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Penelope arrived to work late that morning because she had stayed late the night before helping the team with some searches for the case. She promised JJ she would sleep in that morning. She was headed for the elevators when she saw Agent Michaels standing there with a coworker; she thought about taking the elevator anyway and ignoring him and hoping he would do the same with a coworker present, but she couldn't manage the courage and ducked into the stairwell before he saw her.
Completely out of breath, she turned to face the last flight of stairs when she looked up and saw Agent Michaels waiting on the landing. "I'm disappointed you didn't want to ride the elevator with me Penelope," he said as he stared down at her.
Penelope found his stare disconcerting as she shifted her feet nervously. She cursed herself for not getting on the elevator. Now she was alone with Michaels and with the way he was looking at her, she knew he hadn't 'moved past' anything.
"I heard you went to my boss, told him I assaulted you and tried to hurt 'Our' baby. That's not nice to make such false and damaging statements, trying to cost a man who is about to be a father his job."
Penelope just stood there stunned unable to speak.
"That's my baby too, and I want joint custody, I'm sort of excited about being a Dad. I'd really like a son to carry on the Michaels name. Have you thought about James Michael, Jr. as a name?"
"I uh… I don't know…" Penelope said nervously. She began to back away from him down the stairs. She knew he couldn't be serious; he was just trying to be as mean to her as possible, and she wanted to get away from him.
"Hey now, where you going?" He moved quickly to stand beside her taking her by the arm, "Let me help the mother of my child up the stairs. It's the least I could do." Before she could even react, Michaels was beside her, hand on her elbow. Roughly, he began to pull her up the stairs. Penelope's heart pounded so loudly she couldn't hear anything Michaels was saying. Arriving at the landing, she breathed a sigh of relief only for that relief to quickly turn to shock as she soon found herself in a freefall back down the very stairs she had been helped up.
Agent Michaels stood over Penelope's motionless body. She had landed at such an awkward angle that he doubted her baby would survive. He took one of her shoes and placed it at the top of the landing to make it look like her shoes were to blame for her fall, he then returned to where Penelope had landed. He was nudging her with his foot, when Kevin came through the stairwell door.
"What the hell, are you doing?" Kevin asked shocked.
"I found her like this. She must've fallen," Michaels said defensively.
"And you check if she's ok with your foot?" Kevin shouted at him. Kevin ran to Penelope to check on her, but Michaels wouldn't step aside.
"Move," Kevin commanded, but Michaels wouldn't budge. Frustrated, Kevin pushed Michaels hard against the wall. Michaels swung at him, and before Kevin realized what was happening he and Agent Michaels were embroiled in a knock down brawl. When Kevin saw Michaels step on Penelope's arm he became even more enraged and started to beat Michaels up pretty good, so good in fact the Agent raised his hands seeking mercy. Kevin just glared at him. Michaels raised his hands not wanting to endure any more of Kevin's rage. Kevin considered stopping his assault when he heard a pained moan come from Penelope behind him. He delivered one more strong blow to Michaels' face and watched with satisfaction as the man slid to the ground. Kevin had never hit another person in his life, but he had never met someone who deserved it more than Michaels. Kevin moved Michaels' unconscious body out of his way less than gracefully so he could have more room to check on Penelope who was starting to regain consciousness. "Hey, hey don't move," Kevin said as he brushed some of Penelope's hair out of her face.
"Kevin?" Penelope asked weakly, trying to get her eyes to focus.
"It's me, plum sauce. Now stay still, I'm going to call for help."
A moment later, Strauss followed by security came blazing into the stairwell.
"Kevin, what the hell happened?" she questioned trying to assess what was going on.
"I think Michaels pushed her down the stairs."
"I did no such thing. She fell! I was trying to help her!" Michaels who had regained consciousness shouted as two security guards pulled him to his feet. Michaels nursed his swollen jaw as he spoke. "And that computer nerd assaulted me!" Michaels pointed to Kevin who was still kneeling besides Penelope trying to keep her from moving.
Strauss could see all the commotion was making it difficult for Penelope to lie still and wait on the medics. "Take him out of here, and arrest him for assault."
The guards pulled a protesting Michaels out of the hallway; he began to spew hateful and threatening language at Penelope.
Strauss joined Kevin next to Penelope, "Ignore him, don't listen to him," Strauss instructed her.
"Do you think my baby is ok?" Penelope asked tearfully, moving one of her hands to rest on her stomach.
"I'm sure, he or she is fine," Strauss said telling Penelope what she wanted to hear, but having no way real of knowing. Strauss and Kevin exchanged glances hoping she was right.
"I think it is a girl," Penelope told them, "I don't know why, I just feel it."
"I bet you are right." Strauss rubbed Penelope's hand that was covering her stomach.
Kevin and Strauss watched in horror as Penelope's eyes rolled back in her head and she lost consciousness. "Where the hell is that ambulance?" Strauss yelled.
"I'll go check." Kevin left to try and find the ambulance.
"You're going to be fine, you are going to be such a great Mom. You just hang in there." Erin stroked Penelope's hair, avoiding the large bump she saw forming on Penelope's forehead. "You hang in there too, little one. You are going to be such a loved child, you don't know how lucky you are." Erin rubbed her hand over Penelope's stomach, she breathed a small sigh of relief when a small kick met her hand. She breathed an even bigger sigh of relief when Kevin returned, paramedics in tow.
Before she knew it, she was riding along in the ambulance as they rushed Penelope to the hospital. Kevin was going to notify the team and met them there. They had hooked Penelope up to a fetal monitor and Strauss took comfort in the rhythmic sound of a strong baby's heartbeat, even though Penelope remained unresponsive.