Garcia came rushing up the moment she spotted Emily, looking like she had half a mind to box her ear or at least give her a stern talking to. It had been a full two days since Derek had been taken off the ventilator and she'd all but disappeared in that time, in spite of Garcia's multiple desperate attempts to reach her.

"Where have you been!?" she demanded, hands on her hips, brows furrowed sternly. "I left you like a hundred messages! I went to your hotel room and knocked on the door, but you didn't answer. I was afraid you'd been in accident! I was this close to tracking your phone and credit cards!"

"I turned my phone off," Emily replied dismissively, intentionally evading the question posed. "I was sleeping."

"For two days?" Garcia said skeptically.

"What's going on, Pen?" Emily asked before she could continue her scolding.

She shook off her irritation, likely saving it for a later date. "Derek's alive!" she announced, with a little exclamatory hand wave.

Emily choked on an inhale, feeling momentarily like she'd forgotten how to breathe, like she'd never taken a breath at all and never would again. "He's awake?"

"Well, no..." Garcia pulled an apologetic face. "But!" she said with a flourish as Emily's face fell. "They turned off the ventilator and he's still breathing on his own! It's been two days and there's no signs of trouble breathing! The doctors say they've never seen this before, totally unprecedented. They say it means he's still in there, he could still wake up!"

Emily was silent for a long time, unable to form a response. She started chewing her thumb nail distractedly.

"Well..." Garcia prompted, waving a hand in front of her vacant eyes. "Isn't that great?"

"Wonderful," Emily agreed breathlessly. Her tone was hollow, though.

Derek could see it in her eyes, that expression that said she'd said her goodbyes, given up all hope and was loathe to hope again for fear of only being let down when he inevitably took a turn for the worse. "You have to tell her," he urged Garcia.

She looked at him incredulously, already seeing where this would lead. She opened her mouth to argue, but couldn't in front of Emily without seeming entirely crazy. She tried to convey with her eyes all the reasons that was a bad idea, but his expression remained firm.

"Tell her I'm right here. Tell her I've been by her side the whole time," he insisted.

She sighed. "Derek wants to talk to you. He's right here, with us – with you. He has been the whole time."

Emily frowned, mistrust in her eyes. "What are you talking about, Pen?"

"His spirit is outside his physical body, wandering around the hospital. I can see him, hear him...it's getting him to shut up that's the trick," she joked. Neither one seemed amused.

"Tell her I'm proud of her for fighting for me. I always knew she would."

"He says he's glad you've been fighting for him when everyone else was ready to give up," she conveyed. "He says he knew you would."

"What are you doing?" She cocked her head to the side, face falling.

"Tell her to keep fighting. Mama will come around."

"He wants you to keep fighting until you win."

"Are you making fun of me?" Emily whispered, eyes full of tears.

"Emily, no!" she said in a rush. "Please believe me, he's here! Right beside you, telling me what to say!"

He could see the disbelief in Emily's face, see that her heart was only breaking further. He needed her to believe. "Tell her I'm glad she's wearing the necklace I got her for our anniversary."

"Anniversary!?" Garcia hissed.

He just shook his head. There wasn't time to explain.

"He says he's glad you're wearing the necklace he got you for your anniversary."

Emily touched the simple opal pendant hanging from her neck. She'd worn it every day since he'd given it to her. "How did you know about that? We never told anyone..."

"He's here," Garcia said again.

"Derek?" Emily whispered, almost daring to hope.

"Yeah, Princess?"

"Are you there?" She gave a watery smile, still blinking back tears.

"I'm right here, baby. I always will be."

"I, umm..." She paused, tongue darting out to flick over her top lip. "I don't know what to say. God, Derek, why did this happen? I don't know how to do this – how to live without you..."

"I know, Em. I don't know how to either."

"If... If you're there, I need you to come back. Come back to me."

"I'm trying," he vowed. "I want that more than anything. I just don't know how."

Emily's eyes lifted to the ceiling. "If you knew how, you'd have done it already." She choked on a sob that was part self-deprecating laugh. "You're never coming back, are you?"

"No, Em...no, no, no. Do not give up on me! I am coming back to you! Don't give up on me!"

Emily stood up suddenly, running her hands through her hair. "I can't do this. I can't believe I actually thought..." She shook her head. "Thanks anyway, Garcia." She ran off down the hall, wiping her tears as she went.

"Emily!" Garcia yelled after her. "Emily, wait! He's here!"

But she was already gone.

"I'm sorry, Derek," she apologized, nearly in tears herself. "I tried, but...I failed you."

Derek shook his head. "No. No, you didn't, baby girl. She's not ready to believe. Because if she does, that means that she'll only get her heart broken again when I don't come back to her. I know her – I understand her, maybe better than anyone. It's why she doesn't let people in...if she doesn't let them in, they can't break her by leaving."

"I'll find her," Garcia promised. "I'll find her and I'll make her believe. I'll tell her..."

Derek shook his head again. "No. She has to do it on her own."