"Old situations will pop up just to test you... Don't slip"
-Unknown-

"Maya!" Garcia says in a singing voice as she sets a thing of flowers down in front of her. "A secret admirer?" JJ asks and Maya knits her eyebrows in confusion, "What?" Maya questions as she looks down at the flowers and notices that they are dark red roses.

"This can't be for me" Maya declares as she pushes the pot of flowers away. "Why?" Garcia asks as she looks through the flowers, finding a small note.

"I hate roses" Maya says, her face scrunching up in disgust before Garcia hands her the small note she found in the flowers which has Maya's name on the front of it. She opens the note, and it says Zugzwang.

"What the hell?" Maya questions, showing Reid the card and his face turns to one of confusion as he reads the card.

"Zugzwang" Reid reads aloud as Garcia and JJ gather around, looking at the words written on the note. Maya then notices something on the back and brings the note closer to her.

At the bottom of the paper, it has a stamp. A stamp Maya remembered all too well. "Everything okay?" JJ asks as she notices Mayas eyes go wide and her face turn practically pale as she was staring down at the tree shaped stamp that was on the back of the note.

"Yeah" Maya lies before they address that the Zugzwang call had been the copycat all along since it the voice on the other end was computer generated. "What if this is The Replicator?" Reid asks, making everyone look to him shock but not disbelief.

_____

"I just came from the director's office, and he doesn't like the idea that his agents are being taunted, and he wants me to keep him personally in the loop" Strauss informs as she enters the conference room.

Garcia then informs that since the flowers sent to Maya were cleared through security there was nothing in them like explosives or chemical residue. "They we're ordered from a florist in Rochester, New York-". "What?" Maya interrupts and Garcia looks up at her puzzled.

"Um, they were ordered all the way in Rochester, New York" Garcia answers again and Maya shakes her head in disbelief, "What's in Rochester?" Derek wonders as Maya nervously taps her finger on the table.

"Nothing is there but that's where I'm from" Maya answers as the team looks around at her, wondering if she's really the target.

"There was also a credit card but it's a stolen number, but it was ordered from a prepaid cell phone in Philadelphia" Garcia informs and Maya's jaw practically drops as she pulls the card that she got in the flowers out of her pocket and looks back down at the tree shaped stamp on it.

"Garcia, can you look up Haven Behavioral Hospital of Philadelphia?" Maya asks as she stands to her feet, walking over to Garcia who was hesitant but proceeded to do as she was asked.

"Isn't that a psychiatrist hospital?" Reid asks as Garcia stops typing and Maya looks from the stamp to the logo for the hospital and it's the same. "Maya, if you know something, tell us" Hotch urges as Maya's breathing picks up.

"Um, it may be nothing, but my brother is in that same mental hospital" Maya answers and notices the team giving her a suspicious look like they don't know to trust her or question her.

"Then it can't be your brother who is doing this. Do you know if your brother had any friends in there and they got out?" Derek asks and Maya shrugs her shoulders, "I haven't spoken to my brother for 10 years. I don't even know what he looks like right now" Maya states, pushing her hair out of her face stressfully.

"I'm putting security detail at all of our homes, Mayas especially" Hotch states. "Well, whoever this is communicating directly but what is he trying to say?" Alex wonders, looking around at the team for answers.

"The game has changed. First, he was chasing us, copying the cases that we'd solved, and now he's making us chase him" Hotch suggests and Maya scoffs as she rests her hands on her hips.

"Tag, we're it" Maya sighs, looking around at the team who is just as puzzled and shocked as she is.

"Whoever it is has committed 3 murders in 3 different states" Hotch informs. First one was a father and husband from Dallas, and he was found with his mouth sewn shut.

The second one was an unidentified john doe who was found in Mexico near the border and his leg was severed and someone else's was transplanted on, but the team has no clue where the other limb has come from.

Lastly is a woman who was murdered and turned into a human marionette. Except her limps were just dislocated and she was stuffed in a dumpster.

"I want this case closed quickly and if your brother is a part of this, the director will want to exchange some words" Strauss states making Maya roll her eyes in annoyance before Strauss exits the conference room.

"Uh, Philadelphia P.D. just uploaded a homicide to vicap" Garcia informs, referring to a recent unidentified woman who was found this morning exsanguinated with her eyelids removed.

"Just like our blood artist Bryan Hughes" Derek realizes. "And Philadelphia, the same city where Maya's brother is and where the prepaid phone location was from" Reid states and Maya shakes her head, fighting the desperate tears that cloud her eyes, blurring her vision.

"Wheels up in 10" Hotch states as the team gathers their things and Maya turns back to the screen to where Garcia has showed pictures of the recent murders and for the first time in awhile she is speechless and doesn't know what to believe.

"We'll figure this out" Derek reassures, gently rubbing Maya's shoulder comfortably. "I don't know. I doubt it" Maya sighs before she walks past Derek unable to look him in the eyes or anyone for that matter.

_____

On the plane, Hotch sits across from Maya before the rest of the team gathers together, wanting to make sure she was okay. "I'm asking you this as a friend and as your coworker. Are you able to work this case?" Hotch asks and Maya sits up straight in her seat as she looks to Hotch.

"I'm not going to lie, I don't know. I haven't seen my brother in ten years so, I don't know if he's made friends, what he looks like, his favorite food or even what size shoe he wears. And it all makes me wonder since I barley know him at all, if he's capable of something like this" Maya confesses, her mind wondering to many dark places and scenarios while Hotch nods his head understandingly.

"If it starts to get too hard for you, I need to know because we have a goal here and nothing can get in the way. I hope you understand" Hotch states and Maya nods her head, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Understood" Maya mumbles before Derek takes a seat next to her, wanting to comfort her during a time like this. The rest of the team take a seat and gather together to continue talking about the case.

"Okay, the replicator sent those flowers today because he knew the body would be found today and he's taken the time to track our cases" JJ states. "It's not too much trouble to track news headlines with a google search" Maya declares, shifting uncomfortably in her seat but trying to give as much information to the case as possible.

"You're right but the original Zugzwang message was delivered to me at a phone booth, which means he's not just tracked our cases-". "He's tracking everything we do" Maya finishes, interrupting Reid.

"I hate to ask but, Maya, do you think your brother is capable of something like this?" Rossi asks, all eyes now on Maya.

"From inside a mental hospital? No" Maya answers. "Which leads to my next question, how sure are you that he's still in... the mental hospital?" Rossi asks and leaves Maya stunned. 10 years have gone past, and she doesn't even know what he looks or sounds like. She's never contacted him and if she has it's only to talk to one of the nurses that work at the place.

The thing is, Thomas hated when Maya sent him to the hospital and if he did get out, he'd be looking for his revenge but why would he go through all of this to get it?

"That's a... really good question" Maya says softly as her breathing picks up and she starts to get flustered as she has nothing to say and doesn't know what to do.

"I'm sorry, I need- I need air or water" Maya says as she stands to her feet and tries to step over Derek but slightly trips. She finds her balance and proceeds to the back of the jet where there's a jug of water and cups right beside it. Maya slams the plastic cup onto the counter and grabs the handle of the jug only to find out her hands are shaking rapidly.

"Hey, hey hey" Derek calms as he removes the jug from her hands and clasps his hand into hers. "Calm down, Maya" Derek reassures as he places his other hand on Maya's smooth cheek.

Maya looks up at him, knowing tears are clouding her eyes. Tears that she refuses to let out because she wasn't going to be weak now. But as she looked into his eyes, her breathing slowed down and the shaking in her hands and fingers slowly came to a stop.

"What am I going to do if my brother really is out? How the hell did he even get out?" Maya asks frantically. "Escape or maybe it was his time to go" Derek suggests, shrugging his shoulders.

"They don't just let you out of the mental hospital, Derek. You get put in there for a reason" Maya snaps and Derek raises his eyebrows in shock before he lifts his hands up in surrender. "Sorry" Maya sighs, instantly feeling bad about taking out her anger, sadness and confusion on him.

_____

Derek, Maya, JJ and Reid get to the crime scene at a park, and the detective is surprised to find them there. "What are you doing here?" He asks, his voice harsh. "Hm, we're at a crime scene where there is a bunch of police around because a body has been found. What the hell do you think we're doing here?" Maya asks, snapping back at the detective with the same attitude.

The detective stays silent as he continues to stare down the four agents in front of him. Maya sighs, rolling her eyes as she pushes past the detective and makes her way towards the body, the rest of the group slowly but surely following behind.

They look at the body and decide that because she's fully clothed and posed it means copycat feels remorse. Which Maya thinks is a weird leap to make because her brother, Thomas, didn't even cry when their mom died or when she was being abused so why would he have remorse.

Then they suggest that this might not even be the work of the copycat, because he's not doing it in the same city, and also because the corpses weren't placed facing works of art, and the marionette girl wasn't even put in a presentation box. "Are we sure this is the replicator?" JJ asks as the four of them look down at the body before someone comes and covers it up.

The team heads out to find the grocery store victim, who was kidnapped and killed and dumped all within about three hours. He killed her, drained her blood, dressed her, wrapped her in plastic, then found a park and carried her to a tree, all in broad daylight.

"Whoever this is, is on a mission" Maya states as she, the detective and Hotch duck uber the caution tape as they walk towards the body.

Police officers and forensic people walk past Maya and Hotch, staring at Maya directly. "Why the hell are they staring at me?" Maya asks before the detective stops in front of the body.

"I got an idea" he says as Maya and Hotch come up behind him, noticing a picture taped onto the body with blood on it. "You've got to be kidding" Maya says as she bends down, looking at a picture of herself taped onto the body. It was a picture of her right after JJ's wedding.

"It's hard to tell when or where this photo was taken. It's shot on a telephoto lens and the frames too small" Reid states as Maya clears her throat nervously, "Um, the photo was after JJ's surprise wedding" Maya confesses and Derek snatches the photo, that's in a plastic bag, out of Reid's hand and looks down at in, remembering that's the same dress she wore to JJ's wedding and it's the only time she's ever worn it.

"Whoever this is must have channeled years of anger" Reid realizes. "Is anyone concerned with the fact that things have only been targeted at Maya? Should she even be out here?" Alex wonders as she gets a look at the picture that was found on the recent victim's body.

"I'm not leaving now" Maya declares as she looks around the team, letting them know she's head to stay and if the replicator wants her, then he's going to have to come and get her himself.

_____

Later, the team has a sit-down meeting teleconference with Strauss. It seems the higher-ups want them taken off the case, since they're the targets of it. "I have to disagree" Maya voices. "I don't think you get a say since you aren't sure whether your brother is involved or not" Strauss snaps and Maya scoffs.

"I'm fine and I'm not leaving this case" Maya states as the rest of the team agrees and argues that they're the only ones who can solve the case.

Strauss decides to give them the benefit of the doubt, and announces they'll stay on the case unless she's fired or killed.

Garcia then finds a possible lead that could remove the direction off Maya's brother for a second. Fifteen years ago, a guy was killing nurses in Philly, and he was caught by the detective on the case. Then, five months ago, that guy was put to death.

Could the copycat blame them for that death, and now he wants revenge?

The team thinks it's time for a profile while Maya suggests otherwise but keeps her thoughts to herself. They announce that it's a white male in his 40s-50s who is criminally and forensically sophisticated.

The team has eliminated the possibility that anyone related to the original case is the killer. All of the family/friends of the killer and the victims are accounted for in a preposterously quick fashion. Except for one. An ER Doctor, Donnie Bidwell, was a suspect in the original dead nurse's case.

It seems that Mandy, the rude detective on the case thought he was the killer and had him arrested, but DNA cleared him. The accusation ruined his life, though, and he's been a wreck ever since.

They immediately raid his house, searching through every room and corner. Maya notices a painting on the wall in the hallway and it's the same painting of the logo of the metal hospital her brother is at or may be at.

"Clear!" Maya informs as the rest of the team says the house is empty as well. They didn't notice a closet during their search, and don't have anyone stationed at the back door. So, the moment they let their guard down, Derek notices someone in the reflection of the mirror and sees him pointing a gun right at Maya.

He fires off some shots towards Maya but before they could hit her, Derek tackles her to the ground and covers her head as the bullet hit the glass and caused glass to fly everywhere in the surrounding areas.

Donnie flees into the back yard to make a run for it but he doesn't get far, though, as cop cars manage to trap him in an alley.

"Are you okay?" Derek asks as Maya slowly raises her head up to look at him. "I'm fine" Maya says as she catches her breath and Derek helps her to her feet while she tries helping him to his.

"I think you hurt me more than the bullet would've" Maya jokes as she rubs her shoulder, trying to make light of the situation.

_____

Maya stands on the other side of the glass, looking at the suspect in the interrogation room. He was staring back at the glass as if he knew where Maya was exactly, and he was staring into her soul. She didn't know who he was or why he was targeting her, if he was targeting her.

Derek enters and wonders if he's asked for a phone call or lawyer yet but all he's asked for his medication, Anticonvulsants.

Turns out, he was attacked fifteen years ago and got a head injury because people thought he was the one who killed all those nurses. Now he has seizures, making his life even more miserable. Rossi tries to talk Donnie into confessing by essentially apologizing for the time the detective framed him for murder.

Donnie is pretty upset about the situation, which makes Maya wonder why he didn't sue the police for wrongful arrest and slander - for publicly accusing him of a heinous crime he was innocent of.

He had other ways to get revenge besides killing innocent people to taunt the BAU. "You got an Agent Regan back there?" He asks, making Maya stop in place as she listens in after hearing her name. "I rather not talk about my coworkers" Rossi states as he looks down at Donnie's hands that are shaking at the speed of light and refuses to say anything, so Rossi decides to leave and give him a few minutes to think.

"Somethings off" Maya says as she bites the nail of her thumb while looking through the glass at the suspect behind it. "I agree. This is his crowning moment. All that work he did to replicate those murders. He should be singing like a canary" Rossi declares while Maya scoffs in disbelief while the case is also stressing her out.

"Why isn't he taking the meds. He needs them so bad... why isn't he taking them?" Maya asks herself before she pushes past the team and enters the room.

"Maya, what are you doing?" Derek asks as he stands in the doorway. Maya snatches the pills off the table and looks at the bottle and shakes it before looking to Donnie who looks to Maya with worry as she holds the bottle in her hand.

"Why won't you take your pills? You're shaking like a wild animal, yet, you haven't looked at them once since they were brought in here even though you asked multiple times for them to be brought in" Maya rants, slamming the pill bottle down on the metal table where Donnie sits at.

"I rather not take them right now" Donnie states and Maya could smell the lie right from under his nose.

Maya opens up the pill bottle and pours all the pills down on the table and looks to Donnie who swallows nervously and starts to sweat. Maya looks back down at the pills and notices the light blue color they are and looks back at the bottle seeing Donnie Bidwells name on the bottle but font on the bottle doesn't look like the usually font when you get a bottle of pills.

Maya starts to count the pills she poured out onto the table and only counts 10 pills and knows that the bottle is missing about 10 more pills because these pills are the same pills her brother used to take when he was sent to the mental hospital.

They put him on this medication to make him feel woozy but there were many side effects that could cause him harm if he took more than one.

Maya then raises her head quickly, locking eyes with Donnie, watching a mischievous smile grow on his face. "Why are you smiling?" Derek asks as he steps closer to Maya who widens her eyes in disbelief.

"He already took them" Maya realizes, watching a single line of sweat slide down his forehead until it hit the metal table below him.

"Tag, you're it" Donnie whispers before he starts to seize, falling to straight to the ground.

"Medic! We need a medic!" Derek shouts as he puts him on his side, watching was Maya doesn't do anything to help. "He's gone" Maya states before she looks back down at the bottle and throws it across the room.

"He killed those people, but my brother had something to do with this. How? I don't know but we have to find out" Maya declares before she exits the interrogation, walking right past the paramedics who swarm into the room.

Case closed.

______

A car door shuts and the person in the driver's seat turns on the engine. "He's gone. She figured it out, Thomas" The person in the passenger seat states before her and Thomas who is in the driver seat look to each other.

"Good. It's about time she gets what she deserves" Thomas states as he grips the steering wheel while leaning over and placing his lips onto the person in the passenger seat.

They pull away and look into each others eyes, "She'll never see us coming" The mysterious person the passenger seat declares while she bites down on her lip seductively while staring Thomas down.

Tag, you're it.

"Leave the past where it belongs. Don't look back when you know you shouldn't... even if you have no choice"
-Unknown-