"Remember, he'll be in, uh, handcuffs, leg irons. There'll be nothing to worry about" Hotch said as the lead Carrie through the local station towards interrogation.

"And I will be in there with you" Lilith said firmly.

"Ok" Carrie said simply.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, Carrie" JJ said worried.

"I do" Carrie said firmly.

"Remember, we're interested in Gary. His whereabouts, his next move" Hotch explained.

"I will keep him on point about that, Carrie. Just try your best to keep him engaged" Lilith added quickly.

"This way" Hotch said softly.

"Ok, I'm... I'm sorry. Can... Can we just stop and think about this for a minute?" JJ said stopping Lilith for a second.

"She'll be ok" Lilith said but still worried.

"She's a kid. What is she trying to prove here?" JJ asked confused and Lilith sighed.

"That she can be a good daughter" Lilith said softly and JJ's eyes softened. Lilith walked after Carrie and into the interrogation room with Ervin.

"Hey. You're here. Did you, uh, did you get the flowers that I sent?" Ervin asked as they sat opposite him.

"Yeah. Pretty" Carrie said softly.

"They were to say that, uh... That I'm sorry" Ervin said to Carrie.

"Flowers aren't enough, Ervin. We need Gary" Lilith said gaining his attention.

"That won't make it up, though" Ervin said looking down.

"It's a start" Lilith added.

"No! They're gonna send you away now. Don't you see? That's what they do with all the strays. They send them away. That's why I make them go to sleep, so that they don't have to suffer" Ervin explained looking at Carrie.

"Ervin, more people are going to suffer if we can't find Gary" Lilith said.

"So, when you killed my brother, you were doing him a favour?" Carrie said angrily making Lilith shush her softly.

"It's true" Ervin insisted.

"And what about me?" Carrie snapped but Lilith interrupted.

"Let's just address one thing at a time" Lilith said trying to gain control.

"I just wanted to see you again. You look so much like Lucy, I just... I couldn't... I... I know... I know it's selfish, but..." Ervin stuttered shyly.

"Selfish? It's insane" Carrie yelled making Lilith stand up.

"Ok, Carrie, let's take a break" Lilith said firmly but Carrie continued.

"What happened to you that was so bad?" Carrie demanded.

"She used to make it... Go dark. I mean, that's what we used to call it. She would... Put me in the bath to pray. And then she'd hold my head down under the water. Sometimes I could stay awake... For like a minute... And sometimes a little more. Then it would all go dark" Ervin explained with tears in his eyes.

"They've still got kids in that house" Morgan said angrily to Hotch and JJ, who were watching the interview.

"Another kid, another welfare check" Nellis said sadly.

"Let's call D.S. And see if we can get them out of there" Hotch added.

"What is she doing?" JJ asked confused as Carrie reached out and grabbed Ervin's hand.

"They can't hurt you anymore, Ervin" Carrie said softly while Lilith was prepared to act in a moment's notice.

"I wanted to stop, but Gary, he... He went through it way, way worse when we were kids, and he... He never got the chance to fight back" Ervin cried.

"So, he fought those other families" Lilith said and Ervin nodded.

"Only because I wouldn't go back" Ervin admitted and Lilith understood everything.

"Back? Gary's going to your foster home, isn't he?" Lilith asked and Ervin nodded. Two policemen came and quickly got Ervin just as Carrie started hyperventilating and crying.

"Carrie. Oh, you did so good. you did good" Lilith said pulling Carrie into her arms. As Reid and Hotch left the station.

"So, Lilith and Carrie are getting close" Hotch said to Reid as they drove to the foster house. Hotch's face was neutral but Reid could tell Hotch was worried about it.

"You think she is being unprofessional?" Reid asked and Hotch remained silent.

"No" Hotch finally said as they pulled up to the foster home.

"What is all this?" Mrs. Manwaring asked as she walked out her front door.

"We have reason to believe that Gary may be on his way here to hurt you" Hotch said walking towards the house.

"Me? I don't understand" Mrs. Manwaring asked confused.

"These murders are rehearsals of what he wants to do to you" Reid said.

"Because of what you did to him in this house" Hotch added

"I don't know what you're talking about" Mrs. Manwaring argued.

"Ma'am, we don't have time to debate this. The fact is, you and your husband are in danger" Hotch said firmly, not wanting to hear her excused.

"I... I have to pick up the children at school" Mrs. Manwaring stuttered.

"We'll send someone to pick them up. The only way we can protect you is if you go back inside" Hotch explained firmly as he watched Mrs. Manwaring relented and walked back into the house.

…..

"Witnesses saw the kids getting into a late eighties olds mobile about 20 minutes ago," Lilith explained as Hotch pulled up outside the school.

"I heard. Denver P.D. set up a 20-mile perimeter" Hotch explained.

"What does he want with the kids?" Lilith asked worried.

"With Ervin, out of the way, maybe Gary's trying to do his job" Hotch suggested and Lilith felt sick to her stomach.

"He makes them sleep" Lilith whispered sick before Hotch's phone rang.

"Reid, what?" Hotch asked while Lilith waited anxiously.

"We got him. He's at a donut shop 2 miles from the school. Black and whites saw the car, called it in" Reid explained as he sat in the car with Nellis.

"Kids?" Hotch asked.

"Ah, we got a visual on Gary and the boy, but I don't see the girl" Reid said before someone knocked on the car window. It was the little girl.

"Are you the police?" She asked and Reid wound down his window.

"Yeah" Reid said.

"He told me to give this to you" She said handing Reid a piece of paper. Reid opened it.

"We might have a problem, Hotch" Reid said before hanging up. Lilith and Hotch left the school and pulled up at the donut shop just as SWAT appeared.

"Guys, guys, fall back, I don't want them feeling boxed in" Hotch said walking over to the SWAT leader.

"I got sharpshooters lining up" Nellis said as Reid handed Hotch the piece of paper before Lilith walked over and they shared a worried look.

"Tell them to keep their safeties on" Hotch said reading the note.

"I want to talk to him first" Hotch said as Lilith read the note over his shoulder. It said 'If you come in. I'll kill him'.

"Hotch? Got the clerk" JJ said handing Hotch the phone.

"That guy sitting at the table with the little boy, I'd like to speak to him, please" Hotch explained to the man on the phone.

"Who's this?" Gary asked into the phone as they watched Gary stand up with the boy and position him so he was using the boy as a human shield.

"I'm the only thing standing between you and a bullet" Hotch said firmly.

"Bring it. I always wanted to die in a donut shop" Gary replied sarcastically.

"And never see Ervin again? He told us what the Manwaring's did to you in that house" Hotch said watching Gary through the window.

"I don't care what he told you, it's history" Gary lied.

"They're the objects of your anger, Gary, not that little boy in there" Hotch explained as Reid walked over to Lilith and smiled softly at her.

"It's too late for the boy, regardless" Gary said simply.

"No, it's not. It's not, Gary. And deep down, I think you know that he still has a chance. He doesn't have to be you" Hotch explained.

"Maybe. Maybe not. So, what say we leave it up to him" Gary said hanging up.

"What is it? What'd he say?" Nellis asked worried as Gary let the boy go.

"Tyler! Come here! Come on" Morgan said running and picking up Tyler.

"Gary, put your hands up where I can see them. Don't move! Get down on your knees. Interlace your fingers behind your head. Give me this hand. Give me this hand. Get on your feet" Morgan and the SWAT said as they arrested him.

"I don't know what you did, but nice work" Nellis said to Hotch, who was still watching Gary confused.

"Thanks" Hotch said as Lilith and Morgan got the children in a car.

"Yeah, I understand that, I'm just... I'm asking if there's some type of alternative for them. Nothing? Yes, I got it. Don't ask me to like it" Morgan said annoyed before hanging up the phone.

"Well, what? What is it?" Lilith asked but deep down she knew the answer.

"Social services won't intervene until they do a full investigation" Morgan explained bitterly.

"We have to take them home?" Lilith asked fuming and Morgan placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah" He said sadly before getting in the car and they drove them back to the house.

"Tyler... I need to talk to you for a second. Kid, listen to me. Anything you ever need, any problem you might be having here at home, I want you to know you can call me. Any time, Tyler. You understand? Any time." Morgan said kneeling in front of Tyler and handing him a card with his number on it.

"This sucks" Lilith spat bitterly as she watched the children disappear into the house with Mrs. Manwaring before Lilith's phone rang.

"Yeah, Hotch? We just dropped them off. We're leaving. The backpacks? No, why? Why would we search the back...?" Lilith asked before they heard a gunshot go off in the house. Morgan and Lilith ran into the house with their guns draw. They saw Mrs. Manwaring on the flooring scared but unhurt and Tyler with his gun pointed at the photos on the wall, which now had bullet holes in them.

"Tyler! Drop that gun" Morgan said firmly, pointing their weapons at him.

"Are you hurt?" Lilith asked Mrs. Manwaring.

"No" She said shaking her head.

"Tyler... come on kid, take it easy" Morgan begged

"They're lies" Tyler said sadly.

"I know. But you could have come in here, and you could have made her pay, and you didn't, because you're good. You're not Gary. No. You're nothing like him. Look at me. I don't want to hurt you, ok? Let's make a deal. You give me that gun, and I promise you, I will walk you out of here and you will never have to come back. Sound good? Yeah?" Morgan asked putting away his gun but Lilith still had hers out.

"Ok. Give me the gun" Morgan said as Tyler lowered his gun and handed to Morgan, who quickly handed it to Lilith before gathering Morgan in his arms.

"I got you. I got you" Morgan whispered as they carried him from the house.

…

"I could take her" Lilith said leaning against the door frame looking at Hotch.

"Take her?" Hotch asked confused but he knew what she was talking about. He was worried this would happen.

"Carrie. To D.C" Lilith explained as she helped him pack up the files.

"You mean to live with you?" Hotch asked and Lilith nodded.

"Why would you want to do that?" Hotch asked and Lilith bit her lip and shrugged slightly.

"I have room, money, and, you know, she's smart. 2, 3 years, she goes to college" Lilith explained quietly.

"Fallon… this is the job, and I need to know that you can be objective" Hotch said carefully and Lilith stood up straight and looked at Hotch in the eyes.

"And I need to know that I'm not like my parents. I need to know that I can be human" Lilith countered and Hotch nodded.

"J.J. heard from the family, and they're on their way from L.A" Hotch explained and Lilith's heart dropped slightly.

"That's... That's great" Lilith said half-heartedly before leaving and meeting up with the team at the jet to take them home.

"Tell me they restocked the bar" Morgan muttered as they walked onto the plane.

"I called ahead" JJ said as Reid sat beside Lilith and rested his head on her shoulder, hugging her arm lovingly as he fell asleep.

"You ok?" JJ asked sitting down across from Lilith and a sleeping Reid.

"Yeah" Lilith said smiling softly.

"They're good people. Carrie's family" JJ explained and Lilith smiled.

"Good. I'm glad" She said happily.

"I think it's a good idea, though" JJ said and Lilith look at her confused.

"What's that?" Lilith asked tired.

"You. Kids. I can see it" JJ said looking at both Reid and Lilith, thinking about how cute their kids would be and what wonderful parents they would make before walking off to find somewhere to sleep.

"You'd be a great mother" Reid whispered sleepily from her shoulder and kissed her cheek lovingly.

….