So, this is it. The end. Sob. No, not really. I love that I've actually started finishing my stories now that I post them here. I never used to. As you might have noticed I get easily distracted. Too many ideas are rampaging around my mind. But, this is what I came up with. I hope you like it!

Susanne

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

The defence spoke first. The lawyer went to great pains to point out what their expert psychiatrists had come out with, that it wasn't Doug's fault. He expounded to great length about how until Doug's sister had come to him, angry at the death of her younger brother, he had taken great lengths to avoid people. He'd moved to an isolated farm, made it self sufficient so he only had to go to town occasionally. By the time he was done, Dave could almost feel sympathy for the man. Almost.

Sitting between the brothers, Reid tried to hide his irritation. Everything the man said was a lie. Doug had isolated himself because he knew what he was capable of doing. It was easier to hide out on his farm than to risk the compulsion, the need he felt being near other people. Absently, Reid's right leg jiggled up and down. His hands twisted in his lap. Silently, Jared reached down, stilling his leg and stopping his hands. This wasn't over yet.

Clearing his throat, Ryan stood up and began his own closing argument. He too cited his own experts, what they said about Doug's shattered personality. About the clear intent he showed by barrelling into the police car at high speed, ignoring what could have very easily been a fatal result. Doug's refusal to see what he'd done to Rachel as rape and what he'd done to the agents as abuse were also pointed out.

While he listened to the lawyer, Rossi scanned the jurors. They were all looking at the handsome lawyer while he made his case brilliantly. He was very good at his job, drawing the jurors to his side of the evidence. Watching the men and women's faces, Rossi decided that at least half of them were on their side. He just hoped the others would be able to convince the doubters. Then Ryan was finished.

"You've been presented with both sides of this case. You have been instructed on what to consider and what not to. It is now up to you, a jury of the defendant's peers. Please begin your deliberations," the judge said. The jurors were silently led out of the room. Now the waiting began.

OOOOO

Not sure of where else to go, the group needed for the cafe again. It was close and afforded coffee, a much needed beverage. Filing into the sitting area, Dave automatically headed for the back wall. He knew Reid and probably Hotch would feel better having the wall to their backs. He stood aside and allowed Reid and his cane to slip by him and take the chair. Then he settled in the one beside the younger man.

"How long do you think this is going to take?" Doug asked as Hotch took a chair on the other side of Reid. The young profiler had been particularly quiet today. Hotch wasn't sure if it was because this was almost over or because of what had happened the day before.

"As long as necessary," Hotch replied cryptically. Now that it had gone to the jury, the Unit Chief was all ready feeling the need to return to work. As much as he'd like to believe otherwise, the entire time the BAU has spent on this case, others were piling up. Garcia and J.J. could only do so much. The rest of the team was needed too.

"That's reassuring," Jared said as he sat down beside his brother. He glanced at Rossi and Morgan who had stopped at the door, out of ear shot. "They're going back to work, right?"

"Probably," Reid said as he too watched his cohorts. Emily came in behind them, her cell to her ear. "I can't remember when we were out of commission this long."

"The other teams are picking up some of the slack but we do need to get back into the swing of things. I know J.J. has three cases that need our attention," Hotch stated. The other three members of the BAU had concluded their conference and were walking to the table. Hotch and Reid could see what was on their mind without them saying anything. "How bad is it?"

"Seven victims so far with another two likely within the week," Emily said. She was looking at her PDA as J.J. sent her more information. "We need to get back to the office."

"Let's go," Hotch replied, getting up from his chair. He glanced over at Reid. He wasn't convinced the younger profiler was ready to go back to work. It wasn't just Doug it was the cane and what happened on the last case.

"Strauss wants you and Reid to stay here until the verdict is reached. The rest of us will work the case," Emily said. The anxiety on her face was so obvious. She didn't want to be the one to tell their boss this but she stood her ground anyway.

"We can do that in the bull pen as well as in this cafe," Reid responded. He hated being left behind. From the expression in Hotch's eyes, he knew his boss was having doubts about his ability to put all of this behind him. For a while there, Reid wasn't sure himself. Now he was. "Ryan has our cell phone number. He'll let us know when the verdict comes in. If we can't come back to the court house, he can tell us what it is over the phone."

"Well, there are a couple of bounties in the area we were going to look at," Dave said. He knew Reid needed to get back to his life and that they did to. The fact that none of them were willing to spend any more of their lives concentrating on Doug and Mary was also kind of therapeutic. The Wests had wasted enough of their time. "Ryan has our cell phone number as well. Let's get the hell out of here."

The waitress came up, ready to take their order. Absently, Hotch put a few dollars on the table. "Sorry, we won't be needing anything," he said as he stood back up.

"Are you sure about this?" Jared asked as he took Reid a little to the side. He was scared for the kid. He wanted to believe that he was going to be fine without them there, sleeping in his apartment but he'd seen too many nightmares. He knew Reid had survived just fine before the two of them were introduced under the worst possible circumstances but he'd come to think of him as the little brother he'd never had. It was hard to not be protective.

"Yeah, it's time to think about something else. I need to get back to work, so do you and Dave. You have a key if you need a place to stay, any time," Reid replied. He absently tapped his cane against his good leg. He hated the thought of the brothers heading back to work, leaving him alone in his apartment. It was time, though. He needed to stand on his own two feet.

"Okay," Jared said. Swallowing his misgivings, Jared moved back to the others. They all had to get on with their lives, even him and Dave. The trial was over. It was out of their hands, they had to let go. "It's been a slice, guys but there are bounties out there that need to be found. We'll see you the next time we're in town."

"Thank you," Reid said, his head dropping to hide his discomfort. He didn't like this feeling of dependence. He hadn't depended on anyone since his dad left him and his Mom, not even his Mom. Reid began to stutter, trying to tell the brothers what they'd meant to him.

"It's okay, kid. This isn't good bye. We'll be back. Maybe even tonight, depends on how the hunt goes. You're not getting rid of us now," Dave said, talking over the younger man's abortive attempts. Before he turned to walk away, he laid a hand on Reid's nearest shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "You guys take care."

"We'll see you soon, Spencer. I'll keep in touch," Jared promised the younger man as he gave him a quick hug. Then the brothers were gone out the door.

"I have an SUV parked outside," Emily prompted. J.J. had sent her two texts while the brothers had said their good byes. Things weren't improving. They needed to get back at it, now.

"Let's go," Hotch said. Rossi, Derek and Emily turned to leave the restaurant. Hotch waited for Reid and then followed behind him. He wasn't going to let the kid out of his sight. It was an unreasoned response but at the moment, it was the best plan he had. Silently, the five BAU members climbed into the SUV.

OOOOO

The briefing was, well, brief. There was someone killing hunters up in Washington State. Every weekend for the last four weeks someone had hunted down and killed pairs of hunters. The only reason there had been seven victims so far was that the eighth one from the past weekend had survived. It wasn't until the local PD managed to question the survivor that they began to put the pieces together.

"Wheels up in 30 minutes," Hotch stated after seeing the files. He'd fallen back into old habits quickly. He'd forgotten for a split second that the question of whether he was in charge of the team hadn't been answered yet. As if to prove the point, Strauss opened the door to the conference room and nodded to the dark haired man.

"May I speak to you for a moment, outside?" Strauss asked, glancing at Reid before turning her attention back to Hotch.

"Get ready," Hotch ordered his staff as he turned to leave the room. Irregardless as to whether or not he was still in charge, the deaths in Washington State needed to be dealt with.

"You and Dr. Reid haven't been cleared to return to work," Strauss said as soon as they were alone in the hallway. The others had filed past, including Reid, still leaning heavily on his cane.

"We were cleared to go out in the field in the last case," Hotch responded. He knew Strauss was trying to get his goat. He refused to let that happen, it would only add more fuel to the fire.

"Yes, and look what happened to Dr. Reid," Strauss said. The bruises on the thin doctor's face had only begun to fade. It gave him a rather gruesome appearance.

"Those were extraordinary circumstances. The chances of an unsub we are profiling actually targeting people on my team is extremely rare," Hotch shot back. "Out of all the cases we've handled, only a few of them ever became personal"

"The chances of that happening seem to be increasing with each passing year your team is together," Strauss said.

"We've developed enemies. Any group of people who work together in the law enforcement professions tend to accumulate them," Hotch said. "If you insist, Reid and I can stay and help work the case from here but we are working it."

"Are you sure you're ready for this? Are you sure he's ready?" Strauss pushed.

"Yes, I'm sure. Besides, there's only one way to find out," Hotch responded.

"I'd prefer it if at least Dr. Reid stayed here. You haven't heard the verdict. If the jurors come back with 'not guilty', how is that going to affect him, affect you?"

"It would be better if we kept busy. Sitting around at home, waiting isn't going to do either of us any good."

"Fine. So long as you both participate in your required psychiatric evaluations," Strauss said. Giving Hotch a final glance, she turned and walked down the hall toward her office.

OOOOO

It took two hours after they'd climbed into the jet for the tower to give them clearance. There was a weather system moving through the part of Washington they were planning to land in, delaying them. That left the five BAU members with nothing to do but go over the case files. Strumming his fingers on the arm of his seat, Hotch tried to keep his mind on the file sitting open on his lap. He was so tense, that he nearly jumped out of his skin when his cell rang in his pocket. Taking it out, he glanced at the display before thumbing the speaker phone.

"Agent Hotchner, is Dr. Reid with you?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, we're on board our jet. We need to get back to work," Hotch responded, looking around at the worried faces of his colleagues. "Have they reached a verdict?"

"Yeah, I was phoning to see if you wanted to be here in person but I guess that's out of the question," Ryan said. Dimly behind him, Hotch could make out the sounds of the court room as spectators and jurors resuming their seats.

"Put us on speaker phone, we'll hear it as it happens," Hotch responded. He noticed while pretending to not notice that J.J. moved a little closer to Reid. The young profiler was sitting in the next row of seats, facing Hotch. J.J. was sitting beside him. She leaned a little closer to Reid's side, one hand coming down on Reid's left arm.

"Okay. Just stay quiet. The judge might not appreciate being broadcast," Ryan said as they heard him put his phone down on the wooden table top. Once everyone was seated, the judge turned toward the jury box. The jury foreperson stood up.

"Have you reached a verdict?" the judge asked.

"Yes, your honour, we have," the middle aged woman said.

"Will the accused please stand up," the judge said, indicating Doug. A chair scraped as the eldest West brother stood up.

"On four counts of attempted murder, how does the jury find?" the judge asked.

"Guilty," the woman responded, her voice strong. Uproar from the West brothers could be heard from the other side of the room.

"Quiet!!" the judge ordered, banging his gavel on his bench. When order was restored, he moved on to the next set of charges. "On four counts of unlawful confinement, how does the jury find?"

"Guilty, your honour," the woman responded. The brothers knew better than to yell again but even through the phone the animosity was palatable.

"On four counts of assault causing bodily harm, how does the jury find?"

"Guilty, your honour," the forewoman said.

"Thank you very much for your service, you are excused. The sentencing will take place one month from today. The defendant will be remanded in custody until that time," the judge responded, banging his gavel for the last time.

There was a stunned silence in the jet, followed shortly by a whoop from Morgan. "Yeah! You did it!"

For the first time in months, Reid felt like he could breathe. With a huge sigh, he felt the tension of being scared of Mary popping up at any moment, the tension of Doug possibly getting away with it slowly evaporate. Closing his eyes momentarily, he allowed his chin to fall to his chest as relief flowed through him. It was over, as over as it was going to get for him, for Hotch, for the others.

"Are you all right?" J.J. asked Reid quietly. Just then the pilot announced that they were clear for takeoff. Hotch thanked Ryan and told him they'd be in touch when they got back in town before breaking the connection.

"Yeah, I am," Reid answered, bringing his head up again. He looked over Emily's head to Hotch. There was relief in his boss's brown eyes too. With a subtle nod at Reid, Hotch pocketed his cell and picked up the file with renewed energy. "I think we both are."

With a roar of the engines, the jet taxied down the runway. The BAU team was off again, to do what they did to keep American citizens safe. There would still be things that popped up from time to time, like Reid and Hotch's nightmares, but they were together. Nothing else really mattered.

OOOOO

ONE MONTH LATER

For the first time in weeks the BAU team was in town. All five members crowded in the first bench behind the prosecution table. Doug was sitting at the defence table. The man looked older, so did his brothers sitting behind him.

"I've carefully considered the evidence in this case. Douglas West, you were found guilty on all charges by a jury of your peers. The minimum sentence based on those charges would be twenty years," the judge said. A murmur rode through the visitors in the gallery. "But, not only were your victims innocent of wrong doing, two of them were FBI agents and one a member of local law enforcement. Your obvious complete lack of concern for established authority speaks to how truly dangerous you would be if you were ever allowed back into the general public. As a result, I am sentencing you to three life sentences to run consecutively with an additional twenty years."

As the judge banged his gavel, the West brothers erupted. It took only a few moments for the bailiffs to contain them and lead them out of the court room. A few seconds later, Doug was led out of the court room, his orange jumpsuit garish and his chains clanking.

"He's not getting out," Ryan said as he turned to the agents. The brothers were there too. All of them looked much better than the last time he'd seen them. Even Dr. Reid had some colour back in his lean face.

Standing up, Morgan turned to the others. "Now it's time to party," he said a huge grin on his face. "Who's up for bowling?"

THE END

Well, that's that. It seemed like the right place to stop. I hope you enjoyed this story. I've had a lot of fun writing it. I'll begin "The Scavengers" in about a week. I need to get some of my other stories under control. Writing 5 stories at once is harder than I thought!

Thank you very much for sticking with me. This took longer than I'd intended but it sure was fun. Thank you very much to all of you who took the time to review. You absolutely rock!!

Bye for now.

Susanne