Hi thank you so much for all the reviews. I am so glad that you enjoyed the last chapter. I really hope you enjoy this one.

Chapter 31

'People protect what they love' Jacques Yves Cousteau

At first the drive was silent. Reid was struggling to remain calm. For some reason he felt almost excited and slightly scared at the same time. And there was also a lot of anger inside of him and he wanted to make sure that the people who had been hurting so many people would suffer for what they did to so many people and especially to Livie. Yet of course there was that primal fear that he might be too late.

"When we get there we stick together" Hotch said from the front seat glancing in the rear view mirror "No rushing off by yourselves." Reid could feel Hotch's eyes boring into him so he nodded curtly to show that he understood but he wasn't really listening. Mavis was sat silently staring out of the window before he turned to look at Reid "what will happen to Clara" he asked and Reid hesitated "she will be free to go" he said "she cooperated."

"You need to have her protected" Mavis said "What if Joe tries to hurt her" "We won't let him" Morgan said from the front seat "we are going to catch him believe me, there is no way we will let him hurt anyone else."

Mavis didn't look convinced but he nodded "tell me about this warehouse?" Hotch said and Mavis shifted "Joe bought it about three months before we started abducting girls" he said "I couldn't understand why he had bought such a dump but he spent the next three months renovating it into the perfect prison that it is now."

"How many are there." Morgan asked.

"Three others" Mavis said "Joe and his friend Cody, he is the one who really hurts the girls, he cuts them, then there is Graham, he watches the girls whilst the others are out. He enjoys taunting the girls like jet hosing them and psychologically torturing them, telling them how they are not going to survive and how they are going to die."

Hotch swallowed "ok" he said "How much further" he asked.

"About another mile and you'll come to a small track. It's a long way down and the warehouse is hidden. It is very unlikely to be stumbled upon accidently." Mavis said.

"Ok" Hotch said "You will stay in the car. Depending on how things turn out we will try to get you the best deal we can." Mavis nodded and relaxed slightly.

They soon found themselves travelling down the narrow bumpy track until Mavis suddenly said "stop here otherwise they might see you."

Morgan quickly braked and behind him the entire convoy stopped and they quickly climbed out. Through the trees they could all see the warehouse hidden well from anyone who might accidently find it.

"Right" Prescott barked striding forward with a puffed up chest "listen here men."

Morgan gave him a patronizing look before he turned to Hotch along with the rest of the BAU team. "Listen up" Hotch said "we have a number of hostages in there and our first priority is getting them to safety, Agent Prescott" he turned to Prescott who was fuming "you and your team can guard the outside."

"Agent Hotchner I think you are forgetting your place" Prescott said. "That's supervisory special agent Hotchner" Hotch said "and I am not forgetting my place. This may be your case but we followed your rule and look what happened. My agent is in danger. So I think whilst she is in danger I will be taking control of this case because believe me I am going to report you to internal affairs for your immoral practices so unless you want me to destroy you completely I suggest you do as I say."

Prescott looked incredibly shocked by that sudden outburst and shuffled his feet before clearing his throat and mumbling "as you were"

"Thank you" Hotch said sarcastically before he began to select men to accompany them inside.

"This is taking too long" Reid muttered glancing restlessly through the trees at the warehouse. "Kid relax you know we cannot go in unprepared" Morgan said as JJ drifted over "Breathe" she said "you have to remain calm… Livie is going to be ok… you know she isn't giving up so you have to stay strong."

Again Reid just nodded without really listening. His eyes were fixed on the warehouse. As Hotch continued to give orders he found himself remembering the other girls and the images of their bodies consumed him. He found himself once again picturing Livie's lifeless body lying crumpled in an ally disposed of like trash and he blinked furiously trying to erase that image from his mind.

That was when he saw something glinting near the roof of the warehouse and he squinted against the setting sun. He felt his stomach clench as he realized that there were cameras all around the warehouse and one of them was pointing directly at them…

"Hotch" he hissed "they are watching us."

Hotch instantly looked up and tensed when he spotted the cameras before miming to everyone to get back out of sight before he studied the building "they'll see when we come" he said thoughtfully.

"If they haven't seen us already" Prescott said and Reid looked at him before he looked over at Hotch. "What if they have" he asked frantically "what if they have already seen us… what does that mean for the abducted girls and Livie?"

"We have to pray that they are focusing on us rather than them" Hotch said and Reid stared knowing exactly what would happen to the girls if the attention of the unsubs remained on them.

"We have to go now" he demanded leaping to his feet but Morgan grabbed him and threw him to the ground. "Hey" he said sharply "are you trying to get everyone killed?" he demanded.

Reid instantly scrambled back to his feet "I am trying to stop everyone from getting killed including the women I love" he snapped.

"Reid calm down we will be going to rescue her in just a few minutes" Hotch said but Reid looked over at the warehouse and realized he couldn't wait any longer. He needed to get her out of there. So with that he yanked his gun out of its holster and leapt towards the warehouse.

Neither Morgan nor Hotch could stop Reid as he dove past them ignoring them yelling at him to wait. But he couldn't. There was a primal fear inside him that he couldn't ignore. A fear that he was already too late to save her.

He charged forward into the warehouse ducking sideways as he heard gunfire and felt a bullet narrowly miss his head. He ducked behind a pillar peering out to see men wearing masks with large semi-automatic guns firing in his general direction. He leant out to fire a few frantic shots in their direction before shielding himself behind the pillar again.

He heard shouting and then saw the rest of his team coming in firing their own weapons. Their attackers instantly turned on them and Reid looked around frantically. He spotted a door a few meters away and instantly ran towards it shielding his head from the spray of bullets that followed him. He flung himself through the door gasping.

"Livie" he yelled "Livie… where are you" he staggered down a corridor throwing open every door he came to. "Come on" he muttered "Please, please be ok, please" he whispered. He heard movement from behind him and he spun round panicked.

"Whoa whoa whoa" Morgan said raising his hand as he skidded to a stop "relax it's me kid." "I can't find her" he gasped "where is she…. She has to be here" "stay calm Reid" Morgan warned "you have to stay calm"

Reid just stared at him before turning and lifting his gun again and Morgan followed him down the hall. It wasn't long before JJ appeared beside them. "The rest of the team is in pursuit of two of them" she said softly "no idea where the other one is."

Morgan nodded and lead the way down the hall opening every door they came to until they came to a large door that was bolted shut. Slowly he unlocked it and pushed it open and they all stepped in.

They all felt relief spread through them as they saw the remaining hostages sitting in pens staring at them in fright.

"It's all right" Morgan said slowly "we are the good guys… we are here to help you."

He and JJ quickly moved over and began to free two of the girls whilst Reid dashed up and down each row. Upon finding all the pens void of the face he was searching for he turned and dashed back to the girl Morgan had just freed and fell to the floor before her.

"The cop" he said urgently "the one they bought here not long ago… where is she?"

"I don't know" the girl whispered staring up at him with tear filled eyes "they never brought her back after they took her out when filming that video… we heard screaming then… then nothing."

Reid stared at her struggling not to let the fear consume him as Morgan leapt to his feet "you good here JJ" he asked and JJ nodded so Morgan grabbed Reid's arm and dragged him back out into the hall "come on" he said "let's go find her"

They made their way down the hall whilst Reid tried to remember the video where Livie had been dragged down the hall away from the other girls. He had been so focused on Livie though he had barely taken in her surroundings.

They had cleared two more corridors when they suddenly heard shouting followed by gunshots and they both whirled round. "JJ" Reid whispered and Morgan looked at him looking torn.

"Go" Reid said "go help JJ…. Go!"

Morgan caught hold of his shoulder briefly and looked him in the eye "go find her" he said before he turned and dashed back he way he had come shouting into his ear wig.

Looking down Reid saw that much to his surprise his hand was steady. He had expected it to be shaking due to the terror he was feeling but somehow the adrenaline coursing through him was helping him stay strong.

He tightened his grip on his gun before he took off down the corridor shouting out frantically for Livie.

Just when he was beginning to lose hope he saw a door at the end of the corridor that was bolted shut. Instantly he dashed towards it. "Livie" he shouted pounding on it frantically "Livie are you in there?" there was no response though but he grabbed hold of the bolt and tugged on it frantically. As soon as the bolt came free he yanked open the door and skidded inside.

There though he stopped and stared and the scene before him.

Livie was lying on a filthy mattress in the corner of a room. She was curled up on her side facing away from him with her wrists tied tightly behind her back. Her shirt was dirty and torn and her jeans appeared to be undone; a sight that made Reid feel sick to his core.

He fell down beside her calling out as he pulled a knife out of his pocket and quickly cut through her bonds before he rolled her onto her back struggling not to panic when he saw that she was unconscious and that there was blood on her forehead and all over the front of her shirt.

"Livie" he begged "please be ok… please" he stroked her cheek whispering to her frantically before giving a small sigh of relief as he saw her begin to stir.

"Livie its ok" he whispered as her eyelids fluttered and she mumbled. Then she suddenly froze before quick as a flash she flung herself away from him and threw herself into a corner defensively hissing "don't you dare touch me again you sick son of a bitch or I swear to god I will break anything that comes near me and…"

She trailed off then as it suddenly seemed to click with her who was in front of her and her defensive posture lessened as she stared at him. "Spence" she whispered as she stared at him and slowly he nodded still staring at her bruised and beaten body. She visibly sagged in relief before the strong wall vanished and she let out a small sob before she fell forward and he caught hold of her pulling her into his arms letting out a breath that he didn't realise he had been holding.

He clung to her as she clung to him never wanting to let go of her again as her body shook with relieved sobs. "I knew you'd find me" she breathed as she burrowed her head into his shoulder "I knew you wouldn't give up"

"I'd never give up on you" he whispered gently running his fingers through her tangled hair "never." Slowly she lifted her head out of his shoulder to look at him and she smiled as her fingers gently brushed across his cheek as she stared into his eyes.

"Come on" he said "let's get out of here."

Without loosening his grip on her he carefully helped her to her feet and the turned towards the door.

That was when they heard shouting then and a look of fear crossed over Livie's face as one of the men came crashing into the room with his gun raised obviously sent to eliminate the witness. When he saw that she had already been found he let out a snarl and took aim. "No" Livie cried pulling Reid backwards out of the way "don't hurt him NO"

But the gun went off as she flung herself at him showing him out of the way before she cried out in pain and Reid saw blood blossom across the leg of her jeans. "Livie" he cried and in that moment of terror fearing for her life he grabbed his gun and fired it barely taking aim in his desperation to protect her as the attacker fired again and again.

The attacker yelled in pain as the bullet struck him in the shoulder and he staggered backwards before regaining his footing and trying to lift the gun again. Reid leapt to his feet and in a moment of pure rage that he had never felt before he lunged for him knocking him to the ground as both guns clattered out of their hands. Snarling the attacker struck him across the jaw sending his head snapping back before furious at what they had done to Livie, Reid sent his own blow back catching him across the cheek.

Feeling a sense of satisfaction from that he punched him again feeling his nose break under his fist and seeing blood spray up. He felt the attacker strike him again but he didn't feel any pain, it just fuelled the rage he was feeling.

He could distantly hear Livie screaming to him but he didn't listen. He just continued to punch the unsub. It wasn't until he lifted his hand to bring down another blow and he felt Livie grab hold of him that he suddenly came back to himself. "Spence" Livie was sobbing "you have to stop, please stop… this isn't you… please Spence… come back to me."

Breathing heavily he looked over at her half sitting, half lying on the floor clinging to his wrist, staring at him desperately. Slowly he looked back down at the man he was bending over and was shocked when he saw how much blood there was. He swallowed before he looked back at Livie and his eyes travelled over her battered body.

"They hurt you" he whispered "they weren't meant to hurt you… it wasn't supposed to go this far… it was just an undercover meeting… you weren't supposed to get… hurt" he heard his voice break over that last word and he blinked to hold back the tears. "I know" Livie whispered sounding like she was fighting tears "I know Spence… it wasn't meant to go like this but what's done is done, and I don't want you to do something you might regret later… this isn't you"

"But they…" he couldn't finish and he looked away clenching his jaw "I know" Livie said again "but please Spence please just stop… I can't watch you do this" she slowly reached forward and pulled his handcuffs out of his pocket and held them out to him "do what you know is right" she said softly.

He continued to stare at her for a minute before slowly he closed his hands around the cold metal and took them from her. Numbly he rolled the unsub onto his front and pulled his hand behind his back to cuff them together before he pushed himself away and fell against the wall putting his head in his hands.

He couldn't hold back the tears that fell unrestrained down his cheeks and he didn't even try to hide them. He sensed Livie haul herself over to him and he slowly looked up at her as she caught hold of his hand trying to push a smile onto her face as she blinked back tears.

Hesitantly he reached out to her hating how she flinched briefly before she recovered herself and she leaned forward and fell into his arms burying her head into his chest allowing a few of her own tears to fall as he cradled her close.

They sat there for a minute before Reid came back to himself "I need to get you out of here" he whispered and Livie looked up at him and nodded. Slowly he clambered to his feet and made to help her to her own before he remembered the gunshot and he looked back down at her leg "he shot you" he exclaimed cursing himself for not remembering sooner. "Spence relax it only grazed me" Livie whispered "I'll be fine as soon as I get a couple of stitches"

Reid didn't feel convinced but hesitantly he nodded and carefully bent and lifted her up hugging her against his chest. She seemed surprised by this motion and protested briefly "Spence I can walk" she argued but he didn't let her down and a few seconds later she relaxed and wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head into his chest again. "Don't leave me" she murmured "come with me to the hospital" "I will" he promised as he made his way down the corridor.

He tensed as he heard someone approaching before relaxing as Morgan and JJ came running towards them looking worried before their faces turned relieved when they saw Livie in Reid's arms. They came forward smiling but Reid saw both their smiles falter as they saw the state Livie was in.

They quickly recovered themselves though and moved forward forcing the smiles back onto their faces. "You found her" Morgan said and Reid nodded as Livie looked over "Morgan" she said with a smile "I take it all that shooting I could hear was you" Morgan winked at her "yep of course… you would all be lost without me" he teased before turning serious "are you two ok… we heard gunshots and … you screaming Livie"

"Yeah we're fine" Livie said "one of the unsubs came in obviously to eliminate me and he shot at me but it only grazed me. Spence shot him in the shoulder… he's back in that room…" she didn't elaborate any further though Reid saw both Morgan and JJ's eyes flick to the bruises no doubt forming on his face and then to his hands which he knew were cut up and covered in blood from the blows he had given.

He shifted uncertainly before taking a step forward "I'm taking her outside" he said and Morgan nodded "go" he said "I'll handle that unsub, JJ go with him" JJ nodded and accompanied him back down the hall into the main area of the building where the worst of the fighting had taken place. Indeed one of the two remaining unsubs was dead and the last was being read his rights by a very pissed off looking Rossi.

Emily and Hotch were talking to Prescott and the other local law enforcements who had arrived. When they saw Reid with Livie they both relaxed and Hotch jerked his head towards the door urging Reid to take her out and he quickened his step carrying her outside feeling the remaining unsub's eyes on his back as he glared at them.

Livie obviously sensed his glare too because she shifted uncertainly as Reid headed over to a bench and carefully set her down on it before sitting down next to her. When he realised she was still shivering, though now from the cold he quickly shrugged out of his FBI jacket and draped it around her shoulders. She quickly snuggled into it curling herself into a protective ball on the bench leaning against him and he held her as JJ called for an ambulance.

Hotch and Emily came over then and Hotch crouched in front of Livie. "Hey" he said gently and slowly Livie opened her eyes to look at him "Hey Hotch" she mumbled and he smiled "you ok" he asked and she gave a shrug "so tired" she mumbled.

"Stay awake" Hotch urged, his eyes on the gash on her forehead "did you hit your head" he asked and she nodded as her eyelids fluttered "they threw me against the wall when I resisted them… I blacked out" she muttered and Reid saw Hotch's eyes tighten before he looked up at him "keep her awake" he instructed and Reid nodded.

Hotch looked over his shoulder then as Morgan appeared leading the other unsub. His eyes narrowed when he saw his bloody face and he turned to look back at Reid and like Morgan, his eyes flicked over Reid analysing his wounds. Reid just stared at him defiantly. He wasn't sorry for what he had done. They had hurt so many people including Livie and they had deserved everything they had got.

"What happened Reid" Hotch asked looking at him "we need your statement." Reid hesitated; he might not feel sorry for losing it with that unsub but the people above him at the BAU might not condone it.

"He saved me" Livie mumbled then and they all looked at her "he saved me by shooting him in the shoulder after he tried to kill me, and when he kept coming he threw him away and protected me by holding him down whilst I got his handcuffs and then Spence secured him." Hotch eyed her "how did he get all those bruises" he asked and Livie gave a small smile "after Spence shot him he fell back and collided with the wall… then he resisted a little"

Hotch considered her for a while before looking at Reid, still eyeing the marks on Reid's hands, then he looked over at Livie and assessed the damage. Reid looked down too and hated how in this new light more and more marks seemed to becoming visible to him. Like the blackened eye, the split lip. The restraint marks on her wrists. The bruising on her arms where they had held her down and the marks on her neck where she had been held by the throat and choked when she fought. And that was just what was currently visible.

"Is that how you remember it Reid" Hotch asked and slowly Reid nodded. "Alright then" Hotch said "that is how it will go down in my preliminary report. Reid, make sure you write your statement though." Reid nodded as Hotch rose. He said something to JJ who nodded and bent next to Livie.

"Livie" she said gently "listen we need to know… are there any other women in there? We found the five from the video and they are on their way to the hospital but where there others who weren't known to us?"

Slowly Livie shook her head "there were others" she mumbled "but … but they killed them all… right in front of me… said it was my fault" she broke off before she sighed she sighed and shifted closer to Reid who rested his head against hers relieved that they had arrived in time to save her.

JJ nodded and slowly rose moving back over to Hotch and they two of them began to confer quietly. Livie and Reid sat in silence for a few minutes before quietly Livie spoke "well my time off after leaving the FBI is going well hmm… can't say that my life with you guys is never boring…"

Reid tried to put on a brave smile but he couldn't. Instead he just looked down at her allowing more tears to slip out. "Hey Spence shh" Livie whispered reaching up to brush them aside "shh it's ok." "No it's not" he whispered "I thought I had lost you, I thought I was never going to see you again…" "Shhh Livie whispered "I'm here… it's ok… I know how you felt… I felt the same way" she smiled weakly up at him before she reached up and pressed her lips to his silencing him before he could talk again and in that moment he relaxed… because she was there with him… and that was all that mattered.

Another ambulance finally arrived a few minutes later and the paramedics quickly jogged over to where Livie was sitting and began to try to examine her despite her protests that she was ok. Hotch eventually ordered her to go to the hospital and didn't comment on Reid immediately leaping up to go with her determined to keep his promise.

The whole ride to the hospital both Livie and Reid clung to each other too relieved to even speak that it was all over and that they were together again.

When they arrived at the hospital Livie was begrudgingly wheeled into an examination room keeping a firm grip on Reid's hand the entire time whilst she was given her preliminary examination.

After a while though one of the doctors stepped away and beckoned to Reid who after gently kissing the top of Livie's head slipped away towards the doctor.

"You are the agent who found her yes" the doctor asked and he nodded showing him his badge before shoving his hands into his pocket "she's also my girlfriend" he said "she's going to be ok right?"

"We believe so" the doctor said "the wound on her thigh from the bullet is minor and shouldn't affect her for too long. Apart from being malnourished and dehydrated so far we haven't come across anything severe… I am afraid I am going to have to ask you to leave now though" he added and Reid frowned "why" he questioned "she asked me to stay with her and I can't leave her now… not when she needs me most of all."

The doctor paused looking like he was struggling to decide how to phrase what he next had to say before he slowly and carefully said "Dr Reid there are… marks on her body that indicate… sexual assault… we need to run a rape test"

Reid stared at them feeling an ache in his chest at those words "they…" he trailed off unable to say it before he looked back at Livie who was sitting on the edge of the examination table watching him. Not wanting her to see the pain on his face he quickly looked away. "Do I have to go" he said and the doctor nodded "we find it easier on the victims if there isn't an audience and loved ones aren't around to witness it. The tests aren't exactly pretty… if there is someone else… preferably a women your girlfriend feels comfortable with then she can come in. you can return to her as soon as we are finished."

Reid thought before he looked over at Livie and nodded before he headed over. Gently he cupped her cheek and she weakly smiled up at him. "I have to leave" he whispered and he saw the flash of uncertainty rush through her as he continued "they want to run an… an… assault kit" he said unable to say the hated word.

Livie nodded and looked around before she looked up at him and forced a small smile onto her face before she nodded and squeezed his hand "go" she whispered "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure" Reid asked "I don't want to leave you right now." "It's ok" Livie said "I'll be fine."

Reid looked at her trying to decide what to do before he asked "do you want me to send Emily or JJ in?"

Livie thought before she nodded "JJ" she whispered and he nodded before kissing her forehead "I'll be back as soon as I can" he promised and Livie nodded "I love you" she whispered and he murmured the same thing back before he slipped out of the examination room and headed to the reception where he found everyone waiting.

At the sight of him they all leapt up and moved towards him. "Is she ok" Morgan demanded and he nodded "she'll be ok" he said shakily "why are you out here" Hotch asked and he shivered and stared at the floor as he spoke the next words. "They wouldn't let me stay whilst they… ran the … test… they told me to wait out here…" he looked up at JJ "can you go be with her" he asked and JJ nodded and instantly headed back the way he had come.

"Are you ok" Morgan asked "Maybe you should get those wounds looked at."

Reid barely heard him though. Everything was faint he felt dizzy. "I need air" he mumbled and he staggered out of the doorway to stand by the side of the curb breathing deeply before the doctors words rushed through his head again.

"There are… marks on her body that indicate… sexual assault… we need to run a rape test"

The memory of the video and the sound of her pained cries engulfed him and before he knew it he had bent over and was throwing up into the gutter. He hadn't eaten much over the last few days worrying over Livie so there wasn't much for him to vomit up so he found himself dry heaving heavily.

The next thing he knew Morgan was beside him holding him up. "That's it" he said carefully "get it all out now."

Reid frowned and once he was sure he had finished he looked up "what do you mean by that" he asked and Morgan's eyes saddened "Livie is going to need you to be strong man" he said "better you get it out now than in front of her."

Reid realised he was right so he nodded and looked away "will those images ever go away Morgan" he asked and Morgan sighed "I don't know kid" he said "but you have to look on the bright side… you got her back and she is alive… feel good about that."

Reid nodded but didn't feel convinced so he looked away "come on" mmorgan said "let's get those cuts looked at shall we." Reid nodded and followed him back into the hospital praying that all the pain would be gone now for good."

'What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us' Henry David Throeau

Hope you enjoyed that. Please review. I love hearing what you think

Thanks

Mysticgirl