Hey! Remember me??? I'm really sorry. It's been forever since the last update (well, actually a bit more than a week, but for me that's too much!) I'm still running against the clock, but I wanted to update, so you won't forget about this story.

DISCLAIMER: The usual thing.

ENJOY! And celebrate MGG's birthday tomorrow!

Chapter IX

How did we get here? The lives of three BAU team members were in danger. Was it too late to save them?

The BAU room was filled with tension and uncertainty.

SSA David Rossi kept calling Morgan. Jennifer Jareau had her phone on her ear, with trembling hands, trying to get through to Emily. All their efforts seemed to be fruitless. No word had been heard from them since the explosion. While they were busy desperately trying to contact their friends, their eyes watched the image coming from inside the elevator. They saw Garcia's glistening, teary eyes and Hotch's clenched jaw.

Then, they noticed the movements inside the enclosed capsule holding their youngest member.

Reid was facing down feeling his world was upside down. Carefully opening his eyes and placing his hands on the floor, he pushed himself up till he finally got to a sitting position.

"Are you OK? Readjusting his eyes, he asked to the girl laying on his right.

Tears were streaming down Linda's face. She nodded, holding her broken wrist with the other hand.

"God, when will this be over?" asked the girl between sobs without expecting an answer, but hoping for one.

Reid noticed that his former attacker was facing down on the floor and hadn't moved.

"Hey, are you OK?"

No wordy answer was heard, just a strained chuckled.

"Can you move?" Spencer wondered if he would be pushing his luck if he moved nearer to Sebastian. Dismissing his worries, he crawled to his side and touched him slightly on his shoulder.

The smelly guy shuddered and by the painful expression bathing his face, the FBI agent knew something was wrong.

"Where does it hurt?" He asked.

"I'm fine" answered Sebastian, clearly lying. He lifted his torso with difficulty and sat down. Closing his eyes, he rested his back on the wall.

Spencer saw that he was holding his left arm with his right arm, trying hard not to move it.

"Let me see it" offered Reid lifting his arms.

"I said I'm fine" snapped back the boy.

"Hey! He's just trying to help you!" came Linda's retort.

Sebastian looked pissed at Linda and then, his eyes moved back to Reid, who waited for a hint to see if the smelly guy would accept his help.

Mr. Malucci just looked down ignoring the offer, so the FBI agent sighed and moved back to his place in the elevator.

Reid took out his cell phone and dialed. He waited, but he received no answer. "That's strange" he thought, while he decided to dial another number.

"Reid, are you OK?" He heard Hotch's worried voice on the other side of the line.

"I'm fine." He unconsciously placed a lock of hair behind his ear. "Is there any news? I called Morgan, but he's not answering."

Reid perceived the hesitation in his boss' voice, which made him really uncomfortable. A few moments later, the senior agent answered: "We are working on it. Don't worry." That answer made it clear to Spencer that something was wrong.

"Hotch?" Whatever was happening had to be really bad to make his boss answer in such an elusive way.

Without letting Reid continue, Aaron said: "We already know who the UNSUB is, we'll get you out of there. Just... hang in there a little bit longer."

Spencer heard voices on the other side, but couldn't make out what they were saying.

"I'll call you back soon."

The conversation was over, but the worries inside the genius were growing at high speed.

"I'll call you back soon" said Hotch, before putting an end to the phone call conversation. He closed his eyes and tried to remain calm.

Although not entirely out of danger, his youngest team member was still alive. Now, he had to focus on contacting his other two team members, from whom they hadn't had any news at all. In moments like these, he'd really wish he wasn't the leader of the team.

"Still nothing" quietly said Rossi.

The four team members in the BAU room shared unspoken fears.

Silence invaded his senses. He felt like if he was flying over a field of quietness. He felt at peace. He touched some green plants on the ground, enjoying the softness against his skin.

And suddenly...

He was pulled back into a smoky and painful reality packed with screams and loud noises.

SSA Derek Morgan opened his eyes and saw a column of smoke spoiling the perfection of a blue sky. And then he remembered.

Reid. The UNSUB. The bomb... Emily.

With some difficulty, he got up. Men were running back and forth yelling at each other. There was blood staining the uniforms of some SWAT men.

"Emily!" he yelled. She shouldn't be far. He remembered falling on top of her. But where was she now?

And then, he saw the unmoving body of his colleague, laying face down on the grass. Her dark hair covered her face.

Derek ran to her side and fell on his knees, frantically calling her name.

"Emily! Emily, wake up!"

Nothing. Not a sound, not a movement, not a flinch.

Blood was coming out from a nasty gash on the side of her head. Morgan checked her vitals. Strong pulse, even breathing.

"Emily!" screamed Derek, shaking her.

The dark FBI agent heard the sound of an ambulance nearby.

"I need a medic! Here!" he yelled out loud, waving his arms in the air.

Two EMTs hurriedly approached them, while several others ran towards the other injured men scattered on the lawn.

At the same time as the paramedics worked on an unconscious Prentiss, Morgan got up and looked at the scene of the explosion. "He had been waiting for us."

"Sir!" He heard one member of the SWAT team who was running to his side called. "Sir, we have three men dead and several injured."

"Damn it!" Furiously exclaimed Morgan, closing his eyes.

Just then, he heard his phone ringing. He looked around and there on the ground he found it.

The FBI agent grabbed it and answered.

"Morgan."

"Are you OK?" asked a tensed Rossi. "How's Emily?"

"I'm fine, but Emily is unconscious. She has a cut on her head" said Morgan, looking at the immobile figure of his friend, while the paramedics loaded her onto the stretcher. "The medics are working on her."

"We'll meet you at the hospital." That was Hotch. He realized he was probably on speaker.

"Ok, fine" said a tired and worn out Morgan.

"Sir, she's ready to go" exclaimed one of the medics. Morgan turned around, taking one last look at the horrible scene of a burning house, firefighters and policemen running around and blood-sprinkled bodies on the floor, and then answered.

"I'm riding with her."

Back in the BAU room, everybody felt relieved that their friends were still alive.

Rapidly, Hotck ordered: "Rossi, JJ, let's go to the hospital. Garcia, keep digging up information about the UNSUB. Send me everything you find." The Unit Chief was already walking towards the door, followed by Rossi.

"On it, sir" answered Garcia. Then she called: "JJ."

JJ stopped at the door and turned to face the bubbly technical analyst.

"Please, take care of Morgan and Prentiss."

The media liaison nodded and looking at the screen, she said: "And you take care of Henry's Godfather."

Garcia gave a small smile and thought: "Always."

There you go. Soon, there will be more! Thank you for reading and reviewing! You're awesome people!