Hey guys. Here's another chapter.

Interesting question at the bottom (well I think it's interesting at least).

ENJOY.


Doyle 3

Emily's taken to riding her bike as of late. A calculated decision in the event of a car chase with Doyle. She'd easily be able to outrun him with her bike's speed and slip in between traffic if needed. What she's about to do is another calculated decision. One that she's been putting off in an attempt to avoid feeling empty inside. But she can't put it off any longer. Sean is dead. Tsia is dead. Clyde and her are the only ones left. And she doesn't even know if she can really trust him.

Doyle is getting closer. And doing this means she's one step closer to being Lauren Reynolds again.

She pulls up to the diner and parks her motorcycle. She pulls her helmet off and squints against the morning sun as she looks down the road she just came. She didn't see anyone following her on her ride here. Emily's phone vibrates in her pocket. She pulls it out and looks at the name and message. She puts it back in her pocket.

Emily turns to the window of the diner. The place is a bit crowded. It's not surprising — this place is known for its amazing breakfast. She sees Meg smiling and chatting with a customer. Meg looks up and toward the window. Emily pulls the door open to the diner. Meg looks around the diner and finds a secluded, open table with booth seating against the wall on one side and a chair on the other side.

"Just one, hon?" Meg asks courteously with a smile.

"Yes," Emily answers.

"I can take you back here." Meg points to the booth she spotted. It's not a popular spot because of the wall that leads to the kitchen at the end of the booth. The swinging kitchen door bumps into the wall frequently at especially busy periods at the restaurant.

Meg walks toward the front of the diner. She grabs a menu from the back of the podium near the front door before leading Emily toward her seat.

Emily's phone vibrates again as she's following Mel. She pulls it out and looks. She types back a message.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you at work?" Meg asks as she places the menu down on the table.

Emily places her helmet next to her in the booth. "I need you to do something else for me. I know you're already watching Sergio, but there's no one else I trust with this."

Meg nods before walking away. Emily pulls out her phone again. A new message.

Meg comes back with a glass of water and sets it on the table. She pulls out her notepad. "What is it?"

Emily can't help but smile. "You're really good at this."

"Are you forgetting those dinners and set ups we faked our way through?"

"Oh god. Those were awful."

"So, what do you need? You know I'll do anything for you, Em." Meg says as she pretends to point out some things on the menu.

Wordlessly, Emily pulls off her rings. She places the rings on the table.

"Em," Meg says breathlessly.

Emily's phone vibrates again. She looks at it. "It's a case. I gotta go."

Meg composes herself. She picks up the rings and slips them into her apron pocket for now. "You better come back for them."

"Of course." Emily stands from the table as Meg grabs the menu and holds it in front of her chest tightly.

Emily stands with her back to the front window of the restaurant.

"Keep my things safe, yeah?" Emily says.

"I'm serious, Em. You better come back," Meg demands.

Emily tries to smile. "I gotta go." She grabs her helmet from booth. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Meg responds. She watches Emily leave the diner and mount her bike. She watches as Emily types a response on her phone before putting the phone in her pocket and pulling on her helmet.

Meg watches Emily look up at her through her helmet as she starts the motorcycle and backs away. As she watches Emily make the left turn out of the diner's parking lot, she's struck with a realization:

Emily said "I love you" to her.

While they have been friends for most of their lives, even dating for a bit, and exchanged I love yous countless times, Emily rarely said it first. And Emily's response to Meg's I love yous were often of the "yeah, I know" or "me too" variety with "I love you too" sprinkled in sparsely. Emily had improved greatly in showing affection since Rachel came into her life and Meg knew that Emily's I love yous to Rachel came easily, but that didn't extend to her. And that was fine. She knew Emily loved her. Emily showed her love through actions and had shown that to Meg multiple times over. But Meg couldn't help thinking that her best friend's last words to her were planned.


BAU Bullpen

Derek spots Emily first as she comes in. He rushes up to her and pulls by the arm her over to the kitchen area.

"Where've you been? I've been texting you," he says.

"How could I have missed the thousands of texts you sent me. I woke up late and was stuck in traffic," Emily says as she starts making coffee.

"For two hours?"

"I thought we talked about this."

"What is wrong with you lately?"

"Leave it alone, Morgan." Emily stares at the coffee maker as it bubbles.

"No, seriously. You've been really off and it's affecting everyone."

Emily grabs her mug from the cabinet and slams it on the counter. "Everyone should mind their own damn business, then, shouldn't they?" Emily crosses her arms as she waits.

Derek notices. Her left ring finger is bare. "Where are your rings? Are you and Rachel -"

"Derek." Emily cuts him off.

Garcia walks to them with files in her arms. "Guys," she says slowly as takes stock of the tension. "Conference room."

"Go ahead," Emily tells Morgan. "I'll be there in a minute."

Garcia looks between the two partners not knowing what to make of the situation.

"Fine." Morgan resolves. He walks off offering to hold the files for the tech analyst.

Emily breathes out a small sigh as she stuffs her left hand in her pocket while she pours the freshly brewed coffee into her mug.

She rolls her eyes as her phone vibrates in her pocket. She pulls it out to read the message:

UNKNOWN CALLER: See You Soon.

Emily tries to control her heart rate as she reads the message. There was no mistaking who it was from. Doyle was solely focused on her now. She couldn't be sure if that meant that Clyde was now dead too, but it didn't matter. She was the true loose end for him. This ended with her one way or another.

She stuffs her cell phone back into her pocket. Takes a few deep breaths. And forces her legs forward toward the conference room.


Courtyard

The pit in her stomach tightens, and she knows he's there. Before she hears him or sees him, her gut gives him away. She stiffens when his hand grazes her back.

"Lauren Reynolds." She's finally face to face with him. "Oh, I'm sorry, Lauren Reynolds died in a car accident."

He casually takes the seat across from her.

"What are you doing out here all alone?" Doyle asks smugly.

"I knew you were watching me," Emily says coldly. "Took you long enough. I've been waiting for hours."

"You'll find I'm a patient man."

"Must be a new trait."

"Nothing to do in seven years, but learn patience." He gives her a hard look.

"What do you want?" Emily asks.

"Straight to the point. How Lauren of you." Doyle leans in. "Seriously, what are you doing out here?"

Done playing games, Emily says, "I have a glock leveled at your crotch. What's to stop me from taking you and the little ones out right now?"

"You'd never make it back to your car and you know it."

Emily says nothing. She hates that he's right.

"No one to go home to, huh? Not like Aaron. Or to watch movies with like Penelope and Derek. You didn't even get an invite to games with David and Ashley. Maybe they thought you'd be with Spencer on the train? And yet, here you are alone."

"Come near my team -"

Doyle cuts her off "So my question to you, Emily Prentiss, is what's stopping me from taking you out right now."

"Not your style."

Doyle relaxes back into the chair. "Well, that's true. Old habits I suppose."

He slides a crumbled, gold matchbox with a black four leaf clover across the table.

"You took away the most important thing to me. Now I'm going to take away the most important thing to you. Your life."

He stands from the table and smirks down at her.

"But just to ease your mind. Your team is safe from me. I have no problem with them."

Emily glares up at him. He walks away.

"See you soon, Agent Prentiss." He says over his shoulder.

Emily watches as he gets farther away. Her eyes not moving until he's completely out of her sight.

She takes a couple deep breaths before she stands slowly. She walks backs to her car slowly with her eyes alert as she runs through their conversation.

He didn't mention Rachel. He doesn't know about her. Emily exhales audibly at that realization. She's saved her wife and child. She at least did that. She didn't send them away in vain.


BAU Bullpen

Standing next to her partner as he watches Hotch address the multiple agencies present, it hits her. She knew what she was about to do when she went home and unlocked her safe and flushed that necklace. She knew where it would lead. But it really hits her when she sees all the people assembled to track down Doyle and bring him in.

She doesn't hear a single word Hotch says.

And when she walks out of the bullpen. Away from her team. Away from her family. That's when she knows. Lauren Reynolds is back.


So how's everyone feeling? Everyone ok?

This chapter was an interesting one. Because I felt like I had the Private Life tone again haha. I didn't rewatch these episodes recently because I thought it would confuse me and take away from the Emily I created and I also didn't really want to write the episode cases and such so I used what I remembered. Just imagine the cases happened I guess. Anyway...

Interesting question time: So the girlfriend and I were talking about who I used as the inspiration for Meg. I know who I see as Meg, but who do you guys picture when Meg is on the scene? Let me know in a review. I really want to know.

Thanks for reading.

TVCrazed :)