the wall of the elevator as her breath came faster and shorter. The world spun around her and as her friends tried to hold her up she closed her eyes tight. "No, I can't." Going up there, seeing the rest of the team so obviously grieving their loss, would make it real.

"Garcia? Penelope?" Emily moved around her to grip her arms, bending at the knees slightly to look her in the eye. Garcia felt her legs wobble, and only Reid's quicker than normal reflexes kept her from toppling to the floor. The doors opened, and suddenly stronger arms were supporting her.

"I've got her." It was Hotch, his steady tenor an anchor as the storm raged on around her. She clung to him and allowed him to guide her to the conference room, where Rossi, JJ, and Will were sitting around the table. JJ's eyes were red and puffy, and Will was gripping her hand firmly as she sniffed. The moment Garcia saw her, the tech left her boss' arms and collapsed into her friend's embrace.

"Pen," JJ whispered, standing to meet her halfway. The two women stood there clinging to one another as Garcia let out another harsh sob. A warm hand at her back startled her, and for just a moment she let herself believe that he was there. Her eyes shut as the fantasy washed over her, and a tiny part of her expected to hear his voice in her ear calling her "baby girl" and telling her it was going to be alright. But when her eyes opened it was Hotch's steady gaze that met her. She could see the pain in his brown eyes, and that he was trying so hard to keep himself composed for his team.

She pulled away from JJ's shoulder and wiped her eyes and nose, not caring about her appearance as she took a shaky breath. "What happened?"

He hesitated a moment, and she knew he didn't want to tell her. She knew he cared more than he showed - they couldn't do what they did day in and day out without compassion and empathy. This tragedy - for there was no other word to describe what had happened today - would affect them all, but their unit chief knew she would suffer most of all. Derek Morgan had been her rock and her best friend, her protector and her comfort. The moment he said it aloud, Hotch removed any hope she held in her heart.

"Preliminary reports are saying structural failure," he recited, using the tone he normally reserved for press conferences and police briefings. She knew it was probably the only thing that was keeping him from breaking down as well. "Teams have been combing the area, but as of now they haven't found any survivors."

Though she expected them, the words were like a blow to her very soul. Hands gripped her and lowered her into a chair as a sob tore from her throat. JJ was there again, holding her close and crying with her.

"Please let this be a horrible dream," Garcia whispered. "Let me wake up." JJ rocked her as her emotions finally broke free and crashed over her. "Please," she choked, "I want to wake up."