I am updating some of my older stories this weekend. I am sorry I stopped so quickly I was going through depression and not feelign very creative but so many plot bunnies are running around in my head after this last amazing but heartbreaking please don't tell me I need to finish my other stories first. I know I do but sometimes starting new ones help me creative wise.

Ian watched in the hospital, he wore shades and a hat as well as a different coat. He kept his head down as he stood in the hallway near the waiting room. He saw the blond woman emerge and heard her say she didn't make it. He watched the team's heartbreaking reaction but studied the blond woman's face. Something was different there. He watched as the blond woman pulled a man, the person obviously in charge, into another room. He stared at them closely. He had mastered lip reading ages ago and could have sworn he saw the woman mouth witness protection.

He stiffened. Damn it. Lauren wasn't dead. He still had unfinished buisness.

He followed the blond to the parking lot and got into his own car.

He watched from a distance as he saw her at a cafe sitting with a brunnett. He stared fixated on her as the blond woman slipped her some stuff, as well as a cell phone. His knuckles tightened. Lauren was still alive. That meant he still had work to do.


Reid's face was tear stained as he reached his apartment. He couldnt' believe it. Emily, his friend, was dead. There was a lump his his throat and his heart felt heavy as he walked in the living room. He didn't have hte energy to do anything right now.

He couldn't stop swallowing. Why didn't he say anything sooner?Maybe if he spoke up she'd still be alive, if they had helped her sooner...He should have told Hotch he suspsected something was wrong.

He collapsed on his couch, almost unable to move out of sheer exhaustion and many people leave knew that Emily didn't die on purpose but he still felt abandoned.

He froze when he heard footsteps in his apartment.

There was clicking of a gun. Slowly he turned around and was face to face with Ian Doyle. His whole body stiffened.

"What...do you want?" He asked. "..Emily's dead...Lauren is dead...you killed her...what more do you want?" His voice rose at the last part. More anger crept in than fear. Ian smiled.

"That's where you're wrong my good friend. Lauren is very much alive. I followed that pretty blond woman out of the hospital. She met up with her."

Reid stiffened. Was he talking about JJ?

"That's impossible...JJ said-"

"JJ was covering up the truth, and so is your boss, Agent Hotchner. Lauren is now under what we call, Witness Protection."

Reid froze. What he was saying made sense but would JJ really not tell them? But Ian would have to think that Emily was dead so the team would have to really react that way..and obviously that failed.

"Feel hurt? Betrayed? That's how I feel regarding Lauren. She hurt all of us."

Reid was shaking. So much information. But the most important thing to him at the moment was the fact Emily might still be alive, if what he was saying was true.

"What...what do you want from me?" He whispered.

Ian grinned as he stepped closer.

"Leverage"


Hotch felt terrible. He knew how grief stricken the rest of his team is that now. How tears cascaded down Garcia's cheeks as Morgan held her. How lost and abandoned Reid looked as JJ hugged him. How angry Rossi looked. And Seaver was grief stricken too, even though she only knew Emily a little while. He wanted to tell them, tell them it was all a set up but if Ian was watching, which he probably was, they had to make SURE it looked like Emily was dead. And he wasn't sure if they could all fake grief that well.

The phone rang. He reached for it, glad for the distraction.

"Hello?"

"Agent Hotchner?" A strange voice appeared.

"Yes?"

"This is Ian Doyle."

Silence. Hotch sucked in his breath. Why the hell was Ian contacting him?

"I happen to have learned something very interesting. I happen to know for a fact that Lauren is still very much alive."

"What...What makes you say that?" Hotch felt sick. How the hell could he have known?"

"Because I saw her talking with that JJ woman who I followed," Ian snapped. Hotch closed his eyes. Damn it!

"Now I want you to contact her."

"Why would I do anything you want?"

"Because I have someone that you both care about. Leverage you might say."

Hotch panicked. Who was he talking about? Shit...things were getting out of control so quickly...

"Who...do you have?"

"Dr. Spencer Reid." Ian's voice was simple and Hotch closed his eyes in grief and panic. Reid...They couldn't lose Reid also.

"What do you want?" His voice was a hiss.

"Lauren, just Lauren. And if you don't get me her you will find his body at the morgue. I'll contact you within the hour to see where you're at in contacting her." He heard a click and sat there as he wondered what to do and how he could save both Reid and Emily before it was too late.