A/N: I'm sorry that this chapter is so short after not updating for so long. Midterms were terrible and I barely had time to write. So what little time I had this week, I've been writing. I hope you guys enjoy reading.

Chapter 10- The Final Hunt

June 25th, 1997.

Chicago, IL.

Images. Memories. They flashed through his mind over and over.

The tiny gravestone with his son's name interspersed with the screaming children in Indianapolis, Gibbs tossing Kelly in the air, Veronica pushing Nick on a swing set, and finally him at a shooting range with Angie about a year ago on her eleventh birthday.

She hadn't liked the recoil one bit. Her reaction had been so comical he had had to fight the urge to laugh.

Now he was fighting back tears.

Angie had to make it. She had to. He had lost a son, a brother… he couldn't lose his niece, too.

"Dave?" said Olivia.

Rossi stared at his watch. Half past one. It was morning. When had it become morning?

"What?" said Rossi.

"Surgery's over," Olivia whispered.

"And?" said Rossi.

"She's alive, but the surgeon said due to the injuries and blood loss, it's going to be touch and go. He said if she goes 48 hours without complications there's a good chance she'll make a full recovery," said Olivia.

Rossi let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. While this horror was far from over, knowing Angie had survived the surgery was enough for now.

"They moved her to the ICU," said Olivia. "We decided you should be the first to see her."

Rossi left the chapel with his sister and they went to the ICU.

He would see Angie.

Then he had to catch the bastard who had ruined their lives.

CRIMINAL MINDS

He wasn't prepared for what Angie would look like when he went to see her.

The frail girl lying in a hospital bed surrounded by machines was a far cry from the eleven-year-old that never seemed to sit still for more than five minutes at a time.

Rossi couldn't tell if she was asleep or unconscious. It unnerved him, seeing her like this.

"You've gotten this far. I know you can make it. You're stubborn. It's a Rossi family trait. It might've driven your mother nuts, but she was the same way," said Rossi. "She was a teacher at the worst high school in Chicago and even though most of those kids were in a bad way, she was determined to teach them something. That's how she met your father, Angela. Two of the kids got in a fight and your dad had to take them to the police station. Your mother wouldn't let him take one of them with him, said the poor kid got jumped. They yelled louder than anyone I know but your father was impressed by how much she went to bat for that kid. He went back to that school the next day and asked her out."

As much as Rossi usually found the entire story funny, it was difficult to find anything funny these days. Michael's funeral was tomorrow, and Katherine's was the day after.

The promise he had made to Michael to be there for Angie… both men had thought Katherine would also be alive.

How naïve they had been. Now everything was messy. Having once been in the military, Rossi didn't like messy.

"I don't want you to worry about what might happen," said Rossi. "I got a plan. Everything will be fine. I promise."

He was interrupted by a light knock on the door.

It was Olivia.

CRIMINAL MINDS

The siblings talked in the hall.

"Bobby and Hotch are back," said Olivia. "I called Juliet while you were visiting Angie. She's flying down with the kids tonight."

"Are you telling me I have until tonight to catch this guy?" said Rossi.

"Are you telling me he's gonna bomb the airport?" Olivia hissed.

"I don't know what he's capable of anymore," said Rossi. "He can't get in the airport, though. Hotch and I have sent his picture to every transportation hub in Chicago. He's not getting away."

"Why isn't it statewide?" Olivia asked.

"The only thing I know right now… he won't leave the city. It's where everything started. It's where everything will end," said Rossi.

"Make sure it ends the right way," said Olivia.

"Excuse me?" Rossi hissed.

"He killed Michael and Katherine, Angie is still in a bad way… y'know what, Dave? Just forget what I said, alright? I need a cigarette," said Olivia.

"Didn't you quit when you got pregnant with Veronica?" said Rossi.

"I'm coming apart, I need to keep it together for everyone right now," said Olivia. "So I'm going to smoke a little and go to O'Hare to wait for my family."

Before Rossi could say anything, Olivia left.

CRIMINAL MINDS

The three men talked in the waiting room.

"We have another possible location," said Hotch.

"I'm sorry I wasn't at the station," said Rossi.

"Don't be. Your place was here," said Bobby. "If anyone was gonna complain they'd have to deal with me. I was his partner for four years. We had each other's backs. By extension I had his family's back as well."

"Myers sold his old house after Bailey died. It was purchased several years ago but was put back on the market," said Hotch.

"He's probably there," said Rossi. "Have Chicago PD evacuate the entire street."

The men heard footsteps and turned around. It was Hope.

"I need to talk to Bobby alone," said Hope.

"We'll wait for you outside the hospital," said Rossi.

The agents left. Bobby noticed his fiancée was muttering something in French… something she usually did when something was bothering her.

"I thought you and the other ADAs had to hold down the fort at the office. What's going on?" said Bobby.

"Please don't be mad," said Hope.

"Honey, I could never be mad at you. I know we've had our fair share of spats but I love you. We're getting married next year," said Bobby.

"I'm pregnant," said Hope. "Two months. All I ask is that you try not to die out there."

"I'll do my best," said Bobby.

They shared a kiss before Bobby went to join Hotch and Rossi.

"Au revoir," Hope whispered.

CRIMINAL MINDS

Myers looked up and saw that the house was surrounded by cops.

He smiled as he picked up the detonator for his final bomb and dumped gasoline on the floor.

CRIMINAL MINDS

Bobby, Hotch, and Rossi went into the house and checked for signs of Myers.

Rossi heard a splash.

"It's coming from the basement," Bobby whispered.

"How many of ya are in here?" Myers yelled. "Come down here!"

"How many bombs, Myers?" asked Rossi.

Myers began laughing. The way the laughter sounded scared Hotch and Bobby and made Rossi angry.

"Just one this time. A big one," said Myers. "I heard three sets of footprints up there. So, who will it be? The detective who left his partner to be blown to bits or one of the FBI agents he brought?"

Bobby's hands curled into fists as he fought to control his anger. The sonofabitch didn't have the right to mention Michael. A detective and father that Bobby had hoped he could someday be a tenth of when he had children of his own.

Children. Hope's pregnancy. He wondered if Michael had somehow known.

"I'll deal with him," Rossi muttered.

"No," said Bobby. "I'll go in this time."

"I've done this before," said Rossi. "I'm going down there, and I'm going down alone."

CRIMINAL MINDS

Rossi went into the cellar and immediately smelled gasoline. He realized that Myers must've dumped it all over the basement floor.

"Come out, Myers," said Rossi. "There's nowhere to run."

"I know that," Myers sneered. "Pity you decided to arrive to the party without your dates. You know what they say… the more the merrier!"

"You just wanted to take out as many of us with you as possible," said Rossi. "Wasn't going to give you the opportunity."

"Least I get one of you… now, drop the gun and get off the staircase," said Myers.

"Now why would I do that?" asked Rossi. "I'm up here where it's dry and you… you're standing in a pool of gasoline. One spark and the whole place goes."

"Exactly," said Myers.

He crossed over to a table and picked up a remote.

"Drop the remote, Myers," said Rossi.

"No," said Myers. "If I'm going, I'm taking you with me."

Rossi knew at that point he would have to keep Myers talking until he could get the unsub to put the remote down. Even after that, the situation was still precarious. If Myers dropped a match in that pool of gasoline, they were both dead. Rossi knew firing his gun had the potential to be just as dangerous.

"You were there when you set off each bomb, weren't you?" said Rossi.

"Had to be. Outside of thirty feet meant being out of range," said Myers.

"Why the mall?" said Rossi.

He had to know. Something in his gut told him it was more than one of the restaurants inside having a liquor license.

"After I wasted that detective, the entire city was up in arms. Wanted to do it again. After that it wasn't as much about making people in the bars pay, but the city itself," said Myers. "I wanted to bring the city of Chicago to its knees… and I succeeded!"

Myers began to laugh. It was a horrible laugh that enforced how evil he was.

"Drop the remote, Myers!" Rossi yelled.

Myers moved his hand to press a button and Rossi knew he couldn't hesitate any longer.

When he pulled the trigger, the floor of the basement burst into flames. Before he could do anything, the fire reached Myers and engulfed the unsub as he screamed for mercy.

Rossi immediately ran out of the house before the flames could touch him.

TBC...