A/N: This is my First Criminal Minds story! Don't have a beta and English isn't my native language, so if you see any mistakes it will be greatly appreciated to report them to me. Thank you :)

Summary: After a case in Anchorage, Alaska, the team is on their way home when tragedy crashes them in the middle of nowhere. Main focus will be Hotch/Prentiss.

Disclaimer: I don´t own them and never will.. storyline´s mine though :)


"Mountains inspire awe in any human person who has a soul. They remind us of our frailty, our unimportance, of the briefness of our span upon this earth. They touch the heavens, and sail serenely at an altitude beyond even the imaginings of a mere mortal."

Elizabeth Aston, The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy, 2005

Lost in Alaska

Anchorage airport, Alaska - 6.37a.m.
There was nothing left for him to say, he could only think about things no one should even be thinking about. Aaron Hotchner stared out of the window of the private airplane his team always used to travel. They had just boarded the plane and were ready to get back home from a case that turned out to be more gruesome than it originally occurred to be.

The team had been called to Alaska, because two families had gone missing. Except for the father/husband of the first and the mother/wife of the second. Both loving and devoted parents, but less loving and devoted to their significant others. They´d had an affair with one another.

For three days the team had been investigating, searching small villages, wooden cottages, forest and even small lakes when they'd found the missing adults. Well.. different parts of the adults. They'd been decapitated. Heads impaled on two different tree branches in the woods. Hotch closed his eyes and swallowed thinking back to the sight of that. He didn't want to think anymore, but his mind didn't seem to want to let go of the image just yet. He shuddered. The bodies had been buried underneath the same tree.

They hadn't given up hope to find the missing children. Two boys and three girls between the ages of 3 and 11 years old. The whole team had pulled all-nighters, getting max. 2 hours of sleep a day. It had seemed to especially affect Prentiss. She'd been pushing herself to the limit to find these children. Alive.

It almost broke him to see her reaction when they didn't. Remembering the look in her eyes when they'd finally found them. Seeing her brown eyes widen and well with moisture as she'd stared the small bodies lying near the lake.

A ruffling sound broke his train of thoughts. Looking to his left he saw Emily Prentiss digging through her purse. Obviously looking for something. She was muttering something to herself.

"Ohh, damnit!"

He leaned a bit forward after her sudden outburst. "Can't find what you're looking for, Prentiss?

She glanced at him for a second before turning to her purse again. "No, well I'm looking for.. Oh, aha got it!" Her hand came out of her bag, holding a pack of chewing gum.

"I always chew some gum when we take off. Don't really like the 'ear popping' feeling, if you know what I mean." She put a couple of gum strips in the palm of her hand. Holding her hand out to him. "Want some?"

He took a strip from her hand. "Thanks". He let the corners of his lips turn upwards a little. She was always thinking ahead, being prepared for what was coming. He watched her turn, handing some to Reid and Morgan as well, before putting the gum in his mouth.

"Good morning everyone, you all know the drill. Please fasten your seatbelts and we'll be ready for takeoff". The pilots voice was coming out of the speakers.

Hotch felt Emily sitting down again after handing out gum to the rest of the team. He fastened his seatbelt and prepared himself for the 10hour flight home. He hardly slept during flights. Even as a kid he never was able to sleep during car rides, but right now he just was so tired. Maybe he even could get some well needed sleep this time. Hotch turned to look out of the window again, watching as the plane ascended.

Little did he know that in 3 hours they would be descending again. And they would be going down, fast.

Tbc? Let me know what you think!