**This is the last chapter =) Thanks to all the people who reviewed and/or added it to their favourites/alerts etc. I hope this meets your expectations.
*Chapter 7: Is there really such thing as a happily ever after?
"People! People! People!" a loud voice called over the announcement system. The 300 or so people sitting in the seats around the colosseum-esque arena hushed, looking up at the announcement box. They had been sent invitations to attend the 'Event of the Century' at the new Arena.
It was wide open, with two entrances, one stemming from a large concrete building, the other to the bushland adjacent. There was an Athletics field in the middle of a giant race track, similar to the kind used to race horses. The Arena was surrounded with large stadium lights. It took fortunes and years to construct but it was worth it.
Once the crowd had quietened, save for hushed whispers, the speaker began talking again.
"I am Anne Freedman and my dream was simple: to keep my community entertained locally," she called out; excitement in her voice. The crowds waited expectantly. Their last sport...well, it didn't pan over so well with the Department of Homeland Security.
"Bring out the game!" she called. From the entrance, leading to the warehouse, walked ten crying people, hands behind their backs, blindfolded; lead by burly men.
"Tonight you will see man against man, fighting, running, for their lives!" the crowd erupted in cheers, hooting and shouting their approval.
It made the six FBI agents want to be sick.
JJ and Prentiss stood at the entrance while Rossi and Hotch went around to the announcement box. They took out the security with the tranquilisers. When they got to the stairs that lead to the box, Rossi and Hotch separated.
"I'll go up, you take out the men leading the victims," Hotch said. Rossi nodded and moved around the box, finding the best position. Hotch climbed the stairs slowly, quietly.
The door leading into the box was padlocked. As if on autopilot, he shot the lock, smashed the door down and took out the two people (the people from the roadhouse) with the tranquiliser gun.
"Go, go Rossi!" he called into the earpiece. One by one, the ten men holding the victims went down. The crowd started shouting and yelling.
Hotch took the microphone.
"Everyone! Shut up!" he yelled. The crowd slowly went quiet. "This is a closed Arena. No one will move anywhere. If you try and leave, we have agents surrounding the perimeter, and you will be shot on sight!" he said.
The entire crowd surged.
"Move to the centre of the arena!" he instructed. The victims; not knowing what to do, ran away to the side of the arena, some just running around aimlessly. Morgan and Reid stood still, breathing sighs of relief. They were nearly safe.
"MOVE TO THE CENTRE OF THE ARENA!" Hotch yelled, losing patience. Shots were fired from the exits. JJ and Prentiss were backing them up, showing the crowd that they were not joking.
The crowds, most of them women, children and the elderly, moved to the centre of the Arena – the athletics field. Some of the victims were caught up, but Morgan and Reid managed to grab hold of the side and stay put.
JJ and Prentiss moved in, guns at the ready, making their way to victims and taking the blind folds off, instructing them to go to the exits. The victims moved slowly, crying. With Morgan and Reid, nine were accounted for.
Prentiss heard screaming from the centre of the arena. Xiaou Lee was there, being held by two men, screaming and kicking. Before Prentiss could do anything, one of the men was shot in the arm by Rossi with a tranquiliser dart.
Prentiss fired a shot into the air as she made her way through the hostile crowd to Xiaou Lee. She grabbed her and ran back out.
"AGENTS, MOVE IN!" Hotch yelled to non-existent agents. He scrambled out of the announcement box and he and Rossi bolted back to the police van.
All of the victims were loaded into the back, JJ sitting in with them to explain and console. Morgan and Reid were with Hotch, Rossi and Prentiss in the cab while the agents floored it. Their go bags were in the car already.
Hotch floored the van to about 10 miles out of town before pulling over to the side of the road. A notice was sent to the FBI already, telling them about what had happened. Prentiss got to work on untying Reid and Morgan, who were still slightly in shock.
Hotch went out to the back, Rossi getting into the driver's seat. A precaution, just in case they had to make a dash.
In the back of the police van, JJ had managed to untie all the victims and talk to them softly, telling them they were the FBI and that they were going to get help.
"Is everything okay, JJ?" he asked. The victims were in shock, crying or staring vacantly. She nodded.
"Let's just get them help, Hotch."
They arrived in Albany a few hours later, stopping of for petrol only once, and took the eight victims to the hospital. Hotch showed the nurse his badge and explained the situation, telling them to contact the authorities as soon as possible.
They then stopped off in a hotel, booking plane tickets over the phone for the first flight to Quantico out of Albany.
"Thanks," Reid smiled as JJ gave him a coffee. She stood there a few moments, looking down at Reid before pulling him into a hug.
"I'm so glad you're safe," she whispered, voice shaking. He hugged her back, feeling the tears welling in his eyes.
"I was so scared JJ," he sniffed.
"We all were," she murmured, pulling back. Reid saw the relief in her eyes, the love shining there and he felt so consumed by happiness and love. This was what having a family was like. People who were scared when you were scared; who loved you and wanted your safety.
He wiped his eyes, smiling nervously and taking a seat.
The rest of the team came back into the lobby. They'd called Garcia as soon as they got cell service. She'd sounded like she'd been crying and wouldn't let up until she'd heard Morgan and Reid's voices. Now they were all sticking together, refusing to leave one person alone.
"When we get back to Quantico," Hotch started as they all sat down, "I'm scheduling vacation time for all of us." He said. The team smiled, sighing with relief. This case had been draining – physically and mentally more than others. They all needed a break – some R&R.
"Why did we take that case?" Prentiss asked. "Why were we even called in?" Hotch shook his head.
"I don't know...but hopefully the director can sort it out," he sounded tired; as tired as they all felt.
"Let's get some sleep. We have to be up at 6 and we all need it." JJ suggested, standing. They all agreed and went to their rooms.
At 6 am the next morning, they were on their flight, back to Quantico, glad that the nightmare was behind them. Gad that they were all still together.
*FIN
*Not 100% confident with how this ended (maybe 95...ish).
*I am writing a Morgan/Reid sequel to this. Probably multi-chaptered that takes place not too long after this one finishes. So for all you M/R fans, you get your wish. To all those who aren't slash fans, you can just stop reading it now...if you haven't already.
