This might seem a bit confusing for now, but I promise by next chapter all your questions will be answered! : )

Hotch was waiting in the conference room at the police department for Morgan and his team to land. He had been there early, but that didn't stop him from already growing impatient. He sat in a chair, tapping his foot on the ground as he waited. He checked his watch, they should have been here five minutes ago. He knew he was being irrational, but he didn't really care. He just wanted to get Emily and Gabby back.

Finally, Hotch was told the team had arrived. It took all the self control he had left to not sprint down the hall and into the main area, where the team was waiting, along with none other than Derek Morgan. Even after all the years that had passed, he still looked exactly the same. His team even reminded him a bit of their old team years ago. Morgan was the stoic but compassionate unit chief. Five other people were with him: a tall, middle aged blonde man; another man, slightly shorter than the blonde with dark salt and pepper hair. There was also a man who seemed a bit younger than the rest of them by a few years, with dark hair and glasses on his face. He reminded Hotch briefly of Reid. The two other team members were women. One of them was tall, with long, red curly hair and a big smile on her face. The other was the shortest of them all, with light brown, short hair that barely reached her shoulders.

"Hey," Morgan greeted softly.

"Thanks for coming," Hotch said awkwardly.

"I wish this was under different circumstances," Morgan said honestly. "But we'll get them back, okay?"

Hotch nodded, too numb to argue with Morgan. They weren't getting them back until they got to Boston. Morgan's team went on to introduce themselves to Hotch.

"Agent Stephen Dunham," the blonde man said.

"Agent Charles Greene," the older man said.

"Agent Jake Harlan," the younger one said quietly.

"Agent Julia Monroe," the red-headed women said.

"Agent Sophia Burke," the shorter brunette said. They all shook hands as Hotch introduced himself to them.

"Well," Morgan started. "Let's get to work. Doyle's had them for almost three days now,"

"I'm aware," Hotch said quietly.

"We know he took them for revenge, just like he kidnapped Prentiss ten years ago," Morgan continued, ignoring Hotch's previous statement. "He wanted his son, Declan, back. Emily sent him away to keep him away from Doyle. My guess is he's probably still bitter about that,"

"They're in Boston," Hotch spoke up. "I know they are. They have to be. It's the only place he would take them that makes sense."

"He could have taken them anywhere," Morgan said.

"No," Hotch said firmly. "No. He took Gabby to the villa in Italy. Emily went there and got Gabby back, so she was right about where he took her. He's going to stick with places he and Emily know. They met in Boston. That's where they are. I know I'm right," he said, growing more frustrated with each word he spoke.

"If you don't believe me, fine. I'll just go to Boston by myself. I'm not going to sit around here and wait for you to figure out what I already know," Hotch continued, turning around and storming off.

"Hotch, wait!" Morgan called, running after Hotch.

"Do you want to help me or not?" Hotch said, pausing before he reached the door to the police department.

"Of course I do," Morgan said sincerely. "I want to help you, I want to get them back just as bad as you do,"

"Then why aren't you listening to me?"

Morgan sighed, putting a hand on Hotch's shoulder. "I want to. But you and I both know you're not thinking clearly right now. I wouldn't be either if I were you. I just- I want to do this right, okay? I already failed Emily once, I don't want it to happen a second time,"

Hotch closed his eyes and turned around. "Morgan, that wasn't your fault. It wasn't anybody's fault but Doyle's. I've told you that."

"That doesn't mean I haven't thought about it almost every single day since then, Hotch. I'm sorry if you think I've been a little hard on you, but I want to do this the right way,"

"I understand that," Hotch nodded. "But you need to understand that I know where they are. It's already been three days. He's had them long enough to- to do God knows what. We need to get there. Please," Hotch said softly.

"Okay," Morgan replied. "Okay,"

"You mean-"

"We'll take the jet to Boston. I might be breaking all kinds of protocol, but I don't care right now. I will have to get in touch with Boston police, though. So we'll be here for awhile. But Hotch, we're gonna get them back. Today. At whatever cost,"

Hotch could have cried, but he didn't. He chose to save those tears for a later date, when he had Emily and Gabby back, when he wouldn't have to worry about Ian Doyle ever again. He thanked Morgan over and over again as the two of them made their way back to the conference room of the police department with everyone else. Morgan immediately got on the phones, and Hotch sat in a chair and waited- he hoped his waiting was over.

Hotch watched Morgan as he talked on the phone, trying to read his expressions. He grew worried when Morgan's demeanor changed- his voice grew more concerned, he seemed more anxious. Hotch was about to yank the phone from Morgan's hands and demand some answers when Morgan finally hung up.

"What?" Hotch asked. "What is it?"

"You're not gonna believe who I just talked to," Morgan said in disbelief.

"Who?" Hotch asked impatentily.

"Declan Doyle," Morgan replied. Hotch froze.

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

Gabby stirred in Emily's lap, she'd been sleeping for almost an hour. Emily was no closer to finding a solution than she had been when Gabby had fallen asleep, but Emily could tell the girl was in the middle of a nightmare, so she woke her up.

"Gabby, wake up," she said softly, shifting the girl to a sitting position. "You're okay," she whispered.

Gabby's eyes opened, and she threw her arms around Emily's neck.

"It's okay," Emily said again, rubbing a hand up and down Gabby's back. "It was just a dream,"

"I want to go home," Gabby said quietly.

"I know. I do too," Emily said, rocking Gabby back and forth.

"Do you have a plan yet?" Gabby asked.

"You won't like the only one I've come up with," Emily told her honestly.

"What is it?" Gabby questioned curiously, letting go of Emily's neck to lean back and look at her.

Emily bit her lip. "We run. We hide out. Until we can get a message to your dad. Until we know Ian's- until he's gone,"

"No!" Gabby protested. "No, I don't want to do that- I want to go home!"

"I know, but I don't know how to get us out of here any other way, Gabby. He's going to take us somewhere else soon- and unless I pretend I'm Lauren Reynolds again..." she trailed off, not wanting to remind Gabby what Ian had said.

"He'll take me where you won't find me. I heard him," Gabby said. "But you'll find me,"

"I don't want to take that risk, honey. I don't want to lose you again," Emily told her, leaving out the thought in the back of her mind- that Doyle would harm her. Or get somebody else to do it for him. Either way, Emily would not let Gabby out of her sight.

Gabby sighed, getting out of Emily's lap and sitting on the floor next to her. "Do you remember what you used to tell me? If we ever got separated in a store or something?" Gabby asked.

Emily leaned her head back against the cold brick wall. "That if you were really, really lost, to stay where you are and not try to find me yourself, because you might get more lost," Emily recalled.

"Exactly," Gabby said. "We have to stay here. We have to figure out how to stay here so Daddy can find us,"

"Oh, Gabby," Emily said, tears pooling at the corners of her eyes.

"Is that a bad idea?" Gabby asked.

"No," Emily reassured, putting an arm around the girl's shoulder. "It's a good idea, and you're exactly right. The only way I know how to keep us here is to make Ian angrier at me than he already is,"

"Will he hurt you again?"

"Most likely," Emily confirmed. "I can take it, but I don't want you to have to see it. That's why I wanted to run,"

"I don't want him to hurt you," Gabby said, leaning into Emily's side.

"I'll be fine. Remember our sign?" Gabby nodded. "Okay, good," Emily said.

Before Gabby could respond, the door to the room flung open.

"Okay, you've had your time. Let's move," Ian said quickly.

"No," Emily said.

"Yes, come on Lauren," Ian said, packing up the little equipment that was left in the room.

"No," Emily said firmly, tightening her grip on Gabby as she said it. "I can't lie to you anymore, Ian. It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to Declan,"

At the mention of his son's name, Ian stopped what he was doing. He shot Emily a cold, mean look. One that made Gabby hide her face in Emily's shirt.

"What about him? What do you know?"

"Declan's not alive," she lied, hating herself as she said the words. She would never do anything to jeopardize Declan's safety, not then, and not now even when it had been so long since she had seen him. But she knew this was the only way to get into Ian's head- to use Declan against him. To make him pawn. Like what would have been done had Emily not gotten him to safety before. She wished it wasn't the only thing she knew to do- but they had to stay in Boston, they had to stay in the warehouse. Emily braced herself for whatever reaction Ian would have to her false news.