Morgan slowly lowers his gun. To prove he isn't a threat he tosses it to JJ. She is so shocked she nearly drops it. Morgan lifts up the vial that had been in his other hand.

"I choose Emily and our son over Hotch," he says quietly, staring at the lock of hair.

"I…I don't understand," JJ says, stepping closer to him.

He looks up at her. "You're right: I swore to Emily and on the memory of Evan that I would save you and get you on your way home. I swore to Hotch I'd bring you three back to him. I already betrayed that promise with my vow to Emily. And now I have to go a step farther. If I follow this path I can be home in a day." He points the way JJ and Garcia have to go. "If I go with you, it should be two days to where you left your horses and then three days for me to get home. That's the path I choose." He steps closer to JJ. "Emily is alive in a way I have never seen before. It's because of you, JJ. I know in my heart she will get away from Doyle. I want to make sure what she's putting herself through isn't in vain."

JJ sees no deception is his eyes or his demeanor. She nods. "Thank you."

He walks over to the stretcher and puts the straps on his shoulder. "My turn to drag the lazy ass here," he says with a wink at Reid.

Garcia pats his arm. "Thank you. I really didn't want to have to shoot you."

"No problem, Baby Girl," he says with a smile.

JJ tosses him back his gun. "You might need this."

He holsters it. "Thanks."

JJ gives him a nod then turns and leads them down the path towards the horses.

"Sir, one of the boats just got back. There is still no word on those that made it back across. Maybe the bridge blew too soon and killed them," Liam says to Doyle.

"Doubtful. They'd have set the charges to blow manually once they were back across. No way would they trust a timer." He thinks a moment. "Have we heard anything about movements around Fidelis or Straus' clan?"

"Nothing yet."

Doyle nods. "We stay here for now. If it looks like they are mobilizing we'll know the captive and his rescuers made it back to the old Pentagon. Hotch and Straus will move on us. We won't be sitting ducks on this island. We need boats. See what Picard would want in trade for some of his."

"And if he doesn't want to trade?" Liam asks.

Doyle gives him a nasty look. "Then take them. I want to be ready to get off this damn island at a moments notice."

Liam nods. "It will be done. And your…captive?"

"She'll move with me. I'll put a collar on her like the bitch she is and take her out of here myself."

"Yes, sir."

Liam leaves to start getting Doyle's orders filled. Doyle is still staring out at the sunrise when he feels a presence behind him. He turns to see Cyrus standing there.

"What?"

"Exodus 20:11, 'For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath Day and made it Holy.'"

Doyle stares at the man a moment. "I gave up the Good Book years ago. What the bloody hell are you trying to tell me?"

Cyrus steps closer and lifts a Bible. "It's Sunday. With your permission I'd like to hold a service and invite anyone who wishes to attend."

Doyle nods. "Fine, do as you must. But try to turn my men against me and I'll cut you down myself."

"Understood," Cyrus responds calmly. "Thank you."

Doyle nods as the strange man walks away. He'd known religious men in his life. He'd known psychotic murderers. Cyrus was the latter disguising himself as the former. As long as his plan was to overthrow Foyet Doyle had no fight with him. But if he turns on Doyle, he'll find no comfort in the Bible or any other book as he dies a slow, painful death.

Throughout the night, Louise had snuck back in and given Emily more of the herbs. Emily can definitely tell she's getting stronger. The weak broth Louise made for her was helping, too. The final time she comes in, Louise sneaks some clothes under the bed.

"My guess is you won't want to try to run naked."

Emily grins. "No, I won't. What about weapons?"

"I can maybe get you a knife. I can get a gun or two down to where you'll have to make your escape."

"Where will that be?"

"The other side of the island from the bridge."

Emily's eyes widen. "How the hell will I get to shore?"

"I have a raft there for you already. And an oar. Best bet is to go straight across and let the current also carry you downstream. Doyle is trying to get boats from Picard so they will be coming from upriver along this side of the waterway. If you go across and down you'll be closer to Arlington when you land."

Emily slowly nods. "I see." She knows that would be a death sentence, too. She will have to fight to stay upstream as she goes across. "Thank you."

Louise nods and starts towards the door. It opens and Doyle walks in. He frowns at her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if she needed to relieve herself before you started with her, sir," she answers.

"Good. Now get out. And don't come back unless I order you to or I may be forced to think you are conspiring with her."

Louise starts to shake her head fearfully. "No, sir! No, I'd never! I serve you, sir, as per our agreement!"

"And best you not forget it. Go."

Louise nods and hurries from the room. Doyle closes the door and locks it. He walks over and runs a hand up Emily's leg from her ankle to her hip.

"How you feeling, love?"

"Oh, just peachy. You could make a mint charging for the massages and hospitality you offer here."

He gives her a half grin. "Still got some spunk left in you. Good. I've decided a few of my men have earned a special reward for their service to me. Guess what I'm giving them?"

Emily's face betrays nothing but her stomach twists.

"What? No snarky answer this time? I'm disappointed in you, Emily." He walks over to the fireplace and stokes up the coals. He adds some wood then walks over to the table. "My men all wear my mark. It means I own them. Their lives are mine until I say so. Some women wear my mark, too." He walks back to the fire and shoves a metal stick into the hottest coals. "That means they were mine before I decided to let my men borrow them. Soon, you'll wear that mark, too." He turns and smiles at her. "You're mine, Emily."

"I am my own person. No one owns me. Nothing you can do to me can change that."

"Oh, I don't know about that." He reaches down and pulls out the metal shaft. The end glows red. He turns and shows her the four leaf clover design on it. "My mark. Time to show you just who you belong to, bitch."

Emily struggles against her cuffs. She knows she'll never get out the key concealed in her skin in time. She yanks them hard, trying to snap the chain between them. Doyle just smiles and straddles her stomach. She shakes her head.

"Please, Ian! Don't! Don't do it! Please don't!" she begs.

He grins. "I knew I'd get you to beg."

He stabs the metal down. Emily screams and arches against him as the metal brands her right between her breasts. He holds it there until her skin stops smoking then pulls it off and tosses it to the side. She struggles to get in a breath as the pain is unbearable. Just as she gets her breathing under control, he presses his thumb down into the horrendous red mark.

"NOOOOOOOO! OH, GOD! OH, STOP! NOOOOO!" she screams.

Doyle laughs and gets off of her. He watches as she cries, knowing when she recovers from the pain she'll be humiliated by the tears. He smiles.

"See you later, love."

As he walks out, Emily fights to control her breathing again as well as her tears. She will still kill him. Now she will make him suffer first.

"I'll make you pay for this, Ian fucking Doyle. I'll make you scream!" she vows.

She slides the bandage off her hand. She picks at the scab, as she had done over the past few days to keep the cut fresh. This time, though, she pushes at the subdermal key, forcing it towards the opening. She carefully slides it out, noticing her chest hurt so badly she doesn't feel the pain in her hand she knows she should feel. In moments her hands are separated. She sits up and removes the cuff from her other hand.

"Time to prepare to kill you, Ian. Time for you to die for your sins."

Rossi sits in the chair in front of Hotch's desk. "Straus is in. She said as a show of faith she'll agree to let Picard take advantage of the coalition first. She'll even send an emissary to Gibbs since she is on better terms with him than us."

"Good. And Doyle?"

"He and Foyet are still on the island. Our men captured one of Doyle's and found out he does have Emily and takes pleasure in torturing her throughout the day and night." Hotch winces. "He also confirmed Morgan and the women got their friend across the bridge before it blew. They then disappeared seemingly off the face of the earth. No one can find any sign of them or their trail."

"Then he must be taking them the long way to get back here to stay safe. Probably went north before starting back south."

Rossi shrugs. "Maybe."

Hotch raises an eyebrow. "What the hell does that mean? Do you think he's dead?"

"No. I'm just wondering if he's coming back with them. Or coming back at all."

"He had his orders."

"And you had him leave his best friend to die; the mother of his child," Rossi points out.

Hotch sits up. "WHAT? He was the father?!"

Rossi rolls his eyes. "Who else? She's a lesbian, Aaron. What other man would she sleep with? They were both mourning Elle and turned to each other for comfort. Does that really surprise you?"

Hotch thinks about it a second then stands and begins to pace. "I guess…on some level I knew but…but I didn't know for sure. Why didn't they tell me?"

"You know why," Rossi answers.

Hotch stops and stares at his advisor. "I'd have split them up. I'd have worried they would grow too close and become a threat to my fucking throne. When the fuck did I become a despot?"

"When did Gideon retire?"

Hotch rolls his eyes and nods. "Right. Rossi…Dave…am I doing the right thing with Straus, Picard and Gibbs? Or am I weakening our position and risking the people I lead?"

"There is risk in everything we do and don't do, Aaron. But my opinion is you risk more by not acting than by acting. You are doing this for the greater good. Word will spread you are trying to make things better for your people. They will support you."

"Good." He sits back down. "Send out word: if Morgan comes back alone no one is to go after the women or their friend."

"And Morgan?"

"Will receive my thanks…and my apology. In the meantime, prepare a strike team. Time to go get my daughter back."

Rossi smiles and stands. "Yes, sir." He taps a finger on his desk. "This is the Aaron Hotchner I will be even more proud to serve."

Hotch nods. "Go. She may not have much time."

Rossi nods and leaves, glad to see a fire in Hotch's eyes that had been missing for many years.

JJ is standing watch as the sun reaches the noon mark. She notices movement out of the corner of her eye and snaps her head around. She watches the trees a moment and then sees it again. Someone is watching the old brick church the quartet had taken shelter in. She turns and throws a rock at Morgan.

"Morgan!" she hisses. He sits up immediately. "Someone is in the trees."

He gets up and hurries over to her. Garcia, having heard the movement awakens and sits up. She quickly grabs a gun and moves to the others. Morgan is watching the two men who stare intently at the building.

"I can't see what insignia's they wear. Could be Picard's men patrolling the neutral zone."

"Or it could be Doyle's men looking to drag us back to that psychotic bastard," JJ states.

"Wait here. I'll go out the back and circle through the trees to get behind them. If they are Picard's men I'll talk to them. If they are Doyle's, listen for gunfire."

JJ nods as he grabs his sidearm and the shotgun out of his pack. She turns her attention back to the trees. It's obvious the men know there are people here. She is scared if they are Doyle's they are waiting for reinforcements. There is no way the four of them can hold off a large contingent of fighters.

It seems like forever before she sees Morgan step out of the trees, his hands up as he approaches the men. JJ sighs in relief: so far it looks like it's Picard's men and they should be safe. A few minutes later the three men start towards the building. Morgan has not been disarmed and he appears to be chatting easily with the men. Garcia sighs in relief. JJ is withholding judgment. Finally the men arrive at the church ruins.

"JJ, Garcia, Reid, these are a couple of Picard's men. This is Riker," the dark haired man nods. "And this is Data," the man with lighter brown hair nods.

Garcia grins. "Data? What, did your parents hate you or something?

Riker and Data laugh.

"Uh, it's a nickname. I remember everything I read or hear," the man explains.

Garcia's looks amused and turns to Reid. "Oh, dear God…there are two of you in the world. How frightening!"

JJ can't help but smile. "Good to meet you two. Sorry if we're trespassing. We don't plan to stay long."

Riker nods. "Morgan explained. Do you all need anything? Medical supplies? Food? Anything?"

JJ shrugs. "We have a long journey ahead of us still. I won't turn down anything you wish to spare to us. We don't have anything to trade for it though."

"No problem. We offer it in friendship. Where are you headed?"

"Pennsylvania. A small town in the western part of the state."

"Then we'll be happy to send you away with what you can carry. I'm guessing you'll be traveling for a while," he says with an easy smile.

"At least another week. Maybe longer depending on weather."

"Do you have coats?" Data asks.

"Oilskin jackets," JJ tells him. We'll layer up under them."

"Ah, that will work. They are good at cutting the wind," he notes.

Riker slips his pack off his shoulders. "Here, let's see what we can send you off with."

By the time the two men leave an hour later, JJ, Garcia and Reid have enough rations to get them home with some to spare. They even have some bandages and homeopathic cream for treating cuts. JJ looks at Morgan.

"Want to bet not all the people we run into will be as kind?"

Morgan smiles. "Not taking that bet, Blondie. Get some sleep. I'll take watch until dinner."

JJ agrees and goes to lie on the bench Morgan had napped on. She closes her eyes and focuses her attention on Emily, imagining their future together.

"I love you, Emily. I can't wait to see you again."

Nearby, Garcia hears the words for the wish they are. She draws her fingers through Reid's hair as he sleeps and prays her best friend will not wait forever for a love that never arrives.