Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or the characters. Some "guest stars" are based on or named after people in my life while others are totally made up, as are some places and events.

Chapter 7

Derek bolted up the stairs, taking them two and three at a time, and ran into the guest room. His heart cramped as he saw Penelope sitting up in the bed, clutching a pillow to her chest, rocking back and forth, shaking and sobbing.

"Hey, Sweetness," he whispered as he sat next to her on the bed and gathered her in his arms. He pushed her hair back away from her face. "It's all right, Baby. You're safe."

He held her like that until she stopped shaking. "I can't believe it's all true... it really happened," she whispered. "My parents told me it was all a bad dream and after awhile I believed them. I still have nightmares about it."

"I do, too," he confessed. "Have nightmares about it, I mean."

"Witnessing your father's death was frightening for me, I can't imagine how it was for you."

"Yeah, well..." he trailed off, clearly uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading.

Penelope sighed and, feeling safe in Derek's embrace, she allowed herself to remember the reoccurring nightmare that had plagued her for years. It was a mixed bag, discovering the nightmare really happened. On one hand, it was a relief knowing that it all wasn't in her head. At the same time, she was mad that her parents lied to her and Derek never said anything. She was also horrified that the murder she witnessed was Derek's father's.

Derek felt her stiffen in his arms. He looked down to see her staring off into space and absently drawing doodles on the blanket with her finger. "Do you want to call Sam?" he asked.

"No," she replied. "He probably wouldn't answer, anyway."

"Did you guys get into a fight or something?"

"Yeah. He snagged a part in an off-off-Broadway play. He came home when he could but someone saw him and offered him a lead in another, bigger play after the run. He took it as a sign and moved there. He didn't even ask... he just assumed I'd go with him. His reasoning was that I could just get a position in the New York office. He couldn't understand that I can't leave Quantico, even if I wanted to. He said... " she looked away and pressed her lips together as I'd she'd already revealed way more than she wanted.

"He said what, Baby Girl? What did he say?"

Penelope sighed. "He said my attachment to the BAU wasn't normal or healthy. His exact words were, "It's not like they're your family or anything."

He tightened his grip around her. "I'm so sorry, Baby." The caveman in him wanted to find Sam and beat the crap out of him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What was I supposed to say? 'My boyfriend said my relationship with the people I consider my family- my FBI team- isn't healthy while rubbing in my face the fact that I don't have any real family to speak of'?"

"Penelope, you don't deserve a man that says things like that!"

"I know that! That's why I kicked him out and broke up with him!" she snapped.

"That's my Baby Girl," he couldn't hold in his smile. "Soooo... Do you want to to crash here tonight?"

"Do you mind? I don't want to intrude."

"Of course not. I don't want you to be alone while these maniacs are out there."

"What?" she pushed him away and looked up. "You said 'maniacs.' Plural. As in more than one. What aren't you telling me, Derek?"

He gripped her hands in his. "Malcolm Ford escaped with Montgomery," he explained.

"Malcolm Ford?" she gasped. "The guy who..."

"Kidnapped my cousin Cindi?" he finished. "Yeah, that's him. They also think they killed Montgomery's old defense attorney."

"Oh, my gosh! Do you honestly think they'll come after you through me?" she asked.

He sighed. "Ford knows I'm an FBI agent. It won't be too hard to figure out that you're an agent, too and that we're on the same unit."

"The power of Google," she muttered.

"Yeah, and Montgomery has had thirty years to stew in hate and think about revenge. He threatened you in open court and in the prison yard. You're the reason I was able to positively ID him."

"I was an eight year-old girl!" she cried.

"And he's a psychopath!' he argued back. "He blames you for his arrest and conviction! He didn't care then that you were just a little girl. I guarantee you he definitely doesn't care now that you're grown up."

"Are we in danger?" she asked.

"Yes. How much, I don't know," he answered honestly. "They have everyone looking for them and it's like they disappeared. I'm still not taking any chances with your safety."

"Do you think it's safe to go to my place and grab a few things?" she asked. "My go-bag is in my office and I'll need a few things from home."

Derek looked at his watch. "Sure, but I want to be back before it gets dark. We can pick up some Chinese food on the way, if you want."

"Whatever."

"You're being quiet," Derek remarked as he pulled up to Penelope's building. She shrugged and continued to stare out the window. He put the SUV into park and quickly scanned the area before getting out. Penelope allowed him to open her door but ignored his hand. Derek raised his eyebrows and frowned but didn't say anything.

In her apartment, Penelope set about gathering a bag with a few essentials. With every item added to the bag, the angrier she got. She was expecting Derek to say something, anything, explaining why he never told her about their shared past. She deserved an explanation. She was supposed to be his best friend, after all.

"I'm ready," she announced as she grabbed her laptop case. She took it and her wheelie case and opened the door to leave. She felt Derek try to tug the bags from her and jerked them back as she locked the deadbolt behind them. "I can manage," she snapped. "Who do you think carries stuff when you're not here?"

That stopped Derek in his tracks. He didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Did that mean that by taking care of her like he was always taught to treat women, he treated her better than her boyfriends did?

"Sorry, Princess," he said as he pried her hand from the wheelie case's handle. "Chivalry will never die as long as Derek Morgan is around."

Penelope cooked her head at him like she didn't understand and shrugged as she descended the stairs. She didn't say a word to him as they drove to their favorite Chinese restaurant. She ordered her food and whipped out her card before Derek could stutter out a protest.

They brought their food home and while they were eating at the table, Derek tried to engage Penelope in conversation but she would only answer in monosyllables and incoherent grunts. After the eighth shrug and grunt, Derek dropped his chopsticks on his plate and grabbed her hands, forcing her to drop her own chopsticks. She looked at him with fire in her eyes and tried to pull her hands away. "No you don't, Baby Girl. What's wrong?" A shiver went up his spine as she looked at him. Fury radiated off her and he'd never seen her angrier.

"Derek Morgan, I can't believe you just asked me that," she whispered and burst into uncontrollable laughter.

A/N: Thank you for all the love, even when I'm slacking in the updates.

Xoxo,

PitaCake