Alright… I'm not happy with this chapter, but I felt like it wouldn't get better if I rewrote it for the third time, and I wanted to go on with the story, so…

Wish I was cold as stone,
then I wouldn't feel a thing,
Wish I didn't have this heart,
then I wouldn't know the sting of the rain
Cold as stone, Lady Antebellum

Gina was still there, staring down her own reflection as if it was the stalker. Beth couldn't stop a sigh of relief. With all she had learnt about her younger colleague in the very last hour, she had really been afraid Gina would run, too.
Now, though, she felt that it had been a futile fear – Gina would never leave Sam. The team leader was like a father for her, whether he wanted to accept it or not. Gina would rather see Mick marrying Emily Prentiss than betray Sam.

"Ready to go?" She asked, struggling to sound neutral.
"Where to?" Gina's eyes were red.
Beth shrugged. "Finding that bitch and show her what happens when she hurts our guys."
Gina turned around, a small unbelieving smile on her face. "Did you just say bitch?"
"Well" Beth said drily, "one of the reasons people couldn't work with me was my way to say things as they are."
Gina chuckled and then, before Beth could silently congratulate herself, she hugged the elder woman. "Thank you."
Beth was too stunned to move and after a moment, the embrace ended awkwardly.
"You really love him, don't you?" She couldn't prevent asking.
Gina smiled sadly but didn't answer as she passed her colleague and went back. Beth followed her. No answer was an answer, too.

As she reached the door, though, Gina paused. "And you?"
Beth bit her lips. "What about me?" Her voice was rougher than she had expected, and Gina's smile returned. "I see."
She kept looking at the door while Beth fell apart, paling and blushing in seconds, for a moment so shocked that she could hardly breathe. For an even more horrible moment something stung in Beth's eyes, something that could be tears. She fought it down. There was no time to cry now.
"How long do you know?"
Gina shrugged. "I wasn't sure." A sly smile played around her lips but quickly faded as she now turned around to see her friend, obviously broken. "Beth, I think it would be good. You two, you're a great team, and Cooper…" She shook her head.
"What about Sam?" She couldn't help asking. Who cared? Gina knew anyway. So much for the first team she had loved to work with.
The blond agent shrugged again. "I think it would be good for him not to be so alone" she whispered, and then hastily, as if she was afraid she might not get the words out if she thought too much about it, "and there is something between the two of you I often hoped Mick and I would have."
She pushed down the handle and went in. "What do we do now?"

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They stopped at sunset, at an old war museum in a suburban area of the city. Leah sat down on the roof, her legs dangling over the edge, and watched the colorful sight.
After checking the area, Mick sat down beside her. "Cheesy."
"Beautiful."
Mick smirked. "If you say so."
Leah tore herself away from the spectacle and faced her former colleague. "The only good thing about this country is that it's not always raining. Or foggy. Or both of it." She looked at the sky again. "This is the first good-looking thing I've seen since I came here."
Mick grinned. "Besides me."
"If you say so."
Leah's grin widened as Mick stretched out and closed his eyes. "Does that mean you're giving up?"
"Never" he murmured. "What about tonight?"
"Me and you on the roof? Creative." Her smile disappeared. She had to be careful now. It was too easy with him, too easy and too dangerous. They knew each other too well to accept boundaries, and that meant she had not much time anymore. Maybe nothing more than this night.

Mick sat up, noticing her changed mood. "What is it?"
"Nothing."
He nodded. "So you're here for nothing, all of a sudden, right here in Washington when we all die like flies? Though the only good thing you like about this country is its bloody sunset?"
His voice was cold as stone now, as were his eyes. "Tell me, Leah."
He knew it already. Leah felt her muscles tighten, awaiting the attack. Her breathing and heartbeat, though, were calm as ever.
"I can't, Mick. Not now." She forced herself to look at him. "You've got to trust me. That condition hasn't changed in the past six hours."
He held the glance, trying to read her mind. What he saw was stone, just as cold and hard as he knew his own face to be. The way they had been trained to be. Stones. They didn't bend, they only got shattered.
"Tell me you're not here to chase this guy on your own."

Leah sighed. He didn't know yet. "Right now I'm only here to get your ass out of trouble, Mick. Just like in old days."
He shook his head. "Lee, this is crazy. Even for you, it's crazy. You can't get that guy alone, hell, he's killed eight of us!"
"Seven" she corrected automatically.
Mick raised his eyebrows. "Seven?"
Leah froze for a moment. "That's what you told me. Seven of us and Ava." The name seemed to melt away parts of the stone. She stood up tiredly. "Let's go. If you're supposed to be the next victim, we shouldn't make it so easy for him to get you."

The snipers ended in a hotel, the highest building around, good to see and good to be seen. The stalker would have no problems in finding Mick – not that he ever had had before – but if he really wanted to kill him tonight, he would have to come in and get him there.
The strange thing was that ever since he had met Leah, Mick didn't feel followed anymore. The stalker seemed to avoid him now that he wasn't alone.
They had a chance.
Leah paid cash as she checked in under the name of Kate Austen. Mick had half a mind of playing her husband, but then chose the first name that came up in his mind: Jason Wheeler.

"One bed. Great." Leah sighed. "Maybe we should have checked in under the same name, then they'd probably think we were siblings and give us two… how do you call them?"
"Queen." Mick grinned. "Can't live without good old Europe names, can they?"
Leah snuffled. "But the way they use it…" She squared her shoulders but somehow it made her look even more tired. And sad, now that the run was over for the day, now that they had nothing to do but wait for the killer to come.
Mick sat down one of the beds. "She didn't suffer" he said, the only comfort he could offer. Leah shrugged. "Want do you want me to say now? Good?" She wrapped her arms around herself. "She was innocent, Mick. The only one of us." Then, suddenly, she turned around.
"How's Jenna?"

Mick's body tightened. "Last week she was good." He jumped up and went to the window.
She slapped him on the back of the head. "Good idea, come on and show him where you are."
"He's not after us tonight."
"What?"
"I'd feel if he was behind me."
"Right, just as everyone else of us. All dead now." Leah's eyes went out into the night. Every house, every car was a possible hideout. Someone was out there, killing them off. Someone else. Mick didn't know it – and she would not tell him – but he was now more endangered than ever.

She took a deep breath. "Maybe you should call her."
Mick knew whom she was talking about. "Not now. Coop will ask her about me, and then…" His shook his head. "Fuck that bloody son of a bitch! Either I jeopardize her or my team." He sank down at the glass and buried his face in his hands. "I got new plan, Lee. Let's let him get me."
She didn't bother answering, and after a minute, Mick looked up at her. "I mean it."
Sighing, Leah pulled out her phone. "Get over it, drama queen. I call her."
Mick gently touched her foot, the only part of her body he could reach without moving too much. For them, it was enough. "Thank you, Lee."

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Beth was staring out of the window, her eyes glued to the horizon without seeing anything. It was dark outside, darker than when Cooper had sent them home – not to sleep, he knew no one would find sleep tonight. But after two hours it had been obvious to all of them that they couldn't go on. Every few minutes Prophet would drop the papers he was holding, or stop midsentence, and stare into nothing. His face was a mask of self-contempt, so strong that it made Beth shudder.
Gina was not much better – every now and then she would stop whatever she was doing, close her eyes and fight back tears.
Well, and she hadn't been much of a help either. Sighing Beth took another sip of cognac – she would never take to whiskey, no matter what Mick said.
Mick. Another sip. Beth was surprised how much she missed the Welsh, pain in the ass as he was most of the time. On more than one occasion she had wished that the self-confident, ever-flirting guy would go back to where he belonged. Most when he hurt Gina without realizing it, or when he was interrupting her and Cooper.
Now, though, Beth would have given all the alcohol in her apartment to have her colleague back.

The phone rang.
"No."
It kept ringing.
"No!"
It didn't stop.
With a grunt Beth reached over to her cell. Gina.
"Hey, honey. Can't sleep either?"
She heard Gina chuckling. "Did you even try?"

Beth looked around, looked at the glass in her hands. "Not really."
"Me neither." A small pause, and then, "I'm worried about Prophet."
"Prophet?" Beth shook her head. "How about you?"
No answer.
"I see." She took a deep breath. "So I guess worrying about Prophet is easier than thinking about your own feelings?"
"Why don't we talk about you and Sam?"
"Alright! Prophet."
Gina chuckled again, and Beth felt a small surge of happiness. She could do it. She could make people laugh. Well, at least when they were desperate to find a reason for laughing.
"Have you called him?"
"Not yet. I was wondering if… if maybe…"
"You want me to call him" Beth realized, and though she couldn't really see Gina nodding she knew the answer.
"Great. I take it we're even then."
"Even?" Gina sounded confused. "About what?"
Beth bit her lips. "About your not giving away certain feelings about a certain person on this team. From my side" she quickly added and felt her face getting hot all over again.
"Alright."

"Hey, Beth."
"How are you?"
"Straight to the point." Prophet's voice was blank.
"It's just… you're not… god, I'm not good at this, can't you just get over it?"
"Over what?" If possible, Prophet's voice got even blanker. "I led her here. Maybe she was after Mick before, maybe she is out there already to kill him, maybe she already has killed him. It's not that good a feeling to have blood on your hands, Beth."
"Oh, come on! Didn't they tell you that holding a gun can lead to killing people?" She regretted her words as soon as they were out. "Sorry. It's just that this case…"
"Drives us crazy on day one" Prophet completed bleakly.
"Yes. And I really don't wanna lose you, too. I mean…" A beeping sound rolled into the conversation.
"Hold on for a moment, Sam's calling."
"Yeah, me too, Conference talk." Prophet sighed. "Thanks for calling Beth. I guess I'll hear you soon."

"Sam?"
"Hey, Beth. Prophet, Gina?"
"Here, man."
"What's up, Coop?"
Coop sighed. "Is there any chance to get you to sleep tonight?"
"You got something?" Gina didn't even bother to answer the question.

A minute of silence followed. Beth knew how Sam must feel – his best friend was gone, and though there was nothing Coop wouldn't do for Mick, it was not so easy a choice to bring the team in.
God, how long would they all need to realize they were in this together for better or worse till the very bitter end?

"A hotel receptionist called, she had heard about the sniper case in Chicago. Two hours ago she had a couple paying for the suite on top of the building, and the names made her curious…" He paused.
"Which names?" Prophet pressed.
"Kate Austen and Jason Wheeler."
A loud thundering sound went through the phones. Beth had the strange suspicion it was Gina's fist hammering at a table.
"Let's go!"

And I have drawn lines in the sand
To remind us where we stand
And I build castles while you thirst
They'll fall but you fall first
Fortress, Dala