Alex found herself tracking Erin's movement through the hall and back into the briefing room that they had taken over for the course of their search for John. Thankfully, the DA had heard Hotch out and released Sean, but there was still the pressure to find John before he hurt more people, especially in a city the size of New York. They had thankfully tracked down the man that he had been working with to distribute the tainted wine, and Hotch had sent Rossi and Erin in to interrogate him. Alex had wanted to be in the room instead, but Hotch had given her a look, which caused her to back off.

And so, she was watching her lover stalk back into the room, looking incredibly in charge, and Alex had to try and keep her focus on the case and not on the fact that she wanted to snog Erin senseless in the first private place that she could find. Erin must have felt her gaze, as the moment she turned into the room, a wide smirk spread across her lips as she walked over to Hotch's side and took a seat between him and Garcia. "Did you find out anything useful?" she asked as Rossi plopped down next to her, and he nodded.

"He confirmed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Curtis is the man we're looking for. Identified him out of a lineup of pictures that Kitten threw together for us, and when Erin pushed him to try and choose someone else, he remained firm in his assertion that Curtis was the one who had hired him to deliver the wine. Unfortunately, they didn't meet anywhere that would help us pinpoint his current location. He's too smart for that, and met the guy in Central Park."

"Didn't he find that a little odd?" JJ asked.

Rossi shrugged as he looked over at Erin, letting her answer. "He was quite accustomed to odd meeting places with his distributors, and thought nothing of it, assuming that John had delivered to one of the many restaurants around the park and didn't want to travel out of his way to get the wine to Sean's bar. He did give up an email address and phone number, however," she said as she handed a slip of paper to Garcia, who quickly started to dig into this new information.

"That's better than what we had an hour ago." Hotch gave Rossi a little nod before sliding his gaze over to her. "Well, it's about time to eat. Alex, why don't you come with me."

It wasn't a question, and she gave him a half-hearted nod as she rose to her feet and made her way to his side, caressing Erin's shoulder without thinking. Garcia let out a little giggle, and she watched Erin elbow her softly, and Alex let out her own soft chuckle as they exited the conference room. "Why are you separating us, Hotch?" she asked as they went out to their cars, and he gave her an almost inscrutable look as they went over to an SUV and climbed inside.

"Because if we keep you and Erin apart, there's a greater chance that Curtis won't make a move. Dave and I think that he's going to try something if he can draw you and Erin out of the circle of protection. It's been his modus operandi, so far, and so we're doing our best to protect you both. You'll have your alone time at the hotel, so there's that."

"Neither of us are going to be intimate in the field," she protested, and that caused Hotch to break a little, a deep chuckle slipping from his lips as he drove to the closest Chinese place. "What? Would you expect her and Dave to do that?"

"Honestly? Yes. He has a little less impulse control than you, it would appear."

Alex nodded with a quiet chuckle. "You have a point there. Do you think that I can convince Ron to let us remain a couple when we've caught John? I don't want to transfer to another team, since I've bonded with almost everyone, and don't want to start that process over again."

He parked and then turned to look at Alex. "When Haley died, Erin arranged for me to have a carte blanche favor that I've never used. If you can't use the leverage of being stalked and targeted by a former BAU agent to get him to look away, then I'll turn in that favor."

"Thank you," she whispered as they got out and made their way inside. After Hotch had placed their order, Alex took a seat next to him in the waiting area as she called Erin. "I had Hotch order your usual, I hope that's okay."

"That sounds fine. Did he tell you why you had to go with him rather than David?"

She looked over at Hotch before nodding. "Divide and keep safe," she replied. "They seem to think that John is going to try something if he can get the two of us alone together."

"I suppose that they have a point," Erin murmured. "I wish that we could just curl up together in our bed for a few hours. I feel so tense, and I can feel the cravings start to gnaw at my brain."

"Can you reach out to your sponsor?"

"Around the others?"

"Yes. No one's going to judge you for that. Please, while we're waiting for the food and coming back, call her and touch base. She'll know better how to help you than I can. Please?"

"All right, darling. I'll see you soon." They hung up with each other, and then Alex sent JJ a quick text to have her find Erin a private place to talk to her sponsor.

As she slipped the phone back into her pocket, Alex found herself watching the people that came in and out, trying to see if any of them was John. She knew that he wouldn't be so dumb as to attack them in broad daylight, but she still found herself on edge the longer they had to wait. Finally, though, the workers were handing over a few large bags to them, and she followed Hotch back out to the SUV, placing the bags on the floor in the back. "You're jumpy, too."

"Of course I am. We all know that John is gunning for Erin and me, so I keep looking for his face in every man I see. It's the worst part of profiling."

He nodded as he pulled out into traffic and headed back to the precinct. "I was the same when Foyet was still out there. Constantly looking over my shoulder, trying to figure out what the next move would be. It was difficult to try and be focused on the job at hand, but somehow I found the strength to do so. You and Erin are doing admirably well under that intense pressure. The others don't understand what that's like, and I wish that you didn't have to know it, either."

She nodded as she rubbed her lips together, trying not to cry in front of him. "It is so difficult, because all I want to do is protect Erin. That's not a good outlook, but she's my everything now. I never expected that to be true."

"And I understand that feeling, too. Haley was my all, and if I could have been a different person, if I could have walked away from the BAU, we still would have been a couple. It was the job that drove us apart, because she didn't understand my quest for bringing unsubs to justice. I hope that your relationship with Erin can survive this, that it can bring you closer together. And just know that I'm in your corner."

Alex let out a watery chuckle as those tears she'd been holding back began to roll down her cheeks. "Could you take a little longer of a route back? I don't want everyone to know that I've been emotional." From the corner of her eye, Alex watched him nod and she smiled a little as she turned towards the window and watched the City pass by them as she gently swiped away the few tears that had managed to escape her eyes.

She felt more in control after Hotch had parked, and by the time they were inside, she was able to plaster a confident look on her face. And then, upon entering the meeting room, Erin looked up at her, giving her a brief, brilliant, smile. She couldn't help but return it, even though she knew that everyone was watching them. And her decision to sit next to her while they ate seemed a foregone conclusion, and Alex stayed by her side throughout the rest of the day, working quietly with her and JJ as the day wore on, the hours seeming to stretch towards infinity as they came no more closer to finding where John was holed up.

"He can't stay hidden forever!" Morgan suddenly exclaimed as he looked towards her and Erin. "Is there anything more that you can tell us about him? Anything that might give us more insight into his psyche?"

Erin glanced over at Alex as she took a deep breath. "I'm not certain if this is important, but I think that John was jealous of our…relationship. There were a few nights when we were in the bunker way too late, trying to find a break in the Amerithrax case, that he would look over at us, with our heads bent close together, and just glare. I don't know which of us he thought should be his, but it was clear that he was hung up on one of us."

"I think it was me," she interrupted before leaning over to whisper in Erin's ear. "I think that I need to tell them about that one night, as it might help draw a better picture of why he's choosing now to strike."

"I trust your judgement, Lexie," Erin whispered back, and they nodded as she sat back up.

Hotch gave them a probing look, and she nodded through a huff of breath before addressing the others, keeping her eyes on their leader's face. "I think that John was jealous of the fact that I was so close to Erin, as he wanted to be in her position. He assumed that since we were being less than faithful to our husbands that he could easily fill Erin's place in my life. I never saw him like that, though, not when Erin and I had remained so close after our time as girlfriends while in the Academy. We were roommates, as cliché as that sounds, but we knew that certain things were expected of us, hence our marriages to James and Alan.

"So when we were thrown together on the Amerithrax case, it made sense that we would grow a little too close because of our previous connection. There was one night, after a brutally long day, where Erin and I forgot ourselves and where we were, and ended up in a compromising situation that John walked in on. The look on his face, before he saw me looking at him, was one of lust and frustration, but as soon as he knew I had clocked him there, it was like he threw up a wall, his expression becoming shuttered to me. Before I could say something, or clue Erin in to the fact that he had walked in on us, John turned on his heel and stalked out of the room."

"How much did he see?" Alex was surprised to hear Spencer ask that question, and she looked over at him, her eyes narrowing at the blank expression on his face.

"Neither of us were naked, Doctor Reid, if that's what you're implying. The most John could see was my head between Alex's breasts. Though that was enough to fuel many salacious fantasies for him, I'm certain. And I believe that Alex is right, he's furious that not only does she have her position back after all these years, but I've also recaptured her heart. If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to return to the hotel now. I am exhausted, and feel the beginnings of a headache."

Erin rose to her feet, and Alex knew that Spencer had hurt her with that question. Giving him another small glare, she jumped to her feet as well, grabbing their purses. "I'll run you back, Erin."

"I can go with you two. After all, I think we're almost done for the day," JJ said, and Alex saw Erin give her a desperate look.

"It's just to the hotel, there's no way that John can reach us there, since you need a key to get in this late at night, and there are security cameras all over the building. We'll be fine until you come back, and I promise I won't let her out of my sight." Alex gave JJ a look that she hoped the younger woman would understand, and then JJ nodded, a small smile on her lips. "See you all tomorrow morning," she said before turning back to Erin and taking firm hold of her hand, letting her lead them out of the precinct and into the cool night air, not really certain that it was wise they were heading back alone, but knowing that Erin needed to show that she wasn't afraid of John or what he might do to her.