The BAU is mostly empty when I arrive in the morning. I'm early enough to beat the runners but not quite early enough to beat the team. Looking to Hotch's office I see Rossi sitting in with him, probably discussing something case related. It doesn't look too urgent so I can take the time to get some coffee going. I lean against the counter in the kitchenette and observe the room.

It's been almost seventeen months since Emily Prentiss walked out those glass doors. The days after she left we spent all our man power looking for her after we found that file in her apartment. She knew we'd go there and she knew one way or another we'd found out. So naturally, she left that file of her past out in the open. But when you are a profiler tracking a profiler things get a little tricky. If there is one thing Emily knew how to do, it was lose a tail. We'd come to the conclusion that she left for our own good, but it still stung.

Hotch, ever stoic and hard, didn't overtly express his feelings. The only evidence to how upset he was came in his threat to Clyde. Usually the former prosecutor was diplomatic but this was anything but. We all shared the same sentiment; if anything happened to her we'd have his head. Hotch just put it out in the air.

Rossi managed to keep the most level head of the group. We could all tell that Emily and he had a special bond of sorts ever since that case with Em's friend. He was the one to adamantly assure us that she left us because we were her family, not because she didn't care. Some days it seemed like he was just convincing himself of that fact, but for the most part he certainly believed it. We all did.

Reid. Oh that poor kid. He took it really hard. First Elle left and he didn't understand, then Gideon. Emily was the one to help him understand Gideon's letter and then she left him. I'm certain she felt horrible as well. Reid went quiet for a while. And then he started reading books. Books about losing loved ones and how to cope with loss. It's almost as if he was uncertain of how he was supposed to feel about everything. Eventually we got our boy back, but you could still see the pain floating around. He missed her like he'd lost a family member.

Seaver took it in stride, but I think that's just because she hadn't been around long enough to get too close to any of us. Emily was her mentor of sorts, and that shook her a little. We all took over that role and now she's still learning but she is definitely part of this mismatched family.

My Baby Girl probably took it the hardest of all. She opened up to me about that conversation Emily had with her in the ladies before her departure. She only realized a couple of days after Em left that is was a goodbye of sorts. Pen was depressed for weeks, only JJ and I managed to perk her up after a while. She was scared that her entire family was going to leave her. Now she wears some sort of red jewelry everyday as a way of sending out a prayer to Emily wherever she is. And her everlasting optimism has her believing that Emily will find what she's looking for and come home to us.

I hope for all our sakes that she is right.

I pour myself some coffee and think back to that night a little over 5 months ago. I haven't told any of the team that Emily came to me. I don't want to get their hopes up or to put any unnecessary pressure on Em with Garcia's inevitable snooping. I just hope she's safe.

I make my way back to my office for a while to catch up on paperwork. Today seems like a rather slow day at the BAU. No new case biting at our heels and no pressing circumstances to speak of.

The next thing I know it's almost 1pm and I have been sitting in this chair for far too long. I fielded a couple of phone calls for consults but other than that nothing but paperwork. I decide I should go and check on the rest of the team and see what they're up to.

I enter the bullpen to see Reid talking animatedly about something that Seaver finds less than interesting but is politely listening. I think she finds his enthusiasm endearing. Maybe Reid will catch on one of these days. I walk up to Hotch's office, knock on the door, but before I get a word out my phone rings. I glance at the display and it indicates a private number. I answer and I a foreboding chill creeps up my back.

"I found Doyle."

The familiar tones of Emily Prentiss' voice enter my psyche as quickly as they leave. Her voice is replaced by a rustling sound and a car door closing. She didn't hang up, but she certainly left the car.

I bolt from Hotch's office and head to the lair of our resident Tech Guru. I can tell Hotch is following me, though who can blame him, I clearly am a man on an important mission.

"Babygirl, I need you to find the location of the phone that just called mine!"

"Is it on?" Clearly alarmed by my abrupt entry, PG quickly starts typing away.

"Yes, I'm still connected; there just isn't anyone on the other end anymore."

"Anymore?" Hotch looks at me with a searching expression.

I take a steadying breath, "I gave her this phone, I told her to call me if she needed anything. She needs help now."

"She?" I can tell Hotch is trying to be patient but won't take anymore of my evading.

"Emily."

Garcia stops typing and whips around to look at me, as if trying to ascertain that she heard me correctly. She grasps the red beaded necklace she has on today before she turns back to the computer typing, if humanly possible, faster than she was before.

I anticipated his question and answer before he has a chance to open his mouth, "She came to me five months ago. She needed help and I gave it to her. She's been tracking Doyle this entire time, and the only thing she said to me just now was 'I found Doyle' before she got out of her car."

Hotch accepts that and I'm certain that there will be some paperwork involved later. Right now, the only thing on our minds is where that phone will lead us. Hotch leaves the lair to grab the rest of the team as I stay with Garcia, eagerly waiting for results.

"She must be in some semi-remote area. It's hard for me to get an exact location."

"You can't locate her?"

"I didn't say 'can't' I said 'hard.' Don't worry that pretty head of yours. I will find our kitten. It certainly helps that you bought this phone and she called your phone because I can avoid some hoops that I'd usually have to jump through since I have your unspoken permission."

You would never notice how small this room was until you were in there with six grown adults. The lair was certainly not built for this kind of pow-wow but we were all anticipating a location. So far all we were certain of was that she was definitely in the area. I couldn't help but wonder if that's something that Doyle had planned. Did he know she was so close? Did he draw her here? Or did she corner him so she'd have home court advantage?

While we waited we figured that Hotch and I would take the front, Rossi would take the back and Reid and Seaver would take perimeter. We didn't know what we'd be walking into, but we decided this would be our best bet. If it were a building...if we were walking into an open field we'd have to reorganize accordingly but mostly be the same configuration.

We all react as the computer beeps to signify it has completed the search. Hotch quickly takes not of the address and the team starts to file out in the direction of the cars. PG's voice stops us momentarily,

"She's at an old warehouse…need I remind you all what happens in creepy old warehouses in every horror movie ever? Be careful my kittens."

I kiss Garcia on the cheek, thanking her for her speedy work and also assuring her that I'd bring Emily home.

I hope to keep that promise.

Chpt 3. shortly!