"FBI! Put your hands up!" Morgan's voice echoed in the half empty parking deck.

The sinister smile on Thomas Hardwick's face told it all. He wasn't going to go down without a fight. His back was to the agents, but he knew there were five sets of eyes watching his every move. They didn't want to shoot him, though. He had something they wanted. Slowly, he turned to face them.

Reid saw the glimmer of the gun, first. Derek was in the line of fire. From his position behind the large concrete support post, he had a clear shot. He aimed and fired. It was instinctive. Protect the ones you love.

The shot rang out, as Hardwick's body hit the ground. Derek ran to him, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Don't die on me, you son of a bitch! Tell me where she is!" He was pleading with the man, but he was already dead.

JJ crossed the lot quickly, taking the gun from Spencer's shaking hand.

"I had to do it. He was going to kill Derek." He whispered to her. She patted his back gingerly.

Morgan stood, with blood on his hands, "We have to find her." The rest of the team nodded.

While the local LEO's handled the crime scene, Rossi and Hotch pulled the three other agents toward the SUV. Once inside, Rossi pushed a few buttons on his cell, and Garcia's voice boomed through the speakers of the car.

"Did you find her? Is she okay? What can I do?" She was frantic. Losing team members had never been easy for her, especially not like this.

"Hardwick is dead. We need you to look for places that were significant in his childhood. Parks, schools, vacation spots, anything. Look for connections to Italy." Hotch was desperate. After losing Elle and Haley, he couldn't lose another agent, or friend.

"Okay. Okay. Give me a minute. Here. Here's a cabin that belonged to his maternal grandparents. Looks like he spent his summers there. It's in a place called Rome Forrest."

"Thanks Garcia." Hotch replied curtly.

"Oh, and guys, he witnessed his father kill his mother there when he was eleven."

"That has to be where she is. Send us the address." Rossi spoke into the phone from the passenger's seat.

"Consider it done. Bring her home, please." She clicked 'end' before her voice cracked, and the tears started.

"Derek," Reid whispered beside him.

"Yeah." Morgan said gruffly.

"I'm sorry." He avoided his gaze awkwardly.

"Sorry? You saved my life pretty boy." He nudged Reid's chin, forcing his to make eye contact.

"What if we don't find her?" His voice was shaky, and childlike.

"We will." He put a large protective hand over Reid's small pale one. He didn't care what the team saw, or what they thought anymore.

Reid was oblivious to the narrow blue eyes behind him glaring at their now interlocked fingers. He only knew that he felt safer with the contact.