a/n: I apologize for the almost 3 year delay. All I can say is real life happens. I had a baby, job change and my muse just completely evaporated. To guest who stated that they felt I wrote Matt as a city boy. That was not my intention. I have been rewatching the old series and the thing that jumped out at me was that despite the fact that Cody proved himself capable more than once - even to the point of eluding Matt and the rangers for at least 24 hours - Matt still considers him to be a kid. Thank you though for your review and your input. I appreciate it more than you know.

Beta read by Charmony and Neurogirlgcs15

The next day

"Let's look at the families of the men who are dead." Gideon said. "Garcia what can you tell us about the three men who died in combat and the two who committed suicide?"

"Two of the men who died in combat had families, one did not. One of the suicides had a wife without kids and one was divorced also without kids."

"Ok narrow this to the two who had families. If we don't get anything viable, we'll expand back out." Gideon replied.

"First one is Dwayne Stratton. He was married with two kids who would have been five and two at the time of his death. They were raised by their mother until her death five years later from cancer. They were then raised by their maternal grandparents." Garcia continued typing. "The second is Ross Mickland. He has three children who were in their teens at the time of his death. They live in the New England area now."

Hotch turned to Jesse. "Tell me about these men."

Jesse leaned against Matt's desk with his arms folded across his chest. "Ross was a good man. He and Stan Everly were involved in a helicopter crash that killed both them and the crew of the chopper. After his death, his wife took the kids and went back to Maine where she grew up."

"What about Stratton?" Morgan prompted when Jesse didn't continue.

Jesse sighed heavily. "Dwayne died a hero. He saved three lives with his sacrifice. Mine, Jerry McMasters, and Scott Alexander. Jerry was Lisa's dad." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "The four of us were pinned down. I was set to create a diversion to let the others escape when Dwayne stopped me. He volunteered to do it instead and took off before I could stop him. What I didn't know at the time was that he had been hit badly and knew he probably wasn't going to make it out. Jerry, Scott and I made it out to the evacuation site and radioed for the chopper. Dwayne got there a few minutes later and…" Jesse took a deep breath. "And he died in my arms as the chopper was setting down. I'd lost men under my command before that day but his death hit me harder than any of the others and I ended up leaving the Marines a few months later when my time was up. Jerry got out a couple years later."

"What about his family? Do you know where they are?" Gideon asked.

"No. I didn't even know his wife had died. I tried to stay in contact with his family but Carolyn didn't want anything to do with me. His daughter would be about four years older than Matt."

Garcia took over the narration. "So, the children are Allen and Christine. After their mother died, they were raised by their maternal grandparents, who also established trust funds for the kids. Each could access their fund when they turned twenty-five. Allen is thirty-two and Christine is twenty-nine. I'm not finding any job information for either of them, but they do have California driver's licenses. I'm sending pictures and contact information to you guys."

Gideon pulled up the information on Matt's computer and quickly printed out the pictures. He pinned them up on the rangers' information board.

"Thanks Garcia."

"You're welcome as always. Be safe my lovelies." Garcia signed off as the BAU team gathered around the pictures along with all of the rangers except for Hart and Izzy, who were scouting around Jesse's cabin.

"Jesse? How did Lisa's parents die?" Prentiss asked suddenly.

"They were out on the lake when an electrical shortage in the engine caused a fire and an explosion. Jerry, his wife Marleen and their son Stephen were killed. If Lisa hadn't been in the water at the time, she would have been killed as well. As it was, she was hit with some of the debris from the boat," Jesse answered.

"An accident like that could be faked very easily with the right knowledge," Morgan pointed out.

"All you would need is to know which wires to cut or cross," Avila added.

"What does Lisa remember about the accident?" Hotch asked.

"Not much," Jesse answered. JJ nodded in agreement.

"She seemed really hesitant to talk about it. I'd guess either because she was young when it happened, or because she feels survivor's guilt."

"She's never really talked about it. I'd only been on the team for about three months when it happened and I'll never forget the moment that Pierce brought her to the station. She'd been checked out by the paramedics on the scene and didn't appear to be badly hurt, so the cops took her to the police station. She was in such a state of shock that she'd only really nodded yes and no to questions. Merlin saw her sitting in the corner of the station while the officers were trying to figure out who they should call. Debating if they were calling social services or whatever. He said there was just something in her eyes that made him decide to bring her here. At least it was better than the police station. She walked in the door, saw me, wailed my name and threw herself into my arms. She was still in her wetsuit from going tubing out on the lake. I had known that there was an accident out on the water, but until that moment I didn't know that her family was involved. I took her up to Dad's cabin and that's where she's lived ever since." Matt finished the story. "Lisa has an older sister that lives in Oregon but due to some medical issues, she wasn't able to care for her, so Jerry and Dad had an agreement that Dad would take Lisa in if need be."

"Matt contacted me on the radio and explained what happened before flying up to the cabin with Avila. A few months later, it was official that Lisa was my ward."

"And this was four years ago?" Gideon confirmed.

Jesse nodded, "Yes. At the time, there was an investigation but it was ruled an accident."

Hotch glanced over at Gideon. "We need to get a copy of that report." The older agent nodded.

"I'll put in a call to Sheriff McBride," Cutler said. "I need to call the rental companies again anyway. They were supposed to send over that information about the cabins and I haven't seen it yet." He left the room in order to make the call. The room was silent for a few minutes.

"If our perps are Allen and Christine, they've certainly waited a long time to make a move," Morgan observed thoughtfully.

"We also don't have a clear motive," Reid answered.

"Could they be blaming you for their father's death?" Gideon asked Jesse.

Jesse shrugged, "It's possible I suppose. I never really knew Carolyn well, and she was understandably angry after Dwayne's death. She moved away and I never heard from her again."

"McBride said he can pull a copy of the report for us. We just need to come and get it." Cutler said as he rejoined the group. "I just got a call from one of the rental companies. Sounds like they have a long-term tenant that fits our parameters. I'll get a copy of the application paperwork."

"They should have a copy of the driver's license the renter used," Matt remarked.

"Good. We can compare it to the one that Garcia sent us," Hotch answered.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." Cutler threw on a jacket and hurried out the door.

"Dad, did Dwayne receive any awards for his actions?" Matt suddenly asked.

Jesse nodded. "Yes, he did. He was awarded a silver star since he succumbed to his injuries while saving the rest of our group. He also had a full military funeral." He frowned at his son. "What are you thinking?"

Matt sighed, "If Carolyn died and they were raised by their grandparents, is it possible that they weren't told any of this? What if the grandparents had a reason to dislike Dwayne?"

Reid spoke up, "That's actually a statistically plausible theory. Especially since it's the maternal grandparents. If they didn't like the man that their daughter married, or if they didn't like the fact he was in the military, they may have influenced the children."

"Morgan, call Garcia with the updated information. Have her start looking into the grandparents. Find out if they could have influenced Allen and Christine into wanting revenge." Hotch glanced over at Jesse. "I want to talk to Lisa. We need to know what she remembers."

Jesse stiffened slightly, squarely meeting the BAU team leader's gaze. "She's worried about her brother and you're talking about making her relive a traumatic period of time."

"We'll be gentle. Look, I don't want to see her hurt any more than you do but if there's anything that she can tell us that will help, we need to know about it." Hotch turned to the rest of his team. "JJ you go and see what she can tell us."

"At least have the decency to bring her here," Jesse said in an acidic tone. "You know, as her guardian, I could stop you from talking to her."

"But you won't," Gideon answered quietly. "Because as much as you don't want her to have to relive her parents' death, you know it's something we have to ask her about." He met Jesse's gaze directly but without animosity, allowing his own feelings to shine through the look.

Jesse studied the man for a moment before suddenly realizing that he understood not only because of his job, but also because he had been in the same situation at some point. The former ranger made a mental note to ask about it after the case was over.

"Hart just radioed in. He and Izzy are finishing up. I'll have them pick up Lisa on the way back here," Matt interjected. Hotch nodded.

"Alright then, we'll interview her here."

A couple hours later

Lisa stared at the FBI agents. "Wait, are you telling me that the same person who hurt Cody killed my family?"

Prentiss sighed softly. "That's our theory. We just don't have any solid proof yet," she said. "Maybe you can help us. Can you tell me anything about the day your parents were killed?"

Lisa glanced over at Jesse, clearly uneasy. "We were out on the lake doing some tubing. The water is always super cold, so we were wearing wet suits. It was my turn to be on the tube so I jumped in the water and swam out to it. Then everything just exploded."

"Do you remember seeing anyone hanging around the boat before you left?" Prentiss asked.

Lisa shook her head. "No. Dad had gone down to the dock before we did so he was already in the boat by the time that we got there." The teenager wrapped her arms around her middle, staring at the floor. "I just remember getting on the boat and pulling away from the shore to head out into the lake." She pressed her lips together, clearly trying to keep her emotions under control. "Steven kept joking about how he was going to flip me off the tube when he was driving the boat and then when I was getting ready to jump in the water, he acted like he was going to push me in before I was ready. We were laughing and goofing off and then the next moment, everything changed. I…I couldn't…..." her voice broke and she trailed off her sentence. "I need some air. I'm sorry," she whispered as she fled the room.

JJ sighed softly. "Well, it was worth a try. Now what?"

"We wait for Cutler to get back with the information from your sheriff and the rental company he was visiting," Hotch answered just as quietly.

Lisa paced the porch of the station, her steps jerky and her breathing ragged. She brushed tears from her cheeks as she tried to focus her thoughts. She trembled as she remembered the terror from that afternoon as well as the sudden relief she had felt when she had seen Matt. She was so preoccupied with her memories that she didn't notice Cutler pulling into the parking lot with the information he had gathered.

"Hey Lisa," he said as he walked up the steps. "Are you okay?" he asked as he noted the wet streaks on her cheeks. The teen shook her head.

"No."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Cutler enquired gently.

Lisa sighed. "They want me to tell them about the day of the accident. I've tried before but it's so overwhelming that I just can't. All I really remember is the heat of the explosion, then voices and shouting. Someone pulled me out of the water and onto a boat. Everything's a blur after that. The ambulance, the police officers, Ranger Pierce and finally seeing Matt. I wasn't even conscious of running to him until his arms were around me and I knew I was safe."

Cutler put his arm around the girl. "It's ok, Lisa. You're doing the best you can. I promise you that no one is mad that you don't really remember."

"Are you sure?" Lisa asked softly.

"Absolutely," Tim said from behind her. He joined the other two at the railing of the porch. "Sometimes our mind forgets things that are too traumatic for us to remember. It's our brain's way of protecting us." His gaze drifted across the yard toward the road. "There was a kid that lived just down the street from me. One day he ran out into the road after his basketball and this car came out of nowhere. When the police talked to me, I couldn't remember the color of the car or what the driver looked like."

"Tim's right. This is some pretty heavy stuff. Even for us." Cutler held up the envelope. "Now I need to get this inside to the rest of the team."

Lisa sighed, staring at the railing. "I just feel so useless. If I could remember maybe I could help Cody but I.." she trailed off not even knowing how to finish the sentence.

"I get it kiddo," Tim said quietly as he looked out across the parking lot. He noticed a brown car parked just up the road and frowned slightly as an odd feeling of déjà vu swept over him.

Inside the station, Prentiss stared out the window, studying the teenager's body language from behind. She vaguely registered Cutler relaying the rental information to the rest of teams as she continued to survey the scene outside.

"Emily?" She turned as Reid called her name, taking a quick step towards her younger colleague. Suddenly a sharp report sounded and the window next to her fragmented with a cracking sound. Everyone in the room involuntarily ducked as more shots rang out followed by the sound of squealing tires. Matt was the first one to the door, his sidearm in hand as he ran outside. He cleared most of the steps in one quick jump and knelt in the parking lot where Lisa lay on her side with Hart in a protective stance over her.

"What the heck just happened?" the ranger snapped.

"Someone tried to shoot at Lisa. I didn't get a good look at the driver because I was trying to drag Lisa out of the line of fire, but I think it was a woman." Tim said hurriedly. "She took off down highway four."

Matt issued rapid orders. "Hart, and Cutler take bikes and follow her. Avila get the bird in the air and find me an overhead view. Robin, take Lisa, go to the hospital and stay there. Izzy coordinate from here." The group scattered with Hart and Cutler gunning the bikes after the car Hart had seen.

Robin took his place, pulling the still frightened teenager into her arms. Matt held her eyes with his own.

"No one gets past you. No one." The ranger commander's voice was as hard as anyone had ever heard it.

The female ranger nodded, knowing that Matt was entrusting not only Lisa's care to her, but also Cody's and his mother's. "I'll keep them safe," she vowed firmly.

Matt nodded before racing to a truck and taking off after the other rangers. Jesse jumped into the passenger seat just before his son hit the gas sending the truck speeding down the road. Hotch and several of his agents also took off, falling in behind the rangers' vehicles.

Robin looked down at the girl in her arms. Lisa's face was streaked with tears and she trembled uncontrollably. "Are you hurt sweetie?"

Lisa shook her head. "Tim knocked me down. He was protecting me. Why was someone shooting at me?"

"I don't know honey but let's get over to the hospital, okay?" Robin helped the girl to her feet and walked to one of the remaining trucks.

"I'll come with you." JJ said as she and Reid joined them.

Once they were en route, JJ turned to Reid. "If this was Christine then this was a major change in their MO."

Reid nodded. "More likely she's been following her brother's lead. For some reason she decided to act on her own. We won't know more until we talk to her."

"But why me? What does she have against me?" Lisa asked.

"It has to have something to do with their dad's death. We just don't know what their motivation could be." The young doctor glanced over at the teen. "Again, we just don't have enough information."

A few minutes later Robin pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. Everyone hurried inside, making their way to the ICU. Tucker Evans met them at the door, the deputy having been alerted by a call from Izzy, who had remained at the station to coordinate as the chase progressed.

"No one's been in or out other than the medical staff."

"Thanks Tucker." Robin slipped into the room. Jackie was standing near Cody's bedside with a concerned look on her face.

"Robin what's happening? Officer Evans ran in here and stood guard at the door," she asked quickly.

"We think the people responsible for Cody's injuries just tried to take a shot at Lisa. Matt, Jesse and the others are in pursuit as we speak."

Jackie turned pale and held out her arms to Lisa. The teen hugged her tight, obviously still shaken from her ordeal. "Are you hurt?"

Lisa shook her head. "No, Tim knocked me to the ground just as the shooting started."

Jackie looked over at Robin and the FBI agents. "First Cody, now Lisa. You can't tell me this was an accident. Who's trying to kill my children?" she asked determinedly.

JJ glanced over at Reid who shrugged. "Mrs. Hawkes, we think it's someone who may hold a grudge against your husband. Does the name Dwayne Stratton mean anything to you?" the young doctor asked.

Jackie frowned slightly. "Dwayne Stratton? He was one of Jesse's Marines and he was killed just before Jesse left the service. Jess always blamed himself but from the way he tells the story, there wasn't anything he could have done."

"Do you know anything about his family?" Reid asked.

"No. I'm sorry I don't."

Just then the door opened and a nurse plus two others slipped in the room. Jackie's frown turned into a faint smile.

"Hi Connie. Hi Danny. Is it time?"

"Yep. It's time." The nurse glanced around the room. "Normally we'd ask everyone to leave but I know you guys have some extenuating circumstances going on. Are we interrupting anything? If so, we can come back later."

"What's happening?" Robin asked.

"We're going to take that breathing tube out and see how Cody does. We've been able to wean down the ventilator and turn off his sedation medication."

Robin nodded. "We were just updating Jackie on some new developments so you guys do whatever you need to do."

"I don't want to watch this," Lisa suddenly whispered as the medical staff moved into position.

JJ glanced over at the girl then back at Reid. "Lisa, why don't you, Dr. Reid and I go into the hallway? That way your brother has some privacy but you're not alone."

Lisa nodded as a look of relief came over her face and the trio quickly left the room as Jackie turned to Robin.

"Do you mind staying? If Jesse were here…"

The ranger smiled gently. "Of course, I'll stay." She turned to the medical staff. "I'm a paramedic so you don't have to worry about me."

Connie nodded. "Okay let's do this then." She indicated one of the two people with her. "This is Ashley. She's a local nursing student observing in ICU today and you already know Danny our respiratory therapist." Introductions completed, she leaned over the bed.

"Cody? We're going to get that tube out. We're going to make you cough first so just bear with us."

Robin watched intently, noticing that while Cody didn't verbally respond, he did seem to be turning his head toward the nurse's voice. "Has he been responding?" she murmured softly to Jackie.

"Sort of. He's been shifting his arms and feet some and he'll kind of turn his head towards voices. He hasn't followed commands or opened his eyes yet though." Jackie murmured back.

Robin nodded her understanding even as her attention remained on the process in front of her. Jackie shuddered beside her and she put her arm around the older woman's shoulders.

"Okay Cody, we're going to pull the tube out now." Connie and Danny swiftly removed the tube from the teen's mouth before replacing it with some oxygen tubing. The young man turned his head and for a brief moment his eyes opened before closing again. His mother gasped softly.
"Did he just open his eyes?" she asked in disbelief.

"He sure did. That's a great sign," Connie replied reassuringly. "But don't be surprised if he doesn't open them again for a while. This process takes time." The medical staff left the room, leaving the two women alone.

Jackie trembled, almost too overcome with emotion to speak. Robin rubbed her back as she fought back the tears. "I was afraid I'd never see him open his eyes again," she finally murmured. "I've lost so much time with him thqt I was afraid I'd lost any chance of a real relationship with my son."

"I know," the ranger smiled. She glanced down as her phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her pocket, recognizing Matt's number. "It's Matt," she said quietly as she headed for the hallway. Lisa slipped past her back into the room as she left. "Hey Matt. What's the status of the chase?"

"We caught her. It was Christine after all. She's being taken to the sheriff's department as we speak. Has there been any sign of Allen?"

"No. I haven't seen anyone other than the medical staff. I don't think Agents Jareau or Reid have either." She caught Reid's eyes as she spoke and he shook his head. "No, Allen hasn't been here."

"Ok. Hey hold on a second." Matt's voice suddenly sounded muffled as if he had covered the speaker with his hand. "Hotch wants Reid and JJ to come to the sheriff's department to help with the interrogation. I just hope they can get her to talk."

"I'll pass the message along." Robin assured him. "Hey would you like a little piece of good news?" she asked hearing the defeat in his voice.

"Sure," Matt replied dejectedly.

"They just took Cody off the ventilator and he briefly opened his eyes." A soft inhalation was her only indication that her boss had heard her. He was silent so long that she was almost afraid he had hung up. "Matt?"

"He's breathing on his own?" he whispered shakily.

"Yeah. His nurse said the waking up process is going to take time but he's moving around and he opened his eyes for a moment."

"Thank God," Matt murmured. He blinked back the tears of relief. Somehow it suddenly seemed as if the task before him wasn't quite as daunting as it had been. "Stay there until we're done with the interrogation. Then we'll plan the next step."

"Sounds good. Keep me posted." Robin hung up and turned to the FBI agent still standing nearby. "Matt said that Hotch wants you two to head over to the sheriff's office. They caught Christine."

Reid frowned. "But that will leave you without a vehicle."

"It's ok. I'll just call the others when I need to leave. Besides, Jesse will be back soon anyway." She handed over the keys.

The young doctor nodded before he and JJ headed down the hall and away from the ICU.

Matt took a deep breath to steady his nerves as he slipped into the interrogation room at the police station. Hotch was seated in front of the table across from Christine while Morgan and Greg leaned against the wall.

"Where is your brother Christine?"

Christine narrowed her eyes at the question but remained silent. Her gaze shifted to the ranger as he joined Morgan and Greg. A slight sneer touched her mouth as she watched him.

"Christine, you're looking at multiple counts of attempted murder. Now, I don't think you acted on your own. Tell us where Allen is and we can help you."

The woman looked at Hotch as if he were a child barely worthy of her notice, let alone a response. Then her eyes flicked back to the tall blonde in the back of the room. Morgan noticed her focus and nudged Matt.

"She's fixating on you. She can't help it. See if she'll answer you,"

Matt blinked several times, trying to process what the agent had said. Normally he and the rangers didn't take part in interrogations, although they certainly had the credentials to do so. Hotch turned to look at him as well, before indicating for him to take the seat next to the unit chief. He slowly sat down, trying not to let the nervousness show through his composure.

"Where is Allen, Christine? Where is your brother?" he finally posed the question to the woman sitting across the table.

Christine smiled an evil smile. "Why are you worried about my brother? It's your brother you should be concerned with." She shifted in her seat, the handcuff clinking softly against the table's edge.

"Cody is safe." Matt spoke with more confidence than he felt.

"You just think he's safe. Allen will finish what he started."

Matt paused to collect his thoughts. Finally, he asked the burning question that was on everyone's mind. "Why Christine? Why are you targeting my family?"

Christine's eyes grew angry. "You have the nerve to ask me that? After your father left mine to rot?!" The woman's voice grew louder until she was nearly screaming. "Your father is the reason I don't remember mine. It was sheer dumb luck that your brother survived that fall. He may have lived but you won't. Allen is going to kill you and unlike Cody, it won't be quick. He's going to make sure you suffer." Hotch stiffened, prepared to act if she lunged at the ranger.

Matt was hard pressed to keep his face calm and his temper under control. "Christine, your father wasn't left behind. He died a hero. He sacrificed himself to save the other members of his unit."

"Is that what daddy dearest told you?" Christine sneered. "Well let me tell you something. You won't make it out of this alive Matthew Hawkes. My brother will make sure of it. And after you're dead, he'll finish off Cody as well." With that she leaned back in her chair and refused to say anything else. Finally, Hotch signaled for her to be taken back to her cell.

Matt wilted, burying his face in his hands once she was gone. His stomach was churning at the callous and almost cavalier attitude he had just witnessed. He knew his job was dangerous, but to have his life threatened in such a violent manner simply because of a perceived wrong was an entirely different matter.

"Don't dwell on what she said. It will only distract you from doing your job." Hotch placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"I know that. It's just the way that she speaks of murder as if it were some mundane task. She doesn't have any remorse."

"Psychopathic tendencies. I wouldn't be surprised if her brother is the same way." Hotch said quietly. "Someone has filled them with hate and a need for vengeance."

"It has to be the grandparents." Gideon slipped into the room. "The mother died while they were children and it would be unusual for this level of anger to come from that far back." He sat down in the chair that Christine had vacated. "Reid said your brother is awake enough to come off the ventilator."

Matt nodded. "Robin told me just before I came in here. I didn't even get a chance to tell my dad."

"JJ and Reid told him. He's waiting for you outside." Gideon smiled gently. "You don't have to do this, Matt. Go see your family."

"The rangers are my responsibility. They're my team." Matt's words sounded flat even to him.

"And so is your family. Jesse said Tim is your second in command. Let him work with us and we'll find Allen. Go be with your brother."

For a moment, Matt considered reminding the agent that technically he wasn't in their chain of command, but the desire to see Cody's condition for himself eventually won out. "Will you keep me posted?"

"Of course." Gideon watched as the young commander left the room before turning to the other agents. "He's young but he's tough. He's held up remarkably well for someone who is the target of a serial killer."

"Jesse raised him that way. Raised both of them that way," Greg replied. "They needed to be tough to survive on that mountain."

Hotch rose to his feet. "We need to get back to the information Cutler brought in and figure out where Christine and Allen have been hiding all this time. Morgan, send everything he had to Garcia and get her researching the area. Let's find Allen before he has a chance to make his sister's words come true." Hotch issued the orders as the four men headed down the hall. "Now that Christine is in custody, he's going to be a loose cannon."