A/N: A quick update as a special treat. Please review the previous chapter if you haven't already! Thank you to those who have reviewed!

Next update will probably be Friday.

Enjoy.

Sx

Where the Blue of the Night

"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Chapter Thirty Nine

November 9th

She could feel her heart beating too rapidly in her chest. A heart attack wouldn't be on the agenda; she'd had a thorough check up after the situation in Colorado, but still, if she wasn't in this present situation she'd be worried.

The Hostage Rescue Team was there in full force now, as were JJ, Morgan and Reid. JJ was dealing with the media, Reid with her. Morgan was liaising with the local officers and detectives, his ability to plan strategically being used to position people in the best places should they need to make an entrance in a hurry.

Emily was in the trailer set up to receive the feed from O'Hare's camera, Rossi, Hotch and the HRT's chief all crammed in with her. They were watching Martha Moore's response as O'Hare returned, her lip curling in distaste.

"That was longer than necessary, Ms O'Hare," Martha said. O'Hare turned towards her, the camera now directed at Martha. She was crouched down by Lewis Peters, seemingly helping him with his work.

"I needed to take instruction on how to administer the medication. Shall I give it to them now, Mrs Moore?" O'Hare's voice trembled and Emily felt for her. She was too young and inexperienced to be in this situation, and Emily knew she was their weak link. She wanted to perceive herself as a hero, to be instrumental at getting the children out of there, which meant there was a good chance she would antagonise Martha in some way.

"We could bring in the husband to speak with her," Rossi said. "It may be a long shot, as I'm not sure of the depth of Martha's feelings toward him, but it's an option."

Hotch looked grim, and Emily for a brief moment allowed herself to think about the time when she and Reid had been inside the compound in Colorado, and he'd heard her being beaten. She bit her lips together, pushing back the rare water than had formed in her eyes. She wanted to touch him in some way, to put a hand on his back or arm, she wanted that comforting contact, but they couldn't have it yet. "It's something to consider," Hotch said. "We need to find out what the students do for lunch."

She saw where his thoughts were leading straight away. They potentially had a bargaining tool. Martha would know that they needed food, and she would want to maintain the strength of those pupils she considered to be of the standard she wanted. The children's packed lunches were not kept near the classroom, but near to the dining hall, and she would need resources from outside.

Hotch picked up the phone set up to make and receive calls into the classroom. "Mrs Moore," he said once she had answered.

Emily could see the children in the classroom who were sat near to Ms O'Hare looking fearful, the ringing of the telephone having broken the fragile silence.

"Agent Hotchner. What is it now?" Her tone was snappy, annoyed, as if she had been interrupted while doing something of great importance.

"It's almost lunch time," Hotch said, calm and quiet. "The children need food. Would you like us to send something in for them, and you and Ms O'Hare?"

"And risk being poisoned?" Hotch looked from her to Rossi. Paranoia was now setting into Mrs Moore's mind, making her likely to act rashly.

"Mrs Moore," he said, his voice more authoritative now. "The food will be fine. We have no desire to make the children ill."

"I'll have to think." She hung up, then they watched her walk across the classroom to her desk, where she sat down and began to read through something, probably her register with the children's details in it.

"She's looking to see what allergies they have," Emily said. "It's just occurred to her now that she won't want to take any children who have food intolerances."

"The clock's ticking," Rossi said. "Once it's home time, she knows she has to let the class go. The question is will she? Will she have made up her mind and have a plan to get them out of there?"

Agent Thorne had worked with them before on a couple of occasions, and Emily had always found him a listener rather than someone who had to be involved in making plans, but now he spoke. "She's likely to use some of the children as more obvious hostages then, while she tries to negotiate her freedom. Or she may let them go, and then deny that she has kept any of them behind. What about starting the negotiating sooner, persuading her to let one or two of the most vulnerable children go now, picking ones she won't be interested in."

"In exchange for food," Hotch said, agreeing. "She has the upper hand at the moment, mainly because we're not confident in her reactions if we push her. But if we don't upset the equilibrium we could have a bad ending if she starts to panic. Let's wait for her to call back."

"You're thinking of telling her that she is in the wrong here?" Rossi said.

Hotch nodded. "I think she needs to be brought back into reality," Hotch said. "Although I don't think it's a good idea to mention Alfie."

They watched Martha pick up the phone, and heard her rebuking a child for not holding her pen properly. She paused, leaving the phone momentarily to show her how it should be held.

Emily picked at a fingernail, a habit she thought she had under control. "She sounds just like a normal teacher," she said, watching the shaky shot.

"That's why it's difficult to remember that she's lost her grip on reality," Rossi said. "She's holding those children and that woman hostage, whether she understands that or not."

Martha went back to the desk and picked up the phone. This time she dialled; the ringing coming through into the vehicle. Hotch answered, waiting longer than Martha would expect before he spoke. "How are the children, Martha?"

O'Hare was too far away from Martha for the camera to have her facial expression in focus, but Emily guessed that Martha had been wrong footed by Hotch's opener. "They're all doing their work, Agent Hotchner."

"Are they hungry?"

She was quiet, still thinking. Emily felt the unsettled feeling she'd had earlier begin again. "Yes, Agent Hotchner. They are. What do you propose to do? Of course, it would be much easier if we could take them to the dining area and give them a hot meal. For some of these children it's the only hot meal they have each day."

"I think you know, Mrs Moore, that's not possible," Hotch said. "We'll arrange for something to be brought in for them and you, but in return we ask that some of these children come out into the playground and are taken home by their parents."

"I don't think that's an option, do you Agent Hotchner?" She sounded as if she had clarity, as if she was now aware of the predicament she was in.

"What options do you think you have, Martha?" Hotch said, his voice still calm, non-threatening.

"After school has finished two of these children will come with me. The rest will go home," she said, confidence bubbling in her words. "And it's Mrs Moore; not Martha."

Hotch glanced at Emily and Rossi. "We can't let you take someone else's child. That's not fair. You know stealing's wrong."

"I'm not stealing," she sounded more aggravated now. "This isn't stealing. These children will be looked after much better by me than their parents."

Emily knew that they could now bring up Alfie, and the three other children they suspected her of abducting and ultimately killing, but it was obvious from her voice and what they could see on camera that she was becoming more unstable. The sound of a child beginning to cry was also becoming audible.

"Mrs Moore, we're going to get the children some hot soup and sandwiches. There won't be any ingredients included that anyone is allergic to. But we ask that you let," he quickly looked at the list of names of the children and their details that was pinned to the wall, "Ana Earnshaw and Amelie Hackett leave when we bring the food."

"Why should I?" she said, defiance in her voice.

"Because if you don't feed those kids then they will become more upset. We're only asking for two of them, Mrs Moore. Do we have an agreement?"

"You bring the food in first. That's you, Agent Hotchner – actually no, send in that woman that works for you, Agent Pren-something."

Emily felt slightly sick. She didn't want to go in there particularly, and this was a situation where she didn't feel totally within her depth. She hadn't had to talk anyone down in this sort of situation, whereas Hotch, Rossi, even Morgan and Reid, had done so before.

"I'm afraid that's out of the question, Mrs Moore. We will trust you to send the children out once we have left the food outside your classroom door," he said, giving no explanation and turning around the topic smoothly.

"And if I don't?"

"Then we know we can't trust you." Hotch ended the call, looking up at the roof of the large trailer they were in.

For a moment they were silent, the tension eventually broken as Morgan entered. He looked tired, and Emily wondered why it felt so long ago since he'd come out of hospital. "We're due a team change," he said. "The officers out there need a break. Can we delay the food until that's happened?"

Hotch nodded. "The food will be another thirty minutes at least. JJ is arranging it with a diner two blocks away. Do the change over as soon as you can."

"Are you going in there, Hotch?" Morgan said.

Hotch nodded. "Negotiating over the phone won't result in this being over soon enough. I'll give them time to eat, and then see if she'll allow more children to leave if I go in."

"Reid said there was a large crowd forming where the barrier was. He's concerned that our UnSub may try to strike to take the attention back to himself," Morgan said, his expression growing darker.

Rossi shook his head. "That won't happen. But he will be using this time to plan something bigger that will steal the headlines when this is all over. Tell Reid and JJ to keep taking photos."

Morgan nodded, then slipped back out. Enough words had been said.

Emily heard her stomach rumble loud enough so that the others in the trailer heard it also. She gave a half laugh. "I guess we could do with lunch too," she said.

Agent Thorne agreed, taking his eyes off the screen for the first time since the feed from O'Hare's camera had started. "I'll go ask one of the officers to go get a bag full of sandwiches. Then I'm going to take a walk around the school; check its weak points and where we could do with more men stationed."

"I'll come with you," Rossi said. "Things are unlikely to change here for the next few minutes and I could do with stretching my legs." He glanced at Emily and she eyed him back. He was purposely leaving her alone with Hotch.

The atmosphere was anything but tense, as she had expected it might have been, and instead Hotch looked slightly less tense now Thorne and Rossi had gone. Emily kept glancing at the screen, although she knew the feed was going through to two other places as well, in other trailers that had been set up. "You feel okay about going in there?" she said, shuffling a step towards him.

He looked at the floor then at her. "I don't think there's any other choice. If I'm in there I can take more control. I may take Reid in with me at some point also, depending on how things go."

"She could shoot at you," Emily said. "Are you going to suit up?" She referred to the Kevlar vests they would normally wear.

He nodded. "I know it may startle the kids in there." He moved towards her, closing the distance, and she felt something in her chest ache. "You don't want me to go in, do you?" The question was almost unspoken, such was its volume.

She shook her head. "No. But I wouldn't ask you not to. It's our job." His hand raised up and she grabbed it for a second, needing that contact. "Will you sleep with me tonight?"

He nodded, words poised on his lips, but then Rossi entered, and the atmosphere reverted to what it had been before they were alone; their personal feelings pushed aside for now.

Sophie knew she'd pulled something in her back. Quite what, she wasn't sure, only recalling anything to do with anatomy just before a test. But she'd found light; natural light, from a window that had been almost bricked up. She sat back and wondered how easy it was going to be to knock enough of those bricks down so she could break a piece of the glass big enough so she could get out.

But right now, before she did anything else, she needed to rest, to take a break and work this out properly. If he came down to see her before she'd escaped then what would she do? What would she do once she was outside? The house was old, and the land around it had probably been built up. The basement window would be small – she may have to climb.

And then there was the issue with her back. It hurt. Badly. It twinged when she walked, so if she had to run at some point, it would probably hamper her speed. Sophie lifted a hand to her mouth and began to nibble on a nail, a habit she thought she'd stopped. Right now though, she wasn't that fussed about habits. Especially this one. It was hardly life threatening.