Erin let out a little groan as she blinked her eyes open, trying to focus on the faces that were staring down at her. "Penelope?" she asked as she reached her hand upwards. Instantly, it was clasped, and she sighed as her friend bent in close, nodding a little. She was able to see that Penelope was crying, and her heart lurched a little as she slid her other hand down to come to rest on her rounded stomach. She didn't breath again until she felt Diana kick against her hand, and then she drew in a harsh gasp as she gave her friend a tremulous smile.

"Officer MacMillan decided to go with my statement, since you were incapacitated. He'll be coming back later to talk to you about pressing charges, and I have to say that I think you should. I gave Reid a head's up about what happened, and told him to stay on the scene, since your doctor said that it was a direct result of the stress and shock of what happened this morning, coupled with the fact that your blood sugar was a little low. We should be out of here in the next hour, since he wanted to check your vitals before he released you."

"All right. As soon as that's done, we can head to the precinct and I can talk to Officer MacMillan, and move forward. And then, I am going to go home and sleep for a thousand years." She gave Penelope a wry smile as she rubbed her stomach. "Imagine this happening in a movie. No one would believe that so many awful things could happen to one person in such quick succession."

"Perhaps, but these things have made you stronger. Now, do you want to see the sonogram pictures? She's getting so big!" Erin nodded as she sat up, scooting back until she was resting against the headboard of the bed, giving room for Penelope to join her if she wanted. The woman gave her a knowing smile as she clambered cautiously onto the bed. As she handed the small packet of picture to Erin, her other arm reached around her shoulders to cradle her close to her chest. "Now, I seem to recall, during that little fracas, you told Curtis that you're still an FBI agent? I thought that you were going to retire after Michael's death?"

"I was talked out of it. Ron reminded me that I am good at my job, and that grief was clouding my judgement. So I'm going to keep plugging away from home, and will take an extended leave once Diana is here, but then I'll be back. I don't know how Alex will feel about that, but…I really hope that she doesn't mind."

Penelope nodded as her phone started to ring, and she smiled as Penelope pulled it out of her pocket, handing it over. "Speak of the devil, Erin," she teased, and Erin flushed a little as she answered the call, holding the phone up to her ear.

"Alex? Is everything all right?"

"I think that I should be the one asking you that! Did I hear Spencer right? You shot John Curtis?"

"News travels fast. Yes, I did shoot him. Twice, in fact, but only because he was going to shoot me if I didn't. The police arrived before I had a chance to really ask him about why he had come after me, but I think that his anger over what happened during the Amerithrax case far eclipsed the anger that you held onto for all these years. I, I hope that you've moved beyond that a little. After this run in, I would really like to restart our friendship. Diana is going to need as many strong women around her as possible, once she's here, especially since Spence and I don't have our mothers around to help out."

There was a small pause, and Erin felt her heart freeze in her chest as she awaited Alex's answer. "Well, we have twenty more weeks to solidify our friendship, don't we?"

Those lovely words caused her to tear up, and she let her head rest on Penelope's shoulder as a wide smile spread across her lips. "That is very true. Why don't you and James come over for supper after this case? I know that it's a sort of last minutes invitation, but we'd love to have you. And if it gets too late, you're free to use our guest room. The girls haven't had the heart to visit since Michael…"

"We would love to visit your house, and spend the night. I've always wanted to watch the sun rise over a lake."

"Truly?"

"Truly. I'm sorry, it looks like we have a break in the case. I'll tell Spencer that you love him, and we'll talk soon!"

Alex hung up before Erin could respond, but she found that she didn't mind nearly as much as she might have in the past. She knew that when breaks happened, the team had to move quickly, and she let out a little sigh as she set the phone aside and looked at the pictures of their baby. "She is beautiful. I know, we can't tell for certain what she looks like just yet, but she has the same nose shape that Jessica had in the womb. I was really hoping that she looks a little bit like Spence. He deserves to have himself represented in our baby."

"Well, just because you can see her nose shape doesn't mean you can see the rest of her just yet. And I happen to think that she's going to have Reid's lips. There is something very familiar about that little pout."

Erin laughed a little as she nodded, tracing the outline of her daughter's body with her finger. "If I'm truly honest, I hope that Diana isn't quite as smart as my husband is. Not because I want her to be dumb, far from it. I just know how difficult it was for him, navigating an adult world as a child. We don't really have a good way to protect the innocence of our whip smart children, I'm afraid."

"You have a good point, Erin. But I think that given how intelligent both of you are, the likelihood of having a regular child is slim. You'll both do your best to protect and cherish her, though. And think of it this way. If she's as smart as Reid, you both can supplement her education at home with all of us. Blake can teach her linguistics, I can work on her computer programming, Derek can teach her how to diffuse bombs, JJ can work on her communications skills, Hotch will be her logic skills, and Rossi can be her creative outlet, what with his writing skills. Plus, Reid can make her into a little polyglot, since he speaks, like, a million languages."

"And what will I teach her, Penelope?" she asked as she pressed the picture close to her chest, trying not to tear up at the lovely truths that her friend was dropping into her ear.

"Music. Though you and Reid will probably do that together. I'm certain she'll inherit some of your musical talent." Penelope tugged her closer to her side before cradling her head against her chest. "But I don't think that's the most important lessons you'll teach Diana. I think the most important thing will be compassion and how to keep holding out olive branches after you've hurt someone, in order to try and make things right. It's a great lesson for me to learn as well."

Erin sighed as she nodded, wishing that the doctor would come by soon and allow her to get out of there. She wanted to be home and relaxing, preparing for her supper with Alex and James. As if her thoughts had summoned the man, her doctor bustled into the room, giving her a soft smile. "Well, you do seem determined to give me mini heart attacks, Erin. Thankfully, this time it was just shock and low blood sugar. Your vital signs all appear to be normal now, and as long as you promise me that you'll be a little more careful with your health, I will release you."

"I can only promise that I will try, Doctor. It seems as if life is conspiring to be very interesting for us right now. And I know that Penelope and my daughters will look out for me as best they can." Her doctor nodded as he signed off on her chart. "So, I know this wasn't a completely orthodox checkup. Am I seeing you again sooner as a result?"

"Yes, in two weeks. I already gave the information to Penelope, and hopefully your husband will be able to attend the next appointment. There are a few things that we have to talk about. Nothing bad, just routine things that we should discuss." The man smiled before reaching out to pat her shoulder softly. "Diana is healthy and growing, and I fully intend to keep things that way. I'll see you soon."

After he had left the room, Penelope slipped off the bed and held her hand out to Erin. Trustingly, she clasped it and allowed the woman to tug her to her feet. She smiled before slipping the sonogram pictures into her purse, knowing that Spencer would want to see them as soon as he was home. "So, I know that you probably have to go back to work, but I would love to spend more time with you at the house."

"If we swing by the BAU, I can pick up my laptop and work from your place. The library will be a perfect place to settle down and get things accomplished. And you can read some of those books that line the walls."

"That sounds like heaven, actually." Erin gave her a soft smile as they made their way out to the car. "How did Officer MacMillan get back to the precinct?"

"One of his people came by and picked him up. That reminds me, we have to stop by there to give your statement before we can go to headquarters. But it is really important that we get this out of the way. The sooner he's behind bars, the safer you'll feel."

"That is so true. Though I wonder what hospital they brought John to. He would at least need stitches on those wounds before they festered." Penelope shrugged as she slipped behind the wheel of her car, and Erin frowned as she buckled her belt, adjusting it so that it didn't press against her bump. "I know, I shouldn't care, but we had worked together, and he was a friend of sorts. Not as close to me as Alex was, but when you're working closely on one case for the span on four months, you bond. I'd just forgotten about how close of ties we had at one point."

"And for very good reason, it seems! He tried to kill you! Make amends with Alex, by all means, but thank God that you were not hurt by him and that we don't have to worry about holding a funeral for you and Diana." Since Penelope hadn't started the car, she leaned over and pressed her lips against Erin's cheek softly. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so fierce, but…you would be the next in a long line of colleagues that have gotten hurt as a result of our job. I'm tired of seeing that happen."

"I understand," she replied softly, and Penelope nodded as she finally started the car and drove them to the precinct. It didn't seem to take very long, or maybe Erin was distracted, but soon Penelope was parking and then they walked into building. Officer MacMillan was talking to one of the officers that had been at her home, and she gave them a quick smile as she raised her hand to wave at them. He frowned as he beckoned them over to his side, and Erin scrabbled for Penelope's hand, feeling a wave of apprehension wash over her as they stopped in front of him. "That is a really pensive look," she said.

"I just got word that we won't be needing your statement after all."

"What?" Penelope said sharply, tightening her hold on Erin's hand. "Please, don't tell me that he escaped with two gunshot wounds!"

Officer MacMillan shook his head before taking a deep breath. "As near as we can figure out, while he was waiting for surgery to repair the gunshot wounds, he was left alone in a private room, with Officer Gaskell standing guard to make certain that he didn't escape. Except that none of us planned on Curtis having a fatalistic streak. Somehow, he managed to take his own life while our backs were turned. We still haven't figured out how he did that, since he was hooked up to all the machines still, and it didn't look like there were any other wounds on his body. There will be a complete autopsy, of course, but you don't need to worry about any charges being brought against you, or having to take any further legal action against Mister Curtis. I'm sorry that it turned out this way, since everyone deserves to have their day in court, but I'm glad that this won't be a bother for you, especially given your condition. How is your baby?"

She gave him a small smile as she shrugged a little. "Everything looks good with her, but since this is a higher risk pregnancy, I'll be seeing the doctor in two weeks. Thank you for asking after her," Erin said as she rested her hand on her bump, her smile turning tender. "Thank you for this news. I know, he didn't deserve to die, but it will see that my daughter is born without my having to worry about what might happen later on in the pregnancy."

Officer MacMillan nodded before reaching out and patting her shoulder lightly. "You take care of yourself. When the autopsy report is in, I'll make certain to contact you and send you a copy."

"Thank you." Erin took a deep breath before glancing at Penelope. "And now, I really need to get something to eat, and then crash at home. I have no energy left." She gave him a small nod before taking hold of Penelope's hand and letting her lead them from the precinct and back to the car. "Seriously, I am so hungry, Penelope. This is the first time since Michael died that I feel the need to do more than eat to survive."

"Where do you feel like eating?"

"Wendy's? I know, so highbrow, but I really want one of their frostys and fries and…"

"We have to listen to what you want. Because that is what the baby wants. Sit back in the seat and we'll be there as quickly as possible." She nodded as she fastened her belt and then let her head rest against the seat, her eyes closing.

"I shouldn't be exhausted, you know. I've slept so much trying to forget about what happened, that I should stay awake for days and days."

Penelope reached over to pat her shoulder lightly, and Erin sighed as she turned her head, opening her eyes a little to look at her friend. "You just fired your weapon to take out a threat. You lost your son not all that long ago. Your pregnancy isn't the easiest. All these factors mean that your energy reserves are more depleted than usual. So, don't be quite so hard on yourself. And if you want to keep yourself awake while I drive, call Reid and give him an update."

"Okay." She pulled out her phone and scrolled through the messages there, smiling to see ones from Aaron and David. Her heart lurched a little to see that Alex had messaged her three times, and that each one was a different fact about language and children. It was as if she had known that Erin would need something to counter the overly zealous well wishes she was receiving. Her husband, though, had sent just one message, telling her that he loved her, and that was all she needed to see. Letting out a deep sigh, she unlocked her phone and tapped into her phone log, pressing Spencer's name before bringing the phone to her ear.

It didn't take even a ring before he was answering, and she teared up to hear his voice. "I love you, Erin. Alex filled me in on a little of what happened, and Garcia told me the rest while waiting for you to wake up from your faint. How are you feeling now?"

"Relieved." It was the first word that came to her mind, and she was surprised at how true it was. "You haven't heard the latest, but I think that I want to tell Alex that first, since it concerns her more than you."

"That would be fine. She's right here, if you want to talk to her now."

"Sure." There was a small pause, and then she heard the tone of breaths change and she knew that Alex was on the other end of the line. "Hi. I, I shot John, but you probably already know that. What no one else knows yet, besides Penelope, is that he's dead."

"I thought your shots just wounded him?"

Erin was grateful for the clinical tone in Alex's voice, as it helped to center her, and she took a deep breath before answering. "They did. He was going to be fine, but then something happened to him while he was left alone in his hospital room. The officer is supposed to send us a copy of the autopsy report when it comes, so that we'll know what happened to him."

"Did he give you any indication of what he was doing?"

"He said that he was planning on stalking me, on making me suffer, but when I went on early maternity leave, I sort of ruined his plans. I can only assume that he was holding onto the same anger that you were, only his manifested in a more unhealthy manner. Who knows what would have happened had he been able to take care of me? He might have gone after you next. Oh, Alex, please come to the house with Spence when you get home. We need to talk about this, and I want to do it face to face."

"Of course, Erin. And here, talk to your husband a little more. You need to talk to him more than me right now. But we will both see you soon. And tell Garcia to take good care of you." She nodded a little as she looked over to her friend, listening as Alex handed the phone back to her husband.

"We don't have much time before we have to regroup and focus on the case. Just, promise me that you and Diana are all right?"

"I promise. Penelope is taking me to eat, and then we're going to spend the rest of the day at the house. She's going to bring home a work laptop, so she can run searches for you, so that you don't have to rely on the other analyst."

"We can deal with that, so long as you're taken care of, Erin. Now, my sweet Heloise, I have to get back to the case. I love you more than life itself, though I am seriously considering locking you up in a convent until Diana is here, just to make certain you're safe."

She chuckled a little as she nodded. "That might be for the best. I just seem to keep falling into these crazy situations, be darling Abelard. Until you're home, I love you and I pray for you every night. Stay safe."

"Same to you, beloved." They kissed into the speaker, and then she was hanging up before slipping the phone back into her pocket and turning her focus back on Penelope, hoping that after this, everything would be smooth sailing with her pregnancy and her life.