Hello everyone! I've had the idea for this story bouncing around in my head for awhile, and decided it was time to write it. After Elle leaves in season 2, we never hear anything about her again. I've always wondered what her life would have become after the BAU. I hope you enjoy the story and I would really appreciate it if you would leave a review and let me know what you think!

I do not own Criminal Minds.

"When the sun has set, no candle can replace it." – George R.R. Martin

Hotch stood in the entrance to the conference room. After calling all of the members of the team in at five in the morning he was the last to arrive. He cast them all a look, knowing that this Saturday morning would be the end to what was supposed to be their weekend off.

"So, what were you up to, Prentiss?" Morgan was leaning back in his chair. "All dressed up in the early hours of the morning I see." He was referencing Emily's tight dark jeans, knee high leather boots, and low cut top.

"How do you know I didn't just change into this when I woke up?" Emily smirked.

"Because you wouldn't look like that, you'd look like that," he tipped his head toward Reid whose hair was shooting out in every direction and had his shirt buttoned crookedly.

"Hey," Reid shot back, smoothing his hair with his hands.

"So what's his name?" JJ leaned forward, her eyebrows raised.

"What's whose name?" Emily countered, taking the defensive.

"No way you dressed up like that for Sergio," JJ pressed.

"I could look into her phone records and see who she's been calling?" Garcia offered, already opening up the laptop she had in front of her.

"Don't I get to keep anything private anymore?" Emily asked, incredulous.

"Nope," Derek grinned.

"Hush," Rossi said as Emily started to respond. He was leaning back in his chair, his eyes closed and fingers laced over his stomach. "Maybe I'm just an old man, but it's too early for this."

At that moment Hotch walked into the conference room, "sorry about ruining your weekends."

He looked grim as he stood in front of them. "We're being called to Seattle where it appears they have a serial killer. Five women have been found murdered in the past six weeks."

No one spoke as they waited for Hotch to continue.

"We have been called because another woman went missing two hours ago. Captain Redini was hoping that due to our… connection with the latest victim, we would be able to provide insight."

"Connection?" Morgan sat up straighter and met Hotch's eyes.

"The latest woman kidnapped was undercover. Detective Greenaway." Hotch's jaw tightened.

"Greenaway?" Derek questioned, "As in Elle?"

Aaron nodded, "we need to leave now, but we can talk more on the plane."

XXX

"So you're serious, Hotch?" Morgan asked once the plane had taken off, "Elle Greenaway?"

"I'm afraid so."

"I always wondered what happened to her," Reid whispered, "you know, after..."

"So she's a detective now?" JJ asked.

Hotch nodded, maybe to both of their comments, or maybe just to JJ's question. "She's been working for the Seattle Police Department for five years."

Morgan and JJ exchanged glances.

"We've been brought in because of our unique relationship to the victim. As you all know, we don't only profile UNSUBs." Hotch looked carefully at each of the members of his team, "We must use our knowledge of Elle to help build our profile. This knowledge of her past will help us, but it will also hurt us. We have all been blinded by knowledge of the past," Aaron's eyes lingered on Morgan.

When Aaron started to speak again he turned to look at Emily and Rossi, "we are going to rely on the both of you to be objective and keep us on track. Neither of you worked with Greenaway, so what you see will be very important."

"So what do we know about the case so far?" Rossi asked.

Hotch pulled out a pile of manila folders from his bag and set them on the table that everyone else was sitting around. "These were faxed over just an hour ago."

Everyone took a folder and began to flip through it. Aaron had already read through the file so he gave them a moment and then spoke, "As I said previously, five women were found murdered in the Seattle area, and Detective Elle Greenaway has since gone missing."

"Why did it take so long for the FBI to get called in?" Emily asked.

"The Seattle field office began assisting after the fourth body was found, but they haven't made any headway. I'm not going to lie, even in the FBI, some agents don't believe certain victims deserve priority."

"Because they were homeless?" JJ rose her eyebrows.

"I'm not saying it's right, and it's definitely not what I believe, but we all know it happens. And as unfortunate as it is, their disappearances were not noticed until the first four bodies were found and the ME made the connection." Aaron cleared his throat before going on, "Since then, the police and the Seattle field office have been doing their best to monitor the area for more disappearances. However, since the UNSUB is targeting the homeless, if they aren't reported as missing then the police remain unaware."

"And what was Elle doing?" JJ asked.

"Greenaway was working undercover in the same area where it was believed the women were taken from."

"Well it looks like this killer has a type," Emily observed when Hotch had finished speaking, "slender, dark hair and eyes."

"No wonder they chose Elle, she looks just like these women." Reid was staring at a page in the file filled with pictures. Photos of each of the victims were lined up together. They all appeared slender as Emily had pointed out, but not just that, they looked underfed and street worn, Elle included. With matching hair and eyes, at a glance all of the women could have been sisters.

"So what exactly was their hope in sending Greenaway undercover?" Morgan asked, looking up from the file.

"We'll have to ask when we get there," Aaron responded. "This isn't going to be an easy case, but if I didn't think we could help, we wouldn't be going."

For the rest of the flight they all read through the files and discussed various areas of the case. Hotch was looking through the case files for the third time when his phone rang. He picked it up and held it to his ear, the lines on his face deepening. He spoke a few words before hanging up and addressing the team,

"Another body has just been found. Reid and I will go to the crime scene. I want Morgan and Prentiss to go to Greenaway's apartment, you will be meeting her partner there. Rossi, go to the morgue, and JJ, go straight to the PD, start setting up and gathering information."