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Authors Note: Once again sorry for the long wait. Thank you for reviewing. It means a lot that you guys take the time to do so. Also I apologize for any errors that I might have missed, when editing this. Did this in one shot. I hope you enjoy!
Previously: He did not have time to act, as a noise erupted through the desolation of the quite. The shard dropped from his hand, his mouth gapped open. "What?" He gasped. He had to be mistaking. Listening, the noise persisted. It was was the beep of an alarm clock.
"Everybody deserves a second chance in this world. That's basically all I ask."-Shannen Doherty
...
Hotch's body shot upright as a scream escaped his coarse lips. His eyes flew open, frantically searching his surroundings. He couldn't settle his beating heart, as it pounded against the inside of his chest threatening to burst free.
His mind began to settle as his eyes adjusted and his gaze met the beam of light that was cascading from a window. An unbroken, blue framed window. His bed room window. He felt around himself, now realizing that his body lay on something soft and comfortable. His bed. His white knuckled fingers clutched the linen tightly.
He released a breath, finally realizing that he had been holding it. The pounding in his chest began to subside. Aloud he said, his voice strange against the quietness, "Hayley?" He looked to his side to see the woman sleeping peacefully beside him. He took a few moments to watch her still form, working to get his mind to comprehend what was happening.
What was going on? Was everything just a dream...
"Team!" Hotch yelled, his mind finally pulling more and more pieces together. What about the team? If he was here then that had to be alive? Maybe...
Hotch ripped the covers away and jumped from the comfort of his bed, his wife moaned softly in her sleep with the sudden movement. He raced down the stairs and grabbed his cell phone that he didn't remember leaving on the table. He hastily flipped it open and dialed the first number on the screen. Rossi. He waited impatiently as the phone rang.
There was a click and a familiar voice answered, "Rossi. Who is this?"
"Rossi!" Hotch cried, his voice high with relief. Pure and utter happiness. "Your alive!"
"Hotch?" Is that you?" He questioned.
"Yeah man, I'm so glad that your okay!" Hotch couldn't seem to control himself. He had never been so relieved in his entire life. If Rossi was alive, then the others had to be as well, right...
"Are you alright? You sound different and your late for work, really late. Is everything okay?"
Hotch took a deep controlling breath, working to prevent another outburst. "Is everyone okay?" He held his breath, waiting for Rossi to respond.
"Yeah everyones fine Hotch, we are all here waiting for you. We got a case. You better get here."
He heard the familiar click as the call ended and let the phone fall from his hands, hitting the carpeted floor with a small thud. He couldn't hold back the tears that were welling in his eyes. He felt the warm salty liquid cascade down his face as he began to cry. But for the first time, in what felt like an eternity he was not mourning death.
Happiness was all he felt.
...
Hotch stepped off the evaluator feeling jovial. He walked from the lift, moving away from the crowd of people that hurled by the metal doors. Walking swiftly, he made his way towards the conference room. His team. His alive and unharmed team.
As he approached he heard the familiar voices of his colleagues, bits of friendly banter, gossip, and laughter escaping through the closed door. He smiled, swiping once again at hie eyes. He took a deep controlling breath, trying to convince himself that everything was okay. They were all fine. His family was alive.
He walked into the room then, pulling the oak door open in a swift movement. He met the faces of his team and couldn't help but feel something flutter inside him. The noise had stopped, they all looked at his still, but...unsteady expression, waiting.
"Hey Hotch," Emily called from the back of the room, gazing curiously at her superior. "Everything alright?" Hotch's attention turned to her. Alive. The beautiful dark haired woman, whom he held dear sat before him, an unaided grin resting on her calm, intelligent countenance.
He felt himself start to give into his emotions once again, but pushed the feelings away. What he had experienced, had not happened. The team was alive, living free of the horror his subconscious had forced him to bare witness. However.
His dream, his nightmare, was not a reality.
"Hotch?" Morgan asked carefully, upon seeing the Unit chiefs expression as well. He raised an eye brow. Still Hotch did not answer, but further gazed around the room. He saw JJ and Rossi perched on the couch, two mugs resting on the small wooden coffee table. He saw Garcia and Morgan sitting close in a friendly but playful way. He saw Emily, the young woman sitting calmly at the conference table.
And he saw Reid.
Reid looked at him, mimicking the others worried expressions. His light hazel eyes shone brightly with love and compassion as he gazed at his colleague with sincere worry.
Hotch didn't know how much time had passed, but it didn't matter. He soaked in the expressions of his team, focusing on each of their most defining features and embracing it. Taking in their essence to remember. He had lost them. In a twisted alter dream reality. And he had gotten them back. He would not lose them again.
Hotch brought himself out of his daze, finally breaking the unknowing silence with kind collected words, "Hey everyone. I apologize for being late. It's' just really great to see you all."
Morgan stepped forward and laughed, "Hotch I know I'm a good time, but man, we saw each other yesterday."
It felt like so much longer...
"I know, but it still is."
JJ jumped in, "We have a case." She smiled at him. "The team has already been briefed, and the jet has been contacted."
Hotch nodded. "How long?"
"Wheels up in 20," An unfamiliar voice responded. They all turned to see Erin Strauss standing in the door way, her expression cross. "They can brief you on the plane." Then before leaving she added, "May I have a word."
Before Hotch could leave, Rossi pulled him aside, worry still evident on his aged face. "Hotch? Are you sure everything is alright?"
Hotch looked at Rossi, happy to see his kind face again. He allowed his gaze to wonder to the other members before he finally turned back to him and responded. A smile pulled at the curves of his lips. "Yeah. Everything is just fine."
Rossi chuckled, "Well then you better get going." Rossi gestured to the agitated woman drumming impatiently on her desk in the next office. "Strauss is gonna give you hell."
...
The team filed on the plane and took there usual seats. JJ handed out the case files once again and waited for Hotch to arrive. When he did, he received one as well and the plane readied for take off. In due time they were in the air and they began to discuss the case.
"So we have an unsub that kills woman between the ages of 25-30." Prentiss began. She pulled the case file close to her face as she read. "There have been 7 victims so far in the last few months, and so far the only connection between them all is their physical appearance.
"Each woman has a small built, light skin, and has brunette hair." Reid added.
Hotch looked up then, confused, "What did you just say?"
"Every victim had a small built, light skin and is brunette." Reid repeated. He looked up at his superior curiously.
Hotch nodded and looked back down at the file in front of him, not actually reading it. His mind retreated to the memory of last night. His dream. Each victim was a brunette. It was similar to the case that his subconscious had created, but that was just by chance, right...
He pushed those thoughts aside, ignoring the unsteady feeling in his chest.
"...every week they were taken, but why on that specific day? Their locations have no connections and neither the times. Whats the significance of a Monday?"
"What?" Hotch snapped, making the team look at him. "Wait what about the victims? JJ repeat what you just said?"
JJ looked at her boss for a moment, but did as he had requested, "I said that every week a new victim was taken and we don't know why but all kidnappings have happened on a Monday..." She trailed off at the expression that took over Hotch's expression. His eyes widening, his mouth opening in pure shock.
His face no longer a mask of no emotions, but a light of clarity that shown his terror.
"Hotch?" Rossi asked. "Are you alright?" He seemed about to continue when the plane hit a slight bump and everyone was rocked in their seats.
Hotch felt his eyes well up as his heart seized, he clung to his seat fro dear life, shaking his head at the similarities between his memories.
No this wasn't happening. It couldn't be...
Prentiss began to speak but she was cut off by the screech of the over head speakers. To his horror, the man began speaking and Hotch knew the voice all too well. Mike. "We seem to be hitting some turbulence. Please remain in your seats, with your seatbelt fastened at this time." The speaker clicked off.
The plane continued to bump and lurch until finally it calmed, and the world ceased to shake.
"Everyone alright?" Someone called. Hotch didn't know who, as he became determined to know the truth. The turbulence had caused the files to scatter across the floor, and despite the pilots best advissons, Hotch unfastened his seatbelt and got out of his seat.
"Hotch what are you doing?!
Hotch ignored the person, determined. He pulled himself close to a lingering case file, snatching it as the plane once again began to buck and jolt. He clung to a near by seat with one arm as the other flipped sloppily through the file.
His mind raced. His heart was pounding. He couldn't stop the tears that streamed down his face.
"Hotch?!" He felt a strong hand grip his shoulder. He shrugged it off and kept tearing through the pages.
"Where is it, dammit!?" He screamed. The plan rocked and moaned as it was pelted with another wave of turbulence.
This couldn't be happening...
"Hotch what are you doing?!" Was that Reid?
He came to the last page of the file, but still didn't find what he was looking for. He looked round the cabin frantically, looking for the page that would change everything. He grabbed more papers that littered the floor and paged through them wildly.
He threw them aside when he couldn't find it and then grabbed more.
There. His heart almost seemed to stop, his breath catching in his throat.
He felt his body slump against the seat behind him, his mind went blank.
No.
This couldn't be happening.
He ignored the frantic screams of the team as his mind relayed the past.
It wasn't supposed to happen.
It was a dream, a nightmare. And yet...
It was.
He gazed back at the sheet he held crimped in his hand, reading the words once again.
Location: Alaska
The plane lurched as a defining scream erupted from the cockpit of the plane. He saw the black smoke begin to file beneath the door.
A dream.
Something that wasn't real, shouldn't have been.
He gazed back to his team, no longer bothering to hind his agony.
He would loose them, all of them.
But this time, it would be for real.
A/N: The End
Hope you guys all enjoyed! this was the last chapter and it feels so weird, but also relieving that this is over. Seeing as this is the last time please review. Please tell me what you think. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing this. Thank you!
Also if anyone is unhappy with this ending I have no problem writing an alternate, happier ending. Just shoot me a review.
Thank you once again for all who have followed this story. Much appreciated! Now that this is over I can give my full attention to a different one. If you want give it (Shadow of a Doubt)a shot, if not I'm hope you enjoyed.
THANK YOU
