Criminal Minds 1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is a diffrent type of story for me. Features most of the team as teenagers. Seventeen year old Aaron Hotchner and his sixteen year old sister Jennifer Joy Hotchner are the children of David Rossi and Sandy Hotchner. Due to Dave's job within the FBI his wife and kids kept her maiden name for safety reasons. Aaron's best friend is Derek Morgan who is dating Emily Prentiss. JJ is best friends with Penelope Garcia and Emily. As of right now no Reid because I wasn't sure how to fit a twelve year old high school student into the story. If you're so inclined please review and let me know what you think good or bad.**

The bright sun beat down against the crisp blue water. Pennsylvania was unseasonably warm for late September, and the students of East Alleghany High were using this warm fall day to enjoy one last trip to the lake

"HOTCH! Hey! Hotchner!" Seventeen year Aaron Hotchner was pulled away from his ministrations with Haley Brooks. "Come on Hotch, this is this is the year you walk the plank!" Derek Morgan stood at the top of Dead Man's Bluff. Every year students dared one another to jump off the cliff, Aaron had so far been lucky enough to get out of the jump.

"Come on Aaron," the dark skinned senior challenged his best friend, a huge grin across his face.

"Why am I even friends with that clown?" Aaron asked his girlfriend, who also had a mischievous grin on her face. The truth was Aaron and Derek were inseparable and had been since football camp their freshman year. Both boys had tried out for the quarterback and had been assigned a room together. The first week of camp they had hated one another, they were too much alike being typical alpha males, they both craved the leadership position, it was when Derek was tried in the Running back position that they realized they worked much better together. Their leadership both on and off the field and positons as Co-Captians had led to the friendship the boys shared. It was rare to see them around campus without the other.

"Come on Aaron, are you going to let that clown show you up?' Haley's blue eyes sparkled as she pushed the seventeen year olds buttons. Aaron was no match for those beautiful blue eyes or that 'innocent' smile, she was one of a small number of people who could get him to do just about anything they wanted.

Looking from his girlfriend to his best friend Aaron finally relented, "Fine," his voice gruff, "But, if I'm doing it so is JJ." Aaron turned to his baby sister, who had been lying next to the lake with her two best friends.

The petite blonde shot up, "What?! No way," She quickly protested, "that's all you buddy." Jennifer Joy Hotchner or JJ, as she was affectionately known, shook her head instantly, there was no way she was jumping off some stupid rock.

Already having a plan of attack Aaron stood walking towards his sister, "Come on Jenny, why won't you jump with me? It's my last chance before I graduate." His voice dripped with feigned sorrow.

"Oh no, nice try Air-Bear." JJ rebutted the use of her least favorite nick name with one of her own. If you're dumb enough to jump off that cliff be my guest, but count me out. Quarterbacks need their arms us soccer stars need our legs."

If Hotch was being honest with himself he didn't want his sister jumping off the cliff, while injuries weren't common they did happen. It was a tradition though that by the time they graduated they would jump, and if his sister was going to jump he was damn well going to be there to protect her.

Fourteen months separated Aaron and JJ, as long as he could remember he had been her protector, nobody messed with his sister. He had fallen in to the role of Protective Brother quickly and easily. Five years earlier their lives had been torn apart and his need to protect her even more pronounced.

Aaron had been twelve years old the night their older sister, Rosaline, had committed suicide while their family slept. He had been woken in the morning by his eleven year old sister's screams. The image of Rosaline laying in the bathtub and her blood on JJ's pajamas is one he would never be able to forget. Aaron had blamed himself, despite everyone's insistence otherwise, for not protecting his older sister. It was too late for the young man to stop Rosaline's pain but he swore he would never let JJ get hurt.

"What did I tell you about calling me Air-bear Jenny! Aaron suddenly rushed forward easily picking the blonde up and throwing her over his shoulder, like a sack of potatoes.

Aaron was easily a hundred pounds heavier than her and was pure muscle, despite her fighting he quickly carried her up to the top of Dead Man's Bluff.

"AARON ROSSI HOTCHER! You put me down right now!" JJ's balled her fisted and punched his back, resorting to his full name hoping he'd relent. Aaron's deep laugh was her only response as he made quick work of the hike up, her so called best friends giggling as they followed the pair.

Her cerulean eyes looked to her best friend in desperation, "Come on Penny you gotta help me!" she plead to her eccentric friend.

"Oh no sweet cheeks, no way am I getting between you and Hotch." Penelope Garcia gave her friend a fake look of sympathy, there was no way anyone was going to get between Hotch and his sister. Penny could understand Hotch's need to be the one to jump with JJ, she did after all have brothers of her own.

A thin sheen of sweat covered the seventeen year olds forehead as he reached the top, their group of friends waiting for them. "Look at this, the Hotchner duo are gonna jump!" Derek smiled gleefully as he put his arm around his girlfriend, "What do you say Em? Wanta jump to?"

Reaching up on the tips of her toes she kissed Derek's cheek, "Nah, we'll let them have the glory, but before you abandoned me for college I'll jump with you." Emily Prentiss promised as Penelope made gagging noises behind them.

At the edge of the cliff Aaron finally sat JJ down on her own feet. The wind blew softly around them causing her to shiver in her light pink bikini. "Come on sis it's not that bad." Aaron encouraged as he put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Jay, you know I would let you do this if it wasn't safe."

"Says the one who isn't afraid of heights." Her bright blue eyes met with his chocolate brown ones, further evidence of which parent each looked like; Aaron was all Rossi while JJ had gotten the Hotcher fair features, Roz had been the perfect mix of Dave and Sandy.

Aaron held his hand out, "Come on it's not that high, we can do it." JJ hesitated just enough for the brother and sister to be interrupted.

"You know Jennifer, if you're scared I'll be happy to jump with you." Shawn Richards had had a crush on JJ since she turned fourteen and puberty had started to reveal the beautiful girl that had been hidden beneath soccer uniforms and flag football games. One summer she had seamlessly changed and was no longer just another one of the boys.

Giving Shawn one of her signature smiles, "Thanks Shawn-ie but I'm ok." JJ like Shawn but his male chauvinistic ways were what prevented her from ever giving him a second look, she could never be the dutiful girlfriend he wanted.

Turning back to her brother she grabbed his outstretched hand, "Alright let's do this before I lose my nerve. And I swear to God if I break anything and can't play soccer, I'm gonna kill you." The look in the sixteen year olds eyes left no room to suggest she was joking.

"Don't worry squirt I'll protect you, I always will." Aaron held her small hand tightly as the brother and sister pair rain off the side of the cliff.

JJ felt the cold water surround her as they landed feet first into one of the deeper parts of the lake. Her body sunk deeper into the abyss. She could feel the strong grip of Aaron's hand, he wasn't going to let her go. As the sinking began to slow she could feel the pull of her arm as Aaron swam toward the surface, her soccer toned legs worked to their advantage as she kicked up towards the sun.

Their heads lifted out of the water, the sound of applaused replacing deafing sound of the water. Their friends cheered loudly, the group rushing down to meet them at the edge of the lake. Aaron and JJ swan towards the shore, the younger wondering how long it would take for her stomach to fall out of her chest.

"HOTCHNER! HOTCHNER! HOTCHNER!" the boys from the football team chanted as the two made their way slowly to the shore. Derek, of course, shouting the loudest. "Atta boy Hotch! About time you made the jump." Morgan slapped Aaron's back as they climbed out of the water. "And I can't believe the Pennsylvania Petite made the jump, you know hot stuff I had my money on you somehow using that smile of yours to get out of it."

Shrugging his muscular arm off her shoulder, "Save the sweet talk for Penelope dork, she's the only person that buys your routine." Before rejoining her friends she turned back to her brother and the boy who was practically her brother, "BY the way, you two suck and I will get my revenge." She turned away from them before they could see the huge grin on her face, the jump, after all, was a lot more fun than she'd let her brother know.

Shawn and another classmate, Mark, carried a large white cooler from the back of one of the pickup trucks. "Time to eat! And in honor of 'The Great Hotchner jump of 1998' we party!" Shawn lifted the cooler pulling out two beers, throwing one at Aaron and the other at JJ.

JJ looked over to Aaron not sure if this was a good idea. The pair had always been the "good" kids around school. Both getting good grades and never getting into trouble. Their father, David Rossi, was an FBI Agent, one of the best if you talked to people around town. It was because of his job that they had been given their mother's maiden name, their father wanted to protect them from the killers he went after. Their father's career coupled with their mother being principle of their school held them to a higher standard than their friends.

Aaron shrugged his shoulders not sure if he wanted to be the "good guy" this once. For once the seventeen year old wanted to be a normal teenager, he didn't want to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Popping the top of the can he smiled at his sister, letting her know this once it was ok, and lifted the can to his lips taking a gulp of the cheap beer.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Wow I was suprised by amount of feedback I got on the first chapter. Thank you to everyone who favorited and followed this story. And to HeadUpHeatStrong, Lexie4MP, drikadelnero, Jareau37, CMCrazies, KSRPSB, Cribellate, and chen88212 for your reviews. I don't own Criminal Minds or the Characters. **

The mixture of laughter and music filled the late autumn air as the orange and pink sky faded into the twilight of early evening. Bathing suits and shorts had been exchanged for blue jeans and hoodies as the late summer air gave way to the crispness of a fall evening. The night sky littered with the wakening stars all illuminated by the growing bond fire.

Derek's strong arms were filled with a large stack of fire wood, behind him Aaron carried half of what he had made his friend carry. "Now, I knew you were weak Hotchner but I never realized how weak until just now, I mean really is that all you can manage?"

"I'm not the one that dropped that pass against Jefferson in the scrimmage last week, can't have you droppin' passes like that against North Mammon can we?" Hotch smiled at his friend as he dropped a log into the fire, both knew the dropped pass was a miscue on both their parts, one that neither would allow to happen again.

Dropping the rest of the wood near the bon fire Derek took a seat next to his girlfriend putting an arm around Emily's shoulders, "Now, Air-bear, had my quarterback thrown at me rather than trying to impress his lady I may have salvaged your otherwise forgettable game."

Emily could only shake her head at the boys who continued their back and forth banter, if it wasn't for the color of their skin one could actually believe they were brothers. "Are they always this bad?" she turned to her best friend.

JJ smiled, "Worse." She answered simply. Emily had moved to East Allegany at the year before and it had taken months for the small town to embrace someone so different. It was when Derek had gotten the 'Goth-girl' to go on a date with him that Emily had found the best friends she had ever had. "You should see them when no one else is around, you would think they were an item."

Derek and Aaron stopped their argument instantly at her insinuation, knowing full well she was joking but not willing to let her get away with it. "An item uh? I'll so you an item!" Before JJ could react she found small body being lifted off the tree stump she had been sitting on, and was being carried towards the dark cold lake.

"PUT ME DOWN!" JJ yelled as her friends called out various words of contempt and encouragement behind her. "DEREK!"

"No way Jennifer. I think you need a little cooling off, don't you Hotch." Derek continued to the lake despite the girls pleas otherwise.

Laughing Aaron followed closely behind, "I think my little sister needs a lesson on respecting her elders, clearly Mom and Dad didn't instill that lesson."

JJ's eyes rolled, "Please fourteen months isn't an elder. Now put me down, NOW!" JJ punched the back of Derek's sweater, knowing full well she wasn't causing him any discomfort.

Shrugging his shoulders, "If you insist." Derek dropped her on her bottom right at the edge of the lake, not enough to soak her, but enough to make her jeans damp.

"You suck!" JJ's blue eyes flared as she looked up at the two boys. Aarons hand reached down towards her, helping her up. "I know but you love us anyway." Aaron rarely smiled, but when he did it was enough to melt anyone's ill feelings toward him.

"Yeah yeah yeah, you still suck." Sticking her tongue out at her brother and his friend she stomped back towards her friends, grabbing a wine cooler and sitting just a little closer to the fire to warm up.

Grabbing a beer from the coolers both boys rejoined their friends. The group of high schoolers laughed at the many stories that had formed their young lives at East Alleghany High. The night grew darker as they enjoyed the freedom of youth, a freedom that only came with the feeling of invisibility associated with being a teenager.

Once the last beer had been emptied and the embers from the fire died out the teenagers started splitting up, the designated drivers taking away keys, making sure everyone could make the half hour drive back to town.

Aaron loved his Ford pickup truck, a present from his parents for his Sixteenth birthday. Dave had been nervous about the teenager driving so he made sure the then sixteen year old had the newest model with all the newest safety features.

Clutching the keys to his beloved truck Aaron knew he was in no condition to drive, and while he had been irresponsible by drinking there was no way he was going to put other people in danger. "Derek!" Hotch called out to his friend, 'Can you drive?"

Derek's face fell, it wasn't often that Aaron offered to let anyone drive his truck, as much as he wanted to say yes he shook his head sadly. "Damn man, why didn't you ask me an hour ago? I just finished the last 2 cans."

"Shit." Aaron muttered most of the cars had pulled away taking with them his hope of finding someone that could drive. "JJ?" Aaron turned to his giggling sister, hoping her carefree attitude wasn't from the ice chest of wine coolers Emily had brought along.

For reasons he couldn't understand the question caused the three girls to be reduced to another fit of giggles. "I'll take that as a no" The seventeen year old said under his breath as he tried to figure out how he would get home. Haley had driven with a group of friends and was already their designated driver. All of his passengers – Derek, Emily, Penny, and JJ, were too drunk to drive.

Aaron was kicking himself for the moment of teenage weakness. His only option was to call home and ask his parents to come pick them up. All Aaron could think was how disappointed they would be, not just at him but at his sister as well. Resigned to the inevitable he made his way to the truck, where his father had one of those new car phones installed.

"Hotcher! Give me the keys man, I can drive." Shawn called out, getting out of the passenger seat of another car waving as they drove off. "It's been hours since I've had a drink." Shawn assured his friend, more than a little excited at the prospect of not only driving Hotch's trunk, but also the ride home with JJ.

Looking at his friend dubiously Aaron tried to remember if he saw the other boy drinking, coming up blank he pulled the keys from his pant pocket and threw them at Shawn. "You crash my truck Richards and I'll kick your ass." The older boy was only half joking.

Emily, JJ, and Penelope walked towards the truck arm in arm laughing like giddy school girls. "Ladies in the back!" Penelope called out claiming the back seat for her and her friends.

Derek opened the back door of the black truck, "No way ladies, there's no way us three guys are sitting in the front while you three get the back seat. Sorry but JJ you're sitting in the front."

JJ's blue eyes glared at Derek's, "And why am I the one who has to sit up front? You'll fit just fine between my brother and Shawn."

Giggling Penelope pulled JJ closer to her side, "Yeah Sugar, you can't put my girl up front."

"Sorry Momma, I'm separating you three." Derek gently took JJ by the shoulders showing her the small row of seats in the front, the middle seat barely big enough for JJ's small frame. "That's why Miss Jennifer Hotchner, besides I need to sit with my girl," he winked at Emily as Penelope feigned an offended look, "I mean my girls." Derek quickly recovered.

Shaking her head in defeat JJ climbed into the middle seat, squished in between Aaron and a way too gleeful Shawn. The middle seat only had a lap seatbelt, as she brought the two parts together she waited for the familiar clicking of the seat belt. Shoving the buckle harder she realized nothing was working, it wouldn't lock. Aaron reached over joking that she was too drunk to even put on her seat belt, he tried in vain to secure the safety device.

Looking around they realized all their friends had taken off, leaving the six of them with a car with only enough seat belts for five. The last thing Aaron wanted to do was drive around with his sister at risk, "Come on Jay switch seats with me." Aaron unbuckled his own seat belt as she protested, "its fine Aaron we're not that far from home.

The road back to East Alleghany was notorious for its sharp turns and dark streets. Alleghany County was mostly rural with farm land that stretched for miles. Shawn had made the trip from the lake back to town more times than he could remember. He maneuvered the hair pin turns with an ease only a local could take.

The group's jubilation had quickly subsided as the effects of the late hour combined with the copious amounts of alcohol. Emily had her head on Morgan's shoulder, his arm wrapped around her as he watched the darkness fly by them. Penelope's face illuminated by the hand held gaming system she was obsessing over.

JJ laid her head on her brother's shoulder barely able to keep her blue eyes open much longer. "Hey Aaron?" she mumbled tiredly. Aaron lifted head off the window, "Yeah Jen?

"You won't tell Mom and Dad I was drinking will you?" Since Rosaline's suicide JJ had done everything she could to make sure she didn't disappoint her parents, even five years later the sixteen year old still felt responsible for her big sisters death. Being the soccer star and the straight "A" student as a way to atone for the mistakes she was sure she made that day, she was the child every parent would be lucky to have. At sixteen she put too much pressure on her small shoulders, more than any sixteen year old should have.

"No, Jayje, I won't tell Mom and Dad." Aaron promised as his own eyes fluttered shut, he was well aware of the demands she put on herself, he after all held himself to a higher standard than other seventeen year olds.

The sound of metal squishing made his brown eyes fly open. He could feel his body being pulled every which way and he was powerless to stop it. Glass crunched around him and the screams of his friends filled the air. He could feel the bile coming up as his stomach rebelled from the harsh movements of the pickup. As the truck rolled over again he was mercifully engulfed in darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

_The sound of metal squishing made his brown eyes fly open. He could feel his body being pulled every which way and he was powerless to stop it. Glass crunched around him, the screams of his friends filled the air. He could feel the bile coming up as his stomach rebelled from the harsh movements of the pickup. As the truck rolled over again he was mercifully engulfed in darkness._

Sandy Hotchner lay in bed staring at the clock on her dresser. The red 01:30 shone brightly, giving the room an ominous glow. She and David had let the kids spend the day at the lake And they still hadn't come home. They had trusted JJ and Aaron enough that they hadn't given them a curfew, but it wasn't like their kids to be out so late.

Every car that drove by, every set of headlights that illuminated their bedroom, caused the worried mother to hold her breath in anticipation, waiting to hear the familiar sound of Aaron's truck.

Dave shifted in their bed, wrapping his arms around his wife's waist. Dave had met Sandy just a few days after his graduation from the FBI Academy, the pair had been married shortly after; that had been twenty three years ago. Rosaline had been their unplanned joy, they had all but given up on having more children when Aaron came along five years later, followed by their tagalong Jennifer. From the moment Sandy had held Rosaline she had become a fierce Mama bear protecting her babies.

Rosaline's suicide had come as a blow to the young parents, both feeling like they had failed their baby, now with JJ and Aaron they struggled to find a balance between being protective and giving their children freedom. "They'll be home soon, stop worrying." David pulled Sandy closer placing a chaste kiss on her temple.

Sandy closed her blue eyes, a matching pair to her daughters, finding comfort in Dave's arms. She knew he was right, but that didn't help the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach.

The black pickup had almost come out of the last turn before town when Shawn had lost control of the vehicle. In his confidence in his driving he took the familiar turn at a speed too fast for the 35 mph turn. At last glance of the speedometer he couldn't tell if the speedometer was closer to 65 or 70. Hitting the coarse gravel the teenager pulled the wheel trying to get the car back on the road, in his inexperience he had over corrected causing the pickup to lean to one side. The weight of the pickup balancing on two tires was too much and quickly the pickup flipped over. Later the Sate Patrolman would tell them the truck had flipped four times before coming to a stop when it hit the old fence of the Douglas Farm.

Kevin Douglas and his wife Vickie had lived on their farm for forty years and were well accustomed to the quite country nights. The sound of metal crunching had woken them from a deep sleep. Kevin jumped out of the bed, faster than his sixty-five years should have allowed, he got to the window in time to see the truck come to a rest beneath his now broken fence.

"Dear God" he muttered under his breath, knowing this was going to be a bad accident. "Vickie call 911 tell them a truck just crashed." The old man quickly threw on a pair of overalls and his work boots before running out of the room

The wails of sirens stirred Aaron into consciousness. With each siren call he could feel the pounding in his head increase. The slow trickle of the thick liquid moved down the side of his face as he fought to move, not realizing what his body had been through he tried in vain to sit up.

Aaron could feel strange hands on his shoulders holding him down. "Hey now young man I need you to stay still. The ambulance is coming you hear?" An unfamiliar but friendly voice comforted the broken young man. "Can you open your eyes for me?"

'Open my eyes? I thought they were open.' Aaron thought to himself, the night sky had been pitch black as they drove home. Every fiber in his body was screaming out in pain as he willed his eyes to open. The light from the truck cut through the darkness as another wave of pain moved through his head, he couldn't hold the in a moan of pain that escaped his lips.

"Hey there we are. Look at those beautiful brown eyes." Vickie's soft green eyes looked down at the teenager. "The ambulance is almost here son, can you tell me your name?" Vickie's soft hands tried to comfort the boy who was so badly hurt.

Aaron tried to focus on the woman's voice but all he could think about was his sister and their friends. "JJ?" he finally moaned as he tried to look around for his baby sister. She had been sitting next to him, he had felt her hand grab his as the vehicle was ripped apart.

Relieved to hear some sort of coherent thought Vickie let out a sigh of relief. "Ok JJ help is on the way."

Despite the screaming pain in his neck he tried to shake his head no, 'why wasn't she understanding? Why was she wasting her time with him when JJ needed someone more?' He couldn't remember why exactly but something told him his sister was in trouble. "No…no….JJ…JJ…" he pleaded with the woman tears forming in his pain filled eyes.

"Shh it's ok son. I understand. JJ was in the car with you?" She could feel the slow movement of his head as he tried to nod, "My sister…where…" Aaron was becoming increasingly frustrated with the jumbled thoughts in his head.

Vickie had raised three boys of her own, she recognized the bond siblings shared, especially the one older brothers held with their younger siblings. Gently she ran a hand threw his shaggy brown hair, being mindful of the gash over his eye. "Its ok son, help is here. You and your sister are gonna be just fine." The older woman prayed her promise would come true, "Could you tell me your name?" she asked him again.

Aaron could feel the anxiety decrease finding comfort in the strangers soft voice, "Aaron…Aaron Hotchner…please…JJ…JJ…" Aaron could feel the darkness threatening to overtake him.

"Stay with me Aaron, keep those beautiful eyes open for me." Vickie could feel her emotions taking over. She had never been more grateful than the moment the first paramedic ran over to them.

Releasing the teenager to the very capable paramedic Vickie took in the devastation around her. The once pristine pickup was crushed, she could see the intertwined bodies her husband was talking to in the backseat. The field around their fence was littered with car parts, but it was the single tennis shoe that made a sob escape her lips. She didn't care about the damage to their property, or the fence they would undoubtedly have to replace, all she cared about were the teenagers who lives hung in the balance.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm blown away by the response to this story honestly I wasnt sure how this would be recieved. I just wanted to thank those who reviewed the last two chapters; **CMLeoLover, Lexie4MP, cheetobreathJareau, CelticFire32, CMCrazies, Jareau37, Spanish Guest, battlecry7473, ElissaMndz, JJ, 2 Guest reviewers. **There were a reviews for the last chapter about the cliffhangers and even one jest that I was mean :-) I wish I could tell you the cliffhangers were over, but well I can't lie I like to leave you on the edge of your seats so sorry the cliffhangers aren't over just yet. Thank you again for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following this.**

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"Officer Brennan? What do we have?" Sargent Rivers walked over to one of the units that wasn't busy.

Officer Michael Brennan walked away from the older couple towards his Sargent. "Looks like they lost control on the turn, skid marks indicate they overcorrected causing the truck to flip." The rookie cop pointed to the roadside where everything had started. "Mr. and Mrs. Douglas heard the crash and called 911."

Sargent Rivers surveyed the damage, not just to the vehicle but to the surrounding property, he was inclined to agree with the officer's summation. 'Is this one the driver?" He nodded towards the teenager surrounded by EMT's.

Michael nodded his head, "We believe so. We've got him and three still in the vehicle, they're all in the back of the truck." Sargent Rivers gave him a strange look, it was odd for there to be a driver in the front seat and three in the back. "Alcohol involved?"

Michael nodded his head again, "EMT's could smell it on the who we believe is the driver, and the truck smells of it." Officer Brennan would never get used to accidents where alcohol was involved, especially in kids so young. Teenagers thought they were invincible, that nothing could happen to them, this was a harsh was to learn otherwise.

Shaking his head in disappointment Brain walked over to the older couple, "Kevin, Vickie? How you holding up?" Sure they hadn't been hurt but coming out to such devastation couldn't be easy.

Kevin held his hand out to shake the Sargent's hand, "We're alright Brian, just worried about these kids."

"Did ya' all see anything?" Brian asked needing to get all the information for the investigation as possible.

"No," Vickie shook her head, "The sound woke us up. Kevin told me to call 911. I came outside and found Aaron lying over there. He was in and out of it barely gave his name." The concern Vickie felt for the teenagers was the same she would feel for her own sons.

Brian's gaze went from the truck to the still form, "Aaron?" his mind putting the pieces together, he had thought that truck looked familiar. "Is that David Rossi's son?" Not waiting for an answer he jogged over to where the EMT's were securing Aaron to a backboard for transport.

"Aaron? Aaron its Brian, can you hear me son?" Brian had been friends with the Rossi-Hotchner family since they moved to East Alleghany, their families were close and Aaron was like a son.

A familiar voice was cutting through the peace that darkness had brought the seventeen year old. With consciousness brought the unrelenting pain, he could feel every break and every cut that his body had suffered. "Sargent please, we need to get him to the hospital." Unfamiliar voices came into focus, strange hands touching him.

Slowly Aaron became aware of his surroundings, the brace around his neck prohibited him from finding the source of the voice. The mask over his nose and mouth making his breathing easier, his back felt rigid against the hard plastic back board he was strapped down on. Opening his eyes he was met with the familiar brown eyes of his father's longtime friend, he felt the man's hand grab his own, the sound of his voice muffled by the constant pain in his head.

Whatever the man was saying didn't matter, he was alive he would be fine, but he didn't know what was happening with his sister, "JJ…JJ…" Aaron managed to croak out just loud enough for Brian to understand.

"JJ?" Brian realized the ramifications of what Aaron was saying. "Bennan!" Brian shouted to the officer, "Is Jennifer Hotchner in the back of that truck?" Panic threatened to overtake him as he prayed the young girl was still in the truck.

Officer Brennan had been standing by as the fireman had gotten the back door of the truck off, carefully they had been able to get an unconscious Derek Morgan out of the truck. Brennan knew who the boy was, everyone in town knew Derek Morgan and not just because of his skills on the football field, his father had been an officer in town before being killed years ago. Carefully Brennan moved around the fireman lowering himself into the truck. Two young women were left in the truck, he was met by brown eyes that looked up at him in fear.

"It's ok, we're gonna get you out of here," Brennan promised the raven haired girl, not recognizing either girl. "Can you tell me your name sweet heart?"

Emily had felt every flip of the truck, had felt as it was ripped to pieces, she hadn't been lucky enough to be swept up by the darkness that had taken her friends. She had seen and felt everything and had been powerless to stop it or to help her friends. "Emily…Emily Prentiss."

Officer Brennan took her hand in his, trying to offer her some comfort. "Hi Emily, I'm Michael. Can you tell me who your friend is?" The officer looked over to the blonde next to them.

Emily couldn't turn her head to the side, she tried to remember who was sitting next to her, whose hand she still clung to, afraid to let go of. "Penny…Penelope…." Michael's smile offered some sort of hope that everything was ok.

"Good, you're doing so good Emily. We're going to have you and Penelope out of here soon. Can you tell me who else was in the truck?" Michael pushed her just a little more. A hand rested on the officers shoulder as the fireman asked him to move so they could get the girls out, before he could back out Emily squeezed his hand, "Aaron, JJ, and Shawn they're ok right?"

Squeezing her hand in return, "We're going to help you and your friends Emily. I'm gonna move out of here so these fireman can get you out but, I promise I'm gonna stay right outside the truck until your out of here ok?" Emily slowly nodded her head watching as he backed out of the truck letting the fireman take over.

Officer Brennan backed out of the truck looking over to his Sargent slowly shaking his head letting Sargent Rivers know their worst fear had come true, JJ wasn't in that car nor was another boy.

Sargent Rivers jumped up and started barking out orders. In their haste to help the victims they had failed to check the area for anyone else. His gruff voice barked orders at his units to start a search from where the truck stopped up to the turn where they had first crashed. He grabbed his radio calling for a helicopter to fly over and search the area.

Officer Jenna Barry and her partner Travis Kennedy held their flash lights in front of them, scanning the area not wanting to miss anything. Debris from the crash was littered across the lawn, the force of the impact had left marks in the pristine grass were the vehicle had rolled. Jenna had estimated the truck had rolled two hundred feet off the roadway. The turn had a recommended speed of fifteen mph and given the extent of the damage they had been going at least seventy. Shaking her head all she could think was that these kids were lucky to be alive.

"Anything yet?" A voice came over the radio. Jenna looked over to her partner who shook his head sadly. "Nothing yet Sarge, we've got a lot of debris out here. Definitely speed and alcohol related."

"10-4 Helio is enroute to assist, medics advised we may have to lifeflight." The Sargent relayed the information to his units.

"Jenna! I've got something!" Travis called out as he kneeled down next to the form laying in the grass recognizing the seventeen year old Shawn Richards. Travis reached a hand out looking for a pulse. "Jen we need medics!"

Jenna grabbed her radio, "I need medics, we're about fifty feet from the roadway at the curve. We've got a seventeen year old male, it's bad." It didn't take long to hear the sound of medics running towards them. Leaving Shawn with her partner Jenna looked for the girl they had been told was also in the vehicle.

She abandoned the forward search they had started and began moving diagonally from where they had found Shawn it wasn't long before her flashlight illuminated against the blonde hair.

Jenna ran over to the girl who had been partially blocked by pushes simultaneously calling for helping and putting fingers against her cold neck praying for a pulse.


	5. Chapter 5

The plush carpet pushed up between her toes as Fran Morgan paced across her room for, what felt like, the hundredth time. The soft glow of her TV illuminated the room as the mother of three looked at the clock again. Derek was responsible, her middle child had never missed curfew before. Fran was tempted to call Aaron's house, she suspected her son had decided to stay over and had forgotten to call, but didn't want to wake up Aaron's family.

The soft wail of sirens in the dark sky caused her heart to skip, her mind automatically assuming the worst possible scenario. "Fran you need to calm down girl. Derek's fine. I swear I'm gonna kick that boy's backside in the morning." Fran cursed herself and her son for the thoughts racing through her mind.

The clock on the night stand ticked forward another minute, although in the young mother's mind, it had felt like ten minutes had passed for every minute it moved forward. "Damn it Derek! Where are you?" Fran sighed deeply sitting on the edge of the bed she had once shared with her husband. Fran knew the loss of her children's father was fueling her wild imagination. Turning the volume back up on the TV she tried to concentrate on the infomercial not caring about whatever they were selling.

With the sound of a car driving by ten minutes later the TV was muted again as Fran lifted herself off the bed and over to the window. Fran watched as the Patrol car slowly passed her house, holding her breath the entire time. It had been eight years since two men in uniform came to their house, they had been in a car just like that one. She could still hear the hollow sound of them knocking on her door, and still feel the way her heart and soul had broken; all these years later and it still felt like it was yesterday. It wasn't until the headlights faded into darkness that she was able to release the breath she had been holding.

The red numbers on her clock mocked her with its 02:45. Fran couldn't take it anymore, she needed to know where her baby was and needed to know now. Throwing on her robe she made her way down the hallway, praying Derek had managed to sneak in without her knowledge. Quietly pushing his bedroom door open she quickly scanned the room, the perfectly made bed told her what she needed to know.

Letting out a frustrated sigh she closed the door and walked to the room her daughters shared. Thirteen year old Desiree was fast asleep while Sarah's bed sat empty, the older girl away at college. Fran knew that finding Derek in his sister's room had been a long shot but couldn't help but hope she would find him there.

Fran walked through the quiet house her fears increasing with each step. The only thing keeping the mother of three sane was the idea that her son was just at a friend's house and hadn't called. Fran could deal with a child who had forgotten to call home or who had simply missed curfew, she couldn't handle the fears running through her mind.

Their house was small but comfortable but tonight the tight walls seemed to be suffocating as she made her way to the kitchen where their only phone was. Forgetting about the late hour Fran was ready to call all of Derek's classmates until she found him, starting with Aaron Hotchner. With shaking hand's she picked up the telephone receiver silently praying for her missing son.

The sound of two knocks on the door froze Fran in place before she could dial the familiar number. She didn't know who was at her door but her blood ran cold in fear knowing at this hour whomever it was wasn't coming with good news. Lifting her small frame on her toes she looked through the peephole.

Two officers stood in front of the red door pushing the doorbell a second time. "You sure we've got the right address?" The young officers partner double checked the address on the driver's license with the dark house they stood in front of.

"Emily Prentiss 8645 Jackson Rd. According to dispatch she lives with her Aunt and Uncle, her father's family they said." Officer Brennan confirmed not at all liking the assignment he and his partner had been given. Michael hated making notifications like this, especially for someone as young like Emily, but it was far better for family's to get this kind of news from officers rather than the news or a rumor spread across town.

Just as Michael's partner was getting ready to ask dispatch if they had a phone number the porch light turned on, illuminating the two officers in a soft light. The front door slowly swung open as a young woman looked at them with confusion, "Can I help you officers?"

Officer Brennan nodded to his partner, "Yes Ma'am," Officer Travis White started. "Are you Nicole Prentiss?"

The color in Nicole's faced drained as the worry took over, "Yes…" she answered timidly. "What's this about officers?"

"Ma'am could we come inside?" Travis asked carefully as Michael asked where her husband was.

Opening the door further Nicole invited the two men in, not liking where this was going. "Come on in, living rooms over there." Nicole pointed towards the couches, "My husband, Eric, is upstairs. I'll go get him." She asked hopefully not wanting to hear what these officers had to say on her own.

Michael smiled at her gently, "Of course ma'am." The two officers stood in the living room waiting for her to return.

Nicole didn't make it far, finding Eric making his way down the stair of their two story house. "What is it babe?" Eric asked the exhaustion evident in his voice.

Nicole shook her head, "I don't know, there's two officers here they said they wanted to talk to us." Eric took his wife's trembling hand in his own, the thought that his niece could be in trouble never crossed his mind. His sister in law and brother were overseas in country's that weren't exactly friendly to Americans, his mind assumed something had happened to them never.

Michael and Travis turned towards the older couple as they entered the living room. Travis allowed Michael to take the lead. "We're here about your niece, Emily Prentiss. I'm sorry to tell you this but she's been involved in a major vehicle accident tonight."

_"__It's Three a.m. do you know where your children are?" _The television seemed to be mocking them as Dave sat on the edge of the bed. Two hours ago he hadn't been worried about his kids, assuming they had left the lake later than usual, now at three in the morning the father was more worried than he was letting his wife believe.

Sandy paced across the room again, "David where are they? This isn't like them!" Sandy had grown more and more worried with each passing moment. The only other time could remember being this scared was watching as the ambulance had taken their oldest daughter away, despite her prayers Rosaline never came home again, Sandy didn't know what she would do if something happened to Aaron and JJ.

Dave had been using every cliché he could think of for the last two hours trying to comfort his wife, trying to assure her their kids would be home any moment, he was having a hard time coming up with the right words to use as the hour grew later.

"The car phone! Dave call the car phone." Sandy whipped around as the idea popped in her head, cursing herself for not thinking of it sooner, this was why they paid so much extra for the stupid thing hadn't they? Sandy remembered trying to talk Dave out of the purchase but he had insisted, right now Sandy was more than grateful for his insistence.

Dave grabbed the address book from the side table quickly thumbing through the pages looking for the number the dealership had given them. He quickly pushed the buttons on the phone waiting for the familiar sounds of the phone ringing. It was a sound that never came, instead a message played in his ear, '_'We're sorry; you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. If you feel you have reached this recording in error, please check the number and try your call again_."

Dave hung up the phone, checked the number and dialed again, convinced he had dialed the number wrong. "_We're sorry; you have reached"_ Dave slammed the phone down on the receiver.

"What?" Sandy asked knowing whatever it was wasn't good.

"The phone's not working." Dave saw the fear in his wife's eyes, "Now hold on Sandy that could be for any number of reasons, these new car phones are notoriously unreliable." The look of doubt didn't escape the profiler, he didn't believe himself any more than she did.

Sitting on the bed next to David Sandy took his hand her hers, hoping it would offer some level of comfort. "David something's wrong, I can feel it."

Sandy's blue eyes brimmed with tears and Dave couldn't deny any longer the nagging in his heart that agree with her. "Thirty more minutes, if we don't hear anything by three-thirty we'll call the police."

Sandy opened her mouth to protest, wanting to call someone now, but was interrupted by the ringing of their door bell.

The patrol car was silent as Jenna carefully drove through town, she was grateful the accident scene had been cleared and wouldn't be visible as she drove the young parents from East Alleghany to the hospital in Pittsburg. Anthony Garcia held his wife's hand tightly, her fair skin noticeably paler.

A parents greatest fear was being told their child was hurt, and while Penelope wasn't biologically his daughter she was his child in every way that mattered. Anthony had met Robin when Penelope was barely a year old, the child's father had abandoned them running off with his secretary. The betrayal had been made worse by the five boys he was a real father to. The two weeks a year that Penny spent with her father in San Francisco hardly made the man a Dad in Anthony's book. Penny wasn't his blood but she was his daughter and he was the man she chose to call Dad.

"She's going to be ok right?" Robin asked to anyone willing to give her the answer she so desperately needed. Like so many parents Robin and Anthony had received a knock on the door and the news their child had been hurt in an accident. The officers couldn't give any information other than that all the kids had been taken to the UPMC Presbyterian hospital, they had been assured this was the best hospital and their children were in good hands. Until Robin could see her daughter for herself she didn't think her heart would ever start beating again.

The ride took less than half an hour but it was a grueling half hour for the worried parents. Once the patrol car was stopped in front of the hospital Robin and Anthony followed the two officers to the Emergency room. Robin watched Jenna carefully as the older woman talked with two other officers, bypassing the nurses' station.

Jenna nodded for the couple to follow her as she guided them to the waiting room. "I'm sorry there's still no news on any of the kids, the nurse assured me as soon as there's any information they'll come let you know."

"Thank you," Anthony answered for his wife, shaking the officer's hand. Hand in hand Anthony and Robin entered the waiting room expecting to wait in agony alone, instead finding a group of parents also waiting for news on their children. Fran opened her arms welcoming Robin as the two mothers embraced.

Dave sat in the back of Sargent River's patrol car, his arm safely around Sandy's shoulders, trying to offer her some comfort, knowing she was just as terrified as he was. Rossi couldn't remember the amount of time's he had been in Brian's shoes, giving the same kind of news they had gotten tonight; the only difference Dave was usually telling someone their loved one was gone, his children were in an accident. Brian may not have been able to tell them much but Dave knew when Brian last saw JJ and Aaron they had been alive.

Sandy closed her eyes tighter fighting the tears she so desperately needed to release. She needed to be strong right now, she needed to be strong for her husband, but more importantly for her children. _"Please God don't take my children. You already have my Rosaline please don't take Aaron and Jennifer."_ Sandy prayed over and over again; almost the same way she had prayed just five years ago when Rosaline had left them.

Needing to fill the hollow silence that surrounded them Dave turned his attention from his wife to his longtime friend. "Brian? What do you know?"

Brian took his eyes off the road long enough to look at his friends reflection in the rearview mirror. Generally this early into an accident investigation they wouldn't release a whole lot of information to the families, but these were his friends and Dave was an FBI agent. "The kids were coming home from the lake. At the turn near the Douglas farm the vehicle went off the side of the road and flipped over. We're still investigating Dave but we believe they took the turn too fast and over corrected." Brian gave the bare minimum information they knew.

"Were they drinking?" Dave knew how teenagers could be but prayed his son hadn't made the same mistake so many other's had.

Brian's eyes met Dave's, "There's a warrant for a blood draw at the hospital, we believe all the kids had been drinking."

The concern Dave had been feeling was replaced with anger. Teenagers were impulsive they didn't always make the wisest decisions. Dave and Sandy had been clear with both Aaron and Jennifer. They didn't care what time it was, or what the circumstance was, their children could call them any time night or day and they would pick them up if they had been drinking. Dave had impressed with his son the dangers of drinking and driving and promised if ever he needed to be picked up his parents would be there without judgment; oh there would be consequences later but nothing so bad that their children couldn't call them.

Taking a deep breath Dave turned his attention back to the Sargent. In this moment Brian wasn't his friend he was an officer of the law. "Brian I don't care what the results are, if Aaron was drinking and driving I don't want this swept under a rug, he needs to face the consequences of his actions."

Knowing how hard this was for Dave Brian shook his head in understanding. Brian would do anything to protect his child just as Dave would, but both men also knew that trying to hide something like this wasn't going to help their children in the long run. "Don't worry Dave I've already turned the investigation over to the State Police, our office is too close to this, I don't want anyone thinking we weren't objective in our investigation.

Fran, Robin, and Sandy all sat together in the hard plastic chairs in the hospital waiting room. Their hands intertwined as they talked softly with one another, each praying their babies were ok. Across the room Nicole hung up the phone, having tried in vain to get ahold of her Sister and Brother in Law.

Dave stood in the corner with Anthony Garcia but his focus on Shawn's parents sitting secluded on the other side of the room. Dave didn't know Shawn's parents very well, he had seen them at the boy's football games but had never really had the chance to talk to boy's parents. From the moment Dave and Sandy had joined the group of waiting parents he had felt Shawn's father's eyes on him.

Finally tiring of the other man's stares Dave walked across the room stopping in front of the couple. "I'm David Rossi, Aaron and Jennifer's father." Dave reached his hand out to the other man.

Shawn's father's dark eyes glared at the FBI Agent, his hand stubbornly staying in his pocket. "Justin and Holly Richards," he answered coldly, "And we know who you are. This is your son's fault we're here. One would think a big FBI Agent would teach his son to not drink and drive."

Dave could understand the other man's anger, he would be angry as well if he was in the man's shoes, but they didn't know what exactly had happened tonight and he didn't like this man putting the blame on his son. "Now hold on we don't know for sure that Aaron was drinking tonight."

Letting go of his wife's hand Justin stood up towering over Dave by a good foot, "Oh one of those parent's uh? Son too good to take responsibility for his actions? Daddy going to come in and sweep this under a rug?

"Well let me tell you something Mr. Big Shot FBI agent I'm not going to let you cover this up. If my boy suffers in any way your son is going to pay for this." The hate and anger dripped from Justin's voice.

Dave may have been smaller than the other man but was formidable in his own right. "Now listen here, I don't appreciate what your insinuating. If Aaron or Jennifer did something wrong tonight they will be accountable for their actions, but until we find out exactly what happened out there I don't want you spreading any rumors before we know what's going on."

Both men glared at the other neither willing to back down, it was the soft voice that ended their stalemate. Standing in the doorway was a young woman, young enough to be their children by the look of her.

Sarah Cunningham introduced herself to the worried families, not letting her youth stand in the way of doing her job. Liaising with families was a big part of the role she took at the hospital, and despite the difficult situations she was involved in she loved her job, she loved being the person families could turn to when things seemed hopeless.

Sarah's arms were full of the files she would need, each containing the various injuries these kids had suffered, but she didn't need the files to give the news these parents desperately needed. Their kids, while injured, were alive and the doctors would do everything they could to keep each of these kids alive.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Wow can't believe its been a year since this has been updated. The next chapter is written betweeen this one and the next one we'll find out about each of the kids. I'm not going to promise I'll be good about updating but I'll try to be better.**

The hallway was still, the only noise coming from the echo of footsteps. Nicole Prentiss held her husbands hand tightly, needing his strength as they were led to the room holding her niece.

Eric silently prayed that his only niece would be ok. The young hospital administrator had been vague on Emily's condition. He was grateful that he had been assured the teenager was alive, but not knowing how bad she was hurt didn't ease his worried mind.

The look on the other parents faces, when Sarah offered to take Eric and Nicole to their niece, hadn't been lost on the couple. It was a look of both gratitude, at knowing one child was ok, and a look of jealousy at not knowing what was going on with their own child.

Sarah stopped in front of the ER curtain just as the Doctor stepped out. "Mr. and Mrs. Prentiss this is Dr. Jacob Henley, he's in charge of Emily's care." The grey haired doctor reached a hand out shaking the visibly scared couples hands.

"Mr. and Mrs. Prentiss," the Doctor started, "As Ms. Cunningham stated I'm Dr. Henley, I'm the attending physician assigned to your nieces care. Emily was brought in following a motor vehicle accident. Considering some of the injuries the other passengers sustained, Emily was very lucky." The doctors calming voice put the couple at ease. "Because Emily was in the middle seat she was cushioned during the impact of the accident."

"So Emily's going to be ok?" Nicole asked quietly, her voice covered with trepidation, she needed the doctors assurance her niece was truly ok before her fears would subside.

Dr. Henley smiled at the younger woman, "Emily has some serious injuries, but with time she'll make a complete recovery." The doctor stopped as the couple let out twin sighs of relieve, Eric's arm wrapping tightly around Nicole's shoulder. "Our primary concern," the Doctor continued, "is a mild to moderate concussion. Emily doesn't remember blacking out but she is showing symptoms of concussion; blurry vision, loss of memory, and a pretty good headache.

"The first thing we did was get an MRI to rule out any serious injuries. The scan was negative for any bleeding or swelling of the brain. We ordered a second MRI for later today to make sure there isn't any bleeding or swelling that the first MRI didn't pick up." Nicole and Eric listened intently absorbing everything.

"She has a hairline fracture to her left ankle that we've already put a cast on. During the exam I noticed Emily's abdomen was tender, not unusual following an accident. Seat belts, while doing a great job of protecting patients, have been known to cause injuries to the abdomen and sternum. We've done an ultra sound to rule out any internal bleeding and we're confident the discomfort is from bruising caused by the seat belt. But, it is something we will monitor closely. Emily's injuries, while serious are very treatable."

Eric couldn't put into words how grateful he was to the man treating his niece. Finding two officers in his house at almost three in the morning had been terrifying, the idea of losing someone he loved, well there were no words adequate to explain the fear that had overtaken him. He knew he'd have to tell her parents about the accident, but injuries were treatable, telling his brother he had lost a daughter would have been unimaginable.

Nicole's soft voice interrupted his thoughts, "Can we see her doctor?"

Dr. Henley smiled, "Of course. We're going to be admitting Emily so she'll be moved up to the pediatric ward shortly. We've given her a sedative to make her more comfortable so she'll be in and out of it the rest of the night, but a nurse will be checking on her hourly to make sure the head injury doesn't get any worse. I'll be back once we're ready to move her upstairs." The tired doctor shook Eric and Nicole's hands before leaving them to check on other patients.

They felt alone in the ER hallway despite the bustle of activity around them. Sarah quietly ushered them to the other side of the curtain where their seventeen year old neice lay eyes closed on a gurney. The soft beeping monitored her strong steady heart beat. Her right ankle raised gently on a pile of pillows and the soft black bruise just above her right eye, the only evidence of the accident. Nicole stood next to the head of Emily's bed, placing a soft kiss on her forehead, hoping to not disturb her moment of peace.

Back in the waiting room Justin Richards had resumed pacing back and forth across the small room, frequently giving Dave annoyed glances. For his part Dave ignored the looks, choosing instead to focus on his wife and the dark thoughts running through his head.

For Dave and Sandy this was all too familiar, it felt like just yesterday they had waited in this same hospital for word on their oldest daughter. Five years ago they had received the worst news a paren could get. Dave wasn't sure he or Sandy could handle the loss of another child, if they lost both Aaron and JJ tonight he knew it would shatter what was left of them.

Fran held tightly to Robins hand, drawing much needed strength from the mother of her son's best friend. The Garcia's had moved to East Allegheny just as the kids were starting kindergarten. Fran loved living in their small town, it had been an adjustment from the busy streets of Chicago. Living in in Pennsylvania had been huge adjustment for her family. Being an interracial family in Chicago wasn't unusual, in the Pennsylvania country side her husband and children stuck out. While their town had accepted them it wasn't lost on her children they were just a little bit different than their classmates. When Penelope walked into Derek's life, with her bight pink streaked hair and bright colored outfits, the young girl stood out against her cookie cutter classmates. It was a friendship built on their differences that quickly bonded the two and their families.

Minutes clicked by slowly as they waited and prayed. Every sound of foot steps and the room would freeze, the held a collective breath, waiting and hoping praying for news. After what could only be described as a lifetime since the Prentiss' had been ushered to their nieces side did that door finally open again.

Sargent Rivers could feel, just as much as he could see, the disappointment as he walked into the waiting room. Knowing his neighbors and friends were waiting for news on their children their reaction was expected, he knew they'd rather he be a doctor right now.

"Brian?"Rossi addressed his longtime friend, paying no attention to the look Shawn's father gave the pair. Seeing his friend and the other uniformed officer made the already nervous father more worried.

"Dave," Brian nodded at the profiler, "I want to start by letting you know I don't have any update on the kids," he addressed the room apologetically. Despite no update he figured at this point no news was good news, he wasn't there to give anymore bad news.

Brian motioned to the officer with him, "This is Lieutenant Ricks with the Pennsylvania State Police. I've asked the state police to take the lead on the investigation. They have more experience in major accident investigation. Given the severity of the accident we want to make sure all avenues are covered." Brian left out his desire to make sure no one questioned his or his officers integrity when it came to the investigation.

Lieutenant Daniel Ricks stepped forward giving a small nod a the families before introducing himself. "I understand how difficult this is for each of you right now, being a father I can only imagine what you are going through.

"My team, with the assistance of Sargent Rivers team, are currently at the scene of the accident. We need to determine what caused the truck to overturn and if there are any criminal charges that need to be brought forward."

Lt. Ricks faced turned more serious, "I will keep you in the loop as much as possible through every stage of our investigation. The Ford F150 has been towed to our offices. We're going to make sure there was nothing faulty with the vehicle. At this time we are investigating this as an alcohol related accident."

Before the lieutenant could finish Justin Richards was out of his seat approaching Rossi, "I told you Dave if your son did anything to hurt my son there would be hell to pay!"

Sgt. Rivers put himself between the two angry fathers, "Now hold on a second Justin…"

"Shoulda known you police officers would stick together. What, you don't want to ruin Christmas with the Rossi's by arresting his son?"

Lt. Ricks interrupted, "I don't know you or your families, nor do I care about So &amp; so's christmas party. This will be a fair and impartial investigation. We don't know who was driving or if the driver was intoxicated. The truck smelled of alcohol which is why we are treating this as a DUI crash. The assumption is that Aaron Hotchner was driving, as it is his truck."

Hearing the lieutenants assumptions Justin took a seat next to his wife, still seething. Holly wrapped her hands around her husband hoping to calm him down.

Lt. Ricks held up a sheet of paper, "We know Aaron, Jennifer Hotchner, and Shawn Richards were in the front of the vehicle. This is a warrant, that has already been served to their doctors, for a blood sample. We will also be interviewing the other kids who were at the lake. Once those involved are able we'll be interviewing your children. I can promise you we will find out what happened. I know this is difficult for you, but please try not to turn on each other. You all are neighbors and friends. Don't let this rip you apart."

Lt. Ricks spoke with each parent individually for a few moments before leaving them to wait for any news. The door wouldn't open again until the sun had finally risen.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you for those who reviewed the last chapter. After such a long wait I wasn't sure if there would still be interest in this story or not. Not a lot of excitment in this chapter but we'll finally hear about the rest of our teens. The next chapter we're finally going to see some of them. There was a comment before my hitus regarding Reid not being in this story. Becuase Ried is younger than the rest of the team and was so young when he went to high school I had a hard time putting him in a story about teenagers drinking and driving. That said I have thought of away that Reid will be seen in this story but not for a few chapters at least. Thanks again for reading this story.**

Sarah walked into the waiting room thankful she finally had news for the families who had been left in limbo. She could only imagine the stress they were feeling right now. Her files were thicker with the information from various doctors, but at least now she could give these families some information. With each families permission she across from them letting them know, not just about their own child but their friends as well.

Sitting in the same cold plastic chair as her charges, the compassion that was so innate within Sarah shown through. "I am sorry it took this long to get you information." Sarah began softly. "In accidents every second is critical and despite their best intentions Doctors get tunnel vision, forgetting families are left waiting."

Sarah looked down at the first file, scanning the details again, refreshing her own excellent memory before turning to Fran. "Mrs. Morgan Derek is currently in surgery. Dr. Nathan Weston is operating on a serious fracture of the patellar, the knee cap, as well as internal tearing of ligaments in his knee. The injuries are serious, he'll be off hat leg at least six weeks, and will need extensive physical therapy. Derek also suffered a moderate concussion. He was unconscious when he was brought in, although he did regain consciousness in the ER. His doctors don't have any reason to believe it's a serious concussion, but any injury to the head is a concern and we will be monitoring him closely." Sarah paused for a moment letting Fran absorb the information.

Fran could feel the tears of relief as she wrapped her mind around her sons injuries. Derek had a long road in front of him but he was alive, and he was going to stay with her and his sisters. She could deal with a knee injury, the thought of losing a child was something she couldn't.

Fran listened as the young liaison finished her son's injuries; dislocated shoulder, bruised ribs, minor cuts and abrasions. Most importantly Fran would be able to see her baby in a few short but torturous hours.

Anthony squeezed Robins shoulder as Sarah subtly turned her body towards them. Penelope came into his life like a tornado, he had never imagined he could love another man's child as much as he loved that little girl. The love he felt for Penny was indescribable, to know that she was hurt broke him in two, he'd do anything to take away her pain.

"Mr. and Mrs. Garcia, Penelope is currently being settled into a room in the Pediatric ICU, we have no reason to believe she won't make a complete recovery, the ICU is merely a precaution right now." Sarah assured them before discussing the serious nature of her injuries.

"The impact of the crash caused a Grade 4 injury to Penelope's spleen, this required emergency surgery to remove her spleen. Dr. Lisa Mason handled the surgery, and will meet with you in the ICU once Penelope has been moved there from recovery. Your daughter also suffered a minor concussion and facial abrasions, as well as a hairline fracture of her left wrist. She'll be in the ICU for a few days for monitoring, only because she is at an increased risk for infections. Her doctor has taken her off the anesthesia and Dr. Mason said she was conscious but due to the pain medication she's on will be in and out of sleep when you see her."

Sandy listened as the injuries were described, as worried as she was about her own children her heart broke for their friends. Aaron and Derek were practically inseparable, it wasn't unusual for Derek to spend the weekend sleeping on Aaron's floor. Penelope and Jennifer had been friends since elementary school. After Rosaline's death Penelope had been the person to get Jennifer to open up.

Sandy knew that the day Rosaline died her youngest child had been forever changed, their entire family had. It had been Jennifer's screams that woke them up that morning. Sandy couldn't remember much about the weeks and months following her daughters suicide but she knew in their pain, their children's pain had been overlooked, Jennifer's most of all. Her once bubbly daughter had retreated into a depression she had missed, if it wasn't for Penelope, Sandy wasn't sure Jennifer would have found a new normal. Penelope listened to her daughter, making sure the then eleven year old had an outlet to express her grief, both girls wiser than their eleven years should have allowed. Over the years Penelope helped fill a void in Jennifer's life. These kids weren't just friends, they were family.

"What about my son?" a gruff voice interrupted Sandy's thoughts. She had momentarily forgotten they were still waiting to hear about her own children and Shawn.

For her part Sarah ignored the visibly upset father's tone, understanding it wasn't really meant or directed at her. "I am sorry I have less information about Shawn, Aaron, and Jennifer. But, I will tell you what I know so far. All three are currently in surgery with life threatening injuries."

Sandy's grip on Dave's hand tightened at the words; life threatening. She had been in a state of denial about how serious this was, refusing to truly accept the fact she could lose another child. With those two words she would have to accept the truth, knowing all to well what could happen.

Sarah continued despite the fear radiating from the group of parents, not surprised that it wasn't just those who's children's lives hung in the balance. "I'm not sure what the police have told you but all three kids were ejected from the vehicle. The determination of cause is up to the police, I can tell you injuries sustained in such crashes are very serious."

The petite brunette woman focused her attention on Justin and Holly, "Right now there are two main concerns with your son. Shawn has internal bleeding as well as major abdominal trauma. What is more concerning right now is the head trauma suffered. Right now the focus is stopping the internal bleeding and reducing the swelling on his skull. Our priority right now is keeping him stable through this surgery.

"I'm sorry to tell you this but the chances of survival and complete recovery with the trauma he suffered are slim. Our goal right now is to keep him alive tonight and take it one day at a time. Shawn has a long road ahead of him but I promise we're going to do everything we can." Sarah's heart broke as the color drained from Shawn's mother's face.

Holly couldn't hold back the sob that escaped her lips, there was a chance she'd never hold her son again, never hear his laugh or see the way his eyes twinkled when he was being mischievous. Right now Holly didn't care about who was driving or what caused the accident, right now she only cared about was her son and if he was going to fight his way back to them.

She could feel the world around her slipping away, her mind only able to focus on the white tile floor and the arm squeezing her tightly. She could barely feel her body be lifted from the cold plastic chair.

Justin clung tightly to his wife's side, needing her strength as much as she needed his. This nightmare of a night wouldn't seem to end, blow after blow his world kept crashing down. He needed out of this room with it's suffocating walls, he needed away from the other parent's who's children weren't facing death. Suddenly blaming David Rossi lost any significance, his only priority was his wife and son. "I'm sorry…we'll…" the words couldn't form as they moved from the claustrophobic walls of the waiting room into the hallway.

The realization of Shawn injuries further deflated the once optimistic group. Yesterday had been just another day. A group of teenagers had gone to the lake, just as they had been doing for years, but today, today it was possible some would never make it back.

Sarah waited just a moment before she lifted her head, her eyes meeting with Sandy's tear filled blue eyes and Dave's terrified brown ones. Not sure what words she could say that could comfort them Sarah did her job, gave the facts that she knew without letting the emotions over take her. " Mr. Rossi, Mrs. Hotchner as I said earlier both Aaron and Jennifer are in surgery at the moment. Aaron suffered head trauma and broken ribs. There was also major trauma to the right side of his body, including a broken clavicle, elbow, and wrist. Aaron was conscious at the scene of the accident, although he had a difficult time communicating with the emergency personnel. By the time he got to the hospital he had loss consciousness and had not regained it prior to surgery. An MRI revealed swelling and bleeding of the brain. While these are serious, life threatening injuries, Aaron's doctor is optimistic that with time he can make a complete recovery. His doctor, Dr. Merchant, believes the surgery could take another two to three hours. Once he's out of recovery we'll be moving Aaron to the Pediatric ICU and you'll be able to see him."

Sandy could feel Robin's familiar hand on her shoulder as she heard her own voice whisper, "And Jennifer?" Aaron was going to make, it was still serious but they believed he was going to be ok, now she prayed her daughter had that same strength.

"Jennifer was life flighted in critical condition. Her condition has not changed since she was brought in, generally we would wait until a patient was stable before surgery but in Jennifer's case the risks of waiting were greater than operating.

"Jennifer primary doctor is Dr. Katie Ward, she is the best trauma surgeon in the state, but she has a team of doctors with her now. Given the extent of her injuries time is of the essence so the doctors are performing multiple surgeries. A neurosurgeon was called in for multiple skull fractures. She suffered multiple rib fractures one of which punctured her lung. Dr. Ward is working to stabilize a fractured to her pelvis that has caused internal bleeding. Each of these injuries on their own are life threatening. When she makes it out of surgery," Sarah chose her words carefully knowing the word 'if' would cause Dave and Sandy more worry, "she'll be moved to our Critical Care Unit where she'll have a team of doctors and nurses dedicated to her care. I know this is scary having both your children hurt but I promise our doctors are doing everything possible to keep them here." Sarah smiled softly hoping her words would give them some hope


	8. Chapter 8

While Sarah was going over the teenagers conditions Eric Prentiss tried once again to reach his brother and sister-in-law. Emily had been moved into the adolescent wing of the pediatric ward almost two hours ago, aside from a few mumbled replies she had yet to respond to her Aunt and Uncle.

Eric looked at the seventeen year old sleeping as he listened to the phone ringing. It as eight in the morning in Pennsylvania which mean it was one in the afternoon in London where Jonathan and Elizabeth were stationed. Just as Eric was ready to hang up the phone a voice came across the line.

"Hello?" Elizabeth answered her office line annoyed by the interruption. She had told her assistant she was busy today and didn't have time for phone calls yet her office line had been ringing all morning.

"Elizabeth? It's Eric." Eric was relieved at finally getting an answer from Emily's parents. His niece needed her parents here for once. She had been sent to live with him after what they called "the incident" in Italy last year, in that time she had only spoken with her parents a handful of times, each seemed more strained than the last.

"Eric, is everything alright? Has Emily gotten herself into trouble already?" The annoyance Elizabeth felt multiplied. Emily had a knack for finding trouble, the 'incident' in Italy had almost ruined their lives. Elizabeth was grateful her daughter had chosen to take care of the problem rather than embarrass their family even more. Elizabeth could only imagine the trouble the seventeen year old had managed to get into now.

"Liz you and John need to come to Pennsylvania there's been an accident." Eric didn't bother with pleasantries.

Elizabeth felt a wave of fear wash over her. "An accident? Eric what happened? Is everyone alright?"

"It's Emily Liz. She and a group of friends were driving home from the lake last night, their truck crashed. I don't know about Emily's friends but Emily was hurt…"

"Hurt? How bad? What are her doctors saying?" The ambassador interrupted frantically needing to know how bad the accident was and what this would mean for her London Post.

"She's going to be ok Liz," Eric assured her, "She has a concussion and a broken ankle. The doctors are monitoring her for any internal bleeding, she has some bruising on her abdomen, they believe it's from the seat belt and won't need surgery."

Elizabeth considered her daughter's injuries; Concussion, broken ankle, bruising that didn't sound too bad.

"When can you and John get here?" Eric raised his voice a little as he turned away from his wife and niece. Elizabeth hadn't responded to his questions. "Elizabeth?" Eric asked a little louder.

"Eric I'm terribly sorry my assistant brought in a document that needed my immediate attention." The ambassador lied easily. "I'm sorry Eric but right now isn't a good time for Jonathan and I to come back to the states. You'll give Emily our love and update me if there's any change in her condition." The coldness that Elizabeth had perfected when it came to Emily wasn't lost on her brother in law.

Eric was both shocked and not surprised with Elizabeth's reaction. His brother had always put work before family, Elizabeth was just like him. Eric felt for his niece, she had grown up with servants taking care of her, loving her, rather than her own parents. He should have known they wouldn't drop work to visit their only child, these were the same people who had forced Emily to abort her child then shipped her back to the states.

"They're not coming are they?" A soft voice came from the hospital bed, drawing the attention of her concerned Aunt and Uncle. Emily's dark brown eyes brimmed with tears, she had heard her uncles side of the conversation, she knew exactly what her mother would have said. At seventeen she should be used to the abandonment, blame it on the concussion, but this betrayal hurt more than most.

"Hey kiddo," Eric leaned forward kissing his nieces forehead, pushing a lock of her dark hair out of her face, "How you feeling?"

Emily grimaced as she tried to adjust her body to a more comfortable position. The slightest movement sent waves of pain coursing through her body. She wasn't sure what hurt the most, her stomach, her head, her foot, or heck even her hair. There wasn't a part of her thin frame that didn't hurt. Emily was used to being alone, depending only on herself, her Aunt and Uncle didn't need anything else to worry about, "I'm ok Uncle Eric, just a little sore," the seventeen year old lied easily.

Eric couldn't help but chuckle at the seventeen year old, who was anything but fine. She may be used to putting on a brave face, but tonight her mask had broken. Eric chose to give the girl her pride and not push the issue, although he'd make sure the nurse gave his niece something to keep her comfortable. "I'm sorry Em's your parents have an important meeting in London. They want to be here but can't get away."

Emily had heard it all before. When she was five she had her tonsils taken out, she had been in California while her parents were in Cairo. At eight she had ended up at the bottom of a pile of boys playing football, she had scored a touchdown but tore her ACL for the trouble. They had been in DC at the time but, her parents were too busy at the State Department. Her nanny, Heidi, had been the one she had woken up to after the surgery. There had been countless illnesses and bumps and scrapes that she had been alone for. Despite the loneliness she had always hoped her parents would change, that just once her mom would rub her back when she was sick with the flu. Last summer after the "incident" in Italy Emily knew she was on her own.

Emily shrugged off the look of pity in her Uncles eyes, she didn't need or want his pity. She wouldn't admit it though, it was nice to finally have people who cared for her, and not because they were the hired help.

A wave of pain washed through her body causing her to close her brown eyes tightly, breathing deeply willing the pain to stop. Seconds ticked by before she could open her eyes again, looks of concern on her Aunt and Uncles faces. "I'm ok, just sore. My friends…" Emily wasn't sure how to ask the question. As the drugs wore off her memory of the night came roaring back. The sounds of metal crushing, Penelope grabbing her arm, JJ's screams. She couldn't remember all of it, just flashes of memories her mind was trying to forget.

Eric and Nicole gave each other a look, communicating silently, neither sure what to tell Emily. They didn't know much to tell her, would the little information they knew be enough to appease her, would it just make her more upset?

"How much do you remember sweetie?" Nicole asked gently not wanting to upset the teenager.

Emily closed her eyes trying to remember everything. Between the pounding in her head and the drugs, the memories that were once vivid were now cloudy. "We were at the lake and the next thing I remember I was in the truck, there was an officer asking me questions. Penelope and Derek were in the truck with me, but I don't know where anyone else was." Emily was frustrated with the flashes of memories she could seem to put together coherently.

"The truck flipped over just out side of town kiddo. You've got a concussion, some minor bruising, and a broken ankle." If she had had the energy she could have laughed as her Aunt explained her injuries. Emily didn't need to be told what hurt, she could feel everything and more, but the seventeen year old could hear both the concern and relief in her Aunts voice. She could tell just how scared Nicole and Eric had been, for the first time in her life Emily felt like someone genuinely cared for her.

"And the others?" Emily asked about her friends again, needing to know they were ok.

"We don't know much kiddo," Eric finally admitted. "You were all brought to the same hospital. I don't know how bad the other's were hurt, but I promise as soon as I can I'll find out."

Emily leaned back against the pillows, knowing her friends were all in the same hospital was enough for now. Laying back in the bed Emily allowed the medicine to do it's job, she could feel her body relaxing more and more, taking the pain she was feeling away.

Eric watched as her brown eyes slowly closed, "Get some rest kiddo. Nicole and I will be here when you wake up." Nicole bent forward kissing the top of the teenagers forehead, "We love you Emily."

A faint smile etched across the soft features of her face, "Thanks for being here, I love you guys to." Emily allowed the darkness to take over, falling into a dreamless sleep.

Fran followed Sarah through the quiet halls of the pediatric ward. Soft murmurs could be heard from the nurses station, and from rooms where children were just starting to wake up. Despite the warm smiles the nurses had given her, Fran had never felt more alone.

Derek was finally out of surgery and had just been moved to a room, Fran was relieved she was finally going to see her baby boy. For what felt the millionth time in the last seven years Fran longed for her husband. Losing Daniel, becoming a single mother, was nothing she had ever expected to do in her life.

When she vowed 'Till death do us part', she had imagined that would be years later, when they were both old and their children were grown. Being a single mother of three had its challenges and rewards. She was Mom and Dad, their friend and their parent. Daniel's partners on the force had been amazing at giving her children a father figure, but it wasn't the same. Her children needed their father, she needed her partner and best friend.

There were countless nights when the four of them snuggled on the couch watching movies, or nights when she was tasked with being the only disciplinarian, to nights like tonight when she needed him, needed his strong presence to keep her grounded, to remind her everything would be ok. It was nights like this when her children needed their father, where his loss weighed on her soul.

What she wouldn't give to have Daniel by her side right now, holding her hand, reminding her how strong Derek was, how their son would be fine. Walking down the hospital corridor, her fingers lightly brushed against the gold chain that held her husbands wedding band, he wasn't there physically but she could feel his presence with her.

"Ms. Morgan, this is Dr. Nathan Weston," Sarah introduced Fran to the doctor who was in charge of her son's care. The young doctor held a hand out introducing himself to he visibly concerned mother. No matter what assurances the doctor gave her he knew until she saw her son that fear wouldn't subside.

Fran listened carefully as Dr. Weston gave her the same information Sarah had given her an hour ago. While she was grateful there were no more serious injuries, her son was still hurt and would need time before he was ok again.

Dr. Weston knew most of what he was telling her was lost and he'd probably be telling her the same information again later, he didn't mind he could only imagine how scared she was being told her child was involved in a car accident. Taking mercy on the single mother he finally guided her into the room that held her son.

The rooms on the pediatric ward were set up to be welcoming both for parents and the children forced to stay in them. There were rooms for all age groups from infants and toddlers to teenagers like Derek. Fran scanned the room that she would be calling home until her son was able to go back home. Pictures of famous Pittsburg sports teams hung on the wall, Fran chuckled her Derek was a Chicago boy at heart, being forced to look at Steelers and Pirates logos would inspire him to get out of there as fast a possible.

There were two beds in the room, the one closets to the door left empty. Fran secretly hoped that Aaron would be the one occupying that empty bed, that her son's friends injuries weren't as serious as they sounded. While the room was dimly lit she could see the still form laying in the bed closest to the window.

Soft light shone though the blinds that attempted to block out the sun that had risen just a few hours ago, the soft glow reseted on Derek's face, illuminating his dark features. Derek's doctor stood back as Fran approached the bed her son was sleeping in.

The young mother quickly took Derek's uninjured hand into her own, a sob escaping her lips as she finally felt the warmth of his skin. The only sound in the room came from the monitor tracking his heart beat, Fran listed to the monotonous beeps of the machine that tracked his strong heart beat. His right arm was in a sling, protecting his dislocated shoulder. His leg was elevated slightly, a metal brace secured his knee and the broken ankle he had sustained. The hand she was currently holding was covered with a IV that was giving him the drugs that allowed this painless sleep.

The right side of his face was covered in dark bruises from when he hit his head against he window, a white bandage across his cheek covered a cut from the glass they had to removed. He was hurt but he was alive, and for now that was enough.

For the first time in hours the surgical rooms were empty, the halls were quite the echoes of the controlled chaos of this floor long subsided. The surgical teams had trained for nights like this, grateful they didn't happen very often. They were the best trained trauma surgeons in the state, they thrived on the chaos of the unexpected. Gun shot wounds, natural disasters, motor vehicle accidents; they were the teams that were ready in moments to save a life. Most nights they wouldn't see a single patient, but tonight they had been tested. Five young lives were trusted to their capable hands.

Trauma specialists quickly learned they couldn't save everyone, that sometimes the injuries were just too severe, but that didn't mean they didn't try or that it didn't hurt when they lost someone.

It had been hours since the first patient had been rushed into the operating room but just moments since the last patient had been treated. One doctor stood in the middle of their operating room trying to find the right words to say, knowing nothing they said would make this day any better.

A nurse had offered to talk to the family but she needed to do this, it was her job. Finally leaving the operating room she made her way to the room where she had been told the family was waiting.

Taking a deep breath she opened the door only to be met with two sets of concerned eyes. For a moment they stared at the doctor knowing without a word being said why she was there. The woman's tear brimmed eyes pleaded with her to say anything but the inevitable.

The doctor knelt in front of the couple, saying the words they most feared, "I'm so sorry."


	9. Chapter 9

The surgical waiting room was much more comfortable than the one in the Emergency Room had been. The hard plastic chairs replaced with couches and arm chairs. Fresh coffee and bottles of water were available, no more stale vending machine coffee. They had been given the remote control for the TV, which unlike the one in the ER was not mounted in the corner.

The sound of a morning news report filled the quite waiting room, although no one was listening to the reporter. The noise was a welcome distraction to sounds of a ticking clock, each tick reminding them of the minutes that passed with out any information.

Dave and Sandy had watched as the other parents had been reunited with their children. After Fran had been taken to the Pediatric wing the nurse had brought them up here where they could be more comfortable. Having Robin and Anthony there made the waiting a little more bare able. An hour ago Penelope's doctor took them to the ICU living them alone with Shawn's parents.

The two family's barely acknowledged each other's presence. Dave wasn't sure which was worse, being ignored or the looks of distain they had been giving him.

Just after nine in the morning, six hours after they had arrived at the hospital, a doctor walked into the waiting room. Two sets of parents looked up bracing themselves for the worst but praying for good news.

"Parents of Aaron Hotchner?" Dr. Phillip Merchant asked as both couples looked at him anxiously.

Dave stood, pulling Sandy up with him, "I'm Aaron's father, Dave Rossi, this is my wife Sandy."

Dr. Merchant smiled at the couple, instantly putting them at ease, "Aaron's out of recovery and has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit, he made it through surgery with flying colors."

"Thank you," Sandy resisted the urge to hug the doctor standing in front of her, the stress of the night catching up to her.

"When can we see him." The relief in his wife's voice matched his own as Dave addressed the doctor.

"If you'll follow me I'll take you to him and we can discuss his injuries and what's going to happen from here." The doctor explained, surprised by the blonde woman's hesitances.

It took Dave a moment to realize why Sandy was hesitant to follow the doctor. "Um, Dr. Merchant, our daughter Jennifer was also brought in. Last we heard she was also in surgery, we haven't heard anything yet." Dave knew this doctor wasn't likely to have any information on JJ.

Without saying anything more Phillip knew why the couple was hesitant, "Don't worry ma'am I'll let the nurses know that you've been taken to the ICU with your son. When your daughters doctor has any information they'll know where to find you."

Before they followed the Doctor to the ICU Sandy turned back to the couple still waiting in limbo. "I…I…" Sandy wasn't sure what to say to Shawn's parents. The two families had been neighbors for years, Sandy knew Shawn had a long standing crush on her daughter. They may not be friends but she needed them to know she of all people knew what they were feeling. "I just want you know we're both praying for Shawn, he's a fighter."

Holly reached her hand out, the two mothers clinging to on another. In that moment it didn't matter who was driving or who's fault the accident was. For the two mother's all that mattered was their children.

The pediatric ICU was set up like a wagon wheel. In the middle of the ward was a nurses station, where two nurses were always posted monitoring patients vital signs. Surrounding the nurses station were patient rooms. To allow the doctors and nurses to closely monitor their patients the walls and doors to the rooms were glass. On this morning there were only two patients in the ICU.

As Sandy and Dave walked into the ICU they could see Robin and Anthony hovered over their daughters bed. Anthony looked up his eyes meeting Dave's. A small nod of the other man's head was all Dave needed.

It wasn't just his skills a Profiler, but his years as a father, that he was able to read the look on the other man's face. While the past twelve hours had taken a tole on the all of them, the look on Anthony's face was one of relief. Dave knew, that even though Penelope was hurt, the girl he loved like his own, was going to be ok.

A small nod of his head, a silent promise to catch up as soon as they could. Both father's understanding they needed to be with their families right now.

Sandy saw Aaron through the window as the approached his room, despite how scary the machines around him looked she could finally see for herself that he was still with them. As they entered the room the only sound came from the heart monitor.

Dave wasn't a crier he could count on one hand the number of times he had cried in his adult life. Seeing his son look so broken he couldn't help the tears that fell. Father's are supposed to protect their children but there was nothing he could do for his children right now, seeing Aaron reiterated the helplessness he was feeling.

The FBI Agent looked at his son assessing the injuries to the seventeen year olds body as the doctor explained what they had done for each of those injuries. A white bandaged was wrapped around his forehead, leaving his shaggy brown hair sticking out.

The accident had caused a brain contusion, the doctors had cut a small opening in the seventeen year old skull to stop the bleeding. There was a brace around his right arm and his sternum. He had suffered two broken ribs, a broken clavicle and a hair line fracture to his wrist.. His ribs would heal on their own. The break to his clavicle was severe, once he was stable they would have to do surgery to insert pins into the bone. The doctors didn't need to tell Dave, he already knew Aaron wouldn't be able to play football again, a small price to pay considering the alternative but Aaron loved football. He loved being the quarterback leading his team, he was a natural leader.

Despite the success of the surgery the doctors were keeping him in a drug induced coma while his brain healed. They would be monitoring him closely for the next twenty-four hours before they made any further decisions on treatment.

With a promise to check on them soon the doctor left the couple alone with their son. "Promise me they'll be ok, that they''ll both be ok." Sandy pleaded with Dave has she clung to Aaron's good hand. Dave wrapped his arm around his shoulder wishing he could make that promise.

Dave placed his other hand on he seventeen year olds leg, "We're here Aaron, you're going to be ok son, just keeping fighting."

An hour later Dave was keeping a watchful eye on his son, watching for any change in the boys condition. The nurses had brought in a second chair for the couple, Sandy head was on his shoulder as she had finally let a light sleep take over her. The sound of the door sliding open took the couples focus away from their son and on the visitor standing in their son's room.

No amount of reassurance that she had done everything could alleviate the guilt she was feeling.

Dave felt like the wind had been knocked out of him, he couldn't believe what he was hearing, this didn't seem possible.

"I'm sorry Dave." Sargent River's didn't want to do this but right now he didn't have a choice. "I have to put Aaron under arrest. There will be an officer posted outside at all times."

"You're kidding me right? Is this necessary Brian? He's being kept in a medically induced coma where the fuck do you think he's going to go?" Dave was pissed as he watched the officer put the handcuffs around his son's good wrist, securing the other end to the bed frame.

"I'm sorry Dave but circumstances have changed." Brian hated doing this, not just because Dave was his friend, but because it just didn't seem right, but the law was the law.

Dave never wanted to punch someone as much as he wanted to punch the man in front of him. "What circumstances? You knew hours ago alcohol could have been involved, why is it so important to do this in the God damn ICU?"

Sandy watched their exchange shocked that this was happening, hadn't they been through enough? What else could go wrong today?

"Dave…Aaron's blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit of a driver of legal age. In a juvenile the legal limit is zero." Before Brian could finish Dave interrupted him again. "So that's your reason for cuffing a boy in a coma to his bed?"

Brian hated this, he hated seeing he anger in David's eyes, the sorrow written all over Sandy's. "There's more Dave." The tone in Brian's voice stopped the profiler cold, he knew something was seriously wrong.

"Dave, Sandy," Brian knew he was walking a fine line by being the officer doing this, but these were his friends. It was better he give them this news than a stranger. "The District Attorney is filing multiple charges against Aaron. There's enough probably cause right now to charge him with Felony Drunk Driving and," Brian paused, "Dave he's being charges with Vehicular Manslaughter."

'Vehicular Manslaughter' the words rushed through Dave's head as he heard the sob from his wife's lips. They both knew what this meant, someone had died in that truck. What they didn't know was what this meant for their family. Was this the way they were telling him he'd lost another daughter? Was it wrong that he was praying JJ was ok, knowing it meant another family had lost a child.

It was Sandy who spoke first, "Jennifer?" the woman's cerulean blue eyes cutting through her long time friend, praying it wasn't her child that was gone.

One word, he only needed one word to know what she was asking.

"I'm so sorry." The Doctor looked at the couple who clung to each other, wishing she had better news. She could only imagine the pain they were feeling at losing a child. She had tried everything to save their child, the trauma from the accident had caused too much damage and they had succumbed to their injuries.

Dr. Samantha Preston held her breath as the two people processed what they had lost. Despite her years of medical training the seventeen year old's injuries had been too severe. No amount of assurance that she tried her damnedest to save their son, was enough to alleviate the pain they were feeling.

They had known the moment she walked in that their son was gone, but hearing those words made his loss real. It was matter of seconds between the moment she confirmed the worst to when their minds fully processed those words; "I'm sorry he didn't make it." Those brief moments felt like an eternity, then the world crashed around them.

Dr. Preston allowed the tears to flow freely as the parents grieved the loss of their son. There was no sound on this earth that compared to the sound of a mother who just lost her child. The sounds of the other's woman's cries cut through the doctor like a knife, ripping her soul apart.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N I have to apologize about the last chapter. I was struggling on how I wanted to end that chapter and if I was going to wait on the big reveal or not. When I read it to find any mistakes I thought I had made it clear what happened, of course I knew because I wrote it. A lot of people were left more confused at the end of the last chapter. That was not my intent and I do apologize for the confusion. So to both say I'm sorry and to thank you all for your reviews and reading my story I started this chapter sooner than I had initally planned but thought you guys deserved now.**

"_I'm sorry he didn't make it_." The doctor's words echoed in his head over and over again, but Justin couldn't fully wrap his mind around what those words meant. Just twenty four hours ago his son was asking to spend the day at the lake, it wasn't possible that his son was never coming home.

The muffled sounds of his wife's sobs seemed distant as memories of his son flashed through his mind. He remembered the moment he became a father, holding Shawn for the first time. They way his infant son would hold his hand as the toddler learned to walk. The memories flooded his mind, offering both solace and distress.

The seventeen short years with his son weren't nearly enough. He could cling to the memories of baseball games and Boy Scout camp outs. Those memories would end after seventeen years, he would be left wondering who his son could have become.

Justin's brown eyes met with the soft green eyes of the doctor who had tried to save his son's life, without words he pleaded with her to say something else, to tell them this was all a lie that his child wasn't gone.

Dr. Preston recognized the look the father's eyes, she had seen it before, and she knew she would see it again. Despite the skills she had she wasn't God, she couldn't do the impossible.

"Shawn was brought in with Head trauma and multiple internal injuries. His heart stopped during the surgery, due to the severity of his injuries we weren't able to get his heart started again. We tried everything we could but his injuries were just too severe." Samantha knew her words would offer no comfort to Shawn's parents, there was nothing she could do to make this better for them.

Samantha leaned forward placing a comforting hand on the grieving mothers, "If you want I can take you to see Shawn." Samantha knew as difficult it would be to see their son that this was just the start of a long process of grieving and saying goodbye.

The look of desperation in Sandy's blue eyes broke broke Sargent River's heart, he was grateful he wasn't here to tell them their daughter was gone, not that the news he had was any better.

"As far as I know Jennifer is still in surgery." Brian paused as his friends took a breath of relief. "Shawn Richards never made it out of surgery."

Brian could see how their faces went from relief to shock in mere milliseconds. He knew it wasn't just because of what this meant for their own son.

"Shawn…" David wasn't sure how to form the thoughts going through his mind. Shawn grew up with his kids, this was the same boy that pulled JJ's pigtails and had sleep over's with Aaron. Dave wasn't oblivious to the young boys affections for his daughter, and now that same boy was gone. Dave wanted nothing more than to find Shawn's parents, he more than anyone knew the pain they were going through.

Dave and Sandy had been in the same situation the Richards were in now, they knew the pain of loosing a child, it was pain that never went away. They both knew right now no apology or words of sympathy would be enough, especially given the circumstance of their son's death.

Dave ran his hand across his face, the days events catching up with him. "So what happens next?" Dave didn't want to sound callous but there was nothing he could do for Shawn's family but he could help his own son.

"Aaron can't arraigned until he's awake and able to assist in his own defense. As I said before the State Police are going to handle the crash and investigation, I'm here as a special favor. An officer will be posted outside of Aaron's room until he's able to be booked or released from police custody. Dave the one thing I can suggest you do right now is get Aaron a lawyer, and make sure it's the best one you can find.

"You know as well as I do these are serious charges and the District Attorney can charge Aaron with the more serious charge of Murder and charge him as an adult. The police aren't going to let you look at the evidence especially given your position in the FBI, they don't want to look like they're giving the son of a Law Enforcement officer preferential treatment.

"The State Police are going interview the other students at the lake to determine the events that led up to the crash. Once Emily, Derek, and Penelope are able to officers will be interviewing them as well." Brian knew this was a lot for them to grasp, especially Sandy. In less than twelve hours their lives and the lives of people they cared about had been flipped upside down. "You know any information they share with me about the accident will be on the books so I wont be able to share that with you, but if you guys need anything, anything at all you call me."

Doctor Katie Ward walked through the ICU looking for the family of her latest patient. Katie loved being a doctor and nights like this despite the difficulty of the case were why she did this job, she loved helping people. When the sixteen year old blonde girl had come in to her Operating room Katie had made a promise with her patient, as long as that girl promised to fight Katie promised to do everything in her power to make sure that girl made it out of this hospital.

It had been a long surgery and there had been complications but both Katie and her patient kept up their end of the bargain. Katie didn't know much about Jennifer Hotchner but she knew that girl was a fighter, it was the only thing that could explain the sixteen year old surviving a crash that should have taken her life and a surgery that could have killed her. Jennifer was far from out of the woods but Katie was going to be with that girl until the day she walked out of this hospital, there was no way after that fight Katie was going to lose her patient.

Katie didn't need to look at the room numbers to know which ICU room her patients family was in, the uniformed officer was a dead give away. Sadly this wasn't the first time an officer was posted outside of a patients room. Katie knew the details of the accident, she had heard that one of the kids hadn't made it. She wished teenagers could see this side of drinking and driving, that they could see they weren't invincible, maybe then they wouldn't end up on her operating table.

Katie smiled and nodded at the police officer before entering the room she had been told her patients family was in. The first thing she saw was the teenage boy that she knew to be her patients older brother, she could only imagine what their parents were going through right now.

"Mr. Rossi and Mrs. Hotchner?" Katie asked, knowing from her patients file how to address the couple.

Dave nodded his head standing up, "I'm Dave Rossi, this is my wife Sandy. You're JJ's, Jennifer's doctor?"

Katie smiled at the couple and nodded her head, she motioned for the concerned father to sit back down as she sat on the stool reserved for doctors. "I'm Doctor Katie Ward, I'm the primary doctor handling Jennifer's care. I know the past few hours have been very stressful for you and I am sorry we weren't able to provide a lot of updates.

"As you know Jennifer was flown here in critical condition. Given the extent of her injuries we would generally wait until she was stable to operate but in your daughters case waiting was a greater risk than performing the surgery.

"We'll go over more of the details upstairs but Jennifer made it through the surgery and is in recovery now, we'll be moving her to the Critical Care Unit soon. The injuries your daughter suffered are life threatening, the next twenty four to forty eight hours are critical, but I can also tell you Jennifer is a fighter, and I promise as long as she does her part we're going to do everything we can to make sure she walks out of this hospital."

Dave wrapped his arms around his wife pulling her close both feeling the weight lift from their bodies, while they weren't out of the woods, JJ making it through surgery was a big step. The last twelve hours had been complete hell for the couple and they couldn't help the tears of both joy and exhaustion that spilled. "She's alive." Sandy sobbed as she held Dave tightly.

For a moment the couple forgot about the doctor as they focused on each other, whispering words of comfort to each other. It was Dave who finally turned back to the smiling doctor, "I'm so sorry,"

Katie shook her head, the smile on her face growing, "Don't be, I can't imagine what this day has been like for you. I have a son myself who's Jennifer's age and I know I'd be a wreck if I was in your shoes. Now I've spoken with your son's doctors and nurses and let them know that Jennifer's being moved to CCU. I understand you may not want to leave your son alone so if you like I can take one, or both of you up to see her."

Sandy and Dave look at one another and down at their son, this was when having two hurt children was even more difficult. Neither wanted to leave their son but both needed to see Jennifer for themselves. In the end there wasn't any doubt, for now Aaron would be ok by himself, and they knew their son would want the to check on his sister.

"We'd both like to see JJ." Dave said without hesitation, suddenly the need to see his youngest child was almost overwhelming.

The halls of the Critical Care Unit were quiet, the only noise came from the echoes of their footsteps mixed with the sounds of medical equipment. The atmosphere further reinforced the gravity of what they were facing with Jennifer.

"Dave, Sandy, this is Tara Lewis, she's will be Jennifer's daytime nurse while she's in the CCU. Each patient here has their own dedicated nurse and doctor to make sure they get the care needed while they're here." Dr. Ward introduced the couple to the friendly African American nurse at the nurses station.

Tara shook both couples had's before handing them both a card, "This is my work cell phone and pager number, if you need anything or have any questions please don't hesitate to call me, or come find me ok. I know your son is downstairs so we want to do everything we can to make sure you are able to spend the time you need with both your children."

Sandy thanked the woman who looked to be the same age as her, grateful for the nurse taking care of her daughter.

Doctor Ward guided the couple towards their daughters room, "Now I was told our Hospital Liaison gave you a run down of your daughter's injuries. Jennifer suffered a fractured skull we believe in the initial impact of the crash. In Jennifer's case we needed to intervene surgical to stop the bleeding and reduce any swelling. We'll be monitoring her closely for the next few days, any swelling or additional bleeding of the brain can cause seizures.

"Jennifer also fractured her pelvis which required surgery, again despite her condition waiting wasn't an option for us, a fractured pelvis can lead to internal bleeding. Doctor Scott Garcia operated on her pelvis, it was necessary insert both pins into the iliac bones and plates and screws at the fractured site to secure it. When Jennifer is stronger she's going to need extensive physical therapy.

"Jennifer also suffered a punctured lung, we've inserted a chest tube that for the time being will stay in place to drain any fluid in the lungs, as well as broken ribs that will heal on their own. We'll continue to monitor Jennifer's condition as surgery will most like be needed in the coming weeks but nothing that needs to be done right now, right now our goal is getting her through the night and getting her stable.

"I should warn you before you see Jennifer she is on a ventilator until she is strong enough to breath on her own, also this will also her body to rest and heal."

Sandy held her breath as the doctor opened the door for them, despite the warning from Jennifer's doctor nothing could have prepared Sandy for what she saw. "Oh baby," Sandy whispered has she slowly approached the bed.

JJ's bed was surrounded medical equipment, a ventilator helping her baby breath, machines monitoring brain activity and her heart rate. Tubes giving the sixteen year old much needed medication and nutrients.

Thick white gauze was wrapped around the girls head, Sandy could see where the doctors had to shave some of her beloved blonde hair. Jennifer's eyes were close making the black and blue bruise across the right side of her face stick out even more. Small scrapes were littered across her soft pink cheeks from the shattered glass.

A brace was wrapped around her abdomen and stretched down across her pelvis and her right leg, the doctor explaining this was to hold her pelvis in place until the bones were healed.

Approaching her daughter Sandy was afraid to touch the girl, afraid she would break her baby even more. "You can hold her hand, you can't hurt her any worse." JJ's doctor encouraged the visibly shaken mother.

Dave carefully approached his baby girl, wanting more than anything for his girl to open her eyes and laugh that this was one big joke. His JJ was constantly moving, a blur of blonde running across a soccer field, seeing her like this, so broken, was devastating.

"We're here baby, Mom and Dad are here." Dave whispered his voice breaking, "We love you so much JJ."

Sandy wrapped her hand around JJ's smaller hand, carefully leaning forward placing her ear against JJ's chest. Sandy could hear the strong beat of her daughters heart, as it thumped in time with the monitors. She could feel her chest rise in fall in perfect unison with ventilator. Sandy laid against her daughter in an awkward hug, praying she could pass along some of her strength into Jennifer's broken body. "Mommy loves you Jenny, Mommy loves you" the mother whispered as her cheeks were stained by a fresh round of tears.


End file.
