This is to clarify that THIS STORY IS NOT ABANDONED.

I know a lot of people have been asking me this recently, and I'm really sorry I couldn't get back to you guys personally. It is not abandoned. I realize that it has been a very long time since I updated properly but I'm really swamped right now and real life unfortunately takes precedence. I'm a university student; I jumped from juggling a full course load, a part-time job, and a work placement into summer courses, covering people's work shifts left and right as coworkers AND my boss went on vacation, and a whole slew of emotional issues (sudden death of a family friend, an abrupt break-up; you get the picture, I'm not going to go into this in detail).

I'm here to both apologize and explain what's going on, and ask you guys for help if you're willing to give it.

I'm doing my thesis right now and I would really appreciate it if you guys could help me out and participate in my study. It involves a two part survey to be done before and after reading a book. I realize this can be time consuming and that I might be asking a lot, but I would be eternally grateful if you guys could help me out. If you are interested, the link to the survey can be found on my profile.

EDIT: I have received several messages about not being able to find the link on my profile. The link should now be visible and active. Thank you everyone for the help!

It would really take a load off my mind if you guys could help me out; I promise that once things calm down, I will update this story and updates will be more regular.

Thank you guys for being so understanding! I love you all!

CHAPTER 09 PREVIEW:

"Is he going to be okay?" J.J. rushed into the ER, stopping just short of where Morgan sat on a flimsy, uncomfortable plastic chair, the type that hospitals seemed to have a patent on as if having to wait for news of whether your loved ones would live or not wasn't bad enough.

...

"Doctors said Reid suffered from an aneurysm, they're operating on him right now."

J.J. could feel the strength drain out of her, suddenly her legs could barely support her weight.

"You should go," she finally managed.

"Go," she repeated more firmly this time, "I'll stay here with Reid. Catelyn needs you." And it's killing you to sit here unable to do anything for either situation.

...

He turned to stare at the closed doors of the operating room one last time before turning resolutely and jogging out of the room, speeding up until he was racing down the halls and just barely dodging nurses, patients, and doctors on the way.

When she woke up, before she could register the throbbing of bruises and cuts, Catelyn realized she couldn't twitch a single muscle.

Mind racing, Catelyn closed her eyes, the only part of her body she could still move, and took deep breathes. Think, think, what happened. She had just gotten home from the hospital, she had been heading up meaning to take a shower when she felt the wards of her house trip.

...

The light scuff of shoes against the flooring jolted her out of her thoughts. Catelyn felt her eyes widen, staring at the familiar face, helpless even as they drew close enough that their figure blocked out the light.

...

"I see you're awake."

"Morgan, I'm sorry, but they're calling us in. You need to leave Catelyn's case to the local PD."

He skid to a stop at the base of the staircase, "Excuse me?" he barked.

...

"Three women have been abducted and then found dead in Boston over the past two weeks. A fourth was just taken and they're requesting our help. Morgan, we're literally the only team who can mobilize right now and I need you here with me."

...

Storming out of the house, he got into his car again, turning his ignition viciously and drove towards the airport.

His phone felt like a brick in his hand as he got off the phone with Rossi. Picking up his phone again took effort he could barely muster, pressing '3', he held the key down, waiting for Jessica to answer. "Hello? Jessica?"

...

Could he keep doing this? Walk away over and over again and still expect Jack to be okay with it, to be waiting here patiently?

He tried to imagine coming home to find his son could barely stand to be in his presence, to find Jack couldn't recognize him and didn't need him any longer. To see his grown son storm away from him and stomp up the stairs as teenagers were wont to do and scream that he hated his father, that he wasn't his father and had no right to call himself that because he was never there anyways. Aaron's eyes snapped open, turning to drink in the sight of his son playing contently without a care in the world. He didn't want that, he wanted Jack to remain happy and never once doubt that his father loved him; he didn't want his son to grow bitter and learn to hate at so young an age.

"Please," her voice was barely more than a hoarse whisper now, "please let me go. I didn't do anything to you!"

"You are here to help me! WHY CAN'T YOU FIX HIM?! WHY ARE YOU ALL USELESS?"

...

Her head connected against the concrete wall and she crumbled with a broken sob.

"Daddy? Are you going to make her go away again?"

He whirled around, striding quickly towards the staircase to block the child's view of the woman even though it was too late to erase what he had seen.

"Hey buddy, why don't you go back upstairs and check on your brother? The lady isn't going to stay for long."

He blinked, vision slowly focusing, attention drawn to arresting green eyes.

"You. I know you. I remember you."

The man smiled; before he could respond, one of the men accompanying him stepped forward, pointing what looked to be an ornately carved stick at Spencer's face.

"It's probably just a fluke, should we obliviate him again?"

And that's it for now! If you have time, please do the study!

-Saadie