A/N: Sorry, I didn't add an author's note before. This is my first fic. That being said, I am really sorry if I don't update regularly. I want to be steady with this story because I know how frustrating it is when an author doesn't update for like a year or just abandons the story. If I ever- and I hope and pray I don't- have to go on hiatus with this story, I will tell you guys. I won't leave you hanging in uncertainty.

Also, thank you to Hippiechic81 for my first review! I hadn't planned on posting the third chapter so soon, but your 'please' wouldn't leave me until I did! Hope this lives up to your expectations. -boots

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with, Criminal Minds. Which is a good thing because I probably would've messed it up.

The crime scene was in chaos once they arrived. Rossi and the rest of the team had stayed behind when Hotch had left with Emily in the ambulance. They had stabilized what they could and sealed off the scene before running to the hospital, but now it seemed the lack of information had just spurred the reporters and thrill-seeking onlookers further. They had swarmed the entrance of the house and were only thing keeping them from storming the place by a handful of green unis.

Morgan huffed. "Text Garcia. Tell her to tell Captain Shepard to send reinforcements to the scene; those unis can't handle this on their own."

Reid nodded and tapped away on his phone. "Do you think we'll find an antidote here?"

"I wish, pretty boy. Knowing this guy, he's too smart to keep it here. He probably has it hidden away at another location."

"Morgan." The young doctor stopped and faced his tense partner. "Even if we don't find it, Emily's going to be fine. She'll become her actual age eventually."

Morgan pushed open the door. "That's great and all, Reid, but you and I both know that it's gonna take a long time between ages. The Doc said gradual."

"A few months is worth it though. If Emily is alright at the end, it's worth it."

"Look, I'd just rest a bit better knowing my partner's okay and in her own head. And that I won't have to constantly lie to her about what's going on."

They drifted from room to room silently until Reid began rifling through an old filing cabinet. "Morgan, come look at this."

"What is it, kid?"

Reid zipped through several documents and folders before answering. "I…I think these are- Morgan, this the smoking gun!"

"Be a little more cryptic, please."

"There are folders on each of the victims, filled with photos and ID information and history and- and scientific notes! He was conducting an experiment! These have all his documentations of the results- his hypothesis, analysis, data. This is everything!"

Morgan couldn't help but grin. At least one good thing was coming out of this whole raid; they had more than enough to put this guy in the electric chair.

"He even has dosage calculations and explanations of the different ages that he regressed them to. And why he poisoned some of them! This could be of great help, Morgan! We could get an antidote quicker than I thought!"

Morgan ran out and grabbed an evidence box from the SUV. As he ran back into the room, he paused. Reid looked green. He was reading the same page he had been reading when Morgan had left.

"What's wrong, kid?" Reid never read this slow.

"Emily wasn't a crime of opportunity."

"What?! That's impossible, he couldn't have known Emily would be part of the raid, or where she was gonna be during it!"

"Yeah, but he planned on dosing Emily anyway." He held up the paper he was reading. "This was hidden in a false bottom. It has all of Emily's information in it. She didn't vomit up those pills, Morgan. She vomited, but the pills he gave her had already dissolved by then. He… he purposefully didn't give her those pills. He just threw them in the vomit, so we wouldn't realize what he was actually doing."

"So why didn't he give her the whole dose?"

Reid brushed his hair back. "I don't know. It doesn't make sense."

Morgan stared at the paper. "Unless… unless he wanted-" He ran into the kitchen, stopping before a small stack of paper, each page perfectly laminated. "His manifesto! The victim… uh... Mary-Jane Shay! Right before she died, she said that he said that they were weak. That they could only handle the shortened version of his experiment. That he was waiting for the one strong enough to take it all!" He flipped through the pages as fast as he could, only getting to the fourth page before Reid pushed him aside.

"Here!" Reid shouted. "'Despite being a man of science, I have restrained myself. These women were weak; they could not have handled the burden that is reliving their own horrid lives. They could not have handled having to experience those emotions again. I do not know how they survived their lives the first time. They are surely incapable of surviving all that torment again. They are too weak. But I will find one strong enough for what I have planned. I have faith that God will not let my genius go to waste. He will gift me a woman capable of reliving and taking all of the second chances that are offered- not just one. And once she survives, I will return her to Him, for she is just a vessel made for my genius. I intend to use her to the full extent, as He intended I do.'"

"Oh God!" Morgan began to pace, running shaky hands across his shining bald head. "Hotch better get that guardianship thing signed cuz I am not leaving her alone. This guy is gonna try and kill her before we can get an antidote."

Reid pulled out his phone. "We need to tell Hotch. This might support us with a judge."

Morgan clenched his fists, trying not to let his anger get the best of him. "I won't let him hurt Prentiss. I'll kill him before he does."