AN: I am thrilled that my first story "Mending Fences" has been nominated for a 2015 Profilers Choice Award for Best Rossi/Strauss! If you haven't read it, check it out.

My only characters are Kara and Professor Radcliffe. Enjoy!

Dave had reached his limits in trying to wrack his brain and figure out who had broken into the house. The alarm company had been dealt with; his system was being upgraded to include more advanced counter surveillance mechanisms. He was trying not to berate himself too badly at having procrastinated on doing this since he married Erin. Prior to that, basic measures seemed appropriate. He was conflicted by feeling happy that he had a family to protect and angry that they needed protection. His morning had also been spent on the phone with a buyer whom he had dealt with in the past in hopes of procuring a new desk in a timely manner. Derek had been correct in that this proved not to be too difficult of a task.

Erin was in the kitchen settling things with the window repair, and David was in his office cleaning up a bit when his cell rang. Without even bothering to check the ID he answered, "Rossi."

It was Hotchner, "David? It's Aaron," David, either from habit or as a result of his day, focused all of his attention on the voice, "there's been a shooting at George Mason University."

David removed the phone from his ear and yelled out, "Erin!" before returning to his device. "You know that's Kara's school, right?"

"We know. We're on our way. Any chance Kara is home with you?"

David turned to face his wife's worried face as he switched the phone to speaker and continued his conversation, "No. She left about an hour ago. She went to the campus to work. What details do you have?"

"No one was hurt. The shooting took place hours ago. When people started arriving at the school this morning, a professor found his office had been shot up and he called police. Does the name Dr. John Radcliffe mean anything to you?"

The sound that emanated from Erin's throat told Aaron everything he needed to know, but he waited patiently for the verbal reply. "Yes," David said while moving closer to his wife. "That's the professor Kara works for."

"The unsubs must be long gone from the campus by now, but I'll have Garcia track Kara's phone and put out a bolo for her car. We'll be in touch," he ended the call.

David placed a hand on Erin's shoulder in hopes that it would give her strength and waited for her to speak first. He was awarded a mere moment later, "They have cases to work on."

"They are not going to let this go," he turned her slightly so she was looking him straight in the eyes.

"I always berated your team for becoming overly involved when one of your own was concerned. I cannot ask them to do the same for me."

"Erin, you have not asked them to do anything. They consider you one of the team, too. All that animosity has been under the bridge for years." He moved his palm up from her shoulder and placed it on her cheek as he continued, his voice raising slightly despite his efforts to keep it low. "Now this is not about you or me, this is about Kara. She may be in danger and she needs their help. Put whatever pride you have getting in the way aside, and work with them."

Erin felt the redness quickly take over her face as the harshness of his words sank in. Choosing between work and family had always been difficult for her and all too frequently she made the wrong choice, likely speeding up the dissolution of her first marriage. Of course, when the alcohol took over, that came above everything. She was ashamed that she needed her husband to put her priorities in order for her, but also grateful that he was there and wasn't afraid to confront her. She turned her head to kiss his palm and strengthened her demeanor.

"You're right," she said. "We need to find her and she needs a detail placed on her."

CMCMCMCMCM

The small park located outside of the campus and was sparsely populated on the sunny afternoon. Kara had walked there, leaving her car was still parked in the lot at school, and sat on a bench. Nothing that she could think of offered her any insight into who might be targeting her, or at least targeting the people around her. Specifically, the men in her life were being targeted. Two men whom she admired, one of whom she loved, both in crime fighting fields, well, kind of.

The lack of people in the park made the appearance of the man entering all the more obvious. Dressed casually in jeans and a leather jacket, his sunglasses hid the glances he was making, but Kara didn't miss the fact that, after his head swung in her direction, he sat on a bench diagonally from her and removed a phone from his pocket. He began the task of fiddling with it, but Kara knew she was in his sight. Tired of trying to determine who was breaking into her home and workplace, and probably tired from everything she had been through, Kara decided to let her mind drift to how exactly she was able to ascertain this strange man's intentions simply by observing him. Had she read enough of David's books to be aware of human behavior? Were the topics in her coursework thorough enough to provide her with this information? These two factors played a role, but Kara couldn't help but to consider that she had a keen sense about people that made her attune to them. If this was some sort of gift, she should use it, either to help people in a field such a her mother's and stepfather's, or to help people in a more therapeutic way. These were the thoughts that occupied her mind and assisted in her mental escape when her mother approached and sat on the bench beside her.

Erin put her hand on her daughter's knee, so grateful that she had found her safe, and waited for Kara to say something. It was only a moment before she was rewarded. "Your goon is here," Kara said, indicating the man on the bench.

"Well, that's not really a nice way of putting it," Erin said, looking towards the man who clearly knew he was being looked at, even as he played on his phone. "He is a very nice man and he is here to help."

"Oh, I'm sure he is," for once no trace of sarcasm was laced in Kara's voice. "I'm just trying to figure out what I should do with my life. I spotted him the minute he arrived. What does that mean?" she turned to her mother for the first time since Erin had taken the bench.

"What do you mean, 'what does that mean?' What are you talking about?"

"Well, does it mean that he really sucks at his job or that I have like a sixth sense about these things?"

Erin burst into laughter. When that subsided she said, "He most certainly is good at his job! And you do have a sixth sense about some things, but not so much about others. Like the fact that you may be in danger, as you have been involved in two break-ins and shootings today, and you are in a park in broad daylight like a sitting duck."

Kara turned her gaze away from her mother and an aloofness returned as she said, "Hmmm . . . I don't feel like I'm in danger."

Erin stood and grabbed her daughter's hand, "Better safe than sorry. I'm taking you home. We'll send someone to campus for your car later but we're going home now."

Kara rose with her mother and they started across the park to the waiting government issue suv with what looked like another goon in the driver's seat. "You really think home is safe? It wasn't so much last night."

"I assure you, it is safer than it has ever been. We will go and stay there. David is on campus and will join us later."

The heaviness of the situation weighing on Kara once again, she acquiesced and followed her mother into the car.