magnetic ◊ criminal minds

xxxiv.

xxxiv. mosley lane
( season five, episode sixteen )

"I had a question, if you're willing to answer it," Hotch said when it was just him and Lyra in the elevator, both getting to work early, as would be expected.

"Another one?" Lyra signed. She figured that after she demonstrated a few of her capabilities to him, that would be all. That he was done being curious. That he could process this information quietly... and hopefully still see her in the same light he did before.

"Stryker wasn't involved in the Genosha incident... what really happened?" he asked, a bit reluctant, knowing it was a sensitive topic for her. He did not want to upset her.

Lyra looked away. "Trask's lab... Stryker helped with the experiments. There's a reason I don't think of Magneto as a villain. He saved me," she signed carefully. "If it wasn't for him, I probably would've killed myself there." She winced. "Sorry, that's a lot." She did not mean to burden him with knowledge of that. Knowledge that on top of the experiments and the torture, that Stryker, Trask, everything she endured, it made her hate herself, hate her life. Hate living. That at one point in her life, and for a lot of her teenage years, she did not want to keep going. She did not mention that, did not mention the attempts on her own life. That helping people gave her motivation to live. That would not be fair to put on his shoulders. So, she let those thoughts, the memories, swirl in her brain, left to die out on its own.

Hotch put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad he saved you too, then," he said softly. He had more questions - about the lies she told him - but now was not the time. He would have to wait. Instead, he chose to try and lighten the mood. "So, do I get a point?"

Lyra looked at him, eyebrows furrowed.

"For Prentiss and Rossi's bet."

Lyra shook her head to hide an amused smile. "You'll be about five points behind both of them," she signed.

"I'm okay with that."

Later that day, they were called in for a case. A kid had gone missing, at a crowded fair. Lyra joined Hotch and Rossi in going straight there while JJ briefed the others. They were on a tight clock now.

"Mrs Lynch," Rossi said, approached the distraught mother. "We're with the FBI," he said, flashing his badge.

"Is this the most recent photo you have of Aimee?" Hotch asked, showing the picture they had.

"Yes," the mother responded.

Lyra scanned the area. It had cleared out now, very few people remaining. At a crowded festival like this one, her mother right beside her, how could she have been taken?

In the meantime, a woman who came every time a kid at that age went missing, convinced it was the same people who took her son almost a decade earlier, came to visit JJ. Though this time, there were actual similarities between the crimes.

♢

"Look, we all think that Aimee could be alive," Hotch said. It was now over twenty-four hours later, and the team was gathered in the briefing room. "No one's given up on her. That's why there's hundreds of volunteers and officers combing every inch of the county."

"Yeah, but they're dragging the rivers and digging up the woods. That's not going to help us if Aimee is still with the UnSub. If she's still alive out there," Prentiss said.