Erin weakly looked up into the cold face of John Curtis. There was a cruel, evil, grin on his face, and she shuddered as she tried to keep herself focused and calm, which was entirely too difficult to do in that moment. His wicked MDMA cocktail was making its way into her bloodstream, and she was already starting to feel the effects of it on her system with the way her vision was blurring. It had been difficult enough to make it over to one of the benches, and no one was stopping to help her, since they all assumed that she was an old drunk woman. "Why?"

"Because you just couldn't leave well enough alone, Erin. You allowed Alex to come back to the BAU, but wouldn't even take a second look at my resume when I tried to reclaim my rightful place on the team. I was much better suited to the position than David Rossi, and you know that. He is a pompous ass, and it's clear that he's not very good at his job. None of them are, if they couldn't be bothered to put the clues together and figure out that I was the one behind all the strange replicated cases you've been working for the last six months. And it was ever so lovely to make you drink after you'd just reached your year of sobriety. Just think, in one fell swoop, I've managed to take everything from you. Your team, your sobriety, and very soon, your life. While it won't quite make up for all the hell you put me through for so many years, there is something so sweet about knowing that the people closest to you will be mourning you come the morning. And how did your children take it when you finally came out to them?"

"They understood. Because Penny is like the sun, and everyone eventually falls into her orbit. She held devouring time at bay for me, and I know that she won't rest until she's found me and brought me to hospital. She will take you down!"

Erin hated hearing the tremor in her voice, since it betrayed just how much the drug was affecting her, but as John laughed, she found herself starting to cry, wishing that her lover really was on her way. "Oh, Erin, that is a pipe dream! I know exactly how long you have until you start to bleed out of every orifice. Until your pretty face is ravaged by a torrent of blood that will stain your skin red. But before that happens, I'm going to leave your precious Penny a little reminder of just how long I'm separating the two of you for." She frowned, trying to focus on what John was doing, trying to pull her wrist free from his rough grasp. "An infinity symbol is so appropriate."

She cried out in pain when she felt the bite of a knife pierce the delicate skin of her wrist, but she couldn't seem to pull her arm away. A part of Erin's brain wondered if that was one of the effects of the drug he had given her, since she knew that he had been working on making the cocktail specifically to cause her the most pain. "John, please. My children don't deserve to lose their mother this way."

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you decided to destroy my life and career."

She shuddered, knowing that there was no talking him out of this action, and that she was going to die without talking to Patti or Penelope or her darling children ever again. "Everything hurts," she murmured when he dropped her wrist limply into her lap.

"Good, that's the drug starting to take real effect on your system. And now, it's time to call your precious Penny and taunt her. Because we are so close to the point of no return here, that by the time I talk to her, and she triangulates where you are, it will be too late to save you. She'll be so close, but, in the end, won't be able to save you. The most delicious revenge, don't you think?"

Erin didn't respond as he pulled her cellphone out of his pocket, picking up her wrist once more in order to use her thumb to unlock the device. And then he was pressing the screen before showing her that he was ringing Penelope. Another cruel grin spread across his face as he pressed the speakerphone button and then she heard the voice she had come to love so much pour out of the device. "Erin? I thought that you were turning in? Alex said that you seemed really tired when she dropped you off. And why do I hear so much noise in the background?"

"Oh, my dear Ms Garcia, this is not your beloved whore. This is the Replicator, calling to let you know that as you try to triangulate this call, the MDMA that I've put into the alcohol that I forced her to drink is slowly killing her. Every moment that you take pushes her one moment closer to death. So I suppose that the real question here is – are you fast enough to reach her side to say goodbye? Or will she die alone on the streets of New York, looked upon as a drunken old woman? The ball is now in your court. But you should know that her last words to me were that everything hurts. I just wish that I could make it hurt more."

"Erin!" Penelope cried out as John settled the phone into her hand and then stood up, blowing her a mocking kiss before winking and disappearing into the night. Even though it was May, she found herself growing so cold that she began to shiver. "Erin, listen to me, even if you don't have the strength to talk. I've managed to locate you, and I'm sending police and an ambulance your way as I speak. David and Hotch are also heading in your direction, but I can't leave the precinct because I need to organize everyone mobilizing to find you. But I want you to know that I love you beyond measure. I love your heart. And I know that you're going to find the strength to hang on until help reaches your side."

"How…long…?" she managed to gasp out, finding her strength fading faster now.

"Ten minutes, at the most. I've already informed the ambulance that they need to get you to New Amsterdam as quickly as possible, since they were the ones to handle the previous cases of MDMA poisoning from Sean's bar. They know what they're dealing with, and have physicians on standby for when you arrive. I have done everything in my power to make certain that you survive this."

"No one, no one has yet."

"Don't talk like that, Erin Strauss. You've overcome so much in your life, and we have to get home so that we can have that double date with Patti and Jeanine. She said that she's looking forward to getting to know me better, and seeing the play. We still have to get Tabitha all dolled up for prom, and let me tell you, I have a vision for that. And I thought that we could go out on a romantic date as soon as we saw her off, since it will be the perfect evening for that. Erin?"

"Yes, I would love that."

Erin hated the fact that her voice sounded so weak and that it was so hard to concentrate on Penelope's words. The pain that was coursing through her body just seemed to be overwhelming all her senses, and as much as she tried to push past that feeling, she knew that it was affecting every part of her as she struggled to listen to what her lover was saying. In the background, she began to hear sirens, which told her that help was close at hand, which just redoubled her efforts to fight against what John had tried to do to her. The last thing she distinctly remembered was hearing Aaron's voice yelling to someone as he gathered her up in his arms, cradling her close to his chest as the world went black.

"…wakes up? I don't know what I'd do without her, Hotch."

Erin groaned a little, finding it difficult to open her eyes. She knew that she had just heard Penelope talking, and obviously to Aaron, but she had no reference as to where she was or why she felt so heavy, like she was floating in the middle of a pool of gelatin. "You know that the doctors said it will take time for her system to be completely cleared of the MDMA that Curtis forced into her. We were just lucky that you insisted on coming along with us, since that meant we were able to locate Erin faster."

"I know, the doctor already told me that if she had been out on the street for even ten minutes longer, it would have been too long. Thank you for staying with us these last two weeks. And thank you for getting Director Shepperd to be all right with my taking an extended leave from the BAU. I just couldn't leave her side." Erin felt Penelope pick up her hand and it took every ounce of strength stored inside her to curl her fingers around that familiar hand, trying to blink her eyes open, so that she could see her beloved's face. "Erin? Are you finally awake?"

She answered with a sharp groan, seemingly unable to form words. As the world came more into focus, she felt another, firmer, hand clasp her free one. With great effort, she pried her eyes open and blinked a few times as the too bright light of the room. Everything swam as she tried to turn her head and focus her vision on Penelope. "Penny?"

"Yeah, I haven't left your side since I got here, even though I hate hospitals. I didn't want you to wake up alone, without me. Hotch offered to stay so that I wasn't alone, while the rest of the team went back to Quantico. The Director couldn't have a whole team grounded while we waited for my Sleeping Beauty to awaken. Kevin has been trying to keep them well informed, but I've still had to help out on some searches because I'm just faster at certain things."

"I'll go see if your doctor is around, Erin. It is so good to see that you're awake." Aaron lifted her hand to his lips and gave it a tender kiss before getting up and heading out of the room.

Once the door was closed, Erin let out a long breath as she started to feel her emotions start to unravel. "I've been in a coma for two weeks?" she finally managed to get out, her voice sounding croaky to her ears.

"You have. The doctor said that it could last anywhere from two weeks to a month, so I feel very lucky that you woke up on the earlier end of things. Though I was prepared to wait a lifetime for you, because I love you." Penelope got to her feet and leaned down to press her lips against Erin's forehead in a tender kiss. "That was from Alex, this is from me," she murmured before capturing Erin's lips in a tender kiss. "You need to have your teeth brushed, Erin. But now that you're awake, we can start taking care of your properly. But god, is it good to be able to kiss you and have you know it again. Patti's called me twice a week to get updates, which is really sweet. I've been feeding her information for your prayer chain, since I knew that you would probably do the same thing for me, if our positions were reversed. Would you mind if I called Alex and Patti while we wait for Hotch to return with your doctor?"

"No, please do."

Penelope smiled as she sat back down, picking up her phone from the table next to their sides. Erin watched her fingers fly across the screen before she brought the device to her ear. "Hey, Alex! Yes, she is. Finally. Her doctor hasn't been by yet, Hotch went to get him, but I am looking into her eyes right now, and I don't think I've ever seen such a sweeter sight. I'll let you know when we're coming home, though I think that Hotch will probably be headed your way shortly, since I don't need someone to keep me company right now. If you want to, I'm certain that she'd love that. Thank you so much, I'll talk to you again soon. All our love!" There was a slight pause while Penelope ended that call and then pressed on her screen once more before bringing the phone to her ear again. "Patti! Great news! She's awake, and we've been talking a little bit. It has been so good to hear her voice once more, after fearing the worst. I don't know when we're coming home, but Alex has already promised that she'll meet us at the train station when we actually have a time to arrive. That would be lovely, too. I'm guessing that you have a key? Good. I'll tell her you said that. Love you, too."

Erin wanted to ask what had been said when the door to her room opened, and she let out frustrated breath when she saw Aaron and a young doctor enter her room. "Erin, it is very good to see that you're awake and aware. As I told your partner, I was expecting this to happen around this time, but it is still good to see you like this. In the next hour, I'm going to be running some tests and seeing what sort of prognosis to give you. I'm certain that you want to be out of here, and back home."

She nodded, letting her arm flop out towards Penelope. Her lover took the hint and threaded their fingers together as they nodded. "Can I stay while you do those tests? I, I don't want to leave."

"Unfortunately, I will need to do this with just the team in place. Why don't you head out with Agent Hotchner, get breakfast, and take a shower? By the time that's finished, I should be finished and have some answers for you."

Penelope shoulders slumped as she nodded, giving Erin a sad smile. "This will be the last time we're separated; I promise you."

"Oh, my darling Penny, I cannot have you hover like that. We'd get on each other's nerves in a matter of days. Please, unwind. I'm going to be all right." Penelope nodded before leaning in and kissing her softly. "Take care of her, Aaron. I fought my way back to be with her." Aaron nodded as he gave her a warm smile before placing his hand on the small of Penelope's back and leading her from the room.

Once she was alone with her doctor, Erin found that her heart began to beat a little more rapidly, not certain what he was going to tell her. "Well, I suppose that I should introduce myself first. I'm Samuel Nichols. I know that I look young, but my family has been blessed with extremely good genes, so that accounts for still looking like I'm twenty when I'm really closer to forty. And you, Erin, are very lucky to have pulled out of this as well as you did. By rights, your partner should be planning your funeral. Now, the nurse is going to come in and take a few vials of blood so that we can test your system for any lingering traces of MDMA. Yesterday, there were still minute traces of it, which concerns me, since that means this John Curtis was messing around with things that he should not have been."

"John always liked to be a trailblazer," she muttered before taking a deep breath. "I suppose that I'll have to have some form of physical therapy after being in a coma for two weeks?" Doctor Nichols nodded. "Will that impede my return home?"

"It depends on how extensive your needs are. That will be up to the occupational therapist to decide. If you're strong enough to sit up in a wheelchair, there's no reason why I can't release you into the care of your personal physician. Now, let me take your obs, and then we'll get these tests started."

She nodded, feeling herself start to tire a little as she watched him enter a few things into the tablet he was holding. "Do you know anything more about my team? I'm assuming that everyone came out all right, but I didn't get the chance to ask Penelope or Aaron before you came in."

"I believe that everyone is all right, yes. Sometimes, evil loses, and good wins, and nobody dies. This appears to be one of those cases." She gave him a tremulous smile as she sighed. "Now, everything looks to be in normal ranges here, so you have that going for you, as well. The nurse will be here in five minutes to do the blood draw, and the occupational therapist will be here in thirty minutes to carry out her evaluation of you. And then, within two to three hours, we should have an updated prognosis for you and your recovery."

"Thank you, Doctor Nichols." She held out her hand to him, pleased when he gave it a firm shake, as that made her feel a little more settled with what was going to happen to her in the near future. The next few hours flew by as she was poked and prodded, made to do a number of exercises, and had her mental acuity judged. It was enough that she fell back into a light sleep as soon as the occupational therapist left her room, a beaming smile on her lips. Erin had taken that as a good sign, but her entire being was too tired to try and stay awake to hear from Doctor Nichols.

"Hey, we're back. Well, I'm back in the room, Hotch is down in the family room, looking up flights home. Beth is getting a little frustrated with us being in her home and underfoot."

"That was very kind of her to give you a home base while you've been here. We're going to have to send her a nice gift basket or something for her troubles."

"You think of everything." Penelope leaned down and pressed her lips to the middle of her forehead before taking a seat at her side once more. "I met Doctor Nichols in the hall, and he said that he would be by in about ten minutes to go over everything with us, but from the smile on his face, I know that he is going to give us great news. Can I let you in on a secret?"

Erin nodded as she took hold of Penelope's hand, squeezing it lightly as she took a deep breath. "I love hearing the secrets of your heart."

"I don't care about when you can go back to work, I just care about when I can make love to you again. Because I am so grateful that you're alive, and awake, and here, that I want to worship every inch of your skin and make you mine once more. I want to devour you, but I can't do that until you have a clean bill of health. But I can claim this mark Curtis left you with as mine." Erin blinked rapidly as she tried to keep from crying as Penelope lifted her wrist to her lips and first kissed the scar that was there before tracing it with her tongue until Erin was crying, feeling like she was being forgiven and healed, which was overwhelming. "This is our mark now, Erin. And it will remind us that we will forever prevail over evil. I love you, and I will take care of you until you're strong enough to go back to work, if that's what you want. Or if you want to go into the private sector. Whatever it is, I'll be by your side until time finally devours our final minutes together."

Erin nodded as she tightened her grip on Penelope's hand. "I just pray that those final minutes together don't come for many years to come."

"Well, it's not surprising that that's my prayer as well, Erin." She nodded as she let her head fall back against the pillow once more, still tired, but more settled and happier than she had been in years. "And given that my prayer was answered by you surviving, I think that our prayer of a long life together will be heard as well." Penelope brought their hands to her lips, kissing Erin's hand softly before scooting her chair closer and resting her head on her torso. "I love you, and I will never tire of telling you that. I will never tire of looking at you. You're stuck with me, Erin Strauss, even as our lives change and shift."

"Good. I'm glad that someone wants to be stuck to me," she whispered as the door to her room opened, and Doctor Nichols entered, the wide smile on his lips telling her everything that she needed to know about her future with Penelope. No matter what he said, everything would be all right, and she would spend the rest of her life happily with the woman who had sought her out all those months ago.