"Morgan!" Hotch said once Morgan finally answered his phone after Hotch's third call.

"Hotch? Did something happen? I'm on my way to the office. We're flying out at 10am," Morgan informed him.

"I know where he took them," Hotch said quickly.

"What do you mean?" Morgan asked, genuinely confused.

"I mean I know where he took them, Morgan! He took them to the warehouse he took Emily to. Where he... where," He couldn't say it. For all he knew, Doyle was doing the very same thing he'd done to her ten years ago.

"Are you sure?" Morgan asked.

"I'm pretty sure. He took Gabby back to the villa in Italy. He's probably sticking to places he and Emily know. It makes sense,"

"You might be right. We haven' been invited by Boston police, though. We still have to come to DC," Morgan said a bit sadly.

"Are you sure you can't just meet me in Boston?"

"No, Hotch. You know I can't do that. My team has to work with DC police. We'll get them back, though,"

Hotch sighed. There was just so much protocol to deal with. "Fine," he relented. "See you soon," he hung up the phone and continued his pacing.

He was so angry. He knew where they were. But still, he couldn't get to them. He understood how Emily felt just a mere couple of days ago. Had it really only been two days? He wondered. But he understood why Emily just took off to Italy without a word. The waiting game he was being forced to play was taking its toll on him. He considered taking off just like Emily had, going to both of them, saving them from whatever Doyle was doing. He knew it wouldn't be smart, wouldn't be the best decision. But he couldn't shake the thought from his mind.

As if on cue, his phone he still clutched in his hand began to ring.

"Hello?" He answered, not bothering to take a look at the screen.

"Hey," JJ's voice said on the other end. "I just wanted to call and see how you are,"

"I should have called to check on you before now. You're the one in the hospital. I'm sorry," he said, feeling even more guilty than he already was.

"No, no," JJ said. "I'm fine, I get to leave today. Just a bad concussion. No big deal,"

"You were unconscious," Hotch reminded her.

"I'm really fine," JJ assured him. "I promise. Anyway, any word on Em and Gabby?"

Hotch sighed, sitting himself down in the couch, leaning into the back, feeling absolutely defeated.

"Morgan's team is coming to help. JJ, he took them to Boston. To the warehouse. I'm sure of it. But I can't- I can't go there without Morgan's team. Could I?" he asked, almost like he was asking permission. He could picture JJ shaking her head.

"Absolutely not," JJ said sternly, but softly. "I know that's why Em left in the first place to get Gabby. She felt exactly like you do right now. But you can't, Hotch. If it was only Doyle, you could take him. But you know him, he won't be working alone. He never works alone,"

"I know," Hotch groaned. "I know. I just- what if he's- you know what happened in that warehouse, JJ. What if we're not so lucky this time, if you can call us finding her half-dead lucky," he said biterly.

"It's Emily," JJ said simply. "You know just as well as I do that she won't let anything happen to her or Gabby until you get there. She knows you're looking,"

"How can you possibly know that? You've been knocked out for hours,"

JJ laughed lightly on the other end. "Because I know Emily, and I know if you were thinking clearer, you would agree with me,"

"Probably. I just miss them. I can't stand the thought of losing them- not again,"

"I know," JJ said sincerely. "I wish I could do more, but I'm held up here for a few more hours. You'll get them back, okay? Morgan's team is great at what they do,"

Hotch didn't say anything for a few minutes, he wasn't sure what to say.

"Thank you," he said, knowing she would understand. They'd always had a relationship like that. It seemed like they could tell each other anything and the other would always understand or know what to say back.

"Any time, Hotch. You know that,"

"You should rest. Thanks for calling,"

"Don't mention it," she said, and the call ended.

He knew JJ was right. He knew he couldn't just take off to Boston, especially without a plan. He wanted to, and might have had JJ not called. Instead, he used his phone one more time to call Jack, who was still staying at Jessica's. He missed Jack almost as much as he missed Emily and Gabby, even though he was just a few miles away. But he knew it was better for Jack to stay there, it was better that he didn't have to see Hotch breaking down like this. He knew Jack was worried, the teenager had even admitted it in their previous conversation. He didn't want to worry the boy even more by letting him be around the chaos that was sure to happen within the next few days.

After a quick conversation with Jack, Hotch did all he knew to do, he simply waited. He waited for word that Morgan's team had landed, and then he would do whatever it took to make sure he got Emily and Gabby back.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Ian stormed into the warehouse, opening the door the such force he could swear he loosened the already rusting hinges. He pushed over anything that might have been in his path, nothing more than a couple of chairs and a table, but it made him feel better.

He burst into Emily's room, finding the brunette sitting in her chair, his entrance caused her to jump. She looked him in the eyes, he wanted to hate her. She should have hated her. For still being alive, for misleading him, for everything. But just like when he'd been driving around, the old feelings crept up. He couldn't hate her. He wished he wanted to kill her. He wished he could go through with it, but he knew even that wouldn't take away the years of pain he'd felt not only for Declan- but for Lauren, too.

"Where have you been?" she asked smugly. She knew she had him, she knew he wouldn't kill her. She'd always known what he was thinking, most of the time before he knew it himself. He couldn't kill her, but roughing her up a bit sounding more appealing to him by the second.

"I've been out," he said icily.

"Still no Declan?" She knew she was pushing it, she knew she was taking it too far. But somehow, she couldn't keep herself from speaking.

"Where is he?" he screamed, his voice sending chills down Emily's body. But she didn't flinch. She didn't flinch when he lunged at her, grabbing her by the shoulders, shaking her violently.

"Where is he?" he asked again, almost pleading with Emily.

"I don't know, Ian. How many times are you going to make me tell you that?"

"You have to know! At least an idea!" He continued, pushing her into the wall again, grabbing her by the neck, practically choking her. Emily clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to show how much it hurt, even though the impact from the wall against her already bruised skin was almost more than she could take.

She shook her head against Ian's grip around her neck.

"I don't know," she croaked out. "The first time...they got on the plane, and I never saw them again...I knew where they were that time... in case I needed to get them out..." she coughed, trying to break free from Ian's embrace. She felt him loosen his grip just a little, and she caught her breath before continuing.

"The whole point was to keep them safe," she said after a few beats of silence. "So they knew if I contacted them again, they were supposed to leave. No questions asked, just pack up and leave. So they did ten years ago when I told them you found me. I have no idea where they are," she said honestly. She was being truthful. She really didn't know where they went, and it pained her. She loved Declan so much, and it hurt that she had to cut off all ties with him.

At that moment, Ian grabbed her by the shoulders again, throwing her down the the ground. She winced a little, feeling her hands sting with the impact of the cold concrete. She could tell they were scraped up pretty badly, her knees were stinging too.

She felt him kick her in the side. Conveniently in the exact same place he'd managed to kick her earlier, she thought bitterly.

Her mind instantly went to Gabby, who was just a few rooms away, possibly seeing all of this.

"Is that camera on?" she managed to get out.

"Yes," he said, grabbing her by the arm and forcing her stand up, though her still stinging knees protested, practically screaming at her.

Remembering her earlier conversation with Gabby, she subtly brought her hand up to her nose, just like Gabby had showed her. She hoped Gabby had seen it. She then looked at Ian, his eyes wide with fury. A look she'd seen him wear often, rarely was it ever meant for her.

"I can't tell you where Declan is," she said. "Just let us go. I can't give you what you want,"

"You might," Ian said lowly, almost so quietly she barely heard him. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"What do you mean? You want Declan, I get that. I can't tell you where he is," she told him.

"What if I told you I wanted Lauren Reynolds back?"

"Wh-what?" Emily said in disbelief.

"I want Lauren Reynolds back," he repeated, dragging her up from the floor by her arm, her entire body screaming at her in protest.

"No, Ian. I can't- I can't be her. I'm not her," she said, feeling her breath catch in her throat.

He pushed her against the wall again, and Emily could have rolled her eyes. He got as close her her face as he could.

"You either be her again, or I I take your daughter where you'll never find her. If you do as I say, she stays with us," he told her. Since he couldn't kill her, he decided this was his only other option for the revenge he still desired.

Emily didn't know what to say. She could hardly think straight. She felt the tears begin to pool at the corners of her eyes, her heart beating so loudly she was sure Ian could hear it, her whole body felt numb- she could no longer feel the sting she'd felt only moments earlier. She didn't know how to get out of the situation. She couldn't say yes. She didn't love him- not anymore, anyway. She loved Hotch. She wouldn't bring Gabby into it like this. She couldn't. She had to stall, buy whoever was looking for them some time. She knew Hotch was looking for them, she knew he would never give up. She knew them staying in Boston was the best thing. But she didn't know what to do. She always knew what to do, she always had a plan. For the first time since she could remember, she was actually completely clueless.