Aubrey woke up the next morning, elated she was in Derek's arms still and happy that it hadn't all just been a dream. But when she checked her phone for the time, she jolted Derek awake with her fast movement. As she stared at her phone, Derek asked groggily, "What?"

"Something went down at the jail where they're holding Henry. Apparently they got wind of his crime and decided to try and beat up on him. He shanked one of them, killing one of them but he was almost killed himself. They've moved the trial to two days from now so they can either kick him out or move him to another facility," Aubrey said, gripping her phone.

"No, you mean just move him to another facility, because that creep is not getting out if I can help it," Derek said, sitting up in the bed as he put his arms loosely around Aubrey's waist. He kissed her head and told her, "Don't you worry about it, okay? He's all but convicted."

"But what if they let him out in a few years? He knows where I am now, Der, I can't..."

Derek kissed Aubrey, then pulled away from her and met her eyes. He smiled easily at her and told her, "He knows you're with me, and that should keep him away for a very, very long time if he knows what's good for him."

Aubrey looked over at Derek, but before she could voice any more of her doubts, both of their phones began ringing. They gave each other a tired look before Derek answered his call and Aubrey went to go get ready for another story of a psycho.

When they arrived at the BAU only an hour later, she wasn't disappointed. Some guy in Florida had gone on a spree, torturing and then drowning two women and was thought to be possibly more as the guy had visibly snapped. There was something JJ was holding back, although Aubrey couldn't pinpoint it exactly until Gideon asked curiously, "Where is this occurring?"

JJ pressed her lips together and looked over at Hotchner, who turned his eyes on Aubrey. She winced and said, "Tampa, right?"

"Everyone, please get ready to board the plane. Aubrey, I'd like you to stay here for the time being," Hotchner said as the room cleared out. Only Gideon remained where he was, and Hotchner surprisingly didn't chastise him or ask him to leave. Derek was the last one out, closing the door behind him and keeping his eye on Aubrey through the window of the Round Table room.

Hotchner turned to look back at Aubrey and she asked, "What did I do this time?"

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to be involved," Hotchner said. Aubrey stared at him, and he pointed to the file. "It's a little similar to your own case."

"Which makes me perfect for the job," Aubrey said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at Hotchner like a rebellious teen eyeing her father. "Hotch, you can't keep me from every young guy raping girls, okay? That would be the equivalent of firing me, and you know I'm too good to be let go even if I have a past that I'd rather keep under wraps."

"I think it'd be good closure for her if she went," Gideon piped up, surprisingly on Aubrey's side. Aubrey looked over at him thankfully, then turned back to Hotchner, self-righteous.

"If you start becoming too involved, or if I see you beginning to fray..."

"I'll pull her out," Derek said, butting back into the room and the conversation as he put a protective arm around Aubrey's waist. He gave Hotchner one of his trustful smiles and said, "You know that she'll be fine with me, Hotch."

Hotchner pursed his lips, but finally caved. "Fine."

Giving Derek a thankful look, they all headed to the airplane and made it to Florida in just a few hours. They spent the entirety of the first day trying to figure out where their UnSub, a man named Mark Gregory, had gone off to with his newest victim. They had found a body in Georgia matching his MO and were told of a failed drowning attempt in South Carolina, which led them to believe he was somewhere in the Appalachian states and their neighbors.

On the second day, the team split up, a caravan going to each state. Hotchner went to South Carolina, Elle and JJ went to Georgia, and Derek and Aubrey were sent to Tennessee, where the UnSub had once lived, while Reid and Gideon stayed behind in Florida to talk with the father of the UnSub and see what environment had triggered his spree.

When they got into the car and hit the interstate, Aubrey felt herself able to breathe again. Being in the same town where she had been through her own tragedy had been suffocating her, and she was glad to get out.

"Well, I mean, this could be fun. You know, a road trip and everything," Aubrey said as she rested her feet on the dashboard. Derek grabbed her hand on the console, and Aubrey smiled over at him as he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. Aubrey sighed and said, "I know we're technically on a case, but it's nice to get away from the office and everybody tiptoeing around me there."

"Why do you think I always ask for the field work?" Derek said, chuckling. "I'm glad it's just the two of us, though. It's a nice change."

"I think everybody just wants us out. I think we make them a little sick, mostly because we remind them of the unsuccessful relationships if they're even a part of one," Aubrey said. Derek laughed and brushed his thumb over the back of Aubrey's hand.

"You know what a road trip means, though, right?" Derek asked. Aubrey looked over at him with a curious smile, shaking her head. Derek smiled at her suggestively and said, "Lots of car sex."

Aubrey laughed, taking her hand out of Derek's to smack his arm. "Tone it down, Der."

He turned back to look at the road, while Aubrey fell asleep in the passenger's seat beside him. She woke halfway through and switched places with him, driving until they reached Copperhill, Tennessee, following clues regarding his past in which he was involved in a car accident where his mother died. Considering he was slowly unraveling, they were willing to bet every inch of intelligence they had on Mark being at Rocky Creek, but protocol kept them separated at different locations for the time being.

After calling in his location to the local police, Aubrey and Derek went to Rocky Creek themselves and found the most recent car Mark had believed to had stolen. When they searched inside, they found his newest victim's wallet and belongings thrown into the back seat.

In a flash, Aubrey had turned and sprinted for the Creek. Derek raced after Aubrey, who must've set a world record as she descended down upon the lake where Gregory was keeping his victim underwater. Gregory raised a pipe to hit the girl over the head and finish her off, but Aubrey raised her gun and said, "You move two inches and I shoot you between the eyes."

Gregory looked up in confusion, probably surprised he had been caught. The officers and Derek caught up with Aubrey and raised their guns as well as Gregory flinched, and Derek shot him in the chest. Aubrey rushed forward to pull the girl out of the water, wrapping her arms around her and consoling her while the officers descended down upon Gregory.

After filling out all the necessary paperwork back at the station, they were finally allowed to drive back to Florida. As expected, Aubrey didn't say a word on the ride home. Derek let Aubrey stew in her silence, knowing she would talk when she felt comfortable with it.

Sure enough, she did.

"I probably shouldn't... but thank you for killing Gregory. Guys like him don't deserve to live in fear that they go on probation years from now and go out killing again. People like him won't ever stop," Aubrey said, looking out the window. Derek pulled the car over and put it in park, looking over at his girlfriend, who didn't turn to look at him.

"Bree," he whispered, reaching over to touch her gently. She turned back to look at him and he saw the tears welling up in her eyes. Derek motioned to the back seat as they both crawled back, and Derek sat with his back on the door, his legs open as Aubrey crawled between them, hiding her face in Derek's neck as he held her, rubbing her back and shushing her.

They finally crawled back into the front seats, and Derek drove the whole entire way home, letting Aubrey sleep or stare out the window as he held her hand comfortingly on the console. When they made it back to Florida, she got back onto the plane, realizing what she would have to face the next day: the trial.

It was time to face her demons once again.