Title: Twelve hours

Pairing: Morgan/Garcia friendship?

Rating: PG-13 – just to be sure

Disclaimer: All BAU characters belong to CBS, the rest came out of my own freaky mind

Summary: After they returned to Quantico, Derek wants to make sure, Penelope will be alright. And, yes, the question mark still has its justification. :)

warnings: Well, this is going to be the last chapter of this story because I really think it's a good end showing that our beloved couple are really close friends. BUT: There'll definitely be a sequel for all those who think they should be more than that.

"Are you really sure you want to go home?" Derek asked and glanced at the woman in his passenger seat. "I mean, you could stay with me for a couple of days."

"Derek, my flat is a mess." she sighed. "I have so many things to do. And besides, avoiding my flat doesn't help me get over this."

"I know." he murmured. But it would definitely help him. During the past four days she'd been save at his mother's house – and he had been able to stay with her. Now she would be alone again in her apartment – and he didn't like the thought of that. It was probably overanxious to assume that this would happen to her again. But nonetheless that risk remained and that frightened him.

They drove the rest of the way in silence. Derek walked Penelope up the stairs to her door.

She frowned while she unlocked it. She could have sworn this… Deputy Miller had broken her door. But there was no evidence for that. When Penelope stepped inside and looked at her living room, she froze in complete shock. She remembered the fight too well, the broken lamp and vases, the couch, the blood on the floor. But her living room looked as neat as she liked it to be. "What the hell…?" she murmured.

Derek leaned in the doorway and smiled sheepishly. "I had some cleaning staff do that while we were in Chicago."

Penelope turned to face him and whispered: "You did that… for me?"

"Most definitely, goddess." he smiled. "Well, as I said I couldn't do it on my own for I wasn't here but I think the staff is quite good valuable. And by the way, you have an alarm system now. I… had it installed yesterday. They're really fast in fulfilling orders."

"I… thank you." she stammered, still completely stunned. "I… I wanted to have such a system installed myself. I… I'll pay for it!"

"Like hell you will." he objected.

"Derek, I can't…"

"What did I tell you about arguing with me, sweetness?" he interrupted her.

Penelope opened her mouth to answer something but shut it immediately when she saw the unflinching look on his face. "Thank you." she whispered. "I… I think you'd better go home now. Clooney's certainly waiting for you."

"He's fine." he replied. "I asked one of my neighbors to have a look at him."

"Good." she sighed. "I was… you know, worrying that no one would care for him. Good to know you have an emergency plan – just in case."

"I asked her when Gideon brought you in Tobias Henkel's house." he explained. "She's not really an emergency plan. I mean, she's seventy-three."

"Wow, I hope she's able to handle him. He can be really hoydenish sometimes." she smiled.

"Well, he's actually behaving much better when he's with her than he is with me." Derek chuckled. He admired the old lady, she was really tough.

"Anyway, go home now. He's waiting for you." Penelope insisted.

Derek frowned and looked at her as if he tried to read her mind. "Are you sure, sugar?" he softly asked.

"Of course, I am." she answered and lead him out of her door. "Go now, Derek, I'll be fine!"

"Okay." he murmured unwillingly stepping outside in the corridor. He didn't want to go, didn't want to leave her alone. But if she didn't want his company any longer… Before his brain could stop them, the words bubbled out of his mouth: "What if… what if I won't?"

"Come again?" she gave him a puzzled look.

"What if I won't be fine leaving you alone tonight?" he stared at her, looked down on the floor, raised his head and looked past her then finally back into her eyes. "Maybe I can't stand the thought of you being alone. Maybe… maybe I have to make sure you're really fine. What if I just need to spend this night on your couch to make sure the alarm system works, to make sure you have a good night's sleep, just to make sure everything's alright."

She smiled and blushed slightly at his obvious concern about her. He cared for her much more than she'd ever thought possible. "Well" she finally replied in a very low voice. "I guess in that case I would ask you how many pillows you want."

He smiled back at her as she finally let him come in.

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When Derek woke up it was still dark outside. He wasn't sure what had roused him. A sound maybe? He got up and checked the door, it was still closed. Everything seemed to be fine. But still his concern didn't dwindle. He knew it was inappropriate but he had to check on her. So he walked to her bedroom and carefully opened the door.

His blood run cold when he looked at the bed. Penelope was gone and the sheets were drenched in blood…

Derek was rudely awakened from this nightmare by a fearful scream that came from the bedroom. He jumped up and ran to the door, stepping in without even considering to knock. Penelope was sitting in her bed and he could see the panic in her eyes. He hurried over to her trying to pull her in his comforting embrace.

But she fought him, beating his chest with her fists, screaming.

"Baby girl, it's me." he said calmly. "Everything's fine, it's just me."

At the sound of his voice she immediately stopped fighting him and pulled him as close as possible. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed. "I… I thought I saw him standing in the doorway." she sobbed harder.

Derek pulled her a little closer, stroke her back and whispered. "He's not here, sweetness, but I am. I'm here." Finally she was giving these feelings free rein, finally she cried. He was more than glad he'd insisted to stay with her overnight.

After a few minutes Penelope seemed to have calmed down. She drew in a shaky breath and explained: "I saw him standing there the last time I woke up. I… He attacked me and I thought he'd kill me or… rape me or something."

Derek clenched his fist at the thought of that. If anyone on this earth should ever dare to do that to her…

"I clawed him and he let go of me." she continued. She needed to tell him what had happened that night. "I ran as fast as I could. I… don't know exactly but I think I screamed for help. I threw things at him and tried to get out of the door. But he grabbed me and dashed me against the wall. I was afraid I would pass out. I felt so dizzy and I could hardly see anything. He grabbed me again and I stabbed him with something. I think I really hurt him, he… was holding his forearm and… I thought that was my chance to escape. But I was so dizzy and he was faster and then he put this handkerchief above my mouth. When I smelled the chloroform I knew it had to be him and I knew what… what was going to happen."

"I swear I'll kill him for what he did to you." Derek mumbled.

"I… I was so scared." she whispered.

"I know, darling." he softly replied. "So was I."

"I almost freaked out in there. When… when the air ran out I… I…"

"You were amazingly brave, even if you did freak out the important thing is that you didn't show him." he tried to put as much encouragement in his voice as possible. "You did a good job out there, mama. I hardly believe I'd been able to stay as calm as you did."

"Thank you" she replied. "for everything." she sobbed again. She wasn't able to hold back these tears any longer. She was grateful Derek was there to hold her. Otherwise she'd gone mad for sure. She clung to him and wept freely.

Derek pulled her onto his lap to hold her even tighter and gently swayed her back and forth.

Penelope cried for what seemed an hour holding Derek who was stroking her hair, her cheek, her back and assuring her everything was alright. Finally she calmed down again but she didn't let go of him. She didn't want to pull away from his warming, comforting, calming embrace.

"I'm so glad you're here." she finally whispered.

"Me too, baby girl." he answered equally voicelessly and stroke her cheek, carefully brushing away her tears. "Me too."

"Don't go away, Derek" she sobbed. "please, don't leave me alone! I need you."

"I won't" he promised. "I'm not going anywhere." Derek laid back on the bed pulling Penelope with him, tugging them both in.

"Thank you." her voice was barely a whisper. "I… I just…"

"I wouldn't want to be somewhere else now, goddess." he assured her and kissed her hair. "I just want to be there for you and hold you – the whole night through."

The End