Criminal Minds: Friends Become Family

8: Always A Team

"You don't even know the story. Andrew will love to tell you the truth."

I looked at him then back at the road asking, "What do you mean?"

He yelled, "Shut-up and Drive."

We drove about 30 minutes and then stopped at a gas station. He forced me out of the car and said, "Go to the bathroom and change," as he threw me clothes to put on.

I go into the bathroom and changed into the clothes that were way too big for me. I took my phone and I didn't know where to put it where he can't find it.

I looked at my phone and immediately texted Garcia 'SOS' and turned off vibration and ringer so I could hide my phone in my sports bra in the back hoping he won't see it.

I walked out and he walked around me checking me out and pat down my arms and legs and luckily he didn't feel my back. He shoved me back into the car and we were driving again.

I hoped Garcia was tracking me.

Back at the BAU

Penelope's POV:

I am walking very fast to Hotch's office and Morgan said, "Woah, slow down baby girl," but I ignore it.

I barge into Hoch's office and he asked, "What's going on?"

I said, "I just got a text from Alex saying SOS."

He stood up and said, "Gather the team."

Everyone came into the conference room and Rossi asked, "What's this about?"

Hotch looked at me to start talking and I said, "Earlier today Alex texted me saying, 'Don't text me back just track my phone until I say you can stop. I will text, Mildred, so you know. If I don't text that no matter what keep tracking me' so I tracked her until about 30 minutes later she texted, 'SOS'"

I took a deep breath and continued, "The first text she was in the Washington Dulles airport about 45 minutes from here. Her last text was from a gas station on Virginia Route 267, and she is still on the road."

"Garcia, don't lose her location," Hotch said and looked at the team, "Does anyone know why she was at the airport?"

Rossi spoke up and said, "She was supposed to meet her half-brother Jimmy today."

"Oh yeah, she also asked for an image of Jimmy Homer for some reason," I added as I remembered.

Hotch said, "She must have had a bad feeling about him. Garcia what can you pull up on Jimmy Homer."

I grabbed the keyboard in the room and typed up the files and said, "Alex had already asked for them a while ago because she got a letter from him claiming to be her half brother and wanted a background check."

The team looked at the screen and Emily said, "His records are squeaky clean. There's nothing about him."

Rossi then asked, "Garcia show me a photo of Jimmy."

I pulled up a photo and he asked, "Are there any younger photos?"

"How far back do you want me to go," I asked and he said, "2001 photo of him."

I didn't find any photo's and Morgan asked, "Can you do facial recognition on him to find a younger him?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "Derek Morgan, do you know, how many human beings are living in this world in 2001, even kids?"

He smirked and Rossi asked, "Pull up pictures from the 2001 foster care scandal case."

Hotch asked Rossi, "What are you getting at?"

Rossi said, "I got a hunch that I may have seen him before."

I pulled up all of the photos of the case and sorted out the boys from the girls.

"Try separating blonds into a category," Emily suggested.

"Boom," I said as 5 boys were on the screen and Rossi stood up from his chair and pointed at one boy with blue eyes.

"Him, What's his name," Rossi asked.

I look through and find, "Zack Omer 7-year-old boy rescued on December 13, 2001."

Hotch looked at Rossi and I asked, "What. What's with the staring?"

"That's the same day Jason and I saved Alex from the same home," Rossi said upset.

The team was distressed and Emily said, "I need some air."

She looked like she was about to cry so I followed her out as well as Rossi.

She walks outside and I follow asking, "Hey, Em. what's wrong?"

She wiped some tears onto her sleeve and said, "It-it's nothing Pen. I am fine."

Rossi then said, "You are not the one who cries or even sheds a tear so something is wrong."

She sighed and said, "When my mom was in Afghanistan I was about 15 I knew a guy umm... Samuel Omer, he was a friend of mine. I haven't heard from him ever since I moved back to the U.S."

Rossi asked, "Was he a good friend of yours?"

She nodded and said, "It was a long time ago that's it. The name reminded me about him that all."

My phone pinged and I saw that Alex stopped driving and told them, "We need to go back." We walked back in trying to figure out what we can do for Alex.

Alex

We drove for another 30 minutes and finally arrived at a small abandoned house off of the road. He pointed the gun at me and said, "Get Out."

I slowly got out of the car and with the gun still pointed at my head I walked into the house.

Andrew was standing there smiling and said, "Welcome back Alexandra."

Jimmy was holding my arm tightly so I couldn't break free and Andrew said, "Zach, be respectful and let the lady go."

He released me and I stood in front of Andrew and he said, "Time for you to know the truth and nothing but the truth."

I shook my head saying, "Why would I trust you?"

He laughed and drew his gun at me and said, "You don't have to trust me or even believe me but you WILL listen."