AN: Hope you liked the first chapter. This one gets a little more interesting.

Previously:

"Megan, we'll keep you updated," Don promised. "Feel better soon."

Colby watched his teammate curiously as she avoided looking back into the interrogation room. He found it odd that she would take so much care to look in the opposite direction. He glanced at Don who also appeared to have noticed. Don shrugged. Colby decided that he could wait until she returned to work to ask her about it.

The Madness of Megan Reeves

Chapter Two: Megan's Madness

David led Megan out of the building to the parking lot. He was disconcerted at her lack of speech. The Megan he knew would have insisted that she drive herself home. He held her door for her as she climbed into the passenger's seat.

The ride to Megan's apartment was quiet. A few minutes into the drive, David glanced over to see his friend's head back against the headrest, her eyes closed.

When they reached the building, David escorted Megan up to her apartment.

"I'm not leaving until you're settled," David announced once they'd stepped into her living room.

He made tea while she sat at the kitchen table. They made small talk, which consisted mostly of David's end of the conversation and Megan's monosyllabic answers, until both cups were drained.

"Let me know what's going on," Megan requested as David moved toward the door.

"Only if you promise to get some rest," he replied with a stern, compassionate look. "Feel better soon, Megan."

He had just started toward the door when Megan called tentatively, "David?"

He turned back.

Megan wasn't looking at him, and he almost missed what she said next. "Look up unsolved serial rape cases from New York in 1994. Marchesi raped several girls there, too."

David stared at her, but she refused to meet his gaze. Megan seemed mesmerized with the tabletop, one hand playing with her hair in what David had noted in the past to be her nervous habit.

"Megan?" he questioned.

She didn't respond.

"Megan, talk to me."

"Please, just do it, David," she pleaded softly.

David quickly ran through his options. He could try to force her to tell him something she definitely didn't seem inclined to expand upon, or he could do as she asked. There was really no question.

"Okay," he agreed quietly. David squeezed her hand gently and left the apartment, his thoughts already whirling as he locked the door behind him.

When he walked into the office, David was still as lost in thought as he had been when he left Megan's apartment. How would Megan know about rapes Marchesi had committed in New York? They hadn't even known the identity of the rapist until they had received the DNA results a few hours ago. How could she know? Megan was from New York. Had she noticed similarities between this case and one in New York? But Megan was too young to have worked a case in 1994. Did she know one of the victims? Then another thought occurred to David, and with it came the sensation of a bucket of ice water being poured over his head. Had Megan been a victim?

"Earth to Sinclair!" David was pulled from his terrifying reverie by Colby's voice next to his ear.

"What's up, David?" Don asked. "You were about a million miles away."

"You look like you've seen a ghost," added Colby. "Is Megan okay?"

Both men immediately became concerned.

"Megan's okay," David answered slowly.

Colby and Don looked relieved.

"I have to look something up." David drifted over to his desk in a daze that strongly reminded Don of Charlie when he was in the middle of an equation.

Don and Colby exchanged bemused looks and moved to their own desks to work on paperwork needed for the Marchesi case.

Not ten minutes later, David had his answer. He slammed his fist on the desktop, attracting stares from around the office. "Damn it!"

Don and Colby jumped at David's uncharacteristic anger. "What's up?" asked Colby as they moved from their desks to David's.

David tilted the monitor of his computer toward them. On the screen was a picture of the only female member of their team. In the photo, Megan looked to be around twenty years old. She and a blonde girl who appeared to be about the same age had their arms draped over each other's shoulders. Both were smiling broadly at the camera.

"Cute," Colby grinned.

"What's the problem?" Don asked.

David had a sick look on his face as he scrolled down. The other agents recognized the site as the FBI database. Then they read the picture's caption.

Emma Tyler (left), 20, and Megan Reeves, 19, victims of the 1994 New York serial rapist, September 7, 1994 – September 10, 1994.l

Colby was the first to break the stunned silence. "Holy shit."

"Damn it." Don echoed David's earlier sentiment.

"Did she tell you about this, David?" Colby asked.

David ran a hand over his face. "She just told me to look up unsolved serial rape cases in New York in 1994. She said that Marchesi had raped girls there, too."

"And she was one of them," Don added, a mixture of horror and disgust evident on his face. "How could anyone do that to a nineteen-year-old kid?"

David shook his head.

"She recognized him," Colby said abruptly, his eyes wide.

David and Don looked at him. "What?"

"Megan," Colby clarified. "She recognized Marchesi this morning. That's why she almost passed out."

"Oh, man," Don murmured.

The agents were silent amidst the activity of the office, letting the shocking new information sink in.

The quiet was broken by the junior agent who had told Don that Marchesi was ready for interrogation earlier in the day. "Agent Eppes?" The younger agent looked apprehensive, as if he expected Don to yell at him. "We have a problem."

Don looked at him.

"Marchesi's gone."

"What?!" Don practically yelled.

"EVERYBODY!" This time Don did yell, and the entire office went silent. "Marchesi's gone, and we need to find him."

He was met with confused and dejected stares.

"HUSTLE!"

The agents moved quickly, each to a different destination, all with a purpose.

Don turned back to the junior agent. "What happened?"

"A drunk driver hit the car that was transporting Marchesi from here back to the prison. The officer that was driving was knocked unconscious, and the escort car behind them was stuck at a traffic light a few blocks back. By the time the first car had circled back and the third car caught up, Marchesi was gone."

"Damnit!" Don swore violently. "Drunk at three in the afternoon?!" He thanked the younger agent quickly and dismissed him and turned to his team.

"Don, we have to turn this case over now," said David. "We can't risk Marchesi getting off on a technicality. Not after what he's done."

Don nodded grimly. "She's a member of the team. That could compromise the evidence in court. Officially, we are off the case," he said, "but while I talk to Merrick, David, I want you to unofficially learn everything there is to know about Antonio Marchesi. Everything. Don't ignore even the tiniest detail. Colby, get familiar with the New York case, and see what connections you can make to our case. When the new team gets the case, we should have them to have them compare DNA between New York and L.A. Remember, everything is unofficial, so bring your findings to me, and I'll get them to the new team."

David and Colby both nodded and turned to their computers, and Don started toward the assistant director's office wondering what he was going to say.

When he reached the office, Don knocked on the door almost hesitantly.

"Come in," called Merrick, his tone distracted.

Don pushed open the door and stepped in, waiting to be acknowledged.

The assistant director finally looked up from his papers and appeared slightly surprised to see Don, who generally only came to his boss' office when ordered to do so. "Eppes," he said. "What brings you here? I thought you'd be working on the Marchesi case." His tone held the suggestion that Don was wasting valuable time, especially with the rapist back out on the streets.

Don sighed. Merrick wasn't going to be happy about this, but there was nothing anyone could do about it. "I'm here to turn the Marchesi case over to another team."

Merrick blanched. "Eppes! I specifically requested your team for this case! Between your team and your brother, you have the best chance of catching him before he attacks another woman!" While Merrick wasn't fond of Don, he grudgingly respected his team's abilities.

Don allowed himself a split second to feel proud that his brother had finally won over the assistant director before getting back to business. "The case is too personal for one of my agents," Don explained regretfully. "Marchesi's defense could hold it against us."

Merrick stared at him. "Which agent?"

"Agent Reeves, sir," Don answered, hoping not to have to go into details.

"Why?"

Don wasn't sure how to begin. "Agent Reeves is…personally connected to a New York case involving Marchesi."

Merrick's silent, scrutinizing stare was starting to concern Don.

"Sir?"

"You know." It wasn't a question.

"Know what, sir?" Don asked innocently. He hoped that Merrick knew about Megan's past, so he wouldn't have to be the one to reveal his friend's secret.

"You know that Reeves was raped in New York," the assistant director clarified unnecessarily.

Don nodded solemnly. "Megan told David that Marchesi had raped several girls in New York in 1994. She implied that Marchesi is the man that raped her."

Don was silent, waiting to hear Merrick's decision.

Finally, Merrick nodded reluctantly. "We can't have Reeves or anyone on your team on this case…but Professor Eppes stays. He's not an official member of your team."

Don smiled slightly. They still had a connection to the case.

"Thank you, sir."

Merrick nodded and dismissed him. "Give all your files to Anderson's team.

Don agreed and exited the office.