I don't own Criminal Minds and I'm not making money from this. Not beta'd all mistakes are mine. Hope you enjoy.

"Life is lived in a circle. The dates keep coming back to you. People say, 'Move on.' But that implies a straight road taking you somewhere else. Nothing can take you out of the seasons of the years and the dates that recall your life. And since we were a happy family together, we had many happy days and those days are now sad days." - Susan Cohen

Mid Winter 2004

"Come on baby wake up," A dark haired woman shook the sleeping child gently. The also dark haired child moaned and opened her eyes.

"Mommy?" The sleepy child looked confused.

"We have to go for a ride sweetheart, I need you to get up. I have your favorite coat" the woman held up a light blue winter jacket.

"Okay" the little girl sat up slowly then turned and slid out of bed holding a stuffed dog. Her mother helped her put on her coat and slippers which were at the edge of her bed.

"Honey do you have Sophia we have to leave now," A man's strained voice came from outside the room.

"We're coming Steven," the woman picked up the little girl and left the room. Outside in the hall a tall middle aged man with dark blonde hair. He had a heavy coat on and a duffle bag in one hand. With the other he gestured the woman over and when she came he took hold of her arm. They went quickly down a set of stairs into a front entry way. The man let go of the woman and opened the door to the cold night. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground and their breaths left white clouds in the air. They hustled towards a black Chrysler 300, the man opened the rear door on the driver's side before opening the drivers' door. He slid in and leaned over to open the passenger door from the inside pulling his door closed at the same time. As he did so the women leaned in the open back door and put the girl down. She quickly buckled the girl in before closing the door and rushing around the back of the car to slide into the passenger seat. The man pulled the car out of the driveway as the woman shut her door. She reached over and with some work got the seat belt on the man before buckling her own.

"Do you think we'll make it Steven?" The woman asked looking back at the girl in the review mirror.

"I think so Carol" the man took a quick look in the review mirror as well but not to look at the child. He was looking at the cars behind then as they were now entering the busier roads of Virginia. Traffic was light this early in the morning but being so close to the DC metro area there was still plenty of traffic. He was speeding slightly as he drove towards the nearest freeway that would take them to DC. He had to get to his office, then the Embassy. They were on the highway when a large dark Dodge SUV pulled in behind them. The man noticed it when the bright lights reflected off the review. He sped up slightly and changed a lane, looking back in the mirror to see the SUV again.

"Steven?" The woman's voice was concerned. The SUV switched lanes and caught up to them. A second SUV which had been behind the first stayed in the original lane but pulled forward a little.

"We're being followed," the man kept looking back at the SUV's and the woman turned to look out the back window.

The SUV behind them pulled up very close and the other began to pull alongside them. The man again began speeding up once more and moved over to the last lane. There was construction coming up then an exit ramp. He hoped to make the exit ramp into a smaller street where there might be a cop somewhere.

The SUV's sped up, changing lanes as well, and the one in the farther lane switched to the opposite side before beginning to pull up alongside them. The SUV behind the moved forward bumping them slightly and the woman gasped as the man tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"Mommy?" came a small voice from the rear seat.

"It's okay baby, just be still okay," she looked back to see the little girl now wide away clutching her stuffed dog.

The SUV bumped them again only harder causing the car so swerve slightly almost knocking into the SUV next to it. They were blocked in with the two SUVs and the construction now appearing on their other side. The man pushed the gas pedal almost to the floor but only gained a small margin of space between them and the SUVs. But it was not enough the SUV were again upon them in second. The one on their side started to move closer forcing the man to move to the edge of the road. The SUV behind them hits them much harder this time and they swipe the SUV on the side.

"Mommy!" the little girl screams from the back seat and begins to cry.

"Hush, it's okay. It'll be okay sweetheart," the woman turns to look at her. She reaches out for the girl only to be shaken when they are hit again.

They are trapped now between the dangerous construction zone and the SUVs now. The rear SUV rams them particularly hard and they bounce between the side SUV and some low concrete barriers. The next time the rear SUV rammed them it didn't back off and pushed them forward instead. The man shouts as he loses control of the wheel after some swerving and they slide along some barriers unto a tire blows and they hit some work materials causing their car to be lifted. Coming back down it lands wrong and another hit from the SUVs has it flipping sideways hitting some construction before rolling four times to come to a stop smashing into a steam roller.

The two SUVs pull up and two large men get out of the first one. They run over to the crashed car and look inside. The man is undoubtedly dead and the woman is convulsing in death throws only to go still seconds after they arrive. There is a broken gurgling crying coming from further in the car. One man kneels down to get a better look of the little girl. She is covered in blood and looking right at him. But her crying is lessening and her breathing slowing, her eyes begin to droop.

"Come on Tony, the cops are coming and other cars are stopping" the second man leans down and looks in. "She'll be dead in a minute let's go" he stands back up.

"Just a second more Mark" the first man watches as the little girl's eyes close and a bloody stuffed dog falls out of her hands. She went still and the first man stands up. They walk back to the SUV, getting in and driving away followed but the other SUV. They get into single file the SUV that did the ramming in the back with the second in front. They drive close to the construction side to hide the damage and watch as a line of Police cars and ambulances pass them.

Late Spring 2005

There is a knock on the open door jamb and the older man with grey hair and matching mustache looks up to see a tall middle aged woman with dark eyes and darker hair. "Ah, ambassador Prentiss welcome back to DC." The man moves towards her as she steps into the office and they shake hands.

"It's nice to be back Ross," she gives him a small smile and then looked around the office. It was empty except for a large desk, single standard issue chair behind it, two medium sized book cases and two matching file cabinets opposite.

"It's not much to look at know but I know you'll make it your own in not time. In fact I have a welcome back present" the man reached behind the desk and pulled out a vase of flowers.

"Wow, now I suppose I'll have to work hard to show I earned those," she smiled wider as he set the flowers on the desk.

"I'm sure you will, I know your reputation. It's why I had them hire you back here. I'm sorry to say not under the best circumstances but the spot needed to be filled." He got a sad look on his face for a moment but then it was gone. "Now let me show you around the rest of the office." They left the office and he began the tour introducing her to many of the other people about.

Early Winter 2006

"Did you see Elle's replacement?" Reid asked Morgan as they met up getting coffee.

"Yeah, I hear she's the daughter of some diplomat or ambassador or something like that. Why?" Morgan looked over at Reid.

"She kinda scares me and I don't know why they had to replace Elle so fast," Reid looked around as if checking to see no one heard him besides Morgan.

Morgan gave a small chuckle "I'm sure she's not that bad, just give her a chance, I'm going to. As to why they're replacing Elle so fast there could be a number of reasons. But she made her choice Reid and we have to live with that. Things change, especially around here. Now come on we got some work to do kid." With that he started to walk away and seconds later Reid turned to follow.

Notes: It was unsaid how Elizabeth Prentiss got back to the US or how she got picked for her office or when she came into the position so I made up the date for my story. If it is ever explained sorry for the confusion. Also it's been a while since I've seen it but I believe one of the older episodes mentioned Emily Prentiss worked in Chicago for a while, or somewhere in the Midwest. Again if I have it wrong I am sorry for the confusion.

(Okay this is it for the start hope you enjoyed. This story is complete but I will update it once a week. Still working on my other story and uploading the other. Thanks for reading please review.)