Change My Mind ~ Criminal Minds (Aaron Hotchner x OC)

111.0: Continuing After Failure

A/N: This chapter is based on 8x13 Magnum Opus

Trigger Warnings: TORTURE, BLOOD, D*ATH OF LOVED ONE

"We live in a world that is beyond our control, and life is in a constant flux of change. So we have a decision to make: keep trying to control a storm that is not going to go away or start learning how to live within the rain."
― Glenn Pemberton

Crystal hummed to herself as she brushed her hair, she was getting ready for work and smiled when the bedroom door opened. Jack ran in quickly, but slowed down to hug her. "Hi." She turned to kiss his head, "Hi, what's got you in such a good mood?" He sat on the bed with her and looked at her stomach, "Daddy says Sweet Pea is now a blueberry." After finding out that her mom had given Hotch a book for 'How Big is My Baby Now?', Jack had loved it. He started nicknaming the baby to whatever it was compared to in the book, and Crystal cooed at how sweet that was.

She placed a hand on her stomach, "That's right, Sweet Pea is now Blueberry." Jack smiled at her, "I like blueberries."

"I do too, but right now they make me sick." Crystal told him and she sighed, it was now part of her pregnancy where she was either craving everything or wanting to throw up at everything. Apples, lemons, and oranges were the only main fruits she could eat. Anything else had her throwing up, and she was already doing that just fine on her own. She was 7 weeks into her pregnancy now, and the nausea was starting to calm down a bit. Frequent trips to the bathroom were still made though since she felt like she had to pee almost every hour.

Jack tried to help her stand, it wasn't necessary but he saw Hotch do it, and she smiled down at him. "Let's go eat breakfast, Blueberry wants waffles." He nodded and quickly went to the door and waited for her when her phone rang, she smiled at him. "You go first bud, I got a phone call." He nodded and went downstairs as she grabbed her phone, "Hi Doc."

"How's your morning sickness?"

"Better now, still there though." Crystal told him, it's been two weeks since Maeve's died. That same night she died, he called her at 3:00 AM with his voice filled with worry. "Are you okay?" Crystal had been half asleep and confused, "What?" Reid let out a shaky breath, "I need to know that you're okay, I had a really bad dream and- please just tell me nothing's wrong." She assured him that she was fine and Hotch had woken up as well, "Does he need us to go see him?"

Crystal shook her head after Reid told her he didn't want them to leave their house and she leaned into Hotch's hold as she calmed Reid down, after his breathing was normal again she was able to get him to explain what had happened. He had a nightmare that because he wrote Crystal and Hotch into his letters to Maeve, someone went after them and shot her. "I thought I endangered you, Hotch, Jack, and your baby." He whispered and Crystal smiled at his worry, "Doc, we're all okay. Everything's fine, and no one is coming after us." From then on, Reid would call to check up on her and neither her or Hotch minded. It was concerning at first for him to be this paranoid, but that soon faded after the first 5 days and it turned into a way for him to get his mind off of what happened.

Reid was taking some time off and he hasn't spoken to anyone except for her, so it was nice to hear his voice and at least have some sort of communication. "This weeks nickname is Blueberry." Crystal told him and she could hear his smile, "Blueberries benefit the health of your heart, bone strength, and blood pressure. It can also help with the management of diabetes, so that could be beneficial for you so you don't develop gestational diabetes." 

"That's good to know, thanks for telling me. I don't think I can actually stomach some blueberries right now, but I could try mixing it into my lemonade like you told me to do when I was craving strawberries." Crystal told him as she headed downstairs, "We have a case today." Reid didn't respond to that, "Are you still feeling overly tired? You might want to bring that up with your brother, maybe he can give you better advice."