A/N: Eeks! I haven't updated this one in forever. Remember when I was saying that I wanted to finish this before the season 7 premiere… that's hilarious! Anyways, not sure if I warned you guys before or not, but I'm a horrible updater… lol, but, I'm guessing you guys are already figuring that out. Something else I'm horrible at, case fics, and I'm just realizing now that this whole story was my attempt (first) at a sort-of case. So, I'll hope you forgive me if some of the details just don't flow. I'm really trying I swear. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this long overdue chapter. Please let me know what you think, even if it is just to tell me how much I suck at updating or case-fics. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds.

Chapter 26: Emily/JJ/Morgan:

Emily glanced at Morgan; he gave her a reassuring look before the hostage negotiator handed her the phone. They'd called the house and as predicted Doyle asked to speak with her and her only.

She was extra nervous for some reason. Emily realized it was all because the stakes had just been raised. Her fears had come true. The thing she'd wanted to avoid from the very beginning of this whole mess had happened. Ian actually had one of her friends. Now, anything she did wrong, a single slip up, could turn very bad, very fast for her young friend.

"Hel… lo," she stuttered into the phone.

Another glance at Morgan had her gaining strength from his wordless glance. He was there for her; he would be there for her no matter what.

"Emily," Doyle said in what he probably believed was a pleasant voice. To her, it was a voice that she'd come to despise.

"Ian, Ian, Ian, did you get lost?" she patronized. "This isn't my apartment. You kept me waiting, Ian… you know how much I don't like that…"

The hostage negotiator glanced at her nervously. She supposed she was probably doing things completely off script, but she knew what she was doing.

"Let Ashley go; you know she isn't the one you want, the one you… need."

Her skin crawled at her use of a provocative tone and she could see by the grimace on Derek's face that he was none to pleased either.

"Enough," Doyle growled out. That he was showing his temper showed that his patience was thoroughly tried. She would definitely need to go slow.

"You know what I want," he continued. "Declan, brought to me, now. I want my son. Only when we're out of the country safely will I let this one go."

She made eye contact with Derek, his eyes were telling her he so wanted this done with. So did she.

"Ian, you know I can't bring him here—"

"Then she dies, here, now," he shouted into the phone.

Emily flinched when she heard the young agent whimper in the background. What had he done to her?

"Ian," she said firmly, so as to regain his attention and take it off of Seaver. "I can't bring him to you, but I can take you to him…"

"What!" Derek exclaimed.

She shot him a look, holing out a hand for him to wait, to trust her. Derek closed his mouth but continued to look at her unhappily.

"All right," Doyle said after a long pause.

"Not so fast, Ian; if I do this, you need to give me something in return," she requested. "We're going to make a trade, me for her."

She trailed off waiting for him to agree to the no-brainer of a deal.

"Fine," she heard him say through gritted teeth.

"I'll be inside in two minutes," she finished, hanging up the phone.

The minute she was off an angry Derek rushed her, grabbing hold of her shoulders. "I'm not letting you go in there, this is crazy!"

"Derek," she replied. "This is the only way to finally end this once and for all."

"What, with your life? Emily, there's got to be another way," Derek pleaded with her, angrily.

"Trust me, Derek, please," Emily in turn pleaded.

He let go of her then, stepping back. He looked stricken, but resigned. She hated doing this to him, but it was the only way.

JJ glanced at Hotch's anxious face as he spoke into the phone. He'd moved off to the side so as to have some privacy. The minute he hung up, though, she was at his side.

"What's going on? Who was that?" she quickly asked.

He was frowning. She didn't have a good feeling about this.

"Let's move to the others. They need to hear this as well," he said instead.

She nodded and followed when he went to join the other team members who were huddled together.

"What's going on Hotch?" Reid demanded, his tone, uncharacteristically hostile. JJ knew that they'd done that to him. They'd caused Reid to go on the attack.

"Emily has decided to confront Doyle," Hotch told the group.

"What? Is she completely psycho?" Garcia exclaimed.

"She wants this finished," Rossi spoke up in understanding.

"Yes," Hotch agreed.

JJ got it too. Until Doyle was caught or killed, Emily knew that she'd never have a chance at a normal life.

"Here's what I know," Hotch started. "Emily, her marshals and a joint force from the Department of Defence and the CIA organized some plan to lure Doyle out."

"Only it went wrong when Doyle decided to kidnap Ashley, am I right?" Rossi questioned.

Hotch nodded his head. "Now, they're outside of Seaver's house. Emily has just offered herself up in Ashley's place," he continued to tell them.

They all went silent with this news. JJ could only imagine what this was doing to them. To impossibly have her back only to have this news thrown in their faces, that in the next twenty minutes they could potentially lose her again… it was just gut wrenching. JJ knew that she herself was barely holding it together.

"Oh and somehow, and I'm still unclear on the how, Derek is with them," Hotch added.

As the team made their comments and speculated on the how, JJ breathed a private sigh of relief. She'd known they'd find their way to each other. It didn't matter how. It only mattered that he was with her during this trying time. And JJ knew that Derek would do anything he could to keep Emily safe.

Though the situation was desperate JJ somehow had a good feeling about things. Everything would work out. Because there was no alternative option.

Derek shook his head as he watched Emily slip herself into a bullet proof vest. He couldn't' believe her; this was exactly what he'd meant by not doing something crazy. And then she goes and does it.

If they were ever to be together as a real couple in the future they would have to do some serious talking first. Maybe get some therapy. That is if she survived this.

She shot him a look and a brief wave as she marched her way up the walk way.

Derek felt the need to speak into the comm.-link they'd set up.

"Emily," he murmured.

"Yeah," he heard in his ear.

He knew everyone else was also tuned into this conversation but didn't care.

"If you get yourself killed in there, I'm so going to kill you," he said tersely.

She laughed. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind…"

And then she was at the door and going inside. That's when Derek's heart began to race.

Hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think!

Thanks to all my readers and reviewers: Hotch Fan; mindspsychoaddict; ChocoboMuffins; CriminalMindsWhore; JJandHotch4ever96; and Jotchprossi18.

I'll try to update soon.