The Road Less Traveled-Ch 1

Penelope Garcia was all smiles as she worked on her computer, she loved her job, she worked from home and where was her home you might ask, it's in the middle of the woods. She loved the peace, quiet and serenity that being alone brought her but little did she know that something was about to happen that would change her opinion of that.

Now Penelope wasn't rich by any means but she had enough to get the house she wanted and that included a hidden room where she kept her computer and the stuff that her mother and father left to her when they died. When the things of the world would get her down that's where she would go, she would go to her little room, her safe haven, her lair.

When she was finished with her work she got up and headed out of her lair and after making sure the door was closed headed outside to enjoy the weather because their was a storm that was suppose to be hitting in soon. She hated storms, she hated the boom of the thunder and the flash of the lightening as it blazed across the sky.

Meanwhile not far away an injured Derek Morgan was making his way through the woods in search of help, he had been shot once in the shoulder and once in the leg and was getting weaker and weaker by the minute. He did what he could to try to cover up the blood trail he was leaving and so far he had done a good enough job to keep his assailants away.

He looked above the trees and thought he saw something and he grunted in pain as he realized he did, he saw smoke that he hoped was coming from somebody that could help him. Derek wobbily made his way bumping into trees and tripping over tree roots as quickly made his way closer and closer to where the smoke was coming from.

Penelope was sitting on her front porch in her swing enjoying a cup of hot chocolate, the weather was cooling quickly which let her know that the storm wasn't very far away. As she put the cup to her lips she thought she heard something, she put the cup down and listened and shook her head and said, "this storm has got you hearing things Garcie, calm down girlie" as she picked up her cocoa and finished the rest of the mug.

She looked up and saw the dark clouds moving in and said, "it won't be long now", she then walked around her house making sure that everything was ready for the coming storm. Penelope was getting ready to step back up onto her porch when she saw something, no wait that was someone stumbling toward her with his arms out saying something.

Derek couldn't believe his eyes he saw somebody and not just anybody but a beautiful somebody, he held his arms out and started saying, "h h help me, please help me". She could tell that he was hurt, part of her wanted to run but her heart was telling her to help that man so she followed her heart and ran toward the man that was in obvious pain.

Penelope said, "what happened to you"?, Derek tried to speak but the words just weren't coming so Penelope said, "let's get you inside" and just as they stepped up on her porch thunder started rolling and the lightening started. She jumped and said, "ohhhhh" as her and the injured Derek Morgan stumbled into her front door.

She laid him down on the bed and said, "who are you, what happened"?, he looked at her and everything was starting to become fuzzy, he said, "I I I'm Derek M M Morgan, I'm with the F F FBI" and then he closed his eyes. She said, "Derek, Derek, can you hear me"? and all she got was moans of pain, she said, "I'm going to get you cleaned up and then hopefully later you can tell me what's happened to you".

She then stood up and started removing his clothes so she could see just how much damage was done to her guest