Alex woke up in a panic from a dead sleep, her phone ringing loudly. Reaching out, she brought the phone to her ear before remembering that she had to accept the call first. "Hello?" she blearily said, wondering who was calling in the middle of the night.

"Darling, you need to get to the airfield as soon as possible. John's made his next move, and it wasn't against us. He's managed to set Aaron's brother up for murder, and we've finally been given the go ahead by Ron to go in and neutralize him."

Those words hit her like a bucket of ice cold water, awakening her instantly. "What?"

"All I know for certain is that while Aaron was up in New York visiting Beth and Sean, John struck. And I can't help but feel like he's been setting up this as a sort of endgame, like he's luring us into a lair that we have no knowledge or awareness of. I know about his place here, where he can get to us. I am going blind, and that terrifies me."

"Are you staying here?" she asked as she clambered out of bed and pulled off her pyjamas as she went over to the dresser to grab fresh underwear.

"No, I'll be on the jet with you. David is picking me up, since it's so early. Do you want him to swing by and get you, too?"

"That would be lovely, yes. Thank you."

"Of course. We'll see you shortly." Erin kissed into the phone before ending the call, and she sighed a little as she dropped the phone onto the dresser before dressing as quickly as possible. While she was throwing together a go bag, James came into the bedroom and gave her a bleary look.

"Did I just hear you on the phone?" he asked, and she nodded. "You have to head out on a case at this time of night?"

"When it's John up to his fuckery? Yes."

She watched the blood drain from his face, and gave him a firm nod as she finished her bag and then stuffed her tablet and charger inside. "Are you going to be all right?"

"I hope so, but it all depends on how Erin reacts to everything. It's been years since she was out in the field, but she's going with us. In fact, she and Rossi are picking me up shortly. I know that I can't ask anything of you, since we've started the separation process, but just…think positive thoughts. I have such a bad feeling about this."

"I will, Lexie. Go, catch that bastard, and make certain that he doesn't hurt another person ever again." She gave him a brief smile before hugging him tightly and then leaving the room and flying down the stairs. She had just stepped out onto the porch when Dave turned into her drive, and she took a deep breath as she flew down the walkway to the car.

"We're going to have to hit the ground running. Hotch is trying to get Sean out on bail, but it doesn't look good right now. This bastard has really made it look like Sean was in cahoots with him."

Alex met Erin's eye in the rearview mirror, wondering why she hadn't told Rossi about John yet. Her lover gave her a small shake of her head, and Alex frowned as she settled in her seat. "We'll have to think fast then, to figure out who this man is, then. Won't we, Erin?"

"Yes, Lexie." She saw the split second frown on Erin's face before she yawned, and Alex snaked her hand up front to lightly smack her shoulder. Once more, Erin shook her head, and Alex let out a heavy breath before falling quiet for the rest of the drive. The others were already boarding the jet when they arrived, and Alex was surprised to see Garcia following Morgan up the stairs, chattering away to him. "I wouldn't have expected her to come with us," Erin murmured as they stepped out of the car, and Alex shrugged.

"He probably thinks that it will be easier for her to run her searches when she's right there with us. If it were Scott, I'd probably do the same thing." Erin just nodded as she grabbed her bag from Dave's hands and began to head to the jet. Alex quickly followed her, Dave bringing up the rear, and she handed over her bag to the pilot to stow before heading up the stairs.

Erin had already claimed a spot near the galley when she boarded, and she smiled at the others as she joined her. Unsurprisingly, Dave sat next to Garcia, and she gave him a small nod as they made themselves ready for takeoff. "It's a ninety minute flight. Do we all want to nap or discuss what we know before heading to the hotel?"

"I thought we'd be going right to the precinct?" Spencer asked, and Dave shook his head. "Why?"

"Hotch is still trying to work on getting Sean released on bail, and he thinks that our immediate presence there will put a spanner in that. Though he wants us there at eight to start the search for the Replicator."

"Don't you mean John Curtis?" Penelope asked innocently, looking over at her for backup. Alex just closed her eyes as Erin's hand clamped around her wrist in a vise-tight grip. "You, you still haven't told them?"

"No, Ms. Garcia, she wasn't supposed to tell anyone," Erin hissed out as she rose to her feet, pulling Alex after her into the galley, wrenching the fabric partition shut behind them as she pushed Alex back against the door of the bathroom. Bright tears were sparkling in her eyes as she stared at Alex, and then she was taking a deep breath before glaring at her. "Why the fuck would you tell her about John?"

Alex rubbed her lips together as she tried to think of a good answer for Erin. She hadn't seen her this angry since their profile had come up as faulty in the Amerithrax case, and she knew that she had to tread very carefully so as not to hurt her further. "We needed someone on the inside helping us track him. I had this feeling that you were going to go off, half-cocked, and hunt him down without any of us by your side. And I know John, I know what he was feeling when we were let go from the BAU. He seriously wanted to hurt you, wanted me to hurt you, and I told him that was the wrong answer. And given how well he's been able to stalk us all these months, taunting us with his wicked little games? I couldn't allow you to rush headlong into that nightmare. I fucking love you, Erin Strauss! I gave up my comfortable life with a husband I adore, in order to be by your side. And I will be fucking damned if I lose you to the hands of a madman just because you want to play the hero!"

Alex didn't care that tears were rolling down her face as she stared at Erin. She wanted her lover to know that she was seriously concerned about her, and her penchant for running headlong at something without evaluating the consequences first. Erin's glare deepened as she shook her head, her body pressing firmly against Alex's as she stared up into her face. "I was trying to protect you. You're the only one that matters to me, and if he had hurt you? I would have been devastated. I wouldn't know how to live with myself. And I know I would chase my sorrow down the neck of a bottle so deeply that I never would have returned."

"Oh," Alex breathed out as Erin began to cry a little harder, and she closed her arms around her lover's waist as she pulled the women even closer to her body, bending her neck a little so that she could press her lips to Erin's forehead as she rocked them back and forth. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Erin. We have to let the others in, so that they can help us bring John to justice. Because that is what we're going to do here. He will be sorry that he ever thought to fuck with us."

"I pray to God that you're right. I don't want you to pay the price for my mistakes, darling." Erin pulled away so that she could look into Alex's eyes once more, and then they were nodding in tandem as Erin leaned up and captured her lips in a torrid kiss. Alex knew that they were treading on thin ice at the moment, since any one of their team could walk in on them in an effort to check on how they were doing, so she fumbled for the handle to the bathroom and opened the door. Stumbling backwards, she pulled Erin with her before closing the door and pressing Erin against it as they continued to kiss. "We can't do this, Lexie. Not here. But you'll share a room with me, yes?"

"If only to keep an eye on you and make certain you don't do anything rash, yes." Erin laughed breathlessly as she nodded, wrapping her arms around Alex's waist as she rested her head on her chest. "Erin, what are we going to do? We're too close to this to be truly objective, and we've probably made everyone wonder just what is going on between us. This is the worst possible way to come out to the team."

"How many of them don't know about us?" she retorted as she pushed Alex's shoulder, having her turn to face away from her. She let out a soft sigh as Erin's nimble fingers began to part her hair into three strands in order to braid it, relaxing under the soft movements. "Alex?"

"Probably just Morgan. JJ's known about us the longest, since she's overheard so many of our conversations. She's been such a support over these last few months. So really only one person. But he's the one that I think will have the strongest reaction to us."

Erin sighed as she finished the braid, fumbling around in her pocket for a hair tie before tying it around the end. "Yes, he is the one who will probably judge us the most. But he could surprise us and be okay with our relationship. Oh, Lexie, I've made a scene, and now I don't want to go back out there and face everyone."

"We can't hide out in here forever, Erin. After all, when the plane descends, we need to be in a seat."

"I know. But do you think that we could just stay in here for a few minutes more?"

Alex turned and looked into Erin's face, taking in how puffy and red her eyes here, and how swollen her lips were from their kisses. Cupping her face, Alex nodded before pressing another kiss to Erin's forehead. "I suppose that we can rest here for a moment more. When we get home, when this is over, I want to have a family night with your kids. I know that they're still warming to me, but it is so important to me that we're able to have harmony, since I know how much you love them."

"I think I'd really like that, darling. Karen loves you, but then, she also remembers how happy I was with you, before Amerithrax."

"She was an adorable child," Alex answered, giving Erin a loving smile. "And I think that Bruce will be the most difficult to win over, since he distrusts me."

Erin blushed a little as she nodded. "He's protective of me, since Alan did a number on my heart before and during the divorce. He was just as wary of David."

"That's good to know," she murmured as they drifted even closer together, holding each other as they struggled to regain the composure they would need in order to face their colleagues once they left the safety of the jet bathroom.