I just heard that Hotch has been fired which – sadly truly cements the end of Criminal Minds for me… first Morgan… now him. Today is a sad day for CM fans – he won't even get a chance to film a final episode…. I still own nothing but I wish I did.

Penelope sits next to Bruce and holds his hand as the team descended on him.

How did you leave the bathroom?

How did you control the system black out without disabling the electricity?

What did you up load to the computer?

The questions pelted him…

like bats when

he fell into the well, as a kid….

he fell running away from Rachel while play tag…

he hadn't thought about that memory in a while.

He was so alone down there and when he stood the bats swarmed him. Rachel got his dad who brought him up.

He remembers shivering while watching his dad propel himself down the well.

He felt so cold; he shivers as a chill walks down his back.

So cold, yet when his dad hugged him he felt at home.

Warm.

Loved.

He would die three days later.

His mother's pearls crying in the street.

He hadn't thought about that in a while.

The bats.

His Dad.

His Mom.

She squeezed his hand again and he felt a rush a warmth flood him.

Surround him – just like when his dad held him.

He always loved her—he'd always protect her.

He squeezed her hand back.

"I'm sorry," he uttered and the room was quiet.

He let go of her hand and felt his future.

His future is…

Cold.

Weary.

Bleak.

"Sorry," Emily snarkily replied, she was enjoying her role as bad cop Bruce noticed. "You put all of us in danger - especially Penelope – she is out there with a huge target on her back. And you leave her?" she ends forcefully.

"I left her with you and Agent Morgan. I didn't think she should be in that position. I did what was.."

"you should have thought about that before today?" Emily replied angrily.

"Hey," Garcia interrupted, "I may not be in field every day but I passed every physical and." She began to defend herself.

"you haven't taken tactical training and your gun knowledge is basic at best," Derek said shutting her down.

"She should not have had a gun in the first place," Bruce said to Clancy.

"We are getting derailed here—yes we are emotional because a team member was put into danger," JJ said bring the debriefing back on course

"Damn it," Bruce said slamming his hand to the table, "she wasn't in danger. I made sure of it."

"Son," Lucius said while resting his hand on his shoulder, "Let's just listen to them."

"Us not knowing your plan put all of them in danger," Commissioner Gordon said regretfully.

"Us not knowing where you were in a party filled with possible suspects is not how we do things. You could have been our next victim," JJ said soothingly.

"We know your profile, Mr. Wayne," Hotch interjected "and not being in control can manifest itself into a situation that you won't be able to walk away from. You need to learn how to work with others, rely on the team you have assembled for you."

"My profile?" Bruce said angrily, "What is my profile?" he said ignoring the rest of Hotch's statement.

"You are pompous billionaire," Rossi interjected without a preamble, "who seems to flit from one party to the next with a new model every week. You throw money around like commoners use toilet paper. You are used to buying people, hotels, favors, and crashing cars and burning mansions – with minimal blowback on you. Most men fitting your profile have sociopathic tendencies – you know," Rossi said with a pregnant pause "how you took over your old employees business without thinking of him as a person? "

"Yet," Reid Interjected, "you give over 500 million a year to charities and only returned to Wayne Enterprises when it came to you attention that there wasn't any more profits to donate," Reid added on, "you then had a record breaking year. You seem to give the public what the persona they want so they don't notice these deeds. You surround yourself with father figures because your father was important to you," he added quiet and meaningfully.

"Like me, you protect those you love," Derek added taking Reid's lead, "you saw an opportunity tonight to keep everyone safe and only risk yourself and you did it. You did it because like most rich men you like the danger and the risk – that adrenaline rush. Which explains the bikes and the boat racing but you also have experienced so much loss that adding another name to the list you carry would be soul crushing."

"Your ego is large, you think you're the smartest person here." Emily said with her axe to grind, "You look fearlessly into the joker eyes," she looked around the room, "a known psychopath and sexual sadist as if you could take him – a rich boy who practiced take won do or karate. I don't know if the fearlessness is an act or just your narcissistic stupidity."

"Agent Prentiss," Tom Clancy hissed

"He wanted to know his profile, a billionaire loner child whose parents died in front of him could have spawned many things like a narcissistic with psychopathic tendencies."

"Emily," Reid interrupted her.

"We're all tired – It's been a long 24 hours," Erin states.

"Your need for control Mr. Wayne will derail this case," Hotch added, "we are here to help you - not hinder you. We all want Mr. Pennyworth brought home safely."

"Like Strauss, said this has been a long 24 hours and we do," Penelope added squeezing Bruce's hand "want Al home safe and sound. But do not make Bruce a scapegoat for you anger," she said looking squarely at Emily. "He made a mistake doing what he thought was best—he is not an agent and we shouldn't expect him to act like one."

"How did he ditch Morgan?" Emily challenged.

"I left out of the men's bathroom jumped down to the balcony below shimmied down the drainpipe to the computer room and uploaded the software to the entire system instead of one server. Then I tossed my cane back to the restroom and connected it to my belt. The device in the cane propelled me back to the restroom and I met Derek in the bathroom."

The room chuckled except for Penelope, Reid, and Lucius who knew he spoke the truth.

"Enough let's get some rest and meet up at 7am," Clancy said in the midst of the laughter.

Everyone began to separate when Bruce said "Wait, I'm sorry I'm not used to being on a team. That was one of the things Alfred tried to get me into but I loved computers instead—I won't undermine you all again. I just saw one of the possible outcomes being Lulu – I mean Penelope surrounded by Russian mafia bodyguards and I came up with a plan B. I should have shared the plan B instead stealing tools from Lucius's R&D stash – which hasn't been fully tested and going in rouge. Emily's profile is partially right - I do think I'm the smartest person in the room when Lucius or Alfred are obviously out of the room. But you all are the best of the best and I'm foolish for not treating you as such—for that I'm deeply sorry." He ran his fingers through his hair. "It wont happen again," he vowed.

As they walked out the room JJ came up to Bruce, "Hey, if things go left please feel free to execute Plan B—my husband and son will thank you." She chuckled, "I'm kidding."

"Seriously, I understand why you did it." She said patting his shoulder. "She brings out the mama cub in all of us."

They both glanced over to her and found her

He smiled, "she does doesn't she?"

She barely slept last night - it was torture sleeping in their old bedroom which smelled like dust and sadness. She could hear Bruce pace most of the night away as she tried to sleep. She was glad to get Alex's text in the morning - letting her know he could meet for breakfast at the crack of dawn.

"Penelope." He said kissing both cheeks, "How are you?"

"Great – Exhausted. I just got in last night and it's been so busy," she said as she returned his smile.

"I can't believe the FBI let you go – I thought that was against the rules."

"I'm still with them," she replied choosing not to lie, "A girl can weigh her options."

"Options," he said as he filled her coffee cup, "But you keep on making the same mistake – and his name is Wayne."

"Too early in the morning for you to pick on my boyfriend?"

"Where is he anyway? He said looking for him as if he would mysteriously appear.

"Sleeping," she said putting a small piece of melon in her mouth, "Stop picking in him."

"Mija," he said with

She cocked her eyebrow and he relented.

"Did you know Beverly was trying to set us up the summer you started?"

"Where did that come from?" she asked as she tried to remember her younger self.

"The last time I saw Beverly –we were reminiscing about the good old days and she was saying how she so wanted us to be together so we could be like the couples on thirty something."

"She so wanted me to move on from Jack," she acknowledged. "Didn't the couples on that show end up in divorced?"

"Before the divorce," he added mist fully.

Alex cleared his throat, "But you fell for Wayne and I met Theresa and the rest is history"

"When was this—" she pondered trying to seem nonchalant but being in total special agent mode.

"Like 2 and a half years ago—before—" he sad sadly "the cancer came back"

"She had a repertory illness 6 months after the bombing and then cancer. She's had a hard time and those wonderful boys." Alex shook his head trying to brush off the sadness, "Then he lost his company and couldn't afford the treatment so he went back to Apple - tail between his legs and all. But those months without the treatment did sever damage to her lungs."

"I haven't seen her in a two years"

"Oh dear – I had no idea," she said, "Did she get sick after Bruce bought his company?"

"You knew?" He said angrily surprised.

"No, I just found out last night –I worked freelance for Charlie for a year before we came back." She shook her head – it looked like Charlie was the unsub, "He had big plans for the player."

"So explain you and Wayne – every two years you meet up dance and take a break for another 2? He tells you he's dead you cry and then he's resurrected like Christ?"

Alex looks at her accusingly, "I mean you work for the FBI and he is back from the dead. Did you know? Because if you did then you should leave the FBI immediately and move to Southern Cali – good actresses are hard to find."

She knew this part of the conversation was going to be hard she bit her lip and shrugged dejectedly, "When Bruce needs his space he takes his space. We are in an open kind or relationship?"

"That works for you?" He said not giving up.

"Alex – " she said softly

"I'm just saying don't you want kids and a family?"

"I know," she said quietly, "I know, I look foolish but he's eccentric and when we dance together as you call it it's so amazing that I forget the heartbreak. I mean what man dies. Leaves you to mourn. Then shows up on your doorstep ready to marry you?" she said waiting to see if he knows they're married.

"He proposed?" he says shocked, He finished his mimosa in one sip.

"Yeah- I think he's finally ready to settle down."

"One demand," he teased, " NO Pre-Nup. So when he dies," he says using air quotes, "you can get everything."

She licks her lips and tries to smile and Alex groans, "You said yes mija?"

"I know," she says, "but it will be the longest engagement of all time."

They both laugh, "I just love him Alex and if he disappears 8 times I'll take him back 9 times. I know it sounds crazy," she whispers "but He has my heart."

"Ok," he says moving next her on the bench and giving her a warm embrace, "but if he makes you cry one more time I will find him and challenge him to a duel."

He kisses her forehead, "We could have made cute... smart babies."

"What happened to Theresa?"

"She fell in love with the man who cleans our pool," he shrugs, "and like you I can't stop so I hope she returns."

"Alex," she said soothing hugging him back.

"No tears we've cried over our hearts too long. Are you coming to our presentation?"

"Yes, what time is it?"

"Leave Bruce at home"

"Why?" she said this was the 2nd request she'd gotten in the past 24 hours.

"I want the press to be about the work not his resurrection – this deal is big for us? My partners flew from Russia with Love to see how their investment is going. We need to drum up business for our "

"Fine the Wayne stays at home," she smiled.

"Tell me about your team in DC – I was always hoping you would get with Agent Murphy."

"Morgan," she corrected, "you and everyone we know." She teased as she pulled her phone out to enter the time and location of his presentation.

"Crap it's dead – can I use your phone?

He gave her his phone and she sent herself an invite and uploaded the mirroring program so they know his location read content across all devices.

"OMG," she said as she saw the time I have to wake up Bruce he has an investor meeting at 8." She grabbed her purse and kissed his cheek, "I'll see you at 11am?"

"Yes, Love"

He held her hand and kissed her on both cheeks.

Now she had to hustle downstairs for the morning brief -Great one suspect down and another one to go, she thought. I could be a member of MI6—I'm queen of the sneakiness she thought as she made her way to the War Room.

I know a few of you don't like this story because it isn't a Derek/Penelope Story - check out my other stories which are totally D&P 4E. If you do like please leave a review - I know it's not the normally story but I'm obsessed about them!