Disclaimer:

-Characters from the TV show Criminal Minds

-I don't own: CBS property

(the same goes to chapter 2)

Chapter 3

FBI Academy in Quantico – 6th floor

Agent Anderson was passing thru Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia's office when a mixture of a growl and a scream startled him. He rushed inside Garcia's office to discover the origin of such sound. As he entered he saw the blond typing so violently he genuinely thought she would break it if she didn't slow down. Anderson knew Garcia for several years and before he asked her what was happening he took the liberty of scanning the screens in front of him. His attention was caught by one that had only a big, bright and red word blinking. Danger. He then decided to approach the computer genius and with a soft voice he spoke to her.

"Hello Garcia. Do…do you want to tell me what is bothering you?"

"What?" She asked as she turned to face him. "Oh! It's you. I didn't hear you enter here…Well, the team went to Alaska for a case and they just made an emergency landing."

"Maybe it's due to the weather. I hear two commercial flights were cancelled twenty minutes ago. But, has something happened?"

"That's where lays my frustration! I can't get a hold of any of them, not even Hotch. And the people in the airport aren't being helpful; I bet they took the night to pick on me! I'm having a heart attack if I don't find out soon what is going on!" She said all of it in one breath, as soon as she finished it Anderson took a chance to speak.

"I'll talk to Chief Strauss. You try to find them and don't worry so much. I bet their fine." He assured her with a small smile.

Penelope did every single thing she could to contact her friends. Fifteen minutes prior to her conversation with Agent Anderson she startled another two agents, who stood outside her office discussing the news on a series of car crashes due to the rain and frost on the streets and highways across the country, with a loud « Eureka! » from having received news from her chocolate god. It was only a text message saying « We had an emergency landing at Columbus Municipal Airport. Everything is fine baby girl. We'll have to spend the night here in Columbus, Nebraska. Tomorrow morning I'll call you. » , although it was unusual for Morgan to sound so distant when texting her, she was so happy knowing they were okay that she didn't questioned what might have gone wrong for them to spend the night in Nebraska. She calmed herself down before heading to Strauss' office to tell the recent news.

Columbus Community Hospital, Nebraska – waiting room

They decided to spend the night in Columbus and leave early in the morning, so Emily could get her wounds properly treated and they could all get some rest until their minds were once more filled with gruesome pictures. Before anyone could protest, Hotch decided to have every single member of his team checked by a doctor. At the end they were all clear except for Prentiss who was still doing exam after exam.

Hotch stood up and talked with Strauss who asked Garcia to arrange a place for them to spend the night. Waiting for Morgan and Rossi who had gone to the cafeteria was Reid; Hotch ended the phone conversation and sat by his right side. Hotch had called Strauss, his son and Jessica and by the time he stood still for more than two minutes he noticed how quiet and unfocused Reid was. There were some silent awkward minutes until Hotch decided to ask some questions that were on his mind since the earlier events.

"Reid, what's wrong?"

"What do you mean?" Asked the younger man that was caught by surprise, in fact Hotch would have laughed at Reid's face if it was another time. He looked like a deer that was stroke by a car's headlights and at the same time he looked like a small boy worrying too much for his own good.

"You've been rather distant since the jet…incident."

"I'm thinking that's all…" But seeing Hotch's unconvinced facial expression he thought that he could just get it done with. "Since Colorado that I haven't felt so useless towards Emily, even when she had the car accident I knew I couldn't have done something to prevent it. But today I panicked and I took too long to act. She lost more blood because I needed Morgan to snap me out of it. What if her injuries were far worse? What if they are and I didn't see it? I didn't do it right…it had to be Morgan to speak with her so she would remain conscious, I couldn't speak and she's one of the few people to whom I trust my life…"

"Reid, today you were the one that helped Prentiss the most. You have no need to feel that way. Besides, she seemed better when coming in. If you hadn't been there it would have been worse. We were all afraid of crashing or dying, and it's okay to be afraid Reid. She knows that you were there for her, and to her it is all that matters."

"I just want this day to be over." Reid let a sigh escape as he said that last word.

"Don't we all?" Hotch murmured to himself. He wanted to rest but he wasn't eager to work this new case in Alaska. He had a feeling that things would get worse and that by the time they had finished, depending on Strauss' involvement, there could be someone arriving to Quantico without a job. He hadn't spoken to anyone about what happened during his meeting with Strauss, he just made an overall resume to Rossi. The thing with most impact was the determination in Strauss' eyes; he feared that her personal feelings could cloud her judgment and therefore become another problem for the team to handle. He had to leave his thoughts behind as two familiar voices pulled him to the present time. Morgan and Rossi had returned with five coffees and some bagels and were laughing while discussing some unknown subject.

"Do you feel like sharing with the class?" Hotch said looking at his two friends.

"We're placing our bets for when Prentiss walks through those doors." Morgan said smiling. "Want to join us?"

"No thank you. That's between you two." Hotch responded with a small smile.

"What about you kid?"

"Why would I bet on that? Besides not making sense I don't think it is appropriate to do so."

"Well, I say she'll come walking against the doctor's orders. Morgan says she'll be grumpy but will let them push her in a wheelchair." Rossi explained.

"I won't bet on something like that."

"Why not?"

"People are unpredictable. There are two other exits that link the section she is and this waiting room. You are betting in a single door, she could give a bigger turn and not get out in this one."

"Really kid?" Morgan asked incredulous. "It's not about the doors; it's her mood that is at stake."

"You can't bet on someone's mood! That reminds me…I read in this medical magazine that…" And he was interrupted again by Hotch who simply said « Not now Reid. », which made Rossi chuckle slightly at the interaction of this team he could call of family. They continued with light conversations until they heard Emily saying out loud how she had been there to get her head and arm checked not her legs that were made for walking. She almost hit the male nurse that forced her into a wheelchair.

"Now that's the Emily Prentiss we know and love." Morgan grinned as he signaled the nurse that he would push her from that point on. "So princess, are you having a déjà vu?"

"Ahah. Very funny Morgan! Now that you speak…I kind of remember telling you that I can walk." She said putting a big emphasis at the end.

"Oh. And I remember telling how I like pushing you around." He said with a small chuckle. He then turned to Rossi and mouthed « I won! » but before Rossi had time to respond he felt someone smacking him. "What the…? Prentiss, what was that for?"

"You made a bet at my expenses." She answered as she rose from the wheelchair and stood facing him and having the rest of the team in the bench behind her. "Payback's a bitch Morgan, one day I'll make you wish you were never born."

"How did you…" He started, only to be interrupted by Emily.

"I'm a profiler, duh!" She then faced Hotch who, altogether with Reid and Rossi, stood ready to get away from that Hospital. "Before you say something, I'm walking by myself out of here. I just need to meet the doctor in five minutes at that reception with the two nurses and then we can head out."

"Why do you need to see the doctor? Is there a problem?" Hotch asked as they directed themselves towards the reception.

"No, he is just going to give me some painkillers. He told me the nearest pharmacy was robbed this weekend and he decided to be a gentleman. Or maybe it's because he knows I'm FBI…he looked surprised to know what happened to us. Apparently an FBI Agent isn't allowed to have a scratch or two that every doctor wants to know what happened. I heard some of the nurses talking and this place it's a living soap opera!"

"I bet it is." Morgan said dreamily as he looked at a beautiful nurse, getting once again smacked in the head by Emily. "Aren't you supposed to be resting your arm?"

"I hit you with my good arm. Since I'll be using just one, I need to practice."

"Ha. Ha. We are in a good humor aren't we?"

.

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Author's note: Hey! Sorry for taking so long to post this chapter.

Unfortunately I had an accident with a drill and my hand isn't looking that good... =S

I'll keep posting but it will take longer as writing in the laptop has become a challenge having a bandaged hand and all.

But hey! I bet your reviews will help my ego, then I'll direct my ego's happiness to my hand LOOL

I want to give an enormous hug to martina, Sara Nublas, CoconutsMalibu & JayJe for their reviews on the last chapter! You are awesome!

And to all those who have alerts on this story! You are awesome too!

PS: Those who have alerts and have been reviewing you are twice as awesome! =D