(Disclaimer:I do not own Criminal minds or the characters from criminal minds)

So this is the final chapter, I've really liked writing it, but I hated not having enough time to publish some days and then leaving everyone hanging, I promise I won't leave this story on too much of a cliffhanger.

There will be a sequel, but don't expect the first chapter for a few weeks, I just have to finish some exams then I can devote all my time to this story, and hopefully it'll be less rushed. Also this is my first even Fanfic, and your support is so encouraging, it makes me want to write more, so please keep reviewing, it means sooooo much!

Oh and tannerrose, don't worry, I'll continue and wrap this part of the story up, but I do need to leave you something for the sequel ;).

Oh and I don't know if you noticed, but I had Blake and Prentiss in this story, yet they have never actually been on the team together. I did that on purpose, because this 'team' is my dream team!

Sorry this took a little longer to write than I planned, but I just wanted to make sure it was alright.

Please RR, much appreciated!

Above ground

An agent who Hotch recognised from another team in the BAU, perched beside him.

"H..how'd you find us?" Hotch looked at him in amazement.

"As soon as we realised you were missing- that bomb kind of helped- we looked for anything that could guide us to you. We got our tech analysist to track your phones, they led us straight here. Your unsub didn't exactly think that through." The agent said, nodding solemnly.

"What about Emily?" JJ gaped having completely forgotten about one of her best friends.

"I'm sorry, who?" The middle aged agent asked, his furry brow knitted in confusion.

"Our Agent, Emily Prentiss, she escaped.." Garcia trailed off, her hand closing over her mouth as if to stop herself being sick. She couldn't be dead as well, a silent voice whispered in her head.

Alex's voice rose up through their conversation.

"Reid! Reid! Spencer." She cried.

Hotch covered his eyes, he couldn't stand it.

"REID!" Hotch could literally feel his heart break listening to her desperate crys.

"Alex... I'm sorry.. he's gone.." he began

"No, Hotch! He's alive!"

Reid (15 minutes earlier)

Reid felt the bullet slice along the side of his head. His movement had prevented the shot burying into his brain, but even so, he was knocked off his feet. The ground jumped up, attacking his body with tiny stones. Pain buzzed all over his limp body. He could feel his head thumping, as his blood hydrated the dead ground beneath him.

He kept his eyes closed and held his breath. He needed Callen to believe he was dead. He'd heard the sirens before he was shot, his only chance of survival was to stay still, act dead. He felt relief wash over him, even with the intense pain scorching through his limps; his team would be okay, they could make it out of here.

He began to run statistics for his own survival through his head, what he came up with was worrying.

He could hear Hotch's yells over the oncoming sirens. The incessant buzzing returned to his ear. His head felt like it may explode, as did his lungs, they ached for oxygen. When he was sure no one was looking he allowed himself a small breath of oxygen, just small enough that his chest still appeared to be unmoving.

Red spots invaded his closed eyes and he could feel something pulling him from consciousness.

The sirens were practically on him now, it was as if they had driven over him and parked there.

"Over there" he heard a rather shaken Hotch yell.

Reid kept still, which was easy considering he couldn't move anyway.

He heard new voices, no one was close to him. It was like he was some kind of disease, if they got too close they could catch it. Death isn't contagious, he thought.

He could hear his teams voices now. Someone said something about being too late. He wanted to show them he was still alive, he tried to move, but the ache in his head held him to the floor.

"Reid!" He heard someone call his name, their voice thick with tears.

He wished he hadn't held his breath, because now it was increasingly difficult to breath. His managed to pull in a deep breath, opening his eyes to the reddish/navy night sky.

"He's alive!" The same voice yelled.

Team

"What!?" Hotch stood suddenly causing the agent next to him to almost stumble over.

The younger agent checked Reid's neck for a pulse.

"Hotch, Hotch I saw him, he moved, h..he" Alex crawled towards Spencer.

"I got a pulse." The young agent hovering over Reid relayed excitedly.

A small moan emitted from Reid's broken body, his fingers twitched slightly.

"SPENCER!" Hotch yelled, hobbling over to him.

Reid's eyes opened slightly, but closed again. He whined, trying to move his head to see Alex crouching beside him.

"A'l.." he grunted.

"Shh lie still Spencer, helps coming. WE NEED A MEDIC!" She screamed, Reid winced as her voice pierced into his bloody ear lobe.

Reid hated lying there under the gaze of the entire team.

He pulled himself up his head lolling uselessly.

"Reid, stop moving. The medics are coming."Alex tried to hold him down but he yelled in pain at her touch. He couldn't get his hands underneath him so he remained on his front

Morgan lent down and placed a gentle hand on the kid's back. Reid was lay uncomfortably on his front, blood staining the ground around his head and his abdomen. He was facing outward, the injured side of his head kissing the ground. His eyes were closed again, his teeth snapped shut against the pain.

"Open your eyes, pretty boy." Morgan soothed.

At the sound of Morgan's voice Reid pulled his heavy eyelids open, his brown eyes searching for the agent.

"M'gan." Reid whispered. "T..turn m..me" he stuttered, trying once more to push himself up. Morgan grabbed the kids arms as he flipped himself onto his back whimpering in agony.

Morgan slowly pushed Reid back onto the ground from his half sat up position.

"Happy?" Morgan smirked. "Now sit still."

From his new position, Reid looked a mess. The team could see the wound which they had first believed to be fatal. The bullet had grazed the side of his head, just below the hairline and along his skull. The bullet had dug a deep track into Reid's skin, Morgan was sure he saw the glint of Reid's white skull through the ripped flesh.

Reid's light blue shirt was torn and muddy, the lower part soaked with crimson, areas of which were turning brown, from the drying blood.

Reid's chest heaved and his fingers convulsed as pain shot through him in inescapable waves. It was like he was caught in a riptide, he kept being pulled under by a wave of pain, and as he resurfaced another would come crashing down on him.

He growled through the pain, tightening his fists into balls.

Morgan was forced away from Reid's side, as was Alex, when the paramedics began working on Reid. They kept shouting words the team didn't understand like " hypovolemic shock", which one paramedic shouted over to the one on Reid's right side.

"He's gonna be okay. He's gonna be okay.." Garcia began chanting to herself, biting the skin around her fingernails.

Hotch gathered the group away from the paramedics and out of their way. Morgan protested, but Hotch's stern tone revealed he was back in his leader role, and Morgan wasn't prepared to contest it.

Rossi was sat on the porch step, craning his neck to see what all the commotion was about.

"Agent, you have to sit still." The older paramedic reprimanded, as she wiped the dried blood from his cheek.

"Dave, are you alright?" Hotch asked noticing how pale the man had become.

"I'll be fine. Is Reid alright, I..I thought the Unsub shot him in the ...head.?" He frowned at Hotch for answers.

Hotch turned turned his head to see a barely conscious Reid being loaded into the ambulance. He watched as Morgan and Alex raced up.

"I'm riding with him." Alex announced before Morgan or the paramedics could begin to argue. She climbed in, the doors closing behind her and the sirens wailing as it sped off, kicking dust up under the burning rubber.

"Where's Emily?" Garcia asked, returning to their previous conversation looking to the agents for answers.

"If you're referring to Agent Prentiss, we asumed she'd be with you." One answered.

"S..she got out a while ago. The unsubs chased her for at least an hour, before they came back to deal with us." Rossi informed the agents. He was now sat on a gurney, though he'd argued with the paramedic, insisting he was fine. He sat with his hand held in the air and his face set in a sulk.

"We haven't had any reports on a Emily Prentiss in the past hour. It's likely she's lost in them woods there. Easily done." The local sheriff interjected, slipping his thumbs through his belt loops and leaning back on his heals.

"We have to start searching then." Insisted Hotch, shaking off the foil wrap around his shoulders.

"You will go to the hospital. No doubt you're all dehydrated, so get some medical attention. I'll call you if we find anything." Hotch didn't want to go to the hospital, he'd have rather stayed out there until they found Emily. He hated the idea of leaving a member behind.

Garcia's broken voice cracked over the silence. "No offence, but...uh how the hell will you be able to text us?"

"Oh sorry!" The agent pressed on his radio "Dorson, bring up the agents phones,will ya." Static erupted from the radio followed by a crackling "yes, sir".

The agent looked up and grinned at the team. He extended his hand to Hotch. "I'm Agent Ford from NCAVC." He vigorously shook Hotch's hand, then pulled back, reaching into his pocket and revealing a card. "That's my card, it'll have my number, if you get any information at the hospital which may help us."

The agent named Dorson, slid from the door to Ford's side, handing him a plastic bag filled with the team's phones. Ford handed the bag to Hotch.

Hotch took the bag greatfuly, then swivelled around to face Rossi who had been delaying the paramedics from taking him to the hospital. "Rossi go, and stop complaining." Hotch warned.

"I'll go with him." Morgan said, clambering aboard. Rossi groaned at this, as the doors slammed shut and the ambulance pulled away.

"Is the Unsub detained?" Ford asked Dodson, who was fumbling with his radio.

"There was a bit of a struggle. They're bringing him up now."

Sure enough, James skulked out from the house, flagged by two officers.

He saw the agents gathered in a circle and he began to shout at them. Gone was his 'Macho Man" facade. He was pleading with them, his voice broke pathetically, like a pubesant teenager. "It was Callen's idea! Please! He made me do this!" He cried. The officers didn't stop, they hauled the large man to the police car, forcing him inside.

"Let's go." Hotch mumbled.

The night was settling in now, the crimson sunset was replaced with a blackened pool of blue, filling every inch of the sky.

Hospital

Hotch marched through the double doors, letting them swing behind him as he followed his team into the hospital. He walked up to the front desk.

"Spencer Reid, have you heard anything from him. Or a David Rossi. They were admitted not long ago."

The small, mousy looking woman glanced up at Hotch.

"Uh...I believe some other agents arrived with the patients. They should be in the waiting room, they can inform you on any news." She pointed a bony finger towards another whitewashed room.

Hotch nodded his head in appreciation, he turned to go, but the mousy woman collared him. "Sir, I suggest you get checked out, and your.. uh agents? All of you look a little worse for ware."

"We'll be sure to do that as soon as we hear news, thank you." He practically bounded from the desk into the waiting room, Garcia and JJ following his lead.

Alex and Morgan were sat next to each other, in a pair of uncomfortable blue hospital seats. Morgan sat forwards, elbows on his knees, his lips pressed up against his closed hands. Alex's foot was tapping unceasingly on the white tiles.

"Anything?" Garcia pursued. Alex shook her head and closed her eyes.

"H..he..uh he stopped breathing o..on the way..." Alex confessed who's leg began shaking relentlessly faster.

"D'you know where he is now?" JJ asked sitting next to Alex and placing a soft hand on her shoulder.

"Surgery. T..that's all I know." She turned her focus on the thread escaping the sleeve of her shirt.

"How's Dave?" Hotch stood in front of his team his eyes burrowing into Morgan's. Garcia sat down beside Morgan and nudged him. He gave up on his poker face and swung an arm around Penelope's shoulders pulling her close.

"He'll be alright. He was giving the doctor a mouthful when he got here, and I swear he was eying the nurse's ass." Morgan laughed.

"What d'you expect, he's a ladies man." Smirked Hotch.

"Any news on Emily?" It was Morgan's turn to interrogate.

Hotch sighed. "No, not yet. But she's strong. And so is Reid."

Hotch refused to sit. Even when the doctors came to check them for injuries.

"If it were up to me, you'd all be having some fluids, but I doubt any of you want to leave this room, correct?"

The team all nodded.

"I'll get you some water bottles. Hydrate yourselves. And maybe think about cleaning yourselves up." Muttered the doctor, looking Blake up and down. She was stained with Reid's blood. She'd barely noticed it lavering her hands as she'd held Reid's equally bloody hand in the ambulance.

The doctor excused himself, grumbling about other patients.

"Blake you should get cleaned up." Hotch instructed.

"N..no I need to stay here." She insisted.

"Go with the girls, you'll feel better once you get the blood off."

Alex peered down at her hands, and gasped at the dry blood engraved into the lines of her palms.

She promptly stood up, bit her lip and nodded at her commanding officer. JJ and Garcia were at her side and they hobbled towards the ladies toilets.

"Hotch, chill out. Sit." Morgan demanded. Hotch stood with his arms crossed for a minute more, before sighing and collapsing in the chair next to Morgan.

Hotch rubbed his hands over his face, trying to rub off any trace of emotion.

"Are you sure Rossi's alr-"

Morgan turned to face his boss. "You should've seen him, Hotch. He was adamant that he was fine. He tried to get off the bed several times. If it were up to him he'd of jumped off that gurney and gone home." Morgan chuckled. He knew the Italian wouldn't of left though, not with Reid there.

Hotch wasn't really worried about the older agent, he could handle himself. But like everyone on the team he felt protective over Reid. And he was fighting for his life, and god only knew where Emily had got to.

"H..he's too young..." Hotch's mask cracked and a single tear escaped.

Morgan caught this raw emotion, it was the first time since Haley was killed that he'd seen his boss like this.

"Yea, he is. And that's why he's gonna pull through. He's got way too much to live for." Morgan shook his head in disbelief going over what happened. "I mean look what happened to the kid. And yet he was still able to argue with me. I swear he would've walked into that ambulance himself if I hadn't stopped him."

Hotch felt himself smile on the inside, but he didn't show it.

Morahn was about to take their minds off the situation when he saw Hotch leap up, and freeze to the tiles.

He turned his head his eyes meeting with a pair of deep brown ones. His breath caught in his throat.

"Prentiss?"

Moragn sprinted from his seat towards the battered looking woman leaning heavily on the front desk. He gathered her into a bear hug, encasing her in his biceps. They held onto each other, Morgan swinging her off the ground. He realised her gently after a minute.

"My god, Emily. We've been so worried!" He held her face in his hands and she smiled.

She was filthy, probably filthier than the team put together, with the exception of Rossi and Reid. Her hair was filled with greenery and twigs. Her face and arms littered in little scratches and the occasional bruise.

"I'm fine. I promise."

"C'mon the others will want to see you" Morgan said pulling her toward the waiting room.

A tall male nurse came to their side. "I'm sorry sir, we really must check your friend over first. I'll send her over to you if she gets the all clear."

"Bu-"

"I'll be back before you know it." She promised him. Leaving him gaping at her back glued to the spot.

Morgan turned to Hotch who's mouth was also hanging open.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Garcia quipped. Her face was clean of grime and dirt, and was JJ and Blake. Blake had been scrubbed clean of blood, and her red puffy eyes stood out more predominantly.

"We found Emily." Hotch said, still in shock.

It was another half an hour before Emily was given the all clear. She limped over to them, trying to supress a smile. Penelope ran to her, hugging her tightly, afraid to let go.

"Honestly, Garcia, I'm fine. Just a few cuts and bruises."

"Really? Well what's that?" JJ called her out on her limp.

"It's just a sprain. Not a bad one either. I tripped over some rocks." Her cheeks burned red in embarrassment.

Penelope budged her into a chair oppsite Morgan, Hotch and Alex and plonked herself between Emily and JJ.

Emily stretched out her arms and legs, wincing in pain, before yawning.

"So-" she began, but her boss was quicker than her.

"I want to know what happened out there." He ordered, his frown was a soft one though.

"Nothing exciting really. I kicked the short guy and made a run for it. Callen tried to shoot me, but he can't shoot too well. Wephen I got into the woods I went deep into it, which was lucky because they came driving by, and I think he left one of his guys out there to look for me. I just kept running even after I tripped. And when I finally got out of the woods and onto the road, it was almost dark. I went to the first house I saw, told them to ring the police, but they insisted on bringing me here as well. I was trying to get the receptionist to call the BAU to explain our situation when you came over Morgan." She bit her lip savagely with guilt.

"I'm sorry. I should've been quicker."

"Emily! Don't apologise. They were already on their way, they'd tracked our phones." Garcia interjected.

"Yea, but I feel so useless."

"Trust me we all do." Blake reassured her.

"What about you? What happened? Wait where's Reid and Rossi!?"

It took a good 10 minutes for Hotch to explain what happened after she left. She was left feeling numb and scared.

"And there hasn't been anymore news?"

"No, No there hasn't" Morgan sighed.

Just then a tall female doctor, glided over to the waiting room. She checked her sheet, them called, "Family of David Rossi?"

"Yes." Hotch said standing up. The doctor looked at him skepticaly for a second, then returned to her board.

"Your friend should be fine. We will release him soon, trust me he's driving us crazy. Agent Rossi has a mild burn on his neck from a taser, we don't believe it will have any lasting effects, you may notice a slight twitch for several hours though. The laceration on his face needed 10 stiches, but should heal nicely, though he will have a hefty scar. I'm afraid we couldn't save his finger, he'd lost all nerve endings in the severed part, so reattachment was not an option. If he can deal with that, then he will make a full recovery in no time."

"Can we see him?" Morgan asked.

"Yes, he's in room 204. Maybe you can convince him to stay a little longer, he was quite insistent on leaving."

She was about to leave, when Hotch caught her arm.

"Do you have any news on a Dr Spencer Reid?" He asked with pleading eyes.

"I believe he's still in surgery right now." She looked into their desperate faces. "I could see if I can get an update for you."

"Oh, would you?" Garcia swooned, her face lighting up.

"As long as you go and keep an eye on David Rossi, I'll see what I can find out. I'll come back to Agent Rossi's room when I have news."

"Thank you." Alex smiled at the doctor hopefully.

Room 204

"I'm FINE! Seriously, stop fussing you lot!" Rossi was trying to get out of bed yet again, and the team had insisted he stayed still.

He was dressed in a hospital gown. It didn't suit him.

"Don't worry about me." He grinned.

"Rossi you lost a finger! Of course we're worried about you!" Badgered Garcia.

"What use was a pinky anyway! Oh, why do they take so long around here." He moaned dripumming his fingers minus one on the mattress.

As if in answer to their prayers, the tall red headed doctor entered the room.

"I see you're not having much luck." She said seeing Rossi sat on the edge of the bed.

"Did you get anything?" JJ bleated.

"He's in surgery now, and will likely be in there for a good few hours. I think they've cleaned, stitched and dressed the headwound. It's just the stab wound in his abdomen and the shrapnel in his side, which are the major threats at the moment. That's all I know sorry."

The team glanced nervously around at each other.

"thank you." Emily said.

"You can bring some more chairs in here, and I'll inform Dr Reid's surgeon where his family is." She smiled and left the room.

Coversation had fallen flat after the first hour. The next few were silent. Rossi had dropped off to sleep from the medication they'd given him. Hotch got up a few times to pace. Emily, who had already bitten her nails all the way down, had started on the skin around them.

They all feared for the worst and prayed for the best. Morgan felt suddenly ashamed after thinking for a while. He was supposed to protect Reid. The kid was like a brother to him and he'd failed him. And it wasn't the first time.

Alex's thoughts faded off to her sons brief life. Reid reminded her so much of him. It felt like she was losing a second son.

After what felt like an eternity, a balding, middle age doctor wandered in. He was still dressed in scrubs, the front of which was covered in blood.

"I take it you're all here for Dr Reid?" He inquired, eying them wearily.

"Yes, please can you update us?" Garcia barged in with an answer before Hotch could even open his mouth.

"Your agent is incredibly lucky. The bullet wound on his head would've been fatal if it had been just a few millimetres to the right. As it is, he has a deep flesh wound, which we've stitched and a slight fracture to the skull. It shouldn't be too threatening, though we need to run an MRI in a few hours to check for any brain damage the shot may of caused. As for the stab wound, he was lucky it missed any major organs, but the shrapnel to his right side caused a severe internal bleed. We have it under control at the moment. His right ear sustained internal damage from the explosion, so he's extremely sensitive to sound. He has some minor burns from a taser, and a broken nose, which we've set. I also noticed his shoulder had been put back in place, but his wrist was also dislocated and not set. We have done that now. He's in ICU at the moment, but he is breathing on his own which is a really good sign."

The team could barely speak after hearing the long list of Reid's injuries.

Hotch was the first to overcome the shock.

"Can we see him?"

" I don't see why not. But like I said, his hearings pretty sensitive so don't raise your voices."

"He's in room 25 on the second floor." The doctor nodded solemnly before leaving.

Room 25

The team hovered outside of Reid's room. Hotch peeped though the glass at his agent. All he could make out through the blurred window was Reid's skinny frame held together by bandages and blankets.

They filed in slowly one by one, tip toeing around the bed, aware of Reid's sensitive hearing.

Reid's head was heavily bandaged, which left his hair sticking out everywhere, even more so than normal. His normally brown hair was tinted red with blood. Half of his face was brusied, including a black eye from where Callen had first punched him. A small butterfly stitch lay on the cut on the bride of his nose. The skin around his nose was red and purple. A large white bandaid was wrapped over his right ear, shielding it from sound.

Reid's wrist was in a simple brace, and his hands were still bloody. His abdomen and side were covered by the white hospital gown. He looked better that he had at the house. His face was cleaner, but he was still incredibly pale.

JJ grabbed his uninjured hand, the one which was still bloody from his 'magic trick', and squeezed it gently.

Reid's doctor waltzed in. "The drugs from surgery should start wearing off soon. So hopefully he'll be awake before long."

Morgan smiled widely. "Good, the kid should know better than to sleep on the job!" He whisper/shouted, keeping his voice low as not to cause Reid distress. Rossi snickered.

Rossi had finally got his way and had been released. He was wearing a hoodie and sweat pants that they'd fished out from the lost and found.

The team was one again. They listened intently to the sound of the heart monitor steadily beeping. The machines connected to the cannula under Reid's nose, whirred gently.

Alex was stroking Reid's hair, and JJ still grasped his hand. They all sat like this, contently, for what felt like hours.

Just as JJ was closing her eyes just as some of the other agents had, the hand she'd been holding squeezed back.

Callen

He ran for hours. He knew his way around the woods, so he knew he was way past the small town that bordered his old house. He was heading for his back up plan.

When the sun began to rise again, he arrived at his destination. He pulled the hatch to his bunker open and clambered in.

He lit the several candles that littered the small room. He held one up to the wall, where he'd stuck pictures and articles and string. All connected to one central image. Dr Spencer Reid. Callen found his red pen lay amongst the rubbish on the floor. He proceeded to draw a big 'X' across Spencer's face.

He smiled, which involved into an open mouth grin, then he burst into laughter. Hysteria bubbling up throughout his body.

He stopped abruptly, looking down at his fingers. He felt powerful. Invincible. Was this what murder felt like. He thought he may feel guilt. Yet he felt energised; Alive.

He couldn't stop at one. He wanted them all, every agent. The desire grew within him. He started making plans.