When it came to his team members being harmed, Hotch had never been a passive person. There had been Gideon, who was hurt several times but always managed to take care of himself in the end. There was also Elle, who blamed him for her shooting and later lost everything when she broke down and shot a suspect. No one could forget Reid, who had been kidnapped and tortured at the hands of a religious fanatic. The same fanatic locked J.J. in a barn full of dogs who had just torn apart a woman. Hotch could still clearly hear Reid telling "Rafiel" that he wanted Hotch to be shot. Of course there had been a hidden message, but his worst fear was his team turning against him. Garcia had been shot by someone she had thought she could trust, and more colorful objects had been planted in her office since then. She had coped just fine in the end. There was Morgan, who had been molested as a child and was willing to be thrown in jail rather than let his team members know. It had put a major dent in Hotch's relationship with the young Chicago native, and he had yet to gain back that trust. Having Morgan basically tell Hotch that he didn't even trust him with his life hadn't helped. Emily had been kidnapped and beaten only a week ago, and she still wore her make-up thicker in spots to cover the bruises.

Hotch didn't stop to dwell on the fact that he had stopped calling her Prentiss.

Yes, it was a fact that there was only one member who had yet to be hurt in any way. Hotch had been in an explosion a few weeks back that would affect him for the rest of his life. He still found himself flinching near construction sites, for which he cursed himself in showing weakness. He had lost Kate, who he had been trying to hold on to. She had looked just like Haley. Yet another thing he had lost--Haley and Jack had been his world, and now he could only see his son when time and a court paper allowed it. It killed him, and he would have gone through another explosion willingly just to have his little boy returned to him.

That one member was David Rossi. Rossi had come flying in after Gideon was gone, proclaiming he was ready to return to work after his long absence for his book showings. Hotch had been skeptical at first but quickly accepted him into their team when he saw the man was genuine. Rossi had been involved in a case that hit home, but he had taken care of it with professionalism and saved the lives of three children. Hotch admired that, but it didn't kill his worry that something bad would soon happen to the newest member of their team.

But instead, Reid had been scooped up and taken once more.

Part of Hotch; an angry, jealous part, wanted to argue that it was Rossi's turn. But he fought it off in favor of planning his young genius' safe return. Emily worked beside him, adding small marks or points on the sketch that had been drawn--her recollection of the woman. Hotch had glanced it over and conceited that the tall blonde looked just like any other woman in Virginia; tall and blonde. It sent a pang through him when it reminded him of Haley and Kate, but he pushed aside the unprofessional feeling and forged on. Just as he prepared to ask Emily how she was handling the situation, another tall blonde stormed in and just about threw a Manila file onto the table. Emily glanced up with an annoyed and concerned glance, but J.J. didn't seem to notice.

"There's been another bombing."

"What?" Hotch barely heard his voice echoed by the brunette female beside him, as his attention was now fully focused on J.J. with a laser-sharp intensity that made her want to flinch. She echoed herself, continuing on with her information.

"This one was in Kentucky. It hit a small hospital."

Emily groaned and dropped her pen while Hotch picked up the file that lay neglected on the glass-topped table. "A hospital?"

"Yes. Seventy-six dead, and about half that being transported to another hospital as we speak."

Emily spoke, confusion and anger marring across her face. "Why would you attack a place where people were already dying?"

"The bomb landed directly on top of the breakroom, and almost every doctor in the entire place was killed. Out of the seventy-six, twenty-four of them were employees."

Hotch looked down, the sketch of a blonde woman taunting him from the white paper. This woman had Reid, but hundreds of people were dying in several states across the country. He couldn't afford to split up the team over so far a distance. They would have to chose one, and he knew it had already been chosen for them the moment Karokk had been brought into their building.

"Wheels up in an hour."

Before Emily or J.J. could protest, he was out the door in a breeze of guilt and anger.

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No one boarding the plane was happy about the decision their supervisor had made. In fact, Morgan had outright refused to leave Virginia until they had found Reid, and only a five minute argument with Hotch could convince him to get on the jet. It was pointed out in those heated minutes that Morgan was the bomb expert, and Reid was a genius that could fend for himself. After all, hadn't he done it twice already? Morgan was still fuming when he stalked passed Emily to throw himself into a seat. Emily herself wasn't pleased, but Rossi had yet to comment on Hotch's choice. Emily could recall the disbelief written on the senior agent's face when Hotch had told them, but no words had been uttered against it.

Hotch was getting it worst of all from where he sat against a window, his hand holding his head and covering his eyes. He wanted no part of this, and as the engine started he felt his stomach drop for the first time since he was a newbie. For one moment everything was crystal clear, and in the next it would turn black and white. He wasn't able to take this. The what-ifs were flying through his head. Hotch was not a spontaneous person, but profiles could be altered slightly under strenuous circumstances. Before the plane could leave the ground, Hotch was stalking over to Emily with a suitcase over his shoulder. His gaze was serious and slightly glazed, and Emily was frightened for a moment.

"Get your stuff. We're staying."

In the end, Hotch and Emily watched their team members fly away to Kentucky from the ground. The moment ended when Hotch turned and headed for the S.U.V, and Emily followed quickly.

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A/N- Persimmon was correct! The answer to the scrambling was 'They Never Learned'. In order to get the prize, Persimmon, you must contact me! And another, for anyone willing to try again. MTEB TGTS UH YAHEUT (From now on, please message me the answers.) ;)