a/n: This is written to reply to a prompt by Falcon-121. Unbeta-ed and it's pretty (very?) short. It's my first time writing in Hotch's POV and I don't know if I do him justice. This is what I thought Hotch might think when he found out that Reid and Prentiss were trapped with Cyrus in Minimal Loss. I hope you like it.. please comment. :)



I was on the phone when Morgan shouted my name. The moment I saw the look on his face – and on JJ's – I knew that it was trouble. I rushed out of my office.

"The TV," Morgan said. "Prentiss and Reid."

My heart sunk as I heard the news – fearing for the worst. This wasn't supposed to happen. I had checked everything before I sent them both. Prentiss had been so eager to go, as usual. And I had decided to send Reid along. I had made a mistake. I shouldn't have sent any of them. I should have gone there myself.

What if they knew? What if they found out that Prentiss and Reid were not with child services? What if... I held the railing in front of me until my palm hurt. There was no time for 'what ifs'. My agents lives were in danger – my friends live were now at stake. I forced myself to think about what could happen. I needed to focus. I needed to focus for Prentiss and Reid. I gritted my teeth as I walked to gather my stuff. When I walked past Rossi, I saw his eyes and I knew he had been chanting the same silent prayer I had chanted when I saw the news: Please, please don't let anything happen to them.