The next day, Elijah woke up to a phone call.

"Hm.. Hm? Oh- Shit." Elijah rubbed his eyes as he picked up,"Yeah, Em?"

"Where are you right now?" Emily asked.

"Home, why?" Elijah asked,"Is it a case? Do you need me?"

"Where's Diana? Is she in the house?"

"She.. Hang on." Elijah got up and walked down the hall to Diana's room, knocking on the door,"Diana?"

There was nothing.

"I went to visit Reid-He said his mom was here with a nurse he had never seen before. He says it's.. Lindsey Vaughn." Emily cursed.

Elijah froze,"..What?"

"Is Diana in the house, Elijah?" Emily cursed.

"No- No, she's not. She hasn't.. And I was asleep. Why did I just..?" Elijah shook his head, running his hand through his hair.

"Okay- Call Fleur and get her to meet you. I'll get the rest with me and debrief them." Emily sighed.

"Thanks." Elijah swallowed as he hung up,"Fuck."

Meanwhile over in the Morgan household, Fleur got a phone call from Elijah.

"Eli?" Fleur hummed.

"Flo, I really fucked up. I need you here now." Elijah told her.

"Wh- Okay..I'm coming. What's going on?" Fleur grabbed her coat.

"Diana's gone." Elijah told her,"Someone took her."

"..Okay, yeah. I'm coming." Fleur nodded.

"She wasn't here last night but.. But I trusted the note." Elijah sighed.

"Who left a note?" She got into her car.

"Cassie, the nurse." Elijah nodded,"She said she took Diana to the movies- I don't know why I believed it? Why would I believe that?"

"Hey, you were tired. Don't worry." Fleur assured him.

"Don't worry? My mother-in-law is missing."

"Elijah, I know. But we'll find her. I know we will, but you have to be calm."

"Sweetheart, do you realize who you're talking to?" Elijah blinked.

"Fortunately I do." Fleur sighed,"Look- I've got Morgan to call my mama's. They'll keep Lizzie until we find Diana, okay? That takes one stress from you."

"I'm so glad she wasn't home.." Elijah told her.

"I'll be there in.. Eight minutes." Fleur nodded.

"Okay.. Okay, I can handle eight minutes." He shook his head.

"Okay? I'll be there soon." Fleur sighed.

"..Thank you." Elijah sighed.

"I got you." Fleur assured him.

"I know." Elijah smiled slightly.

*********************************

Fleur had arrived at Elijah's house, the two had checked the house and there was nothing. Not a sign of anything. So Fleur grabbed her phone and called Garcia.

"Please tell me you have good news." Garcia answered.

"Well, Diana and Cassie are definitely not here." Fleur sighed,"We've checked everywhere."

"There's no signs of forced entry and no signs of struggle, and Cassie's car is gone." Elijah shook his head.

"Garcia, where are we on that APB of her car?" Emily asked.

"I don't have anything yet." She shook her head.

"Okay, also search recent traffic in and out of Reid and Elijah's neighbourhood." Emily stated to Garcia.

"Copy, copy." Garcia nodded.

"I know Diana's routine. Flo and I will hit those places first." Elijah told them.

"The rest of us need to find Lindsey ASAP." Emily nodded, hanging up.

*********************************

Elijah and Fleur made their way to a neighbors house, a few houses down. They recently moved so he knew it would be empty and.. On the floor, they found Cassie. Dead.

"Elijah." Fleur nodded for him to come over to the kitchen counter.

On the counter werr pictures, so many pictures of Reid.. Lindsey must have been stalking them for months. And Elijah quickly pulled out his phone.

"Emily.."

"What's going on?"

"Cassie's dead, she's in our old neighbors house." Elijah told her.

"Can you tell how long she's been dead?" Emily sighed.

"Since last night, I think." Elijah shook his head,"But, unfortunately, there's more."

"What?" She asked.

"There's pictures of us all. Mostly Reid and Elijah. Elijah.. Mostly being scratched out." Fleur sighed.

"She's been stalking us." Elijah told her,"She's been planning this for a while."

"And there's nothing else for evidence? Just the pictures?" Emily asked.

"There's.. Nothing, not even signs of forced entry." He shook his head.

"Okay. Thanks for telling me. I'll give you two a call soon." Emily sighed.

"Thank you." Elijah nodded and hung up.

*********************************

Once Fleur and Elijah arrived at the BAU, they joined the others at the table.

"Okay, I know it's a different agency and all but couldn't someone have told us that Lindsey left WITSEC?" Garcia sighed.

"No. It's for her own protection." JJ shook her head.

"The Marshals stay away unless you're in trouble. Even our own case agents aren't told about their member status." Tara shook her head.

"How'd it go with Reid?" Elijah asked as Emily walked in.

"As expected. He thinks Lindsey is using her father's gun as a way to carry on his legacy." Emily nodded.

"Makes sense, given her daddy issues." Fleur muttered.

"And I spoke to the warden about putting Reid in protective custody, but he said no." Emily added.

"Okay, more ballistics literally just came in on Jack Vaughn's gun, and my goodness, Lindsey has been a busy evil bee." Garcia put the ballistics on the screen.

"How busy?" Tara asked.

"That gun has been involved in fifteen murders in the last five years." Garcia read out.

"Single shot to the back of the head with a modified hollow-point." JJ looked at the screen.

"That's our Lindsey." Rossi nodded.

"You guys see the geographical pattern?" Elijah pointed,"All of the kills are along the US Mexico border."

"And each of the victims have apparent cartel ties." Fleur agreed.

"So, Lindsey's been a cartel hit woman ever since she left the program." Tara sighed.

"Okay, but why is she using her dad's gun? That helps us and it's risky for her." Garcia pointed out.

"It's an impulse." JJ crossed his arms,"It's not a choice."

*********************************

"Why would Scratch choose Lindsey? I mean, her ties to Reid are distant." Fleur sighed.

"Walker and I, we kicked it around on the flight and we imagined that, Scratch was digging further into Reid's past and saw that Lindsey had become a contract killers. Realized she could get to him in a way he couldnt." Luke explained.

"It may be logistical, too. Scratch has never ran out of drugs before, but now he's a fugitive and might not be able to get them." Stephen added.

"Well, Lindsey knows the border. She'd be good drug mule." JJ agreed.

"Good news, bad news." Emily walked into the break room,"I am on the books first thing tomorrow with Judge Frost and AUSQ Martinez."

"But all we have is a theory and no support from the brass." Rossi pointed.

"That's never stopped us before." Emily shrugged.

"I guess, we've got twelve hours to come up with an airtight case for you to bring to them." JJ nodded.

"Yes, not only that, we need a paper trail." Emily sighed.

"..I'll put on the coffee." Elijah told them.

"You need something else that isn't coffee." Fleur chuckled to Elijah as Emily left the room.

"Not if you want me functioning at my best." Elijah pointed.

"Function without it, cherié." Fleur hummed,"Let's go through to the conference room."

Elijah nodded and soon, all of the team was gathered around the table, with Emily walking in last. She sat down a box of files and began passing then out.

"We leave no stone unturned." She nodded.

The team took files, began reading through them all for hours. Until..

"Hey, guys?" Lewis looked up,"I got Carol Atkinson crossing the border at Los Indios."

"You do?" Luke immediately walked with her to the map.

"There's a factory nearby that manufactured non FDA approved seasickness tablets. Essentially, scopolamine pills." Tara pointed.

"Los Indios is only a forty minute drive from Matamoros." Luke added.

"Looks like we've got Lindsey where we need her." Rossi chuckled.

"Now we put the knife in her hand." Emily nodded.

The team continued working hard. Doing everything they could.. Even until the next morning, it was early hours.

"Okay guys, Jack's gun was used in Mexico, the day before Nadie's murder." Fleur looked up

"What, another cartel hit?" Elijah peered over her shoudler.

"No. The victim was a Victor Flores. He was a local real estate broker, a model citizen." Fleur shook her head.

"Point blank. Back of the head, with a modified ollow-point bullet. That's Lindsey, alright." Rossi nodded.

"Why are we only hearing about this now?" Stephen asked.

"Because it was in Monterrey. It's a different jurisdiction." JJ pointed.

"Wait, okay, so.. She crosses the border at Los Indios, which is very close to Matamoros, drives three hours west to Monterrey, kills Victor, then drives four hours east to Matamoros?" Tara questioned.

"All possible within a days drive." Fleur nodded.

"Sure, but why go all to the trouble?" Elijah shrugged.

"And why pick Victor Flores? It sounds too random to be random." Emily shook her head.

"Alright. Thanks, Rick. I owe you." Luke hung up his phone call as he walked in,"Mexican authorities found an abandoned truck last week that matches the one Reid described. It was dumped two states over."

"Did it belong to a Victor Flores?" Emily looked up.

"Yeah, how'd you know that?" Luke blinked.

"Lindsey killed him before Nadie, must have stolen his truck too." Fleur sighed.

"Alright, well, we're making some real headway here." Luke hummed.

"Yeah, it's great. Guys don't fet me wrong but it's all circumstantial. Garcia, any luck finding Lindsey's prints from her WITSEC file?" Emily looked over at her.

"I called in every favor I can think of and then some. It's gonna take me like, five more hours to cut through all this red tape." Garcia shook her head.

"I have to be in the courthouse at one." Emily cursed, leaning her head back.

*********************************

They did it, they managed to get Reid out and Elijah had been sent to get him. The guard unlocked and opened the door and.. There he was.

"We're taking you home." Elijah smiled softly.

"Eli." Reid before he quickly hugged him.

It had been so long since he could kiss, hug, even touch his husband.

"I'm here, baby.. I'm here." Elijah held him close, running his hand through Reid's hair.

"I missed you." Reid whispered.

"I missed you too." Elijah whispered back.

"My mom- Lizzie-" Reid pulled away.

"Lizzie's safe, she's with Fleur's mums." Elijah assured him,"But we haven't found Diana yet."

"Oh god." Reid sighed.

"I am so sorry." Elijah shook his head

"For what?"

"I was supposed to take care of her while you were gone- If I'd just checked.." Elijah sighed.

"Elijah, don't worry. It's not your fault." Reid cupped his cheeks.

"I just want you back."

"And now I am." Reid smiled,"Let's go."

"Everyone's going to be so happy to see you." Elijah took his hand.

"How are they all?"

"They miss you.. But not as much as I did."

"Of course." Reid chuckled.

"We'll get you all dressed up in a nice suit." Elijah winked.

"Good." Reid smiled.

*********************************

"So, we know Lindsey convinced Scratch to run drugs over the border." Luke began.

"And that Lindsey's been operating from two locations. An empty house next to the Reids and a house in southeast D.C." Rossi added.

"And that's where we think she's keeping your mom." Stephen pointed.

"Scratch isn't afraid to plot an elaborate trap. I want a full breakdown of that house before we set one foot inside." Emily stated,"..Spencer?"

"Yes?" Reid looked to her.

"You can't officially go until you're reinstated." Emily sighed

"So, that includes going to our house.. Since it's a crime scene." Reid nodded slowly.

"That's right. It's sealed and guarded by Metro PD.. But you and Elijah are the residents. You got it?" Emily hinted.

"Got it." Reid told her.

Emily nodded and walked out the room. Although Reid just stood.. Waiting for a moment in front of the door.

"Are you alright?" Elijah asked him, before he realized what was going on,"Babe.. It's open."

"Of course." Reid cleared his throat and left the room.

He had been so used to a guard opening doors, them always being locked.

*********************************

"Really?" Garcia asked as she looked at the screen,"We have to deal with Cat Adams again?"

Cat had been teamed with Lindsey. Scratch was never apart of this, it was Cat all along. Reid and Cat had 'unfinished business.'

"Yes. She was pulling the strings all along." Emily sighed.

"And, wait, Mr Scratch's involvement was?" Garcia blinked.

"Never part of it." Emily shook her head,"Cat and Lindsey were behind the murder of Nadie Ramos and framing Spencer."

"Why does she have it out so bad for Reid?" Luke questioned.

"She was loosely affiliated with a group of hitmen. About a year and a half ago, Reid outsmarted her when he pretended to be a potential customer." Garcia explained.

"She figured out she was walking into a trap. But Reid was able to convince her to surrender by telling her he would take her to see her father." Tara added.

"Did he?" Stephen raised a brow.

"No, it was all a lie to get her to drop the gun." Rossi shook his head.

"She's been in prison ever since." Fleur hummed.

"She's been nursing a grudge for a long time. Setting up Reid.. Making us and him believe that it was Mr Scratch the whole time, and now kidnapping his mother." Luke crossed his arms.

"Where is she now?" Stephen looked up.

"Mount Pleasant Women's Correctional Facility." Emily told him.

"Wait- Reid has to go back to prison?" Fleur blinked.

"He just landed." She nodded.

"Do you really think he can handle it? I mean, all that Reid's been through. Do you really think he has the brain capacity to do this now?" Fleur sighed.

"She's right. He's walking into one of the most unsable situations anyone could face. She's been in solitary confinement for six months. We all know what that can do to the psyche of an inmate. At best, they experience delusions. And at worst, they're psychotic." Tara shook her head.

"I took all of that into account. That's why I didn't send Reid in there alone." Emily pointed.

"So, what's the play here?" Rossi asked,"We hope that Reid can profile his mom's location from Cat, and we just wait until he does?"

"That's part one. Part two is we refocus and rebuild based on what we know, and search for any leads we missed because of our faulty assumptions." Emily shrugged.

"Well, since we're on that topic, Reid shouldn't be in there at all. Reid's as compromised as it gets. He hasn't even been reinstated. If we send him into the lion's den, we're givibg her exactly what she wants."

Stephen pointed out,"Now if I'm the only one thinking this, I apologize but.."

"No, you're not the only one thinking it.. We could send in Elijah instead?" Rossi suggested,"But he's not the best in prisons."

"Elijah might have a cooler head, although only slightly. He'd be better able to assess Cat's ground game." Tara nodded.

"And we'd be more likely to force a mistake, if we force Cat from her plan." Luke agreed.

"Nobody's changing the plan, am I clear? We change the plan, Diana is dead. If we lose Diana, we lose Reid from this team forever. After everything that's happened to him, after everything that's happened to us, we've made too many sacrifices for that. So this is what we're going to do. We're going to take one moment, one moment of quiet, one moment of despair, one moment of doubt, one moment of hope that Reid is strong enough for this." After a small moment of silence, Emily spoke again,"Did you all take your moment?..Good. Now shut it out. Shut everything out. Because nothing else matters, except her."

Meanwhile over at Mount Pleasant, Reid was fidgeting with his fingers, nervous.

"I'll be here the whole time." Elijah assured him.

Reid nodded slowly before he walked into the interrogation room with Elijah. And there she was, sat at the table. There was Cat.

Cat smiled up at him,"Spencie."