It was 10:30pm when the team called it a night after a rough case in North Carolina - they had been seconds too late to save a 16-year-old girl from their UNSUB's live burial ritual. While they had brought the killer in, Sarah Johnson hadn't made it - the bitterest success for all involved and so the team made a unanimous decision to head to the nearest bar for a couple of drinks and take the edge off before they went home. After all, Jack would be sleeping by the time Hotch got to him anyway so there was no sense in picking him up from his Aunt's until morning; and Will and Henry were visiting family in New Orleans for a couple more days.

They laughed, danced and shared stories, finally allowing themselves to relax for a while. An hour passed before Hotch and Rossi decided to leave the younger agents to their fun and go home, and after a few more drinks and dances JJ, Garcia and Hart decided they were ready to leave as well. Stopping by the table where Morgan and Reid sat deep in conversation, they said goodnight and moved towards the exit.

As they passed by the bar they were stopped by a man who had been watching the trio dance and had bought them a round of shots. Laughing appreciatively the girls declined politely, thanking him but they were on their way out. A flash of anger crossed his face quickly, so fast that Hart wasn't sure if she'd imagined it.

'Aw come on! One for the road then?' He attempted again with a charming smile.

'Well, we wouldn't want them to go to waste would we girls?!' giggled Garcia, happily accepting a shot glass.

Still unable to shake the bad feeling she had about the odd man Hart wasn't so happy with the turn of events – she may have been drunk but she was still a profiler and there was something very wrong about the eager look in his eyes as he handed out the drinks. As her companions threw their shots back, Hart gave hers a suspicious look before effectively pretending to drink it, throwing it off to the side and copying her friends' reactions. At least if he had done something to the drinks she would be sober enough to help the other two, 'they really should've been more cautious though' she thought in exasperation. Thanking him with a fake bright smile and a giggle, Hart ushered JJ and Garcia out of the doors promptly.

They had just reached the parking lot when it hit them, there had definitely been a little extra in those shots and JJ and Garcia had started stumbling and complaining of dizziness. 'I knew it! That sleazy scumbag!' Hart thought as she hurried to fish her car keys out. She had ordered a cab just before they'd left the bar as she'd had way too much alcohol to drive, but her car was safer than waiting out in the open right then – her bad feeling was getting worse by the second. Fumbling slightly with the keys, she opened the door and began helping/manoeuvring her friends into the vehicle; a difficult task as they could now barely support their weight. She froze as she heard the sound footsteps on the gravel of the parking lot, she didn't need to turn to know that it was him – he'd drugged them and now was planning on reaping the rewards. Swearing softly to herself she pulled out her phone and text Morgan, hoping with everything she had that he would see it in time. JJ and Garcia were passed out in the back of her car and wouldn't be able to do anything to protect themselves. It was all down to her for now.

Hearing him step closer cautiously she pretended to stumble as she shut the door on the girls, keeping them safely in the car – she'd dropped the keys helping them in so for now it was the best she could do. Giggling loudly, Hart began to pretend that the drugs were just kicking in, and fell onto the ground carefully, grimacing in disgust as she heard the creep laugh smugly to himself in response.

'You okay there darling? Need a little help?'

A hand made its way into her line of vision as she sat contemplating her next move. Looking dazedly up at him she smiled brightly 'thanks, I guess I must have tripped huh...' He pulled her up sharply so that she fell flush against him as she steadied herself. As she'd 'fallen' she had managed to grab her keys and as she played into his 'knight in shining armour' routine, waiting for her balance to go completely, she pressed the button to lock the car. Straightening up fully and pushing him away in disgust, Hart glared at the man.

'Guess you're not plan didn't really work, did it? You're not getting anywhere near them, and you certainly won't be touching me.'

He recovered from his shock quickly, anger pushing forward. 'You bitch!' he screamed fury pairing from him in waves. 'You really think you could stop me?'

'Using drugs to get women doesn't exactly scream strong alpha male that I should be scared of now does it? More... pathetic coward who can only prey on vulnerable women because they aren't strong enough to control anyone else.'

Anger blazed from his eyes and he took her by surprise as he suddenly rushed forward and punched her in the jaw, knocking her to the ground. She laughed, 'oh sorry, did I hit a nerve? Got something to prove have you?' Hart knew she was too drunk to physically defend herself and so she continued provoking him, he would break soon. Besides, Morgan would come soon, she had faith in that – and even if he didn't at least the girls were safe. She could take the pain knowing she had protected them. She keeled over onto her side as he stomped heavily onto her right wrist before moving to kick her in the stomach, speaking menacingly to her the whole time.

'What do you think now? Still think I'm weak? Hmm?'

Ignoring the pain as much as possible, Hart looked up at her attacker and began to laugh again. 'I never said you were weak, I said you were pathetic and this really isn't changing my opinion. You think this makes you strong? I may not be drugged like you're used to but I'm hardly sober, still vulnerable. You could never take on a sober woman. You are beyond pathetic. It's hilarious.'

With a shout of anger, he knelt down to her he grabbed her by her hair and yanked her head back so she looked him in the eyes, pulling harder and harder as she stared defiantly back at him. 'This will show you – does that hurt? Yes, scream, cry – go on tell me how much I'm hurting you. I'm in control bitch, not you. Me!' Her head collided with the metal of her car door as he threw her away from him forcefully, and Hart couldn't hold in the pain-filled cry that escaped her causing her attacker to grin in satisfaction.

Then there were voices shouting, getting closer and calling her name. Hart smiled dazedly in triumph as Morgan and Reid rushed into sight, taking the attacker away to the police who had just arrived on scene. Just as she was losing consciousness Morgan returned, fussing over her desperately and calling for medical attention. 'You came' she whispered, before slipping into the darkness with a smile.