Title: Long Road Home
By: Gabigail
Pairing: gen
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and its characters are the creation of Jeff Davis and are copy written under CBS (as far as I can tell). No infringement upon their rights is intended. The stories written under the penname Gabigail, however, do belong to me. None are written for profit and are intended for entertainment purposes only.
Summary: Elle is reunited with the BAU on a case and finds that there really is nothing like family and the sense of home it brings. Alternate universe.

***

Not having plans was never her way, but that's exactly how she walked out of Hotchner's office. It was a quick stop at her desk to collect the last of what had made it hers for the past year and a half— she slung her packed overnight bag over her strong, straight shoulder and bid all that she knew adieu. It was in that moment that she needed to get as far away from Quantico— as far away from the BAU as humanly possible and it didn't matter that she hadn't stuck around for goodbyes; besides, she was never good at goodbye. Leaving was a reflex more than anything, and yet at the same time, there was something that held her firmly in place. It wasn't her new flat, nor was it the sudden realisation of freedom from the monsters that plagued and for as long as she let them cling to her sleeping hours. Instead, a sudden job offer presented itself. In fact, Thomas Saunders, the Virginia Police Departments sergeant called her personally. According to him, they were in the process of re-vamping their Sex Crimes Unit and were in need of someone with her expertise on a contractual basis with the potential of a permanent position. At first, she couldn't help but be sceptical, and possibly with good reason; it bore Gideon's influence all over it. Her first day however, quickly dispelled any thought of special treatment as when she met her new partner, Nathan James, he was anything but a rookie. Unfortunately in Elle's eyes, he encompassed the uncanny resemblance to the stereotypical All American Guy. He was tall, had extremely broad shoulders, had obviously been an athlete, and even had the closely cropped haircut— his dirty blonde hair spiked slightly. What made it more obvious was the fact that he possessed the attitude to accompany the look.

Another brutally bitter December morning had everyone bundled up against the chill in the air. She climbed out of her car and closed the door with a thud, pressed the lock button, and confirmed that it was locked with the sharp BEEP that rung throughout the parking lot. She looked up at the pale sky and smiled as the smell of fresh snow hung in the air and filled her lungs—it was the same scent that tickled the snow heavy clouds, ever so gently coaxing them into releasing the impending precipitation. A few brave drops of rain would merge into smaller ice pellets and then clump together, morphing into big, fluffy snowflakes that ever so gently fall from the clouds; playing tag before landing on the blanket left on the ground from the previous night's snowfall. From all accounts it was a typical day and there was little doubt that there would be another case ready for her attention on her desk, another young woman to help. She pulled the door open; the sudden gust of frosty wind followed her inside as she smiled to the front desk crew as she passed on her way to her desk. James had sensed her arrival and quickly lifted his gaze from the file he had been looking over and silently nodded his greeting. Normal, she mused as she removed her coat and hung it on the back of her chair. Her eyes fell upon the file that awaited her arrival, patiently awaiting her attention. Not normal, she immediately felt her blood as it chilled and rushed through her veins like ice water. She turned towards James, who looked somewhat beyond disturbed by the crime scene photographs. She gently fingered the tan coloured cardboard file and knew in that moment that it should and would require a cup of coffee before embarking on their newest assignment.

"The victim's name was Rosa Davies." He broke into her private thoughts as he continued to thumb through a series of crime scene photographs. Judging from his reaction to the information she had yet to look over, it was going to be an intense and very difficult case. Forgetting her need for coffee, she plunked herself in her seat and opened the file. It was almost instantaneous that she felt the heat of bile as it rose in her throat. "It would appear that she was a very popular young lady." He rattled through the known facts. Elle really hadn't been paying much attention to his observations; the only thing on her mind was the striking resemblance to a case she had worked on with the BAU. All I need is for Gideon to walk through that door and I'm so out of here; she rolled her eyes and let the folder rest open on her desk. Her need for coffee retuning, she lifted her head.

"I need a cup of coffee. Can I get you anything James?" she inquired standing. He looked up and shook his head.

"I'm good thanks. I'm going to get all this posted on the board. I think that would help in the creation of a working timeline." She nodded her agreement. Right, she thought to herself and quickly headed towards the break room. I could always give Gideon a call and see if I'm on the right track, something just doesn't seem quite right with this case. What am I thinking? She scolded herself for even considering it— and poured the hot, rich liquid caffeine into her mug, then opened the refrigerator and added milk. After all, she had managed not to think of the BAU in a good five months. Just get me through December, she sighed heavily and headed back to her desk.

Fist, she heard an incredible ruckus in the main office. Second, she nearly suffered a coronary as her eyes focused on the cause of the ruckus. She felt surrounded by the chilly air that snuck inside upon the heels of the group who waltzed in like a brisk tornado, with Gideon at the helm. Hotchner and the rest of the team followed closely behind and just as quickly disbursed; heading straight towards the large board where James stood, a look of confusion etched on his freakishly near perfect features. He had narrowly completed up the crime scene photographs alongside those of the victims and was in the process of neatly writing anything that pertained to the investigation, which included the victim's names, their addresses, their last known location, and the brief timeline— that they had established. Now I get it, she sighed— I understand how the police feel when their precinct is literally invaded by the BAU. Her eyes suddenly stopped cold on the dark haired, pale looking, power suit wearing woman, who appeared to be in or around the same age as her. Who's the new girl? She looks oddly familiar— Elle wondered as she shot down the hallway and concealed herself in the convenient shadow of an office doorway; far enough away not to be noticed and yet close enough to silently observe the scene playing out in front of her. The sudden movement from the office that just lay beyond the commotion caught her attention and Sergeant Saunders stood himself firmly in his doorway and looked out as if looking for someone.

"Greenaway!" he snapped loudly, which quickly altered the attention of everyone in the large, main office— the members of the BAU included. Great! She thought as she emerged from the shadow and felt all eyes fall on her. That's all I needed, she sighed and made the trek of shame through the sea of officers and their new guests to his office. She stood in the doorway, almost as though contemplating whether or not she could actual handle going in. "Close the door." He barked his command in a sharp tone. "I understand that you already know Special Agent Jason Gideon. He said and she closed the door behind her and planted herself firmly in place in the ill lit office. Thankfully, Saunders totally missed the glance shared between her and Gideon; however, she hoped that the seasoned profiler missed the fact that she felt her heart flutter at the sight of him. In an attempt to hide it from him, she somehow managed to find her voice.

"Agent Gideon." She said with a curt, detached nod with the hope of succeeding.

"El." He caught himself mid address. "Detective Greenaway." A quick save, yet the way her new titled rolled off his tongue felt unfamiliar, foreign, and extremely uncomfortable to his lips and sounded far too harsh in his ears. She shrugged just as she had so many times before— only this time; it carried the addition of the slightest curl of her shiny berry lips.

"The BAU are here to assist your team with the recent string of rape/murders." Saunders said and sat back in his seat. Elle's eyes darkened slightly.

"James and I appreciate the help; however, I highly doubt that this case is a matter for the FBI, the BAU for that matter." She looked down for a moment in an attempt to avoid Gideon's iron stare. Both men turned to one another then Gideon stood.

"Saunders has assured me of your co-operation." He said and made his way towards the door—opening the door, he turned towards her. "I expect it." He added in a tone she knew all too well and he left to join the team in the main office.

"What was that all about?" Saunders inquired.

"Nothing." She replied and headed out, back through the organised chaos that was the method of the BAU. Plunking herself back in her seat, she placed the coffee mug on her desk and opened the file once more.

"Damn FBI." James said from behind her. She lifted her head and watched as the team worked, observed how they sifted through the same information that she held in the file in front of her. I wonder if this is a test, she sighed, rolled her eyes, and began to go through the obvious facts before turning to that which was undoubtedly carefully concealed, hidden ever so neatly, like a code waiting to be broken somewhere weaving it's way within the lines. That's the one thing that James will never understand, she smirked to herself. He walked back to his desk and pretended to be going over the case file. She leaned across her desk towards him.

"What exactly did you mean by that comment?" she inquired with an arched brow. He turned his attention towards her and rolled his eyes.

"You know exactly what I meant." He punctuated his comment with a quick snort. "They come in here and play hero." He shot a quick glance their way. "They step on our toes and get in the way. In short, we're supposed to be at their beck and call." He added as he stole another glance at the team and then returned his gaze to her. She rose and closed the distance between them. While resting one hand on his desk and the other on the back of his chair, she leaned in towards him.

"Well then, you really don't know me." She stood and made her way across the room towards their guests. "Hey guys." She smiled sweetly. "I suppose you already have your working profile." She sat herself between Morgan and Reid.

"Hey, it's nice to see you again too." Morgan said with his usual bright smile. She hadn't realised how much she had missed that smile— a beautiful smile that always managed to make the worst situation a little bit easier to handle. "How long did you think that you'd be tucked away here without running into us?" he added as the new girl made her way towards them, making sure to make her presence known.

"Oh I don't know. I thought perhaps I'd be able to avoid you all together." She winked before causally excusing herself and going over to the board where Gideon stood, careful to keep her emotions in check. Wouldn't want him or anyone else, for that matter, picking up on whatever this is that seems to be bubbling just below the surface, she shuddered at the thought. Quickly putting that thought aside, she stood beside him and examined the facts as James had presented them on the board. It wouldn't exactly be working on the team as she wished she could be— it would; however, have to suffice. At least for the time being, she redirected her thoughts and attention towards the board.

"Why haven't I seen this before?" she whispered and walked briskly back to her desk to retrieve a series of files she had in her pending tray. As Gideon watched, he couldn't help but enjoy her newfound joy— a spark that had obviously ignited within her, it warmed him to see her excited and happy once more. They watched as Elle pulled specific photographs from the board. "That bastard!" she cursed under her breath as she compared the coroner's photographs of the victims effects. "James I need you to take a look at this." She called her partner in an attempt to include him. He reluctantly walked towards the group, yet still managed to keep his distance from them. He looked over the photographs.

"What exactly am I supposed to see?" he glared at Elle for making him join them.

"This." She stated matter-of-factly and pointed to the necklace worn by the victim and the others. "Usually, a sexual predator will take a trophy from his victim— its primary purpose to remind him of his triumph." She looked over at Morgan, who nodded his agreement.

"Funny how easily that was missed." He paused and stared at the photographs that remained on the board, "this guy is either giving his intended victims the necklace prior to raping and murdering them, or it's a very odd coincidence that they all happen to have the exact same necklace." He absently fingered the edge of the photograph in his hand. Reid pushed himself off the desk he had been casually leaning against and paced, stopping at the board. In his usual manner, he wrapped one long arm across his abdomen, rested his elbow on his wrist, and his lean chin on the back of his hand, he pursed his thin lips.

"The hunting ground is rather specific, very confined as well." He stated and turned to face the group. "If you look at this map, you'll notice that the victims were all located within a specific grid— and always in densely wooded areas." He paused and pointed towards the dark green area on the topographical map. "I'm guessing that our un-sub knows the area very well." He brushed his finger around the hot spot. Morgan's thick, well-groomed eyebrows furrowed.

"I suppose it's fairly safe to presume that this area is highly travelled— at least during the day. Probably joggers, walkers, and the solitary dog walker, so I'd hedge a bet that he's either dumping the bodies in those specific locations, or he's striking at night when there is no one around." He pulled one of the photos off the board. "See here? She's not posed in any particular manner."

"That's true; however, he took the time to redress his victims. That in itself is usually a form of remorse, yet only to a certain extent." Elle added to his thought process. He nearly grinned from ear to ear, happy to have Elle to bounce ideas off once more. Prentiss sure as hell wasn't fulfilling that role. "Oh my!" she exclaimed and carefully examined another, clearer photograph of one of the victims' necklaces.

"What is it Elle?" Gideon inquired, James heard something different in Gideon's tone— it was one that held a bit too much concern, which he thought highly unusual and established that Elle had some sort of connection with the BAU, more so with Gideon, yet he was unable to determine just how close the connection. "Are you all right?" she hardly heard his question as she dropped the photograph as if it were on fire and brought a hand to cover her mouth in quasi-shock. Hotchner was just as curious as the rest of the team and turned to face her. James merely huffed and went back to his desk and the pile of files and other paperwork that sat upon it. Elle couldn't help but notice that he still appeared upset and slightly put off with the arrival of the BAU— possibly even a bit jealous that she fit in so well with the team, and perhaps still in need of time to warm up to the idea of working with the team. With James out of earshot, the team huddled closer together.

"Elle, what has you so upset?" he watched as colour in her cheeks literally paled to a near snow white and her hands immediately flew to the clasp. She would have ripped it from her neck if the clasp hadn't given way. Finally freeing herself, she held it out for whoever wished to inspect it. Gideon gently coaxed the gold chain from between her slender fingers and carefully examined it— turning the small disk between his thumb and index finger. His eyes moved from the chain he held to the fallen photograph, then returned to the necklace he had carefully placed into the palm of his hand.

"Do you wear this everyday?" he asked in a hushed rushed tone. She slowly nodded shock evident in her deep breath. "Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary?"

"No, nothing that stands out. Besides, since you-know-what happened, I haven't exactly been keeping a steady routine." She added and her hand involuntarily rose to her chest and her fingers absently caressed the still fading scar.

"That's good news. Um, well I'd say that we're going to have to keep a closer eye on you. I'm going to hang onto this okay?" he said quietly and all she could do was nod and watch as he carefully put the necklace into a small envelope and placed it in his shirt pocket, close to his heart. Elle knew not to protest— with Gideon, it was always best to just go with it. "Elle, may I have a word please?" Gideon gestured quickly to a nearby vacant conference room; she followed and closed the door behind with a gentle click. "I just wanted to apologise for storming in the way we usually do." He began and she let a smile warm her face.

"Look Gideon, I'm glad that you're here. It's refreshing to see the team once more— to see you again. I have to ask though. Who's the new girl?"

"That's Special Agent Emily Prentiss." He had to stop himself from rolling his eyes— still recovering from the decision being made over his and Hotchner's heads in the first place.

"Ah, right. That's the ambassador's daughter. I thought that she looked familiar."

"So I see that you've heard of her." Elle nodded, her rich espresso locks, long grown out of the shorter haircut she had prior to resigning, moved in graceful, gentle waves catching the dim light around her straight shoulders.

"Let's just say that I knew a few agents who have worked with her. I have to tell you Gideon, off the record, of course, that she has an agenda that no one wants to interfere with." She sighed loudly. "I'm fairly certain that she'd knock you out of her way if she had to."

"Really?" he cocked a brow; she nodded.

"I know that you didn't pull me into a conference room to discuss the new girl. What's on your mind?" he didn't answer. "Gideon? Talk to me." She pushed him as only she could. "This isn't about the necklace, is it?" he nodded in his way, ran a frustrated hand through his dark closely cropped hair and focused his dark eyes on her. "Hey, don't worry about me. I now have perspective and experience in being in the direct line of danger. I'll be fine." She added in a hushed tone, yet in trying to convince him, she reached out and ran her hand down his arm. He tilted his head and licked his lips that suddenly felt as dry as his mouth, yet filled with quiet emotion.

"When I first had heard that you had quit the bureau, I was extremely upset. I was actually angry with you." He sighed and laced, then unlaced his fingers. "I know that you can take care of yourself, but when we worked together, I felt that it was my responsibility to protect you." He then looked down and wrung his hands in a fashion she had seen countless times before. She reached out again— this time, she placed a very steady hand on his shoulder in understanding and felt the ridged, tense shoulder relax under her soft touch. "I failed you. With time, I accepted your reason— well I was slightly surprised to have to hear it from Hotch."

"I know and I'm very sorry to have taken the cowardly way out. To not say the things that needed to be said." She looked down briefly before catching his eyes once more with her deep brown ones. "At the time I thought that it was for the best." She added with a gentle sigh. "They will be missing us." She licked her lips, "I suppose that we have ourselves another un-sub to nab." He chucked at her twisted humour and nodded his agreement, and they headed back to where the team was still engaged in bouncing ideas off one another. Elle glanced at her partner's desk, and rolled her eyes. Suppose I'll have to find a way to include him in the investigation, she mused and went over to her desk to pick up her jacket.

"Elle, may I ask you something?" James shifted in his seat so that he could look up at her.

"Sure, what is it?" as she tilted her head to the side, he watched the way her hair captured the soft glow of the florescent overhead light.

"What did you mean exactly when you said that I didn't know you? I mean, you're my partner and I should know my partner— I should be able to trust my partner to have my back when I need it." His expression darkened to one of distrust.

"I was with the BAU," she paused and took a breath then slowly exhaled. "Once upon a time." She added with a bit of a frown.

"How come you never told me?" he leaned his elbows on his desk.

"Firstly, you never asked me about my background. You seemed to content yourself that I was a sex crimes specialist and that was it; and secondly, you'd have me doing all the work." She shot him a quick smile. "So are you joining us in catching this un-sub, or what?"

"Un-sub?"

"It's simply translated into unknown subject. It's a term we use, one similar to the way the term suspect is tossed around here." She grabbed her purse from her desk drawer.

"I think I'll work on a few things from here. You go ahead, I wouldn't want to interrupt a family reunion." He looked away and then turned back to the file as if it were the most interesting item on his desk.

"Suit yourself. Just keep in mind that they are good people, they are amazing to work with, and darn good at what they do." She added, turned on her heel and caught up with the team.

"Sure." He whispered under his coffee scented breath to himself and closed the file in front of him with a sigh.

The day literally flew by, Elle fitting in with the team as if she hadn't left—James left on the fringe, observing and working on his own. She had attempted to included him, yet sensed that he wasn't as willing to be a part of the investigation with them there. Unlike the team, Elle was on the clock and as her shift drew to an end, they had a solid working profile of their un-sub, which was in turn distributed to the Sex Crimes Unit. Gideon was determined that Elle would be kept safe so long as she stayed close to the team, which inevitably edged Prentiss out of the place she had fought so hard to attain, feeling that she had finally managed to fit in. When she finally bid the team a good night, they were still huddled around the table, working a few kinks out of the profile that would be presented to the media. If their theory held any water at all, there would be an attack, which would inevitably end in murder that night— the team could only hold their collective breath and hope they were wrong.

Elle arrived home— barely stepped a foot inside her flat that her pager beeped loudly signally what she hoped to be a break in the case. It is an emergency, she thought and quickly closed the door, re-locked it as she flipped open her cell phone and dialled James' number. From him, she got the location and drove as quickly and safely as she could manage to the scene. Normally, when once arrived on a crime scene, they would be greeted by the brightly flashing red, white, and blue lights of police cruisers, ambulances, and sometimes fire trucks. There would also be an array of emergency personal, in some cases the medical examiner, crime scene photographers, and forensics—collecting various samples of a biological and non-biological nature. Oddly enough in this case, there were none— it was quiet, almost as if she had been given the wrong location; however, she pulled her car into a slot and pulled out her cell phone, dialling Gideon's number— perhaps more out of habit than anything else.

"Gideon." The sound of his voice alone momentarily soothed her suspicious nerves.

"Oh, hi, it's Elle." She fumbled. "I'm sorry, I guess I subconsciously called you instead of James." She stammered.

"What is it?" she could hear the smile in his voice. He could never hide that from her.

"I was paged— a nine-one-one and I called in for the location. I'm at Prince William Forest Park." She sounded frustrated and slightly flustered. "Am I at the wrong location?" she tapped the steering wheel lightly with her fingers waiting for him to confirm that they had all been paged with a location. Instead, there was a long pause, a long moment of silence and she wondered if she had lost the connection and just when she was about to ask if he was still there.

"Elle, listen very carefully to me. Whatever you do, please don't panic, just get out of there." He tried to maintain control of his voice, yet she could sense that something wasn't right. That something was very wrong. She didn't have the chance to say anything more; all that could be heard from his end was the loud sharp sound of glass as it shattered. "Elle? Elle, are you still there?" there was urgency in his voice— fear of possibly losing her again. Still there was no answer. Instinct took over and Elle reached for her gun and confidently pointed it in the direction of the smashed window—only she could not see who had done it, they had obviously run off and she wasn't about to go searching for the culprit in the dark park. With her firearm still drawn, she carefully opened the car door and stepped out— ensuring that the coast was indeed clear, she popped the trunk and gathered the ice remover—it had a brush on its end that she used to sweep the glass off the seat and then grabbed the heavy woollen blanket to sit on. Getting back in the car, her eyes fell to the fallen cell phone. "Elle!" she could hear Gideon's frantic voice on the other end.

"Gideon" her voice sounded small and he could hear the wind as she drove down the familiar streets.

"What happened/" he had finally calmed himself enough to speak.

"I'm not sure exactly." She tried to maintain her usual all business tone, but he could still hear the momentary fear in the undertone.

"Approximately where are you?" he inquired; she heard the strength return to his tone, yet it was still carefully laced with concern.

"I'm on my way home." She replied simply as she pulled the car up to an intersection.

"Come to my place." He paused, "I would feel a lot better if I could keep an eye on you." He sighed and she thought for a moment. Thought of all the reasons why she shouldn't go to Gideon's.

"Gideon, he probably knows where I live and possibly will come for me there."

"Oh no, I'm not going through that again!" he took a sharp breath. She finally agreed and turned down a quiet street, found her way to his home and parked the car in his driveway; all the while taking care to check to be sure that no one had been following her. She then took the short walkway that led to a couple of steps and she pressed the doorbell and waited. He opened the door with an obvious sigh of relief and reached out and nearly yanked her inside. She silently removed her boots and with a gentle sigh, let her coat slide down her arms and he took it from her and hung it in the closet. They stood in the foyer for a long moment staring at one another. It had been a long time since they had spoken, and yet it felt as though they hadn't stopped. Elle couldn't believe that once she thought she could hide herself away form the BAU— hide herself away from Gideon for as long as she had.

"I'll make some tea, or would you prefer coffee?" he inquired as he recalled the countless gallons of coffee she consumed. She gave him a small smile and followed him into the kitchen. She enjoyed how the hardwood underfoot felt cool against her feet and then changed into bright, white tile that felt smooth. The kitchen, frankly everything she saw was exactly as she remembered it. It was a lovely, bright, airy space with a large sliding door that let the sun in to warm the tile underneath the oak dinette. He pulled out a seat for her and she sat—her movement still felt unnatural and completely not of her own device and she tried to let him fawn over her without protest.

"I think its best that we let Hotch know what happened and that you're here. Perhaps you have been watched over the past little while; for example, at crime scenes? Have you noticed anyone, or anything that seemed out of the ordinary? Perhaps someone that always appears to be there."

"Besides those who should be there?" she shook her head after attempting to recall, but nothing seemed out of place. "Why go through so much trouble as to actually have me paged?" she unclipped her pager and placed it on the table in front of her. "Do you think that you could get Garcia to put some sort of trace on the page?"

"Oh I'm sure that she'd only be too happy to help us out on that." He smiled warmly in an attempt to make her feel better. She always liked the hominess of the room, how the brightness of the tile and the warmth of the wooden table, chairs and cabinetry balanced the marble countertop.

"Thank you Gideon. I'm so sorry for being such a bother." She let her head fall as he brought the mugs to the table, turned back to the refrigerator for the milk and then poured the boiled water into a tea pot. He returned and sat the pot on a heat resistant place mat for a moment.

"I couldn't be there for you when you really needed me." He began. Her eyes went wide.

"You would have, if you could. I know that now." She reached across the table and placed a comforting hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You were there when I woke up." She smiled shyly.

"Now you're doing my job." He protested.

"Which is?"

"Well, I'm supposed to be the one comforting you. After all, you have just been through quite the experience." He paused and looked down at her hand on his arm. "And here you are trying to make me feel better." Reluctantly, he moved to pour the tea and placed a mug in front of her.

"Thanks." She said and added some milk, stirring gently. The spoon clattered against the sides of the deep blue ceramic mug, but seemed soothing nonetheless. "I can't shake the feeling that the un-sub is closer than we initially thought."

"Elle, try not to think about all of that right now— tonight." He said and as he took another sip of tea, he watched her over the rim of his navy mug.

The next morning, Elle dropped her car off at the mechanics to have the broken window replaced and Gideon followed so that he could drive her to the precinct. Hotchner had been the only one made aware of what had occurred the previous evening and the only one who didn't flinch when Elle and Gideon arrived together— otherwise all eyes were fixated on the couple as they entered the main office and parted, Elle removing her coat as she walked to her desk, hung it on the back of her chair and then rejoined the team who had long assembled themselves at the table in front of the board.

"Good morning." Reid said cheerfully before turning back to the notes he had been skimming through. "He must contact them. Lure them to the location."

"Do you think that he actually asks the intended victim out on a date?" Prentiss crossed her long arms across her chest and sighed heavily. "It might be the only way that he can get them wherever it is that he needs to carry out his fantasy." An odd expression caressed her angular features, she scrunched her long nose and pushed herself off the desk she had been leaning against them paced over to the board and reviewed the map.

"That would imply that he is confident." Morgan piped in, as he shook his head he continued. "Somehow, I doubt that very much. He probably has everything but a spine. He added and sat back in his seat. "Over compensation for what he lacks." He let his pen fall to the table.

"Maybe he feels that whatever grand gesture—or smaller ones for that matter that he has made towards his intended victim or victims are sufficient enough for the victim to know or at the very least be well aware of his intensions." Elle suggested and leaned against the nearby desk, Gideon unconsciously mirrored her position beside her— to him, and probably the rest of the team, it felt wonderful to have her and her expertise once more. Perhaps Hotchner could assist in having her reconsider her position, he mused with a far off look and a warm smile. Once again, James kept his distance from the commotion and contented himself with examining the information that they already had.

"There's something else." J.J. lifted her head from the file she perused, her blonde pony tail slid back into place resting between her shoulder blades, from where it had perched on her shoulder. "Forensics are back and they're not good." She paused and her usually bright expression darkened. "There isn't a shred of physical evidence that will assist us in narrowing down our un-sub."

"How do you mean? All of the victims were raped and gently tortured before they were murdered. Surely, there would be some physical, some trace evidence left on the victim, or behind at the crime scene." Gideon closed his eyes for a moment in thought.

"They believe that he probably used a condom, which he would have taken with him." She rolled her eyes. "One of the victims had an allergy to latex. She had broken out into welts where there was contact." Reid returned his gaze to the report she held in her hands. "No seaman, no fingerprints, no foreign fibres, and no blood— save for the victims. This guy is good. Far too much CSI." He shook his head and the hair from behind his ear fell forward, covering his eyes.

"Wait a minute." Hotchner stated under his breath. "Gather round." He said in a low tone. "Reid, I think you may have just hit a home run." He kept his voice as low as he could manage. "Unless we find the primary crime scene, there will be no evidence and whoever this guy is; he's counting on our not finding it. If it isn't his home, it's probably a hotel or motel— somewhere not far from where the bodies are turning up."

"In which case, we're back to square one." Morgan sighed loudly, letting his frustration show and then ran his hand over his face.

"Maybe not," Hotchner paused. "Reid, can you find out the proximity of the closest hotels and or motels? We might be able to establish a clear epicentre." He watched as Reid went over to the board, grabbed the map, and then sat at a nearby computer. "Elle, try and keep this quiet." He said in a hushed tone— she knew exactly what he meant.

"Right." She thought for a moment. "Is there a common denominator, minus the necklace that could assist us? Something that we could be missing." She went over to another file and sighed loudly. "I don't know, like their job, or appearance?"

"They all have dark, long hair and brown eyes." Gideon chimed in quietly. "Perhaps it's a form of revenge that our un-sub targets these women." Hotchner nodded his agreement and went over to see what Reid had managed to gather via Garcia, who was always a wonderful help when it came to gathering information quickly when time felt as though it were running out.

"Any luck?" he asked and stood beside the younger profiler.

"Garcia was able to locate a number of smaller hotels and motels in Richmond. I doubt that either would be a primary crime scene; only because we haven't heard anything to indicate that there have been any occurrences. The camp grounds within the area would have been closed for the season long ago, so too would the cabins. At this point, I'd have to say that the primary crime scene is probably his home. There are highly populated areas within close proximity to Prince William Forest Part." Reid shook his head and sighed quietly. "If the pattern holds true— he should have struck last night. We haven't heard of a body turning up as yet." Reid was quick in tucking the fallen bang back behind his ear with his index finger. Elle's mind reeled when she thought about the pattern. It quickly became clear to her that she must have been last nights intended victim and she needed to distance herself for a moment from that sobering thought. Retreating to the break room, she grabbed a clean mug and filled it with water from the water cooler. Gideon noticed her exit, followed to ensure that she was okay. He entered the ill lit room and found her standing beside the water cooler sipping water from the mug and taking deep, calming breaths. In a matter of seconds, he closed the distance between then and put a comforting arm around her slump shoulders.

"Elle, you're all right." He whispered soothingly into her ear and felt the silkiness of her hair as it tickled his nose and she shook her head.

"Oh Gideon, if I had seen whoever it was that smashed my window, I could be of more help." She took another sip of the cold water and moved over to the sofa that had been neatly set in front of a television and in between two, very well warn arm chairs. She cursed quietly under her breath and Gideon rubbed her back in a calming manner.

"You know it's all in the timing. He'll slip up— and when he does, we'll get him. Not to worry." He smiled warmly and she placed the mug on the only unoccupied place on the coffee table that housed countless magazines and newspapers in relatively neat piles—considering the simple fact that so many people used the break room.

"I cannot help but think back to last night. Gideon, I was paged by James and called him for the location of the quote, un-quote crime scene." Gideon's face fell slightly. "If Garcia had the chance to run the trace on my pager, maybe she could add my cell phone?" she thought out loud. "That way we would know for sure if it was James who gave me the fake location."

"It's conceivable that it's him." Gideon's rugged features caught a touch of light as he tilted his head.

"Problem is we have to prove it and I highly doubt there's enough time. Gideon, last night could have been our only chance to catch him. I mean, unless for some really odd reason last nights failure happens to result in a form of escalation then we'd be in for something far more violent than the previous victims."

"I would prefer not to think of that. If he tries again, I want you to be ready." Gideon's expression bore a mixture of sincerity and seriousness.

"I know that this sounds rather odd, but I'm glad that it was a false alarm and that it was me, instead of some innocent young woman." She rested her elbows on her thighs and in turn cradled her head in her hands. Pulled from their moment of comfortable silence, they quickly became aware of the soft echo of high heels as they clicked against the tile flooring.

"Sir, Hotchner wanted to be sure that everything was all right." Prentiss' tone was soft at first— yet found strength.

"We'll be right there." Gideon replied through a smirk that could not entirely be seen in the dim light, only Elle managed to catch a glimpse.

"Yes sir." She replied and they listened as her sharp, possibly over confident footsteps were carried away with her and they were bathed once more in a private comfortable silence.

"Since when have you ever tolerated anyone really calling you sir?" Elle turned her head and caught his profile.

"I know. Once more and I swear." He chuckled lightly.

"Come on Gideon, give the girl a break. She's new." Elle tapped his knee playfully and they stood in unison before retuning to the hub. "Wait a minute." She paused and indicated for the team to huddle around the table once again. With all eyes upon her, Elle hushed her tone and leaned in, resting her hands on the tabletop. "Gideon, do you still have my necklace?" she almost whispered— he nodded silently and she held her hand out for it. "It's probably best if I wear it. If not, we may be waiting for a while." He didn't move to return it to her. "Well, if not me then why not Emily." She further lowered her tone. Both he and Prentiss gave Elle an odd glance.

"Let's just say that the necklace is indeed significant— if it's the link and she is seen wearing it."

"We might be able to trap him." Morgan's eyes light up at the prospect of a plan finally being woven together.

"Perhaps, but we would then be putting one of our agents or Elle at risk." Reid protested to the plans formation, which in turn planted the seed of doubt in Hotchner's mind.

"I'd do it." All eyes turned onto J.J. "I'll wear a wig." She added with a serious expression on her usually bright face, "contacts as well— if, of course, it would be of help. That way the un-sub might still think that he's following Elle."

"No, I cannot let you do that." Hotchner finally broke his silence— his thick eyebrows shot up and nearly met with his hairline.

"Well sitting here and waiting for something to happen really isn't going to do us any good either." She added. "Hook me up with a wire, ensure that there's sufficient backup— whatever you need so that we can get this guy. I'm in." she kept her gaze steady and waited for someone to step in.

"There's far too much risk involved. Right now, we have ample information to hold a press conference. That's all for the time being." Hotchner stated in such an authoritative tone that essentially stated: do not challenge.

"Fine, I'll be sure that it makes the six o'clock news." J.J. rose and quickly gathered the needed files before heading to the empty conference room to spread herself out and work through the information that she felt the public needed to know. The rest of the team continued to bounce ideas off one another. In truth, they could only wait for information to filter in via the public, or their un-sub to strike again—and they would prefer to avoid the latter of the options.

"Seriously Gideon, may I please have my necklace back?" Elle tilted her head and held out her hand. He merely smirked and shook his head in the negative.

"Sorry Elle, it's for your own good." He replied simply and went to speak with Hotchner. Elle made her way back to her desk and sat herself in her seat. James carefully cradled the receiver and turned his full attention on her.

"So what's the story?" he inquired in an interested tone.

"There's really not much to tell. We've presented the working profile to the Sex Crimes Unit. J.J. will be holding a press conference this evening, which will probably be to warn women who happen to own a particular necklace not to wear it until further notice— all of which will no doubt hinder, perhaps even stall the investigation." She didn't wish to do it, but she lied through her teeth.

"How so?" he paused and thought for a moment. "Wouldn't that force your un-sub out of his comfortable pattern of behaviour?"

"That is a possibility, but that would also change other factors as well. Initially, what probably began as something as small in his mind as rape, has inevitably morphed into torture and now murder. It's possible that the first murder was accidental; however, with that a sense of power is also displayed."

"Sex and power gone wrong?" he sighed, sat back and laced his fingers behind his head.

"Well, my main concern is if he were to de-evolve. That could potentially result in a terrifying escalation— the short and sweet explanation, a very short time in between victims."

"You have no doubt put a great deal of thought into this." James looked down at his note pad and the few notes from the case files. "You were the first to establish the linkage between the murders." He pressed the cap of his pen against his full lips.

"That was probably a lucky guess." She replied and turned her attention to an envelope that had been left on her desk.

"Did you loose your necklace?" he suddenly inquired and her hand absently flew up to the crevice where the small gold disk usually resided, just in between where the wings of her clavicle met. Her eyebrows rose and fell and a slight grin caressed her lips.

"No, I just needed a change." She replied and picked up the envelope. She knew the elegant writing was Gideon's and tucked it in her coat pocket.

"Hey Elle, when is your shift over?" Morgan inquired loudly from the other side of the room as he walked briskly to her desk.

"Not soon enough." She sighed. "Why do you ask?"

"Well we're all heading out for dinner and were wondering if you'd care to join us." He paused and nudged her arm playfully. "Gideon will drive you. Well seeing that you don't have a car and all." He winked and she took a sharp breath.

"Yeah, it's still in the shop." The darkness crept back into her mind and she nearly shuddered.

"So are you going to join us, or what?" Reid smiled brightly.

"I would be delighted to join you for dinner." She grinned widely from ear to ear. It was quite something for them to see her smile again. Gideon joined the trio and whisked her coat from the back of her chair and held it out for her to slip her arms into the sleeves. "Thank you." She turned her head to catch the happy look on his face. "You better watch it though. The team might talk." She whispered and he shook his head in response.

"We had better get going, we're meeting at the restaurant." He rested his hands on her shoulders and they followed behind the rest of the team. As he drove, she stared out the window and thought how beautiful the landscape was and how glad she was to have the chance to really appreciate it. In the background The Fray's How to Save a Life played quietly. "So have you thought about coming back?" he slowed to a comfortable stop at an intersection, and she thought for a moment.

"It really no longer matters what I want." She said simply, knowing that even if she wanted back on the team, her chance was probably slim. "Right now I'm still on contract with Virginia PD. After the contract expires, I have no idea— and for the first time in my life, I'm okay with that."

"That's not what I asked." He slowly accelerated and joined the flow of traffic. She knew that he had long ago profiled her, yet needed to actually hear her reasoning.

"I know. There were times when I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life. Right now, things are actually making sense." She sighed and felt his hand on her shoulder. She covered his hand with hers and smiled, quietly thinking about how quickly things seemed to have returned to how they were prior to her departure.

"I don't know how easy it would be, Hotch and I could put the paperwork through for your return." He pulled the SUV into the parking lot and found a spot. He cut the engine and they sat in silence for a moment. "You don't have to answer right away." He turned so that she could see his eyes— hoped that they assisted in conveying his thoughts, wanted her to truly understand where he was coming from. She stared at him long and hard, he could see it in her eyes— eyes that usually held a degree of scepticism, only this time were indeed warm and understanding. A loud sigh followed as the breath she had held was finally allowed to escape from her lips.

"Gideon, it isn't that I don't want to come back. Hell, I worked very hard to have even been considered for the position in the first place. It's just that things are so incredibly complicated." She looked down at her hands and then returned her gaze, locking her deep, expressive eyes with his.

"Please just agree to consider it."

"I can do that." She replied nodding. She took his hands in hers. "May I please have my necklace back?" she reached towards his pocket, knowing that it still resided there.

"Nice try." His chuckle was deep and throaty and they got out of the SUV to join the team inside for dinner.

It had been a restaurant they had eaten at before on many occasions and Gideon noted that the team looked as though they were one big happy family, even with Prentiss sitting at their table, something akin to the distant cousin. Elle took a seat between Hotchner and Morgan, while Gideon sat on Hotchner's other side. They had already placed their drink orders and when the waiter returned with them, he then took Elle and Gideon's.

"Thank you." Gideon said softly as the waiter headed towards the bar.

"Please, no talk of work." Morgan said with a sarcastic grin. Returning his grin, Elle opened her menu and began the process of deciding what to order.

"I wonder how long that will last this time around." J.J. rolled her eyes before continuing to peruse the menu she shared with Reid. "This looks good too." She leaned her head towards his and pointed to the description of the dish she thought the group might like. He nodded, his shaggy hair bounced around his ears.

"In theory, no talk of work will only last until we get a call from a tip, or another crime scene." Morgan replied and turned his attention towards Elle. "I see that you agreed to join us after all." She nodded with a look on her face that they had long ago missed. It was warm, content, and inviting— happy. She took a sip of her drink and let her eyes roam around the table, then a bit beyond. The restaurant was busy; the soft music could hardly be heard above the quiet rumble of the various whispered conversations.

"So Hotch, how is Haley and little Jack?" she turned her body slightly in her chair so that she could more or less face him.

"Haley's good and Jack has been such a joy." He replied and her eyes shifted towards Gideon and his wistful look. The waiter retuned for their orders and while they waited, he was just as attentive to top off their drinks. When their food arrived, it was just as it had been before— a well organised, choreographed scene of passing one dish one way, another across the table and so on and so forth. Once they had tea, coffee and desert, the team disbursed for the evening. Hotchner was the fist out of the parking lot— most likely the happiest of the team for a home case, he wanted to spend as much time as he could with his family. Gideon signalled for Elle that he would take her home. It was a quiet ride back to her flat. Elle sat for a long moment, trying to think of how to phrase what she wanted to say. Gideon was already aware that there was something bubbling within her and he also knew that it would be a matter of time before she finally shared whatever it was with him. With Elle he had learned not to push.

"I'll drop by in the morning and take you to the mechanic to pick up your car." He broke the silence and reached out and turned on the radio to gently fill the silence that had surrounded them much like a comfortable, warm blanket.

"Thank you Gideon." She replied and sighed as he pulled into the parking lot of her building. "I've missed this." She said almost softer than a gentle whisper. He pressed the button to unlock the doors and she quickly removed her seatbelt and in one quick motion, leaned towards him and gently pressed her lips against his cheek in a chaste kiss. He could feel the onset of an actual blush as it quickly worked its way to his cheek, where her soft petal like lips gently touched, from his toes and he knew in an instant that the smile that formed on his lips wouldn't be disappearing for a long while. She opened the door, closed it quickly so that the artic cold gust of wind wouldn't fill the SUV, and headed into her building. He watched as she walked through the grand sliding doors, opened the second set of sliding doors with a curt nod towards the concierge, and walked around the corner to the elevators.

"Me too." He whispered quietly before putting the SUV into drive and heading to an empty house.

It was a lot to think about. Her contract with Virginia PD hadn't expired and she had other job offers— one in Las Vegas, another in Maryland; one even in Florida. Of all the offers, New York had been the one she had seriously been considering— and yet somehow those offers now seemed to pale in comparison to working with the BAU once more. The way she had felt when she first had joined the team had been something that she had been missing, until this recent case. She was in the process of realising that it had indeed been time that she had required. Working in the Sex Crimes Unit, Elle had experienced some of the same cases as she had while working with the BAU, only there was a difference: the majority of victims in the cases she worked on with Virginia PD were already deceased by the time they got the call and if there were connections between cases, they would long be cold before they even had the chance to begin. At least with the BAU, she had the opportunity to really make the difference she longed to make.

Perhaps a foolish decision, it was after late in the evening— she slipped her coat up her arms and zipped it up to her chin. Quickly grabbing her wallet, keys and cell phone, she put on her gloves and closed the door behind her. Walking always had a way of helping her put things into perspective and this night was no different. If she were to move, it would only be to run away from something that she now knew was what she had truly wanted all along. Prentiss stood in her way, or least that's how it felt. Granted, Gideon had made it perfectly clear that she had been placed in the gaping hole left after she submitted her resignation. It had been done quickly, and rather suspiciously at that— it could probably be undone just as quickly. As she rounded a corner and headed down another familiar street, she felt the wind as it played with her hair and listened carefully to her surroundings. It wasn't just her very personal decision that had her mind working well beyond over time. Thinking about their recent case had her wondering how well she could trust her partner.

She neared the park, which by day would always be filled with the song of happy, carefree children; completely unaware of the dangers that lurked just beyond the wide, open space. She heard the loud crunch of snow underfoot as she walked down a path that led to the playground. It truly was a beautiful night and she felt sad not to have anyone to share it with. Not a soul in sight, she mused as she paused in front of the swings. When she was a little girl, she used to love the way the wind played with her hair. With a deep breath, she sat on the seat and pulled back to get the momentum, then pumped her legs and sighed at the oddly comforting freedom she felt in that moment.

"Elle, what are you doing?" she jammed her feet to the ground, stopping the swing and froze.

"I could ask the same of you." Her reply was confident— she didn't want to let him feel that he had the upper hand.

"I suppose you could." He reached into his jacket. "I'd rather that you just come along." He pulled the firearm from the holster. Great! She thought with a loud sigh. "You're cell phone and gun please." He gestured for her to toss them to the ground in front of his feet. Slowly, she complied to his request wondering exactly what would become of her, yet all the while planning her next move. "Let me help you with these." He easily placed the handcuff on her slender wrists, sure that there was no way for her to work her hands free. She merely stared at him in the pale moonlight and took mental inventory of his appearance. The scar that ran down the side of his left cheek, from the base of his deep, sea blue coloured eye to the corner of his full lips gave his identity away in an instant. He grabbed her and unzipped her winter coat.

"Where is it?!" he demanded through clenched teeth; he had breath that smelled of cherry pie and French vanilla, hazel nut coffee.

"Where's what?" she spat back.

"The necklace that you always wear." He snarled; the heat of his breath caused a vapour like effect in the cold night air.

"I lost it." He grabbed her throat with a black leather gloved hand. At that moment, Elle knew that screaming wouldn't do her any good. She needed to just let him take her wherever he had to and hope that somehow she could outwit him. "When you're caught, you'll loose your badge." She gasped for air.

"What difference does it make?" he tossed her to the ground. "I can't stop!" he stood over her she could see the pain and suffering in his expression. "By day, I uphold the law— arrest the sick bastards who commit heinous crimes; and by night I become one." He seemed to sway, his words slightly slurred— to her it nearly appeared as though he were Dr. Jackal.

"You can stop this." She said in an attempt to reason with him, which could potentially buy her the time she needed to make her move, one that she knew full well would be the only one she had.

"No, I can't." he shook his head and an ice cold chill ran down her spine. He then dragged her towards the street and the awaiting car. Just my luck, she thought, not a darn soul in sight. "Get in." he growled, quickly shoved her into the car and closed the door. He drove down the roads less travelled towards the side road that led back to Prince William Forest Park. Why would he take me here when this is the secondary crime scene, she thought and decided to keep quiet. Decided to bide her time— she only hoped that time was on her side. Her cell phone rang and he grabbed it from his jacket pocket.

"Gideon? Why would he be calling you?"

"That's not your concern." She snapped and was answered by a hard slap across her face. Refusing to cry out, refusing to let him hear her react, she tried to think of other things— tried to keep her mind focused so that she would be able to fight back when the time was right. Gideon, please sense that something is wrong and call Garcia. She closed her eyes against the pain in the left side of her face— felt the blood as it trickled down her cheek from the cut. Her cell phone rang again. "I'm going to give you your phone and you're going to answer it. Give him a clue as to what's happening and you're as good as dead."

"Either way I'm as good as dead." She snapped and the ringing ceased. Elle sighed relief, it gave her another chance.

Meanwhile, Gideon cradled the telephone and sat back in his seat. He had been up late reviewing the case when something had caught his attention. Elle was the only one he knew he could discuss the case with, knew that she was the one who would be able to assist him in untangling the timeline. The first time he rang her and there was no answer, he thought she may have been in the shower and missed the ring; the second time when she didn't answer he began to worry. He picked up the receiver and dialled her number for the third time.

"ANSWER THE PHONE!!!" she took the cell phone carefully between her cuffed hands.

"Greenaway." She was careful to conceal the fear in her tone, yet it was not enough for him not to notice that something was wrong.

"Elle, it's me." He maintained his calm, soothing tone, which put her at ease. "Where are you?"

"Clearing my head." She kept her voice steady.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Yes." She said just as the cell phone was ripped from her grasp and tossed to the floor.

"Elle!?" he called loudly. When there was no answer he remained on the line— he listened carefully, could hear the car and then a loud thud that he could only imagine Elle being slapped across the face.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO LET HIM THINK THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG!!" he shouted loudly. Gideon kept the line open and quickly grabbed his cell phone. Please Garcia, be there— answer the phone, he thought and waited.

"Garcia." Her voice groggy, no doubt from sleep.

"I need your help."

"What can I do for you?" she inquired keeping her tone as professional as possible with him— Gideon was possibly the only one she didn't engage in banter with.

"I need you to go to Quantico and set up a trace on Elle's cell phone. I'm one hundred percent sure that the un-sub has her."

"James?" the shock was evident in her inquiry.

"Yes, I need to know where she is."

"I'm not supposed to be doing this, but there's not enough time for me to go to Quantico to do what you are asking. I'm going to piggyback from here." She said hoping that she wouldn't get into any more trouble— she had already broken protocol once, and nearly gotten Elle killed, not to mention put the whole team at risk.

"Whatever you have to do." He tried to maintain his composure, yet Garcia could hear the panic that laced his statement.

"Hang in there, I think I have a signal." She wished she had the multitude of computer screens and the various keyboards that accompanied them, yet managed to pinpoint the signal. "She is on the move and its north west bound." She paused and he could hear the tapping of her keyboard. "Park Headquarters Road."

"Prince William Forest Park." Gideon felt his heart sink. "We don't have enough time to get organised and get there." He left his phone off the hook and flew though his empty home to the entryway; grabbed his jacket and barely heard the door slam shut behind. "I need you to call Morgan and Reid. I'll call Hotch and J.J." he opened the door to his SUV and started the engine. Garcia knew that something horrible was about to happen.

"Is there anything else?" she bit her lip from asking if she should call Prentiss.

"No, have them meet me there. With backup." He didn't mean for it to sound like an order. She ignored his tone, knowing that it must have been a result of his emotions and followed his instructions in contacting Morgan and Reid. There wasn't enough time to devise an actual plan, something that always troubled Morgan— the team headed to Prince William in hopes of finding and saving Elle.

Meanwhile, Elle was pulled from the car and pushed up the hiking path. This is truly it— she couldn't stop her mind from thinking the worst. With hands cuffed it made it more difficult to run if she had the chance. Not knocking him out first could result in her being shot.

"Ouch! Watch it!" she snapped as her ankle was slightly twisted between the thick, snow covered underbrush and tree roots.

"Keep it moving." He snarled in her ear and poked her hard with the barrel of the gun. They walked for twenty minutes through the silver toned, snow covered, and dense woodland— finally approaching a clearing, the full moon looked as though she hung in the vast, beautiful night sky. The wisps of clouds seemed to chase each other across the sky and the stars shimmered against the regal tone. There was hardly a sound, except perhaps the chilling hoot of a lone owl— only confirmed that she was alone. As the minutes, slipped into what felt like hours, Elle realised that she was indeed on her own. How silly of me, she scolded herself, to think that I had the un-sub pegged.

"You do realise that there are thirty-seven miles of hiking trails that run through the forest; and well over twenty-one miles of bike trails," Reid nervously sprouted the facts.

"Great." Morgan said through clenched teeth. "That will make finding Elle a lot easier." Reid turned to face him. The look of fear in his eyes spoke volumes. "Don't worry buddy, we'll get there." He added and turned down the nearly secluded side road. Gideon carefully guided his SUV through the main entrance and waited for the rest of the team and backup to arrive. He didn't have to wait too long Morgan and Hotchner pulled in and then they saw the bright flashing lights approaching. First out of his SUV was Gideon, who gathered the troops to formulate some sort of plan. He had already seen the fresh tire tracks in the snow, it was a fairly easy assumption that their un-sub had driven as far down as he could.

"Hey!" Elle was nearly pushed to the snow covered ground.

"You're in luck." He opened his jacket and pulled out a small box. "I know that it won't be the same, but I bought you this." He removed his black leather gloves and placed them between his knees before opening the box for her. As he gently pulled the delicate chain from the box, the moonbeam kissed the disk as he held it up for her to see. "Allow me to help you with it." He whispered and walked around her— carefully placing the necklace around her neck and fastening it. "There that's better." He cooed and she decided that her moment of opportunity had presented itself. Allow him to feel in control of the situation long enough for him to be caught off guard, hopefully with his trousers down. She shuddered involuntarily against the feeling of his warm lips against the back of her neck. Think of someone else, pretend to be into it or else he'll kill you were you stand, she thought in an attempt to keep her head.

"Why hadn't you ever said anything before?" she inquired as she felt his hands roam over her winter jacket.

"I did. You consented the moment our eyes locked." He kept his voice even and in control. She still wouldn't have the use of her hands, with them handcuffed. "I've kept special tabs on you."

"Then what was the deal with the other girls?"

"They weren't you." He replied and guided her further into the wooded area. "When you first walked into the precinct I knew in an instant that I had to have you." He had managed to thread his arm around her waist. It made her sick to think that those other innocent young women had suffered as a direct result of his odd fantasy/obsession with her. "No more words, we are almost there." His grin widened and she rethought her initial plan.

The cabin loomed in front of them and Elle couldn't suppress the gasp. The primary crime scene, she thought as she was led up the wooden stairs and he unlocked and threw open the door. There were no lights— the camping season had long expired, so no one would notice someone using the cabins, obviously there hadn't been consistent patrols of the area. He nearly dropped her on the floor in front of a small woodstove and opened the cupboard where he found the wood. He quickly started a fire.

"To take the chill off." He muttered as he worked and she really thought that that night would be her last. So long as her hands were cuffed there really wasn't much she could do, or was there? She had trained in hand-to-hand, all agents had to. Gideon's words filled her mind and she really thought he was right. It would be all in the timing, just wait for his miss step. She thought perhaps, at this stage of the game, that she ought to play along, pretend that he was the most desirable man she had ever encountered. Give him the confidence that would result in cockiness and a slip up that could potentially work to her advantage. She heard him in the background struggling with something before she felt the sharp prick and she cried out.

"That should mellow you out. Something akin to a fine wine." He whispered in her ear. "You're so beautiful." He added and brushed his lips against her throat, while he ran his hands along her lean body. When she appeared to have no fight left in her, he fished for the key in his winter coat and undid the handcuffs that allowed him to remove her winter coat. He placed it neatly aside and laid her out on the blanket that had been placed in front of the woodstove. Lucky boy am I, he mused as he looked down at the white shirt that covered a cotton camisole. He leaned over her, pressed himself against her, lifted her arms and placed them around his neck so that he had full access to her. With her defences completely shut down, due to the assistance of the shot, she felt incredibly sleepy and her head fell to the side and when he lifted her up, he rested it on his shoulder.

The team quietly surrounded the car that had been left on the un-ploughed road and waited for Hotchner's signal to storm it. Of course they figured that the un-sub wouldn't be there with Elle, but the possibility that she was dead in the trunk hit them. Gideon turned towards the fresh footprints in the snow— following them— Morgan and Reid followed Gideon towards the cabin. He signalled for the other agents to remain calm and quiet— he then gestured towards the other officers who had also followed them, arriving at the cabin. Gideon ever so carefully walked up the steps and cautiously peeked in the dirty window. He saw the soft glow of the woodstove, Elle's back to the door. She's alive, he breathed a sigh of relief before signally for the team to surround the cabin and gestured for Morgan to join him on the porch, Reid followed as well.

"On my mark." He whispered and Morgan nodded his comprehension. Readying himself, he pulled his gun from its holster and signalled for Reid and Morgan to do the same. He then turned towards Morgan and mouthed: One… Two… Three and Morgan kicked the door in. The first of the trio to literally fly in was Gideon.

"FBI!" he hollered and the un-sub acted unfazed by the interruption. "Hands up where I can see them." The un-sub refused to comply. "NOW!" he sharpened his tone and took another step towards them. Almost as though he seriously thought about his position, the un-sub put the gun down and slowly put his hands up. Gideon was fairly certain that he wouldn't give himself up that easily and hardly had to say anything that Morgan and Reid both rushed him, slammed him hard to the floor and cuffed him. Elle sat still, as though in a daze, her face stained with involuntary tears mixed with the dry blood from the earlier blows, but she hardly seemed aware of her situation. "What did you give her?" Reid demanded as Morgan pulled him to his feet. They were only rewarded with a fox like smile.

"You had better tell us." Morgan tossed him towards the door, not caring whether or not he ended up on his ass in the snow at the bottom of the steps. Gideon quickly placed his gun back in the holster and rushed towards Elle, who sat in shock in front of the woodstove.

"Elle are you all right?" he said loudly and went to her side. She didn't answer only stared at the fire. "What did he do to you?" he demanded, grabbed a blanket that had been draped over the back of a chair and tenderly placed it around her shoulders and indicated to an officer that he needed them to remove the handcuffs. Once the silver-tone metal fell away from her wrists, Elle brought her hands to her face and rubbed her eyes. He kept his arm around her and she turned her head to see who was beside her.

"Gideon?" her voice was small, still filled with shock. He leaned in, rested his chin on the crown of her head and a loud sigh of relief escaped his lips.

"What's this?" he inquired and reached towards the necklace with his other hand.

"He gave that to me to replace the one that I lost." She leaned into his embrace, felt the warmth and comfort that it held. "I am so glad that you got here when you did." She sighed and sniffled as another tear made its way down her smooth cheek. He reached out and brushed it away then cupped her cheek.

"Me too." He replied and they pressed their foreheads against one another.

"Thank you." She smiled shyly and ran her fingers over her wrists. He took her hands in his and helped her to her feet.

"You'll have to get checked out. It seems as though he might have given you something."

"Probably some form of date rape drug. I highly doubt he would have attempted to proceed without the assistance. She felt as though she were dragging her feet, her boots felt incredibly heavy, as did her body in general.

Hotchner was the first to arrive at the precinct to question their un-sub. He wanted to get the confession out of him before he had the chance or sense to acquire a lawyer. Reid and Morgan stood in the small adjoining room, listening as Hotchner went through the usual questions, finding and using his weaknesses against him. Hotchner couldn't sit, he felt far too sick for that and only wanted answers.

"You're about to loose everything. If I was you— which of course I'm not, I'd talk."

"She was so beautiful." He kept repeating as if it would solve his predicament.

"Who?"

"Greenaway. From the moment she walked in here, I needed her." he stated and let his eyes focus on the clock that resided just above the two-way mirror. "She wanted me just as much as I wanted her." he added with a sick laugh. Hotchner sighed loudly.

"What I don't understand is that you targeted several women."

"They weren't good enough. I needed the real deal. She's intelligent, sexy, absolutely beautiful, and wanted me too." He seemed confident in his answer and lounged in the chair. Hotchner shook his head and exited the room quickly, meeting up with Reid and Morgan.

"As far as I'm concerned, he's more than confessed to Elle's kidnapping and the rape and murders of those other women." Morgan sighed and rubbed his neck.

"I agree, but without physical evidence." Hotchner's tone remained even. "There really isn't that much that we can do at this point."

"They can't charge him?"

"The kidnapping of a Fed," he stopped himself, "an officer of the law is still pretty heavy duty." Morgan rolled his eyes and thought for a moment. Gideon entered the room and all attention fell upon him. "How is she?"

"She'll be fine. Just needs to sleep off whatever that bastard gave her. I'll."

"Jason, calm down." Hotchner reached out and placed a hand on his colleague's strong shoulder.

"I know, but this might effect Elle's progress." He looked down for a moment as he wrung his hands. "Has he given us anything?"

"I don't feel that he has given us anything concrete." Hotchner looked down, his straight dark hair falling forward in jagged sections.

"There's still time." All eyes turned towards the door.

"What? You all look as though you've seen a ghost." Elle smiled brightly.

"How are you feeling?" Reid inquired uncrossing his spindly arms.

"I'm feeling much better now. The doctors gave me something that counteracted whatever it was that he gave me and I crashed for a bit. Is there anything that I can do to help?" they shook their heads in the negative and she turned towards the two-way mirror. "I suppose the theory of never truly knowing another person bears some validity." She paused. "I thought I knew him well enough." she huffed and watched as he shifted in his seat slowly cracking under the pressure of his colleagues.

"Where is James?"

"Right where I left him." The answer was full of confidence.

"If you hurt him I will tear you apart, limb from limb." Elle burst into the room and stood firmly in place with Gideon and Morgan beside her. He looked up at her.

"My lovely." He let the words roll from his lips.

"Can it Saunders." She spat back.

"I'll tell you." He lifted his handcuffed hands and beckoned her to approach him. "He's in his apartment. Perhaps a bit tied up." He added with a sick wink and her stomach churned.

"Let's go." She turned on her heel and they left Saunders to be processed.

Elle opened the door to James' apartment and led the team inside. A soft moan could be heard in the darkness and Reid fumbled around for a light switch; finding it, he flipped it and the soft light illuminated the room. Slumped over and tied to a dining room chair was James. He lifted his head and squinted his eyes against the light and sighed a sigh of relief. Elle removed the gag and he breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Thanks." He smiled as Hotchner unbound him.

It was early Monday morning, long before ten o'clock. The sky nearly colourless as snow fell in a frenzy. Stepping out of the cold and into Quantico, she smiled widely as Stan the security guard waved. The elevator took her to the familiar floor and when she stepped off, she was greeted by a huge banner signalling her return and brightly coloured helium balloons tied to equally colourful ribbons. As she approached her old desk, her smile widened when she saw her nameplate sitting for her to see. Gideon, she thought and took the box she held in her arms to the desk.

"Welcome back Elle!" she nearly jumped out of her skin as her team gathered around her. J.J. holding a cake, Garcia had a bag with tissue paper sticking out, Morgan held out a small box wrapped in silver paper and had a neat blue bow.

"Guys, you shouldn't have gone to all this trouble." She couldn't hide her emotion. It felt like good times, and at the same time something new. "Where's Emily?" she inquired and her eyebrows arched slightly.

"As far as we know, she transferred to another team." Hotchner replied and handed Garcia the knife to cut the cake.

"Thank you so much." She could hardly believe that after everything they had gone through, they were so accepting of her return.

"What brought you back to us?" Reid suddenly inquired as he shoved a manageable piece of cake into his mouth.

"Gideon?" Morgan winked his way. Gideon nodded with a wink of his own.

"As a matter of fact, Gideon can be rather persuasive." She replied and all sighed when Hotchner called them to the conference room for their briefing. Elle held back for a moment, just long enough to take everything in. Gideon waited for her and together they headed up the few steps that separated the bullpen from the conference rooms and other offices.

"Elle." He gently took her elbow, stopping her for a moment.

"Yes?"

"It's good to have you back." He said in his quiet way before heading to the conference room. She watched him and then took a deep breath readying herself to rejoin her team.

It's good to BE back, she thought with a grin and headed into the conference room ready for whatever lay ahead.

The End

***