And we're back with Garcia. Everything from here out will be consecutive again. The response from everyone is a bit overwhelming! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review. I appreciate each and every one of you.

GARCIA

The phone call with Fran Morgan had been full of tears. Garcia had learned about the survivors, and they'd cried together at the injustice of it all. Still, Garcia couldn't help but feel a bit better than there were families out there who were probably at this moment receiving the best possible news. Fran had listened to her words and praised her ability to see a light even in the darkest of times. "Derek always said he loved that about you," she'd told the younger woman, and Garcia's tears came anew.

For just a moment, Penelope remembered what is was like to have a mother, someone to listen and give comfort and advice. They'd only met once, briefly, but Derek had talked so much about his mother that Penelope felt like she knew the woman so well. And, from talking to Fran for almost half an hour, the feeling was mutual.

After a final confirmation that she'd call the next day, Penelope hung up the phone and went to wash her face. Her reflection in the mirror startled her, and she took a few moments to make herself just a little more presentable.

Will had returned with food - burgers from a local drive thru - and he and JJ were sitting at her table trying to coax Henry into eating a french fry.

"Let me," she said as she took a seat next to JJ and took the boy from her lap. Once Henry was settled, she snagged a fry and made sure he saw her take a bite. She finished it with a delighted yum sound, then grabbed another. Henry's tiny fingers reached for her hand, and with her help he guided the fry into his mouth.

They sat like that for the remainder of the meal, Penelope eating most of her burger and occasionally losing a fry to the baby in her lap. JJ and Will talked about the things first time parents do - chasing him around as he crawled everywhere, attempts at words and sounds, new experiences that they had been totally unprepared for. Penelope listened to it all, soaking up the feeling of family.

Once the meal was done they relocated to the couch. JJ pulled out a few toys for Henry as Penelope dug out an old Disney movie from her stash. It was something of a guilty pleasure for her, but she couldn't help it. There was something about the promise of a happy ending that appealed to her; a fantasy that contradicted her everyday reality in a way that satisfied her inner child.

Will stepped out to run a few errands while he could do so kid-free, and JJ seemed content to sit with her and watch animated movies as Henry played at their feet. Finally, around two, he stopped playing and started to work his way toward his mother. He managed to pull himself up to standing using her pants leg, and JJ helped him the rest of the way into her arms. He yawned widely and settled down, his eyes drooping closed almost immediately.

"Wow," Penelope whispered. "Is it always that easy?"

"Oh no," JJ spoke in a hushed tone. "Usually I have to fight with him to take a nap. Must be your presence."

"Glad to be of service," she smiled, feeling just a bit of her old spark returning. It was the first sign that told her she might eventually be okay, and she reached out to wrap an arm around her friend's shoulder. "Thank you so much for being here today," she said. "I'm not sure what I would do without you."

"Well, good thing you'll never have to find out," JJ returned.

"Don't say that." And just like that, her mood soured. "You can't promise that."

"No, I can't," JJ agreed sadly, shifting her sleeping son to angle her body toward Garcia. "But we can't live life scared just because something might happen. I'm your friend, and I will always be here for you."

Tears sprung to her eyes, and Penelope shied away. She had cried so much in the past twenty four hours, and she knew she'd probably cry some more before it all returned to something resembling normal. Her friends had been an amazing support system for her, but she couldn't lean on them forever.

"Jayje, you don't have to stay," she said finally. "I'm gonna go lay down. When Will comes back, you should go. It's not that I don't completely appreciate everything you've done," she hurried on when the other woman opened her mouth to protest, "but I don't want you to feel like you have to sit here with me all day."

"Alright," JJ agreed reluctantly, knowing her friend needed time alone to process everything. "You call if you need anything," she pressed. "I don't care what time it is, or how insignificant you might think it is."

"Sure," Penelope gave her friend a muted smile. "Thanks for today."

"Of course." JJ returned her smile, and Penelope could feel her friend's gaze on her back as she retreated into her room. The beaded curtain wasn't much of a barrier, but she didn't really want to be cut off from the world either. She laid down in her bed and tried to sleep, but the best she could manage was a light doze. She heard when Will returned, and the hushed conversation he had with JJ. They left quietly, casting the apartment into an eerie silence as the door closed behind them.

She tried for a few more minutes, but every time she closed her eyes she relived that horrible moment of discovery all over again. Finally giving in, she got up and got dressed - a well worn pair of black slacks and a simple blouse. It wasn't her usual vibrant color scheme, but it was comfortable. She'd just turned on her laptop when her a knock echoed in the quiet apartment.

"Hey," Rossi greeted her when she opened the door. At his feet, a dark four-legged shape wiggled with excitement upon seeing her. A pang of grief hit Penelope all over again; with the chaos of the previous day, she'd completely forgotten about Clooney. She'd dropped him back at Morgan's before work yesterday knowing Derek would go straight home after his flight.

"Hey," she greeted them both, but dropped to her knee to wrap the overgrown puppy in a bear hug. Clooney licked her ear and wriggled in her arms, dashing past her and up onto her couch the moment she released him. She stepped back to let Rossi and shut the door behind him.

"How did you get him?"

"Neighbor had a key," he revealed. "I remember you saying that Clooney had been sad to go back home yesterday morning, so I figured he was still there." He looked around at the darkened apartment, then back at her. "How are you?"

"I'm alright," she told him. "I'm still kind of processing everything right now." She loved her friends more than anything in the world, but she was starting to feel a little stifled. "JJ and Will just left about an hour ago." She turned away from him and started back toward the kitchen. Stifled or not, her momma had instill manners in her at an early age. "Can I get you something? A drink?"

"Penelope," his soft voice held enough concern that she stopped in her tracks. He caught up to her and gently wrapped his fingers around her arm. "You spend every waking moment making sure we're alright, keeping our spirits up. You provide a beacon of light in this darkness that surrounds us. You take such good care of us. For once, let us return the favor."

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes shining with tears. Then, in a small voice, she gave in. "Okay." She changed direction and sank down onto the couch where Clooney had stretched out. He adjusted to lay his head in her lap, and her hand began scratching behind his ears absently. Rossi returned from the kitchen with two glasses of water, and she offered him a small smile as she took one.

"He seems to love you," Rossi settled in an old armchair near the window. Penelope nodded and glanced down at the mutt. His pointed ears and dark eyes spoke of a German Shepherd ancestry, but his mottled fur and longer coat told another story. He was officially listed as a "Shepherd Mix"on the vet forms, though Penelope had guessed he was more Australian than German.

"Yeah," she adjusted slightly as Clooney shifted, turning to stretch out on his side as her ministrations moved to his side. "I watch him whenever you guys go out. He gets lonely."

"How old is he?" Rossi sipped his drink as though his glass held something other than water, but Penelope knew better. She didn't have any alcohol in the house.

"You know, I'm not sure. Derek found him as a puppy wandering around the park where he usually jogs...jogged." Her breath hitched, but she shoved past the wave of sadness and focused on the happy story. "He took him to the vet, and she guessed he was eight to ten weeks old. He tried to find the owner, but no one claimed him. That was...oh probably 6 years ago now." Clooney huffed contentedly in her lap, and as her fingers stilled on his fur he whined low in his throat.

"Well he certainly loves attention," Rossi laughed.

"He just knows he can get away with anything here," Garcia admitted. "Derek never lets him on the furniture at his apartment. But I can't say no to those eyes."

"Well, at least I know he's in good hands." Rossi stood and tilted his head slightly, as though he wanted to say something more. Instead, he settled on, "I just wanted to make sure he was taken care of." Penelope wasn't fooled by his aloof demeanor, and she looked up at him with a grateful smile.

"He is, thank you." Rossi deposited his glass in the kitchen and bid her goodbye before leaving her alone again. Clooney let out a long breath and licked her hand lazily as she watched the door close. Her gaze shifted down to the pup in her lap and felt some of the broken pieces of her heart start to knit themselves back together. Derek was gone, but she knew she would always have a part of him with her. For now, that was enough.