"And that's why I think he'll strike again before the week is out," Reid defended, expectantly gazing around at the faces of his teammates.

"Good rationale," Hotch nodded. "So where do we go now?" As he looked to the team for answers, his cell phone rang. Pulling it from his pocket, he flipped it open, "Hotchner."

"Mr. Hotchner, this is Nancy Jackson from Chesterbrook Academy," the email voice began.

"Yes, Miss Jackson, what can I do for you?"

"Aaron and Olivia are with me in the office, neither Dr. Hotchner nor Mrs. Girardi have been in to pick them up."

"Silvana's in Maryland for the day, visiting family," he explained, his calm reply masking the growing dread that bubbled beneath the surface. "My wife was supposed to pick them up at four."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hotchner, but she hasn't been here and we haven't been able to reach her."

"Did you try calling her cell?"

"Yes, Sir. We tried both the home and her cell and both go to voice mail."

"Hotch," Morgan asked, concern written on his face. "Everything okay?"

Hotch held up his hand, listening as Miss Jackson went on, "The children are certainly safe here, but they are the only two left in the building and they are both tired and hungry. Olivia is becoming fearful…"

"I'll come get them…"

"We'll be waiting."

After saying thank you, Hotch flipped the phone shut and faced his team. "That was Chesterbrook Academy. Apparently, Gabi hasn't been there to pick up AJ and Olivia. They can't reach her on the phone." He flipped open his phone and dialed Gabi's cell. It rang four times and went to voice mail. Disconnecting, he tried the home phone, only to hear, after five rings, his own voice announcing that the Hotchner's were not home.

"What time was she supposed to pick them up?" Rossi asked, sitting up in his chair.

"Four," Hotch replied, standing up. "I need to get the kids then get to the house…"

"Hotch," JJ said, "I'll go pick up AJ and Olivia and take them to our house. They'll be okay with Will and I and you know they love Henry."

He looked at her and nodded, "Thank you, JJ. Tell them that we got stuck at work…"

"I'll come up with something," she winked, standing up and flipping open her own phone, "Let me let Will know we're having company."

"I'll be there as soon as I know something," he promised, walking out of the room.

Rossi caught up to him as they reached the steps to their offices. "Hotch…"

"Something's not right, Dave," he quietly said.

"Which is why I'm coming with you," Rossi simply said.

"You don't need…"

"You don't need to go alone," he firmly said, and then in a gentler tone, "I'm sure it's nothing, but…"

Hotch nodded, reading Rossi's message loud and clear. "Thanks, Dave," he said, two words speaking volumes.

XXXXX

Hotch pulled his SUV into the driveway and slammed it into park. Rossi's BMW pulled in right after him and parked next to him. As he got out of the car, Hotch hit the garage door opener and watched as the door rose to reveal Gabi's car.

"Her car's here…" he announced, walking into the garage and through the door into the rec room. "Gabi?!" he called.

Rossi reached out and touched his arm, stopping him before he climbed the stairs to the first floor "You don't know who's upstairs…"

Nodding, Hotch pulled his gun from its holster and holding it in front of him, walked up the stairs. Rossi followed close behind.

Hotch pushed open the doorway to the kitchen and after making sure no one was waiting for them, he walked in. "Gabi?" he called again, walking into the dining room. As he turned the corner to the foyer, he saw the laundry basket; full of folded clothes and sticking out behind the basket was her foot, her tan skin standing out against the white tile floor.

Cautiously, he made his way into the foyer. "Gabi," he said, the word coming out more as a gasp, as he found her, lying still at the bottom of the stairs. "Dave, she's in here!" he called, as he knelt next to her. "Gabi…" he said, checking her pulse. He looked up at Dave to find concern etched on his features, "Pulse is strong and steady."

"You take care of her, I'll check the rest of the house," he nodded, "And call 911."

Hotch barely heard his friend's words as he focused on Gabi's face. Being careful not to cause more damage than had already been caused, he gently turned her so that he could see her face. A nasty bruise was forming on her cheek and a trickle of blood ran from the corner of her lips. "Gabi," he softly said, stroking her hair, "Wake up."

Rossi walked down the stairs, holstering his gun, "Nobody's here. Things are kinda tossed around in the office…looks like someone was looking for something. Ambulance is on its way."

Hotch looked at her hands; there were no cuts or scratches, nothing that would tell them that she struggled with someone. "No defensive wounds," he quietly said, his eyes focused on her face, it was still, emotionless, and nothing at all like he was used to.

Rossi walked around the foyer, doing anything to avoid watching his old friend. "There's no sign of forced entry. Maybe she just lost her footing and fell?"

"It's possible," he allowed, but in his gut, he knew that wasn't the case.

"You're not buying that, are you?"

He shook his head, "She's gone up and down these stairs a million times, carrying laundry, carrying the kids, so pregnant she couldn't see her feet, drunk off her ass…" He looked up at his friend, "No, Dave. I'm not buying it."

XXXXX

Hotch sat next to the hospital bed, watching as Gabriela lay motionless. Her face remained expressionless, cold, and blank. Even when she slept, Gabi's face showed her emotions and laying still was something he'd bet she'd never done.

The bruise on her face was a nasty shade of purple and her eyes were darkened and sunken. This, they assured him was perfectly normal and a side effect of the fracture at the base of her skull. As if anything related to a skull fracture could be considered "perfectly normal".

He'd lost track of how many hours had passed, although he did remember seeing the sun rise. He supposed he'd dozed off momentarily, but couldn't be sure. Rossi brought him a change of clothes and strong armed him into a shower at some point. He'd done so as quickly as possible, afraid she would wake while he was gone.

She hadn't, of course, no matter how much he'd wished she did.

Standing, he stretched his aching muscles for a few moments, then sat back down and took her hand. "You know, Gabi," he said, quietly. "This is getting old. You really need to wake up."

She didn't respond, so he kept going.

"Everybody's worried about you. Your mom drove back from Maryland and has been camped out in the waiting room. JJ and Will took the kids home with them. They'll be okay there for a while."

He sighed, rubbing her fingers with his thumb. When he spoke again, it was barely a whisper. "Come on, Gabi, please wake up. I know it's selfish, but I need you. I can't do this without you."

"Yes you can…" she mumbled.

He looked up at her face, finding her lips pursed and her eyes fluttering. "Open your eyes…"

"Trying…" she replied, forcing them open. She blinked in the strong light. "Lights bright…"

"They are," he agreed, reaching behind the bed and turning off the over head light. "Is that better?"

She tried to nod and let out a small cry.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Hurts…like a bitch…" she said, as a tear slipped from her eye. "What happened?"

"What do you remember?"

She closed her eyes for a moment. "Nothing. What happened?"

"Dave and I found you lying at the bottom of the steps…"

"Hit my head?" she said, more a question than a statement.

"It looks that way."

"Skull fracture?" she asked, looking at him.

When he didn't answer right away, she said, "I'm a trauma surgeon…"

"I know," he softly laughed, "Yes, there's a fracture at the base of the skull."

She closed her eyes, "Basilar fracture…" She lifted her hand and felt around her head.

"What are you doing?"

"Drainage tube….where did they put it?"

He took her hands from her head and held them. "There isn't one. You've been doing okay; there wasn't any leaking of fluid."

She looked at him, "Did I fall?"

He looked away. He didn't believe she had fallen and there was an active investigation going on. He couldn't say a word to her.

"Aaron," she said, sounding very tired, "Did I fall or did someone push me?"

"I don't know, Gabi," he quietly said, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it. "But I'm going to find out."

"Don't remember…" she mumbled, "So tired…"

"You just rest, okay? Maybe later you'll remember something…" he reached up and brushed aside a lock of hair that had fallen over her forehead, then bent and gently kissed her.

Forcing her eyes open, she looked at him, "The kids…"

"AJ and Olivia are with JJ," he explained, "Jack's with Haley."

"They're all okay?" she demanded, fighting to keep her eyes open.

"They're all fine," he smiled.

"And you?" she asked, fighting to keep her eyes open. "You're exhausted."

He shrugged, "I'm fine."

"Go home…sleep. See the kids…" she closed her eyes. "I'm gonna rest."

He watched as again, she slipped away, taking with her his carefully maintained façade of calmness. As her hand grew limp within his, he lost the fight to remain impassive and felt the first of many tears slip from his eyes. Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, he tried to hold them back, but exhaustion and worry were formidable foes and they held the flood gates open for him. Resting his head on the bed, he gave in and broke down.