The team was around the table in the conference room going over everything they had, which wasn't much.
Hotch was in his office. He'd created distance between himself and his team. Three days, Liz has been gone for three days. He refused to believe she was dead but he knew the statistics and they were not in his favor. He tried not to think like that.
A knock came to his door and pulled him out of his thoughts. It was Rossi.
"How are you?" Rossi knew the answer.
"How do you think Dave?"
"Aaron listen, we're going to find her."
Aaron stopped and stared at him. "Alive." Rossi clarified.
Aaron sighed. "I had just seen her, we had plans for dinner. Then, just like that she's gone."
"Sit down Aaron." Rossi could see Hotch growing more and more stressed as every minute passed.
"We have to find her Dave. I can't lose her."
"We will. But we need your full energy and attention and we don't have it when you haven't slept in three days and are hyped up on coffee. Now lay down and try to get some rest!" Rossi was no longer asking he was demanding. "I'm in charge now, and I promise you we will find her."
Aaron laid down on the couch and stared at the ceiling. Rossi left without another word and went back to the team. Hotch pulled out the locket from his pocket. He opened it and stared at the young Liz and her mother. "I'm going to find you, Elizabeth." He whispered.
Rossi met the team back in the conference room.
"I'm in charge now. We can do this better when he's not around panicking."
"You don't seem that worried Rossi." JJ said.
"I'm just better at hiding it. Now what do we have."
"He has a daughter and she was a classmate of Liz's." Garcia announced.
"Were they friends do you know?" Morgan asked.
"It doesn't seem like that, actually they appear to be enemies, Liz got a detention for yelling at her once." Garcia informed them.
"Stressor?" JJ questioned.
"No it has to be more than that, too much time has passed. Garcia you have anything else?" Reid added.
"Yes actually, Alyssa, his daughter ran away a while ago with some guy."
"That's the stressor." Reid confirmed.
"How do you know that?" Rossi asked.
"The girls are the same age. When Peter went to kill Liz's parents he could have easily killed Liz and Ben too, but Ben ran and Liz reminded him of his daughter. He couldn't do it."
"Ben? Has anyone spoken to him about this?" JJ interrupted.
"Lis hasn't had contact with him in months, no one knows where he is." Gacia replied.
Rossi looked at her, "try and find him, he might be able to help us."
"On it sir." She went back into her office.
The team felt like they were being defeated. They had hardly anything.
"Guys!" Garcia shouted. "Look at this."
They rushed into her office and looked at the screen it was a location of Ben's cellphone.
"It's in some old junk yard." Reid stated .
"Should I dial it?" Garcia looked up at Rossi.
He sighed. "Yeah."
--
Ben watched as his sister got smacked and bullied by the man who killed their parents. Suddenly his phone which was still in his pocket started to vibrate. He couldn't reach for it he was tied up.
Peter turned around at the faint noise of vibration. "What is that?" He walked over to Ben and reached in his pocket. "You moron, you should have told me you had your phone."
Liz watched Peter put the phone up to his ear.
"Who is this?" He answered harshly.
"Ben?" A voice from the other end asked.
"No, Ben's not available right now. What do you want?"
"May I ask who I am speaking with?" The voice asked.
"Peter, what's it to you? Who the hell is this?!"
The line hung up. Peter threw the phone and ripped the tape off Ben's mouth. "I don't like lairs!" Peter yelled at him.
He put his hands around his neck.
"No! Stop!" Liz screamed.
"Shut up!! You stupid bitch you're next!"
--
The team stood in shock. "Send that address to my phone Garcia. Reid get Hotch and meet Morgan and I in the car. Now. Let's go."
They ran out not wasting any time.
Reid ran to Hotch's office and barged in. "Hotch get up, we have to go!"
"You find her?" Hotch jumped up and followed Reid.
"We think so. Just c'mon Rossi, Ruck, and Morgan are waiting for us."
--
Liz watched hopelessly as the life was taken from her brother by the psychopath who had also killed her parents.
Peter turned around when he was finished and started to walk to Liz. This was it she thought. It's over. She was completely helpless and weak and couldn't do anything to stop it
Peter reached for her neck just as he had done to Ben. "Hell this is to easy," he backed away and reached in his pocket. He pulled out a knife and flipped it open. "I have something special for you."
"Put the knife down Peter!" A voice from behind Liz yelled. She recognized it as Simon's immediately. She sighed a sigh of relief.
"Leave the girl alone." Rossi added.
Aaron? Where was Aaron, she needed to hear his voice.
Peter took Liz's face in his hands. "Oh look your team of pathetic heroes came just in time."
She gave him a smirk. "You were wrong , I'm still here."
"You're a lucky little bitch aren't you? Unlike you cowardly excuse for a brother."
"Shut the hell up!" Tears filled her eyes. She couldn't stop it.
"Put the knife down!" Simon repeated.
Peter dropped the knife and surrendered. Morgan handcuffed him and took him out reading him his rights.
Simon rushed to Liz and Rossi checked for a sign of life in Ben, but there was none.
Liz was shaking and crying hysterically. Simon untied her and she fell into his arms weeping.
"Shh, it's okay, you're okay kid."
"He killed him Simon, He made me watch." She sobbed.
Simon picked her up and sent a glance to Rossi who shook his head confirming the death of Ben.
"Where's Aaron?" She asked into Simon's chest.
"Outside. We're going to see him right now."
Once they made it outside Liz felt the warm summer air hit her cold body.
"Liz?" She heard Aaron voice. She fidgeted and Simon let her down. She was weak but she could stand and walk.
She managed to half run to Aaron and went right into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. She felt smaller, and more fragile. He was disgusted by what had probably happened in those three days.
Liz cried into him. He didn't say anything, he just held her. After a minute he picked her up bridal style and carried her to the ambulance. He rode with her to the hospital and the team they could meet then there.
When they got there the nurses gave her a room. Liz was immediately asleep. Aaron sat in silence and focused on her steady breathing.
He got up and gently kissed her forehead. Twice in just over a month she's been in the hospital, he managed a quiet laugh.
The door to her room opened and Simon came in. "She tell you a joke in her sleep?" He teased Hotch.
"I was just thinking."
Simon gave him a nod. "How is she?"
"Physically fine, nurses say she's good to go when she gets up."
"And emotionally?" Simon asked knowing the answer already.
"How would you be?"
"She's lucky to have you." Simon sat down on the chair.
Aaron chuckled. "Maybe," he shook his head, "honestly though, I think I'm the lucky one."
The men sat in silence both focused on Liz now. Then Aaron turned around and faced Simon. "I'd like to thank you Simon."
This caught Simon off guard. "For?"
"Being there for her when I wasn't. I mean I didn't even know she had a drinking problem, that was probably my fault. I made a few mistakes. A lot actually, but you came in and helped her with the damage I had done." Aaron paused and turned back to Liz, "I was such an ass. So thank you for I don't know just being there."
"I appreciate it but you don't have to thank me." Simon stood up and patted Aaron on the back. "Get some rest, call if you need anything."
Aaron just nodded in response and then Simon left.
