* The 2015 Profiler's Choice Awards are on! Calling all CM readers and Authors! Join us in the annual Profiler's Choice CM Awards; help us choose the best of the best Criminal Minds fanfiction and let your voice be heard. Check out the nomination ballot and rules at the Profilers Choice Awards 2015 Forum. All rules and information can be found there. Nominations begin November 14, 2015 and end December 31, 2015 (please note: ballots received before November 14 will not be counted. Thank you). All entries with ten (10) or more categories filled out are eligible to win an Amazon gift card!

**That was their blurb, now here's mine: Here's the address for the forum: topic/ 184590/ 142286454/1/ Profilers-Choice-Awards-2015. [Remember, take out the spaces and the parentheses, and type a '.' instead of 'dot' .] There you will find any and all information about the awards. I'll try to remind you all again once nominations are open. (you know, in case you want to nominate anyone in particular) *cough, cough, hint, hint

Chapter 59

Hotch was about to rush into the trees to try and track the unsub who had turned into a bird, but a moan stopped him in his tracks and he changed back as he remembered James. He turned and saw the bleeding man sprawled out on the ground, so he rushed to him instead. He quickly bent and put pressure on the man's neck, but James shook his head. "No! Go after that son of a bitch!"

"But I can't leave you. You're going to bleed out," Hotch insisted as he had to fight back the vampire in him as blood flowed over his hands.

James stilled and closed his eyes for a couple seconds and then looked at Hotch and smiled a weak smile. "Go. My family's coming."

"But. . ."

"Go. I'll be fine! Only silver can kill me, remember?"

Hotch winced and then looked toward the sky where the bird had flown.

"Go, Agent Hotchner! You're the only one who has a chance against that thing. I thought I could. . ." He sighed as he wilted onto the ground even further. "I'm sorry I couldn't help."

Hotch shook his head. "You tried. I'm sorry he hurt you. I thought I could. . ."

"No! You saved me. He would have killed me." Hotch's confused look made the man shrug. "He had silver, I could sense it."

Hotch's brows furrowed even deeper. "How can he use silver? Wouldn't it hurt him?"

James took a deep breath. "He probably wouldn't have even felt it as strong as he is."

Hotch licked his lips as his eyes danced around as he considered the man's words. "Does that mean silver won't even kill it?"

James shook his head. "It still will if you can get into his heart." He took a deep breath. "So go. I'll be alright," he insisted as he pushed Hotch away from him.

Hotch bit his lip, nodded, and then stood up. "Your family's coming for sure?"

James closed his eyes for a few seconds and then smiled as he looked at Hotch. "They'll be here in a couple of minutes. Go! Stop him from hurting that little girl!"

Hotch ran a hand across the back of his neck. "He's had to hide her somewhere close."

James's eyes widened as a thought hit him. "There are some old ruins to the northeast. There're a few caves and such, too. That would be the perfect place to hide her."

Hotch nodded as he looked in that direction, which was exactly the direction the unsub had escaped to. "I'll check them out first." He turned to the still bleeding man. "Are you positive your family is coming and that you will be alright?"

James sighed. "Yes. Do I need to swear on my mother's grave for you to believe me and relax enough for you to leave?"

Hotch took a deep breath. "No. I just. . ."

"Go! Before he kills that little girl! He gets stronger with each heart, and if he. . ."

"I know," Hotch uttered.

James could tell the agent was torn between going and protecting the girl and staying and protecting him. "He's not coming back for me. He's more interested in getting stronger so he can face you. Please go because if you can't stop him I don't know who will."

"Alright," Hotch put in before the man could go any further, and then he locked eyes with the wounded man who nodded his approval. "When I'm done, I'll. . ."

"Check on me, yeah I got that. Go take care of Lana and send this son of a bitch to hell where he belongs!"

Hotch only nodded once and took off into the trees.

XXXXX

As Rossi, Morgan, and JJ made their way through the woods, concern for their victim and their Unit Chief grew. The gunshot had put them on edge, but the guttural roars that echoed through the hills and trees that could only come from a shifter's many animal forms made them increase their speed. When all sounds of the fight ceased, though, the silence was even more unnerving to the skilled agents.

Rossi leaned on a tree and tried to slow down his breathing.

Morgan put a hand on the older man's shoulder. "Maybe that means Hotch got it."

Rossi took in a deep breath and blew it out. "Maybe."

"Guys!" JJ yelled in a harsh whisper, and they both turned to her, but her attention was drawn to the right.

Rossi pushed off the tree and he and Morgan joined their female teammate to try and see what had her attention. Once Rossi's eyes found it, his heart skipped a beat and he started moving.

Morgan reached out and grabbed his shoulder to slow him down. "Why would it have dumped the girl?" he asked as they tried to silently advance to what seemed to be a young girl lying at the base of a tree about twenty feet in front of them.

Rossi's look made JJ's stomach clench. It was clear that Rossi was worried that they were too late and the girl had already been killed, but the small whimper that escaped her as she tried to hide in the tree's massive roots even more once the agents were close enough for her to hear them.

"Lana?" Rossi called out in a hushed tone. He didn't want to scare her even more and he hoped that since they knew her name that she wouldn't be completely afraid.

The little girl tensed and moved her head to the side a little as if she wanted to turn and see who had called her name, but her fear was too strong and she huddled down even further.

"It's alright, Sweetie. We're here to take you back home," JJ told her in a soothing voice as she advanced even further and knelt down beside her.

The girl had her head nestled down in her arms, but JJ smiled when Lana peeked over her arm. "Home?" she asked in a little whisper.

JJ smiled even more as she nodded. "Your mom is really worried and wants us to take you back?" She reverted to her best motherly role as she placed a gentle hand on Lana's back. "Is that ok?"

Lana shifted even more and sat up. After looking over the agents who had made a semi-circle around her, she focused on JJ who was the closest and then suddenly launched herself into the woman's arms. When she burst into tears, JJ wrapped her arms around her and tried to sooth her with quiet reassurances.

Rossi pulled on Morgan's shoulder to move them away from the girl. His frustrated look told Morgan how much he didn't like what was happening. "I don't get it. Why would he just leave her here?"

Morgan looked over the ground around them and then shrugged. "Could this be where it happened? Maybe Hotch has it on the run."

Rossi studied him for a moment and then went and squatted down next to JJ. "Can I ask you a few questions, Lana?"

Lana sniffed, pulled away from JJ, and then looked at Rossi. "Yeah."

Rossi smiled as he reached over and took the young girl's hand. "How did you get out here, Lana?"

"A man took me. Kiko tried to stop him, but. . ." she started crying in earnest and buried herself back up against JJ.

Rossi reached a gentle hand out and took Lana's chin. "Kiko is very brave, and if he's as strong as I think he is, he'll make it."

Lana's eyes widened. "He didn't kill Kiko?"

Rossi shook his head. "No. He is hurt, but they are trying to save him. We're going to get you back to your mom and Kiko, but I have to ask you a few more questions, is that alright?"

Lana wiped her face off with her arm and then nodded.

"What did the man who took you look like?"

"Big, not a haole like you."

Rossi's face showed his confusion, and Morgan laughed. "Haole means foreigner. People have been calling us that since we got here."

Rossi nodded and looked back to the scared girl. "The man is from Hawaii?"

Lana nodded. "Dark hair, eyes, skin and muscles, he has lots and lots of muscles."

"Did you see anyone else?"

She nodded more enthusiastically. "Uh-huh, a tall guy with dark hair, but he was pale. He saved me."

"Saved you?" JJ asked as she squeezed the girl closer.

"The big man was going to hurt me, but the tall guy knocked him down. I hid by this tree as they fought, and then the tall guy chased the big guy off and then ran after him."

"Which way?" Rossi asked as he jumped up.

"That way," the little girl said as she pointed further into the woods.

Rossi turned to Morgan. "Get her back to her mother. I'm going to go help Hotch."

"But you. . ." Morgan started to argue but stopped at the look on Rossi's face.

"You have to keep her safe and get her back to her dog," Rossi insisted.

"But JJ can. . ."

"And if he comes back?" Rossi asked. He did not want one of his teammates left to defend herself and a young girl at the same time.

"And you?" JJ asked cryptically. She didn't want to talk about the rouge shifter in front of the girl, but she knew Rossi knew exactly what she was really asking.

"When I find him, I find Hotch," Rossi started and then leaned down and took his new pistol out of its holster. "And besides, I have protection you two don't."

Morgan took a deep breath as he ran a hand over his head. "Alright. Please be careful."

Rossi gave him his best grin. "Of course," he insisted and then took off at a half run.

Morgan turned and held his arms open for the girl, but JJ shook her head as she picked her up. "No. I'll carry her. You take point."

Morgan studied her for just a moment and then nodded as he started back towards the street.

XXXXX

Hotch went as fast as his vampiric sped would take him, and he was cussing himself the whole time for letting the killer shifter get away in the first place. I can't believe I couldn't stop that thing. You're no better now than before, Hotchner. Why you should. . .

He was pulled out of his dark thoughts by a faint thumping sound and froze in his tracks. A small smile crept onto his face as he turned to the south. He could just hear the shifter's heart, and it grew stronger the further he went. He moved through the trees on silent but quick feet. He didn't want the shifter to hear him coming, and he hoped that Lana was still alive.

As he got closer, he could just make out a couple of human heartbeats, too, and his heart skipped a beat. No! He moved a little faster thinking that the shifter had taken two victims this time. Maybe since the hearts are little he needs two. He swallowed back his fear for the children and made himself move even faster.

When his eyes finally caught movement, he froze again. What the hell? He shook his head and started moving again. He could just make two adult figures moving in the shadows of the trees. Are there two of them? When they moved into a clearer spot, his heart jumped into his throat. It wasn't two shifters but two of his coworkers. Then why can I hear. . . His eyes shot up thinking that the shifter had targeted his team and was about to attack from above.

When he couldn't see anything or anyone, he focused on his teammates, and when he saw little arms wrapped around JJ's neck, he breathed out a rush or relief. They saved her. Thank God. He moved even closer to them intent on getting their attention when a little head lifted up off of JJ's shoulder and brown eyes locked with his.

He froze again as his mind wondered how Joey had gotten to Hawaii, but then he shook his head and realized that Lana's dark hair and eyes were a lot like his own daughter's. He was about to call out to them, but the little girl smiled. It was an evil smile that made Hotch's stomach clench, and he suddenly knew why he had heard the shifter's heart. No!